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Today’s Post: Take 3

It’s been one of those days. I started this post this morning amidst of cloud of chaos surrounding me. I was desperately trying to get some quiet time to drink my coffee and whip up a few words, but interruptions were the theme of the morning. One of those mornings with too much laundry, too many dishes in the sink, too much dog hair swirling around the hardwood floors, too many toddler catfights going on in other room.
Lately, I’ve been feeling a little overwhelmed with the inside of the house. Maybe because we’ve been hiding out inside with the air conditioning all week. We’ve been here since April, so really I should be more patient. But the call of warm weather and swimming pools, gardens and bicycles has kept most of our attention on the out of doors.
But as I look around our place I see little corners where things have been shoved until later "dealing with", rooms that don’t have curtains or pictures on the walls, toys that are beginning to  overpopulate….And I’m getting really antsy to make the place more comfortable. ‘Soft’ is a word that comes to mind. I’d love some color on the walls besides white, but that will have to wait. That’s Dan’s department, but he’s focused on lawn-mowing and garden-weeding….
So I’m left to work on the things that I can change….curtains, some children’s artwork hung here and there, maybe a throw rug, or some fresh flowers. So many of my favorite pictures and paintings are still hanging in our old house in Wisconsin, mingled with most of our furniture, attempting to make the place look a little lived in while strangers wander through the halls deciding if it will be the perfect new home for them.
So to start, we headed out this afternoon looking for my favorite kind of curtains–twin flat sheets that can easily be stitched up into curtains, but nothing caught my eye. Chaos still ensued–hissy fits over riding in the shopping cart, a lost flip-flop, and a potty training toddler not making it to the potty in time (we were in the stall, just didn’t make it on the toilet)–but I guess these moments of pull-your-hair-out-if-my-husband-only-knew-the-fixes-I-get-in-everday- are all part of being a mother. I don’t always take them in stride at the moment, but I know they’re all part of the package. And I opened the package and I love what’s inside, all of it.

Phew. I feel better all ready.
Meanwhile, a wonderful package arrived for me yesterday from the lovely Claudia.
P1010033

P1010030_1

P1010028_1

She sent me a sweet package as part of Sally’s vintage button swap. The buttons and perfect little box they came in would have been enough, but she also included, some fantastic horse fabric, a beautiful little bag for fall and an oil cloth zipper pouch for my pottery tools. Claudia, if you’d peeked inside my pottery notebook, you’d see one of my last notes is a list of things I need. One thing on my list is something to hold my tools. It’s perfect. Just what I was looking for.

And lastly my work in progress for this week.
P1010025

Seeing all these wonderful appliqued tees and onesies from Blair, and Sally and Stephanie these past few weeks has inspired me to try a few more myself. This time it will be horses. Everything around here is all about horses now that Emma has started taking riding lessons. So horses it is. One for each of them. A nice peaceful, naptime, Friday afternoon project while I wait for a storm to roll through and wipe away the heat.

More vintage button swap pictures: mine and theirs
More works in progress: here

It’s been one of those days. I started this post this morning amidst of cloud of chaos surrounding me. I was desperately trying to get some quiet time to drink my coffee and whip up a few words, but interruptions were the theme of the morning. One of those mornings with too much laundry, too many dishes in the sink, too much dog hair swirling around the hardwood floors, too many toddler catfights going on in other room.
Lately, I’ve been feeling a little overwhelmed with the inside of the house. Maybe because we’ve been hiding out inside with the air conditioning all week. We’ve been here since April, so really I should be more patient. But the call of warm weather and swimming pools, gardens and bicycles has kept most of our attention on the out of doors.
But as I look around our place I see little corners where things have been shoved until later "dealing with", rooms that don’t have curtains or pictures on the walls, toys that are beginning to  overpopulate….And I’m getting really antsy to make the place more comfortable. ‘Soft’ is a word that comes to mind. I’d love some color on the walls besides white, but that will have to wait. That’s Dan’s department, but he’s focused on lawn-mowing and garden-weeding….
So I’m left to work on the things that I can change….curtains, some children’s artwork hung here and there, maybe a throw rug, or some fresh flowers. So many of my favorite pictures and paintings are still hanging in our old house in Wisconsin, mingled with most of our furniture, attempting to make the place look a little lived in while strangers wander through the halls deciding if it will be the perfect new home for them.
So to start, we headed out this afternoon looking for my favorite kind of curtains–twin flat sheets that can easily be stitched up into curtains, but nothing caught my eye. Chaos still ensued–hissy fits over riding in the shopping cart, a lost flip-flop, and a potty training toddler not making it to the potty in time (we were in the stall, just didn’t make it on the toilet)–but I guess these moments of pull-your-hair-out-if-my-husband-only-knew-the-fixes-I-get-in-everday- are all part of being a mother. I don’t always take them in stride at the moment, but I know they’re all part of the package. And I opened the package and I love what’s inside, all of it.

Phew. I feel better all ready.
Meanwhile, a wonderful package arrived for me yesterday from the lovely Claudia.
P1010033

P1010030_1

P1010028_1

She sent me a sweet package as part of Sally’s vintage button swap. The buttons and perfect little box they came in would have been enough, but she also included, some fantastic horse fabric, a beautiful little bag for fall and an oil cloth zipper pouch for my pottery tools. Claudia, if you’d peeked inside my pottery notebook, you’d see one of my last notes is a list of things I need. One thing on my list is something to hold my tools. It’s perfect. Just what I was looking for.

And lastly my work in progress for this week.
P1010025

Seeing all these wonderful appliqued tees and onesies from Blair, and Sally and Stephanie these past few weeks has inspired me to try a few more myself. This time it will be horses. Everything around here is all about horses now that Emma has started taking riding lessons. So horses it is. One for each of them. A nice peaceful, naptime, Friday afternoon project while I wait for a storm to roll through and wipe away the heat.

More vintage button swap pictures: mine and theirs
More works in progress: here

18 comments on “Today’s Post: Take 3”

  1. first, LOVE the new banner. second, softness and beauty is something i still wish i had in my house but five years out and i still cant seem to manage it. thanks for the tip on sheets, what a brilliant idea! wonderful list of small goals. step by step, things will work out, right? i hope so.

  2. Oh yes, we all have those days. Part of the deal I suppose. And I think the heat really is making most of us crabby. It’ll pass.Loved your swap package, neat goodies and the horses are beautiful.——–I’m a thrifting fool. I also have a collection of sheets. If you are looking for a specific color, pattern etc. I may already have something or be able to find something here next time I’m out. Or, if the thrifting hunt is part of the fun for you, think nothing of it. 😎

  3. oh that race to the potty with one’s toddler… we are so there too! (though i have been lazy with it lately. tried a diaper the other day and she became quite distressed when she wet it. must be more diligent…) have a lovely weekend!

  4. The heat ans toilet training, you are an amazing woman. We’ve been hiding in the a/c driving eachother crazy all week. Let’s hope the heat breaks soon.

  5. Oh yes, I think every mother has had one of those days when anything and everything seems to go wrong. I always have to stop myself from freaking out and think “I will never have this moment back”…for better or worse…one day I will miss those tears and accidents [or so I’m told]. Anyways, I love your button swap package…so sweet. The horse drawings are amazing. Have fun with the appliques.

  6. I’m so happy you like your package! So glad you can use the tools pouch! I figured the oilcloth & vinyl would be perfect for pottery tools. I always enjoy a swap when I can personalize what I’m sending. Let me know how you use those buttons!

    We’re working on the potty training thing too. With our baby due mid-September, I think it’s going to take quite a while before it gets figured out! I’m willing to wait until “Juju” comes to me and says she’s tired of diapers. Ha! Wonder if that will ever happen!? 🙂

  7. I hope your day is going better and it is cooler where you are. It has been ridiculously hot here in WI too and it DOES seem to make everything more difficult. Love the pillowcase dresses. I wish I had some girlies to sew them for!!!

  8. It is surprising that generation after generation of mothers take on this huge task of mothering and then again it is not very surprising because somewhere in between there must be this awsome feeling of (well I am not sure what because I am not a mother) … I hope you understand what I mean. I am referring to this odd mix of everyday banality and chaos and then the total bliss of being able to call someone your daughter or son. oh it is getting late and I am getting philosophical..

  9. When my surroundings aren’t how I think they should be, it drives me bonkers. I wish my environment didn’t affect me so, but it does. Thank goodness you got some goodies in the mail to smooth the edges to your hectic day.

  10. hiya! i read this post and am paranoid enough to think i have a blog called mommycoddle and i must have sleepwalked and typed up that post! that is my life!!! my house is geting me down big time at the moment…too magnolia, too staid(?), too ‘same as house up road’, too ‘magazine co-ordinated’! i am driven to get the colour back and make curtains and SOFT things!! and a pillowcase dress. would you mind if i check back and see how you’re getting on!? oh and i have to get a blog going..it’s wonderful and heart warming to know that there are other people living the same lives!!!!take care, bucketgirl. (i’ve been stuffing things in pretty, shiny buckets until i can sort them out another day…)

  11. ooops! i put the wrong email address on my post…my daughter has requested 3 pillowcase dresses has already scurried off to strip one off the bed in 2 seconds for immediate manufacture!

  12. the banner is adorable!sweet summer bliss…:)

    and i could so see myselfin all of your words,especially pet hairswirling on hardwood floorsheh heh…

    cool buttons!

  13. Love your new banner – perfect for lazy summer days.

    Don’t worry – we all have days like this. And I’m sure your new home is much more homely than ours – and we’ve been here 5 years!!

  14. I can so relate to your morning. Matter of fact, I should probably go break up a little conflict going on right now.

    And what’s this about Carnivale not having an ending??? HBO’s gonna hear about this!

  15. I empathise completely. The potty traiing thing is happening in our house right now and sometimes we don’t make it but most of the time we do…the positives outweigh the negatives. And the thing about the package, I couldn’t agree more.

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