What I've Been Up To

Is blogging a time sucker for you? Oh my goodness - I could read blogs for HOURS! I love to hear how my friends are doing, see what my mom's been up to through pictures, and get decorating ideas out the wazoo. It has become my favorite past time. But this past week I decided I needed to put the computer down and focus on a few other things.

So I've been taking Alex on rocket rides.

And having him help me unload the dishwasher. You've got to get them started early, right? Now, if only I could get him to understand that I only need him to unload clean dishes.

I've also been turning trash to treasure. I got this lovely deer print at a local flea market for $5.

Oh, Deer! has now become How, Dear! I turned it into a chalk board that sits on our mantel. And in case you're wondering about the scripture, it's the one that told us that Mirabelle was the home we were supposed to buy. And fix up! =)

I also recovered my little chair that we got at a garage sale years ago. Before, it looked like this.

Now, it's covered in a spa blue velvet. Yummy! I got this fabric for free when we had some chairs upholstered. It was somebody else's scraps from their upholstery project, and they didn't want it so the upholsterer asked if I would be interested. Um, yes!

And now that sweet little chair sits in our foyer.

My other project this week has been pulling the foyer and living room together a little more. So when you walk through our front door, you enter one really big room that has two "areas" - the foyer and the living room. On the right is the foyer.

And on the left is the living room. (Sorry about the lighting in some of these photos.)

Here's another view of the living room from the dining room (which is the room right through the doorway in the above photo).

And my other project - the mantel. I ripped off was inspired by Layla's mantel idea at The Lettered Cottage. Hey, they say that imitation is the greatest form of flattery, right?

Needless to say, it's been a busy week. I've got a couple of other projects in the work I hope to finish up next week that I'll share. Happy Thursday, everyone!

Footprints

"Walk a little slower Daddy," said a child so small.
"I'm following in your footsteps, and I don't want to fall.

Sometimes your steps are very fast,
Sometimes they're hard to see;
So walk a little slower, Daddy,
For you are leading me.

Someday when I'm all grown up,
You're what I want to be;
Then I will have a little child
Who'll want to follow me.

And I would want to lead just right,
And know that I was true;
So walk a little slower, Daddy,
For I must follow you."

Soliciting Opinions

Blog readers, I need some help.

For months I've been in a quandary about how to best create a dining area in our little kitchen. Here are some pics of our kitchen. (I could have sworn I had more updated shots, but this is all I could find for some reason, and these are mid-remodel.)

So, if your back is to the sink, you see the black built-in cabinet and a small space for dining. The window on the left of the built-in is right next to the end of the row of cabinets in the first picture. Does that make sense?

Right now we have a black pedestal table in the dining space which is just a tad too big when you put the chairs around it. And it can't be completely centered because of how the refrigerator is situated. This drives me crazy.

So I've been eyeing this little island at Crate and Barrel which would be PERFECT!!

The color is great. The design matches the wainscoting work that Jerry did on the wall to the right of the built-in. The width is perfect and won't obstruct too much of the space needed to open the refrigerator or the walking space needed to get through from the dining area to the sink. We've been saving to purchase this.

But here's where the quandary comes in. I found this tattered little gem at the local thrift store last week.

For $45, I couldn't pass her up. I mean, look at some of these details.

I think we could replace the top, paint her up and make this an island. The height and depth are the exact same as the C+B island, but the width is about six inches wider. It could work, but it would be a little tighter in the space. 

My other option with this piece is to create a buffet of sorts for the dining room which could also be repurposed as a dresser (it's original use) later on. But if I make it an island, it will have limited use...as an island.

So what do you think? C+B island that's perfect as is or the little charmer with some character? And if your vote is for the trash to treasure piece, what color would you paint the bottom and what type of top would you put on it? 

Little Man's Big Adventures - Around Town

We've had a big week out and about with friends. Earlier this week we had an outing to Black Dog Salvage with Lauren and Katy, two of the ladies I've met through my bible study, and their girls, Charlotte and Ellie.

If you're in the market for old house parts like doors, lighting, door knobs, windows, claw feet for old tubs, cast iron sinks - that sort of thing - then Black Dog is the place to go. It is a treasure trove of old goodies.

After Black Dog, we all went to Pops Ice Cream and Soda Bar for grilled cheese sandwiches and cherry cola. Yummy!

Now, I know the sign says, "Ice Cream for Strength," but I'm more of a cupcake girl. And this was my lucky day because a new cupcake shop opened just down the way from Pops! Viva La Cupcake. It was DELICIOUS!!

We also had an outing to Smith Mountain Lake today with our church small group. We made a corn salad to take for one of the lunch sides. I didn't take a photo of the finished product, but Paula Deen had this one in her magazine where I got the recipe.

This dish is so yummy and super easy to make. If you have a barbecue or picnic, this is a great dish to serve.

Corn Salad

2 (15 oz.) cans whole kernel corn, drained

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 cup red onions, chopped

1 (10.5 oz.) bag coarsely crushed chili-cheese corn chips

Mix first 5 ingredients and chill. Stir in corn chips just before serving.

Makes 8 servings

Little Man helped me get the salad ready by crunching up the Chili Cheese Fritos. Don't you know that corn salad tasted better than usual because of his assistance. =)

The lake was much too cold to take a dip, so Little Man enjoyed his first time in a sand box instead.

He was very curious about the sand and took some time to really inspect it.

Of course he had to taste it, too. Ha! I don't think I'll be sad when the everything-goes-in-the-mouth phase passes.

We're looking forward to a low-key day tomorrow just hanging out and doing a little yard work with Daddy.

Happy Birthday, Uncle Zack

Hope you have a happy birthday and a good day off of work. I can't wait to see you this summer. Maybe we can do some fishing together.

Love,
Little Man

My Favorite Photography Subject

Poor Alex. He's not the least bit interested in being my photography subject. Unfortunately for him, he's my favorite subject, so as much as he'd like an out, I just won't give it to him. Don't feel sorry for him, though. In the end, he always wins out because he's too busy to sit down for long. Our little photo sessions last for all of about five minutes. And that's if I'm lucky. =) Here's the latest.

Sammy and Alex - 9 Months

Oh, Little Man. You continue to capture our hearts!

We have loved these last nine months with you.

You are a ray of sunshine.

And so stinkin' sweet.

You are curious about everything. Everything!

Here's what you've been up to the last month... Crawling and climbing on anything you can.

You love riding your new toy that your Aunt Sylba gave you. We push you all around the house, and you just smile.

You also love riding in the laundry basket. You giggle each time we go up and down the stairs.

You had your first swing ride at the park this month.

You've been trying new table foods - with only moderate success I might add. This photo is of you getting your first taste of gumbo. It was one of the few new foods you've liked.

You will also tolerate scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, Chick-fil-A chicken nuggets, Gerber Lil' Crunchies, Gerber Puffs, mandarin oranges, Taco Soup broth, and Chicken Noodle Soup broth. There have been lots of other things we've tried to give you, but you seem to have "texture issues." Hopefully those will subside with time.

You've also said your first words: da-da, ma-ma, and ba-ba. Da-da was the first.



Here are your latest stats:
Weight: 19 lbs 6 oz (31 percentile)
Height: 28.5 inches (60 percentile)
Head circumference: 18 inches (63 percentile)
Teeth: seven!

It won't be long before we're celebrating your first birthday. It all goes too fast. We love you Little Man.

Little Man Goes High-Tech

On our ride to Chateau Morrisette on Easter weekend, we took advantage of the DVD player in the car. We put the headphones on Little Man and let him listen to the "Praise Baby" video that Aunt Dana gave him for Christmas. He LOVES that video and he kept the ear phones on for quite a while! Even though his car seat is still rear-facing, he was able to watch the DVD in the mirror we use to see him that is attached to the back seat head rest. He was so cute!

Mini Pearl

Are you a "car person?" I've been a "car person" ever since I was a little girl. I have always wanted a cute, sporty ride.

December 2007, my car dreams came true. Meet Mini Pearl.

For months after I got her, I would come home from work each night, look at Jerry and say, "I LOVE this car. I mean, I knew I would like it, but I really, really LOVE this car." I love how she looks. I love how she drives. I love how she sounds. I love how she feels. Love, love, love.

This year, I realized it was time to sell her. Jerry would never have asked me to give up my dream car, but I knew it was time for something bigger (Alex takes up a lot of room) and a lower car payment (makes it a little easier to stay home with the Little Man).

The car finally sold this week. We got the check in the mail today, and the shipping truck is coming to pick the car up tomorrow. So last night I took her for one last drive. I cried.

Y'all. I don't know why I'm so sad about selling Mini, but I am. I don't understand it. All I can imagine is that it has something to do with working hard to achieve something you've always wanted in life and then letting go of it. I don't know. I just know it's been harder to let go than I thought.

Little Man's First Easter

When I spend quiet time thinking about Easter, I tend to reflect on it through Christ's perspective. What must it have felt like to be betrayed by friends who claimed to love you? To be wrongfully accused by a bunch of legalists? To be misunderstood by the very people you wanted desperately to help? To have a love so deep for the Father that you would willingly go to the cross so that others can share in that love, too? It's really too much to fully comprehend, isn't it? 

And Easter, much like Christmas, took on a whole new meaning for me this year. As a mom, I couldn't help but think of the events of Easter through the eyes of a parent as well. How painful must it have been to see your child betrayed? To see your child mocked? To see your child tortured? To see your child brutally murdered among the lowest of the low? All when He was simply trying to love people and show them a gracious and loving God. Just typing those words is enough to make my eyes well-up with tears. I just can't imagine.

I also spent some time this Easter thinking about God's two greatest commandments - love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. 

As parents, we wish only the best for our children. Our hearts ache at the thought of them facing any kind of mean-spiritedness in this world. I think God feels the same way – He wants the best for us. I think He would love for us to be met with all the kindness the world has to offer. That's why He commands love of us - His children.

His word tells us that there is no greater love than he who lays down his life for a friend. I am so grateful this Easter that we have that kind of love. That Christ laid down his life for me. I pray that one day, Alex will come to appreciate that gift, too.

Hope you had a Happy Easter.

Noni and Pop Pop love them some Little Man

 

We sure are enjoying our weekend with Noni and Pop Pop. We've gone to the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia, and had a picnic at the Mill Mountain Star. The weather has been perfect for outdoor adventures. Tomorrow we're off to Chateau Morrisette for Easter Brunch along the Blue Ridge Parkway.