Southern Living Idea House

I jumped at the chance on our outing to the outlets in Dawsonville, Georgia over the Fourth of July weekend to swing up to Dahlonega and view the Southern Living Idea house. The cost was $5 per person with a portion of the proceeds going to the local United Way of Dahlonega/Lumpkin County. The designer is young and her selection definitely reflects the younger edge the magazine is trying to convey lately.

Very easy to get to and very close to the really cute and historic downtown Dahlonega, this house would be a dream getaway destination for solitude, reflection and family time. 

The approach to the house is impressive. I love the crushed blue stone in the driveway and walkway up to the front door. 

Here's a little landscaping (gorgeous blue spruces up there), and you can see the detached 3-car garage a little better in this picture. Problem: 3-bedroom house with a 3-car garage. A problem for me with a growing family, but my mother-in-law pointed out that maybe the kind of person who buys this house is an empty nester who doesn't need all those rooms. All I know is it wouldn't work for our family who loves to get together. All of us. Together.

Just saying that with all the cool entertaining spaces, you might want a few more than one couple and their one child as a guest. 

In defense, there is more unfinished space in the HUGE basement that I think you could put two more bedrooms in. Just add that cost to the unfurnished price of $1.3 million.

Back to the beauty...

These planters are perfect and simple. No fuss!

First thing I noticed when we came in, the wallpaper. You can see it in the entry in a later picture. It seemed like all the bathrooms, hallways and smaller spaces had wallpaper. Even the guest suite in the basement had wallpaper. More on that later...

Master Suite:

Pretty, pretty blue, but I love the cherry red POPS of color! Even better, the chandelier. We'll never have one in our master though. The Daddy needs his cool breeze from the ceiling fan while we sleep.

Here's the sitting area with two comfy, comfy chairs. You can see how the windows go almost to the baseboards to give you the biggest view of the mountain setting.

The wall facing the back of the property has a writing desk and chair in front of similar windows and there is also a door leading to the porch. 

I did not take any pictures of the bathroom and closets; it was madly crowded when we were in there. To sum it up: lots of mirrors, free-standing tub, tiled-to-the-ceiling shower like the one in the guest suite. 

Living Room:

More of those pops of color, but kinda all over the place for me. The shelves need a LOT of editing, I think. My mother-in-law wasn't impressed by the fabric on the pair of upholstered chairs. It was REALLY bold in person, but for the record I liked it. 

I really don't like the upholstered ottoman you can see in the bottom left. It isn't needed and makes the space really cramped. It is butted right up to the fireplace (1 of 4!). 

LOVE the coffee table and sofa.

Better view of all the craziness going on on the bookshelves. You can see the stairs in the back left of the photo and the dining room just beyond the lady in the blue shirt. The house has a nice open flow to the floor plan. 

GREAT sofa table, lamps and sculpture. I saw some similar lamps for over $300 apiece later that weekend in Blue Ridge at an antiques store. Their scale makes them really impressive. You can see grasscloth on the wall in the background with a local artist's painting.

One of my favorite things about the house:

These lanterns are on all of the exterior spaces up, down and at the front and side entrances. I wonder why they didn't use natural gas to light those beauties???

View from the kitchen end of back porch:

You can see how the deck is staggered in relation to how far it juts out from the house. That sentence might make more sense if you look at the floor plans!

Kitchen:

So from the previous picture, you turn around and see a wall full of doors that can remotely slide into the walls and disappear, leaving the kitchen wide open to the outdoors. Well, then that part of the porch would HAVE to be screened in. Right?

It is very cool, especially for entertaining purposes when your man is out there grilling and you're inside fulfilling your hostess duties. 

This picture is dark, but it's from inside the kitchen looking out to the pretty view. USE CRAZY CERAMIC PARROT AS A GUIDEPOST. (I actually like it, but in the mountains?)

Pretty apron-front sink. Love the backsplash. Love the fabric on the window valance. I think the treatment kinda looks like one of The Nester's Mistreatments!

So I said in the small spaces, there is wallpaper. Here's more in the mud room. Imagine coming in from the covered breezeway that connects the house to the detached garage. Love this vignette!

Walking through the mud room, you can turn left to the kitchen or turn right into a multi-purpose room. Work space/office/butler's pantry/gardening/potting room/laundry room kind of space. Pretty colors. Again sorry for the dark photos.

I like front loaders, but we've got ours on the "boosters" so you don't have to bend over to put clothes in and take them out. See pretty floors? YES!

 

Opposite the washer/dyers is the sink area they staged like a gardening area. I would love to soak my whites or delicates in that sweet sink!

Dining Room:

I looked most forward to seeing this room because of the dining room chairs. Love the red. Don't care for the fabric on the seat IN PERSON. I've been considering that rug from Ballards, so it was nice to take my shoes off and walk on it with bare feet to see if it felt nice see it in person before I make a decision.

LOVE, LOVE LOVE the chandelier.  Note the flame stitch going on with the parsons chair at the head of the table! (Makes me think of that show Who's the Boss, remember that?)

The dining room has a pass-through from the kitchen (on left in the above photo) and is open somewhat to the living room.

Up The Stairs:

Love this detail on the railing! That same diamond shape is repeated throughout the house: on the pantry doors, on the built-ins around the living room fireplace, etc.

Loft:

Staged like a study/reading room, this room was disappointing. Kinda surprising that there isn't a bedroom or two up here. There is another deck with fabulous views, though and you can peek through down to the living room from up there.

See diamonds? Another pretty chandelier! Do you agree with me on the upholstered ottoman? Disrupts the flow for me!

Here you can see the foyer with some more wallpaper. The hallway on the left leads to a half-bath (more wallpaper!) and the master suite. I love the dark floors. 

You can see out to the outdoor space off the living room. Another fireplace is out there. The decks are well done with comfy furniture. I can imagine making s'mores at one of the outdoor fireplaces with my kids!

Back up in the loft: the ceiling is done in the same wood as the flooring. Guess what? MORE beautiful lighting!

Going down the stairs, I love this chandelier!

The carpet on the stairs is really pretty. You can see on the landing where the corner is "mitered". Nice detail. The staircase is open all the way down to the basement.

Family room/Game room/Wet bar:

More living space downstairs.

This is the deck off the guest suite in the basement. I like how the colors on the mantel reflect the colors in the GORGEOUS bedroom.

Guest Bedroom:

Wallpaper! Another beautiful chandelier. Pretty Swedish(?) influenced furniture.
 

I love this bookcase and all the furniture in this room.

So I would NEVER have put the pattern of these curtains against the wallpaper, but I LOVE it! That sweet little chair doesn't hurt the look either! LOVE it!

The guest bathroom isn't as homey (had to use the flash), but the shower opposite the vanities here is great! Those same tiles line the walls, floor and ceiling.

Back out to the living space downstairs. These chairs really speak my language. I also like the herringbone pattern on the tiled floor. Same rug as up in the dining room!

Overall I really like the floor plan and decor of the house, but it's a mountain retreat. Not very casual like a weekender/vacation home should be to me. The exterior is, but the interiors struck me as more of a primary home (a beautiful one at that!)

If this post didn't quench your design thirst, maybe these links will help:

• A sneak peak video to get a better view and hear from the interior designer and project designers: Hemlock Springs Idea House

• See a local news story with video: WSBTV  (There is also a slideshow with GREAT photos!)

• See more pictures at this blog: The Devine Home: Part I  AND   The Devine Home: Part II

• She basically took all the pictures I didn't on a less crowded day! Great pics of the master bath and the built-ins around the fireplace and ceiling in the living room in Part I. Part II has pictures of the kid's bedroom that I took ZERO photos of? Crazy. I know.
• Mallory Mathison, the interior designer, has some more beautiful work in her portfolio online.

Quiz!

Why did this sight make me cry this week?

A) I'm hormonal.

B) Those socks had an atrocious smell.

C) The socks weren't arranged by color.

D) Every sock in there is now too small for HJ and I had to pack them away with all the "hypothetical next baby" things.

Please answer in the comments section below, phriends!

The Games Children Play

Hopscotch:

Choo-choo Train:

Tip for mom: toys not necessary!

Strike Up the Band

Last Thursday, we packed up again and headed for the mountain town of Elijay, Georgia. Nana and Papa took care of the girls, the crazy dog and me while The Daddy was out of town again for work. We did the same trip last year and had a splendid time absorbing small town America for our Fourth of July.

First we went to a parade.

Before the parade got there, the sirens were L-O-U-D!

Papa consoling HJ.

No parade is complete without Uncle Sam.

Very clever idea, but this one cracks me up. I love that one girl is carrying her cell phone. 

Forgive us. We live in the South. 

These fellas were mighty loud.

They were in the parade last year too, so we prepared the girls for the cannon-like booms coming from their shotguns!

Southern belles following their soldiers.

HJ sucking on a lollipop while afraid of all the noise.

She still managed to watch the parade through veiled eyes!

AE took it all in (especially the candy!)

She spots a BIG birthday cake. (When asked, the cake was her favorite part of the parade. Not cake she ate, but a big, plastic, fake cake.)

There were lots of local businesses with cool old cars in the parade. 

A band on a flat bed playing patriotic music. (my favorite part of the parade)

I thought this little guy was too cute to NOT take a picture of him!

Herbie on steroids!

Horses! The girls were a little disappointed though.

They didn't get to see...

...any of the horses defile the streets like last year.

After the parade we headed up to Blue Ridge, just a bit up the road to peruse downtown, have lunch and visit the Apple Barn at Mercier Orchards. The peaches are in, and they are delicious. We got some fried pies and apple bread to take home with us.

No Fourth is complete without watermelon.

The adults ate kabobs, while the girls anticipated the fireworks.

You woke me up for this? (and evidently I forgot to clean her face!)

AE was ready for the show.

We picked up these sweatshirts because the low temp the night before was 58*. It ended up not being as cold on Saturday. 

Sweet sisters! 

HJ ended up in my lap watching through veiled eyes again and AE found another little girl to talk to while the fireworks boomed. I'm thinking next year, both girls will anticipate the fun we had this year. 

Even if the horses don't poop in front of us.

A Hint

Just a little...

hint of our weekend. 

No peeking!

Okay, here's a good one:

Got more gorgeous pictures of our girls, 

our American celebration and 

The Southern Living Idea House in Dahlonega, Georgia tomorrow.

Bunnies and Trays- NEVER Enough!

So far this summer, we've been traveling. A lot. This much travel doesn't exactly mesh well with the garage sale-ing I'd like to do. I have a list of big items I'm looking for, but I haven't found, no, taken the opportunity to spend a whole Friday or Saturday morning to look. 

While in Elijay, GA AGAIN this weekend (we're spoiled, I know), I slipped into a couple of those dusty antiques shops you find on any small town's square downtown while the girls were waiting with the grands for the 4th of July parade to begin.

I found a couple of things to bring home to our home. 

$5 bunny:

She's hand-painted. She's a mama. I like it.

Turn her around and you can see her baby girl!

I can't decide if I'm going to:

1. keep her out year round in the living room
2. bring her out for spring and Easter decorating
3. keep her out year round in one of the girls' bedrooms

What do you think?

I passed this tray up at first. Then I went back after finding Mama bunny. It was 25% off. It's the beginning of a collection. I like tole trays, but I LOVE the color combination on this one and the punched out detail around the edge. 

Curious to see if I got a good deal, I Googled "Nashco Products" which is written on a sticker on the back my "new" tray. I giggled when I found this from the Antiques and Collectibles pages at Country Living! Mine is the same size, but different colors.

I don't know if it's really worth that much, but I'm excited about starting a new collection for our bare walls. 

Now go and visit Rhoda to see other treasures from the weekend!

That Was Then...

Last summer, HJ couldn't walk, so

she held on to the slide, and

she did a lot of crawling in the grass

and sitting in the pool while sister ran around the pool watering the grass.

This summer the roles are reversed?

So happy we have an air compressor!

Running with delight!

Cinderella getting a shower!

I got my act together on Tuesday and used the air compressor to blow up the backyard entertainment. Too tired to get up to the neighborhood pool? Go to Plan B. I did a post last August on my tips for how to successfully prepare for an afternoon in the backyard. 

I should have reread it before I woke them from their naps...

Chicken!

Sometimes I like to get creative. Sometimes I like to cook with what I have in the fridge/freezer/pantry. Here's what happened last night: 

Mama's Dinner

The Daddy's Dinner

I had these things:

• four frozen chicken tenderloins
• 1 lime
• chili powder
• 2 small tomatoes
• bottom of the bag crunched up tortilla chips 
• leftover sun-dried tomato wrap
• shredded cheddar
• taco sauce
• 1 can of ff refried beans

I wished I had these things:

• sour cream
• onion
• bell pepper (but The Daddy hates them)

I should have remembered:

• the shredded lettuce in the fridge

I should have saved to go with dinner:

• the avocado I made into guacamole for lunch

Ahhhhhhhhhhh, hindsight!

So here's how to make it:

1. Spray pan with butter flavored nonstick cooking spray
2. Sear chicken tenderloins to lock in moisture
3. Sprinkle with chili powder (according to taste; some like it HOT, others NOT)
4. Squeeze lime juice onto chicken
5. Cover and reduce heat to BARELY ON
6. Cut two small tomatoes into wedges and place in pan around the chicken cooking in the middle
7. Sprinkle a little of Paula Deen's House Seasoning on tomatoes (I mix a big batch and keep it in a shaker)
8. Cover and wait until husband gets home (or 30 minutes)
9. Shred chicken
10. Place in burrito-like wrap or serve over beans, cheese, taco sauce and chips. Add anything else that may go bad in the next few days. Yum!

FYI: The Daddy thought it was pretty funny that I was taking pictures of our food before we ate it last night. I ALMOST took a picture of him eating it to post here just to get him back, but thought better of it!

Following The Leader

The weekend in pictures:

Hiking to Amicalola Falls

Papa and Nana came, too.

Close to the top!

Before the hike, we learned who to avoid: this rattlesnake and 

this cotton mouth.

Checking out the poisonous ones

There's bears in them woods!

Watch out behind you!

Tadpoles!

Almost a frog!

See the little legs?

This one was close to frogginess.

So pretty! My favorite shot of the day

Loved this one of the tree!

Praying or hiding?

Ready to start hiking!

Very close to the "beginning" or "end" of the Appalachian Trail

Lots of daddy longlegs to watch out for

Carry a 2-year-old to increase your calorie burn!

Ta-da!

Who's having fun?

I am now!

Big tree

The Daddy's got some photog skills!

175 stairs later: she hides behind Mama!

The Falls

The girls and The Daddy

Jake stayed back at the mountain house. He belongs to Nana and Papa.

The Crazy Dog roaming the grounds.

Bailey watches over HJ as she heads to the playhouse.

Just hanging out waiting for the butterflies

Before bedtime, we did this.

The girls ate their marshmallows "raw" instead of "dirty".

I ate mine like this. Yes, this one's the favorite shot of the day. 

We had an impromptu trip to Elijay, GA and relaxed together as the heat sizzled in Atlanta. Looking forward to getting back up to the mountains for The Fourth of July festivities. Like any good time away, reality rears it's ugly head. Back to exercising, errand running, grocery shopping, laundry and cleaning. 

This is the Week

This week our church did VBS in a very different way. We divided up into 12 teams and went to remote locations throughout Cobb County, Georgia. We met in public parks and the fields of elementary schools. We did VBS as an outreach to the community instead of staying huddled in our own little "Christian bubble."  

It was a mission trip in our own backyard. 

(Click HERE to see where we went.)

We met people we likely would not have met otherwise.

Kids were not required to pre-register.

We had no idea who would come. 

BUT He did. 

The first day I worked with 3 first graders.

The second day I worked with 4 first graders.

The third day I worked with 7 first graders.

Today I hugged and said goodbye to 5 first graders.

This is the week that...

the ironing didn't get done,

the toilets didn't get cleaned,

The Crazy Dog got zero walks,

the girls got a little less sleep,

we didn't go to the pool, 

no books were read before nap time,

and Mommy took a nap just like the girls. 

WHERE'S THE BUT?

But what did happen?

I have learned to be a servant.

I have learned how to talk to a child about Jesus.

 

I have learned how to dance and do sign language without feeling like an idiot.

I have learned to sweat gracefully in the name of the Lord.

I have learned how to answer a child's questions about God.

I have learned how to worship God somewhere other than inside church on a Sunday morning.

I have learned to speak proudly and intelligently about my faith.

I have learned that we really ARE a body of Christ and that we each play a role in life.

I have learned that I am the hands.

I have learned my energy and example will be followed.

I have learned to be grateful for MY story as I use it to create another's. 

I have learned that I need to treat my own children with the same servant attitude that I used with my "kids" this week. 

I have learned VBS wasn't just for the kids in our community this week.

Toot Toot

That's the sound of me tooting my own horn! 

I am a winner. I won. 

What did I win? Hmmmmmmm.

Oh, that's right. The Crazy Dog is the real winner.

I won a CUTE new collar for The Crazy Dog from LuckyFiona.

Oh, you know you want one! After perusing the selections, I know my favorites, but The Daddy is afraid our boy dog will look too girly. 

I'm not afraid. No, I am not!

I'm partial to The Orange Creamsicle. 

Remember, I'm from Tennessee and The Daddy's an Auburn fan, so I think that might be a good compromise! Can't you just see The Crazy Dog with his shiny chocolate fur against the cuteness of that collar? I thought so!

Thanks again, Lindy!

Very Big Sisters

VBS this week has tired out these two...

sisters. I love how HJ looks just as big as AE!

I also love...

the looks on these sweet sisters' faces!

I'm serving with friends at VBS for our church this week. I'll update you later with tales from our adventure because we've taken VBS OUT of our church and INTO the community at 12 satellite locations. 

OUTSIDE. 

In GEORGIA. 

In 92* weather.

It's called HOT-lanta for a reason. 

So after I'm done with my little detoxification program (aka sweating my hiney off!), I'll give all the glorious deets and fun stories about my girls experiencing the traditional VBS back at church (the preschoolers are still meeting inside the blessed air conditioning) and my first experience doing a local mission trip. 

I'm off to wash my sports bra for another day of spreading the Word!

The Daddies

We've got some great men in our lives...

Paw Paw

Papa (a subtle difference in pronunciation!)

Poppy

and The Daddy

We love all our daddies and wish you the BEST Father's Day!

Phriday Photo

Hydrangeas from my neighbor's house two summers ago

Getting ready to read some scripture in a wedding next month. What an honor! I've printed it out and I'll be reading it aloud to the crazy dog each day for practice. Practiced on The Daddy last night and he didn't fall asleep during it, so...

Here's what I'll be reading:

Colossians 3:12-17

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Did you have any scripture read at your wedding? What did you pick?

Goup

After several requests (and by several I mean ONE), here's the Goup recipe: 

1 pound sausage, browned and drained

2 blocks cream cheese

1 can rotel

 

It's really easy, because there's no measuring! 

Heat in crock pot or (as we did at the party) mix and pour into baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes (8 x 8 size dish would probably be good for just the regular recipe amount above). At the party, Laura essentially doubled the recipe but only used 3 blocks of cream cheese.

 

Serve with tortilla chips or small flour tortillas.

Shrimp, Shrimp, Shrimp

The Invitation:

The reason the men came:


The hostesses: Laura, Mama, Molly and Shay

The "silver":

The corn cob holders:

High Style: daisies

More High Style: sticks from the yard and clippings from the bushes!

The sunflowers came from Publix and the chalkboard from HERE:

The reason we chose a low country boil: the men cook! 

(Harbert, Rob, The Daddy)

The Basement of Shay's parents' house! LOOK at those tall ceilings!

Rob, Ashley (and baby Wilson), The Daddy

The Guests of Honor:

Shay's mom hand rolled the egg rolls!

The Menu:

Appetizers-

• Veggies with dill dip
• Goup (it has cream cheese and sausage in it! 'nuff said!) with flour tortillas
• Chips and Salsa
• Egg rolls

Drinks-

• Lemonade
• Ice Water
• Various Red and White Wines
• Flat Tire, Coors Light, Bud Light
• Summer Brew- a concoction not unlike "hunch punch" from those good ole' college days containing pink lemonade, beer and vodka

In the Boil-

• Shrimp (as big as a baby's arm)
• Kalbosa
• Corn on the cob
• Red potatoes
• Mushrooms (maybe the best part!)
• Onions
• Whole Garlic Bulbs

Desserts-

• Lemon Squares
• Fudgy Brownies
• Baklava

Tausha's mom made the baklava pictured in the center! (A trial run for wedding favors: yum!)

Can't wait to see these two get married next month! It will be my first trip to Bristol, Tennessee AND Virginia. Didn't you know the city is in BOTH states? 

Looking for recipe ideas? Go visit Jen at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam!

Running, Garage Sales, Nashville and a LC Boil

If you're here visiting from Rhoda's, welcome! We're sharing all our thrifty finds from the weekend.

So, I had a good weekend in my hometown of Nashville. Running through Crieve Hall, I gladly stopped for a rest and perused a few sales. One I JUST HAD to go back and pick up a few things for the girls' dress up closet. ~Never mind the crazy lady in the hat and glasses.~  I got three hats and a cool pair of shades for $2. The third hat is not pictured. 

I just didn't look as cool in a blue felt fedora. 

These hats make me think of dressing up in my mom's old bridesmaid dresses complete with "head pieces".  Love it!

Check back tomorrow for pictures from the Low Country Boil. We enjoyed our "high living in the low country!" I was in charge of desserts, flowers and music, but the star of the show was the shrimp. The glorious shrimp!

A Bunch of Random "Carp"

So this week was thrown off because our exercise classes at the church are preempted by day camps. Translation: we've been aimlessly entertaining ourselves this week. (When I've not been subjecting my child to shots in the mouth and laughing gas.)

I left my wallet in The Daddy's car, so my plans to do some last minute shopping for a party I'm hosting this weekend were thwarted. HEY, let's go visit Daddy! So we did. Then we went to:

The girls tried on several beds:

I don't think I could do THIS much PINK!

The Frog Prince Room:

Lunch for 3: $3.50!

In other adventures, we did some finger painting. I thought I'd clean up HJ first because AE is sooooooooooo much more mature. She certainly wouldn't make a mess an even bigger mess. She called it her makeup.

Ready for her close-up:

And finally here's a hint about the party I'm throwing with three other couples for a beautiful bride-to-be. 

It's our last wedding shower for a dear friend and we are going to BLOW IT OUT! I'm super excited about the shindig and I'll tell you ALL ABOUT IT next week. For now, I'm signing off the computer for the remainder of the week and weekend. I may tweet a little, but I'll be "offline" so to speak for the next four days. 

The Summertime "Plan"

One reason we didn't go to our neighborhood pool much last Summer:

BTW: Isn't our neighbor's house GORGEOUS? 

Back a while, I mentioned a plan for our Summertime lives. Loosely, this is what our Summer will look like:

Monday

Zumba

Grocery shopping

Backyard fun- bubbles, sand table, slide, inflatable pool

Tuesday

Errands or "stay-in-pjs" day

Pool/playground/park/art projects

Wednesday

Pilates

Chick-fil-A with the kids for lunch

Backyard fun-bubbles, sand table, slide, inflatable pool

Thursday

Errands or "stay-in-pjs" day

Pool/playground/park or some other special activity (zoo, children's museum, etc.)

Friday

Kickboxing

Afternoon pool time

LOOSELY, because I don't want to commit! AND I'VE LEARNED NOT TO ANNOUNCE THE PLAN TO THE LITTLE ONES TOO FAR IN ADVANCE!

Our church offers exercise classes year round, but I loved doing it last Summer and chose to do it again this Summer because:

1. It's cheaper in the Summer

2. AE gets to play with her friend Brodie three days a week (she isn't in his class on Sundays)

3. Did I mention it's cheaper in the Summer?

4. I get to be someone other than "mama" for an hour and a half

5. I'm doing something for my health (physical and MENTAL!)

6. Oh, it's cheaper in the Summer!

7. We are OUT of the house, but NOT in the HEAT

8. I love the childcare our church provides

9. The girls get to play, do crafts, learn Bible stories and socialize

10. AND it's cheaper in the Summer!

What's your plan for Summer fun?

Real Life Sometimes Ain't Pretty

Our darling three-year-old had a cavity.

Here she is post-filling. A little woozy.

Trying to smile. More like a snarl.

AE was a real trooper. She went to the chair all by herself "because she is a BIG girl" while I stayed in the waiting room with HJ. Once all was said and done, she got two stickers, a swollen cheek/mouth/eye and a pink bracelet. Now that we've conquered the dentist, I've got no worries for this little one. 

A Happy Accident

In the world of two- and three-year-old kids, the word "accident" is not a welcome one.

Upon returning home last Friday after a post-nap swim in 1-ft of water, we got the girls in their pajamas even though they still had about an hour and a half before the clock tolled for bed. Bedtime came, and we forgot to change AE into her bedtime pull-ups. Whoops!

Also, bedtime came, and we forgot to have AE go potty before she laid down to sleep! Double whoops!

At 11:00 I went to wake her up to go potty. In true Daddy fashion, she seemed like she was awake, but I could tell she had NO IDEA what was going on. So this Mama did what any mother would do in the situation: I pulled her underwear down and sat that little girl on the potty. AND SHE WENT! More than half asleep and she went!

The next morning I went in at 7:30 to check on her and she was awake just chilling like always. I told her to look down and see her underwear. She got the biggest smile on her face and said, "That means I'm a big girl now!"

We're pretty proud of her with the long road we've been on with the potty training. I mean, I have 12 posts on potty talk. Come on people! 

Now it's time for HJ to hop on the train. 

Lesson Learned

Whatever you do, do NOT tell your children that they can wear their new bathing suits to the pool right after nap time! 

Rookie mistake. 

As I said it, as the words were coming out of my mouth, in s-l-o-w m-o-t-i-o-n like in the movies, I knew immediately I had made a mistake!

Yesterday there was no napping. Except the pretend snooze on the stairs here.

It's been hard to get this one to be this sweet lately.

Hey everybodyeeeeeeeeeeeee(in a Grover voice), LET'S GO!

Silly girl

Sillier girl

 

HJ's favorite past time: transferring water

Love this with the water droplets suspended in air!

The baby pool is our friend. Both girls are pretty content to hang there for an hour or so. I've found it easier to bring an easy cotton dress to change each girl into after pool time. Otherwise, you've got a big mess to contend with when you walk in the door. Changing at the pool means that they can go into the playroom and entertain themselves while I clean up the big mess of wetness and fix dinner. 

Oh, did I mention my favorite time to go to the pool is after nap time?

My philosophy:

1. Time is limited. You don't have to spend ALL day there.
2. Use of sunscreen is optional. If we don't get there until 4:30, I don't lather them up. Yesterday we got there at 3:30, so I did.
3. Not as many kids there. (Pluses and minuses to this one.)
4. Other kids leave their toys behind that we can play with.
5. They are too worn out at dinner to argue about what we're eating.

Phriday Photos

This is where The Daddy took me on Tuesday for dinner.

The Daddy got the Chili Dog combo.

I got the Slaw Dog combo. 

Then we shared, one of each dog for the both of us. I'll have to tell you, the onion rings far outweigh the fries. If you're thinking of going, go for the onion rings. 

Here are our seats for the rest of the date. 1st base line. Nice.

The Braves went to extra innings and pulled off the win!

Had to include this one from just after seeing the eye doctor yesterday! He dilated my eyes, soooooooooooo this is what I ended up looking like while I drove home. 

NOTICE: the car seat behind me is empty. That's thanks to my sweet, sweet friend Carrie who watched my two girls along with her two boys. FOR THREE HOURS. By herself. And she fed them lunch. 

She may never come over again! Thanks, sweet friend!

***Those first three photos were from another blog because I didn't take pics at The Varsity. The last three photos were taken with my iPhone.

Color Shy?

I've been clicking away today over at 320 Sycamore to see all the beautiful paint colors and I couldn't resist sharing the very few color choices we've {I've} made here at our house. 

When we moved, I vowed to take an oath of celibacy from painting. In our newlywed home, we painted every. stinking. room. The kitchen twice. The dining room twice. I took a vow, but old habits die hard. The Daddy doesn't know how much I really think about painting everyday!

So...

The back of the bookcases is Restoration Hardware's Flax. Painting the back of the bookcases was supposed to cure my painting problem. But soon enough, I got the itch to paint again. 

Before:

After:

I told myself that painting just the little wall space with the tv and fireplace wasn't really like painting a whole room. It wasn't.  It really needed it to help those big ol' things on the mantel pop more, so I did it while The Daddy was out of town. In case you were wondering, it's Behr's Winter Mood. I think it's a springy green. I've got a lot of paint leftover and I'm considering brightening up our office nook...

And now here's a work in progress. The bottom half of the dining room is Restoration Hardware's Capppucino, BUT we had Lowe's color match it instead of buying from RH. If you want to know what is up with all the swatches, read HERE. Would love more opinions, even though I'm pretty sure I know what's going to happen!

How color shy are you? Seems like nowadays, most people make paint choices based on the future speculation of having to sell a home. Can you commit and be bold? or are you shy and on the safe side?

Find Solitude

*

Last week I started reviewing some old Bible study notes, and shared Mary Tabb's thoughts on finding Silence. Today's notes are a continuation of that lesson. 

Solitude: evidently, it's important and biblical.

Mark 1:32-35

Now when it was evening, after the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those under the power of demons, until the whole town was gathered together about the door.

And He cured many who were afflicted with various diseases; and He drove out many demons, but would not allow the demons to talk because they knew Him.

And in the morning, long before daylight, He got up and went out to a deserted place, and there He prayed.

In this passage from Mark, take note of the demands on Jesus. We as mothers feel the stress and dependence of little ones and <sometimes!> spouses. How about the stress and demands He felt? In The Message's translation of this passage, it says the "whole city" lined up at His door! But He took care of them, and the next morning, He sought out solitude with His Lord. 

Reasons for finding daily solitude:

1. Getting away from the demands of your schedule.
2. Getting away from our own expectations and the expectations of others (less do, do, do and more be, be, be)
3. Discovering our OWN thoughts
4. Filtering out the non-essentials
5. Finding our OWN PACE
6. Taking time to rest and regroup
7. Using the opportunity to call or recall OUR calling in life, our vision, our mission
8. Reestablishing what I think/believe is important
9. Gaining perspective on what my family's needs are 
10. Prioritizing what I think/believe is important
11. Being more attentive to God

My worshipping God and communicating with God is sometimes limited to Sunday morning. That kind of communication isn't too great for developing or discovering a lot of the things on the list above. Ouch. 

My favorite one is #2. (Less do, do, do. More be, be, be.)

And #11. 

And #4. 

I need to stop. They're all good and important.

The last part of this lesson is about how God speaks to us. Mary emphasized to us that without the Silence and Solitude, it's going to be mighty hard to hear Him. I'll give myself a week or so to think about that one and prepare to "open" my ears. 

Where do you go for silence and solitude? 

*That's Uncle C. in Hawaii last year.