monday morning

I'm coming out of retirement, y'all.

Molly's class is going to want me to blog it seems. So, I blog.

I tried sharing these photos in other ways, but really - there isn't a whole lot more gratifying than seeing your photos in a blog post. Well, except having them actually in your hands. But on the interwebs... a blog is hard to beat.

I took these all this morning. Baby found the hose out front, and the rest was hooliganism at its finest :)

Here at the end of a crazy busy June, summer is well underway. Time to breathe...

blurry

I'm pumped.

I'm starting a new photography class today. It's called Visual Storytelling and Molly Flanagan is the instructor. Ex. cit. ed!

I was browsing through Molly's website just now, and was so pleased to see a little blur going on. I've been enamored with blur lately. I think it's been brought on by some really inspirational ladies I follow on IG.





I've only browsed the first lesson, and although I feel like in many ways I've already worked through the main ideas presented in this first week, I'm still so thrilled. I know from past experience in online classes that I will learn a ton through comments from classmates and from taking the time to really dig in to the topics deeply. I'm in the mood to push myself, and since we're wrapping school up this week (hurray!), I'll have more time to do just that.





I'll have more time to blog, too, which is also exciting!



So, I'm in a good place creatively. I'm coming out of a significant "big camera" rut... ruts stink. Big times. But I can sense my enthusiasm springing back to life. I'm ready to grow and expecting to grow. And that feels good :)

Do y'all have some project or hobby lined up to fuel your mind this summer? I know it can be so difficult with little ones, but the hobby doesn't have to be big or fabulous or time-consuming. But just a little something lined up? I'd love to hear about it!

Nursery Tour on Life Made Lovely!

How fun is this? Lily's room is featured today over at Life Made Lovely! I would love it if you would check it out :)

Making Home (photo project) - April

Heeeeey, there! (waving smiley face)

Did you think I was gone? Me, too. But then I discovered I wasn't.

It is late, peeps. But I have missed you. And this sweet little blog. So, I want to post something already!

When I logged on to Blogger tonight and came to the Woohooie homepage, I remembered by photo project. I had pretty much forgotten I was even doing one until just then. Thankfully, I hadn't forgotten that I liked to take pictures, so I still have a pretty decent showing for my April MH. Obviously, they're a month late. But who's picky like that?

You know the drill by now. Quick captions for most. Chit chattiness for others.




Pretty light.



New shelf and such in the kitchen. I like it!



More pretty light and an even prettier babe. For several weeks she was obsessed with climbing this little step ladder and looking out the front door windows. Looking for doggies. Looking at trees. Waiting for Daddy. So sweet. The ladder was there because I was (and still am) painting the interior side of the front doors gray. Much lighter in the foyer that way.



I was having a grumpy day. So I organized the books in roygbiv. I can't believe this, but they've actually stayed that way! Apparently, it's fairly easy for the younger ones to put away books by color. And they're just plain happy to gaze upon organized that way.



School. For dayzzzz. Seriously. All that "love of learning" talk we homeschoolers are so fond of is totally out the window at this point in the school year. Who are we trying to kid? These people don't want a thing to do with anything else but the pool.





Both of these pictures make me so thankful for cameras. Sweet little nugget.



The four older kids and I had a movie night one night when Sam was out of town on business. I made it special for them. Snacks, blankies, pillows, staying up late... all that. I also made brownies. Yummo. Something told me when I put four full glasses of milk on the coffee table... On her way back to the couch from a bathroom break, one of the girls tripped and careened straight into the table. Milk flew EVER.Y.WHERE. It was a good excuse to shampoo the carpets. And wash all the slipcovers. And all the throw pillows, too. Oh, and the curtains.



And while the curtains are down and the sofa is moved out of the way, why not just paint a little?



But just a little. Because paneling is a pain in the neck to paint. It took forever to do one wall.





I must've been working on light in April. Lots of backlighting going on. Kiss the baby, Daddy! :)



Silliness. This child is TOO OLD to still take a bottle. But, we're suckers and give them to her anyway. (We're down to only at night now... progress!)



Have you had Trader Joe's chocolate croissants? Totally worth it in every way.





And... more school. We're getting really close to wrapping up the school year now. A little over two more weeks! I am really, really ready. We all are.

So, what have YOU all been up to? Anything exciting?

I'm here!

There's lots of photo editing, wall painting, and soccer playing going on around here. I'll be back with an 11 on 11 post (since I missed 10 on 10) soon! See you then!

Making Home project - March

First of all! Happy Easter! We had a wonderful time with family, celebrating the truth of our risen Savior. And I ate way too much cheesecake. I only make it about once a year, though, so... I kind of had to. Right?

This month was a big one house-wise. You may remember that March marks the anniversary of our first project in this home. We have now been working on this house for four years. Four! As we start this fifth year, I'm getting pretty excited. I really think by the end of this year we're going to have come a long, long way from where we began. Although there's still plenty left on the to-do list, I like our home now. I'm not nearly as prone to getting overwhelmed by it as I once was, and the torn up spots are more equally balanced by pretty spots now, too. It's encouraging, guys! Those first couple of years seem to move at a snail's pace. There's just a mountain of projects looming before you. And no matter how much you work, it just doesn't ever seem to happen fast enough. But, by God's grace, we've kept at it. What a blessing to start to see such a difference! To realize that all the little bits add up over time.

They really do.

This is a long post. I have a lot of photos to share. If I continue to post the Making Home pics once a month, I think they'll always be fairly lengthy. 20+ photos is a lot. I'll try not to talk your ear off and make it even longer.

Okay... our home... March :)



Baby is at the age that she loves anything that makes her feel like a big girl. She's still too wobbly to sit at the table on one of the benches, but this little set up is a fun arrangement for her breakfast if she's up before the others.







I shared these three photos in an earlier post. We had two good snows this month! (I sure hope we're done now, though!)





I love when I can have fresh flowers on the dining room table. It's fun to play around with new colors in an easy way. We also added pieces of plywood cut to size to fit between the china cabinet shelves. Right now, I have them painted a pale, warm pink. It's probably a little too sweet of a look to leave up for long, but at the end of winter, it's been a welcome change. It made the cabinet that we've had since the first year of marriage feel fresh.



I already shared this image, too. We started painting the stair risers leading down to the family room. I'm pumped about that!



I also finally got around to repainting the entryway closet doors white. I had test-swatched a light beige color on them a loooong time ago, thinking it'd be no deal to paint over it if I didn't like it. But, it definitely took longer than I anticipated to get to it! Anyway, there's one coat of white paint on them now. Hoping it won't be another 3 years before I get the second coat up :)



And this was a game changer for me. This little slice of wall completely changed the feel of the main level. It was just the unexpected pop of color and fun we needed to shake up a fairly traditional, suburban look.



The triangle color was left over from painting Baby's rocker. It. is. bright. I had told my sister about it, but when she walked into the living room and saw it, she still said, "Woooah!" :) It's high energy. And, again, a little unexpected. I guess I've been craving a sense of fun this month.







The yellow table was there temporarily while I was painting the rocking chair. I had fun with the paint colors this month :)







I got antsy one day early in the month and re-did the mantle. I wanted Spring. Stat. I used things we had on hand and made a few. That garland is left over from last year's summer list :)



I can't remember for certain, but I think I made those pillows at the end of February. A scrap of that fabric came in an assortment I purchased from Etsy, and I immediately fell in love with the vibrant colors. They are very bold in person. Super happy with the white chairs. The fabric is Amy Butler... I think it's from her Bliss line.





She's so funny about that hat.



And just this weekend...







Pie.

I just ate another piece of coconut cream while I was posting this.

Bloat.