Simply Kind Tuesdays

Claudia at On A Limb with Claudia hosts a meme called Simply Kind Tuesdays. Her goal of Simply Kind Tuesdays is to increase awareness of the kindness that surrounds us. Unless of course you are on the Mary Poppins' level of kindness, I seriously don't think you can have too much kindness around you. I continually try to encourage the kids to be kind to each other and to those around them. Some days they are the best of friends. Others...oh me oh my....bicker with a capital B.

But for my first week of participating (in this meme, not being kind!...I crack myself up!), I was shown some kindness. I have blogged before about my love of tassels before: Livi's little fat pink and green tassel, the artichoke tassel.....the tassel that looks like a sugared pear, fall pumpkin tassel .....All of these are from Angela at The Tassel House. She is so easy to work with. I showed her a few of some girlie ones I liked. Several emails were exchanged. She came up with the amazing little pink and green one for Livi's room.

With that purchase, she included this adorable little one. It hangs in my stairwell on an old medicine cabinet door that I use as a mirror. I can't count how many times I go up and down those stairs everyday. But each time I do, I am reminded of Angela's kindness. Of her effort to take I am sure what were just a few scraps from other projects and brighten my day. That is the kind of kindness I am hoping to do and to model for the kids as well.....the little things that go a long way to make someone smile!

Simply Kind Tuesdays are a meme. Click here to learn more .

On a side note...Live woke up with a fever today. Since Will was sick last week, I didn't want to risk exposing the barf-barf-toot-toots to anyone at their preschool. Just send the thank yous my way now. I know I would be honked if my kid came home sick two days before Thanksgiving!

I am sure by tomorrow she will be back to playing her funky music....and hopefully being kind to her brother and those around her!

Happy Tuesday, y'all!

Tassels, tassels, tassels

I loved my first tassel from The Tassel House so much that I had to get two more as well. I am a firm believer in the things that make a house a home are the little details. This black lamp was made by Federal prisoners in Kansas! They also made the Pottery Barn knock off iron wall art.

Anyhow, doesn't the lamp look oh so cute with a little tassel hanging off of it? It picks up the colors of the curtains as well as some in the rug. Just the right little detail if I do say so myself.

The pear one is going to hang on the hutch during the holiday season. It has the same colors as my Christmas decorations.

Best thing about these tassels is she gave me free shipping! Whew hoo!

Happy Tuesday, y'all

final countdown ....part 3 of 3

bunting hung, originally uploaded by tommiea1.

Okay, it is almost midnight and I still can't sleep.....i have even tried the 'warming up my Minkie' trick.....Since I have to wash my hair in the morning, I have to get up at least at 6:15AM, so I really need to try to start count some sheep!

ALL I have left to clean is to mop the floor and wipe down the stainless steel appliances.....yeah, I know LIKE he will even notice.......BUT STILL, it will make ME feel better! You know it is on my list of things to do!

nighty night!

The bunting is hung by the front door with care....There are no freaking yellow ribbon or bows in this town...so we had to go for red. Oh well...what's a girl to do?

I just finished prepping the coffee pot for the last time for just a half a pot. I wonder if I will remember how to make a full pot.

Here is the final installment of my "I wonder how life will be after tomorrow afternoon":

I wonder if he will even notice how much I have cleaned? Probably not since I am so OCD about how our home is cleaned anyway.

I wonder how he will fit into our routine. We HAVE survived these last 15 months without him. But without a doubt, I am ready to pass some of these responsibilities on to him. His job is to give the kids a bath and brush their teeth while I get the clothes ready for the next day. I turn down the beds. We each have our THING with the kids. I am so used to the cushy little life of lunches with the girls and a mani/pedi. This being on duty 24/7 is for the birds! I have planned time so precisely as a defense against the emotional effects of his absence. I can only hopes he takes a step back and watches us in action. We have changed, I hope he can see this and fit into our new routine.

The first week he will be back, the kids will be on Christmas break.....is this good or bad?
Good, we will have some great family time..

Bad, is being together every waking moment good after being apart for the last 450+days?

We decided to spend our Christmas with just us. We really need to just start being us. He has training and other stuff on post until the 23rd anyway. A two day drive to OH is out of the question until late December. I am really trying to not over-schedule him these first few days he is home. I am sure he will be glad to not have constant responsibilities of being an active duty soldier in a war zone.

Now for some early resolutions:

I will try to be open to talk about his experience if he wants to talk.

I will watch the budget, as we will be making less than when he was deployed.

I will be patient with him and kids as we ease into the new 'us'.

We will survive......because I am MUCH better with him, than without...

Now to everyone who reads my blog:

Many thanks to all of you who have wished us well over these last 15 months. I can't believe it is finally over! I know some days I was ready to throw in the towel. I have made many friends thru this little medium. I will definitely continue to blog. The first time someone commented on some writing by little ol' me, I was hooked. Then lisagh from Grosgrain Garage/ reached out and I "met" a whole group of other bloggers. Thank you all for your daily encouragement.....now this is starting to sound like an Oscar acceptance speech!

I will post some pics tomorrow....I promise! The ceremony should only be an hour....so we will be home in time for dinner. So check back tomorrow around this time and you see a pic of our hero!


happy holidays

The stockings were hung.....

I finally got some decorations hung. The night before we went to my mom's for Thanksgiving, I had pulled the bins down from the attic....so they were just sitting in the entry waiting. I went through the house and put away all the fall stuff. Whew hoo....where do I start?

I figured I would start with something big that would make an impact....OOOPPPS, let me back up....We are not decorating the tree until Husband gets home. I set it up, but that is it....Yes, it is fake. I have massive allergies.....anyhow...back to the decorating.

I pulled out the bins labeled "French doors garland" ....Well, this was where it was used in our home in Kansas. But here I am going to use it around the fireplace mantle. A little peek into some 'Tommie madness'....I take a picture, print it out, and stick all the things that are in that area in the same Rubbermaid tub. So, a year later when I pull the bins out, I just try to figure out where that 'french doors garland' is going to go. In this bin was the greenery, ornaments, snowflakes, and silver ornaments.

In Kansas this was on both sides of the French doors, so they didn't have the stockings. I will probably print this picture out as well since we could use this around a mantle wherever we are next year at this time.

By the way, all these decorations are from Nell Hill's. If you are ever near Kansas City, it is an awesome store. I don't think a month went by that me and my neighbors didn't load up and drive over to the original one in Atchison, KS. Husband would see the familiar black shopping bags and wonder what was new in out home.

So, are you done with decorating???

happy Tuesday

Mon 9-17 The Big Tour

My America at Home is doing a Photo Assignment....straight from their website: The co-creator of the best-selling A Day in the Life and America 24/7 book series invites you to participate in America at Home, a nationwide photo project, September 17 to 23, 2007. For seven days, everyone in America is invited to join 100 of the nation's leading photojournalists to capture "the emotions of home." The goal of the project is to capture the extraordinary diversity that makes up American family life, representing a broad range of economic, geographic, racial, political, and socially diverse lifestyles.

Today's assignment:

Show us what makes your home your castle. Since our 'castle' is wherever the military sends us, I have had castles in Oklahoma, the middle of Alaska, back to Oklahoma, the east bay of San Francisco, the corn fields of Kansas, and now to the land of Longhorns. Along the way we started collecting local art from these places. Since we are now in Texas, I couldn't wait to get a big Texas star. I would have liked to get one from some torn down barn or something cool like that, but sad to say this one probably came from China as I got it off Ebay for a steal! But doesn't it look good on my mantle?

I already have changed out the little votives to a fall scented candle and some red berries. I might add some twinkle lights to those topiaries if I can find some small enough. I love fall...now if the weather would just cool down.

I will probably be keeping Livi home from school tomorrow....No, no more "can she stay? can't she?"....don't read this if you are eating.....just skip right on over this paragraph. She has had diarrhea cha cha cha.....I did the BRAT diet today and found some children's Imodium AD...but I glanced at the handbook. It says she has to be "diarrhea free" for 24 hours. I guess another Star muffin is in order. Tomorrow is the day of her old story time at the library as well. So maybe I can play that up...because I know she isn't going to like it one bit! Just a little note about that picture.....the shirt has two strawberries on it and says 'berry cute'....she asked me what those 'numbers' said....so I told her the LETTERS said 'berry cute'. She laughed and said, "Well, take my picture and send it to daddy, since there are two berries on there, I MUST be BERRY BERRY cute!" Then she cracked up laughing because in a two year old's little mind she is the funniest thing ever!

Happy Monday, y'all

WCW: H....Home decorating from Hobby Lobby

From The Kept Woman who is keeping little girls in tutus all over the Land of Snow and Cheese.

I finally got these gates hung. A friend of mine has a real antique gate that is hung just below the bar in her kitchen. I totally loved it. I looked at the place where I got the big rusty rooster... but all she had were some ivory ones. I didn't think ivory would work well in my home. So when Hobby Lobby put all their iron work on sale half off, I knew I would find something there.

I grew up fairly close to where Hobby Lobby started. I never realized they were just a regional store. I can go in there, and depending on the kids' behavior, an hour will have gone by before we know it. There are crafts, framing, party supplies, furniture, and lots of rusty iron things.

This one is actually two gates butted right up next to each other. Trying to hang a gate on little nails with no help is a pain. I think they kind of lean into the center, but they are staying that way until Mike gets back.

***Getting off on a bunny trail here***

It was in the paper and mentioned at the Town Hall meeting last night that his group will be home between Christmas and mid January!!! Whew hooo!!

Back to the gates.....when my friend saw them, she really liked the painted wall behind them. She has a very eclectic home, so I can't wait to see what color she paints behind hers. It was white...but I doubt she can leave it that way!

Happy Wednesday...or almost Wednesday y'all! Did you play??

There is a rooster in the house....and notecards too.

There is a rooster in the house...Isn't he the cutest thing you have ever seen?? My friend J asked me if I wanted to go to this sale out in the pawpaw patch of a bunch of rusty old stuff. J has this rooster in the next size....38 or 39 inches to be exact.....of course this spot will only accommodate a 36" inch piece. So unless my little rooster was going to lose his legs, I had to get this baby one. He is made of metal and has rebar legs. I saw this at an arts and crafts festival in the fall. I hesitated and decided not to buy it. (mainly because I wasn't sure the medium sized one would fit there). Every since no other rooster has compared. I always kept telling myself I should have gotten this one. So when she asked if I wanted to go, I jumped at it.

I also got this little plant thing. My snap dragon that is just to the right of it is just about crushed from all the rain we have had, so I think I will get some ivy that will climb this stand.

Friend J got this adorable little red pig and a cross with a Texas star on it.

**Thanks to nice friend R who I call for random directions to get around this area!!** It did save us some time.

When we got home from our little adventure I was quite surprised to get these little things in my mailbox.

A few weeks ago Sisters with Style held a celebration in honor of their 100th post. They had a random giveaway to anyone who left a comment. Well, my old Alaska Bunco winning spirit** must have been with me because today when I got home from getting the rooster this was in the mail. I am not sure if it is because I am "being a woman" and am overly emotional or what, but the little monogrammed note cards* really brought tears to my eyes. I started reading their blog from a link on lost in surburbia a while back. So, many thanks, Sisters for your little act of thoughtfulness. These note cards will write letters of love to the man who rocks my world even though he is halfway across the planet!

*I blurred the monogram because I am paranoid like that!!

**When I lived in Alaska, I was in a Bunco group with 24 people. Yep, it was that big because no one had anything to do up there!!. I won some prize every single time I played the entire two years I was there.

stuff portrait fridays....FRAMED

kristine wants something “FRAMED” Show your favorite frame, framed picture, a frame you have been coveting in a store or online, or get creative and show us your version of ‘framed’..

Way too tired to get crafty and creative, so I will show you a little peek into my favorite framed picture of me and hubby....this is the picture we had taken for our engagement announcements ten years ago this summer. We showed up at the little portrait place for just the generic in house snaps of a few photos. When he offered to go up the block to a park, we were quite shocked. We didn't pay for any extra on location shoot. We had fun sitting on some park benches, leaning on fences, and this one peeking between the trees. We had this matted at the reception of our wedding. People who were there signed it. In the past ten years so many of those people who signed it have passed in and out of our lives. Grandparents have passed away, friends have moved away, and so much has happened. We look so young....but, yes, it is one of my favorite framed pictures of us.

And just for the heck of it, this is another framed painting we have in the entry way. I try to follow a bit of feng shui ( I know, call me Best Friends with Crazy right now, but I need a little peace in my life!). Feng shui is a way of creating harmony between humans and our environment to enhance our well being. People are affected -either positively or negatively- by their surroundings. So if with a little placement of things here and there I can make my life a happier, healthy, and more peaceful...I say, "Pull up a seat, Crazy, let's talk"...

Oh yeah, where was I?? The painting....the entrance to your home should include a landscape.....kind of like a little entrance into a peaceful place. We try to collect local arts and prints from the many places we get to live. This one of course is the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. We got it because we loved living in the east bay. We had these beautiful rose bushes in our yard. This painting really combined the two memories into a living piece of art. See,don't you feel a bit peaceful all ready??

So did you play??

okay, I don't know where my comments thing went.....like everyone is dying to leave comments here....I'll see what I can do.

eta: okay, I just had to redo the entire post, just copying and pasting....Has this happened to any of you using Blogger??

I did it!

I hung the planter I got from hosting my Southern Living party this weekend. Yes, I drilled into the mortar, set the anchors and mounted the screws.....whew hoo...I really was nervous. I did the bottom part and put it up there. Only to realize I had to take it down to drill the top holes! Oh well....I figured it out. I really love it. I need to find some fun flowers to put in it now. I'll have to add some leggy vines to trail out of it. I am sure Livi will want "purpur" flowers.

While I was hanging it, it was warm enough for the kids to swim. I filled up this baby pool we have had for the last two summers. It was only 78 degrees out. The water was really cold. I need to get the kids some of those water shoes. Livi was running around in the front yard and stepped on something. It was either a vine with a thorn on it or a bug that bit her. But her big toe swelled up like a little sausage. I gave her some Benydryl and put some anti-itch stuff on it.

I guess we will go look for some Crocs this week. I swore I would never get those shoes. Oh well, never say never.

I tried to get a picture of Will.....at least he wasn't throwing his hand up in front of his face.

Just wanted to add a big Happy Birthday to my mother in law.....I hope your wishes come true. I am glad you got the wreath on time!!

big girl bed

Can she really be old enough for a big girl bed??

I was hoping to not have to make this transition until Mike got home.....BUT, last week she got her little leg stuck in between the slats of one of the ends. So, I knew it was time whether I was ready or not. Will still comes and gets in bed with me every night sometime before 5:30AM. I just knew I was going to have another little body trying to wiggle into my bed as well.

But she has done very well. The first time she napped in it, she poked her head out once to tell me,"Mom, I am not getting out of my bed." That night she was so exhausted she almost went right to sleep. After getting Will settled, I went in to check on her thinking she was sleep. She was totally zoned out, but alert enough to ask me to let her go to sleep by herself. I was happy and sad all at once.

Today at nap time, she never went to sleep....BUT she did stay in there the entire time. I was really surprised!

She looks so tiny up there all by herself. We talked up the whole big girl bed thing for awhile. She picked out her bedding herself. It has "purpur" flowers embroidered on it. She likes to sleep on the sham instead of the pillow. That is great by me because they are super fluffy and I can tuck them in around her. She likes to be butted up right next to something, so this keeps her from rolling. I hooked up the video monitor again so I can watch her. I think I am more worried about this transition than she is.

As you can see, bunny is never far.

Note to self: I think the green walls are a little too light now....I wonder if it would be big of a pain to paint it or wait until Mike gets home? Since he is probably getting extended, that would be Jan 08!!!! UGH!! Pains me to even write the date.

Stuff Portrait Friday - Holy

Kristine at Random and Odd. has a new challenge for this week .....

HOLY...

Early again, but I am headed to the pawpaw patch of Oklahoma where there may or may not be internet....not even someone's wireless I can steal (oops did I say that outloud) I mean borrow.

I could go to my aunt's house, but she has dial up! Yeah not happening in my little world. I could go to my friends in big L-town...but she is NEVER home. So, hence, you get an early SPF.

For all that is good and HOLY in the state of Texas, you must have a big A star in your home....preferably a big rusty barn star. Trust me, this one is big .....Husband hung it while he was home...I had the little topiaries from a neat little store called Nell Hills' in Kansas. From my Southern Living party I got that little copper thing with the candles. I think I am going to put some candles in some, and some seasonal flowers in the others....wrap some berry garland around it and call it done!


Here in Texas people are proud to be here and from here. We try to immerse ourselves in the area where ever we are. We try to collect some local art and enjoy it...because it could be a long time to be miserable.

So I give you my HOLY big A Texas barn star....

Happy Easter y'all! See you next week.....

Wild Card Wednesday: Whew hoo! My stuff is in....

The Kept Woman Wild Card Wednesday once again

WHAT could I possibly post this week:

WHEW HOO, look at all the stuff I got from my Southern Living at Home party.

WITH these simple tools I can simply amaze myself. I will be the first to admit Husband has a "Honey Do" list a mile long....But I have to do this myself for the time being, whether I want to or not. I prefer not to have these lying around for another six months, so I dug out the tools from their properly labeled place in the newly organized garage.

WALL ART: Yes, start clapping your hands and patting me on the back, I hung these all by myself! I think they are even straight! I would like them to be a little farther up on the wall, but I am NOT hanging those things again. So for now, or at least until Husband gets home, they will stay where they are. This reminds me of the rusty iron gates I love so much!

WOODEN beaded tassel: I added a little pop of color to the child-proofed front door. This tassel is so pretty, it has wooded beads and ribbons that match the colors in my home so well!!

WATER PITCHER: Okay, I guess it could hold more than water, but I am doing WCW....so...I like using basic WHITE dishes and adding color with salad plates and such. Since I could get it for next to nothing, I did.

Old WORLD splendor: I loved this metal tray. It is a little more peachy than I thought, I wanted a more mustardy color. She had it displayed with little magnets like a bulletin board. I have plans of putting it above my desk for something like that. It has little distressed fleurs-de-lis on it. This was one of the things I got for half off!

I haven't hung the planter yet. I have to ask Husband how to drill in concrete.....I will post pics of it when I do.

Did you play?

until then, happy Wednesday!

just trying to stay busy.....

Just trying to stay busy

Here is a typical picture of Will these days.....hand up (talk to the hand is what I hear when he does this!! )

He is doing a typical Montessori-like "work" while Livi is napping. He has "quiet time" now that he is "no, I am not three....I am 'almost FOUR'." Like there is a significant difference in his little world. These are the same foam shapes we threaded in patterns not too long ago. The mini muffin pan is the same one we use on Muffin Monday! Note the tongs: getting in some fine motor skill practice...note the anal color scheme of the color wheel in the pan....yep...he might look just like Mike BUT he has my anal tendencies!! Not sure why I am strutting around like a proud peacock parent here, I think that is something he learned at school!

So, on to our other fabulous activities this weekend: Big Bouncy Things here in BIG ARMY TOWN, TEXAS. I saw this thing in the paper that looked fun to do.....I called the couple of moms in Livi's playgroup and asked if they wanted to meet us there on Friday. One mom asked me how much it was....at this point in our lives, (Mike just left and we are looking for things to do...I DID NOT CARE!!) I was shocked when the attendant man asked for $21 and change for two toddlers....but we need some DISTRACTIONS!!! Dang, I should have brought my socks, I could have bounced too!!

The kids had so much fun!! Livi mainly like the huge ball pit. But did venture out to some with climbing walls and slides.

Will jumped right in but see the hand......even sliding down a twenty foot drop he manages the "talk to the hand" pose!

See how high this thing is.....yes, I am only 5'2" but still....it is pretty high!!

We only stayed a couple of hours then it was time for naps! They were worn out. I was glad because I needed some quiet time to clean and prepate for this..........
I hosted a Southern Living at Home party. Now I am all about the parties....Pampered Chef, Longaberger, Stampin Up, Gold Canyon Candles, you name it, I have either been to it or hosted one. But until I moved here I had never heard of this one I went to a party in January and was sucked in

..... But I wanted one of these....so I had a party so I could get it free!! I cleaned like a mad woman, prepped some awesome appetizers, and made a raspberry lemonade.

Tomorrow is the end of Spring Break and back to the ole same old thing......

happy Sunday y'all!

January 16, 2007

Hey there all....we are freezing our patooties off here in TX. Will didn't even go to school today. It is so cold!! Here is a picture of Will getting ready to go out to deliver our muffins on Monday. Each Monday we bake either a muffin....or on this day we baked zucchini bread....and share them with the neighbors. Now most of the neighbors come running when they see us head out the door on Mondays.
The bread was really good, but here is what Will thought of it. He started to say, "Yuck" but he caught himself and said, "No thank you....Livi, do you want my zookie bread?" Of course the carb-loving Livi jumped on it. This batch made four mini loaves, she ate 3/4 of the loaf I kept for us.

This last weekend, I knew it was going to be a cold one. I saw this cool terrarium in a Lowe's ad. The kids and I put them together ...it was really simple. But I did prick myself on one of the cacti. I put them in my bathoom window. I felt very Martha when we finished. Here are the kids finishing up one.


A view of the bathroom ....A close up of one...it is just a plant saucer, with a tiny plant, river rocks, and a lamp sconce..(Livi broke one, so that is why only two of those have one....I guess we will be making another trip to Lowes!)

Speaking of the cold, here is what my urns look like now...I don't know if you can see a thin layer of ice over all of it! I am sure the pansies will die, but I don't know about the little evergreen. Shouldn't it stay green forever?? Or is there some disclosure statement about not leaving them out in freezing icy weather?? Who knew it got this cold in TX?

Finally, I hope everyone is staying warm. Oh yeah, we did find out Mike gets to come home the last week of Feb for his mid-tour leave. He will get to stay home two weeks! I think that is almost forty days away!! Whew hoo!!