Before and Afters

I'm not sure if it's been the mess after the holidays motivating me or the New Year coming, or what. 

It's time to organize! Ready to refresh and declutter over here, and about time once again. I'm telling ya, birthday parties help clear things off around here, but without some major motivation the detritus just ebbs and flows around here, it will be partially cleared off until something else needs to be kept from the boys...and up it goes on the buffet. *sigh*

Anyway...it was time to tackle the coat mess in the foyer. It gets out of hand so fast! A huge pile of coats on the floor, bikes, and shoes strewn around. No fun. 

Here's the before and after. Actually, there's no real before! Didn't get one taken before the old hooks were taken down. Boo on me...

Lady Agnew finally moved from her place on the wall in the boys' room. 

The afterwards. Whew, doesn't it feel good to get something under control and manageable? I'm trying to source materials to make a shoe rack, that will be a future project. 

I also decided to get a new shower curtain after seeing one at Target recently. I came to the conclusion that I should stop fighting the cobalt blue tiles in the bathroom and just succumb to them. It's not the color so much as the pattern, random yet planned at the same time and enough to drive you crazy. 

I made this from a flat sheet that was just the right size. The colors went well, but the show-every-smudge background was getting old. 

Behold. 

The material was heavily sized and dyed...should have thought to just iron it and save the washing for later. But I wanted it softened up a bit...and now it looks a bit faded and a tad tie-dyed. Heh. Lesson learned. I know I won't even notice it in another week, and I bet no one else would even give it a thought. 

It's fun to spruce things up! Now I just need to finish painting the trim white in here. Too many projects. 

Happy New Year to you! 

Spiffy Boys

Aaron had the day off today, so we decided to go traipsing over to Johnson City. 

Leon picked out clothes himself. Nice jacket from Granmarmee! 

He wanted to take this pic with a cheesy grimace.

My lil cuties. It's starting to sink in the Silas' birthday is only four months away, and then my "baby" will be three! Ack, the time sure flies. 

Diaper Surprise

Don't worry, this isn't something gross, just funny. 

I went to change Silas' diaper the other day, and had a little something waiting for me. Knowing his propensity for using his diaper as a holster or a pocket, this should not have come as any surprise, but it did. 

*lol*

Little car from a new toy tucked neatly in. Ha hah, what next? 

Butter Boy

We just got home from an errand out and about, and Silas went straight to the table. I saw him hunched over something, but figured it was a scrap left from supper or a snack. 

So a minute later he comes in the bedroom licking his fingers, something that looked like frosting, sticky and white. 

'Silas, what is that...what are you into?'

Leon pipes up. "I'll tell you what he's into....

BIG TROUBLE!!!" 

*lol* 

Transition Time

Well, I'm ready to clean up all the mess and get our lives organized, hah. We'll see how long this motivation lasts. For now, moving the crib/toddler bed from our room to Leon's is enough. 

Wow, we actually have our own space now! It's so nice to have everything kind of put together. 

New light from Granmarmee. I love that it deepens the yellow color to orange.

Also, I'm going to work on making a version of this for above our bed, kind of mosaic in style with paint chips, maybe some gradient color going on. Still ruminating. (Photo from sweetsweetlife I think.) 

Such a lovely view! I have been wanting a chair in front of the window forever. Now to get the perfect (smaller) plant to go there. 

Branch jewelry hanger. I think I found this weathered piece out at the Holston Dam. 

Checkin' out the new digs.

Now Aaron has some space around his dresser instead of having them both crammed here.

The door hides all my stuff! Yessss. (It wouldn't close with the crib there.) Now to find out how I want to organize shoes. 

I was so happy to find this embroidery at the thrift store! It's so cute on this chair, despite needing a bit more work and an iron. 

Funny how little things can make you smile just to see them. 

Vintage dresser scarf...

Oleski painting we got for a steal on Ebay, 11 x 14 size.

Prized Peet collection. I think this will stay in my room for special reading time. 

While I was taking pics I pulled out this wool hat from Ecuador and Gma Mary's travels. Another little treasure from the FL trip. All I have to say if I want Silas' hand in the pic is, "Please don't touch that.." *lol* 

Peek-a-boo!

Describing this... "Here is his ears and nose and that's part of his shoulder down there." 

Leon said, "This is the rat from Tan Fox. (Fantastic Mr Fox movie) I made him a happy face for the picture. Is that good idea?" 

The first night after moving was a little rough, but I think they'll make it. Silas was kind of weepy and kept saying he wanted to be back in the "udder woom." Kind of sad. Leon tried to help him feel better, such a good big brother. Once we get the boys room settled I'll take pics in there to post. Work in progress. 

Saying Goodbye

Another Christmas has come and gone...time to say goodbye to the ornaments til next time. 

I'll be sad to take down the greenery. One thing that makes the scent last, hah. Start a new vacuum bag before you clean up from the tree, and the spruce scent will linger until you fill it up! 

This is our "ugly" ornament collection. Ask no questions, they have been deemed thus. 

This one is sad, toppled tree complete with bugs. 

Ahem. I can't say what we call this one. 

Sorry, Mammaw. We don't think she's that attractive, just funny. 

'Nough said. 

And here are the boys' first year ornaments. 

Leon has two. 

Here's little Silas.

This is some tiny x-stitch I did at a young age. 

Cannot remember where this came from! Judy maybe?

One of Aaron and I's favorites, a painted Russian one with horses from my grandma Bekemeyer. She gave out ornaments every year for a long time, this one was around 2001 I think. (It barely survived this year...the boys threw a ball at the tree or something, this fell off but not hard and didnt break. Whew.)

Origami from this year. I made over 60 of these guys! They take about 20 minutes to make, even a bit longer. 

Loon from New Hampshire. 

Santas from Mammaw.

...in memory of Buck. 

This was from Judy. A Boyd's Bear Eeyore. 

And new this year: from Angie and Jason

Hand embroidered, from Abigail. Isn't her stitching lovely? Thanks, Gal!

Well, hopefully I can get them all packed up without incident. I'm always paranoid I'll leave one on the tree and throw it out, are you? 

Happy recovering from the holiday to you all! Thanks for all the thoughtful gifts. 

Fire Power Christmas

So Aunt Kris kindly thought to buy the boys a whole cowboy set. Here they're opening up the big guns on Christmas morning. In an earlier video (posted on Vimeo, where I fast ran out of upload space) Leon says that next year for Christmas he wants to get some guns. Little did he know that he would be possessing of four by the time it was all over. Hah. 

Here's the details of our day. 

So excited about his cowboy vest and outfit. 

Cutest 'lil cowpoke ever. 

"Ptchooo" (sound of gun shooting, however you spell it.) 

Don't you love how he put on his boots over his footie PJ's? lol

New books. I got a bunch of used Bill Peet, so we can have our own collection now. Love those books! 

Snazzy new shirt. 

I love how he's smiling in this pic and then the next one he gets all serious about it. Hah!

Gotta learn that boy not to shoot with his eyes closed. 

Decked out!

Showing off to Israel. 

He got overheated in that fleece, heh. 

Cozy flames.

All worn out on the drive to Bubba's. Notice the death grip on those guns. 

Bubba always outdoes herself when it comes to decorating the tree. 

Machine guns. They're loud. 

Awwah. 

Boys being silly. This was preceded by the traditional "snowball fight" with wadded up wrapping paper. 

Chillin' with the fam. 

There is Bubba herself, otherwise known as Nancy, and Stan's sister. 

Yes, they sat around with bows on their heads. 

Shootin' her up. All three of them.

Little Luke all tuckered out. 

Silas being silly and pitiful, lol. Granmarmee is helping him feel better. 

Good times. 

Those boys fell asleep on the way home, about 7:30, and slept. all. night. long. 

Yesssss. Best present ever.