these days

These days, free time and sleep are at a premium. I have taken vacation time off of work just so that I can get papers written and a few extra hours of sleep. I like to think that my life is just very structured right now. I go from one thing to the next: work-internship-class-homework and repeat.

As a working grad student, there are a few unique things that I have noticed.

For example, I leave the house in the dark and come home in the dark so I never know when the grass needs mowed, or rather when to remind Kb that the grass needs mowed.

I need more tupperware. Breakfast, check. Lunch, check. Snack, check. Dinner, check. When I finally get around to doing the dishes, all I'm cleaning is tupperware. Speaking of cleaning, I really need to clean my car, where most of my eating occurs.

The only exercise I've been getting occurs at my cubicle. I do not get a lunch break, but I get two fifteen minute breaks during the day. That is the perfect amount of time for me to stick a workout DVD in my laptop, grab my exercise ball, and move without getting too sweaty.

 I must take a little time to work the right side of my brain. The left side is pretty occupied these days. This project took twenty minutes and was inspired by my mom. She provided the letters and the used dryer sheets (aka ghosts). Apparently, we do not use dryer sheets. I wouldn't know; Kb has taken over the laundry.

Lastly, I intentionally seek out beauty and grace. It is easy to start thinking too much, analyzing my schedule, and overwhelming myself with tasks that need to be done. When I take the time to look around, breathe deep, and soak up the present, I can see more clearly. I have a job that gives me purpose (and pays for me to go to school!), an internship that gives me opportunities to gain new experiences, and professors that are supportive and challenging.

There's a lot of good going on these days. I just wish there were more hours in a day to get it all in!

Christmas: 2013 edition

Christmas was a little different this year. But no matter what, the Christmas celebration with my extended family is something we always look forward to. My mom and I were tasked with organizing the event, and everyone was able to attend!

I was one of the lucky ones who grew up surrounded by cousins and aunts and uncles. Now that my cousins have grown up, some have moved away. Far away. So it was super special to have everyone in the same home, gathered around the same table. Ok so all 34 of us did not fit around one table.

Weeks ago, my mom and I planned the menu and coined the theme: memories. Everyone was to bring a gift that was somehow associated with a family memory. Details were intentionally vague as the gifts could be old, new, or homemade. The gifts were distributed white elephant style; however, after someone opened their gift, the giver told the story or memory that inspired the gift. This turned out to be such a fun and sentimental time with lots of laughter and a few tears. There were funny memories, like Grandma's fishing expedition, and poignant memories, like Grandpa's favorite sayings and his famous candy bag.

This was the first Christmas without our loving patriarch. Several family members used the gift exchange as an opportunity to tell stories about Grandpa and remember wonderful moments that were shared with him. Often, when the family gathered together, Grandpa would pause and announce that he is so blessed and so thankful for his family. We absorbed his gratefulness and it now emanates from us.

My mom and I decorated the table with woodsy elements. It's our style, and frankly, it's inexpensive. We cut pine branches and berries from the trees in the yard and gathered pine cones. The glass candle holders were used as centerpieces at my wedding, and the burlap was also left over from my wedding. My mom came across the super-cute, decorative animals and purchased several to add interest and fun to the table. I'd say it worked pretty well.

My dad even helped out with the place card holders. He cut pieces of birch wood branches and sliced an angled slit in each one. Name cards and a sprig of pine were tied onto the birch piece with spare string from the burlap. We swiped old photos from Grandma and placed copies into the wood. The pictures went along with the "memory" theme and got the older generation talking about what happened that one time...

It was a wonderful day. New memories were made while old ones were rehashed and embellished. Grandpa would be proud.

holiday blues antidote

The holidays are a lovely time for most. For others, it is depressing and disheartening. Let me suggest a holiday blues antidote.

Gingerbread houses.

Go ahead. Channel your inner architect. It worked for me when I came home from college during the month-long Christmas break. It was the perfect festive distraction that kept me occupied during that weird time of life. Bless my mother for allowing me to monopolize and destroy her kitchen for the entirety of the holidays.

Can't sleep? Construct a hot tub.

Discouraged? Add a dog house.

While the gingerbread house is a classic, don't feel constrained. Gingerbread is not limited to houses! One particular Christmas break, I made a gingerbread playground which included a functioning teeter totter, carousel, and swings.

Keeping my mind and my hands busy helps me to remain content. And creating something out of candy and gingerbread is just fun.

It may seem silly. After I returned to college, my mom threw away my candy creations and reclaimed her kitchen. But during that time, I needed a reprieve, a project that captured my attention.
Regardless of the circumstances this holiday season, don't allow discouragement to overwhelm you. Embark on a project that captures your thoughts and your time. Allow yourself to be distracted for a time.  Creating something brings forth feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction, even if it is something silly.

Tablecloth Curtains

For some time, I've thought that my little bedroom lacked pizazz. Before we moved in, I hopped out on a rickety limb and painted the walls a blue jean blue sort of color. Not the best choice in hindsight, but I haven't quite thrown in the towel. 

While perusing the clearance aisle of Kohls, I found a fancy, floral tablecloth, and I knew it belonged in my blue jean bedroom. The measurements were perfect; one table cloth per window.

I enlisted the help of my grandma. First, she fed me supper. Then, we cut each tablecloth in half, hemmed the halves to make panels, and ironed the fabric flat. Super easy!

To add to the easiness, my mom found clip-on curtain rings. On clearance. For three dollars a pack.

 The curtain rods were treasures from an endcap in the back of Menards. They've got just the perfect amount of whimsy.

 

Altogether...

Tablecloths: $12 each

Curtain Rings:  $3 per pack of seven

Curtain Rods: $8 each

That's $24.50 per window! It is a bargain that required patience and was several months in the making. Timelines can demolish a decorating budget.  Bargains come along at their own pace, you just have to keep your eyes open!

Snowed In

Remember when I was so excited to have conquered February?

Well, by the looks of it, it may as well still be February.

The snow fell all night. Early this morning, I tried to get out of the driveway. I really did. I shoveled and shoveled, and my car almost made it to the road while Spur cheered me on, but it was all for not. Those tires just spun. Blue Betty just didn't have it in her.

So I retreated and assumed my position on the couch.

I had some fun with the dogs, too. They played like crazy. Bo loves the snow. Spur isn't so sure about the snow yet, but he is so cute bounding through the drifts. Although, he's not so cute when he grabs the glove out of my pocket and runs around with it in his mouth. Rascal.

Inside the house, I'm still gunning for sunny skies and green grass. I'm talking sweet to spring, trying to coax her over to this neck of the woods. It's real nice here; we've got pastels, banners, and flowers!

My force-grown indoor tulips have been a success!  I've dubbed them test tube tulips because I keep watch over the vases like a science experiment. About six weeks ago, I set the bulbs on a bed of pebbles. I kept them in our unheated upstairs for the first couple of weeks to give the bulbs a jump start.

First, the roots popped out of the bulbs and buried deep into the pebbles. Then, the stems began shooting up. Finally, the flowers bloomed! This is a super easy and fun way to get a taste of spring, even when the ground is covered in snow.

Framed

Kb and I are pretty different. We quickly discovered that one of our differences is our need for security. As in, my family didn't lock our doors. We left our car keys in the ignition. We didn't feel the need to shred papers with identifying information.

Kb's family on the other hand? Quite the opposite.

Consequently, there is a shredder in the office. I've never used the thing; it makes an awful racket. And when Kb asks where my car keys are in the evening, I take the walk of shame back out to my car and retrieve them. And when I forget to lock up the house before I leave, I get "the look" from Kb when I get home.

Yes, I am changing my habits. Even though we live in Smalltown USA, it certainly doesn't hurt to take precautions.

But one thing that I don't like is stuff all over the countertops, and that is inevitably where the keys end up. So in the interest of everything having a place, I created a handy-dandy key hanger based off of this find on Pinterest.

First, I found an old frame to spray paint.

Then, I pondered and stewed over what to use for hooks. I didn't have any traditional hooks and I certainly wasn't leaving the house to get some.

I decided to use nails! I envisioned hammering the nails up into the top of the frame, and then bending them forward at an almost-90-degree angle to create hooks.

Well, what seemed perfect in my head, didn't quite pan out in practice. Turns out, you can't pound nails up into the top of a small frame. But God bless my stubbornness; I sure did try.

I did succeed in pounding the nails in about 1/8 of an inch with the flat side of the hammer. But clearly, my plan had failed so after staring at the frame for awhile, I concocted a new plan: pound the nails into something else, bend the nails, and then hot glue them into the small nail holes that I created with the hammer. Ready, go!

And I present homemade hooks!  Phew

I wasn't sure if this was an appropriate task for a hot glue gun, but it's held up so far.

At long last, we have a place for the keys.

Chalkboard Bandwagon

Yep, I'm now on it. Generally, I avoid trends purely because they are trends, but this time, I let that trend in the house and I put right up on the wall. A hardware store's going-out-of-business sale lured me in. I snatched up that chalkboard spray paint at 40% off. Who can say no to that?

It took me a few days to decide what to christen with the chalkboard paint. I contemplated this...

 Isn't it cool?! Kb didn't think so.

I knew I wanted the painted object to display our weekly menu. On the weekends, I plan the meals for the next week and make my grocery list based off of that menu. I write down the meals on the back of my grocery list. Inevitably, I lose the list or it gets thrown away, and sometimes, I can't remember what meals I planned. Writing the meals down on a handy dandy chalkboard would eliminate that problem.

Whilst using the elliptical, I looked out on the porch and saw an old window that I had salvaged from the barn. It was just sitting there, awaiting inspiration. Instantly, I knew. It was meant to be covered in chalkboard paint.

Ta-da! She's rustic, yet edgy. She's functional, yet cosmetic. She's my new fave. Come on now; how could you resist this bandwagon!

Decorations [lack thereof]

A couple of weeks ago, the day was warm and I ventured out to the stick pile behind the barn. I picked out three particularly good looking ones and drug them inside.

Turns out Kb didn't have an opinion.

So I picked the best one and stuck it in a bucket. Can I just say that I love these little, metal buckets? We acquired them the summer of our wedding. We were doing the decorating ourselves and were going the rustic route. For my dad's birthday dinner, we ended up at Texas Roadhouse. They've got those buckets of peanuts there on every table. While we were eating, someone remarked that the buckets would be a great addition to the decor at the reception. My mom had the nerve to ask the manager where they get there buckets. Slightly ashamed, I had already gone out to the car. My mom came out to the car with a big, old grin. She was cagey at first, reluctant to let on. But then, she spilled. It just so happened that the restaurant was replacing their supply of buckets the very next day. All my mom needed to do was show up and they would load the car with buckets. They were just going to throw them out!

(Jennifer Van Elk Photography)




We used those buckets for everything from flower pots to kids' craft containers. Anyways, now the bucket has graduated to a Christmas tree holder.

Ok, it's not a real Christmas tree. Currently, I'm not big on Christmas decorations. I've put together a few things, but decor seems to be something that you acquire over the years. I could easily purchase a load of Christmas frills, but it wouldn't have much meaning. It wouldn't have a story.

I made the stars last year. Since we burn or recycle our trash, I wasn't sure what to do with used aluminum foil. So I cut star shapes out of cereal box cardboard and covered them with the once crumpled up foil. They shine nicely. Last year, I also made the paper garland. I cut up some sparkly paper, punched holes, and put a sting through. 

This year, I discovered that the big piece of wood I hung on the kitchen wall serves as a very nice mantle. It displays our embarrassing number of Christmas cards...we don't get out much.

Let's just pretend the black light switch covers are not there.

We have a wreath! I found those fun, white balls in a box in my mom's basement. My mom works at a funeral home, and oftentimes, the winter flower arrangements contain some sort of frilly decor that gets discarded after the funeral. My mom can't bear to see it wasted so it ends up in a box in her basement. That's also where I got the garland on my "mantle." Is that creepy?

There are a few other decor items displayed somewhat haphazardly. That candle? Brings back some fun memories at a certain bridal shower. hehehe...  The little tree and fake snow were ingredients to a craft that was supposed to be presented to my mom for her birthday yesterday. It didn't work out (Santa, please bring a hot glue gun), but it repurposes well!

May your decorations be imperfect and full of stories!

The Buffet

 Before

              

                

After

It's finished. Well, not really, but I did stain it. And I'm thinking that I like it. 

I used Rustoleum brand stain in the sun-bleached color. It gave the wood the blue-gray color that I was looking for. It still needs some sort of knobby things for the drawers and cupboards. I am currently imagining a homemade thick rope handle, like this:

(http://remodelista.com/posts/5-quick-fixes-instant-rope-handles-and-pulls)

But I'm not ready to commit. 

What I did commit to? Spare pieces of genuine drift wood that my parent's friends brought straight from the St. Mary's River in Michigan. 

My dad drilled some holes and ta-da...

A sweet centerpiece.

All it needs is a few pine boughs to rest upon. 

It's official. I've got the Christmas spirit.

Stray Gifts

You know you are blessed when you receive a gift for no apparent reason. You know you are very blessed when you receive random gifts from your mom's friends. I was pretty darn blessed last week.

Exhibit A:

I had been keeping my eyes open for a buffet type table that would fit perfectly in that one empty space between the living room and the kitchen. Apparently, a couple of other people had their eyes open, too. A guy that my mom works with found this table at an estate sale. She's a beaut with dovetailed drawers, a solid frame, and fantastic potential. And the price? A clean $12.50. Shazam!


Exhibit B:

I received some new placemats from my mom's godmom. They give the kitchen a homey, country vibe, and they are perfect for our kitchen table. When you find yourself with a pile of scrap fabric, get yourself a color palette and quilt some placemats for someone you know. They will love them. I sure did!