A snake in a bedroom, a bully of a momma and one very sick kid

I think that pretty much sums it up.

 We pretty much started off the week on the wrong foot by finding a snake in my son's room.

 You read that right.

An honest to goodness, slithering, snake.

Alive.

 I was on the mad dash to pick the crap up off of his floor and 

the snake was buried in a pile of dirty, stinky t-shirts from football practice. 

I dropped the shirts and the snake and called Vance.

This is where i tell you that i did NOT scream.

Oh no.

Because i have been through this before with this child.

He has some odd fascination with these things and this is now 

the second one i have found in his room.

He says he didn't bring this one in like he did the other one.

I wonder.

I think he likes giving his momma a heart attack.

Right now, all the men in my family swear it must have crawled into one of the shoes we left on the stoop and we carried it in unknowingly.

I went to bed wondering where the snake brothers and sisters were.

Same child had a bout with allergies a few days later.

Or so i thought.

So....being the most.awesome.mom.ever.....

i tell him to buck up.

Stop whining.

Good grief, you act like you're on the only one on the planet who ever had allergies.

When i see you at football practice I don't want to see any wimpering.

You made a commitment, you're GOING to practice.

And....

of course. He spikes a fever of 102 and it turns out he really was sick.

MOM OF THE YEAR I TELL YA.

You know what's ironic is I was just telling someone that His grace

steps in to cover us 

when we need it.

Yea, kind of needing it today

because this Worst Mother Ever shirt is feeling a little snug.

 

 

Dining Room Update!

Ladies, we have progress. By no means is it done so you aren't going to see a before/after reveal here but i do have pics of where we are!

What we still don't have:

1. Cream Linen picked for back of chairs that flank the hutch
2. Monogram custom designed by Savannah shop (in blue to match walls) on above said linen.
3. oils or prints for above chairs that flank hutch (however, i am MUCH closer after visiting a local artist studio this week)
4. Buffalo check fabric for curtains. Very very sad about that. So that is why you're seeing my old curtains back up on the rod.  That being said, i've had several people tell me that they like these curtains in there now with the paint. Go figure. 
5. centerpiece/candlesticks for table

So without further adieu...pic overload only because i couldn't get one that wasn't fighting with the lighting in this room.

Linking to the Picket Fence!

Running Away From Home

My house is a wreck.

I have dirty dishes from yesterday stacked in the sink.

I'm pretty sure I have an open bag of chips on the counter 

...and recycles that need to go in the bin

...but the bin is overflowing.

Again.

And...my dining room is still a construction zone.

It may be hard to tell we have made a lot of progress - so let me share.

It took 2 full days just to get the crown up.

Seriously.

We have some serious wall warpage that had to be accounted for.

14 feet off of the ground.

On a ladder that has really skinny rungs.

The poor hubs had very sore insteps for a few days. 

 and

i tried at least 6, maybe 7, different paint colors.

The color you now see is SW Pearl something or other.

Which is a very coastal blue'ish gray.

And i love it!

I think I'm even going to keep the doors red!

Thoughts?

I'm really liking how it looks. 

But, this week was a killer.

Pop Warner practice every day.

Work is OUTOFCONTROL

no joke.

I can't even go there in my mind right now.

It.is.that.bad.

So, we ran away.

This condo sits between the river and the beach.

This is my view this morning over coffee.

In about 10 minutes i'm walking out the front door to beachside.

Excuse me while i take mental health day, or 2.

Peace out!

 

Husband vs. Designer

I married a man with, I have to say, pretty good taste.

He doesn't ask for a man cave.

He doesn't want to hang a neon bar sign anywhere in the house.

or even in the garage.

He understands that quality generally comes with a surcharge

on things like furniture.

And, if I mention I want something for the house, i don't get an eye roll, or 

a "we don't need that".

Instead, I get a simple "sure".

Yea, it could be worse.

That being said, tiny sirens should have gone off last weekend 

when i started to walk out the door to go fabric shopping, 

design board in hand, and

he said he was going.

I'm sorry, what?

I want to come.

You'll be bored.

No i won't, I want to see what Holly decided.

Ok....but.....

So...i show him her board 

She thinks we should break up this ginormous wall maybe like Emily did here...

But i'm afraid it's going to compete with the arches and the window..... 

Let's do wainscoting instead, like that one girl's blog you showed me...

I'm not sure, that's more work than I had planned.

It's definitely more formal...

(At this point, I'm like, what have i done....)

Right...but we need a more traditional look in there, not so....informal.

(what he means is cottage.  i heart cottage. He hates cottage and he's trying not to say that.)

Babe, it will achieve the same thing, trust me.

Uhm......uh.....

(fast forward an hour later and we are at Lowes, instead of Calico Corners)

So....this is where we are post -weekend...

And....i really am digging it.

I'll admit it.  It looks dang good.

And...yes, it does make me all squishy inside to know that 

he can do this stuff. 

Hoping to make some progress this weekend, like putty, sanding and painting.

Now...about that floor....

linking this week to:

Transformation Thursday

Inspiration Friday

 

  

  

Today, I am

... working a 12+ hour day.

..Staring at my dining room that's torn apart (But i do have a roof, Megan!)

..Missing my colleagues that are no longer with our company, and feeling a little overwhelmed and sad all at once.

...wishing i could sleep half as soundly as my husband did last night.

...hoping my kids are enjoying camping this week, as much as I am enjoying NOT camping ;)

...going into the kitchen to refuel with more coffee...

...You?

...
 

Well, when all else fails, bring in the pro...

I gave up. 

Between trying to NOT get laid off

and trying to keep my Shaklee business going...

I could not focus on what to do in my dining room

...like at all.

I would look at Tara's posts about her new house

and think, dang it, what is wrong with me?
We've been in the house 2 years and still moving 

at a snail's pace.

Tara, btw, you have over-achiever's syndrome.  

....or maybe i'm just lazy.

Yea, probably the latter. 

Anyway, where was I?

Oh, yea, my dining room.

Yea...I gave up.

 And my usual back up, dear step-daughter, 

you know, the one working on her design degree at FSU?

The one that has some kick-butt ideas

and could totally do this for me?

Yea, she's got like a life now.

Boyfriend, job, summer school 

not to mention sitting on some board of directors for dance marathon.

I mean, how dare her. 

So, i emailed Holly.

As in Holly Mathis Interiors

I think I first fell in love with Holly's style almost 10 years ago

through either the Great Impressions web board

or Southern Living message board.  

I can't remember.  

What i do remember is she had this entire RL/cottage/classic vibe

that i was in love with.

and i remember some small antlers sticking out of the top of her Christmas Tree

serously, you would have to have seen it, it was AWESOME.

 

We emailed back and forth a few times, i gave her some input on 

what i was seeing that i loved (here and here)

and asked her to help me marry the

ideas together.

And she came up with some awesome ideas...

and...I'm off to get started.

With Holly's number safely saved to speed dial :)

 

Happy 4th!

I hope everyone is planning on a spectacular day!

I know we are here~

We are going

(drumroll, please....)

NOWHERE.

 

which feels AWESOME.

Especially since i've been on an airplane non-stop lately.

I'll leave you with some pics from last year's visit 

to Grandma and Grandpa's in Virginia... 

 

And yes, one snicker's covered small boy watching the parade.  

Life is so good.  Let's not forget that OK? 

 Have a most awesome 4th friends.

Anyone else takin' it easy today?

I am.

For those of you that are Facebook friends, you saw how my Wednesday went.

Yea, not so good.

I was ready for Friday 2 days ago.

Let's just say my car still smells like blueberry smoothie, only spoiled.

YUM, no?

But today is going to be a good day...

Oldest has basketball awards today from this week's bb camp.

So i get to be on campus where i took a few (ahem) courses which is kind of cool.

OK REALLY cool since all i ever hear is how great Dad's school is. LOL.

And we have happy hour in this house today precisely at 5. 

No dilly dally.

Mommy needs a mojito....or 4...who's going to count?

don't judge. 

as i said, rough week.

And because mommy also needs a break from the kitchen...i pulled out a ham that the man so graciously cooked on the egg and froze a few weeks back 

knowing there would be a day soon when i was scream 

NO MAS 

to being in the kitchen

when the pretty weather is of course, 

outside of the kitchen.

So we're turning that ham into sliders from Pinterest.  

Really, I keep saying I love my cookbooks, 

but i haven't really done anything from them in a long time - 

I go to Pinterest for all my recipes. Sad.

And I know one day my laptop is going to get fried sitting on the counter

while i cook.  

But i did see this the other day in Lowes.

Is this not the bomb or what? 

 Well, that definitely is ONE thing that might make me

stay in the kitchen.

Prettying up the Dining Room

I thought I would show you a better picture of what we're working with now that we have real furniture, and not just a beat-up craft table covered in glue and glitter.

 The table and chairs are older Thomasville and the factory stamp and lot numbers are on the underside from the North Carolina factory.  

When I researched them, it says the line has been discontinued but there are no marks that tell me when it was made.  (At least as far as I can tell but maybe there is a way?)

 We got the hutch from him as well, although they aren't set. 

Which you can tell by the colors here :)

They're both mahogany but the hutch is stained a darker cherry.

The hutch is stamped Bernhardt inside the left drawer and in excellent shape.  

My research on it shows it was produced in the 30's. So it's pretty darn old.

 Now, here is what I would refer to as dilemma Number One.

The EXTREMELY tall ceiling we have in here.

It makes this hutch appear soooo small, maybe too small for the space.

but...

i heart it.

And we really didn't pay for it - we kind of got it free considering we paid below market value for the table and chairs....

and when i was snooping around online i found a very similar one for almost a grand.

So right now, it stays.

So..I'm trying to determine what to do to flank the sides of the sides of the hutch, or accessorize the top of it to bring the ceiling down closer.

 And....I'm not in love with those Pottery Barn drapes either, so those might go.

And...if they go....something lighter, that works well with color in my kitchen will be brought in.

And what to do on top of the table, hurricanes or pillars or candlesticks....centerpiece or no?

Oh boy, where to start...

 Linking to Wow Us Wednesdays
hoping to hear some great ideas!

Excuse me, you want HOW MUCH??!?

You guys know I have a very hard time parting with my $$.

HATE IT.  I read your blogs, i know i ain't the only one.

But for several years 

(going on 7 to be exact)

I have been holding off from buying a new dining room set.

I was getting a divorce - not in the mood to buy.

I was changing jobs - not the right time to buy.

The kids are too little, too messy, too rambunctious for nice stuff - wait until they're older.

We're moving! We'll get a dining room set once we move in.

It's hot - we need a pool more than we do a dining room set.

MOMMY NEEDS A POOL MORE THAN A DINING ROOM SET.

 

And now here we are with Pinterest.  

DANG it with all with inspiration.

And google - well, you should be ashamed for acknowledging my search request for Ethan Allan.

See what you did - you showed me this!!! 

What is wrong with you?? 

You turned me into a spoiled brat because I didn't have $10K for a dining room set.

(truth be told, we ALL know i wouldn't have spent it even if I had it, cash in colddeadfingers, people)

Enter my hero....

Craigslist.

Does this look similar???

Why, yes, yes it does!  

And heck no it wasn't $10k for the table, chairs and hutch either.

And, yes, we have the hutch, but it's still in trailer while get the old china cabinet cleared and outta here!

It's not EA, but it is Thomasville, and it's over 50 years old by the tag on the bottom of the chairs and the look of the hutch. 

Not antique, but gorgeous just the same!

Working on finding new fabric for the chairs this week, and a plan for the top of the table....

and...a place to store my extra china since the new old hutch is much smaller than my old old hutch. 

Did you follow that? 

Now, in perfect timing, my man is off to some poker game with the boys, and I have a glass of red and a chick flick.....and some pinterest calling my name ;)

Linking to the girls at the Picket Fence!

  

 

Can I still get into Heaven if I can't make biscuits?

Being in this small cottage

(and i do mean small - 500 sf give or take an inch)

 has made me want to break out the cross-stitch, actually cook from scratch....even putter around in the garden here

they even have a grape vine arch welcoming you in - how could you NOT want to go in there??

It also prompted me to pick up that book

"My so-called life as a Proverbs 31 wife".

Well. 

Knowing that tropical storm Beryl was coming actually made me grab some reading material in case we were stranded without power for a few days, but the cottage, and being on my honeymoon and all, made me pick this book in particular.

I stood in the Walmart 

(side note, why does everyone say "the walmart" and "the Kroger" here - and most of the time in plural? At home it's "i'm going to Walmart' - here it's "I'm going to the Walmarts".  Weird, yet charming all at once.

 staring at this book with all kinds of preconceived notions

(see - another charming thing about being here, you don't "have ideas" - you "get notions" or "half a mind".  As in "I have half a mind to give you a swat right here in line at the Walmarts." said from a very agitated parent to a child who was mid-meltdown in the cashier line when i was buying this book.

I was intrigued - i mean who doesn't want to be a better wife? I certainly do.  

But 

I am not a stay at home mom.

I am not usually the one cooking.

Or buying groceries.

I definitely do NOT mend clothes - i don't even hem my own slacks.

I am a looooooooong way from Proverbs 31.

I wasn't really sure it was relevant to me, or my life.

And it kind of made me sad that I wasn't such a person.

And then mad - this woman doesn't even exist in real life!!

Oh - wait- yes she does - they're all over Maitland - these stay at home, play tennis after dropping the kids at school, look fabulous all the time moms. 

Jealousy hit me like a ton of bricks.

So now i've gone from being sad to mad to jealous all in 15 minutes standing in the Walmarts staring at a book title!!!

I may not need this book as much as i need to start spending some time talkin to Jesus more. Get a grip girl.

I bought the book.

And I read it in a day while the man was fishing his little heart out.

She was me.

She works.

She is not the chef in the house.

And she struggles with all of it just like I do.

I feel a lot more validated that my choice to work isn't a bad choice, or a wrong choice.

It doesn't make me less of a christian wife or mother.

In fact, the Proverbs 31 wife worked too (I honestly didn't know that until I read the book!)

Such a great read from a very entertaining, honest writer.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some biscuits and gravy to make for a very sleepy man.

OK, really i have some cheerios to throw in a bowl and hope the milk isn't spoiled - but let's just go with it.

 

Linking to the girls at The Picket Fence

 

 

Can you check to see if we're really married??

Tomorrow we leave on our honeymoon.

 

I know.

We've been married almost 2 years and we're just now taking a honeymoon. 

You know what's even funnier?

We think we might not even be married.

I am not kidding.

So...we might have to get married all over again on our honeymoon that's 2 years overdue.

It seems that our officiant filed the wrong copy of the marriage certificate thing (if he even filed it all).

So...either congratulate me when i come back OR ask me how our honeymoon was, or both.

But - small paperwork issues aside - I am so ready for this....the dock at the house we rented.  with a boat.  and crab traps.

 

and to go to Uncle Bubba's for dinner and sit outside here...

 

...with this as my view (yes, it is this beautiful in real life - this was at sunset, the day after we got married...well the first time anyway)

 

I'm ready to indulge in this....

 

and do a little house shopping.

(yes, i'm taking the camera)