Temporary Fix.

I have been blessed with many things in life.

The ability to get a tan is not one of them.

Some people call it 'pale'...
but I prefer 'melanin-challenged'.

This weekend I have to wear a dress.
Next weekend I have to wear a dress.
I don't like being melanin-challenged in a dress.

So I had to call in reinforcements today.
You can see why, right?


Oh, ouch.
Avert your eyes if you need to.
I am prepared to lose followers over that picture.
And I'm sorry.

But it's a little better now.
(bad lighting aside)
And I promise I don't look like an Oompa-Loompa in person.


The mobile tan girl has rescued me.
I felt so Real Housewives of the OC.
{Except I don't think the Real Housewives had two little boys at their tanning session asking multitudes of questions about why a lady was going to spray paint a tan on them. And why anyone would want a tan painted on them. And why a lady set up a tent in the kitchen. And isn't it against the law for a stranger to see you in your underwear in your kitchen. Sigh.}

I promise these are the last photos of my legs you will ever see posted on my blog.

You can open your eyes now.

Spending the days

There's been a lot of life going on around here.
Just plain life.
The good, the bad, and a few notches in between.

I'll just focus on the good, though.
{I refuse to think about our 3 year old car that
will be in the shop for over a week getting a new transmission....
and instead meditate on the beauty of the extended warranty.}
Yes. Warranties = good.

Let's start with the weekend of sun, glorious sun.


This turkey and his older brother decided to jump in my inlaws' pool yesterday.
The water was freezing,
but they were not to be deterred.

Boys.


My adorable niece, Fiona.


And since Avery and I were stuck at home today with no car...
we baked.

I have found no finer batter-stirrer anywhere.


She's quite handy at cleaning up flour/sugar spills as well.


Banana muffins.
Don't they look beautiful?


And Avery's verdict:
"dey're kinda swimy".


I guess I didn't mash the bananas enough.
She bit into a little bit of banana and declared them slimy.

Oh well.

And this is what happened on our couch tonight around 5:40.


7:40? Excellent.
Even 6:40...doable.
But 5:40?

We might be in for an early morning.

Goodnight.

Saturday dreaming.

For as long as I can remember I've dreamed of having a house with a porch.

When I have a have a house with a porch...
I will sit outside in the morning and read the paper with my coffee.
I will sit and sip my diet coke in the afternoon and wait for the kids to skip off the bus and run to me with hugs.
I will put on a sweater and sit with Gary on the porch in the evening and talk about the day and how the neighbors really need to mow their lawn.

I really need a porch.

But it doesn't appear to be happening anytime soon.
And that's ok.

So until then I go to The Inspired Room and dream.
Melissa finds the most inspiring homes.
{all images from her lovely site}


Love the porch, love the shutters, love it all.


I'll bet strawberry lemonade tastes especially good on that porch.


I think I'll be needing a porch swing, too.


When I move to that house with that porch I'll invite you all over for a chat and some pellegrino.

OK so it might be tap water, but I promise to serve it in a cute glass.

Making Lemonade.

My creative juices seemed to have temporarily dried up.
I'm not sure what's wrong with me.
I have some projects I want to start...
but am just dragging my feet.

So I've been spending a little more time in the kitchen.
{The kitchen that still isn't 100% completed, by the way.}

Riley is on a big lemonade kick.
He loves the stuff
and got mad at me the other night for drinking the last of the first batch he made.

So I made sure to buy a *bunch* of lemons at the store the other day.
{He and I also decided we're buying a lemon tree at Costco this weekend.}


Riley is adamantly not in favor of pulp.


My pledge to you:
if you ever come to my house for lunch,
I promise not to serve you lemonade that has been squeezed
within a 5 foot radius of my son's feet.

You're welcome.


And we added some strawberries.
Double the yum.

So until my creativity is up and running again, we'll be making lemonade.
I am forcing myself not to go and drink the last of this batch.
I know I'll be in trouble if I do.

The drummer.

This is him.


He has been taking lessons since January 2009
and had his first recital this weekend.

When we first learned a couple of months ago that there was going to be a recital,
he was NOT happy.
He yelled.
Said he wouldn't perform.
Told us he hates drums.
Showed some of that famous strong will.

And then broke down and cried and admitted he didn't want to be in front of people and was scared to death.

So being the good parents we are...
we forced him to perform anyway.
:)

He loved it.
And we were so proud.


We had practiced his song so much that he wasn't nervous at all.
{I was a nervous wreck.}
And...shockingly...I think he enjoyed the limelight a little.

He was easily the youngest and smallest performer of the evening.
His performance was flawless.

They did a group number at the end.


{He played the cowbell. I couldn't help but think of this.}
And then the obligatory group pictures began.


I could insert some lame joke here about
him marching to the beat of his own drummer...


...but I won't.

I love a slow, sunny, Saturday.

For so many reasons.


Lazy baking.
{Pumpkin bread from a mix from Costco. The best. It's already gone.}


The view from my {dirty} kitchen window.
Doesn't it look peaceful?
I wish I sat on that bench more often.


A $6.99 bouquet of flowers from Costco.
I love the way they make my table look.
I wish I bought them more often.
{And if you don't have a Costco near you ... my condolences.}


The Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich weather we're having.
That's a hard one not to love.
{And one I don't have to tell myself to do more often.}
:)

The {non-naked} Picture Wall

I have had this naked wall by my front door for a long time.
It bothered me.
I knew I wanted a picture wall there, but just hadn't got around to doing it.

I'd been gradually getting my frames together,
and painting some of my old silver ones black.

Then...I came across the most genius method of putting together a picture wall I've ever seen.
{I really wish I could remember where in blogland I saw it. If it was you...let me know!}

First I measured that naked wall,
and I taped together some old wrapping paper in that same dimension.
Then I played with the layout until I was happy with it.


Then I traced around the frames,


and hung that wrapping paper on the wall.
I nailed the frames directly onto the paper to make sure they stayed where I wanted them.


Then I just removed the paper.


I still have two frames to spray paint black,
and five frames to fill.

But at least it's not a naked wall any longer.

this week

Gary is sick.
Riley has pink eye.
I forgot to pack Colin any t-shirts.
I've had to take three of my migraine pills.
We forgot the stroller.
I forgot my toothbrush and had to buy one at the hotel.
{{seriously...what is wrong with me??}}

BUT.

I'm not complaining.
{really}

H0pe you've had a great week.

The eggs were nice...

...but it wasn't really about the eggs.

He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross
so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right.
By his wounds you are healed.
1 Peter 2:24

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter.
I might be scarce here this week...we're on Spring Break now!
{Woot woo!}

Me + Chalkboard Spray Paint & Lemon Squares = Love

I had this one picture over our mantel for a long time.
I didn't really like it all that much, and replaced it with something different back in December.

I hung on to the picture and frame, though, because I figured I could turn it into something else.

All it took was a can of red spray paint, and a can of chalkboard spray paint.


{Did you know you can spray paint chalkboard paint on glass? So cool.}

And here's where my picture lives now.


I love it...the kids love it...and Gary is keeping his opinion to himself. :)

And speaking of love...
Today we had an Easter party to attend.
I knew when I saw them on her site last week that
I was going to bring PW's Creamy Lemon Squares.


They were so easy to make.
Really.


And my assistant gave them the finger lick of approval.

If you like lemon bars, you should make these.
I think I'm going to make another batch for Easter.

{Along with twice-baked potatoes. My holiday meal must-have.}