Thankful............

Holiday Planter

I have officially begun by holiday decorating...at least from the outside. I particularly like how the planter turned out this year (thanks Pinterest for lots of inspiration). I took a few shots this morning to include on the blog....mainly so I can look back next year and remember what I did. :)

The "NOEL" sign I painted myself....adding (hopefully) to the vintage charm of the planter

This year I tried to think about layers....I used 3 different evergreen types and then accentuated with red ornaments and berries, dried hydrangea, pinecones and some cute wooden star ornaments that I found at Home Depot

I had a few boughs left over so I flanked the other side of the door with my vintage crate and my lantern filled with red ornaments and pine cones.

Let the holiday decorating fun begin!  We have our local Santa Claus Parade this week and that usually marks the beginning of the season. We have done our outside lights (although haven't turned them on yet) and next week I will start adding a few festive touches inside. 

Happy Halloween

She's Getting So Big............

Miss Avery will be turning 3 in a few weeks. Where has the time gone?

She is spunky, smart, lovable and trouble....all rolled into one

And I wouldn't change it for the world. We love you Avery............

WooHoo.....It's Done!...... (well, almost)

Remind me NEVER to go into the furniture building business! Ok, maybe it wasn't THAT bad but it's definitely been an eye opening experience. When Adam started building the bunkbed it started out as a 2 week timeline.....were we ever wrong!  Working without a garage or workshop, and having to "set up" and "take down" every time you wanted to work in the driveway certainly added to the time delays.  And the weather?  Well, poor Adam has been out there through 3 seasons and has worked in the mosquitoes, the heat and now the chilly temps and dark evenings. He was a real trooper and I don't think I ever heard him complain......and me?  Well, there might have been some grumbling on my part.

The good news is that Evan is officially settled into his new room. Aside from a little bit of art for his walls I am satisfied with how the design turned out.  As much fun as it was to design Avery's room I think I actually enjoyed doing Evan's room more. It's easy (at least for me) to design a little girls room but the challenge was definitely there to create Evan a room that will see him into his teenage years.

So, here are the pics....the space is small so please excuse my attempt at capturing everything.

The bed is designed from the Pottery Barn Belden Bunk series. It's hard to tell from the photo but the ends are tongue and groove, and Adam built a great trundle for underneath. for now it will store Evan's clothes but gives us the option to put a mattress in the future

The back wall is chalkboard while the flannel duvet's and linens are from Pottery Barn. I picked up the throw from Walmart (but don't tell Evan) :)

We found a desk to fit the space at Restoration Hardware and the chair came from Crate and Barrel. I ordered a "vintage map" for the top of the desk to protect the work surface and then added a couple industrial things like the pencil holder. The curtains are maybe my favourite thing......if I told you they are made out of canvas drop clothes and cost me less than $50 would you believe it?

I special ordered this handmade metal marquee letter from Etsy.  Originally I was going to put it on the wall inside the bunkbed but Evan is enjoying it on his desk for now.

Of course, every boy needs a clock above their door to get them off to school on time. 

So, that's pretty much it.  A few little details to finish up but generally I think we can put this project to bed....haha!

Next on the list?  I have my heart set on tearing down the ceiling in a basement master bedroom and installing a weathered plank ceiling. I have been ogling them on Pinterest for quite awhile and just need to convince Adam that we should go for it. He was 2 weeks holidays in the Spring.......hmmmm....fingers crossed!

I Exist.....

I am notoriously not a big fan of having my picture taken and I quite frequently hear from the kids that they would like more photos with their mama in them.  Saturday night we got all dressed up to attend an event and (gasp) I actually suggested that Adam take a picture with me and the 3 youngest. It's not very often that we go out dressed in our finest and it was great that we were able to take a moment to capture it.............

Better Late Than Never..........

As life gets busier lately I am definitely struggling to keep up with recording the kid's milestones on the blog. I realize though that this is the "link" they will have in the future (as I am also notoriously bad at scrapbooking etc.). So better late than never.....here are the kids pics from the first day of school. Claire began Grade 7 with the same amazing enthusiasm that she exhibits every year. Evan was equally excited to begin Grade 5 and Miss Avery was in tears because she was not beginning school. She woke up early, insisted on me making her a lunch (although I kept saying she was not going this year), and wearing her backpack. She went with Daddy to walk Evan to school and about 20 minutes later I could hear the screaming as she headed back home. Soooo disappointed to not be able to stay. But we are making the best of it and making sure she has lots of her own "school work" to do with me every day. :) Another thing we are doing this year (that is a bit different) is not having an after school or extra activities. Partly because I have reduced my work load to comply with Ministry Standards for daycare, partly because not only is Alec in school but so am I and financially something had to give.  We are also focussing on Adam's Real Estate marketting so that is time consuming as well. In actuality it is kind of nice to have our evenings together, doing nothing but being a family. That, in itself, is priceless.

When I asked Evan what he needed for the new school year he said "a pencil"!  I LOVE boys!

Sibling love!

When I asked Claire what she needed to begin school she presented me with a spreadsheet! Lol....that's my girl!

This is Avery "before" realizing that she was not starting Kindergarten (depsite us telling her that she has 1 more year with mommy)

Fit For A Princess.........

It's been crazy here lately. Overwelming actually. We are in the midst of a total kid bedroom overhaul as Alec heads off to school, Avery moves out of our room (yay!) and Evan moves across the hall into Alec's room. It seemed like a good opportunity to really update and freshen up the rooms. Anyone who has ever had a teenage boy probably understands what I'm saying. And who couldn't resist making a special place for a little gal to rest her head at night. I am happy to say that except for the occassional trip downstairs to "visit" mommy in the night Avery has settled in very nicely to her new room and is seeming to love it.  Alec heads off on Saturday morning to college and we will be beginning the renovation to turn his room into a great spot for a preteen boy to hang out in. Details will follow and I will do my best to document the transformation along the way. For now.....here is Avery's new room.

The closet is VERY small and previously had a bifold panelled door.....quite the finger pincher! I opted to remove the door, install some oversized pine shelving that I stained a weathered grey. Adam trimmed out the interior with baseboard to match the wide baseboard that is the room and then replaced the hardwood flooring where the closet had been attached to the floor. I finished off with baskets to hold her clothes (someday Adam will build a trundle for under the bed but for now this works wonderfully) and some cute accessories!

The vintage stencil wall was a real challenge for this mama!  Math is not my strong point but I am incredibly prone to attention to detail so after a long 7 hours of measuring, levelling, measuring and double checking (only got one chance to put each one on!) the starry wall was born. I think it turned out pretty cute and really adds some interest to her wall.  She is loving having her Pottery Barn kitchen in her room and has been busy inviting us for tea time.

Her lighting was actually compliments of her big sister who was ready for a more "teenage" fixture in her room. Adam put the light on a dimmer and it's quite pretty at night when we are reading bedtime stories.

The bedding I bought many months ago (when the exchange rate was not quite so painfully bad). The bedding and pouff came from one of my favourite stores.....Restoration Hardware Baby and Kids. The flannel and layers of velvet blankets make the softest little nest that she can't resist. The little cotton pouff make a spot to have a seat to read her a book or a little "step up" to help her into the bed.

Her bed is Pottery Barn but I scored it on Kijiji.....brand new, never assembled and 1/2 the price!  I sure do love me a great deal! The bookcase (which has now been filled with her favourite books) was also a Kijiji find. It's a Pottery Barn item as well but again it was brand new in the box and alomost 1/2 the price of purchasing it in the store. Her little owl was made from a lovely lady on Etsy and coordinates perfectly with the colours and cosy theme of her room.

As you can see it meets the approval of Avery and her big brother does not seem to mind having given up his space for his little sister. He's excited for his own room......I believe there is going to be a wall mounted TV.....and that's pretty good incentive to move rooms when you are a 10 year old boy!

Happy Birthday Dad! 80 Years Looks Good On You!!

Last weekend we loaded up the car with 3 kids, our regular pile of clothing, stuffies, pillows, and enough shoes to keep even the pickiest pre-teen and her little "diva" sister happy.  We also packed up 6 racks of ribs, 12 chicken breasts, 2 jumbo pies, 2 tubs of potato salad, enough fixings for ceasar salad, a veggie tray, a fruit platter, 36 homemade chocolate chip cookies, 3 bottles of wine, 5 containers of lemonade (plus a lemonade dispenser), an an assortment of cutlery, helium ballons, plates, platters, napkins, candles, streamers and presents.

Sounds like a typical day around here?

Well, this was no typical road trip up to Muskoka.  We were all geared up to celebrate my Dad's 80th birthday.   The weather was poised to be rainy (but thankfully it held off till after dinner) but that didn't dampen our plans at all. We even managed to keep it a surprise until about an hour before guests began to arrive. Adam and I handled the majority of the cooking and prep but there was no shortage of offers of help from friends and family.  In the end the day was just how I hoped it would be......relaxed, fun, and full of well wishes for my Dad.  And what could be better than that?

Dinner is served............

On your 80th you get to have whatever your favourite cake is....even if you are diabetic!

I had this cool printable done....love it!

Adam cooked up a feast...despite the 30+ degree heat

The weather cooperated and everyone relaxed outside

Friends and family.......Aunt Peggy still rocks it!

Avery made some new friends and meet some Great Aunts and Uncles see hadn't seen before

Cutting the cake!  Avery helped Grandpa blow out the candles

A little cuddle with Grandpa before heading home from a great weekend

Grandpa and his girls!

Happy Easter................

I hope everyone is having a wonderful long weekend.  We had set aside this weekend, not only to celebrate Easter and the beautiful Spring weather, but to also toilet train Miss Avery.  Unfortunately our little gal came down with a nasty cold and started to run a fever Saturday afternoon.  We ended up having to return to the world of diapers as we tucked our little girl into bed for a marathon sleep.  The good news is that she awoke feeling much better, just in time to check out what the Easter bunny brought for her.  And now we are back in "big girl undies" and hoping that today will be a successful day. :)  Either way, we are so proud of her and all of a sudden she seems so grown up!

The outdoor portion of the Easter Egg Hunt - Eggs filled with money even motivates Alec to join in on the fun!

Evan is on the hunt!

The chilly morning never took away Claire's smile!

Those bare legs make me shiver just looking at them

No smiles from our sick little girl.....but she did seem happy with her new water table and toys......that we set up in the livingroom because it was too chilly outside.......and then it started to leak....lol

Ah Winter............

Why do you torture us so?

Am I the only one who is beginning to think that the ground hog was wrong?

I'm off to shovel..........................

A Week of First Times............

Hello!  It's been a whirlwind around the house the last few days.  The majority of the excitement has centered around our oldest, Alec, but whenever you have a large family there seems to be exitement (or at least drama) most of the time.

It has definitely been a week of "first" experiences.  We are so proud to pass along that Alec was accepted into all of the colleges he applied to. He will be moving to Orillia in September to attend Georgian College for Police Foundations. He hopes (and I'm sure he will succeed) to pursue a career in Police Services.  I think he will be amazing in his chosen field and both Adam and I couldn't be more pleased or excited for him.  We have been busily filling out paperwork, applying for residence (he will share an apartment with 3 others...yikes!) and starting to figure out what he will need as he officially flies the nest!

The other excitment was the purchase of his first car!!  I remember my first car as if it was yesterday (give or take 20 years).  The difference was that it was my Dad that purchased my first car and although it was exciting it was a bit of a bummer that I did not have any real decision making power in the purchase.  Well, Alec has been working hard and I'm happy to say he researched, searched, and purchased his first car on his own (with a little bit of fatherly support from Adam).  He is super excited and loving his first set of wheels.  And I'm getting used to trying not to worry every time he gets behind the wheel.  When does that ever end?  Or does it?

These "firsts" couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. Way to go Alec!

I Will "Owl - ways" Love You.............

I finished up these cute little guys today.  I also did another order of 48 more traditional "heart" shaped cookies for a resident Valentine's Day party at our local retirement residence.  I think these are my favourite though and gave me the opportunity to try a painting technique that I hadn't done before.

This order will mark the end of "How The Cookie Crumbles."  I will be taking a break as I get ready to head back to school (online) for the next 18 months and prepare for a change of direction in my life.  Change is definitely good and, in this particular case, long overdue.  Although it's been an absolute blessing to be able to work from home for the past 11 years, watch my kids grow and be present in their daily lives it's time to focus on the next 10 years and where Adam and I want to be.....hopefully retiring and taking the "Freedom 55" option!   So yes, change is on the horizon and I am nervous, excited and slightly afraid.......but also ready for the challenges the future holds.  Wish me luck!