urban and big fern

Urban is five months old today.  Here he is at four, three, two, one, and birth.

kind of a bacon story

A few weeks ago I posted this quote from my sister,

"Forgot how much random acts of kindness can make your day."

I had forgotten.

But then I was reminded!

My people like bacon.  They really do.  All of the ones with teeth really like bacon.

I laugh writing it because Em and I go waaaaaay back with bacon.  When Josh and I sold our house in Texas 1 day after putting on the market we really didn't have a place to stay back home while we looked for another house.  Chris and Emily opened their home to us.  It was SO kind.  We lived with them for three months and got along so well.  Except when it came to bacon.  The only time Em and I got into a slightly heated discussion was after I cooked bacon in her kitchen one morning.  I had NO idea she absolutely HATES the smell of bacon.  I didn't know or I wouldn't have done it.

Needless to say, we figured it out and laugh about it now.

I was thinking of this exact story, understanding "bacon-disguest" a pinch more while thinking that there was NO way in hector I was dumping the bacon grease down MY sink...of the house I OWN!

"The 5 acres," I thought.  I will just run it out to the garden plot and dump it.

You see, I went out the back door to do that....the door we almost never use in the winterish months.  

There it was.  A nice medium sized package addressed to me.  I was SHOCKED.  The UPS man usually drops the packages off at our most used garage door.  There must have been a substitute driver.  How long had it been sitting there?  I ran that bacon grease to the garden as fast a possible so I could figure the what-have-ya's with this mystery package.  I hadn't ordered anything to be shipped to our house.  This was something unplanned.  A surprise.......that had most likely been sitting at our back door for a good three days.

It was from Liz's step-mom.  She wrote that she had been in NYC and made a day of searching for things vintage for my sewing adventures.
Vintage trims!

I have been "trying things on."

This is what I call my "day/night" bag.

Removeable lace!

 

I can also tell you right now that the vintage appliques will find their home on a pillowcase.

And because I know you read the blog,"D", THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

Your formal thank you will be coming in the mail.

MUCH LOVE

So I guess there is a moral to the story:  Be kind to others and pay it forward when it happens to you.  Make the world a better place.

it has come and gone so here is what went

Since our birthday party has come and gone, I can now tell you what the kids picked as gifts all by themselves for their daddy.

These are all their original ideas....I helped Urban.  I was very impressed.

 

 Urban got daddy cherries for his birthday cake.

Ida got daddy ear mufflers(?) for when he is driving his tractor.  I think she has seen our neighbor wear them and thought Josh should have a pair as well.

Emerson got daddy a light sabor so they can fight.

Ida is requesting a pink one so she can play too.

He likes his gifts.

Wallpaper Talk--Around the house

I loved seeing the things that make your houses homes for you.

It looks like we all have a love for things vintage, things junked and things inherited.

And, Marian wins the award of self-constraint for sticking to a list of eight!

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Question: Using pictures, what are your 8 favorite things in your house? Of course, 8 means as many as you want.

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8 favorite things in my home... really means a jacked up 10!:  ‏Not in order of importance.

1. My art collection. Ha! Makes me sound haughty. Look closely at the framed circus puzzle. The pieces are circus shapes.:) Also, the picture of the two dogs...the one on the left Chris' dad drew in 6th grade. The dog on the right Chris made in 3rd grade.

2. My rocking chairs were both Chris' Grandma Orlandi's. They are both at least 45yrs old.
3. My mirror that my dad found in our barn in Waterloo.

4. A little of my junk that means a lot to me.

5. My toy box. My grandpa Alton made it for me when I was a little person. Now, it stores my boys' toys.
6. My chandelier light. I bought this light on Ebay to hang over our dining room table. The glass was shattered when it arrived.:( We are fixing it. My dream lives on!

7. My end tables. I purchased them at the Salvation Army in Wayne, Mi. I got all 3 for $5!

8. My blankets, quilt, and bibs. My grandma Arlene made the blankets and bibs. My great grandma Irma made the quilt.
9. My owl planter. I purchased it at the Goodwill in Alpena, MI for $3.99.

10. My doll house. My mom gave this to me. We Carty girls played with this when we were small.

See you next week. Emily
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In random order and not necessarily in my house......and not necessarily eight!

1.  Top of the Fridge.  My dad always had a popcorn bowl when we were little and he still does.  We have one too.  Plus it is awesome because it says Kellogg's and we used to live in Battle Creek, the Kellogg's cereal capital.  Also, the kids really want to go to Disney so we decorated a big jar with Disney characters and are collecting our change in it to save for the trip.

2.  Fireplaces.  I have always wanted a fireplace and we have two.  The second one is in our basement.
3.  Doorbell.  Isn't it so hideously awesome?  This house came with so much character and I intend on not touching any of it.

 (Overhang lights outside, entry light, bathroom swag lights, basement fireplace lights)

(All the light fixtures in the basement, exhaust fan in the kitchen)

4.  The things my ceilings have to offer.  They were all originals to the house when we moved in, except the entry light.  They will all stay and look sassy when the house comes together.

  

5.  My solid oak Auntie Laura table.  We Carty girls ate at this table everyday growing up.  It couldn't make it out to her in Utah so now it lives with me.  I love it because I think of her every day. 
6.  Painting of Jesus.  I found it at Good Will for $3....su.weeeeet.

   

7.  House Exterior.  Brick, steel porch railing, and stone

8.  Mirrors.  Grandma's attic, Good Will $4, Dad's barn, Mom dug it out of the trash for me, and Grandma's attic.

  

9.  The View

10. My Humans.  (This is a joke in our family.  When I was pregnant with Urban, the girls in the Youth Group at church were asking if we were having a boy or a girl and when the baby was coming.  When they found out we were waiting to know until we had him what he would be, they were all very upset except one.  She looked at all of them and said, "Look, it's a human baby.  That's all that matters."  Then that same week my niece asked me if I had a puppy in my tummy.  I laughed and let her know it was a human.)

11. Kid Artwork.  Emerson's sheep and Ida's family picture drawing.  She drew if for Emerson but neither of them know I am keeping it for me. LOVE IT!  You can totally tell who everyone is the picture it.

 

12. Chairs.  Found them both thrifting.  The house would not be the same without them.  Everyone uses them all the time.

Mellissa
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#1 A random piece of furniture I inherited from Grandma Boren. She had it made in South America. It is pretty much useless, but super cool looking and it smells like her house!
#2 My thread holder, need I say more?
#3 My rocking chair in the kitchen. My neighbor was de-junking and passed this on. I don't adore the way it looks or anything, but it is comfy, convenient and 9 times out of 10 I choose to sit here.

 

 #4 I love this framed set of a wedding photo and our announcement. I loved and still love our announcement and am proud of myself for choosing something that is classic 9 years later not trendy and embarrassing now that we are a few years on.

# 5 Oil paintings of the Garden of Gethsemane and the Garden Tomb my Dad painted and gave to me the Christmas before I got married.

#6 Our bed. Again, we bought this 9 years ago and I like it just as much as ever, simple, sturdy, not making a huge statement, but nice.

#7 This big old white frame used to have a mirror in it and it broke, but I still love the shape and one day will get the mirror replaced (in all my spare time with all my spare money - where is that money giving away grandma from a few weeks ago??).

#8 The red bed. I found this bed in the barn as a teenager and claimed it, paid to have it sandblasted, painted it RED, and have hauled it around a lot. Ryan has no clue what the deal it with this thing but I think it is COOL. I'll be sad next week when it has to go back in the garage to make way for fitting 6 kids into 2 small rooms.

Marian
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Hey there Wallpaper Talk!

So, I'm a little behind, but at least the Wallpaper has been distracted with Birthdays, so hopefully I still made it! Here are my eight things....And by things, I took that to mean that I couldn't mention the PEOPLE in my house....so I didn't this time...But, you know, this house would not be a home without them! :)

1)This is an oil painting that my Dad and stepmom gave to us as a wedding gift- Painted by a lovely woman from Argentina, from a photograph that was taken up North- It is the exact view from a cabin that my hubby's family used to enjoy- She captured the essence of that view so wonderfully! And it was interesting to learn about her art-- Her method is to begin with a completely bright orange canvas...Pretty amazing that it went from solid orange to THIS! :)

2) This wall hanging sits in my dining room, and I love it, because I think the sentiment is so true- Definitely something I try to live by.

3) Remember the rocking chair that I mentioned refinishing from scratch? Here it is!

4) These lovely pages are the original pieces of music that my Dad composed for us for our wedding (it played as I walked down the aisle)- He framed them and gave them to us as a wedding gift. It is so very special to my heart.

 

5) These were given to me by my grandmother- It is a painted photo of my great great grandmother, whose maiden name is my middle name....She also gave to me my great great grandma's "calling card" case, which ladies used to carry back in the day- When ladies would visit each other, they would exchange a "calling" card and collect them in these velveteen cases....The cards were still inside her case, telling me that my g.g. grandma often was visited by her friend Ms. James Campbell :)

6) This is a very delicate paper angel which was given to me by two nurse practitioners when I worked at the hospital- It has always meant a lot to me, and helps me to remember where I have been....

 7) This is the view that I have from my bed...One of the things I fell in love with this house were the windows, and I love that even with the shades closed, I can look out of the top window and see the stars, or the pink light of the sunrise on the tops of the trees in the morning ;)

8) Okay, so I love coffee...and this little machine has worked it's little heart out for me every day...I would be one crabby morning mama without it! :)

Liz
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Question: What are your favorite things to do with your kids?

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