Trimming Our House

One of my favorite things about moving is the need to redecorate. I love the challenge of using what I have in a different way. I also love the opportunity to flex my creative muscles when new things are needed. Because the process of redecorating can be so time consuming--and fund consuming--I almost never do it otherwise.

So here we are in our lovely new house, and now that we've lived here for 2-years, I just wanted to show you some of what we're doing:

One Last Mud Day

We've had a lot of fun with our mounds of dirt this summer. With mixed feelings we're celebrating Ben's hard work to shape and mold those mounds into our landscape plan. He's done a gorgeous job, but we're all a little sad to see it change.

 Happily, the Dyson boys came over for one last mud day, before everything was beautified. I think this was about six weeks ago.

As much as I love my gently-sloping backyard, I hope these mud parties are a tradition that will return, at least in some form, for summers to come.

Boys and Their Toys

Ben's customized soda can smasher cracks me up.

Way to recycle, baby. This makes all that money spent on shelving completely worth it, right?

My little movers

In case you can't tell, Sweety is driving the green truck and towing Smarty on his broken-down motorcycle, followed by his broken-down F-16.

Smarty just wasn't having good luck with vehicles that day. Good thing Sweety was there to save the day!

Clever boys.

Quilts

Joe and Kayela's wedding quilt. She picked a different look for the back side, which gives her two different "flavor" options. Very smart!

We did a jeep quilt for Dave and Jamie's little guy. We stitched roadways through it and tied little green poofs at the bushes. I love how it turned out!

Playing House

Little by little we're covering up... our windows. ;)

We tackled the boys' room first. As you can see, they have the best window in the house. But that great, big, gorgeous window was making it difficult for them to sleep past dawn. And in the summer, that comes a little too early for me!

 

We've ended up with an airplanes and space theme in there, so the stars on blue fabric was perfect. Ben figured out how to attach a curved rod-of-sorts to the top of the arch. I'm plumb tickled with how it turned out! Some day I think I'd like to build a solar system or a model plane or two, with the boys, to hang in front.

I improvised this bathroom window from scraps. I may change and hang it up above the window. I'm not sure I like it inside the frame.

I dug this fabric out for Ben's and my bathroom, but I wasn't sure what to do with it. Ben did, however. He's so brilliant at whatever he tries. Everything he touches turns to gold. I love the frayed edge, it's so pretty.

We still have a few more rooms left--the living room, kitchen, library/music room, and our bedroom. Unfortunately, I've learned that a rushed job is always full of regrets, so I'll be waiting to finish those until I know exactly how to proceed. I'll holler when I'm happy!

Quality Time with Grandma

Mother's Day and Father's Day have become a highlight of each year, for me, because of "Grandma Time." In the weeks preceding both days, my darling mother-in-law somehow manages to carry out individualized present projects with each of her 14 grand-kids.

I cannot imagine the hours required to prep and implement all of these projects, but I am deeply grateful to her for doing it! Taking our kids one-on-one and then sending them back, laden with memories and buttons busting over their fine work, is like double or triple presents. It's almost better than Christmas!

Every year, at the family dinner, I eagerly pour over each trinket my boys present. Then, without fail, I come home wishing I would have been smart enough to capture their creative efforts while they were still in pristine condition! Grrrrr.

But this year, at Father's Day, I mustered enough brain power to do just that. (Here's hoping I will remember better in years to come)

This year, Sweety gave Ben a trowel, packaged with chocolates, with a tag claiming, "Here's the scoop, you're the best dad around!" I absolutely agree.

Smarty cleaned and recovered tin cans, with suede fabric and conchos, to serve as decorative storage bins. So cute!

Thank you, Mom, for being so thoughtful and generous with your time. These outings and presents mean so much to all of us on the receiving end. Love you so!

Organized, At Last!

Have you Utah-dwellers ever been to Smith and Edwards?

It is a wondrous place that stretches on for a mile, but shoppers must be careful to keep an eye on their paths, lest they get to wondering and become lost forever. They are known for their surplus, but they sell everything from kitchen-ware to camping and fishing to clothing and toys. A motto--or perhaps a warning--painted right on the side of the building reads, "We have anything you need...if we can find it!" It's a great place to spend a Saturday afternoon, and we often do.

But I'm getting a little off topic.

On one of these many excursions, Zeke--the yardmaster--showed Ben some old warehouse shelving that was going for a great price. So when our IRS savings plan kicked in this year, we took advantage. Our shelves are so great! If we could figure out how to do it, we could park all of our vehicles on top and not worry about the weight. We expect these shelves to last through the Millennium at least.

After 10 years of moving boxes from one shed to another, it is so great to finally know what we own and where it is!

 

Ben and Zeke used the remnants of our shelving, and a great big sheet of steel, to make the mother of all work benches:

They were even smart enough to recess the bottom shelf lest the bench user bang his or her shins.

At one point I caught Ben actually up and dancing on his bench, presumably to celebrate it's strength. Too bad I didn't have my camera out in time to document that!

Daddy's Little Helper

Doesn't this look just like Ben and one of our boys? At first glance it does to me. This is little baby Ben, helping his dad out, a few years ago.

Fine Motor Excercises

Check out our cereal necklaces! The boys loved them and wanted to post. And don't Sweety's pearls look nice? Ah, little boys. *giggle*

Look What My Hubby Did

I thought I was our family's expert with delicate home trimmings, but as usual, I stand corrected. Ben got a hold of a beautiful piece of fabric I've had kicking around for years, frayed the edges, hung it delicately at the corners from a beautiful wrought-iron bar, and voile! Who says men can't do beautiful! I love it:

It fits the room perfectly

Christmas Eve 2011

I LOVED having a house big enough to really decorate and entertain in!!!!!




We got a little crazy and created a backdrop for our nativity play this year. I was really happy with how it turned out! I will be doing it again.
We hosted the Reeders for our Christmas Eve party this year.

Sweety reprized his role as the angel, but happily, this time.
Smarty and the big boys made charming shepherds.
But the star who stole the show was definitely our precious baby Jesus stand-in. He liked our backdrop too. ;)

First Snow 2011