a good morning.

R had to get up a little earlier this morning for work, so I decided to get up with him instead of lounging around with Liv in our jammies (what our mornings usually consist of!).  Normally she wakes up around 7 or 7:30; today she chose 6AM. I decided to let her talk and play in her crib while I squeezed in a little me-time with my Bible and a cup of tea in the backyard.

Two neighbors catty-corner to us were also up early, and they greeted each other good morning while one worked in her garden and the other hung some laundry, their white hair glowing in the morning sun. I don't think either of them saw me, and it was nice to just be in my own space and see them in theirs. It felt so... 1950s-ish...and midwestern. Quiet. Peaceful.

Gotta love how lovely morning light is...

...and this is the kind of morning picture I don't mind taking :)

A quick update on the garden: Things are thriving! Our yellow pear, and two big beef tomato plants are growing like weeds...

And our pepper plants are doing well too. I thought I had lost all of them after our last snow. What a relief!

And the squash and cucumbers are working on their first pair of true leaves. Can't wait to see these puppies in another couple of months! I thinned them after taking this picture down to two each... Hope they have enough room.

As for the rest of today, I'm hoping to finish organizing our desk and moving some things out of little Bug's room that won't belong come November.  I'm sure Liv will want to play outside--it's the only thing she's wanted to do the last couple of days!  The rest of the weekend will be spent catching up on housework, yardwork, maybe a movie. What are your weekend plans? Any good summer movie recommendations?

wonderland.

Isn't this what summer evenings should look like?

summer reading.

I have really fallen off the book bandwagon this past year. And in the last few years, I've found I've hopped from the fiction cart to the non-fiction cart--which is funny, because R now is the one with the fiction bug, mostly reading classics to catch up on good ole literature and culture. (I still haven't read Catcher in the Rye or Crime and Punishment. I know, I know.)

I fired up my library queue again last week, renting 500 Days of Summer...cute....I snagged that and the Potting Shed Papers, by Charles Elliott. I don't really know why I like this book so much... it's been a few years since I first read it, and the writing style is a little pretentious and uppity. But I think I like it because I remember reading it in our little apartment when we were first married, and I was trying to grow a million of the wrong things on our west-facing deck, thinking I knew something about gardening. So maybe I was feeling a little pretentious and understanding of Mr. Elliott... until all of my plants (yes, all) fried one nice summer day. To a crisp. R was actually able to revive one, and it now sits on the coffee table in our living room.

Reading this book now, humbled and tepidly starting my gardening adventures over in our raised beds, I don't relate at all. But it's been a nice memory to thumb through the chapters when I can't sleep. I wish I had a green thumb!

Now I'm reading Radical, by David Platt. I'm only on the third chapter, and already it's been super thought-provoking.  I tend to shy away from the plasticity of Christianity (WWJD bracelets and the like--no offense if you wear them, of course), and reading Platt's thoughts on the differences between the American church and the underground church around the world is fascinating. We are indeed cushioned here--so how do we peel ourselves away from what's purely comfortable and familiar, and do what's Biblical? I'm excited to read more about how he is incorporating Biblical truths into his multi-thousand-member church (can't be easy), and already I'm feeling challenged. Very easy-to-read writing style as well.

I have a few fiction titles on my side table too, but I'm going to get through these first... hopefully soon. What are you reading lately? Any recommendations?

happy valentine's day

I made R a bouquet today:

Chunky: his all-time favorite candy bar. I taped each one to a dowel, and added cut-out leaves and some ribbon. Heehee.

random act of kindness

We came home from Bible study last night, and found this taped to our door:

It reads: Happy Anniversary! Today, we are celebrating our 20th Wedding Anniversary! This is one of the homes we lived in as a young family with our twins and our new chocolate lab puppy! We did not have much money, but we had lots of love and fun! Please take this $20 and go out and have a little fun on us!

Bizarre, isn't it? I wonder if their dog was also named Dexter...? I wonder how many homes this family has lived in, and if they visited each one last evening and dropped off a note... I told Raul we should stay thirty more years in this house, and maybe they'd be back with a $50 bill. ;)

Do you ever think about homes you've lived in over the course of your life? I certainly do. I will admit I have even driven by them if I've been in the area, and it's funny how memories come rushing back, ones you haven't thought of in years. I can't say I've ever left a note at any of them, though; would you do something like this? It made us smile {and not just because of the moolah!}.

Well, to you previous owners, whoever you are: thanks for the kindness, and thanks for sharing your memories with us. We've fallen in love with this little house, too.

A friend of mine asked me a few weeks ago if I wear makeup, which tickled me. I wear just enough so that it looks like I don't, which kind of made me think, well, what's the point of wearing it then? {But isn't that the point...? To look au natural?} Okay, too many questions.

Anyhoo, her asking me prompted me to go through my stash, weed out the old stuff (as in REALLY old) and add a couple of new items (mainly blush brush and some new foundation). I decided to squeeze my daily regimen into a cute little mug, which now sits on my dresser. Since I've run into a couple of makeup posts lately, I thought I'd add my two cents.

So. Two cents:

From left to right...

Ulta's powder blush in Fame. I've read that to choose a cheek color, it should match the inside of your lower lip... this one does the trick.

NYC Dual Eyeliner, Through The Storm. I just bought this, and so far so good. It's a cheaper brand, but for as minimally as I use it, it works just fine. I love the dual black and purple colors.

Maybelline's Blackest Black Mascara. I love the rounded brush, and have been using this brand of mascara since I started wearing it... I've tried lots of other brands, but keep coming back to this one.

Neutrogena's Healthy Skin Makeup in Natural Tan. Goes on light, feels good, and the best part is that it has SPF20.

Ulta's lip liner in Chocolate. Not much to say about this one, except I like how subtle it is. I haven't quite found a lip liner I love yet!

I also have a few shimmery eye shadows, but that's about it. Makeup is fun, but to be honest, I don't know how to apply some of it, and I can't bring myself to spend more than a few bucks a pop. I walked past a Sephora store in the mall this last weekend, and while I was tempted to look, I knew I wasn't going to spend anything... Maybe if I had more knowledge I'd wear more? {thinking} Nah. I like wearing Just Enough, and admiring those of you who wear exciting eye shadows and lip liners well. :)

Growing up, I had awful skin. Just when I thought things were beginning to clear up, I became pregnant with Livvy; my hormones went wild, and back came the acne. Pregnancy caused me to change a couple of products though, which helped hugely. Here's my regimen beFORE I put makeup on (which is what I actually enjoy more anyway!):

Neutrogena's Fresh Foaming Cleanser. If you don't have a cleanser you're in love with, please try this one. It takes off makeup, is gentle on your skin, and really leaves you feeling refreshed. I switched to this as my other cleanser had salicylic acid (a no no when pregnant), and actually think it works better.

St. Ives Timeless Skin Apricot Scrub. With alpha-hydroxy acids (ok with a bun in the oven} and exfoliators, this scrubs away dry skin. Feels awesome. Note: I am all about exfoliation these days. If you only have a few minutes to pamper yourself {and it's important that you do from time to time!}, go with a nice face and body scrub. Throw in a pumice scrub on your heels in the shower, and you will fall into bed feeling like a million bucks.

St. Ives Body Polish - Oatmeal and Shea Butter. Not impressed with this product...Smells great, and feels good initially, but the exfoliation pieces dissolve pretty quickly. Boo. I've had this forever, and should probs use it up soon.

Aveeno Active Naturals Smoothing Body Wash. Yum. Smells awesome, feels great, and the beads or rice or whatever is in it don't dissolve as soon as the water hits it. Bonus!

Olay Complete Face Lotion, SPF 30. A nice lotion. Normally, I use Neutrogena's brand with SPF 15, but my mother-in-law gave me this and so far I like it. I'm not too picky when it comes to lotion, but I do have very dry, tight skin, so I need it!

I taught my neices this last weekend about the fun of facials, as you can see in this creepy pose {we were trying our hardest not to laugh!} It's become a new tradition, I think:

What are your favorite face/body products? Do tell.

a list of to-dos.

A lovely photo of seeds from this post inspired me to putz around our yard today. Dex joined me while Livvy slept in her car seat in the kitchen. Sans sunglasses. (It is beautiful outside today--so nice for our daily walk!) She is so girly, isn't she?

Our irises are rising from the ground, as they always do beginning in March. I have wanted to split these for the last two years, but have either chickened out, or realized it was winter and splitting wasn't possible any more. So this fall, I'm looking forward to being brave and splitting them so they have room to grow and fill up the space along our fence. (Please don't hesitate to ask me this September, "Have you spilt the irises Mindy? Well..?" And I will hopefully be able to say, "Indeed I did!") It really will look stunning, if I can only muster up the guts to do it--I'm worried I'll kill all of them and THEN how ugly will our fenceline be...! :)

Because Dex loves to snap branches off of our bushes randomly (sigh), I was fairly surprised to see this one actually blooming. I'm so glad; these little flowers are so cheerful, and are the first sign in our yard that spring is definitely here. Hopefully the bald spot in the middle will fill in... Dexter...

I'm not yet sure what we'll be planting/doing with the yard this year. Most likely some petunias in our window boxes, as they are cute, affordable, and long-lasting. I'm also thinking seeds will be the way to go vs. buying older plants. Which kinds? No clue yet. It is on my list of things to do and think about, which is steadily growing. Amid napping, laundry, playing with Liv, and running the energy out of Dex...

...which is the key to his little doggie heart these days.

nesting and dreaming.

We are working on converting my craft room into the nursery. It's a little bittersweet, because I will miss that room... Until R reminds me, "How often did you really use it?" Sigh. This is true. But I miss it just the same. Still, it's been fun to clear it out and move some pieces around to make room for baby things.

Above is the bedding we've ordered--I love the colors, especially the touch of lime green. I also love how old-fashioned yet crisp it is. Nice and simple and girly. We're hoping to add crown molding to the room soon, and besides that, some artwork, maybe a rug... and furniture. We have a long ways to go, but I'll post photos once it's up and running! I can't imagine it being ready and then just waiting for her to arrive... how bizarre and wonderful that will be.

We're going to keep it the same cement green that it is, above (I so love this color still), and I've promised R we will make it look adorable. He's worried it's too boring of a color for a baby, but I think it will look very elegant and sweet.

So. It's no longer a craft room. I've moved all of my craft items to the basement, where it's hiding out for now until I decide how I'd like to organize it. When I first moved everything downstairs, I'm sure I was frowning, because the basement is known to be spiderville, even though it's finished. We even get lots of light streaming in, so its not like it's uber-creepy or anything.

Still. It's the basement. But where else will all this stuff go? Besides buggies, I'll have to share the space with R's ping pong table, an old TV, and a broken treadmill...sweet. I've had this incredible urge to purge our house and organize things and make everything pretty, and I've been a bit discouraged about it as well seeing as how I can barely bend over anymore. I get so tired so easily!

Then I saw these photos today... and my energy is back...

These shots are from Young House Love, the bloggings of an adorable couple who has renovated their 70s home into the coziest place ever. So cute. They added frosted film to their windows for privacy but to keep the light, which I think we could totally do with our basement... and I love the little storage cubby and desk. And, you can't see it very well, but they replaced an old light fixture with a modern lampshade--yup, that's right, it's basically like an upside-down lamp! I think it looks cool.

I won't be able to play with these ideas until next year, probably, after baby is born... but it feels good to be inspired, even if there's not much I can do right now. When you live in a house from the 70s, it feels nice to know there are options for updating. :)

outburst.

Do you ever have days where you just feel more like yourself? I know I've been in a creative funk for awhile, but I had no idea how UN-like myself I have been feeling until today.

I woke up and began cleaning the craft room to make room for baby things down the line, and after a few hours, I felt so refreshed. I purged three trashbags full of random stuff I won't be missing, and only have a couple of piles left to deal with. Eureka! Can it be? The craft room is clean? Believe it or not, this is all that is left in the room that is craft-related. Well, the closet is still full, but it IS organized... I still need to figure out how everything will be once baby stuff is here! Thankfully I have some time.

My slothfulness has been tied to the mess of this room, I think... Just closing the door certainly does not make it go away. Now we have sunshine in our hallway, and Dex can wander in without diving into something he shouldn't.

Seeing as the crafting scales have fallen from my eyes, I kind of went crazy this afternoon. I popped out a couple of cards, an autumn-inspired package for Leez (which I will unveil next week), and even finished placing a few stay-stitches on a blanket. It took me 10 minutes. Why the procrastinating?

Okay, so here are the cards I made today. I am so ready for Fall.

While I slaved away upstairs, R took Dex-dog out to go shooting with him and his dad. I guess Dex was not scared of the guns at all, which is a good sign--R is hoping to take him hunting for the first time this November. Hopefully Dex won't confuse the trunk for the back of the truck next time... :)

And just because:

This is how I feel today (taken a couple weeks ago in Steamboat Springs). Thanks to relaxing, being productive, and re-focusing some of my priorities as of late. And, as always, thanks to my husband:

life management

Hi friends--sorry it has taken me so long to post something new on here. Projects are on the table, but finding time to complete them has been pretty much non-existent. Bah. I've been finding myself either running, visiting with friends, or watching Seinfeld with R-man instead of sitting down in the craft room... 

I have, however, found time to begin reading again. I finished the Five Love Languages, by Gary Chapman a couple of weeks ago, which sparked some fun conversation for the hubs and I (my top love language is Quality Time), and now I'm reading Life Management for Busy Women, by Elizabeth George. I picked up this book last week for some Godly suggestions on how to balance life and all its craziness, because really, the more advice, the better, right? :)

She begins by emphasizing spending time in prayer and the Bible before beginning your day, even if for just a few minutes. She likens it to giving the "firstfruits" of your day to the Lord, which is a good argument for studying in the morning... I've always been partial to do it at the end of the day as a way of unwinding, but after reading verses about David calling out to the Lord "in the morning," I'd like to try get some reading in before work. (I have the Bible on CD, which would be a great way to "read" during my 30-40 min drive to work.)

It's tough when you have so many things you want to do, and only so much time! I feel like I am constantly prioritizing, re-prioritizing... it will be nice to focus on the basics regarding the Lord, and letting the rest fall into place, which I believe will. My daily to-do list is always in flux, but on my creative to-do list this week:

-Thank You notes

-Finish sewing pillow covers for living room pillows

And that's all I'm committing to. :) Here's to managing time well... 

cheap art.

I love the look of mis-matching, monochromatic frames grouped together. I have such a grouping in my craft room, full of random goodies.

Some vintage shipping labels found in Downtown Littleton, $1 for 4. I think the elephant is my favorite. I was so pleased to use the vintagey background paper with these!

A card I received this week from my bf--I absolutely went ga-ga over this stamp, and how pertinent it was to our last get-together--we sewed the bumpers for her crib last weekend! (NOTE: During Christmas-time, I had a vintage postcard in this frame; I like the idea of switching out artwork as it comes my way.)

I love that this guy is carrying books in a wheelbarrow... I clipped this from a flyer from the Tattered Cover. (I think I had that flyer for 5 or 6 years before framing it...! So happy to finally put it to use.)

A cropped page from a mini 2005 calendar. It says, "Parrot tulips from Paris."

And some Audrey, a sweet gift from a close friend of mine after we moved into our house.

Hope you're enjoying your day!

sew simple. I mean, really.

Crafting has been slow to non-existent in my house this week. The sewing machine has been sitting quietly on the dining room table since last weekend...The craft room door has been closed to keep a certain nosy pup out of trouble, which keeps the messes behind the door perfectly preserved... :) (Out of sight, out of mind, right?) All is quiet in the M&R house craft-wise. 

Remember this fabric? 

I am super psyched to begin sewing with it, but I can't find the magazine (Sew Simple) that had the pattern in it! :/ I am completely irritated. I have combed through all areas of the house, my car, my parent's house... I hate that feeling of being positively sure you know where something is, and then it's not there. That awful sinking-in-your-tummy feeling. And then you feel like you're going crazy, because you were obviously wrong about where you put it, but can't remember where you actually put it. Exhausting, all of this remembering. I've been waiting three days for my aha! moment... you know, "oh YEAH, it's in the OTHER bookbag!".... and I'm still waiting.

So my search continues... and let me tell you, I am highly motivated to begin spring cleaning and finding a place for everything, and KEEPING everything in its place when it's not in use. It would just make life sew.much.simpler. 

careful what you wish for

I guess winter was teasing me all along.

And it's STILL snowing! I left work early today (took me two hours to get home!) and was glad to leave when I did... the roads, zey were treach-erous (in Cloris Leachman voice). R got out from work early as well, so when we both got home, we + Dex ran outside and shovelled the driveway and walkway, and smacked the heavy snow off of some branches. Dex had the most fun, I think. Some of the snow was as high as he is tall!

Now, I'm working in our office, poppin' a few jelly beans, sipping tea, and watching the snow fall outside. It's so pretty. (Dex is here too, and keeps trying to catch my fingers, his nose pressing the shift key to make my letters FuNKy :) Our neighbors behind us have a few birdhouses, and the birds are having a hay day in the snow, too--I guess every one wants to go out and play when it snows.

How could you not?

That white stuff is soo much better than ice cubes, mom...seriously.

so fresh and so green

I can't believe it's the first day of Spring. Yes, the weather has been beautiful, and the grass is growing in, and flowers are popping their heads up, but I just can't believe it. For the last couple weeks I've been a little ba-humbug because I didn't think I was ready for spring... I wanted snow and gray, book-reading, movie-watching, tea-sipping days. I felt, and still feel, somewhat jipped outta winter this year.

Then I bought a cute seed-starting kit at Lowes, grabbing it in ba-humbug fashion and mumbling to myself, "...might as well get started, I'm so behind, I haven't even given seeds a thought, murmurmurmur..." I see the kit every time I get in and out of my car in the garage, and I can finally feel that familiar spring smile that only comes when contemplating planting seeds. I am finally excited to move onto another season. 

This time of year, I am always drawn to light green + white combos when it comes to decor... It feels so European and countryish and breezy. Good stuff. I'd like to sew some pillow covers for our living room to brighten it up... Something like this, maybe? (Photos from Pottery Barn)

I also like how fresh and airy PB's bedroom photos always are, like the one above and this one. What a fun green headboard:

Do you have spring decor? Any plans to brighten up your space? Do tell...