Wordless Wednesday....

Running Away from Home...

Can I be bought?

Ummmm, seems, under the right circumstances.... YEP.

Bring on the bribe,  my sanity required it this time.

By way of information, we have had painters in our house recently trying to correct a big problem, that the original painters of our newly built house, created over 4 years ago.  I may give details on the painting fiasco at a later time when it is actually resolved and I am WELL removed from all the angst and tears... suffice it to say that when this white van pulled up on Saturday morning for the 4th time in 3 weeks to once again try a different resolution to our paint woes...

I took Shawn up on an offer to run away from home with my daughter and do some frivolous shopping.  There has been NO frivolous shopping for a long time due to the tightening up of our financial belts since January 2011.  I sped away.  I did not look back.  I dreamed of antique shopping and returning home to a beautifully painted beadboard ceiling.  Ahhhhh!

Savannah agreed to be my lovely sidekick and we drove to Hartselle, a little town not far down the road with an old downtown and lots of antique stores.

 If I ever were to own my own store, I sure would love if the location came with instant character like these old buildings provide.  Drool.

 Old exposed brick wall meeting antique ceiling tins!  Oh dear.  Love it.

 This was one of our favorite stores.  The mix of new with antique beds and furniture... perfection.

 I wanted the bench at the end of this bed so very badly.  It had such detail and layers upon layers of paint, with a crisp tufted linen top.  And I want a bench at the end of our master bed too... alas, the price tag said it was not meant to be.  whimper. sulk. 

 The pouting did not last long as I found a few amazing treasures, well within my bribery amount.

 Never mind the fact that I currently have MANY ladders already in my home, this blue drippy paint mess of a ladder needed a good home and I obliged.

I am drawn to old suitcases... but I'm so picky about them, so slowly but surely I am getting a collection.  I found this picture on Pinterest of a stack of cases and thought the same presentation would be amazing in our future B&B cottage. 

(via Pinterest/ CountryLiving)

 And so I snatched up this little greyblue cutie... it will find a cute 'home' here until I can create a tower o' suitcases in the cottage.

I found this little oil painting and it made me smile.  I tried to drive away and leave it, but at the end of our many hours in Hartselle, I still had a little cash... so Mr. Roo came home with me.

 I found some old jello tins to use for candles and some metal trays to 'reinvent'.

But HANDS DOWN... this piece of metal rustiness is the item that got me lightheaded and giddy. 

 I happened to look way up in the rafters at one of the stores and saw this heavenly sign.  I could not see the price tag it was so high up.  But I boldly grabbed the owner, who by the way was not too eager to sell it/retrieve it from its lofty perch... but I was persuasive,grin.  It was SO under priced and when I paused after he went through all the effort to get it down... he offered $80 off.  I simply paused because the original price he told me pleasantly surprised me... so when he took off an additional $80 I got a tad dizzy.  Yippee!!!

 I have a couple places this would look amazing in... I just need to patiently wait for Shawn to have time to lug it around to each prospective location so I can decide. 

 Savannah and I returned home 6 hours after leaving that morning.  Shawn met us at the car and ooooohed and aaaaaaaahed at my treasures.  

But then I asked the dreaded question, "so is the painting fixed?"  To which my poor sweetheart had to tell me that the 4th try was NOT the charm, and we still had a problem.

 We now have atrocious cracked paint.  Will this paint fiasco ever be resolved?  I am losing faith.  But the score of my new found treasures and a long day with Savannah sure softened the blow of yet another paint disappointment.

sob, sob.

in the meantime....

I find myself entering into my final week of physical therapy.  Well, final week for this initial go around, truth is there may be more of these appointments in my near future.  I compare these physical therapy sessions to 'stirring up a hornet's nest'.  A necessary evil, to hopefully find long term resolutions to curing or managing my pain.  I am optimistic.  I am also very exhausted and know that this process will involve many layers.  

In the meantime, I dream of pain free days of intense gardening.  I've missed being outside with dirt under my fingernails and clipped treasures to bring back inside and put in every imaginable container I can scrounge up.  So I beg a huge pardon from those who follow me on Pinterest... as you have surely seen, I have been in a BLOOMIN' frame of mind and my pins reflect that clearly.  My daughter's favorite current flower is the peony.  That girl has good taste.  I've raised her well!

My favorite flower?  I have been so long removed from my love of gardening, I fear I have too many to list.

So in my current state of daily doctor appointments, hornet nest stirring, and pain management... I will continue to get lost in pictures like these.  I must believe these pictures will become my reality... hopefully sooner than later!

{Eden Rose... almost as beautiful as my niece, but not quite... no prejudice of course}

{I will be a topiary master someday, yep}

{note to future landscape designer... I want an obnoxious amount of cherry trees lining our entrance}

{inspiration photo for our front yard}

{new dawn climbing rose... my favorite}

{wanna take a stroll?}

{and this one is for Savannah}

Now I feel better about my upcoming week... she giggles!

Lovely Day...

In actuality, here locally, it is overcast, dreary, and rainy.  BUT I refuse to let that 'dampen' my spirits...

I showed myself love by getting a mammogram at 7:40am this morning.  Fun?  No.  Important?  Yes.

Christian went to seminary this morning with a long stem rose for every young women in his class.  He just laid a rose on the table at each seat that a gal sits in.  He said that he wanted to make sure all his gal'friends' felt some appreciation today.  I think all the girls thought the teacher did the roses, snicker.  

Shawn got me an incredible card.  That guy can really pick 'em!!  

I will meet with Shawn this evening to go to a sappy, lovey dovey movie... he is so sweet to tolerate my movie choices, grin.

The 3 kids don't have hot dates like I do, snicker, but they will all go see a movie together instead.  They insist that their movie will NOT be sappy.

Today is such a lovely day.  

I love doing this for others and I l.o.v.e. when its done for me.... just the best!

WHOOOOO Loves You?

Today in Nursery was such an incredible day!  The kids sang their little hearts out during music time, they played so nice together, and they just adored every little tid bit of the lesson.  Happy sigh.  

It being the Sunday before Valentine's Day, I wanted to make a little goody for them to take home.

I had seen some cute little cupcake owls on Pinterest.

I wasn't sure how cupcakes would travel home safely and feared they would be too messy.

So I adapted the idea and made cookies instead..

Here is the 'owl factory'.  PS - somehow I thought pulling oreos apart and keeping the white middles more pristine was going to be an easier task.... NOT!  I had to keep reminding myself that the kids would not notice!!

 Funny how the addition of the little orange 'beak' made a world of difference with the cookie actually resembling an owl, whew!

 Almost complete...

 I packaged them in these little plastic containers I had.  I used a little frosting on the back side of the cookie to actually 'glue' it safely in there.  Then added a little gift tag that read:

WHOOOOO Loves You?

We Do!!

Happy Valentine's Day

Love, Your Nursery Teachers.

I hope they loved them!

Perfectly Opposites

When Christian was little, he challenged me... I never seemed to have enough patience, stamina, sleep, or clever solutions for directing his non-stop talent for mischief. 

But he was such an affectionate rugrat.  I was never for want of hugs or loves from Christian.

Now that he is 16, he is still so quick to offer a hug, to tell me he loves me, or ask if I need anything.

I sure never dreamed that rambunctious toddler would become such a laid back, easy going, & happy guy!

6 years later, Ty came on to the Callahan scene.  He was an easy baby.  Easy toddler.  Self entertainer which was such a blessing for me since his older brother and sister had long since been going to school at this point and Ty was home alone with me most days.  Ty was also painfully shy and quiet.  He actually talked at an early age but said very little, even around family.  We knew if Ty said something... it was important to him.

  I didn't receive the nonstop chatter I did with Christian at his age.  I didn't get the random 'I love you's that I got with Christian.  And I did not get the easily offered apologies either.

 I have to work hard to be aware of Ty's feelings because he is a hard 'book' to read at times. 

 Ty and I are very close... tremendously so.  He is stubborn to the core, but when he needs help... he knows I will understand. 

I get him.  And he gets me too.

  His creativity is intense and I value it.  One day when we (Ty and I) were at my antique booth, the store owner had come to talk with me and she looked at Ty and said, "You have a very talented mommy... Do you know that?"  And my shy, introvert son looked right at her and said, "Yes... I do... and I am just like her."  

So while I stated earlier that he has never been generous in saying 'I love you' or 'I'm sorry'... he is not at all void of showing me or expressing those feelings.

Last week was a very up and down week.  I have been in a lot of pain lately, going through Physical Therapy most days but still needing to do school with Ty too.  I am sure I have not been a delight to be around at times.  And poor Ty is the one person that spends the greatest amount of time with me on a daily basis.  He knew just what I needed last Tuesday.  I got home from PT and I asked him to set out his school supplies so we could get going on work for the day.  

I found this by the computer where his school paperwork is usually laid.

 Huh?

And this was right next too it.  I was so perplexed.

 I am so very thankful that I took the moment to pause and realize that whatever this little code/riddle was, that Ty must have worked on it while I was gone to PT and made sure to place it where I would find it when I got home.  I wasn't feeling well but curiosity kept my mood light as I finally realized that the two pieces of paper laid on top of each other and held to the light was yet another sweet note from this quiet, sweet son of mine....

 I loved him so much in that moment that I was able to refocus the rest of my day and enjoy time spent with him homeschooling.  We even cuddled later that day while reading Anne of Green Gables and we ended up dozing off in to a much needed nap for both of us.

This son of mine sure knows his mommy and I sure needed my son that day.

And just for documentation, a few days after this, he had made a very unwise choice and had gotten into big trouble, eeeeek.  But never fear, I found this on my nightstand before going to bed ;)

 Yep.  We sure are good for each other!

{25} Random things....

{1}  I am linking up with  Perfectly Imperfect and doing a 25 Random things post.  And.... YES.... I am blogging again.  As I, very long windedly, explained in my last post, our family needed to cut out all excess internet usage for the sake of homeschooling, office emergencies, and church.  But blogging was deemed 'very important' by my family so we will make additional adjustments to accommodate it.  YAY!

{2}  I cleared out my antique booth and it was bittersweet but not devastating.  I guess when something is the right decision comfort is given, thankful for that peace of mind.

{3}  Ty and I are reading Anne of Green Gables for school.  It is challenging for us both but we do find Anne hilarious!

{4}   I am currently going through a very painful span of Physical Therapy... trying to relieve the pain in my back.  I do a whole lot of nervous laughter during the sessions.  Anyone else cope with pain with giggles?

{5}  Tuesday is my laundry day.  Shawn always carries our hampers in to the laundry room for me.  It is currently Wednesday and the hampers are still parked in the laundry room full of dirty laundry.  I'm blaming it on almost daily Physical Therapy sessions and the havoc they have wreaked to my schedule and my 'getter done already' attitude.  Tonight, yep, tonight it WILL all get done.

{6}  We have survived another year of ALL 5 of our birthdays occuring in 2 weeks time.  Whew!

{7}  There is a random kitten that has started showing up on our back porch each morning.  It sleeps on a cushion we have outside our master bedroom french door yet bolts before we can feed it or do anything further but provide a soft place for it to sleep.

{8}  My husband has been loving me perfectly as I have vowed to GET my health back on track for 2012.  The doctor appointments have been expensive and plentiful but I am optimistic that I WILL get answers and several of my 'loves' that have been edited in the past couple years will return... like gardening!

{9}  Our huge harvest table has a huge crack down the middle.  It will be moved to the barn to serve as a potting table and to live out the rest of its life before it takes the final 'split'.  Which means we will need to make another one, going simple this time... not amazing single piece of antique oak for the top... but hopefully the new one can be amazing in its own right.

{10}  I sold the benches to the harvest table to my sister, I want individual chairs.  Only hiccup... I need 12 chairs, found my dream bentwood chairs on clearance... still can't afford all 12 at once so I have been buying a couple each month as I can scrape the money together.  The big question is... will they still be available by the time I can afford them all?  I am hope, hope, hoping!!

{11}  I am 5'6.  Don't laugh, but the last time I remember being measured for my height was my junior year in highschool and I was 5'4.  I just stuck with that height. My driver's license at this very moment states my height as 5'4.  But during my physical recently I found out that I am actually 5'6... 5'6.25 if I am to be absolutely exact.  Who knew?

{12}  I literally 'ache' with anticipation when I think of it almost being time to start planting in the pots on the porches.  Love.it!

{13}  Met with a landscape architect recently to try and solve some 'issues' we have with the farm.  Maybe someday our driveway won't get washed away with each rain.  Maybe.

{14}  I really, REALLY think my husband is adorable.

{15}  This may have something to do with #14... we are celebrating our 19th wedding anniversary in a few weeks and he is already trying to 'plan' something big and fabulous for the big 20TH!!  Of course, just time with him here on the farm is a.ok. with me but it will be fun to see if he goes all cookuuukachoooo and pulls off something amazing for 2013, snicker!

{16}  Shawn wants to have his Dad, Char, all his brothers and their entire families come to our home for a HUGE family reunion in 2013.  We would so.pee.in.our.pants with joy if it is able to happen, that would be a whole lot of folks & schedules to get all coordinated but we hope it is possible!

{17}  We are doing the CASH/ENVELOPES system of monthly budgeting and we have already, in just 2 months, saved more than we did the whole year of 2011. 

{18}  I love white tulips.

{19}  I just turned 42.  Yep.  And I am convinced that the 40s have and will continue to be the best years so far.  I am really, sincerely, loving this time!

{20}  I chew the inside of my cheek.  Drives my husband crazy.  He says I would MOST DEFINITELY stop if I could see how I distort my face to do it.  I'm sure he's right.  Yet, I do not have any earthly idea how to stop doing something I 'do' subconsciously.  Perplexed indeed!

{21}  I ask myself daily... "Is it reasonable for a 42 year old woman, of above average intelligence (wink), to break out in a sweat each day as she attempts to help her 4th grade son do math?"  I will read the heading to the math lesson and my heart beats faster.  Headings like: Cartesian Coordinates, Polygons, Pi, Circumference, Tessellations, etc.  Funny thing is that once we start to read the lesson... me not showing an ounce of fear to Ty of course... then I often sigh because it 'all comes back to me' and we do the lesson uneventfully.  But day after day, I have the same sweat fits, cause I know deep down in my grey matter... the time is coming real soon that my ability to 'recall' math principles will hit a huge brick wall.  Near future.  Maybe next week! 

{22}  I ordered our chicks for this spring.  We are getting 5 free ducks.  Why free ducks?  No idea, it was just the hatcheries deal for this month.  Will keep you updated, grin.

{23}  I am embarrassed by my inability to go longer than 15 minutes at a time on our elliptical.  Sad.

{24}  I finally found the PERFECT coffee table for our TV room.  Perfect shape, perfect height, perfect proportions.  The kids vetoed it.  Just like that.  They can't do their WII Just Dance game.  So the coffee table had.to.go!  My attempts at good interior design are so overlooked in this family, grumble. 

{25}  I am going to eat out two nights this weekend.  Big News!  I usually only get one night off of cooking but as part of our family bday traditions, the birthday kid  gets to choose dinner for their birthday.  It can be a favorite meal I can cook them or they can choose to go out.  Christian has chose Salsaritas for Friday night, yippee.  Never mind that Shawn and I had already decided to go out on Saturday for an early Valentines Dinner and we are going to Casa Blanca.  Mexican two nights in a row AND I didn't have to lift a finger to cook any of it.... now THATS what I call a great weekend!