making home {photo project} 3

Kind of funny, isn't it? I just posted one of these photo project dealies the other day. But, see, that one was late. And this one is on time. Which only makes it seem funny. When really it's not funny at all.

It's very, very serious.

If you're new around these parts, you have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about. You can probably figure it out better if you read this.

And so... my photos from the week.

Our home. Our lives. Booyah.

I have been crafting like Christmas is my job. I've actually made it a little bit stressful on myself. Which, I think is kind of the opposite of what hobbies are supposed to do, right? But I have these ideas and yet I also have these young people looking to me for guidance and care and food.

All day long. The food. Especially the Boy.

But, really, I love it. I love the hustle and bustle of the crafts and the cozifying and the music and, yes, the food.

I think it might be feeling a teensy bit stressful because I'm also working on getting Shug & SweetP's closet doors done. I painted the last coat on the second set tonight!

Woohooie!

I have a number of house projects that are all going to come together at around the same time, so there are some fun posts ahead. A couple of the children were looking with me at photos from a few years back. It's crazy how different some of our rooms look now. Great cause for rejoicing!

Insta Friday = Phone Dump! (+ ETC)

We are totally in full blown Christmas mode here, so it seems kind of weird to back track with a November phone dump. The beginning of November and the end of November are completely different from one another, aren't they? November starts like Hey, it's Fall and finally chilly enough for gloves and boots and it ends with Christmas lights and Jingle Bells. And a few extra pounds from all the festivities, but let's just not say anymore about that.

So... Fall. Can we give it one last hurrah?

Because I love it.

It kicked my tail in all kinds of ways this year (Soccer Season, why so merciless?), but it's still my favorite season. Love it!

The kids and I went for a little hike out of the blue one day, and this was my footwear. Make it work.

I know. I have twinkly lights beside my head and I'm looking at candy corn at the same time. It's blowing my mind. Is it Fall or is it Christmastime? Or can it be BOTH?

And you've tried this combo, right? Right?! The peanuts with the Indian Corn is my favorite duo. Indian Corn is a blessing and a gift.

Trader Joe's Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper. With a "grown up" grilled cheese made with pesto and Italian cheese blend (preshredded... I'm okay with that). Put garlic croutons in your soup. You will LOVE it. And me.

Of course, as always happens in mid-November in Ohio, there was a lovely, lovely warm snap. And the shorts busted out. And the sunscreen. Crazytrain. So, we played hookey from school all week long and called it Fall Break.

It took five children, a looooong day outside, and a very clean park for me to allow this unseemly practice. Drinking fountains freak me out only a little less than hotel bedding does.

Oops! You MISSED!

Either I'm talking too much or I've gone far too long between phone dumps. This post is getting long. Less commentary. More photos...

Embracing the Camera. Boom. Didn't even plan that. Link up!

More Embracing... and squirrel crashing.

(There is an app for EVERYTHING).

I'm still talking.

I was supposed to just post photos. Less talking. But, it's stupid late and I've had entirely too much caffeine. Isn't this fun?

I think that should be a new strategy of mine. To only blog whilst hyped up on caffeine and sugar. This blog might go places.

This was taken on my birthday. 37... thanks for asking. I think my birthday might be a pretty major reason why Fall is my favorite season.

Yes. My birthday and googly eyed turkeys. (Artistic credit belongs to my niecey weesies, LuLu and Wumple). Wumple likes eyes. A lot.

The End!

How long do you wanna bet it's going to take me to fall asleep tonight? I drank a cup of coffee at around 2 this afternoon because I needed to paint some closet doors instead of take a nap (unfun) and then a Coke Zero at 6:30pm.

Yes, I am an idiot.


AND linking up for the first time with Jeanette at Life Rearranged.

making home {photo project} 2

The other day, on another blog, someone asked the question, "What treasure do you love most in your home?"

I honestly had never really stopped to think about that before.

I had to think for a while. And even after thinking for a while, I still hadn't come up with much. I asked the children to help a gal out. Each one of them said the same thing... I asked, "What do you think I treasure most in this house? What would make me so sad to lose?" And they all smiled and said, "ME!"

Well, that about made me cry. And for 30 seconds, I felt like maybe I was getting something right after all.

It's true, though. In our house, my kids and my husband are just about the only treasures I really, really care about. Sure, I definitely enjoy other parts of this home... the things. I am thankful for them. I would miss some of them if they were gone. I count them as blessings, without a doubt.

But I do not count them as treasures.

I did think, later on, that my photos, journals, and notes/art from the kids probably top the list. Super homey. Especially the little notes & drawings.

Here are my (belated) Making Home photos from last week. A few shots of our home as it is now. For encouragement... to remind myself that the house isn't all torn up trim and exposed drywall.

And, also, this week... to remind myself of what gives our home heart. The life lived in it.

Those last two are sneakity peeks into Baby's nursery. It's sooooo close to done. Some fabric arrived in the mail today for 2-3 last sewing projects. Then some photo prints need to go up and I'm calling 'er done. I'll share more photos when we wrap it up!

brother sister shared bedroom (again)

Lots of rooms I really like in inspiration photos have a look that seems to be collected over time. I'm gonna roll with how long it's taking me to finish this bedroom and just start saying it's on purpose. I'm purposefully letting it collect over time...

Chic like that.

ha.

I know a room is never really done. We tweak and mess with it all. New things come for Christmas or birthdays. Old things break and have to be replaced. A home is (hopefully) not static. By virtue of the life lived within its walls, change is a given.

So, I know I won't really "finish" this room. But, I am getting close to getting my to-do list for it crossed off. Just a few more touches!

Little Dude (5) and Punkin (now 8!) share this room. They've added some rather festive touches of their own. They asked me to take pictures of the room last week after they had cleaned it up. So, while Baby was napping and they were having rest & read time, I snapped a few shots.

Here are a few peeks at bedroom 3 these days.

It's not exactly what I had envisioned (obviously). But they are putting their own ideas into their bedroom... and I definitely like that. Punkin gets the credit for the rainbow arch idea. So cute.

We ditched the rug in here altogether. After all that time spent trying to decide on a replacement, really, I think it just looks better without one. There's so much going on in this room already. More pattern and color just wasn't needed.

I'm liking this room. I'm thankful they can have a clean, bright, cheery, cozy place to sleep at night. I'm thankful I could give Punkin even more pink. She still wants a pink afghan for the foot of her bed...

I'm thankful it's coming together. Almost at a close. Lots of blessings. These two hooligans, especially.

making home {photo project}

I read my own blog. Duh. Of course I do. The main reason I started this blog was so I could be encouraged and motivated as we hunkered down for a loooooong remodel. The blog helps give me perspective... and little pep talks. Especially the pictures. The pictures are HUGE for me.

When I was trying to decide what kind of photo project to take on this year, I got to thinking about similar projects done in the past by Megan Duerksen and Janelle Bradshaw. Megan's photography and her (former) home, in particular, have been huge inspirations for me. Check out her "Home Sweet Home" page. I love the way she captured her own home so well, and I'm hoping to learn from her - closeups! - and do the same with ours... in our own way.

This project... Making Home... is an attempt to grow as a photographer through LOTS of practice and to continue to document our home in real time. Photos of our home every week... for a year. My own series of home tour posts and the photos that accompanied them were my springboard. I'm hoping to love my home more intentionally throughout the coming year, and to be encouraged by the little snippets of lovely in between the sawdust and the paint cans.

It helps me so, so much to be able to come back to these photos and be encouraged. There is progress. There are pretty spots. Every year makes this more and more our home.

You can view the whole project to date here.

Embrace the Camera: November 15

Embracing the Camera today with Emily and a very unenthused small child.

Do you see this not working?

And yet I kept trying. Never one to give up too easily.

Poor child.

In other news...

So, I knew changing the blog URL was going to do a number on the ol' stats. But, ouch.

Like, really.

Ouch.

Maybe I shouldn't have peeked at Google Analytics today.