New pjs

New pjs are to my little people what new undies are to me - absolute and total bliss. Nate bought Milo and Lucy both new pjs, and they were so cute and delighted (and tired - look at poor Lucy's face) that I had to take a few pictures.

Milo was pretty positive that he needed a thumbs-up and a strong hand on the hip. Guess he's got posing to flatter his angles down.

Dresser project

Well, I'll just say it. A dresser refinish is a lot more exciting if you have a before picture... But I just wanted to share this anyway. You know I love a project, and if I've never done it before it's even better. This dresser has lived in our garage since I was pregnant with Milo, and before then, it lived in Gary and Amanda's garage. It's not that it was awful. It was just outdated - olive green with dainty flowers painted in random places. And some child had gone at a few of the drawers with a marker, so there was no helping it except to start over.

So I did! I primed the heck out of this with Kilz, which makes me feel better because I think it also protects the piece (or do I just want to think that?). I've been itching to try some ChauxBelle chalk paint because it's made by a local vendor, who also happened to be one of the best teachers Conner ever had. This project was the perfect chance, and I actually really loved it. The chalk paint covered over the marker drawing that even two coats of Kilz didn't.

I went through two rounds of knobs, because the first ones were flat against the drawers and completely pointless. This is an old dresser and the drawers tend to stick, so I needed something that people could actually grab ahold of. It worked out, because these were my favorite knobs in the first place, and they were on sale when I went back to return the first set.

The dresser hung out for a bit before I decided that it needed more, so I mixed up a faux glaze with a dark brown paint and wiped it on with an old cloth diaper. It was my first attempt at that, and I think it turned out well. I definitely learned a lot and am excited to try it again...

So, without further ado, here is Gary and Amanda's new dresser!!!!!!

Newsprint action

Just to make up for the melancholy...

Creation

Most days I don't sit down the entire day.
I rarely have a chance to check my email (although, let's be honest, it's all junk mail anyway).
I am immersed in laundry and cleaning, and as soon as I get one room clean, I turn around and it's been demolished all over again.
When I go to the bathroom, tiny hands pound on the door and little voices chime, "Mama! Mama!"
I don't get a second to myself.
Being a mommy is this weird, wonderful occurrence that literally takes over your whole life, and I'm still getting used to what it means to be a mommy and anything else.
And for some reason, in the midst of all of this, I find myself really desperate to create. I am knitting, sewing, painting, refinishing, photographing... Maybe just to prove to myself and just one other person that I am still capable of something?
Anyway, just a small rant on a day where I haven't blogged in a long time. Nate's precious Nannie passed away last week, and it's like the entire week just disappeared into a black hole. So, not a lot to say, other than we're dealing with a lot here.
Here's to a better week?

A good man

Have I ever told you how much I adore the two men in my life?

Photo credit - the lovely and talented Delaney Harbuck

You read all the things I have to say about Milo all the time, but I don't go on and on about Nate often enough... Mostly because he's fairly modest and partly because these little people are in my face all the time, so I write about them.

But yesterday was Nate's birthday, and I have to brag on him just a little bit. He is the most caring, generous, loving father to our people, and he spoils me even more than he does them. He's wise and gives the best advice of anyone. He listens to me cry and whine all the time and genuinely tries to help with a solution every time. He's hilarious, FUN, and a pretty snappy dresser. I adore this man with my whole heart and am so incredibly lucky to have him.

Happy LATE birthday, Nate. I would have written yesterday, but I was a little busy making a feast...

Just a little sample

I've just been playing with my new camera and Photoshop lately. Here's a little sample of what I've been working on. I have so incredibly much to learn, but at least it's fun!

 

Thank you Jen and Conner for this monkey costume. When you gave me this Milo had just turned one and I couldn't imagine him ever being big enough to wear it (and really, it's still pretty big, but he can't keep his hands off of it).

The most beautiful little girl in the world.

Howdy, Partner.

The Laundry Disaster (not the first and certainly not the last)

I don't know how you feel about doing laundry, but I think that folding and ironing might be my least favorite household duties. So when I came in to Milo's room first thing in the morning and saw THIS, I wanted to cry...

Oh yes, that's an entire chair full of pants, shorts, shirts, swim things, hats... And that wasn't the only mess.

There were clothes everywhere. On the bed frame, the slide, the ottoman. There were clothes hanging from his tool bench and draped across every toy in the closet. But look closely. Things were very organized. So, instead of freaking out in a tired haze (because, yes, I was up most of the night with Lucy), I calmly asked Milo what was going on.

He explained that he was working very hard on making a store, and when everything was all laid out, he was going to go shopping for his outfit for the day. Do we perhaps take this child to Target a little too often? He is so creative, so clever, so imaginative... So I had to just take a moment and enjoy his sweet, smart little self and realize that folding the clothes could come later. We had some shopping to do.

Milo was spying good deals through his "buh-knockers."

See what I mean?

A good morning of shopping. Now we just have to put it all away...