Laughter and Noise

A few weeks back I was awakened by a little voice.

"Mom, mom, mommy, mom".

It was 4:30 in the morning.  (However it was only a couple days after daylight savings, so it felt like 3:30).  You see Mr. Momo figured out how to climb out of his crib a couple weeks previous to this.  It's been awful.  So in the wee hours of the morning he sauntered into my room.  Wide awake.  I could see attempts to get him back to bed would be futile, so we were up. I began counting down until "melmo" (elmo aka sesame street) would be on.  Finally just after "melmo" came on the telly… Momo was out cold.

Then at 7:30 the troops were all up.  I could feel a nasty headache coming on.  I grabbed a couple IBU's to hopefully stop it before it debilitated me.  Then began the morning hustle.  Which included oatmeal for the kids.  I sent Scooter off to school and then sat down to write my goals for the day.  (I write down 5 things I want to accomplish for the day… on what ever random piece of paper I can find and with whatever is handy to write with, this particular day it was a red sharpie).  When suddenly a little hand covered in oatmeal landed on my paper and then all over the couch.  Momo had oatmeal everywhere.  Uggh.  I sat my paper down, scolded him and went to grab a rag to clean breakfast off of my couch.  Within that short 10 seconds my son had the red sharpie marker and had written on my couch.  
"Honestly, are you trying to destroy my house?"

I believe those were my exact words.  I was upset.  I began scrubbing the couch removing oatmeal (aka natural concrete) and sharpie.  The pills must not have been working because my headache was becoming a monster.  In hopes it would make me feel better I retreated to the bathroom to get ready for the day.  Momo followed.  As I was doing my hair I looked down to find he had retrieved my deodorant from the counter and pulled the stick of it out.  I again scolded him and cleaned the white mess off the floor.  I then replaced what was left of the stick back into it's home.   I looked up… where was Momo?  After a little searching I found him downstairs on my studio desk devouring the sucker Scooter had given me for valentines.  He was covered in red sticky gunk.  And stuck to the sticky was glitter from my current project.  So I carried him upstairs to the bathroom.  My head was POUNDING.  I hadn't had a headache this miserable in a long time.  Momo tossed his sucker onto the carpet as I was transporting him.  Once in the bathroom he was stripped down.  I left to throw away the diaper and retrieve the sucker from the carpet.  There on the kitchen floor was a LARGE puddle of water and ice.  I had forgotten to lock the water on the fridge and Momo must have helped himself when I was franticly attempting to remove red marker from the couch.  On the way back to the bathroom I was welcomed to another giant puddle of water, this time on the carpet, next to a cup that Momo must have filled and "unfilled" over my carpet.  Once in the bathroom,  Momo was waiting for me, and I put him in the bath.  Head… still unrelenting I called for Ride to come into the bathroom so I could do her hair.  As I was doing her hair I hear Momo say "bubbles" I looked over to see LOADS of bubbles.  He had "unfilled" (he's good at that) an entire bottle of shampoo into his bath.  Urrgghh.  (Mental note… get shampoo and deodorant at the store).  I continued to do Rides hair as a little white naked body went streaking out of the bathroom.  I was beyond caring at this point.  It was only 11 am… my head was still pounding and I was ready to surrender the day to my sons antics.  After finishing up Rides hair I went to find the boy.  I could here him giggling downstairs.  There he was, his stomach on the base of the blue Ikea swinging chair we have hanging in the "playroom"  his bare bottom swinging in the breeze as he squealed… 
Wwwweeeeeeeee!
  Pure glee.  This made me smile.  The headache was still there. So was the marker on the couch.  The day wouldn't get any easier… especially once nap time rolled around and getting a toddler to stay in his crib when it's no longer a cage is a conquest. But somehow those things were minimized with the memory of that little bare backside on the swing.  
Sometimes it's the little things that get me through the day.

I have a Brian Andreas print hanging in my (very messy) laundry room… it reads…

There are lives I can imagine without children but none of them have the same laughter and noise.

One day I'll look around at a clean house, and miss that laughter and noise.  
I think I'll even miss the mess.
Frame by http://www.kitschydigitals.com/

BLOOM❀

Aaaaahhhhhhh.... spring...

Awake, thou wintry earth -
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth
Your ancient gladness!
~Thomas Blackburn, "An Easter Hymn"

Learn how to make lollies here.

I placed them into different sized pots mod podged with the dictonary paper.

So now the lollies look like funky flowers.

My old door looked sad without the L*O*V*E letters hung onto it.

So I stapled strips of scrap fabric behind the window. Added a paper wreath.  Glued triangles cut out of the two dollar dictionary onto ribbon. And my door is happy again!

Linked to Tatertots and Jello

Marvelous Monday & A WINNER!

We have a winner...

Here's how it was done...

I put all names in the pretty bowl...

Scooter pulled one out. (Don't laugh but I closed my eyes, it was just too nerve-racking for me).

And the winner is...

Mobeane! 

The stars must have aligned because Mobeane's had a rough few days and could use a little pick me up.  (Her baby Maude, how lovely is that name, had a frightening situation that resulted in surgery this weekend). 

Seriously I feel like everyone I know has had a little one up at primary's this winter.

Hugs and a wreath to you my dear! 

Oh and here is what she wrote...

"I'm going to have to say Ruffles, Ruffles and more Ruffles. (But mostly because I read your other comments and Quirky seems to be what everyone else is saying and since I have this problem... serious aversion to going with the flow- it runs in the family- I'll have to say the Uber-Ruffles... and actually I think they are both amazing!) That was a really long parenthesis and I'm pretty sure there's an English teacher out there somewhere saying, tsk, tsk, tsk. Loves!"

So the rufflier conventional one is yours!

A big thank you to all who participated.  I wish I could give one to you all! (Really...I contemplated it, if only sleep wasn't vital).  I thought it was fun.... so perhaps more giveaways are in the future!  If I'm going to make one I might as well make two... what do you think? 

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

I'm a little peculiar... I positively adore mondays.  Truly.  I feel refreshed and energized.  I've written my weekly plans and I'm all geared up.  And spring... dear dear spring...it enhances my motivation.  

Here's a little video to start your week.  It makes my heart smile.

(I've watched this oodles of times and still love it).

Enjoy...

It's a new week... make it marvelous!

Feeling Lucky? It's a give away!!!

After making all those fun pom poms for valentines I wanted to attempt one as a wreath.  The timing is perfect because I was hoping to add a few additional inexpensive accents to my easter decor.  Here's how they turned out.

I made two.  I couldn't decide whether to go with conventional (ruffles all the way around) or go with something a wee-bit quirky (inspired by these divine shirts by Eliza and Axle). 

Now that they're done I can't decide which one I like more.  This works out to someones benefit... because now I have one to give away.  Yup... my first (and possibly only) give away.  Entering is easy...simply comment which wreath you dig more, (conventional or quirky) and you're entered.  Woo hoo!

And it gets better... your chances of winning are super dooper high!  I've only got a handful of readers.  So really... what's to lose?

So here's how I made them...

Let's start with the "conventional" style.

I cut about 65 six inch circles out of an old dictionary.

I slid the edge, all the way around, through a small puddle of glue.

Pour glitter on top.  Turn the circle around to coat. Add glitter as needed.

Flip over circle and glitter the opposite side.

When pouring the glitter on the circle, do it over a large sheet of paper (you could use tracing paper, wrapping paper, mailing paper, I used drawing paper... just make sure it's big enough to catch all your left over glitter).  Crease the paper down the middle.  Then you can easily pour the excess glitter back into the container.

I used martha stewart rose quartz glitter (from Michaels) for this project.
After a circle is glittered, hang it to dry.  I used clothes pins and string.

Once dry pinch the circle in the middle.  Then just keep folding it in.  Then staple it at the base.  Voila!
Continue with each circle

Then prep your wreath form.  I used a 12 inch round styrofoam form ($4.50 at Hobby Lobby and JoAnns) Wrap it in strips of the dictionary paper. I just used the glue gun and stuck it on.  No need to be perfect.  You aren't going to see much of it.

Then start adding your ruffled circles.  I would put a couple on the outside and inside and then fill up the middle.  Then start over...a couple on the outside a few on the inside and then fill it up in between.  I again used the glue gun.  Occasionally I'd add a staple from my staple gun for extra security.  Especially the outside ruffles.  Make sure you hold each ruffle in place until the glue has cooled enough to stick to the wreath. 

(Here's what the back looks like).

Then add what ever ribbon you want to hand it with.  I use ripped strips of leftover fabric and ribbon.  I tie it all in a knot at one end and glue and staple it on.  And you're done! 

Now for the quirky one...

It's basically the same.  Instead of just 6 inch circles.  I made some 6", some 5" and some 4".  I think I used about a total of 30 circles. Glitter them the same way.

I covered this wreath form in strips of torn fabric.  I started with gluing one end on what would be the backside of the wreath.  I added a couple staples for security.  Then I wrapped it... pretty tight so it would smooth out.  I only added glue to the backside... I was worried it might make it lumpy on the front.  After I glued, I'd pull it fairly tight again and wrap again...glue then wrap...glue then wrap. Add a new strips of fabric as needed.  Then add your paper ruffles.  Start with the biggest.  Then add the medium circles to each end.  Then the smallest to each end.

Add ribbon to hang and your done.

I'm thinking these would look spectacular for halloween.  Black glitter, a square wreath, wide satin ribbon and a crow perched in the corner.   Gorgeous!
Alrighty... don't forget to enter.  And seriously... anyone is welcome to enter, long lost cousins, friends of friends, complete strangers, my best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend who heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl who... (name the movie folks;)) you get the idea.

(I'll close the contest sunday evening and announce the winner monday morning).

This giveaway is now closed:)

Take a look... It's in a book

Just after J and I were married, we lived in a little apartment.  We had an array of mismatched furniture passed down from various family members.  We attempted to harmonize these possessions with a couch slip cover that didn't fit.  Consequently J straightened it ALL THE TIME.  It drove him sooo batty, I'm amazed we hung onto it for so long.   The rickety entertainment center leaned to which ever side the wind was blowing.  It housed a precariously inserted TV.  Ontop of the TV was a pair of rabbit ears.  As a result the TV was fickle.  Certain channels would come in and out.  Channel 5 was garbage.  But PBS came on without a hitch.  I'd love to say I'm a PBS nerd, and watch it routinely, (because it seems really intelligent people are into it) but I'm not.  This was the only time of my life I was devoted to it.  We do watch it regularly... but it's for the kids programing (it's electric, electric company... HEEEY YOOOUU GGGUUUYYYS!...).  One day after much fiddling with the tinfoil wrapped around one antennae I finally gave up on channel 5, yet again, and I turned it to a PBS station, a little bit came on about an artist named Robert Subuda.  Talk about some crazy talent! He created the most charming and fascinating pop up books.  I was floored.  The next christmas I purchased my first Robert Sabuda book.   And then as my collection grew, so did Rob's (I call him Rob 'cause were tight like that) talent.  He went from using only white, to adding color and drawings to his work.  AMAZING!  Here's a peek at one of my favorite things...

ALICE IN WONDERLAND

 WIZARD OF OZ

This one comes with green spectacles for the kids to wear.

CINDERELLA

(This book is actually by Matthew Reinhart, a similar artist who has collaborated on several projects with Mr. Subuda).

PETER PAN

This is a current favorite.

The kids get a new pop up book every valentines day.   Infinitely more meaningful than a pink teddy bear, and a great excuse for me to purchase these little gems.  (Imagine after years of valentines days the treasured collection each of them will have to share with their own bambinos). These books are rather fragile. My munchkins know that they only read them with mom.  This works to my advantage because it is sheer magic to sit down with my kiddos and watch them light up as each page turns.  I also appreciate being able to read the stories as they were meant to be heard... instead of the hollywood interpretation.

My darling aunt, CarolLynn gave me a wonderful assortment of childrens books when I was expecting Scooter.  She hand printed (with her PERFECT handwriting) this quote inside one of them.  What a brilliant baby shower gift!