Wuv, Twoo Wuv

The annual Valentine's Day Dinner & Dance at the Spencer home is highly anticipated by all. I went all out this year and bought a sandwich maker. Nate and I dressed up like servers, took orders for individual sandwich pizzas, poured grape juice into plastic goblets and the kids were in heaven. Please be impressed with my mammie dishrag hair net. Maggie, Cole, & Fisher all thought it appropriate to talk with a british accent all night, apparently an accent equates to fancy pantsy-ness. Maggie got the boys dressed in white shirts and khakis,& herself in a lovely red dress and they were ready for a night on the town, including being able to boss Nate and I around by saying things like, "Um server, more grape juice please, or my salad is out of pepperoni, could I have a side of pepperoni?" They were pretty great, Nate dressed up in the vest he wore the day we got married-he's such a sentimental guy. As per tradition dictates, the lava lamps came out and had us all mesmerized for quite some time. I am trying to relish these moments, Cole asking Maggie to dance, Fisher asking if he may please cut in on Nate and I, the family dance where we all do a big bear hug to Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World and go in slow circles, then right on to Cole shuffling to the Black Eyed Peas and then dancing slow circles with Nate. I wish I could freeze these moments, freeze my kids ages, freeze their innocence, but since that is not a part of reality, I choose to live in the moment and love the goodness surrounding us. Plus a little hint I learned that night, my kids were begging for more salad, apparently the secret is slicing pepperoni on top of it.

Mary & Hazel

This is Mary. We call her Grandma Terry. She is my mom's mom and she is the best. She has Alzheimers and doesn't remember me or my kids or Nate. She is in a care center in utah county. We went to visit her and grandpa (who just moved to the same place as grandma just a couple of days before we went to visit) and Hazel who is Grandma's sister. I used to spend weeks at a time with Grandma and Grandpa Terry in the summertime. We would make a quilts, noodle necklaces, salt dough, sleep out, make trips to Ream's with Grandpa to get icecream cones, which was totally awesome because this particular Reams used to be a Skate Rink and the outside looked like a building that Frotto the hobbit would have lived in, like a big mushroom roof with curvy edges. We would have to sneak to get icecream because grandma didn't like grandpa to eat sugar, which was evident when she served us whole wheat sugarless karob chip cookies. That's what I want to remember about my grandparents. Grandpa is still good for some serious swears, many of which my kids learned on this last visit with him. Doesn't it seem a bit backwards, like, shouldn't you live a life by giving it your all, raising great kids, taking care of your health, contributing to society, staying faithful, and fearing God, and then be rewarded. With I don't know what, but I don't think I would choose to be rewarded with diapers and memory loss, and the shirt, you know the one I'm talking about, the one with dried food chunks on it, always. Hmmm, I am sure there is a very good reason for coming full circle- we come into the world a baby and leave with many of the same physical and mental demonstrations as a child. Maybe, just maybe it makes it easier to leave. I'll take the Thelma and Louise version thank you.

This is Hazel. Sweetest. Thing. Ever. She told us that her job is to dust the nick nacks. She also hugged Fisher about 43 times, which he was really loving, he just smiled and hugged her back with his shy little self. She took each of my kids by the hand and told them to take me by the hand and come visit her at her house. Her house was always magical to me, I could pretend for hours in her yard. Please, remind me to take my vitamins, to exercise, to eat good for me food, and to do my sudoku puzzles. Each moment is priceless, make the most of them, that's what this little visit helped me to remember, again.

Finally- the ROOM

Here we go with the pics of our room-not entirely made over, but fresh all the same. The many paint choices.

armoir before, dark and dreary

armoir after, light and fresh

Cute handles-notice glazing- soooo easy-peasy

hamper before

Hamper after-Freezer paper irons on to fabric- and that is how I got my stencil. I just wish it did the laundry for me.

Little shelf- the owl is the first thing Nate and I bought together after we were married-aaahh. The painting of Christ was a gift from dear friends after mom died. The poster is from eighteen21.blogspot.com- free download- then just print at Sam's-16x20 for 6 bucks. Sweet.

Old radio from uncle Mark that Nate refinished- big orange box holds CDs

Reading corner-lamp from DI, awesome rocker from great grandma Bertha- what a treat and treasure when after having it for 15 years we tore off the blue (which Becky says used to be black) upolstery from the arms and back to discover great lines and beautiful wood. Now I just need to re-upolster the seat.

Kitchen carts turned bedstands- including a knife holder on the one side- handy for weapon storage should there be any intruders.

Awesome storage in the bed. Nate, Dad and I made the bed- thanks to ANNA WHITE(check her out). Its a platform bed and does wonders for my back.

hardware for curtains- must give credit where credit is due: vintagerevivals.blogspot.com Mandee is awesome, you should check her out too. Dad forged, machined, and welded these badboys for me. Thanks Dad

Glimpsee into final product

Went with the nautical theme a bit since Nate is quite the Sailor. Are you loving the giant knot? So ropey.

Curtains are attached with clamp rings and strung on heavy rope from Lowe's. The fabric is a paint drop cloth (I know right- who knew) which I highly recommend for its flexibility, durability, affordability, and awesome-ability. I hung them ( I should say Nate hung them, THX babe) about 10 inches higher than the window to make the window look bigger.

AAhhh- right down to the tie off- got that baby at west marine for 7 bucks. I am loving the fray.

And that is all of the pics I am going to post since my camera battery just died right while I was taking pictures,
so my luck. i am really happy with how everything turned out, It is masculine enough for Nate, I love the colors which I think I could accesorize with something other than orange should I feel like a change later on. If you are thinking of a room re-do. Do it. It can be a long process and a bit arduous at times, but it is so great and worth making it a place you love that is really you. Of course there are things that I would still love to do i.e. lamps- but I am waiting for the perfect ones that speak to me- so they may take a while.I would also love something above the headboard, my sis mentioned oars, awesome, but hey, are we ever really done decorating anyway? No. & cheers my friends, may the wind be at your back this lovely Friday.