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May 31, 2007
Quiet Days
Its 3pm and I'm finally sitting down to my lunch. A blur of builders and plumbers came to and fro through my house today solving new and old problems and making Josiah oh-so fascinated by what was happening. I mean, have a said how thankful I am for this house? Yes, I know I have. I am, I'm so thankful. Even though it's 3pm I had to sit on my porch upstairs just for a little while. The quantity of builders has wound down for today and my neighbors, although they are very nice, are gone and I feel more privacy. I finally have given Josiah a hair cut and finally retrieved my soaker hose from the crawl space so my new chopping "lawn" can have a drink. Seems my neighbors are 4 steps ahead in that department. I tip toe through my bedroom where Eden is napping and see her eyes pop open, "Go back to sleep baby" I say and she turns her head and closes her eyes. Yes. Finally I feel the normalcy take hold. No time to be lazy though, I have much left to do. I have blinds in install, so....many.....blinds. We have small group here on Tuesday and I'd love to get those blinds up (the ones we can afford) by then. It is great knowing that small group can be here. It's awesome that Cat can stop by whenever she has a moment to burn and Chris and Tara can end their evening with us brainstorming and laughing.
Then there is the fall staring me down as each day goes by. I must prepare for teaching. What a mind job!! There are assignments to do and books to read. There's planning and organizing that I know I can do, but I'm afraid I won't give myself the time.
I have so many options in front of me to be a part of the art world. One thing I've commited to is an art auction for breast cancer research at the Youngblood Gallery. The name is Pink! and it's organized by Travis who I got connected with via flickr. What a wonderful place! It'll work out nicely to go down to ATL and visit the fam (back from Manilla!) and drop off art, go to IKEA (for the home) and Trader Joe's (for the belly).
And after an unsucessful trip to the thrift store for a basket for shoes and clothes, I did find five, yes I said 5, skirts for summer! Whee! The weather is so wonderful now seeing as it hasn't rained it forever. But when that humidity hits I will have something nice to brave the heat.
I wish you all some nice quiet and bliss brought on by the time of year and the colors you surround yourself with.
the spirit within | By | 4:21 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
May 29, 2007
Happy Photo Accident
I love this picture, quite a happy accident. I wanted a quick shot of Eden in her new suit. Although you can't see any of the fun brightness in this shot, it's still a beautiful and eery (almost) kinda picture. I am thankful for my redheads, such a fun surprise. And it makes color accent pictures turn out so pretty. You can see Eden in full color on my flickr.
And thanks again and completely to our Lola for her present of a hammock that we have just now found a perfect home for.
fine art | By | 8:52 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
May 26, 2007
Wasp Highlighted
For those of you not able to make the Clothesline, here's the little buzzer that got away. Check out my shop to bring this little guy home!
| By | 3:51 PM | TrackBack
Sneak Peek
Here's another quick look at my new house. I can't show you great amounts of it because, honestly, it's still covered in stuff! Stuff with no homes quite yet. Not enough hours in the day to unpack. And yes, that makes me crazy. A long awaited camping trip for Joel was top priority this weekend, and of course the Clothesline last weekend. So not much time for things like blinds, hanging art, porch furniture, or plants. Even though I want to put stuff together so bad, these distractions are nice. Clothesline was really fun, and so relaxing. I can't wait for the next one so I can have my head cleared a bit. Even though I like busyness, life is more about those times that you can pause and be thankful. The fruit you gain from relationships is better than all your clutter being put away. I know that I will host many get togethers with toy cars and grubby high chair in the way. That's alright, realness is better than hipness or even (dare I say) cleanliness. Can I get a witness?
My closets and my cabinets are beginning to be filled and I have a mailbox and a garbage can. I must officially live here! I still have to pinch myself sometimes. Seems like forever. My children play with neighborhood kids and new friends. Riding bikes all over, and scooting on scooters. Being able to pour a cup of coffee and walk across the street to the park, awesome.
My easel sits in the smack middle of my house with Lifeblood sitting there looking monstrous. There may not be a wall for it? We'll see. This isn't a big art house. Maybe it's time for some more intentional trading?
| By | 2:26 PM | TrackBack
May 24, 2007
Dog Tired
Happy, overwhelming, satisfying exhaustion.
A million places to explore, a buncha projects to do: art and home. The reunion with my beloved couch brings the kinda sleep that forces you into load bearing clumsiness. Oh Lord, help me to use this time to the fullest.
community | By | 4:24 PM | TrackBack
May 23, 2007
things to forget and things to remember
Hello, my blog reading freinds. I have returned, do not be afraid. Yeah. I have my internet now, and Ihave to say its been nice to not even have the temptation around. I do have my vices, but when they're gone I find I'm not missing them quite so much. This photo is from Thursday after the movers did their duty. Our house is so new and sparkly that bringing our rag-tag furniture into it is kinda odd. But this I must remember: this house is the gift of all gifts. I think it's up there in the top 5 with my husband and my two kids. It's up there. We do not deserve this house, God gave it to us. Now, I have to believe that other great things will come. Don't get me wrong, we'll pay for it. Big time. But ever so often you just sit back and marvel at how good our Heavenly Father is.
Since I am human, I immediately compare my stuff to other peoples stuff. I'm embarrassed that I don't have have have. But then I am reminded of what I have been given. I have been given fertile ground to grow. I've been given a home that is envied by many who love good real estate. I can sit on my upstairs porch and dream of the conversations and laughter that will go on there. I am humbled as I open box after box. I hate stuff and I have a lot of it. I also love to purge and have filled 3 boxes with things to sell (hopefully). I haven't touched my arts and crafts boxes though and I'm sure I'll unload that stuff too. Maybe a fun blog give away in the future? I do have many many beads that I really want to get rid of. I can't just give them away and I hate pricing them. Maybe a swap is in order?
These new walls intimidate me. I cannot keep this shiny home this way. I will bop the walls with boxes and shoes. I will find chocolately fingerprints all the way up the stairs. I will step on sticky places and bits of cheese on my floors. It's my house, and I have not become super-cleaning-freak, nor will I ever be. So I feel like the house has been humbled too. It's gone from a prime jewel of real estate to a nest that will receive bits and shreds of a home all over it. It will become less echo-ee to the voices that it hears so often. Maybe it's become more valuable now because it's our home.
The kids love it here. Not a wimper of fear since we've lived here and for that I am glad. They had so much trouble going back a forth a couple times from Marietta. Josiah especially. This is home now, they know it.
We'll have to earn the need for new window treatments and new bits of furniture. I have my eyes on some projects to make current furniture look better. But even so, my hand-me-downs and bargain basement furniture works and it's making us feel more like ourselves. I don't know much about how to make my house look awesome, and even though that hurts a little, I really don't care. I care about what God will do inside these walls and inside our neighborhood. I hope and pray that I become more like who God made me to be and not feel that pull to be "cooler" now that I'm in this new neighborhood. That sounds dumb, but it's there. Thanks for all your encouragement and I'm sure I'll have alot of you over sometime.
house | By | 4:50 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
May 17, 2007
Giddyup
We're done. Signed, walk-thru, moved in etc. Now, we will sleep in our beds with boxes floating around us. We will enjoy the freshness of paint and clean flooring under our feet. Then, tomorrow, we'll dirty it ALL! We'll drill holes for mounting paintings. we'll load food into the new fridge. We'll tramp the outside inside and the inside out. We'll flush toilets and wash hands. We'll hang curtains, fill cabinets and forward mail. Exhausting and exciting. It was pretty painless, but I don't want to do it again for a looooong time. We'll let you know when you can come over. Until then, come see me at the Clothesline!
house | By | 3:02 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
May 16, 2007
update-O
Mother's Day brunch, check. Teach Pre-K class at NRV with 3 LaRose's, check. Kiss kids good night, check. Drive to Marietta, check. Show off my packing prowess to my husband, check.
Eat breakfast at Martin's (yum), check. Converse with cleaners, check. Pick up rental truck, check. Meet movers, check. Meet cleaners, check. Trip to the dump, check. Call to Haz-Mat, check, although unsucessful. erg. Multiple calls to Live Urban. Gotta love Caroline! check. Pay Movers, check. Last thrift store trip, check. Drop by Venture PT and say Hey! check. Pay Cleaners, check. Idiot check the house and say a fleeting goodbye, check (no tears here!). Check into hotel, check. Park Rental truck oh-so cautiously, check. Clean up,check. Drive to IKEA. Get Josiah's bed, coffee table, and a chair, check. Eat Indian food to celebrate 8 years of married bliss, check. Enjoy a freshly made kingsize bed, check. Place Kinko's order for clothesline at 1am, check. Get call from Kinkos guy at 1:30 (freaky!), check. Write Mary about getting signs, check. Write Jen with art list, check. Sleeeeeeep (barely).
Eat hotel breakfast, check. Get directions to closing, check. Drive the Prev to closing, check. Sell our house and sign a million papers!!!, CHECK! Get the call that we will not be buying a house today. Drive to Chattanooga, check. Buy fridge, and washer/dryer, UGH, check. My fridge is pretty bitchin'. Park rental truck at Paul Rhudy's shop, check. Go back to Mom's and sleeeeeeep. Greet my happy children after naps, check. Eat and get back to business. Go by house and count windows for much needed blinds that we can't afford, check. Meet another neighbor, finally find out where Daniel and Brooke Baker live. Go to Home Depot and buy temp blinds, check. Put kids to bed, eat icecream, pack a suitcase, find favorite tank tops (yeah!), boo-hoo about money spent, watch Entourage season 3. Yeah. Sleeeeeeeep.
house | By | 12:42 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
May 12, 2007
Grace is Enough
As I drove to AVA today to work I was a huge crazy bundle of nerves. Trying to stay cool over the whole moving process and feeling about to burst wanting to be in my own home again, makes me not so pleasent sometimes. Chocolate is my friend as I self medicate. I've tried all kinds these past 6 months. It makes me crazy that we are closing on Tuesday and the front windows in my brand new, Earth-Craft house are still BROKEN. It took everything in me to not scream about it all evening yesterday. We need to do a "walk thru" to check if there's any boo-boo's before we close and the builder's cannot be reached. I mean, what the hell. Nice day for golf I guess. I'm ready to hand them a contract for money and they aren't answering the phone? huh? It makes me feel sick. I might have to move my closing date because the builder's (who have been nothing but sweet and friendly) didn't finish my house. Our agent gives us great confidence that if we do have to move our closing date the builder's will pay for the extra time the truck has to be rented. Whatta pain.
Then as I sat with my kids eating breakfast Eden became more and more lethargic. She felt warm, etc. I gave her Tylenol and felt very uneasy that my daughter was convieniently getting sick right before we make our final trek to Marietta. I left for work feeling like I was panicking. I knew that a long afternoon at AVA was going to be the cure for all the busy-ness surrounding me today. I called Joel earlier today and asked about Eden. She's doing great. He was romping on the playground with her. She conked out in her bed before I left and the nap has revived her. Hallelujah!
When I have moments where I am losing it I am asking God just to be with me. I don't expect Him to make my life easier, but these days when hard things arise He does answer that prayer. He is with me, and He has made my life easier than it could have been. His grace is enough for me. Grace is an awesome thing.
We will go down to Marietta after church tommorow, honoring Mom with a brunch earlier that day. We will celebrate our eighth wedding anniversary this week. By Tuesday we'll see if the builder's pull their heads out of the sand so we can buy our house finally. I can't wait to live there it really is a wonderful community and news of more and more folks are making the move.
Alli Crumley has honored me and the Clothesline Show with a short article in her informative blog Chattanooga is Home. Keep yourself posted thru Alli's info!
As I sit here at AVA is am falling in love more and more with Elizabeth Rose's prints. They are gorgeous. If you have time to come down and check them out, do it. If you have $200 to burn take home some wonderful art. And it's framed!!
house | By | 4:40 PM | TrackBack
May 11, 2007
Popped Out Bird
Getting ready for the Clothesline. The Beetle Pod is sold already, but my lovely patron wants it to be in the show. Thanks Jennifer! I have discovered that it is necessary for me to take breaks from my many phone calls about this and that and kick back with my husband, watch a movie, make a little bit of art, and then fall asleep on the couch. This little bird is turning out nice, it's almost finished and then maybe, just maybe I'll stop until I'm in my house. Probably not.
fine art | By | 8:49 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
May 10, 2007
Spring Joys
Happy Birthday joys to spread around! Eden loved her bubble blower and her mini shopping cart. Her aunt Sarah made her a spiffy purse to put her faux cell phone in. She's all set! She puts her phone in her purse, purse in the cart and her Curious George goes in the baby section of the cart (or riding on the side like Josiah does).
We're getting down to the wire with our house and with the Clothesline Show. I'll try to keep in touch, because blogging is easier than packing. Ughhhhhhhh.
family | By | 12:24 AM | TrackBack
May 8, 2007
Happy Birthday my Eden
Happy Birthday to my sweet girl Eden! 2 years old! What a beautiful girl you are. Everybody tells me this and I beam with pride and I realize my fears. But most of all, I live in the present and want to be with her and I want to be her friend. She's so cuddly and, dare I say, she's not weaned. Her personality makes it easy for me not to long for another baby. Not saying that I think I'm done, but just like my dad said the other day, "I just can't picture Eden as a middle child." She's my baby girl still and I'm good with that. I love seeing her make friends, play hard with her brother (who's twice her size). I love seeing her imitate girly things with me. I love seeing her reactions to stuff and how different it is from her 'all boy' brother. Most of all, I love listening to her talk and sing. It warms my heart to hear her learn how to communicate. I feel like I've been waiting FOREVER. She took her time on the talking thing. I can't wait to have fun conversations with her that are totally different from the ones I have with Josiah. We have this fun game we play that she starts. She says,"Heeeey Mama!" and I say, "Heeeeey Eden!" and we repeat it over and over. It makes us both smile.
It is very fun having a daughter. For those of you who don't have both a boy and a girl I highly recommend the one you're lacking. Maybe that's a wierd thing to write, but I feel very blessed to have both.
As Eden stays close to me physically, I have a peace about how she will become a strong, confident, modest, and nurturing woman. I love you my Eden, you've been an excellent experience since day one. A wonderful Mother's Day present you will always be!
mommy time | By | 12:04 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
May 3, 2007
Ticking Clock
I drove down to Marietta Tuesday night and stayed and met 2 freecyclers, the dishwasher repairman, the carpet cleaners, and the movers for an estimate. Whew! It was alot of standing around and waiting. But it ws relaxing as well. Of course Mom and Joel paid for it while I was gone. Josiah hurt his foot doing...I dunno, somethin'. And Eden didn't sleep very well. Joel told me last night as we drifted off to sleep that he was glad I was back because, "someone hs to be the Mama" I guess that's me!
It's hard for me to go back and forth from the old life to the new. There are things about living in the ATL that are hard to leave behind. The stores are better. My thrift store pulled though again as I found 3 shirts, 2 skirts, and 2 pairs of shoes for Eden for less than $5! Nice. I miss the smooth roads. I miss the adventure. I mean because Atlanta is so big, there is no telling how or what you'll run into. I met so many cool people, went to so many interesting festivals, concerts and parks. In Chattanooga the joys are different. Running into people I know from all walks of life all...the....time. My childhood and my kids childhood is colliding on a regular basis. What's nice is that the folks at church are new relationships that begin now, when I'm 30 years old.
I got to swing by my new house on the way back from Marietta last night. The plumber was there putting a faucet on. I got to sneak in and browse around. The faucet was awesome!! Because we requested this certain granite it didn't come with a hole for the sprayer thing, so instead we got a fancy faucet where the sprayer is the front of the main faucet! It looks like the Starship Enterprise is flying out of my sink! Pretty fancy. I really feel amazingly blessed. I mean, I know I'm paying for it big-time, but I feel a smidge like Extreme Home Make-over because it's getting done the way we like it! The mirrors in the bathrooms are round and oval. The light fixtures we chose are so great. Man, I'm ready to live there now!
I was able to go to IKEA and get some frames for the pieces I've done for the Clothesline Show. Check out the clothesline blog for special features I'm writing on some of the artists that will be in the show!
fine art | By | 5:15 PM | TrackBack
May 1, 2007
Empty and Full
The end of Impermanence at AVA
The end of order at our Marietta house
house | By | 4:18 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack