a few projects

here are a couple of my projects that have been keeping me busy.

this is a little table i found on the corner on trash day.  when i found it, it was in much better shape, but after my two it became...just gross.  this picture is after i sanded the top and decided i didn't want to sand anymore.  the paint was oil based and really hard to get off.  

so i grabbed a jar of mod podge and a couple of vintage books i've picked up while thrifting.  this is the biggest decoupage project i've attempted.  i've discovered that i'm not very good at it.  oh well, i'm pleased enough with the end result.  i got some vinyl cut in the fabric dept. at our local big box store and picked up some old school desk chairs for a buck each!  the little chalk board was 50 cents and the cutey mug was part of a set- 4 for a quarter!  (i already had the shelf).  so, including the can of paint, i think this whole area was created for under $5.  i love how it has brightened that corner of our kitchen!

this lamp shade is the one i bought for moonpie's nursery before i had her.  it's awfully cute- for a girl!  but since my kid's share a room, i wanted something that they'd both like.  i found the greatest fabric EVER and have used it in 2 projects thus far!

here is the little reading area we created after john painted their room.   the little 'table' the lamp is sitting on is a vintage puzzle holder turned on its side.  the frames are both thrifted.  i always hate to throw away dust covers from our books.  the art is so great!  here is one solution we've come up with (i've also used them to wrap gifts).  moonpie has requested that i 'girl' up the selection a bit, so we'll be adding more soon.

(look at the way buddy is looking at me here! haha!)

blessed

yesterday i was talking with my sister in law, who is pregnant with her first, about child birth and life with kids. all of our talking got me thinking back to our early days with just one. moonpie was the easiest baby. slept great, nursed well, hardly cried. we were buddies! every where i went, she did too. i remember digging in the garden and handing her worms to hold as a 9 month old. our days were easy and happy. after buddy was born her little world was turned upside down. and rightly so, no kid should go through life thinking only of themselves! i remember the first time i shouted at moonpie. buddy was only 4 days old and she was walking through the house carrying him by his neck. i freaked out and she dropped him. well, he was fine, but she wasn't. after that she wanted NOTHING to do with him. typical to most siblings, we have had a bumpy 2 years with moonpie and buddy. and typical to most mommas, it has grieved my heart. i want nothing else than to see my daughter loving and tending to her brother. especially since he has always loved his sissy. so we work on this daily. constant reminders to be kind, to re-word things, to give hugs, etc. and by night i'm praying kindness over the child. about 2 weeks ago we started to see a shift in moonpie's attitude towards her brother. we are seeing kindness! she has obviously had moments of love towards buddy, but we are now seeing her be a caretaker towards him. playing with him, protecting him on the playground from big kids, singing with him, and just showing genuine concern for him. i can't tell you what this has done for my heart! such joy! now i'm no fool. i have siblings (including a younger brother). i know that relationships have seasons. but i pray that we will now see more seasons of kindness and less sassiness.

when i think of the strongest character trait i would like to see in my children, it is kindness. to me that is showing compassion, respect, strength, courage, consideration, and a healthy self-image in its truest form.

here is a short clip of moonpie singing (with, of course, a brief cameo by buddy dancing a jig).