A Garden Rake and no Heat

We don't have our heat hooked up yet. Almost, but no cigar. (Where did that "saying" originate from, anyway?) It's been down in the low 40's at night. This morning, it was 58 in our house, when I woke up (46 outside)! My hands are freezing. It actually felt warmer to me when I was outside walking Nikayda to the bus stop! I kid you not. The sun was shining - made all the difference in the world.

I've never felt the urge to get outside in the mornings when it was in the 50's but I sure felt like it today. Come to think of it, I wasn't up, much, in the mornings until now. But we're all adjusting just fine to this earlier schedule and it actually feels really nice. The boys are even getting up a little earlier too.

This morning, I took a few pictures in the entry but I'm going to wait and take more once I get a few things up {for texture. Flowers, linens etc...} I started to decorate in there, last week. Anyone know of a good place where I can find real-looking artificial flowers? I was thinking Joann's or Michaels'... I haven't looked at either place in ages. But I was wondering if there were others. I'm hoping to plug-away some more today - but probably in the kitchen and living room.

The wedding was beautiful. I can hardly believe they're married. {That's an I-can-hardly-believe in a good way.} :) It's a first for me (a brother getting married). It feels so strange to me that I have a brother married. It's so nice to see him happy and married to a Christian wife. Out of the 14 of us only Sara, Emily, and I were married until now. Family weddings are so fun! I only took a couple of pictures. I was waiting until my mom posted before putting any up... We only went for the day. We left late-morning Saturday and got home around 2 in the morning (Sunday).

In the end, I'm so glad we didn't stay the night. Mark and I visited the whole way home - which was nice. The kids slept because it was already after 10 when we left. A part of me really wishes we would've been at rehearsal but I know it was the right thing to not go for overnight. If it was feeling that stressful for me, it was better not to. It's just that I have no idea where half our stuff is right now. Everything's in boxes scattered throughout the house. I'm hoping by the time Ginger & Lars get married (Nov.), things will be a little more in order and we'll make it for Friday night! :)

Too Big for your Britches Little Curtain

I found these curtains at Target. They're Simply Shabby Chic by Rachel Ashwell, one of my favorite lines. Although, I love to drool over the fabrics and prints on her pillows, shams, bedding, and curtains, they tend to be a bit out of my current budget. So after deciding to take a gander through the curtain aisle, I couldn't resist when I found these hanging on the rack, just sitting there smiling at me with a tiny red tag screaming marked down, marked down!

It's a little hard to tell by the pictures but they're a pale retro pink (the bottom picture is probably the most true-to-color). I really liked the 'patchwork' style and the floral prints. Very feminine. They're going in my kitchen, if I can find two more. I only picked up two, originally intending them to be used in the front entry window and the front bathroom window. But when I got home, I realized they went perfectly with the pale retro green of the kitchen.

curtain detail

Oh, hello little blue bird, you've found a home.

The little curtain that was too big for its britches. Looks like I'll be learning to sew before too long, or one of these years. I'll have to shorten this valance, unless I decide to use vintage hankies for the curtain in this window. Sara's running to Target tomorrow and I'm hoping that there will be at least two more left when she gets there. Crossing my fingers! {But not holding my breath.} Even if she finds 'one', that would work too because I could use the 3 for the dining area and then go the hankie-route for this window.

The window's not painted and there isn't trim yet, but I wanted to make it a little more pretty to look at.

Vintage {Double} Metal Bed

I love getting tipped-off to a good sale. (That's "tipped-off", not "ticked-off").

A while back, Jessica (Keith H.) called about a garage sale she thought I might be interested in. {I couldn't find the post about it, to do the link for you...} Anyway, I ended up stocking up on vintage doors and old wooden {handmade} picture frames and a bunch of odds'n'ends. Well, yesterday while we were at Target, Steph (Kevin H.) called and said she was at a sale with a couple of metal beds. {She knew I was looking for them for our kids}. And she had seen some Fisher Price Little People buildings: a market and an A-frame house.

Because I didn't get home until about 7, last night, I cruised over there this morning. The beds, doubles, were sold. At 10 bucks, I'd a feeling they would be. But I asked if she had any more.

Sure enough.

There was another double in the garage. And it was the EXACT style that I've been looking for. I don't know how to explain it, and I couldn't find it on-line to show you. I'll get a picture later. It's being delivered around 5. The antique shop owners, where the garage sale was being held, just so happen to be our neighbors and volunteered to drop it off on their way home. (He was a gym teacher for 37 years at the school. He just retired). I'm so excited to get it! It needs to be painted but from what I could see, it was in good shape otherwise.

So, it's for Nikayda, temporarily. Now I need a mattress {and that fresh coat of paint} and we'll be all set. I'm on the hunt for a vintage metal canopy {single-size} bed for her. {I've wanted one, myself, my whole life}. This double bed will go out in the bunkhouse eventually.

Here are my morning treasures... they're still dirty, as is our van, but I'm still moving junk from Sara's place.

I picked up the Fisher Price Little People A-frame house (with some furniture!!) and the Little Market (with a car). A white crate. (I love white everything, so I was particularly thrilled with this find). A very old drawer, in perfect condition. (See detail below, 3rd picture). I love that crackled paint with a slightly pale green tinge to it. I also got 2 magazines (One a Martha Stewart Living Christmas Issue and the other a Country Living decorating with white and blue issue). And a handful of vintage Little Golden books. Oh and let's not forget Rainbow Bright! A circa 1983 Rainbow Bright doll. I have no idea what I'm going to do with her but I remember her from when I was little. (Although, I never had one). And she was in excellent condition for 10 cents. Maybe I'll clean her up and give her to Nikayda...

I am so drawn to vintage children's books for their beautiful illustrations and whimsical story lines. You just don't see these styles anymore in the newer books. I already have We Like Kindergarten and Baby's Christmas. I may let the kids look at these two or do a project with them (i.e. frame them to hang on the wall). One of my favorite illustrators of all time, of vintage children's books, is Eloise Wilkin. I love the beautiful, cherubic children that she's illustrated for so many books. The 3 that are illustrated by her are Baby's Christmas, We Like Kindergarten and Wonders of Nature. (At least, I'm 99% sure she did the last one, the page with the author and illustrator is missing).

Kitchen Sink

I have a sink! I'm sitting here trying to figure out how to take a picture of it and make it look clean, without actually having to clean it first. But I don't know any miracles for doing that, so I've got to go clean it before I show you a picture.

Mark finished setting it up this morning. It only took about a week, not too bad for a rookie plumber. ;) We've (both) been laughing about it all week. He's not done much plumbing before, but each day this week he'd work on it, bit-by-bit, trudging through it and it's finally set up. Woo-hoo! We're in business.

I really like it. He was going to put it on a 2x4 stand that he'd planned to rig up but he ended up using maple and I love what he did! I just need to get out the linens and figure out a curtain to go around it. And I'm contemplating painting it but I love how it looks right now {the white of the wood}...although it's temporary, it may be there for awhile. In either case, I need to seal the wood one way or another or it'll soak up all the water.


Oh forget it. Here's a picture. Dirty sink, dirty floor, and all. Just so you have an idea.

The Last of the Toilet Paper

I promise! Not the roll, just the posts on toilet paper. {Man, I hate when there's none left on the roll.}

But I had to show you because Mark hung the holder up this evening and I've lost count of how many times I've nonchalantly sauntered into the bathroom just to stand there and chuckle that I have my very own toilet paper holder. And so you can appreciate how insane I really am, I'll have you know that I was studying it and wondering how often I'd have to dust it with a cleaning toothbrush in order to prevent build-up in all the little grooves on it.

Sad, I know.

I have the matching towel bar but I need to refinish a small dresser to put the sink on. {A five-dollar steal - the dresser. I love it!} It will actually rest on top of the dresser, if all goes as planned. It's a wall-mount little squarish-rectangular shaped sink. It's on the wall right now, so we can actually use it 'til I get the dresser done.

I just picked it up from Sara's barn, this evening.

Ok. I can't believe I just posted not one, but two pictures of toilet paper on my blog.

Keeping You Up-to-Date

I've been sorta taking-it-easy, this week. Not a whole lot of sorting or organizing has been happening.

*Yawn*. {Streeeetch}. (No, I didn't just get up from a nap. I wish!)

{And no matter how many times I snap my fingers, the boxes won't unpack themselves.} Oh where or where is that Mother Fairy when I need her? ;)

Well, anyway, on that note - not a lot of change has been happening but I promise to show pictures once things start to look different. So, the mess that is posted on my blog down below is the mess I continue to look at myself, for now.

Toilet Paper Holder and Mild Shock

I was sitting here pricing out toilet paper holders and oy-yoy-yoy! Do you know that at Target you can get this one for $44.99!

Holy Hot Tamale!

I'm looking for this style and although I do really like this particular one I can't believe that it costs this much.

A humble little toilet paper holder. Who would'a thought.

My sister Sara had bought one in a similar style so I called her. She said she found hers on clearance at Target and paid nowhere near that and couldn't believe they cost that much either. I'm having a little sticker shock right now. All of the ones in this particular style (with the open end) cost upwards of 20-something bucks.

I'll be watching the clearances too.

And to think I thought they'd be around 10-15 bucks. Lol! :)

Mud Boots & Lovely Leaves

After the rain we got yesterday, I wonder whose idea it was to wear flip flops outside? (Hint: they're in chronological order. Nikayda, Aapo, and Carter).

And who's idea was it to let them play outside? Oh wait! That was my brilliant idea. I forgot about the mud! Lol! The boy's were covered to their knees. {It could've been worse}. How Nikayda managed to stay high-and-dry is beyond me. She didn't have a speck of mud on her.

More fall colors...

It's Finally Begun to Arrive!

...fall! My favorite season in the whole wide world!

Crisp, cool, crunchy, vibrant, comforting, beautiful fall has begun to arrive.

We have maple trees scattered throughout our property. They've begun to change to a beautiful stunning red color. One of my favorite fall trees! These pictures were taken during the thunderstorm (w/ hail) yesterday. There is red in the leaves going down the driveway, although, it's a little difficult to tell through the hail and rain coming down. The bottom picture is of the maple that's straight off the back of the house in the backyard.

Thank You Paper Plates

Thank you priorities.

I don't have any right now. Priorities that is. {I have paper plates}.

I'm walking circles, not sure where to begin. I spent the day resting (sitting around). It feels so good to do nothing. {I strained one of my feet over a week ago (my fault - I was wearing flip-flops as I was clearing out the yard) and my back. I have a weak back {possibly the result of my Scoliosis}. It's been sore my whole life. It's normal for me (to have a sore back every day) but it's been a little bit of a bugger through this move. Not complaining. Just saying}. :)

It feels good to rest.

When there is so much to do.

But nothing HAS to be done.

Today.

It's so nice.

I was just sitting on my front steps with a cup of coffee and giggling to myself as I enjoyed looking at the trees and an occasional squirrel; and not looking at the punk kids coming and going in a shared driveway. And I admit I'm tired but I'm also so very sentimental and feeling so much gratitude that we're finally home. So. Yes. I got a little teary-eyed sitting out there too. I'm just so thankful.

All of this mess is, of course, overwhelming too; which is normal but it feels so good that it doesn't have to be done right this second. So, I'm enjoying that.

I was also waiting for a bear or a cougar to stroll across the driveway while I waited in the {blissful} silence of the country. But, unfortunately, I was disappointed as my waiting was in vain.

For now.

We don't have a dog yet and I can't help but constantly peer out my windows looking for a wild beast.

Hey, if they're out there, I want to see them.

{I think...}