Did Someone Say Shelves?

Remember when I had designed some shelves for our front entrance area by taping my idea on the wall?

And, how my awesome husband and father-in-law built them...

 

Well, I took those raw shelves home and sanded them down and gave them a good priming before painting them. When the paint was dry, Kyan and his brother hung them on the wall for us to enjoy. 

This is how they turned out...

These shelves turned out exactly as I had envisioned. And, they turned out to be as useful as I hoped. Since our coat closet has been turned into a pantry, we were left without a place to hang our coats. So, why not design some shelves with coat hooks? Voila, problem solved!  
 

 

I purposely painted the edge of the shelves white to emphasize the shapes that are naturally formed by the simple lines of each shelf. That's what's so wonderful about design, art, and nature. If you take the time to stop and actually see what your are looking at, you will notice so many more beautiful things. 

As for my owl, I rescued it from my front yard. We found him in the bushes and I thought he needed a little freshening up and warm place to stay. Don't you like him! Now, if you were to ask my husband that question...he might say otherwise. But, we all have to make compromises in life, right!?

Dining Room Justice

I knew my dining room pictures from my last post were really fuzzy and pretty much a crap job. They didn't give the room justice by any means. So, Kyan offered to show me how to use his camera and I took a few more pictures. You would have to agree that the quality is sooooo much better! Thanks Babe! :)  Perhaps you can look at this and actually think it looks good!

So, you've had a day to think about it...any thoughts on a chandelier? Or...some cool artwork?

Finally...It Came to Me!

I have spent some long hours thinking about my dining room space. I wanted something bold and beautiful but not intimidating. I was looking on the internet and came across this picture. It was love at first site. I knew that this was what I was looking for. The bold black and white stripes with the elegant pinstripe in the middle. It was perfect.

 

So, a week before Thanksgiving I decided to take on this project. Once I am inspired, It's hard to keep me from executing my idea. (Pardon the horrible picture quality and the chandelier. I can't figure out my husbands nice camera because he has some weird raw image setting on it and the chandelier is decked out in Christmas decor.) This is the result of our dining area. I LOVE IT! It defines that space perfectly without taking over the entire kitchen. If you notice, Kyan and I decided on two pinstripes instead of one because...

#1: It was easier to tape!!!!

#2: We liked the idea of two stripes....Why not? 

Besides, it was easier to tape which translates to less time taping. 

So, you get my point right? :)

Now, if only I knew where to find the perfect artwork to replace our lovely framed french poster that we hung a while back when hosting a Julia Child french dinner. Any Ideas?

I am also looking for a different chandelier to hang over the table. You can't tell because I removed them for the picture, but, this chandelier comes with bright red candles. Okay, yes, it is cute and country like...but, my style isn't country nor does it quite jive with me. I've had others offer it a home if I ever replace it. I'm just looking for something a little more clean, modern, or perhaps an older light fixture redone with a classy modern twist? Hmmm....so many ideas but it's hard to know the perfect fit....if you know what I mean?

Besides all that gibberish, I'm happy with the result of our painting project! I love, love, love it! Oh, did I say I loved it? :)

Advice for anyone reading this:

If you come across an inspiration or a picture that makes you want to sing inside, then that means you like what you see! Figure out what part of your inspiration really speaks to you and transform it to become your own. Don't be afraid, just go for it! Make it apart of your home and don't be concerned of what others might think. I know some may look at this and think, "Who would do that?" and others would say, "Holy Crap that's AWESOME!". So, just design your home to fit YOU!  

 

 

Thanksgiving Week

I know it's a little past Thanksgiving but this is a time not worth forgetting about. This Thanksgiving was a whirlwind of fun. I had my brother and sisters, with their children, come to Washington. I also had my mother's side of the family with their loved ones all come as well.

You might be thinking at this point...."Whaa Wait.....how many is that?"

31

That's right, 31 wonderful, delightful, awesome family members! It was such a nice Thanksgiving. I hosted my Aunt and Uncle and my two cousins. It was fun to have someone stay at our house for a change. My Mom has this thing about having all her children stay with her when they come to visit. She wants to spend as much time with them as possible. It must be a mother thing. :) The other Uncles and Grandparents stayed at the Salish Lodge.

Chris and Donny came up with the idea of having an adult breakfast at the Salish Lodge before the business of Thanksgiving began. It was such a delightful experience. Of course, they served gourmet breakfast dishes that could not be completely devoured because of the rich flavors, but oh how yummy. It was nice to spend some adult time together. As much as I love my own child and my siblings children, it's nice to have time without them. Thank you Chris and Donny for that nice experience!

So....you might be wondering what we had planned for the Thanksgiving meal? Shall I introduce you to the two most amazing gourmet chefs of all times?.....Here are the spectacular chefs....

Uncle Chris and Uncle Donny!

They insisted on planning and preparing Thanksgiving dinner for 31 people. Wow, right! This was no traditional Thanksgiving meal. They went all out. They bought fresh herbs, delicious vegetables, aged cheeses, nuts, and other ingredients to make mouthwatering dishes. And, mouthwatering they were!

Uncle Chris made this appetizer that had smoked trout with a slice of green apple, drizzled with a sweet mustard sauce all on a rye cracker. Are your saliva glands over producing at this moment because mine are! Just thinking about it makes me want to run to Pike Place Market to buy some of that smoked trout. 

Donny and Chris made several delicious dishes. One of my favorites was the creamed spinach and surprisingly the turnip dish. If you know me, you know I have come to the conclusion that turnips are not meant to be cooked with. I have used them in soups, stews and I have sliced them and baked them like french fries. Every single time I have used turnips, Kyan and I have admitted to each other that the dish would be better without them. So, when I heard Donny was making a turnip dish, I couldn't help but wonder if I would come to this same conclusion.

Donny, you proved me wrong!

I am not sure what he did but that whipped turnip dish was out of this world. It was creamy and delicious. It had to have been the Chef's magic touch because that was amazing. You have to understand, the dishes didn't stop here, there were glazed carrots, Tuscan herb rubbed turkey, herb pesto cauliflower, pear and pecan salad, yam and apple bake, fresh sausage and bread stuffing and I'm sure I'm missing a few.

With the help of random family members, Chris and Donny spent the entire day before Thanksgiving in the kitchen, chopping, mincing, peeling, and preparing for the following day. On Thanksgiving day, they spent it in the kitchen, preparing and cooking the fabulous meal.

All I can say is WOW! It was such a wonderful delight to experience this. Thank You for the wonderful food, the time in the kitchen, the money spent, the delightful experience, but most of all the time we had to spend with you guys.

I know you're thinking....this post is getting long and I don't see any pictures? Well, I was having too much fun with everyone that I forgot to take pictures. :( I'm sad I didn't take any because the two cousins that stayed at my house, Kevin and Eric, I haven't seen for years. It was so good to see them. That whole family decided to come on a shorter notice because they weren't sure if they could make the trip. I am so glad they did.

It was so nice to see loved ones. Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same without Uncle Paul's great laugh and sense of humor and Grandma and Grandpa  Upton's presence and my fabulous parents, siblings and children. It was a wonderful and most thanks filled time.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Christmas Tree Chopping

That's right, we go Christmas tree chopping every year. Who ever thought of fake Christmas trees when you could get a fresh tree that fills your house with that wonderful fresh smell of Christmas. Sigh....just think, you wouldn't have to buy those pine scented candles anymore! :)

We went to one tree farm only to realize the perfect tree was not to be found there. So, we went to a neighboring tree farm and found it! Well, sort of. It turned out to be a little shorter then we had envisioned but it has turned out to be quite a nice tree anyway.

So, we took our picture next to this tree which turned out not be our tree. We found a different tree at the 2nd tree farm. I can't remember what was wrong with this tree but I'm sure there was something...

Once we finally made a decision on the tree, Samuel and I paid for the tree while Kyan tied the tree down to the car.

While we waited, Samuel enjoyed his candy cane and I sipped on some cider. We all had such a wonderful time together. The weather was perfect and the cider was yummy. Its fun creating traditions for our family. I love the Christmas season!

 

 Merry Christmas!

On an Average Day

Some may wonder what goes on in a Mother's average day. They might only look at the tedious, mundane tasks that come with being a mother and ask if it's worth it. Perhaps they wonder how a mother can feel fulfilled or accomplished at the end of the day.

I am here to tell you it is pure FUN! I love being a mother. There is no where else I would rather be then right here in my own home discovering these wonderful things...

I was cooking something in the kitchen when I heard Samuel grunting and making all sorts of noises. I looked over to see this. He was working so hard to get into the basket that I started to laugh when he gave me the look of desperation. I had to stop taking pictures when he started to holler at me.

Samuel has also discovered the new world of stacking things. I walked into the kitchen and came upon this cute contraption. The building didn't stop there. When Kyan came home from work, they sat on the kitchen floor and continued to build and knock down towers. But, along with this new skill of Samuel's, he also learned his new favorite word.....TA-DA. 

This is only a small snip-it of what I experience each day. At the end of each night as we put him to bed, he will give us kisses and hugs and giggle about silly things. How can I look on that and think I would rather be somewhere else? I can't. Kyan and I can't imagine our lives without him. We count our blessings everyday for our sweet little Samuel. And, I thank God daily for Motherhood.

Pillow Fight!

This is the cutest video of Kyan and Samuel having a pillow fight. This was a couple of Saturdays ago before we cut his gorgeous long hair. Sigh....isn't it cute?!

Parkerosa Pumpkin Patch

I know I'm a little late when it comes to posting about October activities but I just couldn't let this one be forgotten. This was Samuel's 2nd time being at a pumpkin patch but it was really his first time actually getting to enjoy the experience. We had so much fun! We were with Grandma Skeem, Brydon, Nicole, their kids, and Marcus and Stephanie. It was a perfect Saturday afternoon. The sun was shining after a long week of rain. The air was warm and pumpkin farm was full of fun things. They had animals, a really neat wagon ride that took you around their property and plenty of good pumpkins to choose from. Of course, Kyan had to get the really BIG pumpkin. 

Samuel could care less if he got a pumpkin or not, he just wanted to walk around the patch and touch them all....and, sit on a few as well. We didn't bother getting him a pumpkin because we figured he would help us carve our pumpkin. But, pumpkin carving didn't happen for our family this year. We were off to Hawaii before we got a chance to do anything with them. So, we let Grandma and Grandpa Sypher carve them for us while we were gone. I wish I had taken a picture of them because they turned out great!

We were gone through Halloween and were not around to take pictures of Samuel in his costume. He was a cute little spider. We tried the costume on him before we left on our trip but he wouldn't leave it on long enough to take pictures. Maybe next year. He went trick or treating with his grandparents. Grandma didn't realize that Samuel knew what candy was so she had let him hold his own candy bucket. Well, the next thing she knew he had chocolate smeared all over his face. He wasn't very happy with her when she took the rest of his candy away. I tell ya, that kid would live off of anything sweet if I let him.

My Little Cross Country Sister

A few weeks back, Samuel and I went to my little sister's, Kimberlee, last cross country meet. This is her first year in middle school and she loves it. I'm proud of her for signing up to be on the cross country team. I wish I had started running cross country before my senior year of high school. Sigh....I know, ridiculous, right?! And, I only signed up because Jordan, my younger brother, had signed up and I thought it would be fun to be on the same team together. So, pretty much, you're awesome Kimberlee!

While we watched Kimberlee run her race, Samuel spent some quality time with Grandpa. His favorite activity was picking up the little orange cones and moving them. Um, yeah, those cones were there to outline the path where the kids were supposed to run the race. So, we spent a lot of the time putting back the cones that Samuel moved.

Kimberlee did an AWESOME job on her race. She actually beat her best time. What a great way to end the season. You rock Kimberlee! Way to kick some booty!

We all had a great time spending time together while supporting Kimberlee and her teammates.

This is Kimberlee and her cross country coach. 

Watch for Kimberlee as she passes the finish line. Good Job Kimberlee! I'm proud of your success and for beating your personal record. YOU ROCK!

A Trip to Supercuts

We decided it was time to make our little boy LOOK like a little boy. So, we got him his FIRST haircut. I'll miss those long, wavy curls.

BEFORE...

We came into the Salon and told them we were cutting Samuel's hair for the very first time. We asked if they cut little kids hair. She asked, "Does she sit still?" (I had to correct them and tell them that SHE was actually a HE). Um...how am I supposed to know if he would sit still? We have never got his hair cut before. She was a little uncomfortable with the idea but told us if he could sit still then she could try (Is she really asking a 17 month old to sit still? Has she had kids before?). 

 

DURING...

But, as always, Samuel proved to be VERY good. He couldn't have been a better 17 month old client for our stylist. It is times like these that I am reminded what a good child I've been blessed with. 

 

AFTER

 No more long curls in the back. :( Nonetheless, doesn't he look handsome!

He's trying to get some hair out of his mouth. 

When we arrived home, we put him in front of our hall mirror and he realized that his hair was different. He got all giddy and started to giggle and laugh and run around in circles, returning to the mirror to check out his short hair again and again. I think he likes looking like a boy. :)