Almost 8, going on 40?

Evan received an award this morning at school.  

(More on that later, I'm very distracted by something else that happened.)

I took the morning off so that I could go to the presentation.  And since I had the morning off, we took Little Stinky One (aka Ryan) to daycare, and Evan and I went for a breakfast date.

MY SOON TO BE EIGHT YEAR OLD ASKED THE HOSTESS FOR A NEWSPAPER.

AND THEN PROCEEDED TO READ IT WHILE EATING HIS BREAKFAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Where oh where is my cute adorable little baby boy???

Remember????  Maybe this picture I took a few weeks ago will remind you:

Evan @ 4 months

Honestly, wasn't that JUST last week?  

I think I'm going to hug him goodnight tonight and not let go for about 10 years... which will seem like no time at all, I'm sure... since the last EIGHT years have gone by in the blink of an eye!

(Also, he ordered off the regular menu.  He wasn't even TEMPTED by the Pancake Face or the Sausage/Pancake on a Stick.  He didn't want chocolate milk, in fact he jokingly asked the waitress for a CUP of JOE!)

BE STILL MY BREAKING HEART.

Make Over

Okay, so it was just on my dining room chairs... but MAN, is it dramatic.  First... a before picture:

EWWWWWWWW!!!  Disclaimer:  Mark and I bought this dining room set before we were married.  That means that there is 10 years worth of yuck on that cushion.  It resides in a house with 3 boys!!  AND IT'S WHITE (or used to be). 

I have put off redoing the seats because I thought that the more horrible they looked, the more leverage I would have to sell my "We need a new kitchen set" argument. 

And by golly if that didn't work!  I have been shopping for a table that we could both agree on for ummm... 2 years??  I was pregnant with Ryan when I got the "go ahead" to start looking seriously for one.  We just haven't found one we love.  And if I'm going to spend THAT much money on a table, I'm going to do it right.

And well, then we started out growing the "finished" part of our home.  And I switched from convincing Mark we needed new furniture to "WE NEED MORE ROOMS!"

And now we're one week into Operation Finish the Basement, and that means that table shopping gets put on hold.  (Which also means that last weekend, I found one that I LOVE, and meets the criteria Mark gave me, and I would soooooo take him over to show him, but I know it's not in the cards right now. So I'm so not going there.  Damn you Dave Ramsey!!!).

So, since we are not planning on buying a table and chairs anytime soon, I pulled out a few yards of fabric I bought on sale 3 or 4 years ago for a Thanksgiving dinner we had at the house, and ...

It's so not the fabric I would pick to go with the cherry finish of the chairs... but, hey, it was a zero dollar make over!  And the dark brown is soooo much better than cream stained designer ones we had going on. 

This Seems Backwards...

Shouldn't the BIG one push the LITTLE one around??

The boys are loving the warm(er) afternoon weather.  Most nights after work while I get dinner going, they are able to play outside for a few minutes.   Of course, this weekend it SNOWED. 

Glad Game Champion??

Four times this month, someone has called me Pollyanna. 

I've never thought of myself as a "positive" person. 

1.  I'm a worrier.  I am always planning for the worst... envisioning the worst...

2. I really don't like people.  Not YOU... you people reading this are on my "like" list.  It's the people that I don't already know.  Honestly... I don't like meeting new people!  There's that awkward period where they always think I hate them (because I don't like new people).  Of course, if you can get past that awkward "Why does Carolyn HATE ME!!" stage, then you be added to my "I LIKE you" list.  And then it's all better.

3.  I don't trust people.  Which is odd, because one of the individuals that called me Pollyanna said that he really liked the fact that I TRUSTED people... that I looked for the GOOD in people.  Shocking.  So not true. 

So, all but one of the people who referred to me as Pollyanna actually meant it as a compliment.  The other one meant it as an underhanded insult.  But I don't like him anyway (and we're over the "Why does Carolyn HATE ME!!" stage.)

So, is my sense of self totally off??  Or am I really good at hiding my true feelings (other than during the "Why does Carolyn HATE ME!!" stage) and really really good at playing the Glad Game?? Convincing others that I am more optimistic that I really am??

Friday Thrifting

Well, it just so happened that after the car was done at the car doctor this morning, Ryan and I ended up with some time to blow before picking up Evan at school.

So... hmmm.... What to do?? 

First we went to my favorite little consignment shop.  They sell mostly reclaimed furniture.  I drooled a lot.

A beautiful desk.... an amazing farm table... GORGEOUS wood dining chairs... wooden boxes, wire crates, old doors... A bright red console table that I WOULD LOVE to put in my living room... and the cutest little green set of drawers. 

All told, the wish list from that little stop was more than I add up in my head.  But it was worth drooling over.  And Ryan was SOOOOOO well behaved.  He would mimic me when I said "OOOO PRETTY!!" and then lay his head on my shoulder and tell me he loved me.  He didn't attempt to break ANYTHING (other than my heart).

So, then we had a little more time... so I thought a trip to the DI was in store.  Mostly because it's the type of place that Ryan can run the aisle and touch just about anything he wants. Of course, after we walk out of the store, I slather him in hand sanitizer!

There, the things I saw added up to $6.  And I bought each and every one of them!

Here's my loot:

First up: 
Nothing mind blowing, but a cute little wooden spice rack.  Future plans include:  Paint and distressing. 
It will be perfect to hang in front of my scrap work space for odds and ends I like to keep withing reach... like adhesives and punching tools!  Especially since it was a WHOLE DOLLAR!!  Score me.

Second: 
A wire utensil basket.
Future plans include:  I think some spray paint... It's a little too shiny and new for my liking, lol! 
It will be perfect to hold MUST BE ON DESK at all times while scrapping tools... like scissors (yes, plural), ruler, my journalling pens etc.



After exploring the basket/wood/crap aisles (my favorite place to dig for treasure), we wandered through the furniture.  I was tempted by a chair... it would need a LOT of love... and with the basement currently occupied by contractors, I am out of space to store large items that need love.  So we left it.  But it was a beautiful shape and felt solid... just would have to be completely reupholstered.  Not in my realm of possible right now.

So next, we went to the book section.  And I found these two beauties!  The bottom brown one is titled:  The Complete Home Handyman Guide.  It was published in 1949.  The top blue and orange one is titled:  The Record of America.  It was published in 1935. 

They are both filled with the most spectacular information!  I love books like this. 

The first one, all sorts of (mostly out of date) home owner information.  I totally love the illustrations. 

The history one is soooooo interesting!  I glanced through several sections while we were waiting for the school bell to ring.  It's really fun to read the perception of a pre World War 2 historian.  The section on the Great Depression sounds a lot like our current news broadcast... reserved optimism that we will one day have a chicken in every pot! 

They were both $2,  totally worth it for the smell alone!  They just smell like old paper... and those of you who know me well know I LOVE the smell of paper!

I was so excited about the books, I never made it over to my third favorite section of the store... the frames!  As I drove away, I was kicking myself, because you KNOW there was something fantastic there that I totally missed, lol! 

Before I close my thrifting post... I do have to say, people at thrift stores CRACK ME UP!!  Now, please don't get me wrong... I am all for digging for awesome crap.  I am not above throwing a few elbows to get what I saw first. But hovering around the door to the back room and attacking the poor employee pulling the cart out before it's even completely on the sales floor is a little much for me.  There was this one woman who Ryan and I watched for 5-10 mins who seriously did just that.  As soon as the door opened, she was right there on top of them, pulling anything that looked remotely interesting to her out and dropping it into her cart.  Then, after she had a chance to look it over and realize she did not actually want/need it, she would toss it onto the nearest shelf.   One employee actually threw her hands up and walked away from her cart with it still halfway through the doorway.  The woman pulled it the remainder of the way out, don't worry!

Anyway... that was our thrifting adventure.  And even though I wish I wish I wish I could have come home with these:

I still think it was a pretty good day!

Better Late than Never.

I forgot to share a picture of the Birthday Boy blowing out his candles. 

LOOK HOW BIG HE IS!!!!!

I'm SOOOOOO Mean!

LOL!  Obviously, he doesn't like the swing.
This look is his way of begging me to get him out.

Of course, I took a picture first. 

What else would you expect??

Play Date!

On Friday, we went to visit my friend Armela and her cute adorable little boy, Liam.

The temp was up around 55, it would have been beautiful had the wind not been blowing something fierce!  BUT that didn't stop us from bundling the kids up and taking a walk to the park.

Yeah, my boys are a little, ummm... rambunctious... wildly boisterous... I would even go so far as obstreperous!!!  (Okay, I found that word as I was writing this post and trying to figure out how to spell rambunctious! It's my new word... it's very accurate...).   

Armela's house is beautiful... and clean... and my obstreperous boys could help teach Liam how to destroy it in 5 minutes flat I'm sure, lol!  So the park was a GOOD option! 

Plus, it was so much fun to watch Ryan run around after Evan and Liam stare at them like they were crazy (which they are)!

My boys were absolutely shocking to Liam, I'm sure.  Especially when I told Ryan to give Liam a hug and a kiss!  Awwwww, how sweet...

LOL!!!!!!!!! 

Evan had an absolute blast.  Miss Armela gave him the BEST Mac and Cheese (or so he informed me on the ride home) as an after school snack before we headed off to the park.

As he was getting ready for bed, I asked him if he had fun.  He responded, "Yeah, I really like Miss Armela.  She is really nice.  And pretty too.  We should have more play dates with her."

So there ya go.  I agree... Miss Armela IS really nice, and pretty too!  And we need to hang out with her and Liam more!

Daddy Time

SOOOOOO Yummy!

So, this little beauty was on sale today at the grocery store.  A few of the other Greek yogurts I've had were really grainy and not so great.  BUT with WW posts talking about the wonders of Greek yogurt left and right, I decided to try this one. 

Okay, so, first of all:  Pomegranate is one of my favorites. IT HAS REAL POMEGRANATE SEEDS IN IT!!!  Little itty bitty bursts of yummy!!!!!

Oh, joy. 

AND it wasn't the LEAST bit grainy.  It was smooth, and light, and did I mention the little bursts of wonderfulness??

Okay, it's also INCREDIBLY filling.  4 points!  14 grams of protein!!  Zero fat!!!

Highly recommend.

I will be picking up more next week... they will be PERFECT for a meal beside a salad or whatever... or a perfect filling snack contained in a little 6 oz cup that feels like you just ate a piece of cheese cake!

Erin Go Bragh!

Two Years

Seriously??  Two years ago??? 

Don't you just want to eat him up??

And NOW look at him!

He looks so big!! 

Happy Birthday Baby, I love you so much!!

HA! My new motto. (Since I'm always right, lol!)

“Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.” ~Peter T. Mcintyre

Intense Play

Evan has one of the best imaginations I have ever witnessed.  He constantly has something churning away in his head.  At the park this last weekend, he was running around so intense, I HAD to find out what he was playing...

So under the guise of checking on his brother, I walked over close enough to hear his muttering. 

British Accent Muttering=Clone Trooper

He cracks me up!  I hope he never ever loses this. 

My Shelf

It's finished!! 

And hanging on our wall!!

For now, I put a few pieces from my bottle collection up there... and some pictures from our trip to Paris (since the shelf is right above the watercolors we bought on our trip).  Not sure what my long term plans will be.  But I do love it.  You can't really tell in the pictures, but I did rough it up a little, and the flat black paint hides a few of my technical errors! 

It really was pretty simple.  (I did not miter the corners.) And so cheap (less than $10). 

I saw a really cute antique box on Etsy the other day that I'm going to try and mimic.  The neighbors have an old palette from when their sod was delivered in the empty lot between our houses... as soon as it dries up from the winter snow, I'm upcycling that puppy!

I thought it was over...

Football season that is...

The BOYS have something to say:

My boys are so incredibly lucky to have my sister in their lives. 

She stayed with us for a few months this winter, and they grew so incredibly close to her.  They light up at the mention of her name. 

Seriously, on Friday, we turned the corner and Ryan saw Sara's car in our driveway and he started YELLING "DARA!! DARA!!! DARA!!!" 

Whenever she comes over, she always makes time for them... even when their mom is ready to hang them up by their toenails!

So, a message from my boys:

WE LOVE YOU AUNT SARA!!!

In Progress

As always, I have about 500 craft projects in progress... 

Here's what I worked on this last weekend:

A shelf... I made it myself... out of a 6 foot and a 4 foot piece of wood.  I used POWER TOOLS.
After the paint dries, I will bang the hell out of it with a hammer and a knife.  That's the way I roll.

Behind it, you can see my ironing board... because while I'm waiting for paint to dry I'm also sewing.

This was going to be a belt.  I didn't like it as a belt, so now it's a neck scarf.  It's really pretty... I feel a little odd wearing a scarf that is purely an accessory, I think I'll get over it.

You've all seen this before... It's almost done. 

Oh, yeah, Ironing is waiting too.  (Okay, I finished it, but this is what it looked like this weekend before I started.)

And a quilt waiting for me to make up my mind on a pattern.  I washed and ironed all the fabric this weekend.  Next weekend, I will commit and cut the pieces.

I need to figure out something to add to my St Patrick's decor... It's very lacking.

I did make this cute pom pom garland though!  Super simple, cost me fifty cents!

Oh, and in the mean time, this is what my pantry looks like.  This is where I keep all my craft stuff, and umm, it's sort of a mess. 

As SOON as I finish a few things, I swear, I'll clean it!!

SQUEAL!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously, I squealed, I giggled and I jumped up and down.

Remember THIS post?

Remember how I used the word OBSESSED??? I tried for weeks to figure out HOW it was made, couldn't get it. 

Well, yesterday, I got a package in the mail from my parents:



Excuse the cell phone photo...

YAY YAY YAY YAY YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!

Oh, and the best part is, now that I've seen it, I KNOW HOW TO MAKE IT!!! 

So this is a beautiful, warm winter scarf... but after I finish at least 3 or 4 of my "in progress" projects, I will be making one with smaller balls to wear like a necklace.

Oh, I so love it.  I'm not even a scarf person, but I just L.O.V.E. it!

Thanks Mom and Dad!!!!  

Grumble Grumble, Time to Do Something Serious

I've been SLOWLY adding tags to my old posts.  In the process, I came across this picture of me @ 17 weeks with Ryan.  Ahhhh, cute preggo belly! 

Then I thought, ACK!!!!!!!  That looks familiar!!!!!!!! (MINUS THE CUTE FACTOR)

Today: (and ps, I was already wearing the red shirt, which may have led me to make the connection)

Let me say it again:  ACCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!

Let's not even talk about my legs and butt okay??  Okay, and I wasn't actually PUSHING my stomach out, but I've gotten pretty good at "sucking in" and I did not do it for the picture, so that I would have know what was REALLY there. 

So, I did it all before with Weight Watchers.   I don't think it was really the program itself, I think it was my cheap ass self and the fact that if I was paying for something I WAS GOING TO GET MY MONEY'S WORTH!!!!!

Okay, so.  Yeah.  WW it is.  Signed up today.  I have committed myself to posting a picture JUST like this in a month to show the progress... oh the embarrassment of not having a difference is part of my plan.

St Patty's Day Frame

Okay, so it's as simple as they come... but LOOK!!

It doesn't look it, but it's all shades of green.  Next time, when I'm not cuddling a sick toddler with one arm, I will be a little more adventurous with the lettering.

Sick Day

The boys were sick a few weeks ago... and now we're in for round two. 

Ryan and I are home sick...

Most of my day has consisted of:

Taken with my laptop camera... not bad for one handed laptop shooting!

While watching:

Thank goodness for a laptop... After watching the 16 12 minute episodes once, I'm pretty much over them, and need a little more advanced content! 

Thank goodness for Netflix though, if only they had episodes of Sesame Street!!! 

Test Recipe

Sara and I have been working on a healthy muffin recipe... Our taste tester thinks we're getting pretty close to perfect.

It's not done yet, but to give you a hint... it has 4 types of fruit, whole wheat flour, ground flax and no refined sugar.  And it tastes REALLY good. 

As soon as we get the final concept down, I promise to post the recipe.