On Playing House - and doing your own thing

I learned how to decorate from my Mother. Our 'growing up' home was always so lovely. And Cozy. And pretty. And I adored my rainbow bedroom.

When I grew up and was a young bride at 23 I also leaned on the tips I read in the little Susan Branch books I had. She used things around her house, and believed in having things out that you love.



Lately (in the fullness of life that is mine -- notice I didn't say busy), I see such amazing decorated homes. Those on instagram that I follow. Most of the time they are inspirational. I really do get good ideas from the two or three that I love to look at. But lately, their homes have been too "put together" for me.



I like to have the things I love out. I like vintage (not Target dollar spot). I like pretty. I like mugs from England or treasures I've found at antique stores.



So, it's okay to still look at those amazing living rooms with kitchens that clearly didn't make 4 lunches, prep for 4 breakfasts, make healthy snacks for 4 to get through the day, and on top of that clean up the yummiest dinner.



And of course I don't take pictures of my kitchen when there's flour all over, chicken, greasy pans to wash... who wants to see that? No one!

But it does remind me to be me. To have out the things that I truly love. And that is the best part of "playing house"



Here's another post that explains a little more about my decorating feelings.

The Wonderful Things in February

(yes, we still use a great big blotter calendar and a pencil)

Singing "A Million Dreams"



Not usually part of my "the best of...." posts but I'm sad. Everything has been cancelled. All of these special concert events. There is so much these kids (and of course my own daughters) work so hard for. Caronavirus. I'm glad that I live in a state that is taking it seriously. But I'm sad that there might not be concerts like this for the rest of the school year. I've been going to concerts for so long I don't know what I'll do without them. Sigh...



A Snapshot of our lives right now



My great big P I N K post



A D R E A M S come true post



The T H I N G S around my house post




We celebrated Valentines Day



No photos but it was the best night of music... Chocolate Cafe!



It was a blessed month for sure. I got to he Scott's wife, Anna and Abigail's mama, and 22 precious 9 year old's 4th grade teacher.


Best of December was here... 

Reading

Just a scene I love...

Exactly Five Years Ago Today

It was a pretty wonderful day.  We spent the morning (close to two hours) in this store trying on dresses for her First Holy Communion

(I found this later on)



I think it was a special memory for Abigail; just as I wanted it to be. Because I found this too later on...



I love the part where she wrote that we 'ate at a restaurant'. She doesn't even realize that it's not normal to eat a a restaurant and eat out of your thermos. Ordering from a restaurant is just something this little EE girl can not do. And yet 'eating at a restaurant' is still a happy memory for her.

She was beaming after and her big sister was a huge help in deciding on the dress.



Now you know I took a ton of pictures of that dress... especially since we didn't actually bring it home with us. It's being shipped to us when it's ready. Somehow I can't bring myself to post them all here. I just want to keep that to myself until the big day in May but in case you wanted a seek peek... here's her dress.

 

Her teeny, tiny features, her strawberry waves, all of it...just perfect inside this dress.  I know, I know it's not about the dress.  Believe me I can separate the two when it comes down to that 'day'.  But for all of you that know me 'childrens clothing' is one of my hobbies.  And picking out a First Communion dress.. well that's just about heaven to me.

Playing

This one quick shot from Friday night...



Abigail longs for the days when she was 6 and Anna was 9. There were hours upon hours to play after school each day.

Junior year of high school is a bit different than when she was in 3rd grade. Let's just say a bit more serious.

But Abigail has been wanting to play with her sister for so long.

So on Friday night they played Calico Critters just like 'old times' and it was the best!

Anna stayed home sick yesterday. She got up, ate a little breakfast and went back to bed until 12:30 in the afternoon. She didn't even hear me come in and check on her before going to school. When we were all home last night I made her a treat... Raspberry Swirl Brownies. It was so much fun to cook with 'allergic' ingredients. I A L W A Y S back non dairy, non soy, non nut for Abigail but since this recipe had raspberries in it I knew Abigail would not like them -- so in went the cream cheese. It felt so easy because I'm always substituting ingredients. And my oh my did the kitchen smell good. I gave Anna one on a pretty plate in her room and boxed some up in pretty white square boxes for my team at school. It feels so good to bake... so good in fact that I didn't mind staying up until 11:00 writing report cards!

A Lotta Data

I've had a whole lot of data to get through lately. {for teaching} And sometimes it weighs me down. Don't get me wrong. Data gives information. But sometimes within the process of making charts and tables and writing up my midyear data plan - sometimes I feel weepy. Because it's all too much. I just want to teach. And teach well. And anything extra added on sometimes makes me want to cry a puddle of tears.

But I pick myself up and dust myself off and do what I can to make myself balanced again. I make one little corner of the house cozy. I move a vase here or a teacup there. Sometimes I bake or I read a magazine. Honestly, there's been so much data lately that I just might have to do all of that to pull myself outta this number crunching slump I'm in. Or maybe I'll bake something tonight or read a picture book first thing when the bell rings tomorrow. Books can fix anything.

What do you do when you're overwhelmed with your 'job'?