The Better Part

Road Trip...Memphis!

2011-09-24T22:24:00.000-05:00

Well it's 1 for the $$$

2 for the show

3 to get ready

now go cat go!

Ready or not!

Old Man River

Elevator doors on the mezanine level at the Peabody.

Have mercy!

Yeah, baby, yeah!

I finally tried on some "Tom's". These I love.
Dear Santa...

These I love too.
Heroes! Wookies! Dinos!
Oh my!

Was Mr. Rogers saying "trolley" or "Charlie"?

Raise your hand if you thought "Charlie"...

me too.

He does that to freak me out.

And it does.

We loved our few hours in Memphis and found a few ways to see kid friendly sights on the cheap! Here's a little about what we did and my list of "I've never been to Memphis before now tips":

1. Stop by the visitor's center and chat it up with the friendly folks that work there. We stopped by the one on Elvis Presley Blvd where I asked the nice lady what we could with the kiddos for free or nearly free in a couple hours. If you intend to take any tours, check here for discount tickets! Grab a map and some brochures for free souvenirs to put in your scrap book, or field trip folder for us.

2. Have some cash on hand for a trolley ride through town. These aren't buses made to look like a trolley. This is the real deal! We got on at Union and rode the Riverfront Loop Trolley. It was about a 20 minute ride. It's a great way to see a nice section of downtown without having to drive and watch the road. Kids under 5 are free! Everybody else is $1.00.

2. The Peabody and its ducks. This is FREE and fun. The ducks parade down from their penthouse digs at 11:00 in the morning and then back home at 5:00 in the evening. We just missed them coming down because we didn't know in time. The lobby is lovely and the ducks are entertaining. You can take the elevator all the way up to the mezanine and see the city from the top of the Peabody. Back downstairs I enjoyed being back on ground level and enjoyed browsing in Lansky's boutique. I tried on some Tom's to see what all the hub-bub is about and enjoyed checking out the swanky duds. The Peabody is really something to see, it speaks for itself. I was reminded of a time that I often wish to have lived in, a time when people dressed for the occasion, where manners and chivalry were the norm, and going downtown was really something.

3. Sun Studio. We stopped by to take pictures outside and I had to stick my head in and see what I could. They have a nice snack shop with plenty of seating and treats as well as souvenirs and memorablia to enjoy. I was curious about ticket prices for the 45min. guided tour and found out my kiddos were free! But...my 4 year old couldn't go...5 and under are no-go's. But...the parents of the stay behind kiddos get free tickets for the tour. AND the stay behind parent and kiddo get free cokes and snacks at the snack shop! So my husband, 10 year old, and 6 year old went on the tour for free; my 4 year old and I stayed in the snack shop and had a free lunch of fritos, moonpies, cokes (and the banana and yogurt I brought with us) AND I got a free ticket for the tour next time we visit (no expiration). This may be the best kept secret in town for tourists!

4. Parking is Fun! No, really! Park at "Parking is Fun" on the weekend for $3. 1-2-3 $. It is on Union just west of the Peabody toward the river. You could keep driving around looking for a free spot, or you could pay the piper $3 and go play!

5. A. Schwab's general store on Beale St. It is free, unless you buy stuff. We bought some penny candy, tried on crazy hats, and had fun. The ladies that work the store were so nice to the boys & they sure got a kick out of seeing my boys try on hats and make faces. If you like old
stuff or old buildings you should go. It is neato.

Well, I'm already looking forward to our next visit to Memphis. Got any tips to share? Favorite stops? Can't miss sights to see? Do tell!

New Normal

2011-09-11T11:31:00.001-05:00

I picked up my sweet baby boy, just barely 8 months old, and sang to him "this is the day, this is the day, that the Lord has made, I will rejoice, I will rejoice, and be glad in it..." as I laid him on the changing table. After diapering him we went into the family room and I fed him and rocked him and played with him until he got sleepy. As I rocked him back to sleep I turned on the tv and began to watch my favorite morning show on Fox News.

With my baby on my shoulder breathing softly in my ear as he slept I watched as Fox interrupted the program and began showing a building with smoke pouring out of it. It was the first tower struck by a plane. As Shepherd Smith was speculating about what had happened that a plane could get so off course that it would strike such a building as the World Trade Center.

Moments later, live on tv, I watched as the second plane hit the second tower.

I will remember the events I saw happen that day. I will remember how I felt. I will remember knowing what this meant for my brothers serving in the USAF and the USMC. I will remember God's promise to never leave or forsake.

There was no getting back to normal. Normal was forever changed.

Have we forgotten.

one year ago today

2011-08-30T11:31:00.000-05:00

One year ago today we had a 9 1/2 year old, a 5 1/2 year old, and a brand new 3 year old. We lived in Baton Rouge. We were on vacation in Panama City, FL at Bay Point.

Today we have a 10 1/2 year old, a 6 1/2 year old, and a brand new 4 year old. We live in Meridian. We are on vacation in Panama City, FL at Bay Point.

I wish somethings never changed.

Hump Day 10 Spot

2011-08-24T19:16:00.000-05:00

1. Our youngest boy turns 4...FOUR...on Sunday. 4. Who let this happen.

2. Happy hour at Sonic rocks.

3. We are getting that barometric change in the air that makes us say, "Hey, it feels like football weather."

4. We are hooked on the following TV shows, in no particular order...

a) The Closer

b) Top Shot

c) anything Sarah Richardson

d) The Penguins of Madagascar

e) Wild Kratts

f) Design Star

g) Rizoli & Isles

h) Kipper

and soon....like SATURDAY

g) THE PIONEER WOMAN!

5. We are going on VaCaTiOn!

6. Flag Football, Soccer, & SEC football...OH MY! It's time!

7. We arent' starting school until AFTER Labor Day.

8. I/we (it's been a family effort) have a spot at an antiques mall. The Keeping Room is the name and you can find it on Facebook, there's a button for it on the sidebar.

9. It's so hot. How hot is it? It's so hot all I feel like for dinner is cold cereal. Nobody else around here thinks its a good idea.

10. four.

Groundhog Day or something like that...

2011-08-21T20:44:00.001-05:00

Have you ever started a project after planning it through and then gotten up to your elbows and felt like you maybe, just maybe, had bitten off more than you could chew? Yeah, me too. But. It never comes to stay...it always comes to pass.

In July I went down to my parent's house to paint their cabinets. All of their cabinets. All 62 doors and drawers and "faces" in the kitchen, laundry, and 2 bathrooms.

Some of you know what kind of job that is. I'm no stranger to tackling big projects, but thinking I could get it done in 3.5 days was just, well, stoopid. It ended up taking me about 5 days, I think, really they got to be a blur. One day looking the same as the last...like Groundhog Day where Bill Murray wakes up to the same day overandoverandoverandover. Word.

This was a project I was so excited to do for my parents, I really love doing this kind of stuff and I love them even more. So it was also important to me that they liked the end result. I was feeling insecure and am always my own worst critic, but I'm not convinced they'd tell me they didn't like something I did as a gift for them. Only thing is, this wasn't a construction paper and paper doily heart for valentine's day this was their KITCHEN.

The Details:

62 drawers/doors + the faces of their cabinets
Oak (I think) cabinets with what became overtime and orange-ish stain with a clear coat
Scrubbing, lots and lots of scrubbing, to get off the accumulation of dust and grease especially on the cabinets surrounding the cooking area. *Please note: This is not a reflection on my Mom's housekeeping. Kitchen cabinets just get grimey. All God's children's cabinets get grimey. You are a good Mom. I love you. Amen.
Lots of screws to keep up with once the doors were down. Get a tupperware piece and remember where you put the screws.
Saw horses or something to line up your doors for painting and drying.
2.5 quarts of ASCP in Old White
1 quart Benjamin Moore glaze in a custom tint the color of coffee beans. (About a third was leftover.)
2 quarts of Polycrylic clear coat.
Lots of lint free rags.
Brushes and a small roller for cabinets~they don't leave streaks or bubbles.
Elbow grease.
A good friend to come to your rescue.
A good radio show, music, or book on tape to listen to. (My selections were Rick and Bubba, Rush, Hannity, and misc. music.)
Starbucks.
Aleve.
Heating pad.
I'm not as young as I used to be.

Now, like I mentioned I don't have step by step pictures to show you but here's the breakdown of what we did.

Sunday night I used painters tape to number the doors/drawers. I put a number in the drawer/on the back of the door and then a number on a shelf or slot they came off of. Then Mom and I washed the cabinets with Murphy's soap, wiped them dry, and Dad took the doors down.
Monday morning I commenced to painting. I started with the cabinet faces. Then went onto the doors and drawers. I did one good coat. The ASCP covered perfectly. We did not prime or sand anything. None of the old stain bled through!
The painting took 2 days I think.
Then we got the glaze. I did a test area in the laundry room and realized the glaze was soaking in to the chalk paint much like dark wax would if done without first using the clear wax to seal your project. Sooooo, I repainted that area, and again the chalk paint covered the glaze with zero bleed through.
So, since we wanted to be sure we had a super durable low maintenance finish we knew we'd go with Polycrylic instead of waxing. Just like I wax a piece with clear wax after painting with chalkpaint, I put 1 coat of Polycrylic clear coat over all cabinet faces, drawers, and doors.
There wasn't any waiting around, by the time I was done with the last of the clear coat, the area I started in first was ready for the glaze. Total dry time was almost 24 hours though. To glaze we just brushed it on and then wiped it off. It stays in the nooks and crannies and not so much on the flat surfaces. We knew we wanted a natural and not so perfect finish but the graniness of this particular wood yielded unpredictable results. A few doors had to be re-glazed to get a more consistent look. But I think that's how the cookie crumbles. Here is where you can get really critical and worried, but just try to pay attention to how you are applying and wiping and work in the same way on each door. Once I had a rhythm going, we got more consistent results. AND once the doors are put all back in place the overall look is much different than studying one door at a time.
So the glaze had to dry for 24 hours and then we commenced to clear coating. Letting it dry overnight between coats. My parents put on at least 2 more coats after I had to get back home for a total of 4 coats.
The drawers and doors were put back in place easily since we labeled each one. Getting to see the knobs go on was the icing on the cake.

It was hot so we did the whole think inside. Fumes weren't an issue with the chalk paint. The glaze and Polycrylic weren't bad, but we had a nice fan to help with ventilation and drying.

Time seemed to go so slow and so fast during this project. My Dad would come home for lunch and then it seemed like only an hour later and he'd be home for the day. I am so glad for my friend Chantel! She was wanting to see firsthand how the chalk paint worked because she too has a full kitchen of the same cabinets to paint. She came by after work and helped when she could. It was so nice to have her help and company. Guess who is now addicted to ASCP! Yup. CHANTEL. :) She's been thrifting and has gotten 3 colors to fix up her finds with and she is great at it!

I sure hope this post will encourage some of you with a large project on your to-do list to consider Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint to help you tackle the job. I have loved using this paint on tons of things from frames (wood, resin, and PLASTIC!), lamps, pottery, decorative metal objects, and misc. furniture (wood and veneers) and have loved the results.

Chalk Paint does cover in one coat over 30 year old stained cabinets.
Chalk Paint works well with other products not in the ASCP line like the waterbased Benjamin Moore glaze and Polycrylic clear coat I used in this project.
Chalk Paint will save you time in prep work and money on supplies (i.e. stripping solvents etc.)

When it was all said and done, Mom and Dad assured me they really liked the cabinets. I like them. Chantel, likes them too. So here are the pictures, some before and afters...no durings because like I said I was in Groundhog Day and didn't take pictures the first day and therefore not any subsequent day of the project either. The shots are from our family pics with the after looking in the same direction. (Thanks for taking the pics and sending them Mom!)

YUM!

Hey Mamaw!

Laundry cabinets above machines.

Master Bath, the hall bath isn't shown here but it is the same just not as long.

This kitchen has been the setting for some great meals (Dad's BBQ & Louisiana cooking!), games of Zingo with the grandkids & Mexican (crazy train) dominos too, and just sitting and visitng with friends and family. Our family has had shared much together here over the years inspite of ugly orange cabinets in the background. But, Mom and Dad have wanted to re-do their cabinets for a long, long time. They recently got nice granite counter tops, a new gas cook top, and tumbled stone back splash but the cabinets had to be put on hold. I'm so thankful for Annie's chalk paint. I wouldn't have attempted this size of a project without chalk paint. This product made it possible to do something special for my very special parents. I look forward to making many more family memories in this kitchen, and now pretty cabinets will be our backdrop.

Going Public

2011-07-25T03:23:00.002-05:00

Well...so much for the free space at an outdoor flea market. Oh, I had a space. A lot of space. I was the only vendor there. Only 4 people stopped. I wasn't what they were looking for either. Then it rained. A lot.

I did meet a nice lady across the street.
I did read.
I did doze.
I did take pictures.

I did not sell a thing.

So much for my debut...there's always next time. So let me show you a few things I've snagged.

Last weekend, Mom and I did find some bargains at Goodwill~Birmingham. Then Friday I scored at a garage sale here in Meridian.

This table and the lamp below were purchased for $12 at the same sale. Its leather top had melted wax and stickers stuck to it. Since the stain was red, Red, RED I painted it with AS Graphite and used the red as a base to show through in distressing. The dark wax deepened the Graphite and gave a nice finish. This time around the dark wax wasn't as problematic as before over the Paris Grey/OW media cabinet.

I used a damp rag to wipe off the inset brass and reveal the gold scroll on the leather top. I may have a new favorite color!

At Stacey's class last weekend in Birmingham, a few girls painted brass table lamps with Graphite and waxed them. They were so pretty, I mean right out of a magazine pretty. So, I've been itching to do my own Graphite lamp. When I laid eyes on this lamp right away I loved the shape. I'm convinced that brass is gonna be back big soon (even if its not viral its back with me...in moderation mind you:). This lamp would look great in Graphite, don't you think?
So I commenced to painting.

Then I saw this label.

I hadn't noticed it when I wiped down the lamp. As soon as I saw it I commenced to wiping off the Graphite paint I was slathering on.

Are you familiar with Stiffel lamps? As a kid in the 80's I remember my mother admiring Stiffel lamps and wishing for some of her own. I googled Stiffel and was pleased to see they are holding their value. I'm talking $100.00 or more for a similar lamp! Ca~chiga!

I couldn't find one on ebay etc. in the same bamboo-esque shape as my $6 lamp, so that makes it even more special! I'm gonna give it a little TLC but keep its finish as is. Like I said, I loved the shape and can already see the perfect shade in my mind's eye topping it off. Would you have painted it?

This hall-tree was a great get at the Goodwill in Birmingham. It had a dark red/cherry stain and was a little wonky. So, after a wipedown and disassembling it, I painted it with AS Chateau Grey. I did a light bit of distressing and then clear waxed it.

Here she is, straight as an arrow and wearing her new grey suit! Whistle if you like...she's hot!

You know what, on second thought...Chateau Grey is my new favorite color.

If you are in the Birmingham area, the Goodwill at Greensprings & Oxmoor had some great end tables, $5 lamps in brass, and a beautiful antique piano. Lots of neato stuff there for fixer uppers like me!

I'm linked up to

Rhoda's

Thrifty Treasures

I've got a neato bicycle project to share this week. AND I'll be showing you a closer look at the lamp I did in class painted in my new favorite color...Duck Egg. AND it is sporting a new shade!

Happy thrifting, fixing, & painting!

Lil' HELP!

2011-07-22T16:14:00.001-05:00

Help me Rhonda! Or even you! If you can! Remember when you were a kid playing kickball (or whatever) and the ball gets past you and you holler out "LiL HELP!" And then kids drop what they were doing, hop off of swings, abandon the tether ball, hit the ground running off the slide and toss the ball back to you.
Well, this one has gotten past me and I'm calling out to you..."LiL HELP!"

It all started here, with this media cabinet, and it looked like this when I brought it home from the Salvation Army.
Then I painted it (Paris Grey & Old White) and clear-waxed it and it looked like this. And we liked it.

Then I started thinking about the AS dark wax. And then I started thinking it would look more "drift-woodish" if it was dark waxed. So, when I got back from Birmingham and the AS class I took I dark waxed it. And in artificial light it looks like this...

Not bad. But this happened...in several spots the wax "erased" itself and became muddy. On the front of the cabinet (see above) you can see some white/light spots where the same problem occured. On the side (see below) you can see an area that is lighter under the top and just left of the front edge, it is almost pie/wedge shaped. The interior edge of the problem spot is dark and muddy looking. (The enlargement is a bit grainy, I hope you can see what I'm talking about though.)

I had to pounce with the wax brush to get any dark wax color to go back on that top right corner area and it just isn't the look I'd hoped for at all. I want to love dark wax too!

I get by with a lil help from my friends! :)
So, whaddya think? How~why did this happen? What did I do wrong? Anyone? Bueller?

Lil' help?

Business or Pleasure?

2011-07-21T22:26:00.001-05:00

BOTH!

You know those "lucky" few people you know or have heard of who actually do what they love for a living? Well, my hobby isn't providing a living but it sure has started to pay for itself!

Michael and I were DIY'ers before DIY was even a blip on the acronym radar. We've done everything from redo floors, paint walls, furniture refinishing, slipcovers, strip paint from doors and windows, wallpaper, lighting, landscaping...and more. We learned from our parents and a lot of trial and error too. If blogging had been something I knew about in the 90's our little DIY cottage would have been one to blog about.

That said, my favorite projects have always been along the more decorative lines of painting/sewing/furniture. Here lately I've had the opportunity to dust off the sewing machine, grab some paintbrushes and go to town.

Last weekend I was fortunate enought to have gone to a class on chalk painting in Birmingham. I met some wonderful gals and had fun learning how to do what I love...paint! Here's a glimpse of what the class was like.

This lamp base started as a plain white Martha Stewart lamp. Infact, Stacey got it at a thrift shop for the class. I painted it "Duck Egg" and then used the clear and dark waxes to distress and seal the paint.

This is Stacey. She was great and so knowledgeable.

To show us how to us ASCP to get a crackled finish, Stacey gave us

pieces of molding that we painted Graphite. When dry, we slathered on a lighter

color and used heat to make the wet top layer crackle.

Here is a cabinet with the crackle paint.

Susan is fixing up her daughter's place in Tuscaloosa, its her college house and it is

gonna be so fine when she is done! I saw a fabric swatch Susan used to select a paint color for her lamp. I think this started out BRASS!

Painted in Arles with the dark wax going on, this lamp

is gonna be an eye catcher!

Attendees from July 16 chalk paint class.

A couple of the ladies have blogs too.

The French Flea

Stressed & Disstressed

I've also discovered a vast network of people who do what I do because they love it too! It's nice to know you're not the only one! Even better when you can learn from those who have much to offer in the way of experience and wisdom. Chalk painters/bloggers are some of the friendliest people I've met who are willing to share with you what they know. AND many of them share give-aways too! If you're interested in seeing a lovely blog/shop of a talented designer and painter click on the button below. Robyn is hosting a give-away fo TEN ASCP colors!

I have a great opportunity Saturday to sell at a flea market in my own booth space...for FREE! I'm on a waiting list at an antique mall in Meridian and am hopeful of having a shop space there soon. But to be able to sell from a rent-free space in the meantime is such a blessing! I'll show you my wares tomorrow!

life at the speed of Hogans

2011-07-16T10:32:00.017-05:00

Jack: "I can't do my math."
Me: "Why not?"
Jack: "Because it says, 'No pens/pencils' on my braces sheet."
Me: "Go do your math Jack."

Naptime. Will (3) is reading me a story about farm animals. You have to guess which animal is hiding on the next page from a few descriptive facts about each animal.
Will: "I live in a mess. I wear feathers. I eat eggs. Who am I?"
Me: "I don't know who are y..."
Will: "INTERRUPTING CHICKEN! HAAAA!"

Andrew to his Daddy...
Andrew: "When I grow up I want to be the first missionary to Russia."
Daddy: "Really!?"
Andrew: "Yeah. And when a man comes up to me and tries to stop me I'll get my sword and chop him down."
Daddy: .....:0.....
Andrew: "And then I'll tell him about Jesus."

What's new?

Jack got braces!

Last picture without braces for...well, awhile.

He was so pumped!

Hey Jack!

"Jack, can I put this on my blog?", I asked.

"mrmph", Jack said.

First picture with braces!

I love that kid. <3 He makes me :)

Andrew is playing "t-ball"!
And loving it!

Jack's been helping out.

Go Andrew Go!

And Will...well, he is just so good at being Will.

He'll have a birthday soon.

How'd we get there so fast?

happy ~ thursday

(bike "ride" project coming soon)

Slipped

2011-07-14T16:19:00.002-05:00

Here it is, the finished slipcovered wing chair! tah-DAH!
(click here for the background on how I tackled this chair)

pillow by Storehouse, puchased for $5.00 @ TJMaxx

The chair has a "T" shaped box seat cushion. I was a little intimidated at first.

But.

Knowledge is power!

Sew, Mama, Sew! and Miss Mustard Seed both had valuable instructions

on making a box seat cushion cover. SMS! has instructions for a zipper and

MMS used an envelope closure. Since I wanted to be able to have a backup

side to turn to just incase my3sons find a way to ruint the other, I opted for the zipper.

I would suggest you read/view both. Sometimes it takes a couple of times or

a different way of seeing something for my lightbulb to come on

Watch out! Baby what's that? Don't look now there's a zipper on your back!
(name that song...I did change the lyrics a bit)

The skirt goes to the floor and is the same length all the way around the chair.

This required measuring and marking where to pin the skirt on the body of the slipcover

so that the length is the same all the way around.

I also wanted a more "tailored" look so I chose to use inverted pleats at each corner of the chair.

The slip cover is easily removed for washing, did I mention my3sons? The secret to getting the slipcover on and off easily is hidden along each edge of the chair back. I used white sew on velcro from the top back corner on each side running down to 1" below where the skirt starts.

Here you can see the velcro closure as well as how I handled

the inverted pleat. On both back corners the inverted pleat is essentially

half a pleat on each side of the opening. On the left side, the fabric doubles

back and then extends around the corner. On the right side,

the pleat folds back to the right. The velcro was sewn 1" down onto the skirt

(and the back) to hold the pleat in place and closed to conceal the chair leg.

This back view shows the right side velcro closure and pleat.

Miscellaneous FYI's :

My chair took 1 1/2 dropcloths. (So for my 2 chairs I'll have used 3 total. Not much waste here at all!) I used the 8 oz. "Finish Factor" from Lowe's, per MMS, and I forget the size but it cost $13.and change. Be careful you don't buy the really long and narrow one on accident. They won't be good for much. Ask me how I know.
They aren't "white" even after bleaching. Mine soaked for several hours and it was long enough to even out the coloring of the dropcloth.
If you bleach yours, neutralize the bleach by washing them again with hydrogen peroxide. I used a whole "normal" sized bottle on each load of dropcloth fabric. Then I washed with my regular laundry detergent. This may seem like a lot of water and washing but it got the job done and they don't have that funny smell anymore. You know. The "import" smell.
Miss Mustard Seed is spot on with her tip to use the hems on the dropcloths for your hems. I was able to do this and had very little fabric waste.
Be prepared to work a bit to get that tricky inside back/seat/corner area looking right. I had to go slow, pin, re-pin, and hope for the best on these areas. I wish there was a secret trick I knew for handling this area since I have one more chair to do. If you have one do tell!
Don't be hasty in cutting. What's that saying? Haste makes waste. It is true. Don't trim your seams too close before or after sewing. Now I know why a serger would come in handy for slipcovering.
The dropcloth has a wonderfully natural, cozy, even soft look and feel. As far as wear/use/comfort after having it on the chair a week or so...so far so good! Myself, my3sons, and husband all approve.

I think that's all I can add there.

I hope this is helpful and that you have fun

doing your first or next slipcover too!

Here is the before.

Bad fabric.

Bad. Bad. Bad.

Who would ever choose something like that?

ME.

In 1990 something!

what was I thinking

And the after!

Better. SO much better.

I like it best like this though...

I have one more to do.

The next chair was found on the curb just down the street from my parents' house. We nabbed it just after it had been set out on the curb for "big trash night".

It was in great condition but was missing its cushion.

So here I go!

I've linked up to these furniture feature parties

AND...
Rene of cottage & vine is hosting a giveaway
from her ETSY store valued @ $20.00!
click here to enter!

Circa 1997

2011-07-13T18:47:00.003-05:00

Circa 1997, I dug out my grandmother's sewing machine. The same machine she made dresses for me on. Dresses that were underappreciated, at the time, and missed dearly now. I hated being measured and having things pinned to me. A few times I got pinned myself. I've always wondered if she was trying to tell me something.

Circa 1997, I found a place in Mobile that would do a relatively inexpensive tune-up on Mamaw's machine. When I got it back I commenced to sewing. I'd never had a lesson. But I could read and figured anybody who could read and follow directions could probably sew. I was right. Ask my fingers.

Circa 1997, there was this couch we were handed-down. It was a long, low, tuxedo couch. Straight lines. It was green and had a floral-ish fabric on it that was in good shape but not our cup of tea. It came from my in-laws and it was free, that was our cup of tea.

Circa 1997, I discovered this fabric place that sold fabric...by the pound. It was, is, called Fabrics by the Pound. I found a fabric by Ralph Lauren that was a heavy linen floral. I forget what I paid for it but it wasn't much I can assure you. I brought it home and commenced to washing, drying, cutting, and sewing the fabric.

Circa 1997, I completed my first ever slipcover. It was a huge accomplishment for me. I knew it wasn't perfect but it worked and we liked it.

Circa 2011, I no longer have the sewing machine or the couch. However, I do have the same gumption and a little more know-how. In 2001, I bought a new sewing machine and with it came sewing lessons...a year's worth. I learned how to sew baby clothes for my little baby boy and in doing so I learned techniques that would carry over into sewing for our home. I do still think that any reasonably intelligent person can be self-taught a seamstress...sewer. (That can't be right, what do you call a guy seamstress?) If there had been the free tutorials out there on the www who knows what I could have accomplished in less time trying and erroring.

I just slipcovered a wing back chair that was handed down to us years ago, then handed back, then just recently handed back down to us. I'm so glad to have it back. I knew it would be great slipcovered and would give me a chance to try using a drop cloth for fabric as recommended by Miss Mustard Seed.

The first step in the process: I watched her video tutorial series on slipcovering a wing back chair.

Slipcover Video Tutorial Series Part 1 - Custom Piping from Miss MustardSeed on Vimeo.

Slipcover Series Part 2 - Cutting Fabric from Miss MustardSeed on Vimeo.

Slipcover Series Part 3 - Positioning Fabric and Pin Fitting Chair Back from Miss MustardSeed on Vimeo.

Video Slipcover Series Part 4 - Pin Fitting Wings, Arms and Back from Miss MustardSeed on Vimeo.

Video Slipcover Tutorial Series -Part 5 from Miss MustardSeed on Vimeo.

Video Slipcover Tutorial Series Part Six - Skirt, Cushion, Tips and Inspiration from Miss MustardSeed on Vimeo.

This series is a wonderful example of Miss Mustard Seed's talent and generosity. She offers many more tutorials free on her blog.

In addition to this series I used this information on making a boxed seat cushion with a zipper found at Sew, Mama, Sew!.

from Sew Mama Sew
a close up of a neat-o piping tip

This tip is from a post on making portable box seat cushions. It is a cute project on its own but, in the detailed instructions are valuable tips I used in making my seat cushion cover for our wingback.

tips on how to insert a zipper ~ this was so easy! I will never fear zippers again
how to handle joining up the ends of piping ~ this turned out great and looks like a pro did it
how to make covered piping using fabric on the bias ~ I didn't need to use this for this project, but I will use it in the future. Making a bias strip doesn't take as much fabric as I thought it did. This tip is like a magic trick!

I'll share my chair and a few tips of my own next post!

Media Cabinet Re-Up-Over

2011-07-01T21:39:00.003-05:00

Refurbish. Up-cycle. Makeover. Words I see alot in my frequented corners of the www. This reupover is one I've been looking forward to for more than a year now. Until this past week my buffet cabinet has had to fill in as a media cabinet. Frankly, I don't think it would have lasted much longer if we had not retired it to the dining room. The buffet has been de-pbj'd, dusted, and waxed and sits peacefully in its new spot away from little hands and hot wheels.

Since April I've been frequenting thrift shops, scouring garage and estate sales, searching for a suitable media cabinet for our family. Any prospective cabinet had to meet certain criteria if it was to come home with me:

It must have a deep enough surface to accomodate the hump on the back of our tv. We don't have one of those new-fangled flat screens (don't want one or foresee one being ours anytime this decade). We do have a hand-me-down box Panasonic tv that's in great condition, no green lines or "bwernkshxz" sound when you turn the power on and off.
It must have ample storage. Drawers or shelves for our dvds, wii accessories/games, and whatever else will end up in the media cabinet are a must. Storage. Must. Have. Storage.
It can't be a tall cabinet or armoire. I used to think that 's what I wanted, so that I could close the door on the tv and boxes of equipment. I used to think that. Now after too many moves to count, I've realized that low cabinets are easier to move than tall cabinets. Verily I say unto thee. Low is the way to go...for us.
It must be free or cheap. Dirt cheap.

Bassett Furniture!

Are these unreasonable? Too limiting? Too high a standard? You wouldn't think so. But this search proved more difficult than I thought. Finally one week in June I went back to the Salvation Army and found a suitable cabinet, it definitely met #'s 1-3...#4 was a problem. I'm all for making a donation via a purchase to the Salvation Army, BUT, the price they had on this cabinet was much too high. Never one to shy away from asking about a lower price, I asked. I was pleased with the answer. The manager reduced the price by $20.00. It wasn't a "steal", but it was definitely a better buy at the reduced price.

NINE drawers!

So, here's a tip for you: The Salvation Army dates items they take in as donations. This particular location was willing to reduce this cabinet because it had been on the sales floor for more than a month. Ask an employee about price reductions on an item a month old or more. You may get a better price too!

So, once I got it home I went about vaccuuming it out, cleaning it, and removing the hardware. I cleaned the hardware and decided I liked the finish and left it as is.

In keeping with a lighter scheme and wanting to give a nod to our love of the beach and a casual living style I decided on a paint scheme of white-washed grey with light distressing.

Paris Grey basecoat

First came a base coat of Paris Grey ASCP. Using this wonderful paint eliminates the drudgery of priming and sanding and makes painting furniture even more FUN!

Tip #2: ASCP is expensive if you are just looking at the price per quart compared to a quart of paint from the hardware store. However, that would be an inaccurate comparison, like comparing apples to oranges. ASCP goes a very long way for me. For a piece this size I fill a small (6 or 8oz.) dixie cup 2/3 full of paint, then the remaining way with tap water. This will dillute the paint to the consistency of pancake syrup. The dilluted paint covers great and goes on smoothly...better than it does straight out of the can. Best of all this will increase the mileage you get from one quart of paint! I'm still on the same can of Paris Grey and have done 3 pieces of furniture and a few small accessories. Verily I say unto thee.

Old White white-wash

By the time I had finished with the Paris Grey basecoat, I was able to go to the end I started on and begin "white-washing" it with Old White. ASCP dries that fast!

Old White white-wash and distressed top

Once the cabinet and drawers were white-washed I got a damp rag and used it to distress the top a bit. This damp rag "sanding" eliminates the dust and greatly reduced the time I spent on sanding/distressing.

distressed with damp rag

distressed top

After the piece was white-washed I waxed it with Johnson's clear paste wax. I waxed a section at at time and then buffed it right away. This gives me the slight shine and luster I like. I also waxed the hardware and buffed it, this did the trick and gave a nice finish to the original hardware.

Marian, this door's for you

yesterday :)

After only a week we have already gotten our money's worth out of this piece of furniture. Once a dresser for a master bedroom suite, it has a new life with us and its fitting in quite nicely.

Linking to

Willow Ridge

2011-06-30T21:41:00.001-05:00

Today a new chapter begins! I'm going to take a stab at my own entrepreneurial adventure. Something I've been thinking about. Praying about. Hoping would happen. Now it is.

I'm starting small and cheap. Like free cheap! I've been accumulating some furniture pieces I've either had or have recently acquired as well as some accessories too. The furniture is often going to be something I've refurbished/painted. I've listed a couple of things on craigs list under furniture listings for Meridian, Hattiesburg, and Jackson MS and am keeping my fingers crossed!

Eventually I'd like to open a space in an antique mall here in Meridian. It's called "The Atrium" and its worth a stop if you go for that sort of thing and are passing through Meridian. There's not a Starbucks for 80 miles but there is a good antique spot or two. Go figure. Anyway, I'm #45 on the waiting list as of 2 weeks ago. I'm hoping I move up the list quickly and get a space to sell my projects and finds.

When that day and time comes, I will certainly be spreading the word!

A Friday 10 Spot

2011-06-24T16:33:00.000-05:00

Once upon time, a long time ago, I could fill up the tank of my Mom & Dad's car (an '86 Camry) for $10 bucks. I lie not. Ah, the good old days.

Anyway, here's a 10 spot for you this Friday.

1. We got rain! I can talk about the weather, and get excited about it, even if I'm not old.

2. Old isn't old even if you think you're old. Cause usually somebody you know is older. If you don't know anyone older than you, then you are everybody else's old. So you are. Old.

3. I recently had a birthday and am older now than I was. Profound I know. I am now old enough that I get called "ma'am", that's been going on for some time now. hiss~boo. I'm also a smidge bit older than a few good friends and I absolutely do not like that. I'm also a lil bit younger than a dear friend...that I like. And my husband, he's a tad older than me, also good. My brothers are not. They are both younger. I resent them for that fact. Youth is wasted on the young.

4. I did not make my birthday cake this year! :) Thanks to Nana Janet, I love you!

5. I'm going to go into business for myself. Something I've always aspired to. I used to dream about opening shop with a friend, we'd talked about a lunch place/gift~interior decor shop. Alas, it hasn't come true yet. So, once again the dream has been revived and I'm going to start selling furniture and neat odds and ends that I "fix-up" & or paint. Tracy even added a "furniture" tab up at the top of the blog to show the pieces I work on. I've been trying to find a way to sell locally and it looks like for now I'm going to be listing on Craig's List. I'll link to them as I go.

6. "I puts plastic on mines. You look like one that just does fabrics 'doh." What the nice lady at a dime store fabric counter told me yesterday in Philadelphia, MS. We were talking about slipcovers for chairs.

7. Philadelphia, MS looks like the Mississippi version of Mayberry...but with 18 wheeler chicken trucks passing through the center of town. I wish I'd never seen an 18 wheeler chicken truck. Or smelled it for that matter.

8. A celebrity commented on my blog! I'm giddy over it too. She's my kind of celebrity too, not the kind on the tabloid covers, not the kind that makes the evening news. Curious? You can check out her wonderful blog The Polished Pebble and see for yourself! Let me tempt you with a view of her garden...

The Polished Pebble

and a little taste of her decor...

The Polished Pebble

How's that to whet your appetite?

9. It really is a small world. Meridian is a small town, even so, its been 3 months and I'm still learning my way around and trying to make new friends. But I met 2 wonderful people this week. Sylvia of Moonbeams Vintage in Collinsville, MS and a friend of hers named Blair. I found Sylvia from her card at The Atrium Antiques Mall located in Meridian in an air conditioned storage center. If you're in town you should visit both! Anyway, Sylvia has the coolest shop and she paints furniture and goes junkin'. Kindred spirit indeed. I visited her shop and met Blair. Blair paints furniture and has pieces in Moonbeams Vintage as well as Embellish (a shop in downtown Meridian that I have not been in b/c they are always closed when I've tried). Anyway, in talking with Blair we discovered we'd both lived in Mobile. Lived in the same neighborhood (Country Club Village). AND went to the same church, Dayspring! Another kindred spirit. :) Then I found out she is TEN years younger than me. TEN.

10. Too quiet? What's that? The boys were in Mobile since Monday evening and they just got back this afternoon. It has been a quiet house. That is a faded memory now.

Wicker Makeover

2011-06-09T17:35:00.001-05:00

Before we moved I made one last run by Goodwill to see if there were any treasures to be found. I knew it'd be awhile before I could again since Meridian has no Goodwill. Well, they have goodwill but not a Goodwill. Sad, isn't it. Sure enough, I found this wicker set!

As you can see in the picture, the clear coat finish has faded significantly...moreso on the chair than table. Other than that this set was in great condition and priced $39.00. I balked a bit at the price, asked if they could lower it, they said no, I bit the bullet. I'm glad I got it. We needed seating and I knew I'd find a way to fix it up nicely.

Enter Annie Sloan chalkpaint! I got my hands on a few different colors: Old White, Antibes Green, Aubusson Blue, & Paris Grey. For these pieces I used Paris Grey with a bit of Aubusson Blue mixed in and thinned it with water to the consistency of maple syrup. The following 2 pictures are of the chair after being painted with this mixture.

Next I mixed a bit of Paris Grey with mostly Old White, again thinning with water to syrup consistency. The following pictures are of the chair after being "white~washed".

The table was painted the same way. Soon I hope to be able to get a cushion for it. I'm also hopeful that soon I'll be selling pieces that I find and makeover. I miss shopping the curb on "big trash" night since that's one more thing Meridian doesn't have. They do have Salvation Army & garage sales. In fact, they have the longest yard sale in America...well at least the start of it anyhow. That's where I scored a couple of wicker lamps my mom treated me to. Their makeover has begun and I'll share that soon too.

But isn't this an improvement in the wicker set? Now this set reminds me of the beach...which is where I'm headed.

Happy Weekend!

If you love something...

2011-05-20T21:08:00.001-05:00

To update you on the butterflies we adopted and raised from pupae, they are no longer with us. We loved them. We thumped on their cage. We named them. We fed them. We released them. All but 1.

Four of the caterpillars emerged from their chrysalids last Monday night while we slept. I had hoped their timing would have let us see them emerge. The fifth didn’t make it all the way out of the chrysalid which became its coffin. Survival of the fittest. Bonus learning opportunity. Lemonade from lemons. Four out of five ain’t bad.

So, Thursday was the agreed upon day for the release of the 4 surviving butterflies. It was so funny how they took turns departing as if to be giving us a fond farewell.

Andrew's Butterfly release from Wendy Hogan on Vimeo.

Afterwards, there were a few tears from my “immovable warrior”, he is tender hearted and just didn’t understand why he had to let them go. He leaned into me and watched for them to come back. I told him I didn’t think I will understand (willingly) when it comes time for me to let my butterflies go either.

accidents happen

2011-05-16T16:39:00.000-05:00

Throughout the course of my days I hear my 3 sons say certain things repetitively.

“Mommy, I love you.”

“Mommy, I’m hungry.”

“Mommy, can we get the water guns out?”

“HE’S BAWTHUREENG MEEEE!”

“Mom, it wasn’t me but...”

“I POOTED! Did you smell it?”

Jut to list a few.

Then there’s the infamous:

“Mom, it was an ACCIDENT!”

Or in Will’s (3) case,

“Mommy, I’m sorry, it wasn’t an axident.”

Which brings me to the reason for this post, I had an accident. In the kitchen. Baking. I set out to make the requested all-time-best-ever-beats-your-grandmother’s-recipe for snickerdoodles. Thank you Emeril. (I know!right?) I was a little distracted by the 3-ring circus going on around me and accidentally added 3 eggs instead of the prescribed 2. I didn’t notice my error until I tried to “roll” the dough into balls to then roll them in the cinnamon-sugar. My dough was not in the least bit rollable. It was cake batter. A delicious one at that. I couldn’t figure it out until I’d read the recipe over 2 or 3 times looking for my error. Then I saw my trash...how many egg shells is that sitting there??? 1. 2. 3. Oh.

See those craters? That’s a hole lotta yum.

So, away went the cookie sheet and out came the muffin tin! I sprayed the cups and filled them halfway with dough...I mean, batter, then sprinkled the cinnamon-sugar on top, and baked at 350 for about 13-14 minutes.

The boys loved them and named them “Snickercakes”. You can go here for the cookie recipe and if you wanna take a walk on the wild side, add the third egg and see how you like ‘em!

Accident. Shmaxident!

Be Glad

2011-05-15T17:24:00.000-05:00

This is the day the Lord has made.

Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Psalm 118:24

A Mother's Day Haiku just for you Mom

2011-05-07T21:45:00.000-05:00

with every changing tide
constant steady you are true
always at our side

Andrew explains...

2011-05-06T10:23:00.000-05:00

Untitled from Wendy Hogan on Vimeo.

Nature, nature, everywhere

2011-05-05T13:58:00.000-05:00

In recent news, Jack made it through to "Mindy's Room" on XM Kids and got to play 2 Realsies and a Whopper, it got cold again, and Andrew received this....

as an Easter gift from his Nana & Papaw. It has consumed him. First, incase you don't know what this is, this is the "Live Butterfly Garden" from insectlore dot com. We had to send off for his live larvae. Which meant the 7-10 longest business days were ahead for my middle child. BUT on the blessed day when those little larvae arrived, JOY burst forth from all 40 pounds of my nearly 6 and a half year old with the force of a might fount!

These are the larvae on Day 4.

They've doubled in size since arriving Monday.

He has watched over these larvae, caterpillars, like a hawk. He has memorized the instruction papers. He is absolutely convinced now that they indeed are not d.o.a. Which they did seem to be. These caterpillars spin silk, live in their frass (look it up), climb the walls of their cup (sending Andrew into a frenzy that a chrysalid is about to form...b/c they do this at the top of the cup...duh).

Oh and they grow!

This is Andrew on alert.

He has been carful not to let anyone get too close to the caterpillars.

Did I mention they are all named?

Godzilla
King Kong
Dude
Andrew
Superman

Andrew (the boy) is the only one able to tell them apart.

To date all is well with the caterpillars,

and only we've only had one known occurence of shaken cup.

News from the front porch:

These uninvited guests of spring don't pay rent, are messy,

and break all kinds of noise ordinances.

Yes, ma'am. I'm talking about you and your babies.

She isn't too fond of having her picture taken.

And she leaves the nest whenever I come out on "her" porch.

How rude.

I can see-eee you.

Miss spring-thing can keep those babies in-line though. As soon as she leaves the nest, their bobbing headings go down out of sight and they don't make a peep. She sits in the bradford pear just off of her porch and makes a distinct "stay down and keep quiet" chirp.

She's mocking me. I just know it.

got junk?

2011-05-02T23:27:00.000-05:00

I’ve noticed how some bloggers make apologies for extended periods of time when they don’t blog. I’ve also noticed how most “professional” bloggers don’t. I don’t think anyone’s life has been affected by my absence. I don’t know if I could’ve made things better for someone, made things worse for someone, changed the world, or authored something so profound that much ado would have been made of it. I just know I’ve been busy y’all. Oh, didn’t I mention? We moved. Yep. Again. Meridian, MS. Did you know that Mississippi calls itself “The Hospitality State”? It does, and you know what...it is! If you want cookies from TWO neighbors, fresh cut bouquets of flowers from a neighbors garden, invitations to egg hunts galore...packest thou up thy junk and movest thine hither thither. We have been warmly welcomed by people whose homes we looked at, the hotel staff, our garbage men, our new neighbors, people at garage sales, people at the flea market, people in every store we’ve been to (they know we aren’t from here because of how we talk different). Seriously, if the Mayor comes by to say howdy tomorrow it wouldn’t surprise me.

So, you probably know the drill. Wrapping – packing – taping – loading – cramming – boxing – taping – packing – loading up – moving out. Then unloading – unwrapping – unpacking – uncramming – untaping – unboxing – moving in. Where’s the___________? Have you seen ______________? Should we put this here, or over there??? Where should I put stuff in this kitchen that I haven’t made friends with yet??? i. am. so. over. it.

Then there’s the day or two when your plumbing backs up. The day you got so homesick you’re not even sure which home you were sick for or of, you just cried. The day you wondered will you ever learn where things are in this new town because even the gps gets it wrong. The day you had to tell your baseball lovin’ 10 yr old son we missed the deadline to sign up for baseball that passed before we moved. The day somebody asked you where you moved here from and you’re not sure anymore...am I from the town I lived in for the last12 months and a few days...or the town you lived for the 13 years before that...or the town you grew up in...which is the town you were in for the last 12 months and a few days. The day you had to get a new driver’s license made, for a state you have no connection or loyalty to. The day you realized that everything on your shopping list is stuff you can’t get here, and the closest place to get the stuff is 80+ miles away to the west, east, or south (there’s nothing north except Memphis)...and then you decided you didn’t need the stuff on that list anyway to make yourself feel better...then you pretended like you were June Cleaver or your grandmothers in the olden days and are thankful you have automated washers and dryers and such set your list aside until you could load up the wagon with the younguns and go to town.

So, its been real. I’ve been enjoying exploring, there are some neat-o small town things around. I’ve even had some time to go “junkin’”. We’ve hit the Hwy. 45N flea market. It’s open everyday but Wednesday. Now you know. I found some goodies too! My most exciting find was a math workbook for Saxon Math 1 for a whopping $5, brand spanking new! Take a look at these treasures we snagged...

I was told this was a "bell pull". It is hand done needlework.
I loved the colors and flowers too. Not sure how to display it yet either, any ideas?

Then we went down a road I hadn’t been down before and it was calling my name. We didn’t go far before we found an “antique mall”...old gas station converted into junker’s oasis. Look at these goodies I got for a song...

See the lamp? Isn't it great? I love it.

That's the treasure in this picture, well the one from the "antique mall" anyhow.

It's warm and cozy and welcoming in the foyer.

Second hand stores, salvage stores, deep discount stores, thrift shops, flea markets, antique malls, yard sales, hand me downs, and the curb are where we get our stuff. (except for mattresses and shoes...we don’t do second hand shoes and I’ll only take a good mattress from family second hand). I like the hunt and I really like the savings. In fact, I just glanced around our family room where I am right now and all but 1 item came from a place listed above. It was a “splurge”. I got a burlap table cloth from Ballard Designs, on sale, with a coupon mind you, a few years back. EVERYTHING else was either a hand me down, goodwill and the like, or a deep discount store purchase.

Here's a few more recent finds:

This fixture is from BCH Outlet in Hattiesburg $7, this has 2 lengths of extension rod to add to it, so these (we got a few for our open "hall") could find themselves over an island in a kitchen one day. Like these pictured at a favorite blog:

www.flythroughourwindow.com/renovations/

chair and table from Goodwill in BR ~ to be painted one day

also from BR Goodwill :) i <3 orange

lamp on deep clearance at TJ Max ~ the bands are a burnt orange/rust color :)

Dirt Cheap ~ and it was

BIG fork and spoon from roadside antique store south of Hattiesburg &
H is from a dear friend. All were dark before I painted them white. They
are on our kitchen wall above where the farmhouse bench will go soon.

These 2 pieces came from an estate sale in BR before we moved, they too will be painted...one day. The dresser, along with the matching mirror, will go in our middle child's room and I'm not sure about the other.

I've got to figure out what day is “big trash” day in my new neck of the woods...I’m wondering what kind of curbside treasures I’ve missed back “home”. How bout you? Picked up any good “junk” lately? You can see what others are finding and maybe find some creative inspiration of your own at Southern Hospitality's Today's Thrifty Treasures link party! (I can't get the link insert to work so here's the address: http://southernhospitalityblog.com/bringing-back-thrifty-treasures-party/)

Meridian

2011-03-19T22:58:00.000-05:00

I suppose every city has a "thing". Wanna take a guess what Meridian's "thing" is?

Cute Calves. They didn't much care for the attention they were getting from us however.

One of these things is not like the others.

One of these things just doesn't be long.

Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?

Did you guess which thing was not like the others?
Did you guess which thing just doesn't belong?

If you guessed this one is not like the others,
Then you're absolutely...right!

Just a glimpse of our new town.

creative license

2011-03-16T15:03:00.000-05:00

I come from a land where magical things happen if you stand still in one spot long enough...specifically 2 things. One: you will be swathed with kudzu faster than most people can correctly pronounce Tchefuncte. Two: you will be dripping with Spanish moss.

I happen to like kudzu covered things and Spanish moss drenched things too. So, if either of these fates come to you, it is not a deal breaker here. I'll take your picture and share it with the world more than likely. Especially if some rusty part of you is peeking through, or you have graceful limbs reaching skyward.

Like this lovely thing...

sooc

What's your favorite? Just so I know in case you decide to stand still too long.

springtime around the yard

2011-03-13T22:10:00.000-05:00

I had a playdate with spring today.

These lovely things were late to their own party.

But honestly, when you're this pretty...who cares.

And right on time are some of my favorite azaleas...

Bellingrath has nothing on us.

Happy spring!

the weather was so bad today even the homeschool kids stayed home

2011-02-28T09:59:00.000-06:00

Not the book.

This little gadget!

Reading timers! LOVE them!

(I got one for each of my readers at Borders using my 25% teacher discount

AND the 33% coupon they emailed me. Score!)

This is Jack doing a worksheet for Saxon Math. He loves it! This one actually revealed a cool pattern showing us the relationship between numbers in a certain fact family.

I must say, I like 4th/5th grade math much more now than when I was in 4th/5th grade.

SCIENCE!

(Isn't he cute! The cuteness quotient in our gene pool is astronomical!)

Swimming Creatures of the 5th Day!

Andrew. Reading.

That's a good book by the way.

I couldn't pass this one up.

Somebody strongly dislikes being called cute.

But. He is.

See!

hope...but no change

2011-02-26T08:57:00.000-06:00

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:26-28

For Pete's Sake

2011-02-24T16:04:00.000-06:00

“Them syreens did this to Pete. They loved him up and turned him into a horny toad." ~Delmar

But these are frogs for Pete's sake!

Introducing...

Tad,

Michigan J.,

Kermit,

Jeremy Fisher,

Frogger,

Jeremy Fisher (foreground), Frogger (background),

Michigan J. again,

Tad again,

Tad again again,

Kermit again,

Frogger again,

Jeremy Fisher again.

It saddens me to say that I haven't any guts and goo pics to share with you. I got busy going over the internal anatomy with each student. They did a great job!

Biology Rocks!

By the way, this is the highschool biology co-op class I am working with. We are using Apologia Biology: Exploring Creation With Biology 2nd Edition. This is our first year to be in a co-op and my first time to facilitate this course. I am loving it! If you're using this text or are considering it for yourself or your co-op, please go here for more information.

gears Gears GEARS!

2011-02-17T21:42:00.001-06:00

Um, we homeschool, just so you know. And I like to pick the brains of moms I meet that are homeschool savvy and have a few more years in it than I. I also like to people watch and get caught staring a lot. I'm just learning, observing, constantly taking in information from my surroundings. Seldom do my stare-ees see it that way, to them I'm just some girl who is staring at them giving them the heeibty jeebities. squirrel So, sometimes, probably a lot of times, I might come across to other homeschool moms as...hmmm, what's a good word here...pesky. Yes. That's me. The pesky frosh h.s. mom. Anywho, being pesky can have perks...I learn a lot, I get funny looks, and well people remember me. "Oh, yes, I know her, she's that pesky one that asks all those questions. And stares."

Ok, so, I absopositutely do NOT have this whole homeschool thing down. But, I have learned a trick or two. Today class, I'm going to share one with you!

Pesky Homeschool Mom's tip of the day:
To help your school day flow with ease and keep your children engaged, have on hand things that aid them in productive, imaginative, and educational play.

Good huh?

So, there's this company, Learning Resources, and they make this toy called Gears!Gears!Gears! And they are, in a word...AWESOME. I know that word is perpetually overused, however, it fits the bill here and I shall use it anon. They are AWESOME. seriously. So here's what I got...well actually its what Andrew (6) got for his 4th birthday...a set of Gears!Gears!Gears! Contained in their own boy proof storage bucket. Later, on another occasion he was gifted with this set. We've never been the same since. The boy is amazing! He has loved these sets and created some amazing things and he learns about how things work, planning, tweaking, problem solving, etc. all while having a blast! And now he's the big brother teaching his little brother all his tricks. BONUS! In this case it is anyway. Other cases, not so much.

So, if you have some little ones who need something to do with their little hands...something that will hold their interest...something that is fun...doesn't make freakish sounds...and even lights up...you should totally check out Gears!Gears!Gears! They are one of the best tricks in this pesky homeschool mom's bag.

Untitled from Wendy Hogan on Vimeo.

mIsCeLlAnEoUs

2011-02-17T15:00:00.000-06:00

This is Jack.

See Jack focus.

Focus Jack, focus.

Don't take your eye off your work boy!

Jack "loooOOoooves" IEW.

This is Andrew.

This is Andrew's 3rd outfit of the day.

This is Andrew's forced smile.

Andrew's Mom didn't tell him to smile.

What do you want?

To bother you. It's what I live for.

This is Will. Will likes to build.

Build Will, build.

I'm gonna give you a kiss Mommy!

This is our Dixie dog.

This is how we feel about her.

10 Spot

2011-02-10T17:33:00.000-06:00

1. It's February. One of my favorite things about February is hearing people pronounce it. Do you say ˈfe-b(y)ə-ˌwer-ē or ˈfe-brə-wer-ē? Now, say it 5 times and see if it doesn't sound like the strangest word ever.

2. We've added Latin to our school day. (amo, amas, amat, amamus, amatis, amant) I love vocabulary. When I was in high screwool, I would do the Reader's Digest vocabulary quizzes for F U N. In college, I wished I'd had Latin before I got so deep into my biology and nursing courses. It seems to be where most words begin. So, do you know where "February" came from? Middle English Februarie, from Old English Februarius, from Latin, from Februa, plural, feast of purification; First Known Use: before 12th century

3. Do you remember THAT teacher you had? You know, the one(s) that seemed so hard nosed and merciless? How they expected so much and didn't seem concerned that you had to do some assignments over the weekend/holidays? The one who insisted on doing things a certain way because it was the right way? One of mine even had a sign on her desk which read: "Lack of planning on your part does not create an emergency on my part." Well, I'm that teacher to a certain few. (sigh) But I don't have a sign, or a desk for that matter. Sometimes I do wish I had a shirt that said: "Seriously???"

4. This is the second week of using an assignment checklist for my 4th grade son's daily assignments. He's getting the hang of it and I think he likes it...kind of. It is helping him see what all needs to be done and he enjoys checking the boxes and seeing the to-do list completed. I like that it gives him more independence and reveals how much time he wastes...he's my dawdler, my lolly-gagger, my dreamer. I, and he, also like the reward options at the bottom of the page for his hard work. One regret, I didn't do it sooner, and that it isn't also a harness to hold him in his seat for more than 5 min at a time. The first kid is such a learning experience.

5. In the co-op biology class I help with we recently studied "mutualistic relationships" in Kingdom Animalia. They are indeed everywhere. Here's a few I've noticed recently in my corner of the Kingdom:

big brothers - little brothers
husbands - wives
parent - child
coffee - teeth whiteners
homeschool families - libraries
me - my tennis racquet
a 3 year old - the family dog

I could go on.

6. It's cold here in the deep South. In fact, we had snowflakes here at about 10:00 this morning.

7. I giggle out loud every time I answer "we homeschool" when someone asks where my kids go to school. First, I still can't believe I'm doing this, and its our 3rd year. Second, the look of surprise on their face at my answer. Third, how the next question is do you know so-and-so...because all homeschoolers know all homeschoolers. Fourth, when they (especially those who you know are Christians) say, "I could never do that!" (seriously?Phil4:13 and never say never...God has a fabulous sense of humor) Fifth, see the first reason.

8. I do not so much care for the whole Valentine's Day thing. I will however, make cookies for my 4 guys and participate in a few VDay activities. For instance, I will purchase for my 3 sons boxes of super hero/action figure Valentine "cards" and make sure that they only write their name on them because heaven forbid if any child should not get the same number of cards as another and be scarred for life. (How'd we ever survive childhood.) I will also visit the Hoops & Yoyo site and send a few email cards whilst my chilrun dance and carry on like Hoops & Yoyo. Then I will dance and carry on like Hoops & Yoyo with them. I will hug on and love on those I love and let them know I love them and tell them they better love me or else. I will not spend upwards of $5.95 on a card because a mass marketing scheme guilts me into it. I will not order a pajama gram, proflower arrangement, or Vermont teddy bear...and hope I do not receive any of the above. For your sake, I hope you do not either. Then we will go to the stores after VDay and purchase a few Russel Stover turtles and Reese's on clearance because the stores over bought and because poor saps like us didn't run in and make guilt purchases to convince others of our love they will be marked down 75%. Happy Valentine's Day!

9. LSU baseball starts on the 18th. Tickets make a great token of one's love and devotion. It ranks right up there with having your name (preceded by "I ♥") painted on an overpass.

10. From last Monday morning...

I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits,
   and in his word I put my hope.
I wait for the Lord
   more than watchmen wait for the morning,
   more than watchmen wait for the morning.

Psalm 130:5-6

Springing Up

2011-01-30T16:00:00.000-06:00

See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert

and streams in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:19

Patience Is A Virtue

2011-01-23T22:53:00.000-06:00

So winter is with us and will be for a while longer. Not that I'm tired of it, I'm not, I've enjoyed this sweater weather season. However. I am longing for the days when my hands can once again be in my own parcel of sod.

Toiling.

Preparing.

Planting.

Reaping.

Patience.

It is indeed a virtue.

So when I saw these little treasures, on clearance for under a buck at Lowe's, I snagged them post haste.

These humble pods hold great promise!

All they need is a home.

A lovely place to put down roots and

bloom where they are planted.

How about a piece of my milk glass collection?

Perfect.

There you go. And look at you all!

Such eager beavers!

Showing off your new green right out of the bag!

You have a lot to live up to!

There they are, nestled on a bed of pea gravel, ready to go.

This is where it starts to get hard.

Covered up and ready for a drink.

Thirsty?

Here it is. The hard part.

And now we wait.

And we're waiting.

While we wait, why not put in a few more?

The more the merrier.

Here's to the waiting.

Wait for the Lord.

Be strong and take heart

and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 27:14

Take me out to the ball park!

2011-01-18T18:26:00.000-06:00

Well folks, its that time of year again...time to dust off the cleats, break in a new glove, and play ball! The moments of waning grief over the recently deceased football season give way to the freshness of a new season of America's past time. Last Sunday, Michael took the boys out to a half day clinic put on by local sports ministries.

On hand were local high school players and coaches, some LSU players, and a few local pros. They had a great time and were eager to hit the field...passing up autographs to do so! The players in the red jerseys are from my alma mater, Parkview, which has a longstanding tradition of baseball excellence.

I'm thrilled to see my guys enjoy baseball and do well at it too! So, in the anticipation of another great season of baseball and t-ball here are some pictures from the clinic and some words of inspiration too. See you at the old ball game!

It ain't like football.

You can't make up no trick plays. ~Yogi Berra

The strongest thing that baseball has going for it

today are its yesterdays. ~Lawrence Ritter

People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window
and wait for spring. ~Rogers Hornsby

I'm convinced that every boy, in his heart, would rather steal second base than an automobile. ~Tom Clark

You gotta be a man to play baseball for a living, but you gotta have a lot of little boy in you, too. ~Roy Campanella

Baseball was made for kids,

and grown-ups only screw it up. ~Bob Lemon

Baseball is a fun game.

It beats working for a living. ~Phil Linz

When they start the game, they don't yell, "Work ball."

They say, "Play ball." ~Willie Stargell, 1981

I don't love baseball. I don't love most of today's players. I don't love the owners. I do love, however, the baseball that is in the heads of baseball fans. I love the dreams of glory of 10-year-olds, the reminiscences of 70-year-olds. The greatest baseball arena is in our heads. ~Stan Isaacs

Hitting is timing.

Pitching is upsetting timing. ~Warren Spahn

Don't forget to swing hard,

in case you hit the ball. ~Woodie Held

Well, boys, it's a round ball and a round bat

and you got to hit the ball square. ~Joe Schultz

I think Little League is wonderful.

It keeps the kids out of the house.

Little League baseball is a very good thing

because it keeps the parents off the streets.

Yogi Berra

You look forward to it like a birthday party when you're

a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen.

Joe Dimaggio on Opening Day

When you're ten, you know more about your team

than you ever will know again. ~Dan Shaughnessy

Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack,
I don't care if I never get back,
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don't win it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,
At the old ball game!

~Jack Norworth

Appearantly...

2011-01-17T17:32:00.000-06:00

appearantly, pretty is as pretty does...

appearantly, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy...

appearantly, big things come in small packages...

appearantly, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush...

appearantly, good things come to those who wait...

appearantly, what you see is what you get...

appearantly, a rose by any other name would smell as sweet...

appearantly, all's well that ends well...

And appearntly Harry & David know their stuff.