Just curious, how does dinner roll at your house?

It dawned on me this morning that dinner should probably start looking a little differently at our house.

It usually goes something like this....I make the dinner and prepare 4 plates of food (knowing exactly how each person likes theirs).  For example, my daughter doesn't like the different foods touching each other, my son needs his meat cut bite size or a 6 oz piece of chicken will be a bite size for him, and during the week my husband usually gets home after we've eaten, so his plate is in the microwave.

My kids are 10 and 12, so you're probably thinking to yourself, "Shouldn't they be helping themselves?"  Yes, they should be.  Sometimes it's just easier to get it all on the table myself, but tonight we tried something new....buffet style.  Granted, we were only having tacos, but it worked well and they seemed to like being empowered to get their own plates....they just needed a little reminding to try everything! 

I even planned ahead and served portions in dishes that can be used for frig storage after dinner.  Whatever was left on the stove would be added to these dishes and go straight to the frig for leftovers.

As a parent, I know I have to teach my kids independence....some days it's just easier to take charge (especially those days with softball practice and tennis lessons that hit between 4:30 and 6:00).

Wish me luck in this new independent adventure and let me know if you have any great tips you can share. 

And the Oscar goes to...

Do you watch the Oscars?  

I can't seem to avoid these award shows.  I love to see who's wearing what!

These were some of my favorites:

 Gwyneth Paltrow ~ so sleek

 Halle Berry ~ she is flawless

 Celine Dion ~ simplicity

 Hilary Swank ~ feathers are great

 Reese Witherspoon ~ classic look

 Jennifer Hudson ~ she deserves to show off her new body

 Rhea Durham (Mark Wahlberg's wife) ~ this is so unique

 Sandra Bullock ~ love her personality

Penelope Cruz ~ beautiful girl

  Natalie Portman ~ this wasn't one of my favorite dresses, 

but I like her and was glad to see her win.

* The only movie I've seen that was nominated for an oscar was Toy Story 3.  

I need to get out more...

Really, Mother Nature?

This is what we woke up to this morning...

We went to bed with "School tomorrow?"  Maybe, maybe not?

Just enough snow to be a MAYBE NOT, no school!

The kids don't seem to care that every snow day adds one more day to the end of the school year.

These pictures are all taken in my pjs, with coffee in hand and just one foot out the door.

I'm not a cold weather person....I'm ready for this ~

(Beautiful beach images courtesy of google.)

Family Room Complete

Maybe?!
One thing I have learned from blogging is that there are A LOT OF WOMEN OUT THERE JUST LIKE ME when it comes to constantly 'tweaking' a room.  Whether it be the arrangement of furniture or moving a vignette around weekly until it feels just right, I'm not alone :)  Thank goodness and thank you ladies!

Our Family Room looked like this a little over a year ago...

The change began with new flooring.  We had all the carpet pulled up and hardwood floors installed.  The floors had a little more red in them than we anticipated so.....some of this red had to go!  Next thing you know, new paint colors were needed, new sofa, new curtains, update the kitchen dining set that had red chairs and a black table see here, a new TV (that was my husbands idea), therefore a new TV console.  You get the idea....one change led to another. This is the end result.

The picture over the mantel is a print from Gerald Bienvenu.  He's an artist that does watercolors of beautiful locations in the southeast.  This particular print is a beach scene from the MS Gulf Coast where I grew up.  This print set the tone for some of the other accessories in the room.

This dolphin statue on the table was a purchase on one of my visits home.  These guys are all over the waters in the Gulf of Mexico.

See the cream colored kitchen chair in the foreground....used to be red.

These 3 prints are photos I've taken.  The 3 different beaches are ~ Kauai, HI, Pacific City, OR, Ship Island, MS. They are all great reminders of good times.

Thanks for being part of the family in our Family Room.  Does it look completed?  (I'm sure something will change again before Spring Summer gets here.)

I'm partying with:

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch 

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style 

Thank you ladies for hosting such fun parties!

I've reunited with an old friend ~

My sewing machine! 

I haven't used it for a big project in a long time, but today I got it out and we 

spent the day getting re-aquainted while I made this.

I've been anxious to try my hand at printing something onto fabric.  This is a nest that I downloaded from the internet.  The fabric is inexpensive Unbleached Natural Osnaburg.  I ironed the fabric to the sticky side of freezer paper, then cut out a piece 8 1/2" x 11 to fit perfectly in my printer, hit 'print' and voila'.  The freezer

paper peels right off.

 The pillow form is 12x16.  I decided to frame my nest print with burlap.  Let the measuring, cutting and sewing begin.

 

I decided to do the backside of the pillow like a sham, with an overlap closure.

Right now it's in the entry with my new pillow from Home Goods.

I'm partying with:

100 ideas under $100 at Beyond the Picket Fence 

Flaunt it Friday at Chic on a Shoestring Decorating 

Inspiration Friday Party At the Picket Fence 

Who has the better social schedule?

Feel like I haven't posted in forever!  Probably because I spent last week trying to keep up with my 10 year old daughter's social schedule.  It went something like this:

Tuesday:  Spelling B  'bombastic' b-o-m-b-a-s-t-i-c 'bombastic    'pestilence' p-e-s-t-i-l-e-n-c-e 'pestilence

Wednesday:  Softball hitting clinic, Opening Day is April 2nd.  We have to be ready!

Thursday:  4th Grade Music Program (forgot the camera)

Friday:  Father-Daughter Dance (dad was running a little late so he didn't get in the pics until they got to the dance)

 

Saturday:  Girl Scout cookie pick-up/delivery

Sunday:  Softball try-outs

Monday:  Valentine's Class Party

Make Valentine confetti for 30 kids.  Thank you Kellie at  This Blessed Nest for the recipe. Make chalkboard heart craft with 30 kids.  Thank you Alison at Oopsey Daisy for always sharing such great craft ideas.  You ladies made my daughters class Valentine party extra special.

Now, on with MY life :)

1st Etsy Sale!

I'm so excited to have made my 1st sale on Etsy.  This was a custom order for one of my magnetic message boards.  The customer requested card stock in lavenders for a birthday gift for a 9 year old girl.  What do you think, girly enough?

 This is another style I have.

 Aren't these papers fun?

 I think these can be great gifts.

Have a great day!

Before & After

I've posted off and on over the past year about getting rid of some of the red in our house.  I've repainted kitchen chairs from red to cream, replaced a family room sofa from red to khaki, and now the red walls have been repainted a straw color.  Here's an OLD picture of our entry in 2008.  Very plain!

Here it is today with the new paint color and another attempt at a gallery wall.  

I'm kind of hooked on the gallery walls right now.

The watercolor in the center is the chuch where my husband and I were married.  

His father was the minister there for years.

The 'peg board' I posted about here ~ was a dragon in it's previous life.

Pictures to the right are my kids art and a painting of a boy and a girl at the

beach that reminds me of my kids. (sorry about the glare)

The pictures to the left are a magnolia picture I took out of a book, a painting of row houses

in New Orleans that I printed off the web, and a photo of my parents on their wedding day. 

(All these pics have special meaning to me having grown up in the South)

This is the wall opposite the front door.
See the gallery wall in the mirror reflection?

 The view from upstairs.

 Thanks for stopping by!

I'm partying with:

Wow Us Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style
Inspiration Friday At the Picket Fence 

Thanks for hosting such fun parties, ladies :)