Turquoise, colbalt blue with hints of yellow....yeah my own workspace!

Hopefully you aren't getting sick of me sharing my love of the thrift stores but I can't help it. I have recently been trying to re-do a guest room that would double as a workspace for myself and decided to take the challenge on of using mostly the thrift stores, & other discount stores as my sources. It has been so much fun to see it start to come together with just a little pocket change. All that is left is painting, framing, the simple bedding and the modern window treatments.  Here's what I've come up with so far.  

The mirror, the hats and the pillows all came from Goodwill. The chrome lamp from Home Goods.

Next that secretary was purchased from Craigslist for $75 and has been a very efficient piece for such a small space.  I plan on doing a make-over & modernizing the secretary and the chair a few projects down the line.  If you want to see a fabulous secretary makeover go here.  

The chair was from Gracie's thrift and the turquoise and glass vases came from Marshalls.

I just have a couple more pictures to add to this collection and then after I frame some of them we will call this wall collage good. My favorite one is the picture of my aunt in 1944. I bought the lithograph of the two women for $5.00 and after doing a little research on it may be worth close to $1000.00.  It is signed and numbered by the French artist.

All of the items in the secretary were purchased @ thrift stores except for some of the trims.  Oh how I love my trims.

Love all of the cork top containers.

secretary - $75.00

chair - $6.00

mirror - $23.00

trinkets in secretary - $22.00

all of the artwork - $16.00

bed skirt - $3.00

turquoise glass vases - $16.00

lamp - $50.00

pillows - $7.00

6 antique hats - $8.50 

It wouldn't be polite if I didn't sit down to break in my new work spot by first thanking all of the discount and thrift stores.haha.

I'm so excited for my very own little spot!!!

I finally got the below book and I can't recommend it enough. It will really get a treasure hunters pulse up. The pictures are beautiful and it is hard to believe many of the refined and modern spaces featured were decorated by those who frequent flea markets and thrift stores. 

Flats are my latest quest

I saw the above picture & it made me smile because A)  the woman in picture (AKA-Angelina Jolie) is pretending to push one of my very most favorite items, which happens to be the most expensive accessory that I own and B)  she is wearing high heels while being a faux stroller pusher.  

Spending the money on that most expensive accessory that I own was easily justified because it goes with everything & gets much use.  Plus do you notice what a fine piece of stroller it is? It's not just any stroller, it happens to be the most heavy duty beautiful and magical RunAbout riga madu stroller ru (or just RunAbout for short).  I love it & if your into attention getting than this is the stroller is for you.  

P.S. - As soon as I am done with this stroller I will gladly donate it to another mother in need. 

P.S.S - Ok so let's be honest it's kind of a love hate relationship I have with that big blue beast.  Doesn't fit in my car you know unless I get me a hitch.

Speaking of high heels.....do you know what I was faced to realize the other day?

My ratio of high heel shoes to comfy flats are probably 40:3.  It's that way because I went from corporate dress code to the instant Mom code of 5 in 2.5 years flat & my identity lies within many of those high heel shoes.  Really I wore high heels until I went on bedrest with the twins 1 month before they were born.  People thought I was crazy but what they didn't seem to understand was that my heels and I worked rather well together.  Really I think my friends would have thought something was wrong with me if I showed up in anything but.  I don't think I have ever consciensly dealt with this little issue with my shoes & I, but now that I have finally processed it I do believe the wall that I have put up in reference to flats is ready to be torn down & I feel good about it.  I can finally clearly see myself in flats and not be afraid of losing myself.

Motherhood is kind of a crazy balancing act because you have to really appreciate all that you are gaining all while you're losing a little @ the same time.  If you gain too much motherhood you may lose too much individualhood but if you gain just the right amounts of both they compliment each other & you become quite a powerful product (I have to keep reminding myself of that). There has to be both give and take (mostly give though) factored into the equation because you can only live so long on the take take take road before the oil in the lamp has run dry.   

If you look closely in the picture below you will notice 2 of my 4 pairs of flats.  You will also notice that they happen to be an offering to my Mom who apparently can push a stroller in high heels...very talented.  That's my Momma!  She usually doesn't push strollers all dressed up but came over to surprise us as we headed out the door for our Sunday walk.  Good thing we pretty much have the same size shoe.

And finally an ode to a couple of my greenies. I'll never stop loving you and you really know how to spice up my favorite white dress.

Beautiful Inside & Out

Have you ever met somebody that once you got to know them they just got prettier & prettier?

I saw the above little cabinet and thought, "What a pretty little cabinet".  Then I saw what was inside it and thought "WOW!"  I like this little cabinet even better now with it's beautiful insides.  I actually would love to have one them for myself.

That cabinet made me think of a friend of mine. The more I know her the prettier she gets because of her beautiful insides.  She radiates love and kindness through & through.  Actually I have many friends like this but the most recent note that I was given by that friend really made me stop and feel the love and beauty all around me. Thank you to all of those that inspire me to be a better friend and person.

CAUTION: The opposite effect may occur when beauty is only on the surface.

Thank you Jackie for all of your love & support!

Toothpaste or Kefir

I think there are some of my kids who wish the above were on the menu @ the restaurant de la Full House. I intercepted all three of these delicious tubes of toothpaste within a matter of an hour. How they are getting their hands on this stuff is beyond me. To try and kick them of their toothpaste habit I introduced them to Kefir and not as in Sutherland. I'm pretty sure that was the trick that helped them to forget about the toothpaste. Have you ever had Kefir?  If not, you really should because it's quite tasty and apparently it is a miracle drink.  Actually besides it tasting good I really wouldn't know about its health promises and I was half way joking about the miracle drink part but if you believe google then the below are some of the things it had to say:

The benefits of consuming kefir regularly in the diet according to Kefir.net

Easily digested, it cleanses the intestines, provides beneficial bacteria and yeast, vitamins and minerals, and complete proteins. Because kefir is such a balanced and nourishing food, it contributes to a healthy immune system and has been used to help patients suffering from AIDS, chronic fatigue syndrome, herpes, and cancer. Its tranquilizing effect on the nervous system has benefited many who suffer from sleep disorders, depression, and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). 

The regular use of kefir can help relieve all intestinal disorders, promote bowel movement, reduce flatulence and create a healthier digestive system. In addition, its cleansing effect on the whole body helps to establish a balanced inner ecosystem for optimum health and longevity.

Kefir can also help eliminate unhealthy food cravings by making the body more nourished and balanced. Its excellent nutritional content offers healing and health-maintenance benefits to people in every type of condition.

I wonder if Kefir will help my little girl sleep in every morning......

         

Then we were eating dinner I was trying to sell the idea to the kids on why they should eat all of their dinner. "If you eat all of your dinner you will have lots of energy to go to Disneyland" or "If you eat all of your food you will grow big and strong like Momma & Daddy". Then my little girl said, "If I eat all my dinner will I grow a big tummy like you too?" Hmmm....I really wasn't ever offended by her question but it all made sense especially after I saw her playing Mommy with her baby doll.  I will forever be honored to have her refer to my big tummy because I think she thinks that anything that has to do with Mom is A-1.  We'll just let her keep thinking that way.  Although I do have to say I think she just came programmed with mothering instincts.

Shadows

So our electricity was out all day yesterday.  That meant no dishes, no cooking or no laundry.  Pretty much just slowed down and looked @ lots of shadows cast on the ground of me & my gang as we loaded & unloaded trying to find our next air-conditioned shelter.  I think on average we wore out our welcome wherever we went within 30 minutes or less so that's why we made so many stops.  Anyway back to our shadows....I really loved looking @ them because they made my "little misters" look like they still could be babies.  It's not easy coming to grips with this transition and I deny that they are practically singing their ABC's and that they no longer need Momma to feed them.  You see I am just trying to come to grips with the fact that the little misters are well just that...little misters.  I savor every moment of babydom.  It's going so fast I think I may even cry.  I adore every little creature 4 and under at my house even if I still have to run to the bathroom after my girls yell, "I'm Done".  Who's business is it anyways that I still clean up after my girls business and they are school goers (preschool that is).  I wonder if their teachers will be able to hear them yell from the bathrooms all the way down the hall...maybe I will just have to pack a lunch for myself as well so that I can make it through a whole day of school too.  

Let's forget about that for now and just focus on the big coming of age party we are about to embark on with the future triple dueces.  It is going to be so much fun.  It's kind of going to be a party of sorts to make fun of Momma for being so sentimental in losing her babies and I'm going to face my fear head on with an "big boy" party.  You can kind of compare my tactic to that of Prada.  Case in point Prada has always had a fear of lace so to conquer that fear they came out with a whole Fall 2008 line in lace. Why do I know this..I don't know I just do.  Kind of take after my Dad in knowing random tid bits of trivia.  Have I told you how much I love talk radio....blame that on Dad too...oh and the stupid jokes...don't blame that on Dad because I don't tell any stupid ones.  Come to think of it, why doesn't my husband ever laugh at my jokes?

Prada Lace Fall 2008

Even if comparing Pradas fear of lace to my fear of babies growing up seems a little silly it still happens to be part of my random thought process that then led me to think my next thought.  You see I started to think about the fact that I liked the Prada lace so I had to make a hair accessory inspired by it.  I then gifted it to my sister for Christmas and I welcome any thought pattern that brings me to think of sister even if it is because of some funny little lace creations.  Nonetheless sister wears it quite nicely.  Have I mentioned that she just had her birthday?  I feel so bad because I was unable to make it to her party due to inclement weather or was it that she lives on the other side of the world?  Sorry the birthday fairy is running a little behind.  Miss you love muffin!

P.S. - Thank you for the nice gift you just sent.  I love it.

Some items that are inspiring the "big 2" party.

wallpaper up...yeah!

Here's something really good to report on. I got the wallpaper up. I still love that it only cost me $3.00 for the paper. The coloring is all messed up because I took the picture in a dark house. May I mention it was dark because it was raining outside (another one of my favorite things...rain in the desert). I am so excited and can't wait for it to be completely done. On deck is the plate collage.

Plate collage inspiration:

Can chalkboards save the day?

Sometimes I wonder if my kids are normal.  They probably are the only kids that sometimes like to find crayons, pens, and sharpie markers to decorate our house or Grandmas house, which ever which one. Hmmm maybe they wouldn't take a liking to any of the above listed paraphernalia if I gave them a piece a chalk and let them go wild on their very own chalkboard walls. Hmmm..I wonder......

Perhaps I could start out with a chalkboard table top.

Anybody have any good insight besides hiding all crayons, markers & pens?  I've heard WD-40 helps.

Go, fight, win it's Monday!

Project: Don't get mad, get glad.

You know it's time to change or tweak things a little when you are quick to get angry about the above broken chrome plated garden stool. If you look closely you can see that I did pick up the pieces and then glued the stool back together. I'll tell ya' what, putting the pieces back together of the stool were much easier than the pieces I had to pick up after making  my little girl feel so bad about breaking the silly stool. That is why I am usually always thankful for a new day. 

The days all start out the same way with all kids screaming for their vitamins. "Oh here it goes again", I thought. Another day to try and cross off the list. That is when I knew a little tweaking of the day needed to come into play. By golly, I was going to break free of the same old same old so I started with breakfast.....

No more hot cereal that is usually made by robot Mama.   I busted out a brand new pancake recipe and served it in my fun aqua china. 

At first I thought it was kind of funny to break out the china for just the kids and I, but oddly enough it made me feel a little better going against the norm and spicing things up.  There was only one problem though and that was that the pancakes I made called for yogurt.  I didn't have a problem with the yogurt itself but the trail of thoughts that followed...........

YOGURT....wait wasn't I going to learn how to make my own yogurt using the nifty yogurt maker I've had for a few years.....

Wait come to think of it wasn't I going to finish the below book for somebody that I think is just out of this world amazing........

I did say I was going to finish hanging the vintage hats in my craft room.  We will just have to play with them instead for now.  Seriously they didn't forget any of the details back then, did they?

          

Shoot I still haven't checked off the below from my list:

*Alter embroidered dress for myself & then don't forget to paint that chair.

*Make girls a new dress out of curtains from Goodwill and vintage trim.
      

I think I said on this very blog I was going to get to my cross-stitch project for the boys room?  With the way things are going I made need more than the original year that I gave myself.  

Have I ever mentioned my obsession with needlepoint, embroidery & cross-stitch?  Just refer below.   I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the pillow with a B on it.  That will be going on my son's bed that starts with a B for sure.

Oh & don't forget that I still need to finish the laundry room (that darn wallpaper).  Projects, projects, shmojects.  I'm letting go right now and focusing back on what really matters.  Life would be so awesome though if I could live by the motto:

"Not quick to get angry but quick to get projects done"

Hey how come letting things go are easier said than done?  You think I would have learned after 4.5 months of bed rest, a tag along friend named catheter for 1.5 months and 5 kids in 2.5 years.  I guess I will have to just keep reminding myself about what really matters then.

At least I got most of my Christmas cards out last year.  Well except this one apparently.  Sorry Willis family but I just found your card in my car when I was cleaning it out.