Almost Ready….

to think about starting to decorate for Christmas.

And I was going to….

yesterday.

But then it was 65 degrees outside and I had to go rake leaves.

Which doesn’t really put one in the mind to decorate for Christmas.

It does make one start to wonder about saving one’s money for next year to hire a landscaping company,

if only for the leaves

and encourages thoughts about a slow and painful premature

death.

And Spencer has been needy.

Not in a hewantstocuddleandreadbooksandsleeplotsnadhe’ssocutekindofway

but more in a suck me dry kind of way.

And this morning I was contemplating the idea of telling my children that Santa believes that waking up cranky,

and crying,

and obnoxiously early

is grounds for present dismissal.

It is, isn’t it?

The good news is,

I’ve already submitted my Christmas list to Bryce:

new pantry interior

(mine is ghetto and ill planned and U.G.L.Y.)

and rubber work boots for the rainy season.

REI has some boots….

for $110.

Rrrriiight.

I still love them.

However,

on Saturday, we’re going to go cut down our Christmas trees.

We’re getting two! (four seems excessive, ahem)

I’m kind of thinking about getting someone to watch the kids, and just Bryce and I will go.

Cruel?

One would think,

(if life as like the movies and my children were angelic)

if that person hasn’t traipsed all over a muddy mountainside with four children wearing noncuttingdownchristmastreegear.

But I have

and a sitter is sounding pretty awesome.

And today I’m tired.

I go to a Zumba class.

Let’s just say that my hopes and dreams of having a dancing career are not even

remotely

realistic.

I take comfort in knowing that I can always fall back on my ability to

rake leaves.

Have you decorated?

If you’re my real friend, you’ll lie and say ‘no’….

or you can come over and help me

or do it all

or take care of Spencer….

Katie

A Little Bit of Sunshine

I’ve had a couple of busy weeks.
I won’t bore you with the details.
A lot of it is raking millions of leaves from hundred year old oak and acorn trees.
And Spencer not feeling well with a double ear infection.
And planning a large church dinner for 100+ adults with a small budget.
{Apparently I’m a liar.}
Since I have awesome coping skills.
I bought some new boots
and decided to make a sign.
Here was my inspiration:

(source)

and this one:

and I tried this technique, which didn’t work at all for me:

So I just made it up.
I cut the wood with a jigsaw in my laundry room sink
painted it with the same color as my front door
found a font (allegrian)
supersized it (650)
printed it out
centered the paper on my wood
traced around it with a sharpie
which bled through to the wood
filled it in with paint
painted a shadow
and did a border.

I’m still debating about distressing it…..

I don’t love the location of it {disappointing}, so that will probably change.

But I like how it turned out.
Till later this week,
Katie

Just Some Good Old Fashioned Painting

I’m finally getting around to some painting projects.

I was a little worn out after painting a lot of my friend’s furniture this fall.

But fall, summer, spring, and winter are always a good time for painting, so I got to it.

Before

After

I’m not really sure why I didn’t paint this to begin with.

Maybe I was waiting for the perfect color.

Which, I do love this color.

It’s Sherwin-Williams ‘watery’.

It’s always exciting putting on the first brush stroke and realizing it’s perfect.

Jar cubby

For the kitchen wall.

Don’t you worry, I’ll find something awesome for the bottom cubbies.

This was a ghetto 80’s brown shelf that I picked up at a garage sale for $3.

And then I put it on my porch.

For five months.

After I tried to unsuccessfully spray paint it.

Twice.

I want to make a distressed wooden sign that says either ‘milk’ or ‘mail’.

Sometime this year.

Definitely before summer.

Maybe over Thanksgiving…

Corrine?

Have a good weekend and stay warm.

Katie

LAY.ZY

I’ve been really lazy lately.

Lazy in the fact that I take a nap almost every week day.

Which also makes for a really lame blog.

I’m not pregnant.

Just lazy.

In all honesty, you can only be so lazy with:

1 husband

4 kids

15 chickens

3 ducks

30 raspberry plants

1.13 acres

and

3 meals a day.

But, this week, I’ve recommitted myself to productivity.

Do you mind if I share?

Yesterday I:

made two loaves of bread

cooked three meals

made one dessert

with the help of one Adeline

canned 14 quarts of grape juice (free concord grapes off of craigslist)

sorted, washed, dried, put away four loads of laundry

picked one basket of raspberries

collected four eggs

delivered a dozen eggs to the neighbor

watched three episodes of “Call The Midwife” (on PBS.org which is so, so good) while I folded laundry

helped two kids with homework

and ate twenty eight pieces of Halloween candy.

In all fairness to myself, last week I canned 8 quarts of chunky applesauce from free apples,cut out the pieces for three stuffed animal Christmas gifts, sprayed weeds all over the property, and then….took a nap.

I’m hoping to get some painting done later in the week as the weather will be miserable so outside maintenance is limited.

What are you getting done?

Katie