A tale of two bedrooms

A little kingdom I possess, where thoughts and feelings dwell; And very hard the task I find of governing it well.
Louisa May Alcott

I wish I had more home pictures to share, but we are living in half a house- the rest of our home is in a barn West Virgina, being stored after we sold our home there in January.

Here is the home we sold.



A lovely Victorian, but, we no longer had the time to invest in restoring it after the big twins arrived. BTW, the day we closed on the home- January 3rd, I told my husband at the attorneys office that I believed I was pregnant with twins again. He laughed and said not to be silly! I wasn't showing any signs, we weren't trying for a baby, wasn't "late", just picked up an article on Joan Lunden and it was about her having two sets of twins and I had a sense of euphoria and knew I was going to have twins again, too! It was fun to own this home- it was our playhouse and we stayed there over the Holidays and when we visited my family. Homes like this in WV are cheap, cheap, cheap.

But back to my home in Ga...

So, with half my things in a barn in WV, I haven't hung all our pictures, haven't placed all our furniture etc. The living room and dining room are basically complete, but none of the bedrooms or family room are finished. I do, however, have all my bedding with me.

If theres one thing I collect, it would be duvets, quilts, sheets and comforters. I love changing my bedding with the seasons, and love the look of bright colors in the spring, and warm neutrals in the autumn. I thought I would share our beds two looks.







This is actually the autumn look for our room, but, its a newer set and my husband loves it, so we have it on the bed for now. In the autumn I will add a few burgundy velvet pillows for Christmas and winter.





This is my spring and summer set, and I had to remake the bed to showcase it! I change out the yardlong over the bed, change the pillows out, and usually the lamos but one of the other lamps broke in the move so I am in the market for two more. These amber lamps were bought at a yard sale for five bucks each.

I think these two distinct looks also show how "Type a" my personality is. I loved the Victorian in WV because having that home there and the one here gave me seven bedrooms to decorate. Sometimes I daydream of owning a B&B just to decorate the bedrooms! My living room and dining room stay the same. I seldom make changes in the kitchen, but bedrooms in thise home are an evolving canvas!

Missing my bookbag

If anyone reading my blog has a simple pattern for a child's book bag please let me know.

My mother has never been crafty. She enjoys things others make immensely, and appreciates handmade treasures and cares for them in the same way as if she were a crafter herself. Has anyone ever noticed that? It seems that ladies who are talented in the way of handcrafts usually appreciate the work and creativity that goes into handmade items more than the casual shopper of craft items... but my mother really appreciates handmade items, and seeks them out. Perhaps this is connected to her baking, which is from scratch. I have always seen baking as an extension of crafting- an art form in itself.

But my mother has only once tried her own hand at creating aside from the culinary arts.

My second grade year my mother was roped into making book bags for the classroom because she was one of only a handful of stay at home moms at our school. My mother had never used a sewing machine, and certainly didn't while away her days knitting and crocheting my sister and I dresses and pretty bonnets. She spent time gardening, or visiting with her sisters and letting my sister and I enjoy a play group. Unable to admit she wasn't very much of a seamstress, she accepted.

She went out and bought a plethora of fabrics and trims. She borrowed my grandmothers sewing machine. And she spent the next couple weeks every evening making book bags.

There was a particularly pretty denim she had that I wanted for my book bag. A blue jean book bag would be very fashionable, and I liked the shade of blue. I had my eye on it the entire time she was working on the bags. But, as she finished up sewing one bag that she had spent twice the time on she had the others, she held up a blue calico and lace bag and announced proudly that it was for ME. That my bag would be the prettiest one in the classroom, and she had designed it especially for me.

Now I am stuborn. Always have been. I didn't even look at the bag she made. I pulled a blue jean one from the pile, put my hands on my hips and announced that THIS was my bag. My mom said "Just look at the one I made you- its prettier" I would not budge. I had my eye on that denim fabric since the moment it came into the house and thats what I wanted.

The next day we took the bags to school. They were put in the center of the room, except that the children whose mothers crafted bags were first allowed to choose their own. I chose my denim bag. Then, all the girls were allowed to choose a bag and the very first bag chosen from the remaining bags was the one my mother handmade especially for me. A little girl held it up in the air victoriously and announced it was the prettiest bag she had ever seen. All the girls sighed and exclaimed at its absence from the lot as none of the other bags were as stylish or pretty. And for the first time I looked at it. I saw it not from my little 7 year old stubborn eyes, but from the perspective of the girl whose mother hadn't made her anything so special, and who appreciated all the special details and rick rack added to this and only this bag. And my heart sank. It really was the nicest bag in the entire classroom and I could see all the work and particular details my mother had put into this bag ESPECIALLY FOR ME. I felt stupid and guilty and wished I could have that bag.

Had I known years and years later that I would still see that book bag in my mind so clearly, and that it would of been the only item my mother ever made from hand for me, I would of chose that bag. I wouldn't of taken it to school though- I would of saved it to carry to church. It was very worthy of a Sunday school ensemble.

I asked my mother today if I bought her some calico fabric, lace, rick rack and a denim pocket (my bag was the only one with a center pocket) if she would please make me a book bag. She laughed and said she had things from her childhood that she had said or done to her mother that she also still regretted. I told her it would mean something to me to have her make a bag, now, as an adult when I could truly appreciate it. The interesting part is my mother perfectly remembered my bag and described the details to me that I had forgotten.

No pictures for this post- I tried to find an example of my bag, and couldn't.

Inspiration Friday

I almost hate to post just yet because I am really enjoying the wonderful remarks about my friends The Chapmans to my post directly below this one- so please, if you haven't read that one and have time, scroll one post down. :-)

I chose outdoor water gardens/ponds for my Inspiration Friday post. We had a large pond at our last home, but for now we have a patio pond until we can devote more time to managing it. Here are some gorgeous examples of what you can create in your backyard.



This pond is so serene and beckons one to bring a prayer book, or a journal and take a nice afternoon respite. I like that it has a slight asian accent. We had some asian features in our pond- bamboo spitters, a cement lantern, etc. This is my favorite pond of the ones I am sharing.




We had some nice waterfall features, but nothing as magnificent as this one! There is something so peaceful and comforting about the sound of rushing water. I would definitely need a nice bench by this one.



I love the little bridge here- these are pretty economical to buy, and a nice play for the children to sit and enjoy the water.



This pond shows that you can have a slightly more formal look and it still be a relaxing corner of your landscape. I think this pond would look wonderful in a more manicured yard- one with well scultped shrubs, and perhaps a nice pergola.



My favorite thing about ponds after the waterfalls are the fish! There is a nice variety of koi here, and a few goldfish merrily swimming alongside of them.




You don't have to have a large pond to enjoy the look- here is a small water feature that was in my front yard of the home we sold here in Georgia. I built this in one afternoon! This was my "fairy pond" and I enjoyed it just as much as a larger one, and it was easy to maintain, and inexpensive to construct. I really miss this little water garden, and just mentioned to my husband this past weekend that I wanted to refer to my own pictures of it for inspiration on constructing another.

Making the most of your "treasures"

This is my second blog today, inspired by an entry in the blog by my friend Janice.

In 1997 I lived next door to an elderly couple and very far from my family. I had my dog, Mr. Smith for company, and they had an equally small terrier named "Lady". Smitty and Lady introduced the Chapman's and myself one afternoon when they made friends over a particularly nice peony they were enjoying a sniff of together.

Afterwards, I was adopted into the Chapman family. I had dinner with them three to four days a week, shared in their stories about their lives, and in exchange mowed their grass and walked their dog. It was quite a steal on my part, and many an evening I would snuggle down into the afghan on their sofa while Gerald told stories about the depression and his brothers. Eleanor would pretend she had never heard the story before and sitting very close to the edge of her seat and leaning in toward Gerald to hear every syllable he uttered, she would squeal and clap her hands at all the right moments, making for a very captive audience- only interrupting to inform Gerald of a pivotal part of the story he had left out.

The Chapmans loved family. They not only raised their four children, but then three of their grand children and subsequently one of their great grandchildren while a favorite grandchild attended college. They never locked their door, and shouted "come in" to anyone who knocked without even checking to see if it be friend or foe. But the the Chapmans didn't know a foe!

One evening I was visiting when their granddaughter and great granddaughter came for a visit. On the coffee table was one of Eleanor's prized possessions- a burgundy and gold fenton art glass biscuit barrel that had been a gift from a friend. Eleanor didn't decorate her home very much- mostly things that laid out for view were papers, piano books, and family portrait albums. However, she adored a pretty candy dish and changed out which one she displayed every week, thoughtfully refilled with candy and then placed in the center of her coffee table. The dishes contents were offered to every guest, no matter how new or frequent a visitor to the Chapman home.

We were all watching the news and they showed a clip about a new musical called "Stomp". Seven year old Brianna remarked that she could very easily be in that musical. Her pap-paw agreed and reached for something nearby to make noise on. Eleanor picked up a coffee cup and started rattling the spoon inside. Brianna's mother grabbed a pot from the kitchen, and then taking cue from her family, Brianna dumped the contents of the fenton candy dish onto the carpet and started banging the top of the lovely glass jar onto the base. I think I gasped! Eleanor looked at her and said "that makes a really nice sound" and went into her kitchen and brought back a second glass candy dish to also bang on. And for the next five minutes everyone banged loudly on their candy dishes and pots while Brianna laughed giddily. It was snowing outside and I remember wondering if I would have to shovel the sidewalk the next morning. The Chapmans had an oil furnace and their home was very snug and warm. From the forced air furnace, and from their bond with their family and all the generations within.

In my parents home, good dishes and good china are tucked safely behind glass doors and protected from accidental breakage or abuse. In my home I had done the same- visiting my precious china only on holidays and special occasions. Always, always, putting them safely away again when through.

Eleanor Chapman developed cancer that summer and passed away quickly, in her own home, surrounded by her family. Her husband asked me to pick one thing from her home to keep as a remembrance. The family had already chosen their momentos. I chose the fenton biscuit barrel. Its one of my favorite glasswares in my home, and I cherish the memory of the evening that her great granddaughter was allowed to nearly destroy it, all for the fun of song and love of company.

I hope that a bit of the Chapman spirit lives on inside of me, and I never become so attached to my things that I forget the people who can enjoy them and the memories we create when we celebrate these people with our "glass and china treasures". And that I never forget to keep a dish in my home filled with candy, for every guest- no matter how new or frequent a visitor to my home.

Here are a couple before pictures of the guest bathroom. Why does anyone hang textured wallpaper?



The paper has been tough coming down because the original paper (a country pattern) was hung overtop of unpainted/unsealed drywall. Trying to take it down sheers pieces of the drywall down. We have decided to remove only the top layer, seal the layer underneath and paint overtop of that one.



Yesterday, Tilly and Lucas had a couple of silly poses for me and the camera- both while sucking on their little lower lip.

Tilly had the barrette in her hair just for the pictures- she woke up from her nap with serious bedhead!



After I saw she was interested in posing, I went and grabbed a barrette and snapped a few more pictures, of which the following silly poses were apart of.




Sometimes Tilly looks so sweet! Its hard to believe that *this* baby has such a bad temper!



Lucas was just puzzled by the little black box I was aiming at his face while trying to get him to laugh.

I did eventually get a nice silly laugh from him.




And now an update on the little twins, like Lucas they love sugar and anytime I eat anything sweet, have a huge tumble fest in my growing abdomen. Funny!

I thought I would share some Southern Accents bath "eye candy" this morning since I am still working on our little guest bath. This bath above is about the same size as our master bath, and gives me some ideas about our spring remodel!

The wallpaper removal in the guest bath is slow going. I am now 6 months pregnant with the "little twins" and I find I am a bit awkward with the ceiling area. I keep feeling like I am toppling over- vertigo I think! I also don't fit in snug places as well as I used to. And the "big twins" find it hard to snuggle when I pick them up because there is a growing abdomen in my way!

Yesterday during naptime Tilly was particularly alert and I decided to take a peek into the nursery and found her STANDING up on her own looking out the window. My goodness everything happens so quickly now I feel like I can't keep up. So, last night we lowered her crib mattress and tonight we will lower Lucas crib mattress because they are very close developmentally.

Also, one time yesterday when I was working on the wallpaper, I heard Lucas scream and went over to their play yard to find he had a toy that Tilly wanted. So, she had climbed on his back and had a hand full of his hair tugging it. 9 months old!!! Normally Lucas is the one swiping toys and pulling hair- I guess Matilda is learning to stand on her own in more ways than one!

*edit during their afternoon nap I heard Lucas wake up and start playing by himself. A few moments later he SCREAMED. Well, not one to be outdone by his twin sister, he was also standing in his crib, trying to figure out how to sit back down. Way to go Lucas!

Bath Remodel

As mentioned, I am sharing pictures from my sister in laws master bath today. It went with the blue and white theme from Friday- wish I had these pictures handy then!

Sunday morning my husband walks into our guest bath and exclaims "What are you doing?!?!?!" I was standing on the side of the bathtub, with my arms above my head, pulling wallpaper off the walls.

We have a bad history of wallpaper removal, and the very idea of it gives my husband anxiety. At our last home- a 100 year old Victorian- there was horrible green and white scroll wallpaper in the dining room. I decided to take it down, not realizing that there was about 30 layers of paper on the wall! The last layer wasn't sized or anything, and taking it down even took some of the plaster off the walls. My husband is an engineer and he found me having an anxiety attack in the middle of our dining room when I discovered that the last resident had actually wallpapered over a 5 inch hole in the plaster near the fireplace. Duane also said that the paper was so thick it was giving the room an "R value" and insulating it!!! We ended up painting over top of it instead.

So, he walks in a room and finds me tearing down paper, and immediately says "what about last time we did this?"

I tried to accept this paper. It is textured and has fish on it. Big blue and teal fish. Our guest bath look like "The Life Aquatic" missing the trendy music and the lovely Bill Murray/Owen Wilson combination. I convinced myself we would go for a beach theme and I bought a waffle weave white shower curtain, put seashells out in crystal bowls, and pretty blue candles. BUT, it didn't look beachy. It looked like the 1988 "Golden Girls" Florida home- I could see Estelle Geddy in this bathroom.

Then I went to the bridal shower at my SIL's and she had just redone her brand new guest bath (they built their home 2 years ago). And that inspired me! I am ripping paper and glue off this week, and will be painting over the weekend. I love nesting and am so excited about this new project! I have plans to do a paint treatment of somesort- I am also going to replace the faucet, paint the vanity, and hang pictures.

Here is my sister in laws master bath. This is the alcove where the tub rests. It has a lovely vault here. I wanted to take pictures of her cabinetry, too- but decided to just show the pretty clawfoot tub. This is really the only cottagey room in her home. She chose just the right shade of blue with the white beadboard accents, and I love how the tub looks out on their acreage.

BTW- we have a tiny "childs tub" in West Virginia that I want to use and don't know how just yet. It had been removed from the guest bath in the Victorian home, and I took it with us when we moved since no one would use it AS a guestbath tub. The thing is teensy- its only about 36 inches long, but has all the features of a regular clawfoot tub. Every one that saw our home when it was up for sale asked to buy it, too. Its doll sized- sooooo sweet. The idea use for it would be in a powder room, where it could be displayed but not necessarily intended for use. But, with our impending large family, I don't think we can waste space. We will NEED the extra bathrooms for use, not just looks.




This is a closeup of the vanity items she collects on the little table beside the slipper clawfoot tub. She picked up most of the older pieces in England, and then a few little things around town. I have a small perfume bottle collection myself, and like this idea for displaying them. I would love to incorporate some of these details into our master bath when we redo it in the spring! I am leaning toward a spa theme for our bath however. It is going to be "mamas retreat"- ha!



This morning Tilly is leaning up on my shoulder while she watches "Go baby" on the t.v. They have finished up their bottles and their 15 minutes of viewing is up. Its time for them to get into their exersaucers for twenty minutes. We have the strictest schedule EVER, but, they love it and seem to flourish with the schedule, so we keep it. Lucas has his entire hand in his mouth. No wait- he has the cordless phone in his mouth! Hmpfh!

bridal shower

Today I went to a friends daughter's bridal shower that was hosted by my SIL. This friend made the cake for my baby shower, so I made lemon bars and bride/groom strawberries for her daughters shower.



This was my first time making the tuxedo strawberries, and they turned out just lovely. Next time I think I would prefer to add coconut to the bride strawberries, instead of just white chocolate.



Here are the desserts on my sister in laws shabby buffet in her breakfast room. My sister in law had the loveliest spread on her dining room table and I should of photographed it! She had a yummy brie that had been soaked in brandy, pecans and brown sugar courtesy of Food Network and Paula Deen's recipe. She had some jumbo shrimp, chicken fingers, a cheese ball, fresh veggies, fresh berries, melon balls, multiple crackers and breads, and to drink she served a choice of beverage- sangria, lemonade, or iced tea. Yummy!

The strawberries were a hit, and several guests asked me how to make them. I learned at my baby shower that the showier desserts aren't eaten, its the small finger foods.
I made a tiramisu for my baby shower (since its a favorite of mine) and it was hardly touched, but the lemon bars were ate by every guest, so I knew what to make for Jens shower!

Jen is going to make a lovely bride. Shes such a sweet girl, and her moms wonderful.

I took a couple pictures of Lavinas blue and white themed bath to show later this week. Hope everyones having a nice weekend.

Inspiration Friday

I chose one of my favorite decorating themes for my inspiration Friday submission. My husband and I are both very fond of the ocean, and the tranquil colors that accompany a beach setting. And while I love pink and white and all the frilly romance that goes along with it, I also adore the serenity and cottage appeal of blue and white decor, too. The blue and white issues of Victorias are my favorites to "Nest" with, and the cover for the June 1992 issue is the prettiest, in my opinion. The pale shades of blue featured here are my favorites, and just the ever so slight addition of lavender. *sighs*



I love this sofa in this room! It has a nice tall back, which lends itself easily to cushy throws and quilts. This room is considered traditional english cottage, but to me it looks a little french.



I think yellow flowers look so much sunnier, friendlier, when paired with blue and white, don't you? The window dressing- or virtual lack of, is wonderful.




This room belongs seaside, don't you think? I don't know that I would choose this bedroom for myself as I enjoy more white in the bedroom when mixing with blue, but, I do like the cottage colors and how bright and airy this room is.




This mix of patterns for the toss pillows is perfect! My favorite is the green and white toile roses. This would mix with so many different room scapes- blue and white, pink and white...




This was my favorite blue and white setting- the tea table! I would love to be sitting at this tea table with a dear friend, enjoying blueberry scones with fresh lemon curd, and lingering over a warm herbal tisane. Table settings are my very favorite vignettes, and often the most inviting as well. Where else in your home can you make a person feel as welcomed as you can over an intimate dining experience?

And all my favorite flowers as a centerpiece!

In other news- all looks well on the u/s, so big twins and little twins both came through the fall OK.

What? A Victoria book I don't have? Does anyone reading my blog own this one and can give a review? I have At Home with White, Blue and White in your Home, Decorating with Roses, Intimate Home, Baking, Christmas with Victoria (three volumes), Bedrooms, The Heart of Christmas, At Table, and The Charms of Tea.

I had Romantic Country Style and gave it away... the only one I didn't like. My favorite is "Intimate Home" and "The Heart of Christmas" which were both published early on.

Thanks for asking about me after my fall. My pride is the most bruised- and I have a check up tomorrow just to be sure everythings ok with the "little twins".

I will try and participate in Inspiration Friday tomorrow!

Ugh

Today I fell.

I was carrying Lucas out of the play yard and I guess I am just not used to how awkward my stomach is at almost 6 months pregnant with the "little twins". Fortunately, I already had Matilda in her high chair. I crumbled with Lucas and shielded him as I fell, the entire play yard folded like an accordion ontop of us and while he was fine (thank goodness!) I am now sporting a huge scrape from my knee to my ankle and initially thought I broke a toe. I was so startled I almost was sick. I shook all over for an hour. That I could of hurt Lucas, or lost this pregnancy. I fell on pillows that we have in the play yard and not on the ceramic tile flooring just outside of it. The play yard was what scraped my leg.

Apparently the play yard is supposed to be opened and closed the same way it was assembled. This makes it very awkward to get in and out of, especially when I have the "big twins" in it. I called the company to ask if they might make a better and easier to use gate for it, and they don't. Thats crazy considering this is THE play gate system every mom of multiples owns.

Duane said tonight he will try and see if he can fashion something better. A friend suggested I buy a play gate and link it into the play yard with cable ties. It just has to be sturdy.

Ugh, ugh, ugh.

I am an enneagram type 4, and my husband is an enneagram type 9:

This can be, paradoxically, both a very comfortable—and yet exciting—relationship pair. Enneagram Fours and Nines are both withdrawn and private, sensitive to the feelings and needs of the other and, empathetic to the suffering of others. Both can be tender-hearted and highly sympathetic to the suffering that they find in the world and in each other. Both want to find a deep connection with the other, and yet, both also want a certain degree of autonomy and insist on a very real degree of privacy. Both Fours and Nines can be highly creative, and as a pair they enthusiastically support the other's creativity and give the other a good deal of space in which to develop their talents. Both are idealistic and want to connect deeply with someone, feeling that they are on a search for their soul mate, the one person in the world with whom they can completely connect and be themselves.

Both Fours and Nines also bring a sensuality and love of comfort that is noteworthy; this may express itself in their lifestyle, traveling habits, and in their sexual and other intimate activities. This is a couple that likes to stay in bed all Sunday morning, reading the papers and talking. Each brings passion and an appreciation of the other coupled with a desire to be comfortable and build a life with the other. Fours can make Nines become more intense and expressive about how they feel, while Nines can allow Fours to feel understood and accepted for who they are. Fours are good at naming feelings and pinpointing emotional states; Nines are good at creating an atmosphere of nonjudgmental acceptance, Nines may even enjoy the emotional storms and dramas that Fours occasionally get into, feeling that it adds spice to their life together. A lot of the pleasure and passion of this couple is nonverbal in the depth of the understanding that each has for the other.

The first time we read this, we were shocked at the accuracy- right down to the relationship problem areas. My husband had told me when we were dating that I would eventually leave him because I would find him "dull"- the enneagram pairing for us says thats a potential problem for 4's romantically involved with the peaceful 9. And, I was worried he would tire of my emotional storms and shut me out.

But, the thing that really stuck with us is that we can never get out of the house on weekends because we will spend the entire day in bed talking- never leaving our pj's. We even go get breakfast and bring it back to bed. Then we had the twinkies, and guess what? We go get them, and they have their bottles in bed with us. We bought our king size bed just for this purpose! Hee. They like to watch a little t.v., cuddle, and we play with them. Its a nice morning ritual.



I can't believe how well they are sitting up! Its very strange to peek into their cribs after naptime and see them sitting upright, playing with a toy. I swear, it is happening soooooo fast. I keep telling Duane "and next month they graduate high school!" as a joke about how quickly this is all moving.

The other interesting thing is that we purposefully bought the extension to the playyard so they babies could have their own sense of space. They have a 36 square foot area with mats. Well, those silly twinkies are never more than a foot apart, and are usually either lying half way on top of eachother, or are back to back as you see here. Too cute!

Lucas felt bad yesterday and he is clingy when he feels sick. Neither of my twins are especially cuddley unless they feel bad, or want reassurance after a topple. I am warped- I actually enjoyed that he wanted to snuggle, even though it was because he had a tiny fever!!! Tilly only wants hugs and snuggles after she has a temper tantrum. I guess she just needs to know that in spite of how she behaves, my feelings for her remain unchanged. Forever.

Living room

Yesterday Duane and I worked on getting the china display case anchored to the wall, and then we put the shelves in and added my tea things. Here is a view of the case from the kids play pin.



I took a few pictures of our living room this morning- we have only lived in this house for three weeks now, and it doesn't quite look "full" yet. I have boxes of china (most in a West Virginia barn!) and a closet full of pictures (here) to attest to this. However, here is atleast a view. The living room is 20 by 20- but, again, I ma pinned in by the... ahem... baby play yard. This is the best I could get without looking like I was in the play yard!




I love this sofa. We shopped for a "tight back" sofa that had 30's styling for months looking for something just like this one. It reminds me of the sofa in the lounge of the movie "Holiday" with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn. I think the 30's- 40's are my favorite period of movies for decor. Just on the edge of glamour, but lots of cottage charm. For instance, the "play room" of Katherine Hepburns in Holiday is so english cottage and I love that room! I also love the entire set of another Grant-Hepburn teaming: "Bringing up Baby". The dutch doors off the kitchen are exactly what I would have in my dream kitchen. The buffet behind the sofa is part of the set that includes my dining room table. Doesn't look "full" at all.





This is another view of the living room, Showing the corner where my over stuffed rocker is, and both china hutches.




Here is the last corner of the living room- its also the last bit of Victoriana in my home, left over from our downsizing venture last year. Before having the twins, we owned two homes- a victorian in West Virginia, and then our primary residence here in Georgia. However, we couldn't devote time to the upkeep of a large Victorian home once we had the twins, and the loss of my income certainly didn't help, either! We sold both homes and bought one house- the one I am sharing pictures of. This also explains why so many of my things are in my parents barn! They live in WV.

I do like this small scaled settee, and it matches my colors, so for now it has found a cozy corner. I have more pictures to hang around it, and also want a different area rug here.

Thats the visit to my home this morning.

Now my vent:

Why do people want me to separate my twins? Lucas and Matilda are going to share a room until they are 7, and the next set (if the same gender as I predict) will share a room *always*. Every like gender twins I know share a room, and are happy about it. But, any time someone visits our home, they inquire about when we will separate the twins (even the like gender set). My sister and I shared a room until we were 8, and its a very fond memory of my childhood that I would not part with. Sure, we argued and bickered, but, we also told stories at bedtime, giggled, and had pillow fights. Since we aren't close as adults, I treasure those memories now. I also believe if we had continued to share a room we may have remained closer. When we each had our own room we stopped the pillow fights, the late night chats and grew apart as we developed more independence and our own interests apart from the other. The one thing these babies will have is they are close- close in utero, close in age. And we want to cultivate that.

I am off my soap box now!

Thou who didst hang upon a barren tree,
My God, for me;
Though I till now be barren, now at length
Lord, give me strength
To bring forth fruit to Thee.

from Christina Rossetti "Long Barren"

I think this poem has both spiritual and feminine significance. I won't get into that right now...

I just wanted to remark that on this day honoring Mothers, I take time to remember those who have lost their Mothers, and those who are only mothers in their dreams and hearts, having empty arms where others are full.

Take time to mother oneself, be gentle to yourself, and be at peace.


******************************************************

Just a couple pictures I took of the twinkies this morning. Its difficult to get a good picture of Tilly. She wants to play "ham" and acts goofy in all her pictures. Case in point:





As soon as she saw the camera, she started squealing at the top of her lungs. Then she flashes me a big smile, and squeals again.

Her brother, on the other hand, looks very serious in his closeups:




He likes to consider the camera, and think about how he is going to take it from me and *taste* it.

I know I can hardly expect them to have similar personalities, seeing that they are fraternal twins, but, sheesh, they are NOTHING alike.

This is what Lucas looks like during naptime:



He goes right to sleep, never fusses, and likes to face toward his sisters crib (as he is doing here) so when he wakes up, he can look in on her (we joke that he considers her antics the next best thing to reality t.v.!)






This picture was taken of Matilda within ten seconds of the picture of Lucas. She fights naps, she fights sleep... we usually end up having to pick her up and tell her she needs to sleep, and rubbing her back for about two minutes, then laying her down again.

Many moms are advocates of "CIO" ("Crying it out") to train babies to "self soothe" and be able to put themselves down for the night. I never wanted to do CIO, and we haven't had to. Though it takes Miss Tilly a good twenty minutes to calm down and go to sleep, she sleeps a straight twelve hours once shes managed to settle in for the evening. And, shes a good napper, too. Besides, on the rare occasion we haven't heard her crying, by the time we went into her room she was hyperventilating and having hysterics. Thats not teaching her to self soothe, its teaching her that her parents ignore her when shes upset. I realize this technique works for some children, but, knowing my children it wouldn't have worked for them.

I hope we are as patient to the "little twins" on the way. I have a feeling that if we have another Tilly personality, that she/he might feel a little less validated than Tilly has been solely from a lack of time. This worries me *alot*. Also, that I am able to keep reaffirming Tilly and Lucas of how special they are when their siblings arrive.

These aren't twin issues, they ar ejust sibling issues I think.

My generous sister in law

My SIL changes loves to change up her home decor and generously shares what she has "edited" out in the process. Isn't it great to have someone who loves to share as much as they love to decorate???

My dining room has benefited from one of her remodels- these are all three signed artist prints from a gallery she purchased them in. At first I wasn't sure they would work- I don't use much rich dark greens- but, the gilded frames and the burgundy is dark enough to look well with the more vintage fabrics in my living room.

I have come to really enjoy these pictures.



OK- the dining room isn't finished. I am not used to ceramic tile floors, and we need nice rugs in the dining room, living room, and a runner down the hallway. This room looks a little barren without a rug under the table. P.S.- she also gave me the centerpiece on the table. The dining room table, along with the china cabinet pictures below this thread and a buffet were all auction finds in West Virginia. Isn't this all beautiful? Yes, yes, the china cabinet or the buffet would fit on the opposite wall- but, thats actually where we store the high chairs, which for picture purposes, were pushed into the breakfast room. :-P




The above were parted with because of the chip in the frame on one of them. Until she saw it on my wall, I don't know that she realized it wasn't noticeable. I have two ovals with similar rose "library prints" and ornate frames that match these perfectly. We are just looking for a spot to hang them.



This is the prettiest lamp I have ever seen, and she decided it didn't go with her new tables at the new house. I was actually trying to find something close to it on our budget, when she pulled it out and gave it to me this past Christmas. I was so afraid she would change her mind that I nudged Duane to stick it in the trunk of our car that minute. Isn't that horrid??? He knew I had spent months trying to find that lamp! *edit- she replaced that lamp with one thats even prettier! Oh my goodness does she have good taste, its the prettiest lamp I have ever seen and its in her keeping room. Its dark with ceramic fruit on it in the most gorgeous shades of green and bright cranberry and the shade is this gorgeous pleated latte color. Now ITS my favorite lamp!




So, here my challenge. She visited me this week and brought me *these*. I don't really care for them (and they are larger than they appear here). She was very enthusiastic about how nice they would look in our home. I don't own anything mauve, and this is an odd shade of green. I might could make them look shabby if they were above a shelf with some vintage china, but I don't know... its probably the oldest pictures shes given me- they were at one of their offices (one they haven't used since 1999) and they have decided to sale the building this office was located in. So, she and her husband were prepping the building for sale and "thought of me". *edit- I have stared at the three prints for so long trying to figure out where to hang them that now I want to keep these. Hee, hee. Something about them is very sweet.

My mom begged me to one of them to my grandmothers home. She is 87, and has a bedspread with magnolias on it. I might would do that, if it weren't for driving seven hours with three pictures that would be taking up the space of a jumperoo for the babies!!! *edit- my grandmother did take one of the pictures and I know my sil would be thrilled with how happy this made her~ she put the picture of the victorian like lady with the purple background in her bedroom. My mom says grandma is very impressed with it.

If anyone has advice on how to make these look less "country victorian" let me know.

In sad news, my grandmothers dog died last night. "Precious" has been my grandnothers best friend for 13 years. She had a autoimmune blood disease and died in her sleep. Whats sad, to me, is that I believe my grandmother believes her health is too ailing and she won't "live long enough" to invest in another dog, and yet having Precious gave her so much joy and also Precious was a barker so no one could come in on my grandma without her knowing.

This also makes me feel a little sorry for myself because at the time grandma was given Precious, I was given "Mr. Smith"- my shihtzu. And my aunt found her dog "Kelsey". Smitty is 12, and Kelsey is also 12. Kelsey is on medication for her heart- she has too much fluid on it. Smitty, thus far, has been healthy, but he doesn't hear as well as he used to. He is my first pet as a "grown up". I am not prepared to have an adult lesson about losing him!!! Precious dying just hits a little too close to home.

Grandma does have two cats- "Pumpkin" and "Annie".

Speaking of ANNIE, and now I am just rambling... my grandmothers name is "Anna-Mae". She LOVES her name. She passed on "Anna" to my mother, "Ann" to her older sister, and "Mae" to her youngest daughter. Then, she gets this cat and names it "Annie". It kind of gives us all the giggles... how much she loves her own name! I only hope Matilda loves her name so much. :-)

lavender hearts!

Thanks to Lynda at Hedgerow Hollow and Alison at Foxgloves for this lovely small hand craft idea. I had fun creating these, and they will be so nice to tuck into linen drawers and stationery boxes.

I used felt like Alison did, but ribbon roses and a blanket stitch to close them up. I want to try them with fabric next.

cupcakes and bathtime

I made 36 cupcakes for Easter. In my family, we get together for every holiday. We usually go to my grandmothers home, or one of my aunts. My mother is one of four girls, so we have an ample supply of chefs and bakers for big foodie gatherings. When we were children, my grandmother would hide big plastic eggs in her yard filled with coins, candy, or the rare one dollar bill. We would gather around her kitchen table an color eggs with our cousins while my mom and her sisters prepared the ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, pineapple sauce, yeast rolls, and deserts. Then, after dinner we had a egg coloring contest where we would try to make the most absurdly colored egg by mixing dyes, and finally- *finally*- the kids would get to go hunt eggs in our baskets. My mom or one of her sisters would team up with the youngest cousins to be sure they found eggs, too. The older kids all knew that if an egg was obviously in sight, that we were to walk past that one because it was meant for a little sprite.

My grandmother is 87 years old and still buys herself a Paas easter coloring kit and every Easter sits down and colors herself a pretty egg. Like me, her favorite color is robins egg blue.

My husbands family, on the other hand, do not "get into" holidays. My husband has only been on one Easter Egg hunt his entire life! There aren't any large family gatherings in spite of there being four children. His parents prefer to spend their holidays alone. Its all very strange to me, and also quite lonesome living 7 hours from my own family in West Virginia.

But, this Easter we were invited to an Easter Egg hunt at my SIL's family home. I can't tell you how excited this made me!!! But, sadly, it was canceled, and no less after I made the 36 cupcakes. Duane and I had Easter dinner with the twinkies at Cracker Barrel instead. And, I froze the majority of cupcakes to pull out and frost with buttercream icing in small portions.

I learned a lesson here. We are going to have four children by next Christmas, and its time that I start my own family traditions and not lean on others so much. This is a difficult lesson for me as I enjoy getting together with extended family, but, its not fair to our children to rely on my husbands family for holidays when they aren't interested in them as we are. Next year we will have a huge Easter Egg hunt and egg coloring here at our own home and I will make a ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, pineapple sauce and yeast rolls. Suddenly, I feel very grown up. It is an odd thing to find yourself becoming the own matriarch of your family.

Last night I made six of the cupcakes, and this morning while the twinkies slept, I had one for breakfast.



Last night we had bathtime before bedtime. Lucas has such fun in the tub, and we just had to take a picture when he put the bubbles on his little chin.



Matilda is still somewhat cautious in the bathtub, but she loves to chew on the yellow rubber duckie.

After their bath we give them a massage with lavender lotion and then they go in their fleece sleep sacks and off to bedtime. Duane and I take turns reading their favorite story Dr. Seuss "Mr. Brown can Moo can You?"... And I have to leave the room when he reads to them because I want to correct him on the way he says the sounds!!! We have a very different interpretation of what Mr. Brown sounds like. Hee, hee.

Right now they are laying beside me, halfway interested in their breakfast bottles, and halfway tuned in to Higgleytown heros (whose theme song is done by "They Might be Giants").