a drop in the bucket

circle quilt

2012-01-21T19:58:00.000-08:00

i know it's been a real long time, but this quilt top finally got quilted!

i finally gave it to jennifer because i just wasn't feeling it, but now i'm kind of regretting it. look how adorable it turned out to be. jennifer got it quilted in austin, and it now lays on her white armchair. i love the pattern, and am dying to use it again, just with different fabric.

*ahem. sorry for the photo quality; carlos took them and emailed them to me. ahem.

instagram

2012-01-17T19:22:00.000-08:00

if you haven't joined instagram yet, you're missing out.

i'm a little bit addicted.

catching up

2012-01-16T18:27:00.000-08:00

- husband has a new work schedule and i hate it. wed-sunday from 2-11. blah
- paisley is out of control whiney these days. terrible two's were nothing. the three's are kicking my butt!
- been on weight watchers for a month now and have lost 6.6 lbs. feels good. most days i do okay, but man, some
days are really hard.
- throwing a baby shower on saturday and excited to host a get together.
- i miss my sisters terribly.
- working on 3 quilts at the moment.
- carter gets cuter everyday. she says "up" clear as a bell.
- painted some furniture that i need to post on here.
- i hate all my clothes. i mean ALL of them.
- running every once in a while. need to do it a couple times a week.
- reading the bible and the book of mormon daily. it's my only new years resolution; to finish them both.
- get two cavities filled tomorrow. yay.

scenes of a pruett christmas

2011-12-28T17:53:00.000-08:00

new park in the neighborhood. 12.22

grandma and grandpa cruise the trails.

christmas eve jammies.

christmas morning after church, right before presents.

grandmas's famous grilled cheezers for lunch while opening presents.

christmas adorn:

season's greetings

christmas dinner

no matter our trials, we are SOOOO blessed.

merry CHRISTmas.

guest dresser

2011-12-28T06:38:00.000-08:00

so our guest room needed a little help. i've had a vision since we first moved into this house, but not the funds if you know what i mean. i matched the wall color to compliment this amy butler wallpaper that i'm in love with. it will cover one wall behind the bed when i can afford it.

meanwhile, i needed a dresser. after a couple months of craigslist scowering and garage sale sifting, i finally found one with some great lines. and the best part? 20 dolla-make-you-holla!!!

i found it at a garage sale and it definitely needed some love.

i knew i needed to keep it simple since the wallpaper will be pretty bold and that paint color turned out a little bright for my taste. so i just went with a dark grey and sprayed the hardware white. big difference, huh? like i said, i LOVE the lines of this beauty.

next up? some white bedding, black frames, and wallpaper!!!

random photos catch up

2011-12-26T14:17:00.000-08:00

since i've been such a slacker blogger the past couple months, i thought i'd post my favorite photos from november and december. most of them are from my phone.

p helping mommy dust the stairs

k baking cookies with his pet from school.

this was a project he was sent home with.

winter fuchsia tights.

carter baby getting into my succulents.

another school project for k. making indian hats.

my new favorite meal. stuffed spaghetti squash.

this recipe is loaded with veggies and is a total food-O!

breakfast during thanksgiving weekend with noel and jennie.

aunt noelie with her angel's of love!

my sailor loading up our free christmas tree from "trees for troops."

my girls.

precious p baby napping with me in my bed.

the kids' tree. i let them have total control over decorating it.

(except for the lights.)

paisley's new skinny jeans from nana.

christmas 2011

2011-12-26T11:00:00.000-08:00

yeah, i've been a huge slacker this month. but at least i sent out christmas cards, right?

doesn't matter that they were cheap kind and had to half my usual list of recipients does it?

our christmas was great; full of love and i think the two oldest are finally understanding what christmas is really about. yay for that. more pics to come...

holiday traditions

2011-12-05T07:49:00.000-08:00

it's about time we start some holiday traditions around here.

our first order of business?

our first annual daddy daughter date to the nutcracker ballet.

paisley was so excited to get all dolled up for her daddy and spend an evening alone with him.

she chose her dress, sweater, shoes, and even some of mommy's jewelry.

there's nothing like seeing a father take his baby girl on a special date night...

the husband reported that miss p loved the first half, but lost interest

in the second half of the play. maybe 3 years old is too early? either way,

i know she felt special and that's what we were going for. until next year...

madison inn- our veterens day getaway

2011-12-02T18:53:00.000-08:00

yes, i've been a major blogger slacker.

so much has been going on and by the time my kids are in bed, i'm too exhausted to even blog.

here's to playing catch up!

back in november, the husband and i took advantage of an amazing veteran's day offer. for a couple years now, bed and breakfasts around the nation are celebrating the holiday by offering a free nights stay to veterans. they booked up fast, but i was luckily able to reserve us a spot in a small town called Madison. the innkeeper was so sweet on the phone and automatically made me feel comfortable.

here's the website for the inn we stayed at.

our good friends watched our kids for the night, and we drove 1.5 hours to get to this quaint inn.

we loved the manager of the place! she was just so warm and friendly.

here's our room when we checked in that night:

david got a free prime rib at a local restaurant and then we cuddled in our cozy room with no kids!!

we woke up to this beautiful light streaming through our windows:

breakfast was at 8:00 downstairs. i love this old craftsman home:

breakfast was ah-mazing. she started us off with a baked pear

stuffed with walnuts, cranberries, and marmalade:

then she brought out home style hash browns, ham, a biscuit,

and a souffle in the adorable chicken dish.

we were able to meet the two other couples that were staying there.

both were veterans as well. the older man served in vietnam and lost his leg after being at war for 11 months! it was so interesting to chat with all of them over breakfast.

here's the front of the house:

after we checked out, we spent the afternoon exploring the small town.

there were cute shops like this one:

with cute unique things like this sign and ornaments:

and the fall colors, oh my! look at these gorgeous trees!

i feel so lucky to have a husband serving our country. we haven't had to sacrifice too much yet, but the blessings are numerous. some people complain about life in the military, but i feel grateful to have a steady income in this crazy economy and to have the perks of health insurance. i feel even more gratitude for the men and women who are deployed and away from their families. and for the people who have served before us. we are free because of them.

shutterfly

2011-11-19T09:42:00.000-08:00

so christmas card season is coming up and i'm so excited! although i may dread actually taking our family photos, i thoroughly enjoy browsing cards and deciding which to choose from. these days, they have so many modern and fabulous choices! last year we went with shutterfly and i couldn't have been happier with the quality. here's a link to remind you what our card looked like.

christmas 2010

are you stressing about christmas cards yet?

what company are you using?

happy picture taking!

spring bulbs

2011-11-10T08:10:00.000-08:00

i know i mentioned that my dadis one amazing gardener.

to say he has a green thumb would be an understatement.

he recently sent me some pictures of his indoor garden. he just planted his spring bulbs and the way he presents them in his gorgeous antique pots, moss, and twigs is just breathtaking to me.

take a look:

isn't his taste impeccable? someday, i will have my own garden as beautiful as his.

but in the meantime, i'm trying. and he has helped big time.

look what he had delivered right to my door step!!

300+ bulbs. a variety of daffodils, paperwhites, and tulips.

although my yard will look nothing like his, this spring will be beautiful around here.

i put david hard at work to dig holes for my hearty daffodil bulbs.

it was so gratifying digging in the soil with my fingers and "sowing these seeds."

although i am LOVING this fall season, i can't wait to see the first signs of spring peek through my yard.

thanks dad so much! not only for the bulbs, but for the desire that you've given me to enjoy all things nature.

ps. david and i are leaving for a overnight getaway in T minus 5 hours! so excited!

halloween quilt

2011-11-02T16:54:00.000-07:00

i finally finished my halloween quilt that i started last year!

here are the pictures with my two lovely assistants:

the back is a fleece polka dot.

it was my first time quilting with fleece and it wasn't too bad.

i used the same quilting method as this one.

now if i could just figure out how to quilt something other than straight lines!

i finished it a couple days before halloween, so we only got to cuddle with it for a short time before it went in the deco bin, but the kids sure loved it!

halloweenie 2011

2011-10-31T19:46:00.000-07:00

this halloween, we went super simple.

no coordinating outfits like this year,

no handmade costumes like this year,

BUT we still had 3 happy and cute kids!

kavi as a monkey (same as last year)

paisley as snow white

carter as spider girl?

i love how paisley is looking at kavi in this picture.

can you tell she idolizes him?

we did the usual.

trunk or treat at church on friday

and our neighborhood trick or treating tonight.

paisley was way into it this year and was so proud of herself every time she said thank you after receiving candy! carter stayed happy in the stroller as long as she had a sucker. and of course the boy was in candy heaven as well. hope your halloween was just as happy!

brown-eyed girl

2011-10-24T18:48:00.000-07:00

carter has figured out my cell phone. she's thirteen months and pretty much knows how to use it as well as me. okay, maybe not quite as well, but she's getting it. this sweet baby makes me and the mister gush with love everyday. when she looks up at us with those big brown eyes of her, we both just melt. especially david. i can't say enough how grateful i am for these healthy, beautiful children of mine.

i know i take them for granted when i'm busy complaining about the whining or messes, but i'm trying to remind myself more and more that each day with my little family is a gift...

yellow s

2011-10-18T07:15:00.001-07:00

I know it's cliche, but it was inevitable for me. I've started a small photography business. (If you can call it a business.) I'm mostly just taking pictures of my pretty friends trying to get some practice in. I kind of love it. Go peek at my tiny portfolio and follow my blog if you're interested. Thanks peeps!

www.shalynnpruettphotography.blogspot.com

home tour: living room

2011-10-11T13:38:00.000-07:00

man, did (and do) i have a hard time with my living room.

it's huge, with an opening to the kitchen, and only one big wall really.

so it posed a huge challenge.

this is the view from the front door.

as soon as you walk in the house, the living room is straight ahead.

to the right of this is the kitchen and dining area and to the left,

is the guest bedroom, bathroom, and door to the garage.

some subtle halloween decorations on the mantle.

branches spray painted black with cobwebs and orange & black trim that i sewed together.

this is the only blank wall in the living room. the husband didn't want anything hung

on his precious TV wall... so boring! so i just finished stenciling some

"wallpaper". he'll eventually mount the TV on the wall.

i followed this tutorial and loved it!

mine came out completely different. it has so many flaws,

but hopefully it's just me who notices them:)

it really wasn't a hard project, just took a steady hand.

i would recommend it to anyone!

i had a hard time figuring out the placement of my couches. one was originally against the window, and the other was back up against the kitchen's low wall, but bringing them in, made the room feel so much comfier. i really DON'T love my couches, but they are still in great condition and super comfy, so i can't complain.

and there you have it. now that i look over these pictures, i feel like i need more color in there! i'm opposite of most people who shy away from color, i want it everywhere! we'll see if i can incorporate it more into this room without overdoing it. maybe pillows?

....

carter 1 year in pictures

2011-10-08T07:55:00.000-07:00

look how big my baby girl is.

and now from the beginning:

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

9 months

10 months

12 months

so i totally skipped months 8 & 10. ooops. bad mom!

and month 11 was not on the measuring mat.

bad mom again!

so fun to watch this baby grow!

carter baby's birthday

2011-10-06T08:24:00.000-07:00

it happened. she turned 1.

we now have all odd numbers in our home.

5 year old, 3 year old, and now a 1 year old.

last night was super low key.

we had just a couple friend over to share cupcakes with.

the carter baby wasn't feeling too hot, so she was pretty quiet

and couldn't care less about her candle or cupcake.

we finally got her to taste a little frosting,

but she was more interested in eating the cupcake liner!

my sweet little girl just wanted to cuddle her daddy.

she got this new outfit in the mail from nana and some toys from grandma and grandpa pruett.
we sure feel blessed to have this sweet little soul in our family.
carter's personality is more serious, but she is all smiles when daddy walks through the door.
she is 100% a daddy's girl!
carter is working on her eighth tooth and her first words so far are "applesauce" and "no"!

around here

2011-09-28T18:20:00.000-07:00

k started pre-k

p got her first black eye

working on etsy things

finishing my halloween quilt from last year

couldn't resist buying this halloween owl today.

if you don't think this is the cutest deco ever, you don't have a soul.

the end.

home tour: the boy's room

2011-09-27T17:18:00.000-07:00

so the next stop on our home tour is the boy's room.

if you read my blog at all, you know that his favorite color in the world is orange.

i was NOT about to paint the whole room orange. blue was the next choice.

i tried to add a lot of color for his personality.

his room is at the very top of the stairs and the first room you

see when you come up.

the garland is made out of card stock and fishing wire.
the idea was from cluck cluck sew.

i made kavi's quilt quite a while ago and he still loves it thankfully.

these canvases were all kind of made at different times.
the top left 3 are made out of felt and the others,
i recently made using my friend's silhouette machine.
i think i might need like one more up there.

kavi loves to hang his art up in his room (or any place in the house for that matter)

so i finally put together a little corner for him to display it. i grabbed this thrift store frame for

like 6 bucks and sprayed it orange.

the K above his bed was super time consuming, but well-worth it.

i purchased it at joannes and wound red yarn around all the sides. the nooks and

crannies of the letter were pretty difficult to cover, but it turned out okay.

that's about it for the boy's room.

oh, but i couldn't leave out these few shots of the little sister getting into his toys...

... and steeling his spotlight. so sweet baby carter girl!

the boy turns 5

2011-09-21T13:54:00.000-07:00

here's the birthday boy and a couple of his favorite friends.

we took things very simple this year and just had a BBQ with good friends in our backyard.

nothing fancy. the boy played and played as all the kids ran around the backyard,

jumped on the tramp and just had fun. then we did cupcakes:

sang happy birthday:

no birthday BBQ would be complete without a pinata. i missed pictures of that, but got a great one of adam putting it on his head and jessica getting all up on that! love those neighbors of ours:)

and of course presents from all his friends:

it was a great way to celebrate and very low key.

kavi also got some great cards and gifts from his grandparents and lots of calls from

his cousins. the boy felt loved for sure.

and oh man, do i love this boy. his creativeness and imagination continues to crack me up. and his sweetness is just so tender. he tells me he loves multiple times a day and is always willing to cuddle me and give me kisses. he recently started pre-K and just soaks up everything. he LOVES to learn and interact with other people. and i love to see him just grow and learn. he's my favorite boy:)

happy birthday bud!

chevron curtains- a tutorial

2011-09-18T20:18:00.000-07:00

okay, so do you remember this post about my new curtains that i absolutely adore? well i promised a tutorial and that was like 3 months ago. i basically suck, i know. here it is nevertheless. this project definitely take patience and persistence, but the end result is SO worth. the money you save, and the drama these curtains bring to a room is amazing.

you'll need:

drop cloth

painters tape

ruler

about a quart of black paint (or whatever color you choose)

small sponge roller

hanging curtain clips

i started with a huge drop cloth from home depot. i wanted my curtains to brush the ground,

so i bought the 9x12 size.

lay your drop cloth out. you'll need a big space where kids can't get in the way. don't forget to put a tarp or something underneath when you paint, bc the paint will go through. don't cut your drop cloth yet, you'll do that after we're all done painting.

now you need to figure out your measurements. this was the most difficult part and i made my husband help with the math and stuff. here's a rough sketch of how i did mine. if you want bigger or smaller chevrons, you'll have to adjust.

i started a foot in from the left and 5 inches down from the top. mark a dot. mark another dot another foot in from the first one and 5 inches from the top, and so on till you reach the other side. these make up the points of the top chevron.

for the dip of the chevron i did 6 inches in and 11.5 inches down.

then for the bottom part of the chevron, i marked my dots just 6 inches below the top ones for the point and the dip. did i confuse you yet?

after you have all your dots measured and penciled, you can start taping. to make a perfectly pointed edge with painters tape, look at these next two pictures. hold a straight edge over your tape at the angle you want your edge and rip the tape towards you. works every time.

after tons of patient work and hopefully a helpful partner, you'll get something that looks like this.

(i know it looks like my "white" chevrons are smaller than the black ones will be, but it's

just an illusion bc of the edges of the tape.)

now is when the fun part comes in. i used flat interior paint and bought a cheap small sponge roller.

just roll that bad boy on like there's no tomorrow.

and keep rolling and rolling. you'll have to put it on pretty thick for it not to look blotchy.

once it's dried, you can cut it as you like for whatever window you're using it on. i cut mine straight down the middle and trimmed some off the bottom once i hung them. i also left he edges raw, but you can choose to hem them.

attach your curtain ring clips and your done! $30 vs $150?

yes please!

i hope someone finds this tutorial helpful. and if you choose to do them, please send pics!

good luck fellow dyi-ers!

wedding events

2011-09-18T19:29:00.000-07:00

i just realized that i started to write this post way back in june, but never published it.

silly me, because this was the event of my year.

kelly's wedding was june 11 and flying to california was so much fun.

did i mention that i was childless?

rehearsal dinner

the beautiful bride getting ready

4 of the 6 bridesmaids

moments before the ceremony

she was seriously glowing!

her dad walked out just before he walked her down the aisle and i about lost it. he was blown away by her beauty and got so teary eyed. it was one of my favorite moment's of the whole trip.

she was so stunning! i feel so lucky to have been one of her bridesmaids.

high school friends

yeah, i pretty much ruled that dance floor. it was so much fun to let loose and dance like crazy.

i don't think i've done that since high school and it was a blast.

overall, the weekend was amazing. ceremony, beautiful.

reception, gorgeous and fun. catching up with old friends, fantastic.

being with kelly the whole weekend, priceless.

i'm so incredibly happy for her and buddy.

thanks for letting me be apart of your beautiful day!

to see her fabulous wedding photos, look here.

titus

2011-09-16T19:11:00.000-07:00

david's sister had her 6th baby last month. 6th!!!! she's pretty amazing when it comes to pushing out those babies. i was privileged to watch her last birth and it was so beautiful. she likes to go au-natural with no epidural and her strength was awe-inspiring.

so this quilt is for newborn TITUS. it's so similar to this one, but i just couldn't help but replicate it.

it's so precious to me.

quilting with my machine hasn't worked so well in the past, but the 3rd time is a charm, right? i quilted straight lines using this method and pretty much loved it. i still like a more meandering quilted look, but straight lines have their place too. plus, it saved me like 50 bucks.

some of the fabrics:

cleaning my plate

2011-09-13T06:32:00.000-07:00

i shut off the lamp on my nightstand and rolled over to david in bed. he was probably half way asleep already, but i was going crazy. it was sunday my mind wouldn't shut off. i couldn't stop thinking about my to-do list for the week. it was out of control. i kept trying to separate what was mandatory and what was fluff.

clean 3 bathrooms
fold 8 piles of laundry
wash 4 loads of laundry
clean kitchen
edit pictures
blog
mow lawn
weed lawn
start amanda's quilt
finish halloween quilt
make 3 meals a day for 5 people
dress 4 people each morning
plan kavi's birthday
donate plasma
work out 3 times this week
read my scriptures each day
still have enough energy at end of the day to spend quality time with david
make doctors appointments
sign up for dental plan
pay bills
take paisley to speech
find quiet time for myself so i don't lose it
etc..
etc..
etc..

it was too much for me to handle and i felt like i was going to break. i finally drifted off to sleep only to wake up at 3 am with a bad case of the throw-ups. i mean BAD throw-ups. i slept on and off between throwing up from 3 am to 1 pm the next day. that was followed by the world's worst headache and major body aches and shivers. luckily david was able to take monday off work and take the boy to pre-k and watch the girls. he catered to my every need, which mostly entailed a run to the store for saltines and ginger ale, and just keeping the girls away from me.

i'm taking it as a sign. a sign that i need to slow down, cut out some fluff in my life and simplify. today, my only goal is laundry and toilets. i'm going to take it slow and watch some junk tv while doing it.

we woman do too much. really, we have way too much on our plates.
does anyone else have this problem? how do you balance it all?

home tour: master suite

2011-09-01T21:49:00.000-07:00

so jennifer has made multiple comments to me about how i have no pictures of our new home on my blog. i feel like no room in this house is even close to finished, but i've decided to post pictures anyway. maybe they'll be nice to look back on when my house is done someday. is a house ever really done?

here's our master bedroom.

from the door looking in

this window faces our backyard and we're upstairs

on david's side of the bed looking at the door to the hall and the bathroom/closet

that's our only dresser. we need another one badly!

looking into the bathroom/closet

bathroom sinks

tub/shower. the toilet is behind the door to the left

going into the closet. yes, that's a window.

it faces the front of the house and i love it.

david's side

my side

and the details:

remember how i switched our bedding? here
although i love the fabric, i decided i wasn't feeling it for out bed, so i used it here.
now i don't know what i want. plus, my brother gave us that bedding for our wedding, so i'm having a hard time letting it go.

other notes:
is your closet as crazy as mine?
i've always wanted a minimalistic bedroom, but i kinda feel like it's just plain boring.
that's it!

the boy's nightmare

2011-08-27T18:07:00.000-07:00

after david sung kavi his goodnight song, i cuddled up in bed with my boy and talked to him. we talked about his friends, his most recent owie and he asked for a story. i told him one from my childhood of how i got my first stitches. i love this time with my boy. he is so sweet when i just sit down and listen to his little life. his perspective is so precious to me.

he then told me about a nightmare he had last night. with the most serious face, this is what he said:" daddy sent a robot into the bathroom to save carter. but there was an invisible man in there who shot something onto the wall, and the toilet was fired. then the invisible man shot daddy. but he was okay."

tears ran down my face as i listened to my boy. what an innocent imagination he holds. i love him so much and am so grateful to be his mom. i told him this after we closed our eyes to pray that he would have good dreams tonight. and i know he will.

the morgans

2011-08-24T18:16:00.000-07:00

ah, the joys of military life! earlier this week we had to say goodbye to another great family that we've become really close with. i hate this part of the military. jed and lyla are two of my kid's bestest friends ever. they all just adore eachother! look how silly they can get:

and diane, oh my! who wouldn't love this spicy red-headed super mom of four kids.

she's non-stop, that girl. and i love her.

and then there's our nerdy husbands. i love them too.

goodbye morgans, you'll be missed so much!

recognize this red-headed family from this post?

carter 10 months

2011-08-18T09:15:00.000-07:00

my little baby hoo hoo is getting so big and with that, more smiles and some steps!

she was a little slow to start standing on her own, but she's gaining some ground now.

isn't this dress precious? i found it at a thrift store and it's hand embroidered with

these cute little indian people. i love those one of a kind finds!

also new this month? after her two bottom teeth came in last month,

her FOUR top teeth are making there way out. poor baby has been pretty miserable.

but she's still just so sweet and cuddly and we are all so enamored by her.

paisley noel pruett

2011-08-02T17:36:00.000-07:00

transformation

2011-07-30T16:37:00.000-07:00

before during

after 8 hours 2nd round- finished!

man, do i feel so much better.

there's nothing like a makeover to getting you feeling good!

a pillow and succlulents

2011-07-29T17:56:00.000-07:00

my momma brought me this beautiful vintage doily when she came to visit and it was her idea to use it on a pillow. i made the pillow with some red fringe balls (hehe), stuffed it, sewed it shut, then sprayed the back of the doily with elmers spray glue. after i attached it to the front of the pillow, i hand sewed down the edges and a few points throughout just to make sure it was good and sturdy. i love how the hand crocheted doily is two toned.

my momma also so lovingly funded the start of my first succulent garden. i've been dying for some succulents on my porch since we moved in! i love these plants. they are just so luscious and each plant is so unique!

this venus fly trap looking one might be my favorite:

i was so very lucky to have been spoiled by my momma! she flew back to today after 2 weeks here and we are so sad to see our nana leave. thanks nana for making the long trip out here to love on us!

dollhouse

2011-07-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

i remember one of my childhood christmas' very well. it was the year i got a dollhouse. my dad made it for me and my sister. it was beautiful. the lines were very simple, but he added so much detail to the floors, the walls, etc.. i remember he made flower baskets for the windowsills out of small dried flowers. we had tiny dishes and books and it made me oh so happy. i don't know why we ever got rid of it. i'm sure noel and i grew out of it, but i really wish i still had it to pass down to my daughters. i've been thinking for about a year now how to recreate this nostalgia for my girls and then one day, it just appeared near a trash can. FREE! this humble dollhouse that looks so similar to mine. it has a lot of work to be done, but man, do i have a vision!

that was about a month ago. fast forward to the other day while my mom and i were out thrifting. i couldn't believe my luck when i stumbled upon this box of dollhouse furniture. it was sitting next to some cheapo dollhouse and they were marked together for $50. i begged the manager to let me just buy the box of furniture, and after a while, she gave it to me for $20!!!! people, this is a miracle! dollhouse furniture is so expensive. after i did my research, i realized that all this is priced well over $200! and it's all in fabulous condition.

the office

the kitchen

bedroom

the nursery

living room

bathroom

my childhood came back to be in the form of these lucky finds. i think back of my dollhouse days playing with my sister, then i think of the little girls that once owned these items, and i come full circle to anticipating paisley and carter playing together. besides the amazing price, i'm so glad i found these items used, because they mean that much more to me.

can't wait to get started remodeling!

china cabinet

2011-07-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

back in february, i purchased this china cabinet and matching four chairs off craigslist.

it ended up being a pain in the butt, bc the people lived far away and were pretty ghetto, but it worked out in the end. i gave all pieces a good sanding since they smelled like smoke (yuck!)

here's how they came out:

i changed things up a bit for this project and used only spray paint.

pros:

easier

less messy

cons:

more expensive

can get streaks where you spray

i sprayed on a primer first since i stripped the wood so well while sanding. i thought about glazing the china cabinet, but decided against it since my kitchen cupboards are stark white as well. it took everything i have in me not to paint the cabinet some crazy color, but i can only have so much colorful furniture in my house ya know? i recovered the chairs in a heather bailey print and also stapled on some clear vinyl just to protect them from my kids. that can easily be taken off later if i choose.

i just loved the lines of these chairs and green was the perfect color for them i think.

your opinion

2011-07-24T18:44:00.000-07:00

so my momma is in town and we are having a blast. she taught me everything i know about thrifting so you know what that means. we've been to every thrift store and garage sale there is in this town. and boy, has it paid off. we have scored some major goodies. i'll blog about those later, but for now, here are my sexy metal chairs. we found them yesterday at a garage sale for 3 bucks a piece! ah-mazing deal.

so here's my dilemma: should i use my new sexy metal chairs around my kitchen table?

or my green chairs that i just refinished a couple moths ago.

i like the color of the green ones, but the style of the metal.

these pictures aren't the greatest, but what do you think?

please share your opinion!!

coffee table

2011-07-20T19:20:00.000-07:00

so this is my coffee table before. it was given to me years ago by a friend and it was just medium wood color. i distressed it with white paint back then, but it didn't turn out so well. we need some color in our new home so i decided to go with behr "zeal teal."

2 coats of that, a little glaze, and a bit of sanding, and here she is after:

just the perfect amount of color in our living room.

more pictures of the living room when it's done...

baby rhye's quilt

2011-07-18T15:40:00.000-07:00

how sweet is this baby face?

this is my new niece, rhye.

isn't she such a precious angel of love?

i'm a little late on her quilt, considering she more than 3 months old now, but here it is nevertheless:

the pattern is a disappearing nine patch and can be found here.

it came together pretty easily and i so enjoyed making it.

leftover fabric makes up the backing:

and i chose a buttery yellow thread for the quilting.

it was bound in a solid soft pink cotton that i had lying around.

i think these colors are perfect for my sister-in-law, molly.

not obnoxiously girly, but still feminine.

i hope baby rhye and molly enjoy snuggling up in it for many years to come!

*side story. i had this quilt wrapped and ready to go before i left for california last month, but didn't have time to mail it out before hopping on the plane. so i gave my husband instructions to mail it at the post office and told him to choose the "cheapest option." bad move. he literally shipped it to hawaii the very cheapest and SL o w e st route. it still hasn't arrived and it i mailed it june 9th. i'm a little worried. please tell me it's not lost, but it's just the fact that it's going to hawaii?!

daddy plays

2011-07-18T14:21:00.001-07:00

this is how it starts:

daddy starts strumming his guitar upstairs on the bed.

then baby carter joins him with avid curiosity

and then she makes really weird faces at the camera.

then of course the paisley girl has to join the fun on the bed.

and somehow, we all end up squished in bed in the middle of the afternoon while daddy plays

his favorite tunes on the guitar.

happy sunday with a picture collage

2011-07-12T16:22:00.000-07:00

so apparently my husband can't center a picture for the life of him, but that's okay:)

this is one of my all time favorite dresses that i've owned and it was from target a couple years ago.

i paired it with a full black slip so the lace would show at the bottom and some leopard pumps.

so comfortable in this outfit. behind me there is my new photo collage wall.

i had all the frames and instead of fretting how to arrange them, i just threw them up there randomly and called it good. sometimes, the less i think about things, the better they turn out.

the frames hold a mixture of old and new photos and the shadow box at the tope holds a folded american flag that was flown over iraq in honor of my brother.

i love that each time i walk up these stairs i am reminded of family. my small family and our families of origin. my mother's senior picture, a young picture of my cowboy grandpa, etc... makes me happy and my home feel warm.

saturday night

2011-07-09T17:46:00.000-07:00

bringing back homemade pizza night:

and goodnight stories:

rewarding them

2011-07-07T18:33:00.000-07:00

we have a new reward system at our house. it involves going up and down on a chart and getting certain stickers, etc... the end result is an ice cream trip. i snapped some shots from my phone and they came out priceless to me. i love these little faces of pure elation.

this last picture of P is so her. the little cock of her head while checking out her food. so precious.

carter 9 months

2011-07-06T06:09:00.000-07:00

the carter baby is nine months old! i totally missed her 8 month photo shoot. bad mom, bad mom! so much has happened since her 7 month photos. she is full on crawling (june 8) and of course gets into everything. her latest trick is pulling up to standing on anything she can: coffee table, couch, chairs, etc...
she loves her puffs, her daddy, and baby einstein. she is such a joy in our home we all gravitate towards this little ball of love!

camping---in iphone pictures

2011-07-03T17:47:00.000-07:00

the coast in south carolina is beautiful.

dutch oven cooking is yummy.

camping is really hot and sticky.

good friends are priceless.

coolers are lifesavers.

kids love camping.

so do i.

happy sunday {vintage style}

2011-06-28T16:16:00.000-07:00

please don't mind my laundry on the floor and unmade bed. oh, and the picture quality.

i picked this dress up at an antique store off the hwy between omaha and kansas city when i was pregnant with carter. it was only $20 and i love the beaded leaf collar.

love me a great deal. and the memory of antique shopping with my momma.

2 crackers, chocolate, and a marshmallow

2011-06-26T17:18:00.000-07:00

grandma and grandpa

2011-06-22T06:07:00.000-07:00

we were one lucky family to have had grandma and grandpa come visit us for 2.5 weeks.

our visits with them are slightly less adventurous since grandpa's stroke 10 months ago, but so fun nevertheless.

kavi absolutely LOVES his grandpa.

there was lots of books read by grandma,
good food, playing, and plenty of lounging around.

grandpa was great about doing his daily walking therapy through the neighborhood. the boy always wanted to follow him. grandpa is slow, but he does WALK, which i think is a miracle. his progress has been inspiring to watch even amidst his setbacks. this man has been through so much in his hard life, and this by far is the hardest trial. recovering from his stroke is the least of his worries right now. he is suffering from severe debilitating headaches. it breaks my heart to see him suffer and the doctors can't figure them out. even though he was in pain, he loved my children while he was here and tried to soak up every second. he is an amazing grandpa and father and i'm so blessed to know him.

thanks for coming to visit us grandma and grandpa.

we love you so much.

kelly & buddy's quilt

2011-06-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

my bestie kelly got married.

she married a boy we played water polo with in high school.

they didn't keep in touch over the years, but reconnected after college.

how adorable is that?

i love buddy. he is a good man and treats kelly so well.

i knew kelly would love the quilt, but i didn't expect buddy to be so appreciative.

because, you know, guys usually don't care about that stuff. he loved it.

i bought this pattern. i knew i wanted to use my orla kiely duvet cover for the backing, so i pulled colors from that and it turned out so similar to the pattern i followed. didn't mean to, but it happened.

this quilt was super fun to make and really special to me because of the people it was for.

congrats to kelly and buddy,

i love you both!

coming home

2011-06-13T16:51:00.000-07:00

i walked down the stairs of the small airplane onto santa barbara ground. it felt like home.

back to my california roots. back to highschool. back to the same small airport where my brother came home from his mission from argentina.

i flew in on thursday for a long weekend for kelly's wedding. and long it was. it was busy and joyous and fun and beautiful and full of old friends, but also full of severe jet lag, nausea, and headaches for me.

the independence from my children and household duties wasn't a glorified as i thought it would be.

the wedding was perfect. simply perfect. more on the spectacular day later.

after all the fun was had, i got right back on the small airplane and traveled 14 hours overnight back to georgia. this time, when i got off the plane, it WAS home.

and it wasn't the wind, or the memories, or the beautiful ocean that made it home.

it was these three little faces waiting for me.

three little faces taken care of so well by my humble & loving husband.

a father who isn't afraid to take on my motherly duties and nourish these little lives while i'm away.

thank you habibi.

memorial day weekend

2011-05-28T20:30:00.000-07:00

two of my brothers flew up to DC this weekend to visit arlington national cemetery.

have you ever been? this is a sacred place.

i wish i could be there with them.

taylor in front of mark's grave 2011

just like many holidays, i believe the true meaning of memorial day is slowly being forgotten.

so among the pool parties and BBQ's, let's stop and observe the real reason we get this day off work.

to remember our fallen. their sacrifice for our freedom.

let's enjoy our freedom, with humility, so their lives are not in vain.

and let's never forget.

i love you mark.

and all the men and women buried around you.

carter 7 months

2011-05-21T20:09:00.000-07:00

the carter girl is moving on to bigger and better things these days.

her first tooth came through in early may and boy, did she

let us know about it. poor baby had a rough couple of days.

she's also on to some pre-crawling adventures.

the knees, the rocking, the fall, the belly flail, and then the squawking of frustration!

her personality is peeking through more and more each day.

she's a talker and a smiler.

and i couldn't love her more.

paisley turns 3

2011-05-19T07:12:00.000-07:00

she did it.

little miss p turned 3.

on her birthday, she was sick with a bad case of the throw ups,

so we celebrated a few days later.

you may remember the boys orange party back in september.

well of course little paisley wanted her own PINK party.

we kept it very casual and super cheap:

i had everything on hand except for the streamers.

those were only $3 and i followed this tutorial.

just a few families over to enjoy some cake with us.

for the cake, i was originally going to make this infamous rainbow cake, but i decided to change it up a bit and try different shades of pink. i think it would have turned out better if i had good quality coloring gel, but pretty nontheless. funfetti is our favorite cake mix around here.

i enjoy it more than homemade. shhhh.

still need to cut out baby carter's silo!

paisley got a pink and purple bike that she's been wanting for months.

it would be complete without a pink basket to carry all her goodies! among her favorite things to tote around, is her princess birthday card from nana. she even sleeps with it!

and an even better present is a visit from grandma and grandpa!

more to come on this delightful visit!

bored

2011-05-15T19:44:00.000-07:00

we've been pretty busy around here.

unpacking still and getting ready for guests.

one of my weakest parenting skills is keeping these two entertained.

i don't know how many times a day i tell them to go play outside!

we have a great fenced in backyard with a trampoline,

but water always does the trick.

i love this wedgie pic of P.

time for a new swimsuit i suppose.

even carter girl gets bored around here.

baby einstein in her jumper is my trick for her:

but when all else fails,

have friends over for dress up!

chevron curtains

2011-05-10T11:25:00.000-07:00

SO. this was our front room.

are you ready for the sexiest paint color in the world?

then scroll down baby!

dovetail gray.

this paint color covers the majority of our home and i'm in love.

i knew i wanted some dramatic curtains to compliment our bright armoir,

but when i looked up chevron patterned curtain, they were basically non-existent.

i found a couple, but they weren't this dramatic and were way over priced.

so of course i made my own! i'm getting a tutorial ready

to post if anyone is interested. total cost? about $30.

and you'll never guess what they're made from.

what do you think? are they too crazy? or just right?

i'd like a new light fixture, and

the curtains still need a trim at the bottom.

oh, did i mention that this is a no-sew project?

a smocked easter

2011-05-04T07:54:00.000-07:00

i didn't have to buy new easter dresses for the girls.

just so happened to have these smocked beauties lying around.

both thrifted.

both in amazing condition.

paisley's was actually brand new and hand made in peru.

carter's was a light linen with smocked bunnies.

how lucky did i get?

these are our new gray walls by the way ::: in. love.

we had a great easter.

tried to really teach the children about our savior and the resurrection.

hopefully it sunk in a little.

i'm so grateful for these little humans in my life.

they are so precious.

none of it would be possible without the sacrifice of jesus christ.

for my journal

2011-05-02T18:43:00.000-07:00

dear journal,

i want to jot down what i was doing last night when this historical event took place. i remember the details of the day mark died so vividly. i don't want to forget last night either.

the kids were in bed. david was on the floor looking through our movie collection deciding what movie to watch as i was finishing up a blog post. i quickly checked facebook and saw a couple status updates about bin ladens death. i yelled out to david and gave him the computer to find a live news feed. we watched our president announce that after nearly ten years of war, we had found and killed osama bin laden. i got emotional. my mind of course went straight to mark. i texted my older brother brandon. no answer when i called him either. david and i tried to find out more information online, but this was fresh news, so there weren't many details yet. i looked at david and said, "it was the SEALs."

a little while later, i went out in the backyard to try to get cell phone service. it was late and dark and calm. the breeze was blowing, the bugs chirping, a perfect spring night. i sat down and cried. they were grateful tears. grateful for the justice in this world and in the next life. grateful for the hard work & sacrifice of so many people to get to this point. grateful for mark and his spirit that still lives. i could hear his chuckle in my head. i wondered what he would be saying right then.

david and i stayed up for quite a while longer. maybe till 1am. we were pumped up. we kept speculating about all the behind the scenes details that went on behind this operation.

this morning, i woke up. talk to my dad and finally brandon. more emotions. found out that it was SEAL team six. more emotions.

i knew it was them.

and i've never been more proud.

layered ruffle curtain tutorial

2011-05-01T21:09:00.000-07:00

first things first.

i. love. ruffles.

for paisley's curtains, i wanted to re-create something like these land of nod curtains.

so i went to target and picked up some cheap gray sheets.

BUT, then i saw these and changed up my game plan before i started cutting.

this gorgeous curtain is from urban outfitters and retails for 80 bones!

it was pretty darn easy to re-create.

and so much cheaper.

here's how mine turned out:

(the girls' room is still a work in progress)

here's my first attempt at a tutorial.

here it goes folks:

i picked up a twin size sheet set from target for $15, the cheapest rod i could find, and

ring clips to hang the curtains.

1. take the fitted sheet and cut off the elastic edge.

2. then i cut the fitted sheet into 6" strips. they don't have to be perfect,

especially since the style of the curtain is a little sloppy.

3. after i cut the strips, i sewed them together to make loner strips.

4. then i ruffled them. there are many different techniques to do this. because i'm lazy, i just run my strips through my sewing machine, and as i do so, i gather or pleat the material. the messier and more uneven, the better. i did this with about 1/2 inch allowance.

continue to do this till you have long strips of ruffly goodness

5. now get your flat sheet out and cut it down the middle length ways. i wanted two panels, and the twin sheet covered my window perfectly. you might have to cut them down more for a skinnier window. or you could choose to do just one panel. after you make the cut, fold over and hem the raw side.

6. once you have some ruffles ready, you need to mark your lines on the panels. i started from the bottom and marked a line every 4 inches. do this 7 times. i did 7- 6" ruffle strips. then i tapered them towards the top. more on that later...

7. after you've marked your lines, start sewing on the ruffled strips,

matching them up with the lines.

8. when you get to the end of the panel, stop the machine and cut off the excess ruffle strip

about 1" after the panel.

then fold under the excess twice.

(this part gets a little tricky)

finish stitching to the edge and backstitch 1/2".

lift up the foot of your machine and turn the panel.

finish off the ruffled edge without sewing the panel underneath.

9. finish sewing upwards toward the top of the sheet.

here's what i did, but you can change your up:

7 rows of 6" ruffles.

1 row of 5"

1 row of 4"

1 row of 3"

the last row was 2", but instead of the messy gathering,

i sewed down the middle of the 2" strip and pulled the one thread to gather it evenly.

(when you mark your lines for the 5",4", & 3" strips, mark them one inch closer than the 4" we started with.

10. i also trimmed the length of my panels to make them shorter and used that scrap fabric for more ruffle strips.

11. clip on your hanging rings and you're done!

this is my first tutorial, so please email or comment with any questions.

some things may need to be clarified , as i'm sure i may have missed something.

also, if anyone actually uses this, i would LOVE to see pictures.

ponies

2011-04-25T18:02:00.000-07:00

paisley has a new best friend.

her name is lyla and she has red curls.

she has three brothers with red hair too.

and two parents that they all get it from.

jea-lous.

lyla turned 3 and had a pony party.

these four kids just crack me up together.

look at how much fun they had:

isn't this property beautiful? it's on base and has stables, playgrounds, picnic areas, and even teather poles! hopefully we'll be spending more time up there in the future.

happy birthday sweet lyla!

our first home

2011-04-22T16:50:00.000-07:00

we closed on our house today!

as in, like, 4 hours ago!

i can't believe it really happened.

i feel so blessed and grateful for my husband to have a stable job and income.

signing paperwork at closing kind of stressed me out with all the numbers,

but i have calmed down now and am ready to enjoy our first place.

here we are today out front:

these are pictures i took last month before they painted the inside.

it's totally different with my colors on the walls.

i'm sure it'll be a while till i get all unpacked and ready to post photos.

when we first moved to georgia, we decided to rent for the first year to get to know the area and such, but we found a neighborhood that we absolutely loved! one day we decided to just look at the houses. we walked through 5 or so with the realtor on site and when we walked into this one, david and i both felt so good about it. it was weird, we both knew it was "our" house. i've never had that feeling before. we loved it and we didn't want to look anymore. i still didn't think we'd get it though. it was a little out of our price range, and we were still locked into our rental agreement. with a lot of hard work
(mostly from david) we were able to find new renters, and crunch the numbers to buy our first home. we got an amazing deal with TONS of incentives, including me picking 5 paint colors of my choice! also, we were able to move in 2 weeks before the closing date since we had found renters to take over our lease. ah-mazing! we have some great friends around the corner and others in the neighborhood as well.

i'm so happy and am just full of gratitude!

now, anyone wanna come visit us?

carter 6 months

2011-04-22T08:40:00.000-07:00

this sweet baby turned 6 months on april 5th.

life has been so crazy around here that we hardly noticed.

but we have noticed how cute she is!

everyday those sweet cheeks and big brown eyes greet me with the most delicious grin.

oh, i could eat her!

and carter baby is sitting up now!

she prefers this position the most, especially with a toy in her hands

that she can explore and slobber on.

cruz/noel visit

2011-04-22T07:55:00.000-07:00

let's start from the beginning of my slacking:

aunt noelie and jennifer drove a brood full of cousins in a mini-van from texas to georgia

to visit us mid-march.

i barely took any pictures.

but we had a blast, like always.

shopping, eating, cooking, playgrounds, and a children's museum.

half way through the trip, noel flew home and uncle carlos flew in.

look how big miss cora belen is getting:

she's even taking violin lessons and practiced at my house like a good girl should.

isn't she gorgeous?

and poised?

love this picture of the two of them.

a couple children's museum shots:

i love the adventures of traveling with the military,

but oh, how i miss my texas days with my sisters!

they truly were the best.

there's nothing like family.

especially two of the best seesters a girl could ask for.

thanks for visiting us!

please excuse my absence

2011-04-12T09:01:00.000-07:00

we've been busy around here.

with things such as:

cousins visiting from texas:

more guests from monterey:

old friends here for the masters:

growing babies:

and moving:

can't wait to catch up soon

and show you around our new home!

happy sunday and a letter to my little miss

2011-03-28T20:18:00.000-07:00

paisley bear is starting to be my only willing participant in our

"happy sunday" photo series.

she is my mini me and i adore pretty much every move she makes.

her dress is too small and those tights just about kill me

whenever she chooses to wear them.

i, on the other hand am not going to a funeral, although it looks like it.

and now a short note to my dear, sweet, baby girl:

my paisy girl,

i've been watching you close lately. you are so delicate one minute, then growl at me another like a little gremlin. somehow, it's super endearing. i love your attention to detail, your overwhelming love for your little sister, and how much you worship your older brother. you have such a love for music, especially at church and preschool. i've been starting to worry about you being the middle child. i don't want you to feel forgotten or left behind the spotlight. sometimes your shyness or delicateness leaves you standing behind your brother, but you are your own ball of fire, girl! i love you so much and want you to know the potential i see in your future my paisley girl.

her new do

2011-03-20T20:27:00.000-07:00

what do you think of carter baby's new do?

she no longer looks like a cancer patient as her hair is growing in pretty evenly.

my poor baby girl has been sick.

no ear infection,

no temp,

just way congested and pretty miserable.

we still can't get a good read of who she is taking after.

i hear half and half that she looks like me/david.

the other two are easy; the girl looks like me and the boy like the mister.

who do you think she looks like?

either way, she's a chunker and and i can't get enough of her fat cheeks,

big eyes, and baby breath.

yum.

two happy sundays

2011-03-20T20:17:00.000-07:00

dress: thrifted and hem revamped

pin: gifted from sister

carter's dress: garage sale janie and jack

leggings: gifted from mom, garage sale i'm sure

headband: made with felt and buttons

this sunday:

skirt: thrifted

shirt: forever 21

ruffle sweater: tj maxx

boots: sears

cute girl in the corner: made by me

carter 5 months with a sibling photo shoot

2011-03-08T18:24:00.000-08:00

little miss carter's 5 month photo shoot

turned into some slobbery sibling love.

scroll down as the pictures

just get cuter

and

cuter.

she's gorgeous, even with a chocolate face.

going ons

2011-03-04T20:09:00.000-08:00

i don't know if it was having a newborn,

the holidays.

traveling for a month,

moving across the country,

or setting up house here,

but i have been a horrible blogger.

i really think it was the third child that did me in.

here's a little catch up:

playing chutes and ladders for family night.

carter rolled over for the first time.

3/2/11

started a new furniture project.

i'm currently sanding down 4 dining chairs and

a china cabinet that i purchased on craigslist for $200.

i couldn't handle carter's hair anymore.

it was thinning, and balding, and stringy.

some people may call me a bad mom, but i don't care.

it had to go, so i shaved her head.

fo real.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

she's a pretty cute bald baby, eh?

oh and lastly, we are buying our first home!

ahhhhh! more on that when things are finalized.

so excited!

fabric surge

2011-02-28T08:33:00.000-08:00

i've got a lot of quilts planned out.

oh man, it gets me all excited.

one of the best parts is ordering the fabric.

look at all this yumminess:

if only i could just have 2 days to do nothing but quilt.

too bad i don't.

happy sunday

2011-02-28T08:09:00.000-08:00

brother kisses her. she wipes it off and he spits it out.

i made this necklace from a couple of old shirts i was about to give to goodwill.

here's the tutorial. super easy!

earth

2011-02-17T19:21:00.000-08:00

i was cooking dinner.

the mister was cleaning the van.

i looked through the front window and saw these two.

no bra, no shoes, & in pjs, i grabbed my camera and practically let dinner burn

to capture these innocent little faces.

dirt, flowers, weeds, grass, and rocks.

that's all they needed to entertain themselves.

it pleased my heart so.

to see them dig in the earth and be creative with it.

these may be some of my favorite pictures i've ever taken:

ps. i hate those spiderman shoes of his.

another valentine fiasco

2011-02-17T18:48:00.000-08:00

although my boy was trying to be creative and loving towards me,

him putting these valentine stickers on my kitchen cupboards,

was not a good idea.

he told me that it was a "surprise" for me.

exhibit A: hearty valentines on my cupboards:

exhibit B: trying to remove the stickers:

exhibit C: my lifesaver, GOO GONE:

exhibit D: goo gone in action:

it's a miracle.

and goo gone should pay me to advertise for them, seriously.

thanks jessica!

felty valentine things

2011-02-16T05:43:00.000-08:00

here are just a couple valentine wreaths that i made and took to a local

craft emporium to sell. these are fun to make while watching tv with the mister at night.

i'm finding it harder and harder to just sit and watch tv without getting something

accomplished with my hands.

is that a good thing or bad thing?

for lovers

2011-02-12T19:44:00.000-08:00

i got asked to help plan a valentines party for my new ward.

a. loved doing it.

b. loved meeting new friends even more.

i made the decos.

cheap way to make a big statement?

newspaper.

paper fans

and shredded newspaper in mason jars

for table toppers.

easy peasy.

there was good food, fabulous people, a fun game, AND a candy bar.

what?

candy and cupcakes galore. what's a better dessert than that?

these pics were taken after the photo "booth"

and decorations were taken down:

i'm loving this time of year

and this party was a fun way to celebrate it.