Recalls...

Just an FYI....

I found out that Thomas the Train toys have been under a recall since June...and I had NO CLUE! so I thought I would post the website for the recall for any other concerned parents that might not have heard about this specific recall...

http://recalls.rc2.com/

We own several of these toys, and will be returning them promptly!

Window Boxes..

It's been bugging me for over a year now, and I knew it had to be done, but was putting it off...

The window boxes over my livingroom windows were drab...just a plain ol' brown and I knew they needed a little extra something, so this weekend I grabbed momma and we went to Winter Wheat. It's a inspirational little spot nestled in a forest...a folk decorators dream come true.

Here are some pics....

Well it was a beautiful day, and I was wonderfully inspired ...so here's a before and after for you. My goal was to create a warm and cozy look that I can enjoy year round...and particularly in the evenings once the children have gone to bed...

(I do still have to fix the cord and fiddle with it a bit .... but you get the idea) ah...one more thing to cross off my list...slowly but surely this is really becoming my dream home. I am thankful for everything we have, and as a woman I enjoy making this space something I can be proud of..it makes it easier to for me to follow through with what I know is expected of me as a stay at home mom. When my house is put together properly and prettily, I feel good about having people over and I feel that I'm providing my family with a nice space to enjoy.

Anyway...hope you're all enjoying your spaces too... Have a wonderful day!

Placentas and pastries...

Today I had my doctors appointment following my 20 week ultrasound, and it looks as though I'll be having to go for another ultrasound as I have a low-lying placenta. It's approximately 1 cm from the cervix opening and will pose a bit of a problem come delivery. BUT the good news is that it should move up just enough before the big birthday arrives, the doctor seemed pretty confident that everything would work itself out by then.

The other good news is that I now have a better chance of finding out the gender of the baby. At the other ultrasound the baby had its legs tight together and was being quite modest (which makes me think girl!!) and enough so that the tech couldn't decipher the gender. So we'll keep our fingers crossed that the legs WONT be crossed at this next ultrasound which will take place in one months time.

After gaining 5 whole friggin' pounds at this app't (since my last app't one month ago) I've decided to swear off pop for the remainder of the pregnancy ... (that was, after I went to the local bakery and purchased a fresh supply of pastries...ahem.)

So I may be slightly less caffeinated next time I post to you, and a lot less sugary...so the posts may become slightly brazen, and candid.

Consider that a fair warning... ;-)

Sugar...

Little Sugar. He's been having a rough go with a respiratory infection, and his litter mates are far too spunky for him...so as luck would have it, he found my front porch just in time for me to take him in and we're currently working together to make him feel better. He holds his little mouth open, and I pour in the drops of medicine... he curls up on me, and I keep him warm.

Hopefully, before long he'll be bouncing around and annoying the heck out of us, but for now, he's a sad little soul needing some real loving.

Please Don't Judge...

WEllllllll you asked for it. So...you can't complain about how nasty it looks in the photo... I posted this just to give you an idea of how short I cut it, not to show you how I style it.

Officially this is one of thee worst pics I will ever post of hair, but I have to guarantee you that it actually looks quite fabulous when I've freshly washed it and I'm not 2 minutes from going to bed after a long day of trying to pull my hair out from the daily frustrations of trying to raise two little ones .... please folks...I emplore you to have some compassion.

I may re-think this and remove it shortly...so yay to those of you that have seen it.

EDIT - sorry. I couldn't take it any longer. Particularly when I blew the picture up and noticed the skin condition amplified by 3000. It was just not good for my self esteem. I'll try to post a worthy pic in the next few days.

the Attic...

Here's what we've been up to as of late, which has been the reason for the lack of blogging.... We've been renovating the attic....well two of them actually. They were both chalk full of things from past and present. The Hubs Grandparents had stored many a box away in these attics and it was fun to go through and see their past. Once all the boxes and clutter had been sorted and donated, or stored...we had two large rooms that were ready for whatever we could throw at them....or in them. The upstairs attic (for the record, neither of these rooms are officially 'THE' attic, but rather large triangular rooms that have been used as attics would be) has a lower ceiling and allows for standing only in the center of the room....so we chose to use this room as a storage room...or a very large closet.

The second 'attic' room had much higher ceilings and is now officially going to be our bedroom.....or 'love nest' as I like to refer to it as. Here it is pictured above in it's previous state...

Here it is all cleared out....ready for some TLC...

Here it is as the Hubs was working on it....

And here it is in it's current condition...waiting for it's new window, a fireplace insert (on the wall ) some paint, carpeting and furniture!

Can't wait to post pics of the completed project :)

Amy Wilhoite

Please pray for him. And thank the Lord for saving her.

http://wilhoite.blogspot.com/

Hairless..

The Farming wife's 20 minute makeover

The kids were glued to the television and I saw my golden opportunity arrive. It was now or never. I briskly walked to the shower and undressed in a flash.

Lathered, rinsed....no time to repeat.

After running a brush through my sad hair-do, I decided it was time to take matters into my own hands. Renovating an attic is no small expense, and hair styling is the first "unnecessary cost" to go, as voted by the Hubs....just wait 'til he sees what I can do with a pair of scissors....Hair styling may promptly return to the top of the necessary list.

Once I had the shiny pair of scissors in my hot little hand...there was no looking back....there were clumps folks. Clumps and piles.

Anyone with curly hair knows there isn't much damage you can do .... until you finally get around to straightening your hair...and then ...well... I haven't got that much time on my hands so, I kept cutting.

The entire bottom layer came off so easily, I decided to tackle some layers of my own...I would have to say the back of the head is certainly most difficult....but heck ...I can't see back there anyway.

I threw some gel into the mop and I'd have to say it turned out fantastically....it's still wet mind you, and there is a good chance I'll be kicking myself once it dries and curls up like a poodle on a humid summers day....but so far.. things are looking good.

Next, came the removal of raccoon eyes from last nights mascara...it never comes off in the shower....so I treated myself to a cold cream application...and even styled those shaggy eyebrows.

I ran upstairs to find some clothing to cover the ever growing belly...the choices are few and far between these days...and while I was going through the drawers, I stumbled upon an old nail polish bottle and decided to sit on the bed and give myself a pedicure...it had to be quick as I shook the polish hoping it would congeal into something usable.....I could hear running water on the floor below, and knew that the TV was no longer babysitting the hooligans.

Beside the nail polish was a rusty hair clip and a blingy watch (with several stones missing) ....so I threw them on, and by golly...I was starting to look dy-no-mite!

I came downstairs and realized I had forgotten to shave the armpits....they needed a haircut worse than my head hair .... so off I went to find the razor. There was no soap left in the pump...so I stole the little bit that was residing on the dispenser, and Ta-daa there was just enough for a lather.

Within 20 minutes I had unveiled a whole new me....it was fabulous. It was a good thing I had done all this dolling up as I had a hot date with the rice box that had been dragged into the living room and been dumped.

Bliss I tell you...

Check it out: http://heatherbailey.typepad.com/heather_bailey/2007/02/the_studio.html

I'm coveting. And she posted this in February, so you can see how long it's been brewing...This truly is the most creative and glorious working space I have ever seen. we're in the midst of some home renos ...again...this time we're creating our 'love nest' in a secluded attic above the play room. It's about 20' x 12'...so it has ample space, it's just the figuring and the placing of things.

Today we have the lovely project of completing the baseboard trim in our office...and all I could think of was the above link....and it's got me all hot and bothered about making it look like a pretty and inviting work space. It's currently the dumping grounds for my stampin' Up gear, the scrapbooking debris, and all the office and computer supplies that one requires in an office.

And I got to thinking ... what if I went to the local Salvation Army and found a used beat up dresser or armoire with a mutil sectioned/shelved top that could neatly display all of my project stuff. I could paint it up and make it all purdy, and paint my current book shelf to match....

Can you tell I'm nesting?