So tired

If you think you see Kate in this dress a lot that is because she wants to wear it every.single.day!

That is blue lollipop on her face and I decided to keep it there:)

First, thank you for all of the kind comments regarding my question in the last post.  I was so nervous to post that one.  I am a confident person but design and decorating are very personal and I was afraid that people either hated those posts or would criticize me (which would hurt a bit). So thank you.  I will continue to post about those topics every now and then.

I am exhausted.  Really, really tired. I have been running around like crazy applying to middle schools for Will, trying to get Harry into a renowned specialist in Austin for some health problems, and trying to get him into a CCE class so he can make his 1st Communion this year.  I feel so sad for him because this is the first time in his life that he is not in a Catholic school and it is such an important time.  I am still trying to unpack everything (can you believe that?) and we need to have a BIG garage sale.  We have a lot of furniture that does not fit in this house. Anyway, I could go on and on but the bottom line is I need a little break from reading and posting on the blogs.  I love it and it helps this stay at home Mom feel connected but I need to rest and chip away at my LONG to do list.  I won't be gone too long because Sunday is a very special day and I must do a small post then.  But I might not be commenting or posting as much for a little while (until I get my energy back).

I want to update you on the Saunders Family who had the fire.  A fellow blogger and friend of the Saunders has applied for their family to win an Extreme Home Makeover. Please go to this site and leave a comment if you feel inclined to help this amazing family.  They have done so much to make a difference in other people's lives. I hope you will try to make a difference in theirs.  We want to flood this site with comments of support so that ABC will choose them.

Design Tip #3~Mix it up

Before I share the tip----A few of my favorite blogs did not transfer over to my sidebar when I changed the format.  I sincerely apologize if I have left anyone out...it was not intentional but apparently a few of my buddies did not get transferred.  I apologize and if anyone would like to be listed on my sidebar, please let me know and I will add you when I have a chance.

I know that with the economic turndown, people are spending less money on frivolous purchases and I am looking for ways to decorate for less too. Over the years, people have come into our home and assumed everything was an antique or expensive. And while I admit to having expensive taste, we have quite a few bargains lurking in our home. We do try to invest in quality antiques and things that will last a lifetime BUT I also know how to weave in the inexpensive items too. 

Here is an example....

I have always wanted an antique Welsh dresser.  So we found one that fit in a niche in the breakfast room of our old house perfectly.  We searched antique dealers in Virginia and finally found the real deal (at a pretty good price too). However, most of the plates that are displayed are from Target or Marshalls. There are two antique pieces on there that were purchased at large antique malls.  Someday, I would love to collect majolica or antique transferware to display here but for now I think these work well.

Another example is mirrors.  We have a few antique mirrors that I love.  This is one....

We bought it many years ago (10) from a Houston antiques shop.  The owner bought it at an auction in New Orleans and we think it is French. It has gold gilt under some of that paint and one day I will take some light sandpaper to reveal more of it. And yes those are still my Christmas card in a crystal bowl--I cannot put them away yet.

But after realizing that an antique Venetian mirror was way out of our budget right now, I just got this one (below) for our powder room from Wisteria!

It is not perfect but I think it looks really great for the price.

As an aside, the builder put a sterling silver light fixture in this bathroom (above the mirror). Do you know what a pain it is to polish a light fixture regularly?  It is pretty but very high maintenance.

Okay, my last example of the post.  Artwork.  We love oil paintings and original artwork but the price tag can be hefty. So we mix it up.

Below is an original oil painting by a Texas artist that I love.

But then right across the hall, I have this beloved piece that was purchased at a Belgian flea market (not by me though).  I did not pay much for it at all.  It is a signed watercolor and very charming in real life. 

So, when possible, I think that mixing in high end and bargain buys really works well in a home.  To find the bargains, go to large antique malls with various dealers.  Look for the less than perfect item.  The one with a chip or scratch and make an offer. Frequent auctions, flea markets and antique fairs (Roundtop in Texas is a great one for accessories).  For art, look up local beginning artists in your town. Get to know you local art gallery owner.  And don't forget to utilize catalogs such as Wisteria and Ballard, Williams Sonoma and even Pottery Barn.  Be careful though.  A few pieces look okay but you do not want your home to look like a catalog photo.   In sum, if everything is the best of the best, a house looks fussy.  If everything is bought just because it was a great price...well, that doesn't work well either.  I have more great tips on decorating on a budget planned for the future.

Please let me know if you enjoy these decor posts. (or not).  I feel really funny doing them sometimes because there are so many talented designers out there with blogs.  I am trying to offer more practical tips for those who cannot or would not really use a designer.  But I need to know if I should keep these coming or just go back to my normal posting.  I enjoy doing these especially since I am really working hard on our home now.  I will show you before and after photos of our home as I complete the rooms.

Happy Chinese New Year!

We celebrated Chinese New Year with some new neighborhood friends this weekend. It was a lot of fun. As you can see, Kate LOVES her new friend, Eden. Eden's Mom is from Hong Kong so she can teach me a lot about Chinese traditions. Our families really enjoy each other's company.

We had a great time last year celebrating with Denise and her family (we miss y'all).  I cannot believe how much Kate has changed sine then.  You can see those photos here. I decorated better last year:)

How will you celebrate?

Too much for a title.

It is Thankful Thursday and this week, I am thankful for my husband. He can be so thoughtful sometimes. The other day a book arrived for him in the mail.  As he is not a reader (I am), I was curious.  Later that night, he told me he had a surprise for me. He presented me with this

What a sweetie.  He said, "You might already have this but I saw it on-line and knew it was something you would like."  Ironically, I subscribed to the magazine by the same name (founded by this author) for a few years while we built our last home.  However, I had never purchased the book.  I really did want it though and I never mentioned it to him.  I was so thankful. I think he knows that I am struggling decorating this home and he wanted to show his support.

Now, just to show you my hubby's sense of humor, he also e-mailed me these one morning this week:

So, this is the stuff my husband does late a night (order me books and make silly cartoons).  He is a night owl. And BTW~he is a Republican.  I love him and I am thankful for him.

On another note, back in October a few of you asked for the recipe for this lasagna:

Yup, that's right...I am just getting around to posting about it. Actually, I just popped one in the oven and thought I would share with you about the recipe.  I found the recipe here BUT (and I mean NO offense to the GREAT Pioneer Woman) I make some changes all in the name of better health:

~I use organic, preservative free Italian sausage in lieu of the Jimmy Dean sausage she recommends. 

~ I also do not add ANY salt at all.  It is plenty salty enough.

~I almost always purchase healthier (organic, less processed) cheeses if I can find them.

~Of course, I use gluten free noodles AND I don't boil them beforehand (but bake for an hour).

Even with these changes it is not the healthiest meal in our menu rotation (we only eat it every few months) but I will tell you that this really is delicious and pretty easy to prepare too!  When we have made it for others, they RAVE about it.

Have a great weekend Y'all!

Entertaining Ideas

This post has a few themes, so hang in there....

Just so you know~this is the kind of day it has been. Kate drew "beautiful lipstick" on her face while I was otherwise occupied (trying to catch a few minutes of Oprah but also helping with homework and vacuuming up the one thousand styrofoam balls that came in a package today and have taken over my home).  Look how proud she is of this mess!

I had two sick kids home from school today (one who was missing some important standardized testing) and I am one exhausted Mom who had nightmares all night last night. There has been too much to do lately and I feel very overwhelmed. I wish I had a personal assistant, don't you?

But back to the point of this post....

I want to share two of my favorite ideas for middle of winter entertaining:

When I first became a stay at home Mom 11 and a half years ago, I was really bored and really lonely. We had just moved into a new house and I did not know any "Mom" friends.  I had been a professor and all of my friends worked.  So, as a way to get to know some of the playgroup and neighborhood Moms better, I decided to host an Oscar party.  I ordered really cute invitations and made lots of yummy food.  I bought movie candy and put it out in pretty bowls.  I had ballots and prizes for Hollywood trivia, and other things.  I told all of my guests to wear pajamas (there were prizes for those too).  It was a blast.  I have had some version of that party every year since then.  One year I had a treatment for MS so I did not plan a party.  I was sick but still some friends came over to watch with me.  Even when we moved to VA and I knew few people, I had my Oscar party.  This year I will actually be out of town doing a photography seminar until just before the Oscars begin so I have not decided how to proceed. However, I encourage y'all to plan this type of party.  It is so MUCH fun...you will not be sorry.

I have a photo from that very first Oscar party somewhere.  If I find it, I'll scan it in and post it but I have not had any luck so far.  There are still some unpacked boxes though:(

An "Oscar" that my friends gave me when we left Houston 5 years ago.

Now for the second idea...for the past few years my husband has come up the most FUN way to spend Valentine's Day.  Dave recruits two or three other fun couples who live nearby and like food as much as we do.  Then the gentleman plan a progressive dinner.  They do ALL of the work!! They decide who will host which course, what the menu will be. They even get/arrange the centerpieces and set the tables.We begin with hors d'oeurvres at one home, then we have the soup/salad course at the next home, and move accordingly through the main course and dessert. One year theme was Italian and the next it was Continental. I have no idea what the theme is for this year. The first year, our sweet husbands sent us ladies to the spa for the day while they prepared the progressive dinner and it was all a TOTAL surprise.  That was the BEST (hint, hint Honey!) We had so much fun that Dave has continued the tradition and this year is including old friends in our new tradition.  So, have your husband read this and tell him what a great Valentine's Day it would be.  You'll be glad you did.  

Here are a few photos from last year's dinner.

And since some of you asked...Kate had a GREAT first dance class.  She LOVED it and has talked of little else. She kept her dance clothes and shoes on all day long and even showed Daddy her new moves when he got home from work. I could not really get a good photo of her during the class but here is one right after it ended.

A double surprise

The other day we had a wonderful surprise visit from Isaac and Ella!

Thank you for your prayers for them.  They are doing so well now.




The handsome Isaac

and beautiful and graceful Ella!

Oh man~ I love babies and I love seeing my husband hold a baby!

Don't you just love Harry's freckles?  I could eat them up!

We all got to hold the twins (except for Kate).  So she ran upstairs and got her baby doll.  Then, she imitated exactly what she saw us doing.  It was so adorable.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

to Maggie Mae, Denise, Staci and Amy~ All my girlfriends who have birthdays this week.  I love you all!

Guess what Kate is starting this week?

I had always hoped that Kate would be interested in dance and all things girly. However, I prepared myself for the possibility that she might be more interested in soccer and sports given the fact that she has two older brothers.  Lucky me....she loves pink and tutus and cupcakes and shoes.  She cannot wait to start dance classes. And quite frankly, I was beaming from ear to ear when we bought her little shoes today. I don't care if she is a dancer, I just want her to have fun. And she twirls around the house all day long.

A Comment on Commenting

I have a confession to make~I am a terrible blog commenter. Maybe you already knew that. Some of my friends are really good (like her and her and her too--there are many more).  They always seem to know just the right thing to say in a comment. I will often read a post and enjoy it but I just don't have anything to say. Which is kind of weird because in real life I seem to always have something to say (often as an encouraging listener).  I constantly debate with myself if I should I leave a comment to say "cute photos"  so they know I was there or should I save my comments for when I really have something to say.  I ponder this often.  What do you think?

As I was pondering this I realized that one of the reasons I am a bad commenter is that I despise small talk. I am always amazed at the people who elevate small talk to an art.  It is such a gift. I would rather go to a small dinner party and really engage people in deep conversation that make a bunch of small talk at a big party.  One year I was the president of a fund raising organization that hosted parties (once or twice week) from January until May.  It was so challenging for me because most of the parties were large and while I am not shy at all...I just don't like all of the small talk that goes along with big functions.  It is not me.

So, I am not saying that the gals who are good commenters are small talkers... I am just wondering if that is why I struggle with commenting on others blogs. I guess the fact that I am the world's worst typist does not help either. I am very curious to what y'all think.  Is it rude to pass on commenting if you cannot think of deep and specific things to say?  I don't want to be rude but I also don't want to leave a shallow comment if I cannot think of something to say.

Thank you for all that y'all are doing to help the Saunders.  I have been told that their son had to have a sudden appendectomy yesterday...so they really need lots of prayers and help.  Check the links below to see how you can help them.

Prayers and Help

Updated:  I have been given the following information if you are interested in donating to the family.  You may send a check donation to:

The River Church
Saunders Fire
860 Plymoth Dr.
Durango, CO 81301-4755

YOUR CHECKS MUST HAVE "SAUNDERS-FIRE" IN THE MEMO OR YOUR DONATION WILL GO INTO THE CHURCH GENERAL FUND

Usually on Thursdays I post about being thankful and while I am thankful--- this week, I need to ask you to keep a special family in your prayers.

~Linn and her husband are an amazing family.  Their blog is  A Place called Simplicity.

I do not know this family personally but I have been so inspired by their faith and their call to adopt children.  They have nine children (two very recently brought home from Uganda) and one waiting for them in China.  Yesterday, their family home burned.  It appears as though they have lost everything.  I ask you to please pray for this family.  If you have adopted you know that those first few months at home are all about creating a safe haven for the children.  I cannot imagine how difficult this must be for them. Furthermore, they need a home.  I know that several people are lobbying to see if they can get an ABC Home Makeover and surely they deserve it.  I am asking for your prayer now but as things develop, I will post about more tangible ways you can help this family if you are able to.  If you click here, you can read about some ways to help and if you comment, they will forward those to the team at ABC's Extreme Home Makeover.

Linn has posted about the fire and you can go to her website to read it.  Thank you. It is amazing to know that our blog and adoption community can help one another through prayer, giving and service. 

Design Tip #2~Approval

~ Always take things out on approval~

I am sure that many of you probably know this but I when I was young and first setting up home I did not, so I will share it anyway.  If you see something you think might work in your home, ALWAYS ask to take it out on approval.  You leave a credit card number and are allowed to take the object home for a few days to see how it looks/works in the space. Most businesses from high end antique stores to consignment shops will allow you to take things home before purchasing them.  Even art galleries will allow you to take things on approval.  I have avoided quite a few big purchase mistakes by doing so. I am working very hard to make all of our furniture work in this home so I have taken several things out on approval in the last few weeks.  Here are some examples...  

We brought these home to see if they would work in our dining room.  The color and style were right but the scale was wrong (too small).  So, they went back.

I bought these home to replace the one below that was broken in our move....

I think we are keeping the pair.  They are a great price and I will be getting two for almost what I previously paid for one at an antiques show in Virginia a few years ago! 

Just another sign on the poor economy.

One in our dining room (excuse the towel--we did not want to scratch our buffet).  These are very heavy cast concrete.

We took these beautiful dining chairs home on approval.  Kate just had to try them out.  We sold our dining chairs before we left Virginia because we knew that they only way we would actually bite the bullet and buy more is if we did not have any.  I think we are going to keep these.  We are negotiating the price right now.

That is another tip~ 

ALWAYS ask (very politely) if there is a better price.  There almost always is. I think we will get 10% off of these. We are buying 8 of them so that is almost a free chair.

We brought this ottoman home and while I LOVE it.....

 we decided it was not the right color for the room.  I am so glad we brought it home.  We might have the shop re-upholster it. 

So, we are back to this having this coffee table for now.

Okay, so when in doubt---take it out on approval!

My little Katie Ru

Okay, remember this post when Miss Kate Emerson was really being a "terrrible two?"  Well, I  must say we have totally turned the corner.  She is now my delightful little buddy.  I need to write some little things down so I don't forget...

~I am almost afraid to type it (and jinx myself) but she is back to napping every day. I simply never gave up and continued to put her down daily~even when she refused to nap (for about 6 weeks when we first moved in our home).  She finally figured that I was not giving up so she is back to napping and we are ALL so much happier around here. And she doesn't fall asleep in her highchair at dinner anymore.

~She is OBSESSED with band-aids and must have one at all times. They are her fashion accessory of choice these days. Hello Kitty, Diego and Dora are Kate's preferred designers;)

Modeling the Spring plaster line by Hello Kitty.  Available at CVS and Target!

She really likes the band-aids on her fingers for some reason.

~She asks every day to wear "a beautiful dress, please."  She goes into her closet and wants to wear a nice dress everyday.  When it is really cold, we battle to get her into pants.

~Kate also now only wants to wear nightgowns.  A certain friend told me about a cute Christmas nightgown that I bought for Kate and ever since then, she only wants nightgowns.  She is not bratty about it.  She just prefers them.  She is very girly.

~As soon as she wakes up she asks for her yogurt drink.  It is her morning coffee and yesterday morning, she drank it before she even opened her eyes.

She is not blinking here, she seriously drank the whole thing with her eyes closed!

And she kept her nightgown on until noon!

~She says "excuse me please" and "thank you" without prompting.  I am so glad to see her polite manners.

~It took some serious rehab (and some tantrums and withdrawal) but we have finally gotten Kate off the "snack crack."  She was such a snacker and I always found her climbing the pantry walls looking for her next fix.  It wasn't pretty (at all~see below) but over the Christmas break, we broke her of this bad habit. I could not have done it without Dave's help.  He is my rock.

I know it is heart wrenching to see. This was outside the pantry door one day.  

It was all over a few cheddar bunnies (and no one got hurt).

~Kate LOVES her letters.  She not only says the ABC's but she has been able to identify most letters since she turned 2.  Now, she will tell me what sounds many of them make. She'll say K says kkk Mama. I did not teach her this stuff.  She just comes out with it. She asks me to do the ABC's with her on the computer.  I am not a big fan of kids on computers but Kate loves this site and it really is amazing.  I am going to video her on it so you can see...

~Kate can count to ten in English, Spanish and Japanese.  She can do much further in English. Again, I did not teach her this. She picked up the Spanish up from her best friends, Dora and Diego. And the Japanese is something she learned at Judo with her brothers.  She is a little sponge.

~Kate is a talker.  She is very, very verbal and will talk my ear off.  All my kids are talkers actually. Hmm... I wonder where that comes from?

~Kate Emerson is crazy about her Daddy. Actually, we all are but they do have a unique bond.

~She loves to put on her tutus and dance around with her crown, butterfly wings and princess wand. I love to see that.  It makes my heart smile.

~Now for the cutest story...one day a few months ago we were at the park and I helped Kate off of a structure.  She looked deep into my eyes and said, "Thank you for rescuing me, Mama."  I was blown away.  I was not sure exactly what she was thanking me for but of course, my mind wondered.  Will heard me telling Dave about the exchange and said "Mom, she got that from Diego.  He is an animal rescuer."  And here I thought she was thanking us for adopting her! Silly Mom!

Oh there is so much more I could write.  I am REALLY enjoying my little girly girl right now. But I will save some for another post:) And look at the post below to find some delicious eye candy and kitchen design tips from a real design blogger.

I know, I know

I know that I said my next post would be about Kate but I have not gotten that one together yet.

I want to share a GREAT post with you that Joni from Cote De Texas wrote today.  She lives near me and is an amazing designer and although I have not met her, I hope to some day.  I might even try to hire her for a consultation some time.  I sure need it in this house.

Click here to go see the most amazingly beautiful kitchens you have ever seen. Joni offers great suggestions in relation to each one.  Pour a cup of tea and give yourself plenty of time to drool over this post.  It is that good.

Also, someone asked when I was going to list the design blogs that I love.  I have listed them on my sidebar at the bottom. I will warn you, they are a bit addictive. I am sure there are many out there I am missing but this is a start. Now, the next post will definitely be about Kate.