Show Us Where You Live Friday: Kid's Room Edition

This week Kelly is spotlighting kids' rooms. I have two kiddos, but am only going to showcase my daughter's room today (my son's room is not interesting enough yet)!

This is the view from the door. Sorry for the weird angle, but it's a narrow opening at the door and then breaks out into the actual room. Her walls are beige because this was my son's room when he was our only child. After that, it was my office while the kiddos shared a room temporarily. Jilly is quite content in her room, as you can see in the picture. She enjoys playing house with her babies. She's in for quite a treat tomorrow when she receives her playhouse at her birthday party tomorrow! It will reside in that far corner.

Here is Jillian's Art Gallery. She got the boa as a party favor and we decided to repurpose it as a replacement for the boring ole clothesline that formerly displayed her prized artwork. The wall lettering is from Hobby Lobby. I must say it can be quite addicting, those wall decals! I'm thinking I need to have an Uppercase Living party!




The canopy over Jilly's bed actually used to serve as a bone fide mosquito net! We had a mosquito problem many, many, prekid years ago and WGH bought the net to keep us from being bug food while we slept! I dug it out of the attic and we attached the boa to "girl it up" a little. I am a very cheap decorator!


Here is more evidence of my cheap decorating skills. Those plain black frames I salvaged from my classroom (I displayed class group photos in them). Gather some artwork and/or photos, add some scrapbook paper, and voila, you have a nice filler for any room. Same thing applies for the butterflies hanging from the ceiling in the corner: these were school and church art projects that I hung from a dowel that I painted pink.

This view is from the far corner. The framed work is yet another example of using up leftover scrapbook paper, as are the covered initials on the wall.

This is my favorite addition to Jillian's room, her bedskirt. We had some leftover tulle around the house, so I just tied it to a bit of cording and attached it to the plain flat sheet that had served as her bedskirt. If you notice in the picture above this one, it is an unfinished project! I ran out of tulle ;)

Hope you enjoyed the tour! Hop on over to Kelly's Korner (click on the icon at the top of the post) and check out some absolutely fabulous kid's room and super adorable nurseries!

What was I thinking?!

Last week, I lamented over my daughter's ultra-curly hair in a Not Me! Monday post. It seems like a crazy thing to secretly (or not so secretly now!) wish to not have to deal with hair that draws oohs and aahs everywhere we go, but having survived 30+ years with the same "curse," I know what lies down the road ahead: careful washing, careful conditioning, careful brushing, careful applying of anti-frizz creams...

you get the idea. And that's not even what it takes to survive typical Gulf Coast humidity!

There is a tight rope to walk when dealing with naturally curly hair. One waver in your step and it is 'fro city. And I don't mean 'fro in a hip, modern way (think Project Runway, etc.). We are talking finger in the light socket, bride of Frankenstein's monster. Not a pretty sight. Believe me, I have deflected my share of criticisms over my hair on its less than stellar days (and trust me, there were many).

So, with these painful memories in mind, and no doubt a bad hair day of my own, I boohooed over Jillian's hair. I felt like a horrible mom for doing it, too! I mean really, God gifted me with this amazingly cute, larger than life, highly animated, three-year-old (in a few short days) and I should love every inch of her unconditionally, from her unruly hair down to her unreasonable obsession with shoes!



And truly I do, it's just that head of hair!

A few days ago, the kids were playing in the sprinkler and I noticed something:




Now, don't get me wrong, I always notice Jilly's spring-like curls. But this time, I saw those perfect spirals as a perfect compliment to a practically perfect little girl. With this new outlook, I decided to have a photo shoot, not of Jilly, but of her curls!



Sounds crazy, I know! But what better way to celebrate her dominant physical attribute than with a copious collection of corkscrew curls?!

Trust me when I say there were many, many more pictures. But who in the world wants to scroll through dozens of pictures of curly hair. NOT ME! Okay, so I'm a day late on that one.

At any rate, when I find myself cursing the curls--as I no doubt will--these photos will remind me of the beauty that is my Jilly's hair. I feel a bit like Shakespeare when he says:

"Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate;
For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings."

Okay, so that was a bit of a stretch, but I felt the Bard just screaming to be heard.

Wow, with all this talk of hair, I suddenly feel the need for some mousse!

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

You know the drill...

• I totally DID NOT fall for it when WGH offered me a Starbucks latte and pumpkin loaf before church as a peace offering for NOT using a short tone with me. Furthermore, I certainly DID NOT start scheming on how to prevoke another short tone for next Sunday! After all, who DOESN'T like Starbuck's pumpkin loaf?! DEFINITELY NOT ME!


• When dealing with Wesley's new-found phobia to the color blue--yes, the actual color along with anything else that hue--I would NEVER behave in a way other than the utmost patience and understanding. My highly trained skills as mother totally prevent me from trying any of the following: logical arguments (did I mention he's 4?!), sweet pleading (again, did I mention he's 4?!), pitiful begging (ditto on the previous two), and eventually frustrated resignation (do I have to repeat it?!). Consequently, I will NOT be changing his navy blue sheets today and hiding his once beloved Thomas the Train pillow (as evidenced by the following photo taken a year ago).

• When someone (or several someones) marvels at Jilly's ultra-curly hair, I WOULD NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS secretly wish that she had "normal hair" because as beautiful as naturally curly hair is, it is even more of a chore keeping it well kempt. When I view the hair of my friends' girls, I certainly NEVER dream of what it would be like to brush smooth, silky hair and arrange it in all sorts of creative and trendy styles. I mean, really, who would ever NOT LOVE this

NOT ME!

Now that I've spilled my guts, go ahead, have at it!

Show Us Where You Live: Guest Room Edition

Well, I'm bummed that I can't participate this week since I do not have a guest room. As fun as it is though to peek into everyone else's homes, I thought I'd at least provide you with the link so you can take your own virtual home tour. Enjoy!

Super?! Me?!

My son's preschool teacher, Sheila, just gave me this "super" award! She must be working on securing a good end-0f-the-year gift! Just joking Sheila! I have it already haha! At any rate, I feel mighty special that Sheila chose me as one of her "super bloggers." I admire her for the awesome way she commands a classroom full of 3 and 4-year-olds while still gaining their unyielding love and devotion! My son thinks she is the smartest, funniest, and sweetest person, and I can't help but agree. Thank you Sheila!

Here are the rules of accepting this award:

• Tape the award somewhere on your blog



• Pass it along to 5 fellow super bloggers, and comment on their blog to let them know how lucky they are today!



• When you present your Super Blogger awards, link back to the super blogger who gave it to you.

So without further ado, (drumroll please...) here are 5 of my favorite bloggers:

• Christy's blog is one that I check every day! We attend the same church, but have never officially met. She is a joy and inspiration to those she meets (in real life and online) and I can't wait to chat with her face-to-face!


• At Aleesa's blog, I get a chance to see the inner workings of another house with a precocious (albeit darling) four-year-old! We also attend the same church and our "darlings" are both students of Mrs. Sheila. Darling four-year-olds aside (well, if that's possible!), I enjoy chatting with Aleesa while we work on projects for the children's department at church.


• Random Alien Musings is a blog by my dear high school friend Kunta (formerly known as Joe)! His blog is thought-provoking and fun, and I realize how much I miss him and his beautiful wife each time I read what he has to say. While his accepting this award my prove tricky (seeing as how the award says "the masked mommy"), I feel confidant that Joe is secure enough in his manhood to pass the award on to others!


• I will cheat and add a sixth recipient because I have three dear cousins who all blog: Kim, Lori, and Tricia are my sweet cousins with their extra sweet husbands and syrupy sweet children (I suddenly feel the need to brush my teeth)! We had so much fun growing up, but as it goes more often than not, growing up means growing apart (in our cases, geographically speaking). Our reunion this summer will be a blast!

Not Me! Monday

If you're a fan of MckMama or have visited my blog before, you know what today is, so here goes:

• In NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM would I enjoy a Mother's Day weekend away from my children. NOT ME!
• And because I DID NOT miss my children, I would NEVER in a million years let my kids play hooky from school for no other reason than so we could just hang out together at the house. Even if it is just preschool...
• If we did happen to skip school (which we totally DIDN'T), I would certainly NOT want to spend that day driving all the way back to my mother-in-law's house to retrieve the purse that I DID NOT leave at her house on Mother's Day.
• And while we WEREN'T retrieving said purse, when the car actually WOULDN'T start, I DID NOT tell my restless and sweating kids (who coincidentally were the reason for the car NOT starting) "Be quite, Mommy is stressing" rather than "Mommy is thinking!" Furthermore, I DID NOT come to the conclusion that had we NOT played hooky, we WOULDN'T have been stranded!
• Because I am a highly trained athlete, I would NEVER complain of aches and pains after playing a family-friendly game of volleyball at my in-laws annual Mother's Day shrimp boil. I definitely am NOT old!
• I would NEVER spend an entire day sewing drawstring bags and baby blankets for my kids and their dolls instead of FLYing!

Whew! I feel better now! If you need some free therapy, run on over to MckMama's blog and check out the rules for participating in NOT ME! Monday. For even more therapy, check out what other bloggers have NOT been up to this week.

Show Us Where You Live Friday: Living Room Edition

Last week was so much fun, touring other kitchens! This week we are touring the living room. So, come on in and make yourself at home.

This is the view from the foyer. Our foyer and living room are painted a dark brown color. This was a total impulse decision, but we ended up liking it! We have enough light coming in to keep it from feeling like we're in a cave, yet at night it is dark enough to really enjoy watching TV. Eventually I'd like to switch out the curtains for something that is lighter, but those were ones I had and so they work great for now! Notice the side-by-side recliners. My son wants to be like Daddy!

Here's the view from the kitchen sink. Those huge pictures on the wall need to be repositioned. We had an entertainment center there before we got the plasma, so the pictures were placed around that. Hopefully this weekend we will get out the big ladder to straighten them. As you can see, those are not the only pictures that need attention. My poor kids have been propped up on the side table for quite some time as well!

This is the view from the back door/breakfast nook. Sometimes I think our couches are too big for our space, but when I cozy down in them or have to clean up after the kiddos, I realize how much I appreciate my husband for putting his foot down on this decision :) We try to keep this room as toy-free as possible (haha). Our philosophy: the kids have overtaken every other room in the house, so why not have some "grown up" spaces (our bedroom is the other toy-free zone)!

Our poor fireplace really needs some attention! That spaghetti bowl under the TV is on the Honey Do List. Need to bump that one up to the top of the list! I saw in this living room an idea on camoflauging the front of the fireplace that I so want to copy! One day I would also like to have the mantle expanded to frame the fireplace more and install some crown molding, but we have plenty of happy years left in this house to accomplish this! Even though we strive to keep the living room "toy free," they do enjoy reading in here (this is where they keep their books) and we do gather around the ottoman to play Uno and Candyland.

One of the things we love the most about our house is the view from the backyard. I love sitting here in this oversized chair watching the ducks swim by or people walking/running with their families. Check out more living rooms by visiting Kelly's Korner! Thanks for stopping by!

For all you moms out there, have a fabulous Mother's Day!

"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies."

Proverbs 31:10-12

It's Baaack!!!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to http://www.mycharmingkids.net">her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.


What a way to get through a Monday! After taking an "In Tribute of Stellan" hiatus from "Not Me!" Mondays, I, along with MckMama and her other loyal followers, are resuming this super fun blog carnival.

You'd think it was a long list today, but here goes:

• I certainly DID NOT have a super long "Not me!" list to share with you. And if by chance I did, I NEVER would have "misplaced" said list thereby eliminating any chance of having to share them with the public!
  


• At AWANA awards last night, I definitely WAS NOT the mom in the front row shaking her head in total lack of surprise when her 4-year-old son corrected his teacher on stage for saying the "C verse" incorrectly. Whoever that poor mom was (she certainly WASN'T me) I'm sure she absolutely treasures her son's OCD behaviors. Here's a picture of that kid. Maybe his mom WON'T admit to him belonging to her on her blog...

• The day after bravely getting a shorter haircut (my hair is very curly and shorter is not always better!), I DID NOT call for a "readjustment" on my hair after NOT being compared to Carrot Top (sans the red hue) by my little sister! In the defense of my awesome stylist (that is, if this story was actually true, BUT IT IS NOT!!), she dry cuts my hair and likes to transform my corkscrews into a sleek and straight mane of hair, thus she did not cut the layers short enough to prevent what I would NEVER term "mushroom hair!"
  
• In order to prevent "having a case of the Mondays," I DIDN'T let my kiddos dress themselves for school, right down to the socks (well, most definitely NOT the socks!). The end results, if I actually did do this, would NEVER look like this:

Yes, this is a pink polka dot shirt, coral shorts, and turquoise socks.

And yes, his shirt is on backwards and he is wearing orange & gray socks.

But NO, I DO NOT know to whom these kids belong!

• If in fact, we were having "a case of the Mondays" (which we WEREN'T), I would NEVER be caught dead letting my children use those new on-the-go tootbrushes (Colgate Wisps) in the car on the way to school because we seemed to forget to brush our teeth! That must have been the mom in the car next to us at the red light.
  
  Well, I feel better! But of course it is at the expense of someone else's embarrassment because I can easily say to all of these (and much more) NOT ME!
  
  Now it's your turn. Let us know what you HAVEN'T been up to this week. I promise you'll feel better!
  
  
  

Show Us Where You Live Friday: Kitchen Edition

I discovered this blog carnival through I'm especially fond of you (which you should check out when you have a chance!) and thought, "I've got a shiny sink now, so why not?!"

You can check out the creator of "Show Us Where You Live Fridays" by clicking on the title of this blog entry.

Anywho, here's my kitchen. It's a continual work in progress as I am never satisfied with what I have, yet do not want to spend ANY money to change anything! WGH taught me a saying long ago: "You should love it because it's yours!" So here's to loving our kitchens!

Here's the view from the kids' playroom. We love eating here because of the view of the lake--I mean retention pond--that is behind our house. I really don't care for the window treatments, as I am wanting to lighten things up a bit, but I don't have any scraps of fabric laying around to change them.

What was intended to be the dining room is actually our kids' playroom. We enjoy cozying up to this little table that WGH's mom gave to us. The kids love sitting next to each other on the bench and inevitably we have to separate them!

The view from the back door:

Here's the hub of our home, well besides my laptop! That's my Zen, FlyLady Control Journal, and timer there. My house would be in shambles without these items!

Every morning, I am welcomed into the kitchen by the smell of my Folger's Black Silk coffee brewing (I have found a compromise for my Starbuck's taste on a Folger's budget!). I dug that lamp out of a closet after reading a Nesting Place blog on lamps. And yes, that is a bust of Shakespeare on top of my fridge. William used to grace the credenza in my classroom back when I used to teach high school English (if you won't get out your red pen, I won't get out mine).

Can you tell I've got a thing for the Bard?! This quote is from Twelfth Night.

What kitchen would be complete without a "Honey Do List"? WGH even has a few marked off!


Sure, I wish my kitchen were bigger and had stainless appliances. A couple of those gel mats would be nice, too. But, nevertheless, I love it because it's MINE!