Our wonderful life...

"The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for." -Allan K. Chalmers

Inspired by the photo album Callie gave me for Christmas, I spent the last days of my snow break organizing and ordering photos online. Real live ones. Ones that you can hold. Ones that you can flip through. My original goal was to print 2010, but while I was on a roll, I went ahead and completed 2009 as well.

To get the best deal, I ordered them to be shipped to my house from Sam's Club Photo Center, and they arrived this week. Strangely enough, they arrived in five envelopes, but in no obvious order. Made for a completely random flood of memories as Rob and I looked through the stacks. Vacations, families, holidays, work, everyday... all mixed up. Made me realize how wonderful our life is.

Where we lay our heads...

"If you're a bird, be an early early bird. But if you're a worm, sleep late."

-Shel Silverstein

I've been meaning to do this follow-up post for awhile. And, since this is my last day off for a really, really, really long time... now's the time.

So without further adieu... here is what our bedroom looks like these days, with our new full bedroom suite and the new artwork over the bed. (**This is the winter comforter. Although it's not the cutest, we keep the thermostat low, and we need to stay warm!)

My internal conflict...

"All men should strive to learn before they die what they are running from, and to, and why."

-James Thurber

Most insightful thing I've written in my Line-A-Day journal so far:

"January 15, 2011- having a hard time reconciling the idea of the creative, adventurous citizen of the world that I wish I was with the fact that an exciting Saturday night for us is ordering Pizza Hut and watching football on television."

A new favorite...

"We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have."

-Frederick Keonig

Couldn't pass up the chance to snap this photo today. Just looking at it lifts my spirits.

Here's what I have been doing...

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."

-Maya Angelou

Given that my mom and Valine were able to finish up their "Week In The Life" scrapbooks last weekend at Camp Crop-a-lot, I decided to dedicate yesterday to finishing up my own. In my craft closet, I found a small 4x6 Kolo photo album that I bought on sale several months ago... it is perfect for this mini-book. I designed each page digitally, using Paislee Press's Pictures + Words 2, and will print each page as a photo and slip it into the album.

To get the best deal (and print photos from the last couple of years), I'm ordering from Sam's Club Online, so until then... you can get a sneak peek!

Week in the Life

What I've been doing...

"The 'Net is a waste of time, and that's exactly what's right about it."

-William Gibson

With four (going on five) days off from school, I've done a lot of internet surfing. Some highlights:

1. This video which left me in tears, even though the article I was reading described exactly what happened.

2. The "Gotcha Day" videos posted at the bottom of this blog: http://4ourkiddos.blogspot.com/, which of course, led me to search for similar videos on youtube.

3. Looking through Callie and Jordan's photos from the Grand Canyon. Now I'm ready for pictures from the treacherous hike!

4. Great home decorating inspiration photos over at The Stories of A to Z

If I had known...

"No man is rich enough to buy back his past."

-Oscar Wilde

Here's a list of things I would have attempted had I known I would have been out of school all week long! Granted, this impromptu break lasts another four days, due to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, so if I ever get off the couch (much less, out of the house!), I guess I still could...

• Drive to Shreveport to spend the week with my mom and sister.
• Go on a real vacation.
• Make some freezer meals to save for later.
• Paint a wall in my house.
• Sew a dress.
• Invite our neighbors over for chili.
• Get a headstart on lesson planning.

Be grateful...

"If you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness.  It will change your life mightily."

-Gerald Good

In my previous post about my 2011 word, I alluded to the bracelet that I was creating. One night in my half-wake pondering, the idea came to me of how to create a piece that I could wear in honor of my word. A physical reminder of my word and the way I want to live my life. I've worn it every day so far, and hope that it makes it through 353 more days.

[I'm no hand model!]

PS... when the USPS begins distributing mail to/from this part of town... Mama, there's one coming for you, too.

Snowpocalypse 2011

"A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water."

-Carl Reiner

 

Yesterday when I saw snow outside, I thought, "Yay, a day off from school! But there's no way I'm going out in that." I had my snow time a couple of weeks ago at Christmas and had no desire to play again. 

However, we are stranded in our house for the second day in a row, and heaven forbid, more days may be coming. Yesterday Rob and I were at each other's throats, so even I agreed to start the day by venturing out around the neighborhood. Yesterday it was pretty empty out on the streets, but today families were coming out the woodwork, obviously also tired of being cooped up in the house. 

Unfortunately the roads are still extremely dangerous, both in our neighborhood and the interstates. All of the snow has been compacted into ice, and all of the slush will refreeze this evening. So we've done laundry, cleaned up the clutter, blogged, watched two Pirates of the Caribbean movies, made muffins, finished craft projects, swept the downstairs... and there's not much else to do.

All of the counties around us have already closed schools for tomorrow. --> And in the time it took me to upload the accompanying photos, our county has been added. What a week!

I'm a design dork...

"Design should never say, “Look at me.” It should always say, “Look at this.”

-David Craib

Um... totally just created an alarm in Google Calendar for July 1st to remind me that the USPS will be debuting these new stamps to celebrate the history of US Industrial Design. In the Description box, I simply wrote, "GO BUY THESE!"

Join us...

"Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all."

-Harriet Van Horne

Join us... as Callie and I cook our way through 2011. There might be some good recipes, might be some disasters, but with me in the kitchen, I'm sure there will be plenty of adventure. And, we're documenting it all over at Iron Chef Sisters. Head on over to catch the first couple of posts.

Tonight, I'm...

“The few wonders of the world only exist while there are those with the sight to see them.”

-Charles de Lint

Tonight I'm enjoying the last evening of winter break, wishing and willing the seconds to pass as slowly as possible. Rob is playing XBOX, and I'm scratching his back... a minute ago he said, "I like when you can blog one-handed."

But in my massive wandering through the world wide web, I've found several new-to-me sites to add to my reader, and thought you might be interested, too.

Melancholy Smile.

Hooray (Design & Lifestyle).

MerMag.

Just Be Blogged. by Tara Whitney.

My Favorite Things from wishful nals.

 MaeMae Paperie.

Making it ours...

"Neither good taste nor wealth... can transform a house into a home, for a home does not consist in the quality of its architecture or decor, but in the quality of the lives that it expresses."
-Philippa Tristam

Rob and I got a steal of a deal with our dining room table. That's a great story, by the way. Remind me to tell you some time.

What a surprise when I saw our table on one of my favorite blogs. Making It Lovely, featured the Napa dining table as a part of her "Making It Yours" series! So neat to see how Nicole would decorate around the table. I think the 5th version is the most "me" of the series, but obviously her character, Lia, doesn't have to design with an opinionated man in mind.

By the way, here's how our table looked decorated for Christmas this year. I even pulled the china out of the cabinet. Someday we may actually eat off of it, but until then, I guess I'll just decorate with it.

Visions of a new year danced in the their heads...

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day."
-Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Here's where I was at midnight last night, as 2010 rolled over to 2011. We tried to stay up, even hoping a late-night caffeine boost would do the trick. But, alas, by 11:15, we were spent and headed to bed. The new year comes whether your awake or asleep. Happy New Year!!