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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Having SNOOOOOWWW Much Fun!

Cheesy title I know but how else do you describe this...



Or this.....



We've had a fabulous snow storm in our neck of the woods for the last few days.  This kind of snow is rare so when it comes around we choose to get out and enjoy it. 

Other's in our state are calling this storm Snowmageddon, or Snowpocolypse!  We get seriously panicked when the word Snow is in any part of our newscast!  It is hilarious to watch people going to the store and stocking up with enough food to literally feed an entire army, just to be "prepared" for the SNOOOWW!!!! 

But whatever people choose to call it, and however they choose to handle it...at this house we are having a blast in it. 



It just makes you want to be a kid again doesn't it?



So tell me...do YOU panic or play in the snow??


iPhone Photo Phun

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

My Favorite Kind Of Decorations

In our house, we LOVE decorating for the holidays.  It doesn't matter which holiday.  We just love to have a little something (or a lot in some cases) in the house to celebrate the occasion. 


We have lots of decorations to choose from but my all-time-without-a-doubt favorite decorations??


These...





I absolutely LOVE and ADORE the boys hand made decorations that they make at school.  The house is full of them.


These hearts just went up today to prepare for Valentines Day.  I have kept every single decoration they have made throughout the years.  I can't wait to see if they bring home more this year to add to our collection!    


My house may not have a "theme" or a "feel" to each room.  It may not have fancy decor perfectly placed to accent the room...blah blah blah.  But you can't say my house isn't decorated. 


 
 It IS....with my children's artwork and I wouldn't have it any other way!! 


Take THAT Martha Stewart!! 


Linking up again with the fabulous Liz for #iPPP

iPhone Photo Phun

Monday, January 9, 2012

In Sleeper Mode


This blog that is, not me.  I’ve done everything BUT sleep lately.



Hey there my dear blog!  How the heck are ya??



I’ve missed you.



I’m still missing you.



Here’s a little tidbit about me, Hopes, the author of this blog (just in case you were wondering or forgot, or was saying to yourself…ummmm WHO are you again?).



When I get overwhelmed I shutdown.  Like go into robot mode to do what has to be done during the day, but any kind of creativity in any area of my life is shot…type of shutdown.   



The holidays tend to overwhelm me at times but this year was a doozy!  We had to get our recently torn up house ready for our annual hosting of holiday events.



Here’s another insider tidbit on me.  I LOVE entertaining.  LOVE IT!  But, I tend to be a bit…just a little itty bitty bit of a perfectionist when it comes to hosting events/dinners/parties/gatherings/anything-that-requires-entertaining in my home.  



I succeeded only about 80% this year, in my “I’m not a perfectionist” way of seeing things.  We didn’t have a powder room, and two main rooms of our house were missing sections of carpet BUT we had walls and molding that were up and painted, doors hung, and hardwood floors one finish away from being actually finished. 



Why were things unfinished?  Because I put a stop to the repair work so that my kids could have a Christmas tree in their house for more than 2 days.  So that we could dance to Christmas music while putting up our decorations and make our previously draped with plastic home festive again! 



Because my children having decorations, and spirit and memories meant more to me then having floors completely finished and bathroom fixtures installed. 



So I learned the art of improvising.  I put furniture and a Christmas decoration over the missing carpet area in our family room.  I just ignored the demolished and ripped up playroom that everyone had to go into to use the restroom and I decided to just sing “Jingle Bells” in my head instead. 



I was thankful that everyone who entered my home was family either by blood or by friendship and they knew the situation and understood.



Because the bottom line is it’s not about the place, but about the people. 



And I’ve got amazing people!! 



BUT, it zapped all the energy out of me. 



For almost an entire week after Christmas I sat in my PJ’s watching my kids (who were also in their PJ’s) happy to just be home without having strangers (aka construction workers) here.  I watched them play with their Christmas loot and just be comfortable. 



So yes, you can say this blog and what I put into it has been in sleeper mode for much longer then I would have ever liked it, or expected it to be. 



Here is the last tidbit about me for today.



I write when I have something to say.  I write when I want to express myself.  When I want to brag or nag about my children, when something strikes me as funny, interesting, fantastic or off-the-wall.  I may be random at times….oh who are we kidding, ALL of the time. 



But one thing is constant.  I always write from the heart and I’m always real.  I don’t try to fill the pages just because I think I should write when I don’t have something to write about.



So the crickets you’ve been hearing on the board?  I’m hoping that this post is going to silence them…even just a little bit. 



My creativity has been displaced for the time being.  I never knew how much went into choosing the correct color/shade/style of carpet.  Or how many bathroom vanities were out there to choose from (a freaking MILLION in case you were wondering). 



But I’m here.  I am.  I’m just in a strange current within the sea of testosterone that consists of construction and Star Wars Legos/figurines (yeah, that’s a story for another time)!



I’m coming back slowly but surely.  I believe I’ve hit the maximum taps on the snooze button and it’s time to come back to play!



Are you ready?



How do you keep your creative juices flowing??