Canvas Art - Not as easy as it looks

Well, I've finally finished painting the living room and most of the kitchen, with the exception of the backsplash, which is proving to be difficult. Straight lines on textured walls are difficult to come by, especially when you want those lines to be a mere quarter of an inch wide. Someone forgot to let The Home Depot know the importance of stocking painter's tape in quarter inch rolls just for me. So I've several other projects going at the same time because a girl gets bored watching paint dry, and if the mess is already made, well, it should be utilized. That, and my mantra has become, "Less Pinning, More Doing." So, I did.

Here is a canvas I painted. I just used the same colors of my kitchen and living areas, but I can't figure out where to hang it. I used Kaleb's hands and feet because they seemed to be the most correct size. In restrospect, Jaylan was probably the better muse, but I still like the way it turned out.

This was the other one. It looks a lot like a third grader did it, so that may be what I let people believe, if need be. This one is all my own, as in I thought it up myself. Next time I'll be sure and utilize a paint pen instead of a paint brush. I love the way Jaylan's hand turned out (in blue) and I love that mine had a smidgeon of paint from my wedding band that got on there. Otherwise, this will likely be a wall hanger somewhere it won't be seen often. It will look good on a brown wall, however. The little cut out with the heart says '12. I'd do my whole house in stuff like this if I thought people wouldn't laugh at me behind my back ;)


So, as it turns out, all that canvas art you see on Pinterest....it's not as easy as it looks. I keep promise pics of my house remodel via paint, and it's coming. I started the backsplash yesterday, so in two weeks or so, I ought to be done. sigh

My next DIY

Project: FAIL!

I even took pictures to post along the way. Bawahaha! What a joke! Turns out you have to sand or at least put that neato "you don't have to sand it first paint" paint in order to spray paint a table. So now, what was a well intentioned table, turned into a DIYer's lesson learned.

So I moved to THESE BEAUTIES!




Yeah, I so did that myself, and I'm pretty darn proud of them. So proud, in fact, I'm pretty sure I'm making some more in "the most fabulous for my bedroom" fabric I've ever seen!! I think I'm only super proud because I'm basically a self-taught seamstress. And I used the word "seamstress" as loosely as possible. In fact, I only use "seamstress" because I've no idea of a synonym for such a word....a synonym that, by it's use, indicates less....much less.... ability and talent. I did, once, ask a friend (with amazing talent) to come and teach me the basics of my mom's sewing machine. From there, I was on my own. And I can still only sew an almost straight line, but I've learned a few tricks (taught in probably ever home-ec class ever given....but I was a jock WAY too cool for home-ec......oh, if I'd have only known how useless basketball would be and how useful home-ec would have been!!) along the path of self-teaching. I did put forth a grand effort (which I rarely do), have some curtains in another room that I was able to reference and copy, and, as I've said before, I'm a great copier!

I still have yet to tackle the backsplash, but I've picked colors out, so I'm getting there. There are a few things I have to get off my "to-do" list before I feel like I can start that.

That last sentence is a foreshadowing to my boy's "Science Fair' projects. Pray for me because I'd like them to be THEIR'S so THEY can be proud, and it will take every ounce of self-restraint to HELP rather than to DO! Of course, if previous class projects are any indication, my desire to restrain myself from doing it for them is a far-cry from most of these parent's complete willingness to do their child's homework for them. I just want my child to feel accomplished at the end for something other than writing their name.

So apparently I love DIY

My new love for Pinterest has made me realize, I'm no blogger, I'm a DIYer!!! So DIY I will! My husband will lose his mind in the process of me decorating and redecorating every room, but I will decorate and redecorate like crazy....so we'll both be crazy together!

I thought I'd blog my DIY projects, most of all of which, I will be copying from something I saw on Pinterest. So don't go thinking I'm crafty or creative. Neither of those am I. However I am a genius copycat! My two most recent productions:

The first inspired by Pinterest and, "Mooooom, what is for dinner?" said by at least one if not three children almost every single day. My mom had me over for the weekend so I could clean and organize my dad's office. I figured this was a great way to score some junk for a couple of DIY projects. Turns out the joke was on me, because all I got was a bunch of sneezing, a runny nose, a nice dinner, a grateful mom, and this ugly old nicely framed picture of a drilling rig....of course that nice frame was 35 years old at least! Also perfect for this DIY project! Counting paint and those expensive little sticker letters, this redo cost me less than $10.




The second is the finale to Jeremy throwing out a frame I literally cried over. It was a big misunderstanding brought on by the fact that we both only about half listen to each other when the kids are awake. Ok, ok, it's really just me that only listens about 50%, he listens about 85%. Anyway, I'm not a sentimental person (much to my mother's dismay and repeated preaching about how I'll regret that one day.....whatever) so I don't typically get upset about broken, lost, or missing things. This frame, however, was special to me (ironically, it was given to me by someone I'm not particularly fond of, but that's another story). It has a verse on it that I liked, and it held the very first picture of my family of 5. With this particular verse, which became Georgia's, it was something that reminded me of trial and victory both at the same time. You know, just the way God turns your deepest hurt and sorrow into something beautiful and wonderful and you are all the better for it. It's a long story how that came to be, but the point is that frame, holding that picture was very important to me. The piece that made it stand up broke, and I asked Jeremy to try and fix it. It wasn't fixable, and he didn't know I would have kept it and figured out another way to use it, so he chucked it. I didn't realize this until a day or two later and it was gone, gone, gone by then :( I cried. I admit it. I wasn't even hormonal or anything. I cried about a thing. Pathetic, I know. I didn't even cry when I lost the diamond to my engagement ring, but I cried over this stupid frame. Perspective. Anyway, this was the remake. I had this shadow box frame, and this was the remake of that frame. It isn't the same, but it's almost as good, and honestly, MUCH better looking.



Yes, that is a diaper....a tiny little diaper I kept from the dozen or so I'd already bought for the baby we lost.

Next up: I paint the backsplash and start redoing my kitchen! Jeremy won't love the process, but he's starting to like the stuff I do...when it is finished....as if finished is ever possible ;)

A HAPPY day indeed!

Today is a celebration of a first and a last, for me. My baby girl is one today, and today is the LAST first birthday we will celebrate at our house. First birthdays are always such a time for me to remember my children's actual birth and that experience. I guess, perhaps, because I can still remember well what it was like to be pregnant, and how I felt during the time of their birth. By the second birthday most of that has become more of a cloudy memory, rather than a very clear one. And, perhaps, Georgia being my last, I will remember more vividly the details of her birth. That, and it was short and drug free, therefore there is less to remember and there isn't a narcotic induced haze over it.

As always, I can't believe it has already been a year. One year just goes by so quickly. Especially since I do love babies, especially my own, so very much. Babies are just awesome. Apparently, I've some insane love affair with being TOTALLY depended upon. I do love it though, however crazy it may be. I think I'd have babies over and over, if you know, I didn't have to be pregnant first and keep raising them afterward.

So Georgia. Yeah, she's walking, and finally sleeping through the night. She's raising hell during the day, so strong willed and DEMANDING of her way. About 50% of the time she is crying hysterically because her toy (or me)...or, rather, whatever object she's decided is a toy at the moment, isn't doing exactly what she wants it to do. It's rather amusing. She claps if she hears anyone clapping. Sometimes I turn on Wheel of Fortune just to watch her reaction. They do a rather lot of clapping on that show, and she has to drop everything she is doing to join the clapping. Again, amusing. She laughs if she hears anyone else laughing. We went to dinner last night and the table next to us was a group consuming alcohol and being rather obnoxious. Though we hardly noticed for the one year old at our table laughing hysterically because it seemed to her like that's what you were supposed to do. Again, it's amusing. Who can't be amused by a baby doing a forced laugh?

Today, also, I pretend to be a PTA Mom. Ugh. I'm dreading it, and relishing in the fact that after today, I'm a third of the way done pretending to be something I'm sooooo not. I don't know why I keep thinking just regular people do things like volunteer at the school to help with class parties and other things the teachers need. You have to be a certain kind of person for these activities. I really don't understand why, because I appreciate greatly the teachers at, especially, an elementary school. I'd like to show my appreciation by helping in some ways. But, alas, I'm not good at brown nosing and chuckling at things that aren't remotely funny, or talking in a super sweet, albeit totally fake, voice. And I'm really terrible at acting like something is the most pleasant thing I've ever enjoyed when it is really something I am merely enduring for the sake of someone else. Why can't these moms just act normal? I'm not saying they ought to act like what they are doing is miserable. In fact, one gets a certain amount of joy from being around a bunch of happy kids! Indeed. But just act happy. You needn't put on a show so that everyone in the world thinks you are Super Woman. No one is buying it, anyway. I'm just not, nor will I ever be a PTA Mom. But three days this year, I will put on my fake smile, throw in my fake laugh, and spend and inordinate amount of time worrying over and putting on a party for 22 first graders. Then, I will go back to just being a mom. An imperfect one. I will have to go back to merely expressing my appreciation and gratitude with cards and small gifts. Hopefully my children's teachers are accepting that those things are good enough and that, they too, do not have to endure yet another mom pretending to be perfect....and a whole lot of other things she really isn't.

Just when you think you are done being totally surprised!

You'd think by now, having raised three kids to at least a year (well, almost, anyway) that there were very few things that could still freak me the hell out. You'd be wrong if you thought that. I do react with a little more sanity then, say, crying my eyes out over a newborn with a little eye infection because he's born with an unopened tear duct. We have ridden the gauntlet with our middle child, and he hasn't even gotten started, I'm rather certain. They still do things, almost weekly, that just make me freak out and think, "Oh crap, what do I do?" If the fear that reigns in me shows on my face, they'd all be freaking too. Apparently my husband has much more faith in my ability to handle a crisis since he can't even bother to break his stare from the TV when I actually say out loud, "Oh crap, what do I do?" And he's right, but I've yet to actually have faith in myself. Luckily I have great faith in God. I can talk myself out of a certain amount of fear because of His repeated and unending faithfulness to me. And so we start again, one freak out at a time. I must say, though, the third child may cause me just as many, "oh crap!" moments, but they sure do cost us less in unnecessary visits to the Dr.'s office.

Begin rant. Just skip this part if you don't want to read my rantings, which may be hard to follow.
And I just have to vent today about vaccinations and ignorant people. Someone posted on FB today an article about a ten year old boy who died of meningitis. Tragic? Yes. Preventable? Doubtful. It was just another scare tactic story used to try and convince people that vaccinations are the end all be all in medicine. Don't get me wrong, I am not anti-vax. No. Not.At.All. I vaccinate my kids, completely and sometimes even against my better judgment because the state tells me I have to (that's another rant all by itself). But this boy who died was ten years old and he (supposedly) caught meningitis at a swimming pool. The article, of course, goes on to blame the unvaccinated population, which, if you know anything about vaccinations, is absolutely stupid considering the facts. The first fact being that the vaccination is not even available to kids under 12 years old. The second fact being that the vaccination itself is relatively new, so MOST people aren't vaccinated for it. It's absolutely stupid to blame this tragedy on the non vaxing community. There's some stuff you can blame on them, but not this. And to do so just facilitates the same behavior on the "other side." Like the whole "vaccinations cause autism" crap. That too is scare tactic crap with no basis in scientific proof whatsoever. It's all conjecture, personal experience, and other "junk" science. No one can prove this poor boy's death could have been prevented because they have no idea where he really contracted the meningitis and/or if the person he contracted it from shoulda/woulda/coulda been vaccinated. And my experience tells me that people who actually choose to try and educate themselves in this arena, and believe me, it is a lot of work to do so, do something similar to what I do, which is delay/devise a new schedule than the recommended one. People who don't care and/or trust the medical community completely, do what the AAP recommends. And people who believe scare tactics don't vaccinate at all. Of course there are people who believe scare tactics and vaccinate fully, on AAP schedule too, though those seem MUCH more rare. Yet, somehow, I get lumped in with all the whackados that don't vaccinate. And, yes, if you are reading this and you don't vaccinate your kids at all, I just called you a whackado. You are playing with fire, and you (or your kids, actually) WILL get burned by this risky and irresponsible behavior. It's only a matter of time. Hopefully you don't, also, kill someone else in the process of your stupidity. Not only that, but all the whackados are getting closer and closer to making it so those of us that delay responsibly and carefully can't safely do that either. For example, I can safely delay the polio vaccine to a year. Polio has not been irradicated. But in the US we have great herd immunity, for now. If all these suburban housewives claiming education as a reason to not vaccinate don't wise up, that will no longer even be an option because the risk for contracting polio will be too great. So, if you are going to go against what virtually all of mainstream society is doing, and your doctor is recommending, you damn well better know what you are doing is RIGHT! And if your only justification is some random, ridiculous scare tactic like, "my child might get autism," then you better start reading, because vaccines DO NOT CAUSE AUTISM!! And "because someone told me _________ happened to their kid, and I don't want that to happen to mine," is never a reason to do or not do something. Personal examples mean nothing. Scientific fact, however, does mean something. WHEW! End rant.

How is it Thanksgiving? How is my sweet baby girl, who was just eating, pooping, and sleeping without even being able to move herself, now walking, talking, severing frenulums, and just one month shy of a year? Oh time, please slow down. I know that I will have many seasons of my life, but I am certain this will be my most favorite one, so please let it go by ever so slowly. Please. I will try my very best to complain little, love much, and enjoy it, if you will just make it go really slow. Thanks.

I finally got to meet Cathe Friedrich and have a awesome weekend of fitness. It was great, and I've been so inspired to get even more fit. She is such a great motivation. I bought another DVD and am chompin' at the bit to buy even more.

Football is coming to a close. The boys last game is Saturday. The boys have had fun, but I am so glad it is almost over now.

Kaleb has lost his two front teeth now, courtesy of our dentist, again. Poor kid has lost 6 teeth now, but has yet to pull one himself. I really thought this one might come on it's own, but no such luck. None of the permanent teeth are dissolving the roots of the baby teeth, so the dentists has to pull them all. Poor guy, and poor Daddy's pocket book. We went the cheap route this last time, which caused significantly more dramatics, but Mommy hung out in the waiting room and Daddy dealt with the overreacting 6 year old. :) Speaking of teeth, the littlest one has a whole mouthful now. It's so cute. If you smile at her, she's taken to cheesing back at you, showing off all her pearly whites. She says "uh oh" and will give me some slobbery open mouthed kisses on cue, most of the time. And I'm going to pay for my raising with her. With Kaleb, I don't think Jeremy or I either one is paying for anything. He's pretty much perfect as far as 6 year olds go. Jaylan, well that is me paying for my brother's raising, which is completely unfair, but certainly helps me appreciate and value so many qualities and personality traits that I do not, myself, possess. And Georgia, well she throws HUGE fits because her toys don't behave the way she wants. Yes, her will is strong, a personality trait my mom has many times accused me of possessing. It's quite humorous, for now, however, I expect that strong will to challenge my own someday in ways more significant than the occasional temper tantrum caused when she isn't allowed to play in the toilet water.

It's been awhile since I last blogged. Football has gotten significantly better, however, it seems every Monday there is new drama. It's kind of just rolling of my back at this point because it is getting to be what is normal and expected. Yesterday they let one of the two coaches go from the Flag Team. He made a big cursing scene with a referee at the last game when his child was suspended for two games for choking another kid. Yeah, pretty sure those two needed the 'old heave ho' anyway. I was surprised by the behavior of both of them, but it's been escalating for some time now. Someone please shoot me if I mention playing football again next year. Kaleb is already looking forward to tackle, especially now that he is starting to have fun playing flag, but this sort of thing is just not for me and mine. They had a homecoming game, complete with queens, kings, dukes, duchesses, princes, and princess. It was so over the top, I kinda wanted to puke. But, in fairness, they did a relatively decent job a keeping kids from feeling left out/unpopular, and they did have a really good time. Our flaggers even almost won a game. They lost 12-14, which is the first game they've scored more than once in. Kaleb was named "Offensive Beast" for some great blocking for the runnning back, that lead, once, to a touchdown. I was proud. He is really starting to understand the game. :)

In other news, we recently hired a financial planner. Actually, he is a friend of mine from high school and a guy he went to college with that he's now in business with. I'm pretty excited about the prospect of an actual plan for our finances beyond how much money we'll spend on groceries this month. It's been a long time coming, but we just couldn't procrastinate it anymore. I think, especially Jeremy, is tired of seeing hard earned money just wasted away because we don't have any real goals or plans put into motion. It doesn't annoy me so much as it makes me worry. I worry about the future. The verse, "Who by worrying adds even one minute to their lives?" replays in my head quite frequently. Next week we meet with them again to start setting some goals. In the meantime, I've been tasked with gathering up everything that gives a picture of our lives. Everything. Yeah, it's not so much fun doing that. But I'll be significantly more organized after next week. :)

Georgia is fighting a cold, has been for like 10 days now. She's been sleeping until 9am occasionally, and last night I figured out why. She coughed from 330am to 430am. Yeah, I guess that means she'll need an extra hour of sleep somewhere. Poor baby. Just one of the many things in her path to becoming tough enough to survive being the baby in this house.

Jaylan is officially 5 and I am officially 32. Both our birthdays were last week. We had a nice home birthday party for Jaylan with church friends, school friends, work friends, and neighborhood friends. It was great. Of course the pinata I ordered about 12 days ahead of time did not get here until the next day. So the boys had a ball breaking that into a million pieces all by themselves on Saturday. Daddy seemed to rather enjoy it as well. I'll be sure to post some pictures when I get them on the computer.

And this weekend in finally my Cathe Road Trip weekend. I am very excited. I lost almost all the weight I wanted to lose before going to it, so that is good for me. I still have another 10-15 lbs to lose to be back where I was before getting pregnant with Georgia. I'll probably hold onto most of it until I am done nursing. That's just the way it seems to go. I can't wait to meet Cathe, and have a mostly childless weekend. Jeremy and Georgia are going with me, but the boys are staying home with my mom. She's coming in on Thursday night and taking them to practice on Friday and their game on Saturday morning. I don't think I've mentioned to her that I am also the snack mom :) She's in for a full weekend. Hopefully she took Monday off from work to recover. It's only Tuesday and I'm having to restrain myself from beginning to pack. Yeah, I'm excited!!