Trade Off

Holding on to the last days of summer.

soon this grass will be covered with colorful leaves, and then the snow...

we're trying to breathe in every last beautiful day while it lasts!!!

Since I have WAY TOO MANY pictures to upload and blog about, I am going to give you an inspirational post. I also have MANY new sites to add to my links list as I have found many great new bloggers this summer that are full of fresh style and *inspiration* (sorry if I use that word too much!) 

To start, are you all aware of the FABULOUS ARTFUL BLOGGER magazine out there by Stampington?I am fortunate enough to get out of the house an occasional evening to our local Barnes & Noble, grab a cuppa something hot at the Starbucks and DEVOUR this magazine. Though it would be worth it, I have yet to drop the $15 for a copy. I usually have my *inspiration journal* handy and write down all the bloggy-sites that are feautured and check them out at home. 

NEXT, I hope you all have heard of ETSY!!! Their slogan is: YOUR PLACE TO BUY AND SELL ALL THINGS HANDMADE. I found this out about a year ago and I just LOVE IT!!! I always can find oodles of *inspiration* (hey, there's that word again!) and everything is handmade! Now, I know what some of you are thinking: white, frilly doilies, nubby knitted blankets, yarn dolls with button legs, etc. But I promise, this site holds endless variety of some of the coolest stuff out there!  And on this note, they are currently holding a contest that YOU can vote in. 

So all you MOMS out there, listen up! Because there is a prize, that's right, a CASH PRIZE involved here!!!! It's the "HANDMADE KIDS SWEEPSTAKES" You can vote in each of the 7 categories which include: furniture, toys, home decor, eco-friendly, clothing, accessories, & art. By voting, you could become one of the 14 prize-winners of $350 buckaroo shopping spree at Etsy!!!! (contest ends SEPT. 8th!!!)

2 of my (many) favorites:

OK, this last one has to do with music. SO, there's this site called PANDORA. 

It is an online radio where you can create your own stations by choosing either artist or song and it plays songs from that artist or similar in style. And it is totally free! And you can create a ton of different stations. So, when we get sick of listening to Frank Sinatra we click over to Secret Garden or Sarah Brightman. Oh, and all you Andy Griffith watchers, you MUST type in "Jim Nabors" who was Gomer Pyle---and listen to this "simple minded gas station attendant"-blast you away with his operatic voice! I usually have pandora playing as I blog or will be on the email for extended length of time. It varies and you can easily switch over! AND if it plays a song you really despise you can give it a thumbs down and it won't play it on that station again. Thumbs up keeps it in the rotation. Happy listening!!!!! I love FREE!!!! :) 

And some photos to end our little chat:

this is my "working day" attire. it puts me in the mood to clean.

this is my current project (i.e. headache, nightmare...call it what you like). this was our old dining room nook, then john's study after jack stole his upstairs office, and as you can see, most recently our catch-all. it wasn't always this bad. we had to get rid of a huge corner desk that went to john's dad's church office and this was the result...it all got dumped. literally! this will be our little learning center for drew's school. did i mention I'm homeschooling? another post for another time! We're also gathering all our *junk* for a late summer (HUGE) tag sale here?? Yeah. So much is going, going, GONE!!! It feels sooo good! 

drew getting a try at pottery at our city's third thursday event. he loved it. this momma wanted to get in on the action but was too busy cleaning up the mess from boy #2 getting into the muddy water. it was great. 

and I'll end our little evening with a quick drawing I did tonight. John got me a great big blank art journal for my anniversary gift and I have been filling it with doodles, drawings, quotes and overflowing-heart cries, joys and memories of motherhood. 

Hope this has left you a little bit more inspired!

POPPING IN just for a breath of air.

This picture really has nothing to do with this post, I simply just love it. John took it on his iphone back in May while we were perusing around one of our favorite little towns and Jack was investigating the RR tracks. Completely safe, by the way! 

Maybe in some small way this is how my summer has felt. Like a racing train going here and there but yet when inside all seems well and [relatively] quiet and smooth. We have had many, many adventures still to be documented via blogger. 

On a personal note: I am without easy internet access now. I am currently hiding out in John's office typing away on his mac while he is out for a meeting and the boys are still in slumber land. The laptop has been my source of access which I have around and can get on and off easily when needed during those few quiet moments in my day. But, alas, the laptop decided it was going to burn out on me (the back light of the screen), so currently I am without easy access.  So, there's my excuse of being so [lazy] for lack of better terms in keeping up with my blog. Most of my pictures are up on facebook, but there's "so much more" behind-the-scenes stuff I want to document before I forget all those ooey-gooey details. 

THIS MONTH for me will consist of  holding on to the last days of summer as our mornings and evenings are cooling off and the trees are already showing signs of fall, a possible weekend trip to NYC as a family, and getting the final things ready for teaching Drew K4 at home. 

Like I said, much more documentation and photos to come.  Hope you are all well [whoever 'you all' may be] and enjoying your www-summer!!!!

(and can anyone who uses a mac tell me how to get the underline off??? command+U is NOT working!!!!!) 

HAPPY

:SO HAPPY TOGETHER:

today, we celebrate 7 full years of wedded bliss. every day together has been full of adventure, learning, building, fun, inspirations, growing, forgiving, loving all sprinkled with memories.