feelin' artsy.....

So since I have more free time on my hands, now that the kids are back to school, I am THRILLED to finally begin some projects I've been wanting to work on! Here's what my to do list looks like:

1. re-paint some frames
2. paint an old desk
3. distress & paint our nightstands in our bedroom
4. Pull out some blank canvases & create art for my kids' rooms
5. upholster fabric to 2 old distressed chairs I have
6. Hunt for old junk frames at garage sales & flea markets for my photography & begin to CREATE with them!
7. Hunt for vintage fabrics to create throw pillows
8. Create some old vintage girly decorations for my girls' room

What I plan to do is photograph & write about each project I do & blog about them! I am so excited to take old things & make them amazing! So I will post a few of the items that I plan to upcycle. Here are my "BEFORES"!


Fun, fun, fun!!!!!!!

decorating on the brain......

this is the bed frame I am dying to find!!! (Of course in queen size - not twin) this is what we want for our bedroom!

                                                         love this distressed blue dresser

                                                       i really like this light teal distressed hutch dresser!

                                                             I am going to make some coffee sack/feed sack pillows for on the floor of my livingroom -so when people are over we can lounge around on the floor & hang out!

                                       I want to make this patched tablecloth... I love mix match patterns!

                                           I actually HAVE this exact desk...but I am going to paint it this color!

something else I LOVE is mix match plates!

                                              would love to someday find a vintage typewriter

and an old fashioned black rotary phone!

Ok, so now that my kiddos are back in school, I cant seem to stop the wheels in my brain from turning! I am so decorating gung ho right now, it's nuts!! I have been researching & looking for EXACTLY what I wanna find. I am DYING to go to some flea markets... it's like an itch I cant scratch! I have decied to sell my bedroom set & get all new! (& when I say new... what I really mean is new used! LOL) I have so many ideas I wanna do around my house... lots of craft projects I wanna work on! This is just a snippit of what i am thinking!

The Zoo's about to get wayyyyy too quiet!

First days of school.... wow. Yesterday Emily started middle school. She really enjoyed it. She said she has her class schedule down pretty well & could find her way around. But she cant figure out opening her locker yet! LOL Hopefully she will get it down pat by the end of the week.
 Kate started 4th grade & Morgan started 2nd yesterday  & they both came home raving about school (so good to hear!) Gabe had Kindergarten Orientation yesterday, where he got to meet his teacher & see his room, for like 30 min.
 BUT TODAY... is a whole new day & Gabe is going to get on the bus with his sisters this morning & stay all day. I cannot believe this day is here. I am so excited for him, but man what a huge mix of emotions I am feeling right now

 I will share a few pictures from yesterday from the girl's first day & his orientation & then later I will add a few from this morning - from Gaber's actual first day!!!!

A Fun Summer Day

Just a quick post... the kids & I enjoyed such a fun summer day today. We spent the afternoon at the park with friends (Tiffany, Makayla & Mason). How relaxing... the kids got to play on the playground & take a walk with us... & later we found ourselves down at a creek~where the REAL fun began! The kids got to play in the creek, in big mud puddles & just enjoy the beautiful summer day, in what felt like a sweet old fashioned way. I loved watching every second of it.

Life's about to change.....

Hi All!
 Well I think I have somewhat gotten the hang of this whole "blogging thing". Much more freeing then facebook. Im liking this. And I think I know how to add photos now. YAY!

 In exactly 7 days -  my life will change dramatically. For the first time in my married life (minus the first 10 months of our marriage) I will not have children home with me to care for during the days! The best word to describe how Im feeling is "BITTERSWEET".  Im excited about the new found freedoms I will be able to enjoy  (a gym routine, the house will stay clean all day, I will have time to plan & prepare nice meals for my family every night, I will be able to shop without a dozen bathroom breaks (lol), I can spend more time doing my photography(yay!), I will finally get to be the mom that can volunteer to help with the class party, or go on the field trip!, I will have the complete ABILITY to read a book & actually finish it!...WOW!!, etc., etc., etc.)
 But with this comes the bitter.... I will not have any little ones to cuddle with, snuggle with, talk to or play with throughout my days. This means the days of having my babies, caring for babies, toddlers, & young children are over. I will miss Gabe (my little buddy) going with me to the stores & talking to me all day long. This is the part that makes me very sad. What a mix of emotions a mother goes through at this stage of life!  But I have to just continue to focus on the positives. I am very excited for Gabe as he starts Kindergarten next week, I am excited for Em as she starts Middle school! And I am anxious to hear how 2nd & 4th grade are for Kate & Morg this year too.
  I am VERY blessed to have a wonderful husband that loves me & appreciates all I do.  Brian & I had a wonderful talk the other night, during which he told me that he doesnt want me to work outside the home! What a blessing because I have such a desire to be a stay home mom! He doesnt want me to be getting home from a job, be stressed & tired & for the kids to be getting home at the same time &  needing help with homework & for me to be trying to make dinner & for the housework to fall behind. What an awesome man I have that he appreciates all I do. I am very blessed. And he works so hard so that he can provide for us. Thank you Lord for my wonderful husband.

 Well, I dont have any new picutres this week... I know next week I will!!!! So for today I will add just a random picture.

Have a beautiful Tuesday!!!!

1st time

 Ok, so this is my first time blogging. Hope Im doing everything right?? I wanted a way to keep in touch with close friends & family that was more personal then facebook. My "plan" is to update once a week....we'll see if this REALLY happens??? lol.

So...let's see~ what's new with us? We are winding down from summer break & gearing up for Back to School time! We have exactly 17 days til the new school year starts up! For me it's SO bittersweet. This is the first year that ALL my babies will go to school! Im looking forward to the new found freedom that will accompany this & Im very excited for the kids (especially Gabe who is THRILLED to go to Kindergarten!) but I am also SO sad. It means that the time in my life when my kids are little & home with me during the days is over. That's hard to swallow. I really do look forward to every stage my children enters though.

 This year Emily is entering middle school/or as we used to call it Jr. High! YIKES! How did this happen. When your children are little everyone always tells you "Enjoy it, it flies by" & you think... "ya I know, Ive always heard that" BUT ITS SO TRUE!!!! She is going into 6th grade - entering the world of switching classes, wanting to look stylish, makeup (eventually), extra-curricular activities, lockers & boys! Oh my. If Brian didnt shave his head bald, Im sure he'd be turning grey right now with worry! LOL!!!

Kate is going into 4th grade & Morgan is beginning 2nd grade. And like I mentioned already my little buddy is starting Kindergarten!!! He is SO excited! I know he will love it. He is such a smart little boy! He loves to learn.

As for me, I am still booking photo shoots & taking photography jobs. And I look forward to more time to just be able to go exploring during the days when the kids are in school, alone & take pictures of nature & towns & such. I keep being asked the million dollar question, when I tell people that all 4 kids will now be in school..... " oh my, what are you gonna do with yourself??" Everytime I hear those words it makes me more & more confused. I dont know. I dont know if Im supposed to just pursue my photography, or if I should get a part time job (The Lord knows we could use the extra money). ?????? I will just keep praying about it & we will see where HE leads. Meanwhile Im holding out hope & praying for Brian to be offered a store manager position in the month of September, so that I do not HAVE to get a job. I would love to have the freedom & ability to do what I want with photography, go to the gym & work out everyday, volunteer at the kids' schools, keep the house clean every day & make amazing meals for my family! We will see????