We Are SO Ready for Halloween!

...and cooler weather!

Decorating Advice

You fellow bloggers have not been any help in the way of decorating advice! The only one who has tried to intercede with assistance has been Jeff. He just doesn't have that womanly touch or any pre-established opinionated rules to go by.

So I am calling on your advice...again. Here is the set-up of our formal lvg / formal dining areas. (Don't mind the shark tent or painting box). The formal dining set will be here in a month. It's from my in-laws & is my absolute favorite piece of furniture they have. I am SO EXCITED to be getting it! Oh yes, my question. I was planning to make the same cornice board for the formal dining window. Do I use the same fabric & do matching curtains, or should I change it? My only other thought is sheer & blinds, but maybe that is because I am afraid of color.

We finally got around to hanging a few things up. Afterwards I told Jeff that now it felt "warm" in here. His respose was to turn the AC down.

This is just a close-up. I like the way this turned out...so don't tell me to change this..K?

The next picture is the oposite side of the room. (Can you see the lovely green going up the stairs? It would be gone by now if it wasn't 20ft high over stairs. ) I was having trouble with the wall above the couch & didn't know how to handle the stairway & centering over the couch. Do I need to drop the smaller picture lower?

Also, I really want to paint that entertainment unit black (Jeff says no), because I think it'll be a while before we get a new TV & built in. We've got a few things further up on the list...pool, surgery, computer desk... not to mention a husband back in school.

Alright friends...please tell me what to do. Email me if you don't want to be publicly opinionated. Thanks!!

Bad Days Happen

If my last 2 posts lacked some sugar-coating it's because I was having a rotten day. I really don't know when I had time to blog, but here is the story:

I had an appointment in the morning to get an oil change & new wiper blades. The kids & I were on time & almost there...until I realize my wallet was at home! So back home we went to try again.

Once we were at the dealership new blades turned into needing new arms (or whatever they are called.) 2 hours later they come out to say that my battery is dead & they'll need 45 more minutes to drop a new one....but it's under warrentee. Anyone with kids knows 2 hours & 45 minutes is way too long to be waiting anywhere.

After that we stopped at Hobby Lobby to get a few things for a bow order. Sydney's new thing is to play expert shopper & MUST have my debit card to swipe & punch the numbers all by herself. So we get down the road & I think...I never got the debit card back from Sydney. I look in my wallet, it's missing. I call the store, checking...checking....it's not there.

While holding for Hobby Lobby, there was a call on the 2nd line. It was our renters. The 5 yr old refrigerator is making an awful noise. So then I head to our rental to check it out. The sound was a loud, annoying vibrating buzz sound.

So I went home. Looked on Craigslist for a cheap fridge, no luck. I call a guy in the ward that repairs things like that...he's leaving for CO. So I hopped on the internet, looked up the 3 major things it could be. Went back to the rental, pulled the back off & found what was causing the noise. Came home, ordered the part to be sent overnight. This morning I installed it & the fridge is working (and sounding) perfect again. Hooray!!

I also found my debit card. Sydney did have it... until it dropped under her car seat.

I know everyone has bad days. I guess it's just better to save the blogging until I've corrected all the bad in the day.

Hope you all have a great Labor Day weekend. We are headed out for camping, boating & some overdue family time.

Project Home

I just build & put up this cornice board. I have 2 rods tucked under there, so I will be getting fabric to make curtains too. I know the sheer I made is too long, but should I have it an inch off the floor or higher? The wall is a light toupe too (like Crab Apple, but called Khaki), this is not the avacado green.

I will also be doing a cornice board for the window next to it too. I just wanted to make sure I could do it before starting 3.

I also plan to do crown molding. Dad J...would you teach me the beginning of Oct??

Here is the exterior. I installed black coach lights & Jeff did the black door knob...so much prettier than the gold. I also did the wiring for the fans and figured out how to transfer a normal light fixture over to a fan. Now we have a fan above the kitchen table. Maybe that is only appreciated in AZ?

The skies here are always that blue. Makes the brown more bearable. :-)

Here is our backyard. It's a good size for us. I really want to build a pool in January. Jeff wants to wait till the kids are teenagers.

I raked the rock into piles last night while the kids swam in the kiddie pool. They aren't ant hills or anything worse.
I love that there are no homes behind us. It's just a green area, with a walking path & a picnic table. That open feeling is something that I loved about our other house, so I am glad to have it the same here.

That's all for now. I am ready for your decorating advice!

In Need of Friends

When summer starts dad is home, vacations begin & visits from friends slow down. Well, with summer ending, school in full swing, it has been fun to get back to playdates.

Life is so much better when Ty has a buddy come visit. I am not claiming to be Super Mom...I really don't like to take care of the needs of more kids. Rather I like the friends that occupy Ty. It's when more kids Feel like less kids, then I am a happy mom.

Here is one of his little playdates. We made worms & dirt.

This is my new table that Jeff got for my birthday. I love it. The only problem is that it scratches, so if you put your keys on it & I yell at you...that's why. ...for real though, is there anything I can do besides a constant table cloth or glass? I friend of mine covered her's with plastic, but she says it ruined the finish. Yikes! Let me know if you have a secret or not so secret solution.

We Are In

We moved in August 14th. Our phone # is the same. If you want our address, just leave a comment & I'll email you.

The move went great. We had so much help! (I think there were at least 20 guys!) A sweet friend picked our craziest day to bring my favorite meal...Chipotle. What a treat & relief not to think about dinner! Another friend brought a load of yummy bread & jam. It had a note that said: We hope your new ward is like this bread, so incredibly wonderful that you don't even notice the crummy parts. How cute is that!

My parents & brother agreed to my last minute request for their help & came out the following day. My mom watched the kids while the men loaded & uploaded the truck, then my dad & brother did all the installs I directed them too. It was great!

Since the 14th I have been working like a mad women. Whenever I think life can't possibly get any busier...it does. I think back to when Ty was an infant & I would be home playing with him, watching the Price is Right & Oprah...I can hardly imagine having that much time.

We love having a bigger home. The kids love the stairs (my least favorite part!). I love being able to do noisy things like unload the dishwasher while the kids are asleep.

NOW THE KID UPDATES:

Ty started at his new preschool. His teacher is fabulous. He has made new friends & gets to ride a little bus with a few other pre-schooler on it. They have a green/yellow/red card system. So far he has had a green card every time. Jeff & I expected that. The little monster only comes out when Sydney is around.

We had rain the other night & tons of lightening. Ty was saying "I'm scared of the rain". So together we watched to storm, oo'd & ah'd for about 15 minutes. Well, now every night at bedtime Sydney has wanted to mimic Ty's fear & says that she is scared of the rainbow. I guess we get a lot more rainbows than rain, so that is what she knows. Another thing she does is say her prayers. She says, "Heaven Father, Thank you for this day. You're welcome."

I'll post pictures as projects are done. For right now just imagine walls the color of 70's avocado green Tupperware. :-)

We Got It!!

The Seller agreed to come down $15k, so our bank is willing to finance it. How crazy eh? What a blessing & relief! Things should get wrapped up in underwritting during the next few days and then we will know for sure. We should be moving in 11 days...guess I don't have time to make the 2 blankets I had planned for tonight. That's ok though, it's hardly blanket weather around here!