Friday, February 5, 2010

Finished Projects

Having once again moved and done much new arranging and deciding I'm ready to feel a little accomplished here. Please allow me to reminisce over projects I've done over the last year or so:
I loved painting our new kitchen red. I've always wanted a red kitchen and what better place to decide if I love it or could do without it than an apt. Guess what, I love it!! Now, we'll see if I still love it when we leave. I mostly love how warm and lived in it looks--not so sterile anymore. Yay for deep, rich, beautiful colors!
A project I did in the guest room of my parents house in Washington as part of a "Thanks for letting us live here for 10 months!" I fixed and repainted the dingy walls, got curtains and a curtain rod, rearranged furniture and made the half-headboard you see over the bed on the right picture (Yes, I was watching a lot of HGTV with Big J gone). I plan to do another headboard like this because I really liked the way it looked and that it was so much more affordable than other options and that I had made it myself (with some help from my Dad)!

This is a drawing I finished a little over a year ago of a picture I took of my B kissing Big J's grandmother's dog, Mena, while we lived with her. I loved working on this project because it is one of my favorite pictures and it was so fun to draw again--something I hadn't done for years.

I love doing cakes! This one was for my little A this past summer because she is so bright and smiley herself and always points out if people (real, in books, in movies, etc.) are happy or grumpy. My patience is wearing on them so we'll see how many more I end up doing.

I love doing things for my chillins!! This dress was SO adorable for my brother's wedding and his wife did such a great job picking it out for B to be the flower girl. Unfortunately some brands don't do so well with sizing and this dress was slightly small on her and sleeveless without the sweater and it ended up being a warm weekend, SO I got out my needle and thread (as if they are readily accessible-ha!), found some perfect lace to add to the bottom to extend its length and some to make lacy sleeves and voila!, bigger and sleeved dress that was perfect and she made such an adorable little flower girl for a beautiful wedding! You can only see part of it, but I also tried my hand for the first time in making a flower ring to go around B's bun in her hair. Fun!

I love making cards! I did this for my mom as an invite for my brother's Rehearsal Dinner for his wedding this past summer. I attribute it's success and cuteness to the paper. I love that brown paper on the bottom!! Another project I completed and loved doing.

Now, on to all the projects I've currently got under my belt.........

Saturday, January 30, 2010

These are a few of my favorite things about my kiddies:

*Waking up hearing B quietly asking Little A and Little J if she could read them a book in their room, and it re-occurring often and always being uber adorable.
*They can often help diffuse my frustration with a smile, kind words, or hugs just like I try for them.
*Their curiosity. I find their minds marvelously intriguing.
*That I have a great excuse to sometimes act like a kid right along with them.
*Surprises all over the house. Little A put all our headbands around the dining chair legs this evening. Found a bounce ball in a partially open box earlier today. Evidence of little minds at work and play.
*Watching them watch movies—it's really quite entertaining to watch their facial expressions and Little J especially gets into movies, jumping up and down and the like.
*To know that God entrusted them with me and I have the power to live up to that trust.
*Time and again giggling over what is exciting to them because it often takes me by surprise.
*Snuggles. Lots of snuggles. Good morning snuggles, evening snuggles, reading a book snuggles, “I love you” snuggles, etc.
*Their individual way each of them goes about life and my own curiosity of how they will each play them out and my learning to enjoy each stage of it.