me, oh my...

so, i did the cutest little hand-stitchery for a cousin-in-law's baby shower...

do you think i remembered to take a photo BEFORE i put it in the box

(along with the little rattles, shoes and baby-legwarmers that the girls chose)

AND taped it?

uh....no!  rats!  rats!  rats!

it really was super cute - even the girls noted how cute it was.

i may need to "replicate" one for each of them.

as i type this, i realize i sorta am making it sound like i did not

get this idea from somewheres else...oh, i did.

o'er here:  http://thehofffamily-jenn.blogspot.com/

(2nd photo down...little adorable "i love you this much")

BUT!  i did stitch it all by hand...

and, while chatting about hand-stitchery o' mine...

i finally got a Bible verse done for a friend of mine

who's husband is battling thyroid cancer.

but, the sewing machine i borrowed is not cooperating.

and mine is "under the weather" (that's what i am calling it...what it REALLY is is a 50+ year old machine that i have not taken in for a tune-up in *gasp* 3 years...no wonder it is "under the weather", huh?!).

i am hoping to get it completed (probably into a pillow by hand...)

in the next couple days.

heck, the 4 laundry baskets of clothes have already waited 3-4 days,

what's one more to complete a gift and get it mailed to kansas, right?

right!

**I WILL TAKE A PHOTO OF THIS ONE**

finally...i *think* i have decided on the

"what to do with the master bedroom wall"

dilemma of last post.

no, i have not ran it by the financial backer (aka hubs)...

mostly b/c i need to measure and check into a couple

ideas to get a better idea of cost...BUT!

here is a photo of what i want it to look like in the end:

wall only - although the headboard is cool, as is the bedding and pillows...the nightstands and jumbo candlesticks will not be coming to live at my house any time soon...i do dig the desk and red chair...but alas, i doubt the "budget" will allow for new furniture.

so there you go.

because i know you all were just so concerned about what in the heck i was going to do with my "whoops" paint and all my ideas.

don't we all feel better now?

thought so.....

finding the time

in my mailbox today was this beauty:

i had no clue what was in the priority envelope as i opened it.  what a fun surprise!

and, of course, i wanted to start flipping through it.

but...

i have restrained myself.

why?

well, because i want to

really,

really,

really

enjoy this bad-girl!

and that would probably not happen right now....

(the girls are watching "the wizard of oz" for the first time right now and i am anticipating a lapful of girls any moment...just passed the "poppies" part....and i have a pooch asleep on my lap, snorting & snoring and breathing dog breath on the laptop - can you smell her dorito-infused breath?  no, she did not get into a bag of chips, that is just what she smells like sometimes.  not sure why that is...)

mostly because brewing up a fresh pot o' joe would mean being up all night.  or at least until 10:30pm.  i have no decaf,.  and since i had a late night on monday (amy grant/micheal w. smith concert - awesomeness!).  late night tuesday (worked at the firm).  and we have parent/teacher conferences in an hour...coffee and an hour or two to savor my magazine is not going to happen.

but that's okay. 

i know it will be worth wait!

besides all this excitement...i made it to a home improvement store to start some "research" for helping me decide what i want to do with our bedroom walls that remain chalky white.  this shelf of old loveliness finally made it up a few weeks ago:

the jars are from hub's aunt.  they are a very subtleblue.  inside each one is something that is very meaningful to me.  these old jars and their contents were just itching for their "spot".  this wall has nothing else on it.  and it will remain that way.  the shelf i got at a garage sale a couple years ago.  it was black.  but a couple coats of paint later and it is happily holding of my treasures.  so, this (along with my framed wedding bouquet - sorry no photo today) are my starting points for this room.  some people start with bedding when doing a bedroom.  or their furniture.  not me!  most of our bedding is bold and bright and many colors, so it will all be bound to coordinate basically any wall color.  back to this wall...

i think it will need some texture...besides the knockdown.  so i am looking into some faux-wood wall project...or paintable bead board wallpaper (because actual tongue/groove bead board is probably not in the budget right now...)...here are some photos that i am diggin":

horizontal coolness!
(lettered cottage)

vertical fun
(my ideal home)



tin wall - swoon!
(my ideal home)



i adore these walls - but not sure i can replicate it...
and then there is that pencil - love him!
(my ideal home)

not 100% sure i have hubs on board with this one...but if he reads this post, the picture may help...
(lettered cottage)

my little pile of goodness that came from the "whoops shelf"...the pale-est grey, a pale-ish blue - that may combine to make my "own" bedroom color...and the third can is a turquoise for the playroom side of the basement!

so...i'll keep you posted on what direction i decide to go in...cost & difficulty are the main deciding factors for this one.