Thursday, June 23, 2011

Organization... basically... stinks!

So you work really hard to get your house, your yard, your car, your kids, your head... your WHATEVER... ORGANIZED... but then "something" happens and well... that organization becomes hmmm CHAOS - at least around here it does!!

As school was coming to a close - we decided that we really needed to get the house and jardin (Jar dehnn) ("yard/garden" in french... it just sounds so much prettier that way doesn't it?) cleaned up and ORGANIZED... ooo that word makes me shudder.

So Mr Safety Man started outside and I continued my trek on fixing up the house inside. I got so tired of EVERY SINGLE ROOM being a disaster.

Mr Safety Man actually conned his daughters in to helping, ok not really conned... perhaps bribed? Well it went like this....
MSM: stomp stomp stomp...
Me: what's wrong MSM?
MSM: i'm out there, no help, they're old enough, etc etc etc
He goes back outside grumbling...
Me: "OH GIRLSSSSssss - you would really make Daddy's day if you helped. Remember we talked about responsibility and if you wanted to start earning an allowance..." coax, coax, coax...

And away they went! I was shocked! Then they hounded him how much cash-o-la they would get for each task/bag/etc they cleaned up! And I giggled. I mean come on... he asked for it!!! But they were helping and they were working hard!!! And you know - they did it again the next night without fussing at all! (Now Mr Safety Man really needs to pay them - so they remember the reward of a job well done.)
Faire du jardinage - The yard work:
Hmmm a lil' discrepancy over who does what job...BooBoo doesn't look happy

Almost done raking!

I'll smile only because I'm getting excited to be earning money doing this!

All better... have my own job pulling weeds!!
And Momma? I worked really hard on the inside of the ol' homestead... trying to get things nice again... And I think I accomplished it...It's the cleanest and most organized it's been for ages.
Le ménage- The housework:

Family room - MINUS TOYS!!! Wish I had taken a "before" photo...

Family room into Dining room - what nothing on the catch-all? I mean TABLE!

Kitchen from hallway...where's all the dishes piled up?

Pass thru/kiddos bar - nope not even gunk on the bar stools!

Fly Lady taught me - a clean sink starts it all... and by golly it did! LOVE that I got it to shine again!

Shiny granite! (pun'kin from friends garden and I made pun'kin soup for dinner!!) NO STAINS on stove!

Front hallway from kitchen (on right) down to girls rooms at end...nothing to trip over!

My favorite room currently... our new LIBRARY! smells like books! AWESOME!

ok really - you didn't need to see the girls bathroom - but hey! IT'S CLEAN AND MINUS DEBRIS! BONUS!
Even the front entry... complete with 1 of my shadows MUGSY!

Well I adore our master bath so here it is! I designed it! And begged for this piece! LOVE IT!
See no kiddos toothpaste globs (they use our bathroom ALWAYS)!
Last but not least- I even started organizing the studio and my shelves my AWESOME SafetyMan built me!

Mr Safety Man dared to come in looking like this:
GACK!
...but after I hollered {ahem} asked him politely to clean off his feet first... he was allowed in to the house!


It was heaven. House, jardin, even my studio desk was fabulous. It was so nice to come home to from vacation. But then - coming home from VACATION and unpacking HAPPENED. And how quickly organization and a nice clean house became... yes, I'm afraid to say so - CHAOS!! (and there's NO way I'm posting a photo of what everything looks like now (it's sooo embarrassing).

Now we start again...

Friday, June 17, 2011

DY. NO. MITE!

So far this trip has been good...no actually for the most part it's been really good! Sure there were some not-so-nice times (funeral, rain, tiredness... to name a few) but the good are outweighing the not great times.

Today I wish I was a millionaire for sure... we were in Rockland, ME and Camden, ME and the shopping was to-die-for - yes, yes it was!! I pretty much figured out - I could easily deck our home up here (whenever it is built) just by shopping in antique stores and a few shops in Camden!! OH WAIT... my house is already filled with antiques... BUT for the most part I was a good girl while shopping - today. I reeeeeeaaalllllyy wanted these but Mr. Safety Man was not thrilled that they had no arch support (since I was limping my way through the sights today. Oooooo I think I will have to get my way on getting them. HOW CUTE ARE THEY?! The deal is - (I may have changed it a bit) - if I go to a podiatrist I can get the shoes. But I don't think he'll agree that that was the deal.

After shopping... we went to one of the most special places for me and my Safety Man... right outside of Camden - Mount Battie. This is where 18 years ago - October 23rd-  he asked me to marry him. Say it with me now.... Aaaaaaa! It was a gorgeous site and he put such thought in to it... Overlooking Camden Harbor, full Maine fall foliage, on our own personal rock at the top of the mountain. It was a lot of fun to bring the girls there and let them see "our spot", play in the little castle turret, and explore.

We are going, going, going... on this vacation... so I think to close I'm just going to post a bunch of photos from the first few days of our trip and will come back with some great prose on our trip...another time!!

ENJOY!
Our lot is on the left

Marriner family on our lot
Aunt Kiki's new home - ALMOST done!

This is what SOLD it for us... HUGE rock!!


Aunt Kiki's lot... kiddos found a fun place

I LOVE the old sign... original grocery sign - now just a little shop - BEST Maine Italian  (not like ANYWHERE else)

Our lot view from the road

Our lot view from up the road a bit further
LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS more photos... or at least good stories! Mount Battie photos as soon as I can upload...

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Foggy Fast Forward

So I haven't been writing like I should... I wanted to write so many times - but it just seems like the last few weeks have been a blur no matter how I am trying to slow them down... First I've been sick with a bad head cold for 5 days. THAT IS UNHEARD OF for me... I HATE being sick and I actually have slept 2 mornings COMPLETELY away. I feel like I am looking through life right now through a foggy veil of haziness. It's all I can do just to focus. Also it the end of the year activities with the school. Both girls have had a lot going on... a lot of helping at the school, end of year class trips, school plays, school luncheons, school, school, school!! The hardest part my Sweetpea's coming to an end of her elementary school career... it's super hard to imagine her heading off to middle school (6th grade) next Fal - so hard it brings tears - stinging my eyes. How fast these years have flown by? I am trying to make a dress for her for her "graduation" next Thursday and I have to add FIVE inches to the dress! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? FIVE inches? When did my lil' baby girl get to be so big?

I've been working on outfits for the summer for the girls... especially after Sweetpea said to me "Mommy you've made so many things for other people... you haven't made ME anyyyyyything in a lonnnnng time"... well time to put my babies FIRST on my list... after all THEY are why I am staying home... and THEY are my very top priority... AND THEY are the loves of my life! Sooooo outfits we started - I used Jona G's (from Fabritopia) patterns - EVELYN skirt for the girls.
Take a gander at these beaut's (if I do say so myself - although the girls' smiles speak wonders as well)...
BooBooBear's skirt and tank top made with Riley Blake's Summer Song complete with homemade tree applique

ABSOLUTELY love this photo...

And the back...

Sweetpea's skirt made with Dena Design fabric and apron in Heather Bailey 

Loving her outfit...

We LOVE the birdies on the fabric!

Here's her tank top with our homemade birdie applique! LOVING the cap sleeves! A cute modest touch!
And now am working on dresses for each of the girls!
I love sewing for them... I am happy and sad of the changes... it just seems to me that life has suddenly been put on this crazy Fast Forward. It just seems that time keeps on marching by... despite the fact that I want it to slow down, to make a still shot of these moments, to let me relish this time with my girlies...