You're Not So Bad, Monday

Things were looking up today, on a Monday nonetheless!  The sun was shining and it was a balmy 40 degrees.  The stomach bug half of us endured this weekend has passed (oh, I pray it has).  Things were getting crossed off my to do list and it was a glorious thing indeed.

Ollie and I spent the morning baking my Grandma Evelyn's rolls and three loaves of her banana bread.  We topped our baking spree off with a batch of chocolate chip banana muffins.   We dined on soup and rolls for dinner tonight with muffins for dessert.

After lunch Ollie and I headed outside to refill our bird feeder and found that the snow was melting just enough to make some tiny snowmen.  After we bored of that, we played in puddles of melting snow and searched for signs of spring.  Our tulips are starting to show some lovely green colors in contrast to the white snow and it is a welcome sight.  We never did get around to filling that bird feeder.

Sometimes Mondays get a bad rap.  This one was pretty nice.

Valentine's Day

My Valentine's Day was filled with a few simple decorations, some tasty treats, and my three sweet boys.  It doesn't get much better than that!  I hope yours was just as lovely!

Have a wonderful weekend, friends!  xo

Wood You Be Mine? An Easy Wooden Valentine

Here's a cute little Valentine for all of the wood and faux bois lovers in your life.  Why yes, I did use the word lover intentionally.  It is February, you know.

To make this Valentine, you will need:

some thinly cut wood (I used birch branches from my parents' tree)
a wood burning tool (if you don't own one, a brown Sharpie or some paint would do)
a pencil

To begin, simply draw or write something lovey-dovey onto your wood with your pencil.  Carefully trace over the pencil with the wood burning tool.  Be careful, as the wood burning tool gets very hot.

Place the finished Valentine in some pretty packaging and give to someone you love.  xoxo

Making the Most of Winter

I'll be the first to admit that winter can get long.  The snow and cold can be overwhelming.  Also, not much can wear out a momma more than getting kids bundled up in all of those layers.  

However, winter has some perks.  Here are some ways we've been making the most of these cold, snowy days.

We've been enjoying the fluffiest, biggest snowflakes every day for about five days now.  They're beautiful and if you look closely, the tiny details on them are breathtaking.

Jason loves having little boys who ask to go out and shovel those big, fluffy flakes.

Winter calls for a variety of beverages that warm you from the inside out.  Aside from coffee and tea, our favorites have been cappuccinos and espressos and the occasional Hot Toddy or hot buttered rum.

Sledding is a blast with two little boys.  It is also terrifying.  Any mom to boys can tell you that to them, the more dangerous an activity is, the more exciting it is.  They have no fear!

How do you beat those late winter blues? 

Our Current State of Affairs...

We are no longer living with the ugly green color on the walls or the orange wood trim color in our master bedroom.  Instead, we are again spending the weekend in our room, updating it.  So far we've sanded, painted, caulked, primed, and installed crown moulding.

Currently, most of our bedroom furniture is in our living room and dining room.  It has been that way for about three weeks now.  I just may be going insane.  This may be due to paint fumes, or the fact that I've worn the same paint clothes for going on nine days now without washing them, or the fact that I haven't thoroughly cleaned the majority of our home for a long time now...  No one knows.  Who really cares when you are constantly cutting wood and sanding it?

Here's to hoping we can finish the painting and crown moulding in our room this weekend!  Goodness knows my paint clothes could use a good wash.

Happy weekend to you!

An Afternoon with Oliver

Oliver and I had a bad case of cabin-fever the other day.  We needed to get out of the house and away from our routine.  We headed downtown a couple of hours before we were to pick up Henry from school and walked, explored, and shopped.  We hit up Anthropologie and one of my favorite paper stores.  I managed to walk out with only a Simpatico candle that was on clearance (fir and grapefruit scented, in case you're curious) and the cutest little calendar I ever did see.  The wood stump kills me.  Downtown Milwaukee can be a blast, especially when you have someone sweet to share it with.

I'm ready to take on the rest of January, what little there is left of it.  I make no promises for February though.  That month is trouble, I tell you!

A Failed Project and Other Friday Ramblings

Have you ever been inspired by something or thought of a project in your head, saw it out to completion, and have it turn out nothing like you wanted it to?  This was that project for me.  I had been inspired by wire sculpture letters in a magazine a couple of months ago.  In the picture, there was a gallery wall that had the initials of a couple with the word "and" framed in between them. 

I decided I liked the idea enough to try to make it myself.  After all, the project sounded easy in my head.  My husband had the copper wire and wire cutters.  The only thing left was my ability to carry it out, which is always easier said than done, right?  As it turns out, I am no artist when it comes to wire sculpture.  The wire isn't straight where it should be straight, my joints are messy, and neither initial can stand on its own very well.  As my sweet mother-in-law would say, they're both a little "kiddywampus".  If you look veeeeeery closely, you can see some tape holding up the letter J.  I refuse to give up on them though.  That letter J will stand up on its own and the L will be straight.

The framed "&" is simply corrugated cardboard that I cut out and covered with decoupage glue in order to make it smooth and shiny.  I wanted it to have some texture to it but not look exactly like cardboard.  After it dried, I placed it into a thrifted and painted frame.  I suppose this part of the project isn't a total failure.

So there you have it.  I still like those initials enough to photograph them and keep them around.  That counts for something, right?  At least the project was free.

 

 

 

 

Do you have any plans for the weekend?  Ours will consist of continuing to paint the trim and doors white in our master bedroom, installing crown moulding in there, and making beef stew.  We also will be attending Jason's basketball tournament tomorrow morning.  He'll be coaching 7th and 8th grade boys and I'll be sitting in the bleachers with Henry and Oliver, who've already asked for Skittles and Starbursts.  There's nothing like a good sugar high to start off a Saturday morning!

Happy weekend, friends!