cowboys and an indian.

I have finally gotten the pictures from Jack's Halloween birthday uploaded and am excited to share. Alot has been going on around here, i.e. kitchen is still 'in the works', Jack had his 2-year checkup and is growing healthy, strong and more lovable than ever, and now that we have the birthday bash behind us it's time for us to focus on finishing the kitchen in time for a big Thanksgiving feast with family. I cannot wait to share photos of the kitchen. It doesn't even look like the same house in here, and let me tell you my friends, that is a good thing. ;)

I am happy to report, the kitchen cabinets (after a greuling process of learning not to spray primer through the paint gun) are no longer builders oak, but instead, a lovely shade of "cotton fluff". And just as my dear blog friend Rebecca told me, it was indeed worth all the hard work in the end. Thanks for the encouragement lovely.

For now, I'm happy to share that our little pumpkin's celebration of turning 2 was sweet and exciting, just like him. I was afraid he wouldn't quite understand that we were celebrating a special day for him but to my surprise, I think he caught on. He made his mama and daddy so proud at how he showed appreciation for every toy he recieved, and even shared the new ones with his cousin Alivia, and his little friends who were here.

With all of the house projects we've been tackling this year, our birthday bash planning seemed rushed. However, I think our "cowboys and indian" costumes turned out to be adorable and so suited our personalities....

Thanks to my dear friend Carrie, who despite having three little ones of her own, a hubby who travels quite a bit for work, and a house they're doing their own work to managed to find the time to send Jack a gift to support his oh-so-obvious desire to become a rock star one day...

One of my lovely best friends, Natalie, missed Jack's party (for good reason) but was sweet enough to extend his birthday by having gifts for him to open later. One of which was play-doh. gulp. We'll open those up sometime when daddy is home to assist. :)

 And his big surprise from his Grammie was a CARS quad, with a matching helmet and knee pads. My son the dare-devil, though, would much rather wear part of his Halloween costume even days after Halloween has passed as opposed to a cool new helmet. Point in case:

life happens.

After an exciting weekend away to celebrate our two-year wedding anniversary we're back home facing projects galore. The most recent: painting the kitchen cabinets white. Fortunately, I've come across some amazing inspiration and beautiful (as well as cheap) finds lately.

Coming across Pottery Barn's "classic ticking stripe" duvet and euro shams in blue, on (say the magic word) clearance has inspired me to take our master bedroom in a beach cottage route. I've always said my soul belongs by the sea, so how perfect to have a romantic and soothing bedroom that takes my heart there.

Imagining our master with this bedding:

is what is keeping me motivated to finish our other projects at the moment so I can move on to creating this retreat. I imagine matchstick blinds and long flowing sheer curtains, inspiration drawn from this room. As well as possibly the lovely little Goodwill find from last week. A (faux) crystal chandelier! However, getting our BIG bedroom furniture painted black would be first on the list of bedroom changes so I better stay on the ball with:

painting the kitchen cabinets white

installing new kitchen and foyer trim

installing hardware for new kitchen curtains

helping handsome hubby with the photo ledge I want

and

having everything look presentable and spooky in time for Jack's Halloween birthday!

Whew, I need a nap. But, instead, I think I'll go pick up a paint brush.

Happy Inspirational Thursday!

riddle me this.

What do you get when you have:

a dear friend (Ashley) who knows you well,

a helpful goodwill manager and mother-in-law (in the same city),

twenty bucks,

a dad with muscles and a big truck,

left over from a previous project RL 'roadster white' paint,

black spray paint,

and a nifty little gravity-fed spray gun from a very sweet hubby?

this!...

I didn't distress this piece as it was pretty beat up to begin with and looks so elegant now that I couldn't bring myself to tear up it's pretty new paint. Hubby supportively agreed. (Love when he does that.)

With all the projects happening around here and me always being frugal, I simply bought new knobs for the top drawers since one was missing anyway, and coated all hardware with primer and spray paint so no splurge there. However, I actually really like the way the simple knobs look in contrast to the ornate pulls.

Considering this now multi-functional beauty started out as this:

 

I'd say it turned out prettier than even I imagined.

(do you see those pretty little legs? ahhhhh.)

And just so it's clear that things have been very hectic around here with projects still. Here is a before shot of what our newly dubbed "sitting area" looked like.

It took on a yellow hue from the flash at night...

Dear Santa (a.k.a. handsome hubby), please bring me a new camera. ;)

But if you look past that you'll notice what a big difference new carpet, a pretty new piece for organization, and a little black spray paint on an otherwise not so pretty light fixture makes.

I have spooky plans for this area in preparation for our little pumpkin's Halloween birthday bash so it won't look like this for long but hopefully it turns out equally as pleasing to our eyes.

See a similar dresser used in another not-so-ordinary (yet unique and beautiful) function here.

my toes would be so toasty.

...and yours could be too. head on over to enter for a chance to win free ugg boots.

that's right, "free" and "ugg boots" in the same sentence.

how nice of a surprise that would be as the weather so quickly turns frigid.

house sweet home.

If I had a house like either one of these...

I'd fill it with rooms like this...

(that alcove bed is just waiting for someone to nap in it.)

 (breakfast in bed would be overrated if this was the view from the dining table.)

 

 (wouldn't you like to be a guest in this room?)

 

 

 

 

 (sleepover heaven.)

 

 (wood burning stove = cure for winter blues)

 

(rainy days would be welcomed from this bed.)

 

 

 

 (are there horses or sandy beaches outside this window in your imagination?)

 

 (I'd live in a tree if this was the house.)

 

 

 (the. warmest. bed. ever.)

 

 

 (wall of memories.)

(that blue is perfect. ...and the chandelier? breathtaking.)

 

 (mirror mirror on the wall. you are the prettiest of them all.)

 

 (call me crazy, but I love the view of the bathtub from the bed.)

*grin*

 

([outdoor] living the good life.)

May you see the beauty in every day, out of every window, on every wall.

caramel macchiato romance.

Saturday morning was a rough one. Woke up earlier than necessary because Jack was awake and ready to go. So, in my efforts to be a thoughtful wife and good mother, I let the handsome hubby stay asleep as I sat Jack in his exersaucer with a bowl of cheerios and hopped in the shower to start getting ready for work. Sounds easy right?

{insert the scream of a restless 22 month old along with the crash of a bowl of cheerios hitting the bathroom floor *here*}

Add in a discovery that we were low on milk along with only having one car right now (a story of itself) and I was already stressed just 30 minutes after waking.

At this point hubby is up. Offers to go pick up milk while I finish getting ready for work.

Ahhhh. Thank goodness.

Upon his return he carries in a single Starbucks coffee cup. I felt excitement show across my face, only to be disappointed as I see him take a sip. "He got himself a coffee? Only himself?", I thought. Wanting to avoid any confrontation on a morning like that one already was, I figured he saw the to-go mug and tea bag I'd sat out for myself the night before. "He must've thought I just wanted tea this morning.", I convinced myself. Well nevermind brewing tea now, it's time for work. I kiss the boys and head out the door. ...just knowing I'm going straight to Starbucks on my first break. I sit down in the car, wipers on (it was a rainy day on top of all of that), seat belt on, ...wait a minute, "what the!"

this was waiting on me in the cup holder.

It's the littlest things that matter most. Guys don't get that.

(as a dear friend said)

"Just the thought of him driving with a purpose, thinking of his hunny...

swoon."

i have a confession to make.

...I don't always practice what I preach. ;) I've told numerous friends of mine who are mother's, things like "sleep when the baby sleeps" & "take time to yourself" etc. Well today, as I do most days, I let Jack climb up in our bed for a book and snuggle time to settle down before nap time. But instead of hurrying him off to his bed before he fell asleep so that I could tackle household 'chores', I read his book, covered him with his favorite blanket, tucked his 'couldn't live without it' stuffed elephant under his arm and said 'night night honey', because as we all know mama's (especially ones with newborns or mischevious toddlers running around) need their rest too. There was just one problem, my eyes wouldn't stay closed. As my little boy laid there sleeping, I stared at his precious face and couldn't pull my eyes away. I adored his long eyelashes (courtesy of yours truly), his precious button nose, and those adorable little lips the way they pout when children sleep. And I thought to myself, "shame on you Amanda". I've told mothers "sleep when the baby sleeps", knowing I never did. ...and still don't. I don't know how we do it sometimes... the sleep deprivation, the skipped meals, the errands, the housework, the worrying. But somehow, God willing, we manage. So I've had a change of heart (or advice I should say)... you mama's stare at those little angels as long as you'd like. You hold them as often as you'd like. When Jack was an infant I was always told he was going to be spoiled from me holding him "too much". Well. The rebel in me, and the mothers love I felt in my heart didn't care then. And I don't care now. These little ones grow up WAY too fast, so stare each and every day, making mental notes of all those precious features, and hold on tight each and every opportunity you get because every single solitary moment of lost sleep becomes oh so worth it at the memories you'll cling to the rest of your life. To all mothers, soon-to-be mothers, or those of you who simply have the desire to be a mother... you're doing great! Hold on to every little blessing motherhood gives us. There's NOTHING like it.