Simplify

New-ish house

 

Okay, well it isn't actually new, but it sure feels new!  Last month we got new doors.  Our house came with flat personality-less builder's grade everything doors and we've wanted to replace them for 3 years now.  Finally (thanks Dave!) we have new doors!  

Since they needed to be painted, we hired a painter (I do not have the time, nor patience to paint a whole house worth of doors with a baby in my arms, people) and since he was painting the doors, we also had him paint all of our beige a lovely shade of gray.  And ohmygosh I love it.  Love, love, love it.  (I have an amazing painter, if you any of you locals are looking for one.  He did such an amazing job.  And so fast!)

We (ahem, I) have painted every inch of this house until now, and this is the main reason we decided to hire someone to paint over the beige:

The first time we painted that 20 foot wall on the left?  I was standing on top of a ladder  trying to paint the line up there at the top.  Sounds normal right?  Well, the husband was holding the ladder 4 feet off the ground.  I was screaming the whole time.  We decided that would never be repeated. 

You may have noticed that there is a new addition to our little kitchen. This is my $60 Craigslist hutch.  I found it one afternoon, picked it up 20 minutes later, stopped at Home Depot on the way home to buy paint and beadboard, and one long night (and royal wedding) later it was done.

(I like her.)

A few nights after meeting with our painter (and his cute wife- who is a new quilter!) I got the painting itch and used the leftover hutch paint to paint my laundry room.  I started it at 10 pm, dragged my children to Lowes in the morning for some white cabinets, and hung them that afternoon.  I need to get some better pictures of the laundry room.  I just have this one of my generica oxyclean and the change jar (also known as my payment for washing the clothes of 1 grown and 3 small men.  I'm cheap).

Oh, and thanks to Pinterest, I found some black chalkboard contact paper on Amazon and hung it inside my pantry door.  I cannot tell you how much I love it.  It makes the perfect menu/grocery list.  Feel free to judge my menu.  We are so fancy over here.

(that is a drawing of spaghetti there at the bottom)

My poor husband.  His wife has the patience of a 5 year old.  Once I get an idea in my brain, it is just about all I think about until it is done, roughly 24 hours later.  True story.  I may have a problem. 

 

Paint colors:

Gray: Notre Dame by Valspar

Aqua: Aqua smoke by Behr

Farmer's Wife weeks 5 & 6

Good heavens these blocks are fun to make!  I think I may have mentioned that before?

I've come to the conclusion that posting my blocks once a week just isn't going to happen for me.  So instead I'm going to focus on posting 4 blocks every two weeks.  Deal?  This poor little blog of mine just doesn't get the attention it needs lately.  Blame summer break.  And the three munchkins.  Also I'm lazy when it is 100+ degrees.  And I need more Dr. Pepper.  Mmm....

Wait, what was I saying?

Back to the blocks.

Okay, so here are my four for the past two weeks:

Block 9

Block 10

Block 11

Block 12

Um, I know I'm not supposed to pick favorites, but block 12 might just be my favorite so far.  

Make sure you check out what Angela and Amanda are up to with their blocks this week.  And all that awesomeness in the Flickr group.

More about FWQAL here and book here.  You can join at any time!

My FWQAL posts:  Week 1-3 and Week 4

See?  Check out that regular weekly posting.  I'm so on top of things... ;-)

Small town girl

I grew up in a tiny Idaho town with two stoplights.  We were there this last week and it was heavenly. 

I love it there.  It is such a change of pace from living in a busy city.  I love the green trees and being able to actually see stars at night.  I love small town celebrations and eating (and obsessing over getting more) funnel cakes with fresh berries,

and watching my kids scramble for candy at parades with old cars, firetrucks and horses.

Not to mention my cute Grandpa O and uncle Jeff with grandpa's team.

(Grandpa O. still to this day calls me "Meelee")

I love high school marching bands

and boating with the fam and waterskiing until my arms feel like they are going to fall off.  I'm such a wimp in my old age.  By the way, that is my nephew skiing, isn't he cute?

Every so often I need to drive down a country road with my windows rolled down, and get stuck behind a tractor or horses.  And watch my kids run wild with their cousins in the same fields and camp in the same yard that I used to.  

And laugh my head off with my family until 2am.  That is my favorite.

I love the country.  I love my family. Here's hoping that someday I won't have to miss them so darn much.

 

For more pictures (and many unflattering ones of me- thanks mom.) head over here to my mom's blog.

 

 

7 months

This month has flown by!  With school out, and summer in full swing, I hardly have a chance to slow down long enough to take a few pictures. So glad I've been doing these monthly posts so I remember to stop and document this sweet, crazy little boy.

A few things about this now 7 month old...

He now says three words:  dad, hi and Aiden.  Note I didn't say mama.  I totally lost that one.  

He scoots wherever he wants to go, and has to be rescued from underneath the coffee table hourly.  

He is such a happy baby even the cranky old man at the post office can't help but smile at him.

He has the biggest, cheesist grin you've ever seen.  

His favorite things to play with this month were envelopes, fruit snack wrappers, and empty cereal boxes.  So basically, anything that is garbage.  Take away his envelope and he loses it.  (See below)

Trust me.  

He was really super excited about this 7 month sign.  

He loves his dad.  So much its a little ridiculous.

Gosh I love this little guy.  Even more than last month.

 

*quilt is Little Man from my book, fabric is Authentic by Sweetwater