PAYING FOR A LITTLE R & R!

The other day was a rough one.  Only rough in the sense that I have a 2 year old who is real attached to his mama.  Not that it is necessarily a bad thing but there are times in the day when I seriously need just a small break or a breather from fetching "ju" (juice), "nack" (snacks) and "B" (blankie).  Little man quit taking naps so therefore there is no respite.  I usually beg him to go play with his brothers in the basement but he usually simply says, "no".  Well the other day both big bros were in the basement and little Nick decided to join them for no apparent reason.  I didn't question nor did I go down to check on him thus risking his return to my hip.  Call SRS if you must but for my mental heath I just kept telling myself that he was safe in the basement with his big brothers.  I poured myself a cup of hot mint green tea, sat down with my feet up and proceeded to watch food network in which Paula Deen was cooking something with loads of butter.  After about 10 minutes I felt myself relaxing more and more and enjoying this small but needed alone time.  My alone time lasted about 45 min!  When he came up wanting more "ju" I was more than happy to oblige and I was thrilled to see his cute unkempt little head.  About an hour later I went downstairs to tell Jake and Brady that they had played Xbox enough for the day and this is what I encountered:

Every single one (well almost) of our board games or any games for that matter were all disassembled into a thousand pieces all over my basement floor.

Yes, that is every single lightbright piece on the floor.  Not just in one small spot mind you.  They are all over the basement including under this heavy table that almost gave me a hernia just trying to lift it.

Evidence of a short person getting into stuff.  Only the bottom two shelves were touched.  Thank goodness he isn't any taller!
As I was cleaning this atrocity I wondered was my 45 minute down time worth the one hour and 15 minute clean time?  My answer was a resounding HELL YES!!! 
It is spring break here and let's just hope the rest of my house doesn't get like this before the break is up.  Odds are it will!

Jules

DIY PROJECTS

I have been MIA for quite awhile. I have no good excuse. I have tried lots of new recipes that I should have shared but I guess was being lazy. I have to share my newest EASY project. I found this plate at the thrift store. I am a sucker for old teacups and saucers and old china/plates.

I'm not sure what drew me to this plate.  I think I just really liked the colors and it is really feminine.  Sitting very close to this plate at the thrift store was this real ugly brass candle stick holder

I immediately snagged both and knew exactly what I was going to attempt.  So I got home and painted this little gem a ballet slipper pink.

I love how you can see the details so much better now that this thing isn't brass anymore.  I then used something called Gorrilla glue which is a really strong glue and I glued the two together like so:

And now I have my pretty feminine homemade cake plate that cost around 3 bucks!  Can't beat that.  Now I need to bake something and display it on my cakeplate!

And while I was painting I decided to paint another thrifty find.  I have been searching hi and low for a plain black or actually about 3 plain black wood candlestick holders but everytime I see one they are just to dang expensive.  Since I am Ms. thrifty thrifterson I finally found the shape of what I wanted but it was real ugly y'all...

See what I mean?  Anyway this baby went from geek to chic in about 2 minutes..

Well it was more than two minutes because I had to do about 3 coats.  Now I just have to be on the lookout for about 2 more just like it!

Jules

Memories, Dreams and Reflections of 2011

Ahhh 2011, where did you go.  My parents always told me the older you get the faster time passes.  They were right.  I think I am going to change the purpose of this blog.  The original intent was for me to use it almost like a website to advertise my sewing and all of the baby things I was making.  I used to do alot more sewing and making things for people.  I still do occasionally make and sell some things at two local stores here in town but my passion that I used to have for sewing has fizzled a bit.  I still haven't written it off but for now I just feel so busy with other things in life.  My blog then sort of morphed into a journal of sorts.  I found myself writing alot about my kids, my life and my love of photography.  This blogs purpose now is to let me have an outlet to talk and write about things going on in my life.  It is going to be for my kids.  I heard somewhere that you can get your blog entries bound into a book.  How cool would that be to get it book bound yearly.  I know if I had documentation from my Mom in book form from back when I was a kid I would really love that.  So from here on out I will be writing about the good, the bad, and the ugly.  I'm not here to write about a perfect life that I have but about reality so I can truly remember this amazing time in my life....good and bad!

Ashley Sisk over at http://www.ashleysisk.com/ presented a new photo challenge for the end of 2011.  She is the one who sponsers the weekly photo scavenger hunts that I have participated in (although not lately).  She has 25 prompts this week.  I think it will be a good representation of how our year was in photos. So without further ado:

ME:

A new way I am trying to wear my hair.  Jury is still out.  And...I should really have lipstick on!

I LOVE YOU:

My Rock.

STILL LAUGHING:

This is how we eat spaghetti over here.  Gotta problem with that?

WINTER WONDERLAND:

This isn't really a winter wonderland but I figured since it has snow in it then it will do.  Maybe this one is better?:

I was trying to capture the falling snow with clarity.  I still have alot to learn!!

BIRTHDAY:

My baby turned two!  The excitement and look on his face is PRICELESS!!

FRIENDS:

Although she is my mother I feel blessed to also call her friend!

SPRING FEVER:

Whenever you see a tulip you know spring is right around the corner.

TRAVEL/VACATION:

We took our family vacation to Texas last summer.  Whenever we stay at a hotel it means hotel hallway golf for the boys!

SUMMER DAYS:

OK this is a cheat since it was really a summer of 2010 picture. It is one of my all time favs though!

ALL SMILES:

I just love this little one's big bright smile!

AUTUMN HARVEST:

This was my front porch this fall.  I got a little excited and had all of this up in early September!  I also had it as my blog header picture for awhile!

                                                               FAMILY/HOME:

These 4 are my family and my home.

                                                             CELEBRATE:

My sweetie is officially over the hill!

                                                             I MISS YOU:

My beautiful Grandmother, Thelma Cipullo.  I miss her like crazy.

                                                             BEAUTIFUL:

View from our room at the the J.W. Marriott for a getaway with my husband without kids!

                                                              DRESS UP:

My little buddy at his Christmas program all dressed up.  Although he was very scared and timid he sure was cute!

                                                           HOLIDAYS:

4th of July.

                                                     MY FAVORITE:

Something about this one.  I just love it!

                                                     DON'T EVER CHANGE:

I hope thise three stay genuine and true to themselves.

                                                      JUST BECAUSE-SO THERE!:

Another one of my favorites!

My hopes and dreams for 2012 are to open my arms to whatever life throws at me.  I want to try to really work on organization, healthy living and bettering myself for my kids and my husband.  I really did have a fabulous 2011 but I am ready for a fresh start to 2012!

Jules

It's the little things...

Ok...I had to post this.  Being a stay at home mom really is awesome.  I truly believe that it is a privilege to stay home with my crazy...er..um..sweet little ones.  The only thing is that it does become monotonous as I am sure any job does.  It's day in and day out of cooking, cleaning, grocery getting, driving to activities, changing diapers, laundry, never really sitting and did I mention cooking and cleaning?  Cooking and cleaning are the bane of my existence these days it seems.  Sure I know my kids love me but it's just that everything my we do for them is just, well, second nature now.  I rarely get any recognition for what goes on around here.  It just gets done.  I don't get paid and I don't get thanked very often.  It's ok.  I'm totally not complaining I am just merely speaking the truth here.

Well it's funny how you receive just a little thanks and recognition and it makes everything so right again.  It makes me almost want to do the laundry.  My 9 year old is such a softie.  He came home today with this letter for his Dad and I.

As I read I was fighting this little lump in my throat and my eyes got teary.  To hear your kid thank you for cooking and laundry was just to much.  I am always trying to be cautious as to not spoil my kids with things.  I always want them to know how lucky they are to have the things that they have.  It's sometimes hard to tell if they "get it". This letter confirmed that at least my sweet 3rd grader is aware of how lucky he is and he is thankful. 

This letter seriously made my whole month.  I love how he signed it, "your son, Jake L."  Just in case I didn't know who Jake was he had to add the L.

Jules

7!?

My middle little punk is 7 today!  Life has been a true adventure since this little one entered into our lives.  I am unusually cool, calm and collected today.  When it is any of my 3 boys birthday's I am usually a little blue and weepy.  So far today I am perfectly hormonally balanced! We are unfortunately having a sleepover party tonight for his birthday.  I'm sure by tomorrow I will be blue and weepy but from lack of sleep.

There are so many ways to describe Brady.....ALWAYS the life of the party, will literally do anything for a laugh (even if he has to risk getting in trouble for it), feisty, full of life and energy (can't sit still to save his life), compassionate, self conscious, lover of carbs and sweets, smart, sensitive.

Brady has this blessing and a curse of being enormous for his age, hence the nickname, "Moose."  He weighs around 10-12 pounds more than his older brother. It is a blessing because he is pretty athletic and good at sports for his young age.  He has really good hand/eye coordination.  The curse of it is that people think he is 9 or 10 but most definitely doesn't act like a 9 or 10 year old.  I feel like people are always judging me thinking-what is that 15 year old doing acting like a 6 year old?  Well maybe they don't think he is 15 but you get the idea.  I even have to remind myself sometimes that he is only 7.  Because of his size people really do expect more from him.  Hopefully everything will all even out eventually.

He is beginning to be an excellent reader.  It's so amazing to me to watch my kids learn how to read. The difference between August when school started and now is crazy and it's only been 4 months.  This age is so fun because they absorb everything in school and they still like it.  Brady is always eager to do his homework and do it correctly.  He takes time and is meticulous with his work which is impressive to me.  Some nights I am thinking to myself good God just finish already!  But he won't finish till it's right.  He didn't get that from me!

Brady is artistic.  I am amazed sometimes at things I will look at that he has drawn.  It is odd to me because I can't draw a straight line and either can his Dad.  There are alot of creative/artistic people on his Dad's side so I guess one of my kids was bound to get that gene.  I really try to nurture that in Brady.  He is also really creative when he plays.  I find him in his room or in the basement by himself alot just playing a made up game with himself.  I love that about him.

He's not so much into video games like his older brother.  He would much rather be doing something outside or playing with someone.  The boy just has so much energy that I honestly think it's hard for him to sit still and play a video game.  Even if he is watching t.v. He is usually upside down on the couch.  He's literally upside down.  It drives me crazy.  If he's not upside down then he is moving in some way.  Maybe a leg twitch or a foot twitch.  When he is tired is really the only time he may be still.  I truly take full advantage of his tiredness because it is the only time he will let me hug on him.  He generally hates me to kiss him and hug him but when he's tired he will let me sit with him with my arms around him.  He's just so dang big that he can't really sit on my lap anymore :(.  He does like me to still read him stories in his bed at night which of course I LOVE!

Right now he is really into Lego's and anything with professional wrestling.  He does try to pull out the wrestling moves from WWE when he is out back on the trampoline with other kids.  He is the one who usually ends up crying because he got hurt.  I hate it but I kinda think it's funny.  Is that mean?  He also is into Tom Brady and we got him a Tom Brady jersey for his bday.  He thinks it's cool because it says, "Brady" on the back.

To celebrate my little man we are taking a small slew of his buds to a Japanese Steak House for dinner then back here for a Star Wars Party and sleepover.  Please wish me luck and a teeny tiny sleep for tonight!

TEACHER'S GIFTS!

Does anyone else wait till the last minute to purchase gifts for teachers?   I always do and I don't know why.  I love my kids teachers and they are the people that almost spend more time with them than I do.  This year I was very organized about it.  I always procrastinate and then buy a stupid gift just because I didn't know what else to get.

I saw these coffee cozy's at http://www.houseonhillroad.com/.  I love this blog and have followed it for years.  She even gives you a free tutorial.  I tweaked it a bit making my coffee cozy's reversible.  I have a total of 5 teacher's to buy for this year and I thought this gift was thoughtful, economical and c'mon...who doesn't like a handmade gift?  Of course I made some extra's for some other friends and one for myself.  I can't wait to go to Starbuck's and use my new cozy!   I thought this coffee/tea cozy and a giftcard to Starbuck's would be a nice gift this year.  I hope so anyway!

Jules

A LITTLE BIT OF HANDMADE

Happy late Thanksgiving! I had a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with family.  I hosted this year and it went surprisingly well.  I was hardly stressed and I'm not sure why.  I did divvy out the work this year.  Everyone brought one or two things so really all I had to do was prepare a few dishes and take care of the house cleaning and decorating.

I was a little concerned about my table.  You can't really host Thanksgiving and just have a ho hum table. I am so dang cheap that I will never buy any decorations until they are like 80% off.  I just decided to make a table runner.  I have never made a table runner but it seemed easy enough.  I bought a bunch of burlap and sewed it into a runner.  I LOVED how it looked!  It was super long to accommodate the 144 inch table that I was using.  Unfortunately at the fabric store the burlap was at the end of the bolt and it came in two pieces so I had to cut and sew it together in four different spots.  Here is one of the seams:

It's hidden pretty well?  Now I have all of this burlap leftover and I am sure I will be finding all sorts of uses for it.  I also took this opportunity to use my painted mason jars filled with roses from my rose bushes out front.  Click here to see what I'm talking about... http://justjuleseveryday.blogspot.com/2011/08/crafty-time.html

 I almost always find things to do with my cylinder glass vases and yesterday I just got some leaves out back and tied the leaves around the vases with some jute string.  It all ties into my little natural/handmade table look.

Here is a picture of everything all put together:

And one more with all the candles lit:

I feel so thankful to have so many supportive people in my life.  I am thankful that I can go to the store and be able to afford the food so that I can feed the people that I love the most.  I am most thankful for my husband who works hard and gives me the opportunity to raise my three boys and be home with them everyday and not miss one second of anything.  I am also thankful that I am a woman living in America and I can choose to work or stay home or do whatever I want.  I love that if I don't have to get out of my jammies on cold days I don't have to.  I frequently ask myself, "why am I so lucky?  What have I done to deserve this life?"  I truly will always wonder that.  What are you thankful for?

Jules