Happy Halloween

I have mentioned that Halloween is not my favorite. I'm not a party pooper, it's just not for me. I do, however, love vintage. So, I thought I would share some photos of some vintage goodies. I am going to eat some candy and drink a cup of coffee. Hey! I said this isn't my favorite day. I never said anything about not using it as an excuse to gorge myself with candy.

Happy day!

Krissy

images via : Country Living

Hello! Is This Thing On?

Sweet Pea and Sport - who doesn't love photo booth?

Hello lovelies! I am still here and I hope someone is still listening. This has been one of those weeks. We all have them. I'm not special. I will spare you all of the details, but let's just say that apples are not my favorite fruit right now. After my computer crashed and the young man at the computer bar or store or whatever it is they call it, assured me that all would be restored on my computer and life as I knew it would not end. Only to get my computer back from the computer bar or store or whatever it is they call it and have nothing be as it was before and my pictures and music lost on some magic back-up thing, so here I am. I also won't go into detail about the fact that the mini-pearls have a short school week for the second week in a row and I was up way past my bedtime last night watching the best/worst baseball game ever, so I am tired today. And, I have to watch yet another baseball game tonight and I am not sure my heart can take it. Oh, by the way, Go Rangers!

Sorry, I guess I didn't spare you many of the details. This is that time of year when I really want to stay home and be domestic. You know, sip on a comforting cup of hot tea all day while I tidy-up the house and prepare my surroundings for the cooler weather and the holidays. And serve-up delicious and warm pots of stew or chili for an evening meal around the dinner table with all of my pearls present. I want to nest. I don't like to be out and about on a week night after the sun goes down. I want to be home. Reality? Basketball practice, indoor soccer practice, ballet and umpteen million other events. Lots of traveling after dark and dinner? Well, we eat around the table, I see to that, but everyone is usually so famished that a Norman Rockwell picture, it aint'!

I must say though that in the middle of all of this, I am reminded how I am not alone and I am so very blessed. Blessed by the friend with an unexpected cup of coffee. Blessed by the tender hug from the sweet baby of a dear friend. Blessed by the words of praise about my child from a teacher. Blessed by the installation of the windows at the new house - whohoo! Blessed by the stolen moment in the middle of the night from my baby who had a bad dream. Blessed by the cozy, rainy afternoon nap I managed to sneak in. Blessed by the opportunity to dance with and thoroughly embarrass my children at a fun school event. Yes, I am trying very hard to turn stressed to blessed. Thankfully the good Lord is patient with me and doesn't give up on me.

Wow, I feel better. Ready to face the day with two of the mini-pearls plus one friend at home and asking "What's next?" Ready for the phone call that I am sure to get this weekend from Fisherman, as he is out hunting for the opening youth weekend. "Mom, do you want deer sausage or jerky?" (for the record - neither. Yuck.) Ready to prepare for the madness of Monday. Nope, not a big fan of Halloween. Yes, I am ready. Blessed and not stressed and I hope you are as well. Have a wonderful weekend!

Krissy

Futbol At Our House

We are in the throws of fall around here. For the mini-pearls, that means school events and for the older two, research papers, TCU football games and tailgates, and futbol for Sport and Fisherman (that's soccer for all of us Americans), and ballet for Sweet Pea (volleyball just ended). Whew! That is one full schedule, but I wouldn't have it any other way - most days.

Sport is playing soccer on the team that he has been playing with since he was four. They started futbol out as the Rockets, but changed their name to Juventus last fall. Juventus is the name of one of the oldest futbol clubs in Italy and they sport the same uniforms as the Italian team. They are very proud of this. Sport is the self-proclaimed "wall of defense" and is the only kid I have ever known that never complains about practice or games. This kid loves to play and bless his heart, this fall has been difficult. He was down with his asthma for a week and couldn't play. I guess that is why he never complains. He treasures getting to play and feeling good!

Going, going...

gone!

The Wall of Defense

Fisherman played futbol this fall for the first time since he was five. He played for the school's soccer team. Sport and Sweet Pea have been at this school all along, but Fisherman attended another school that he graduated from last spring. So, this is all new to him. Coming to a new, much larger school was a challenge and I am so proud of all that he has accomplished and it's only October! We don't hide the fact that Fisherman is faced with the challenge of dyslexia. He is so smart but his brain operates in a manner that is different from the way main-stream education defines as "normal" but with a lot of hard work, my boy is rocking school with A's and B's and participating on an undefeated soccer team! (Unlike Sweet Pea, the boy's don't mind if I discuss them on the blog.) You rock Fisherman!

Celebrating a win!

Fisherman has the curse of my family - a red face!

I never cease to be amazed by the things my children accomplish and the grace with which they do it. I am so proud that God has given me opportunity to be the mother of these wonderful beings. I only pray that I don't cause them permanent damage! Being a mom is the most wonderful job that I have ever had. It is also the most frustrating and difficult. I don't claim to be the best, but I try really hard and with the good Lord's help, I will raise one amazing woman and two incredible men. I have been feeling that time is going too fast lately. How can it be that my baby is eight? How can my oldest be a teenager? How can my baby girl be on the verge of young womanhood? I feel like screaming "Wait! I need more time!" So, with those words, I am off to spend some time with these not so little ones that I have been placed in charge of and see what they can teach me, since I feel I learn more from them, than they from me.

Krissy

Flashback Friday - The olden days

The mini-pearls are always asking me what life was like in the olden days when I was little. Ah yes, the olden days. Well, we didn't have cartoons 24-7 on the television. We watched them after school and on Saturday mornings. In order to research a paper for school, we either consulted our trusty set of Encyclopedias that took up two shelves of the living room bookcases or we went to the library and looked-up books - by hand with a card catalogue. (never mind) We had to roll-up our car windows by hand crank. All of our food was cooked on the stove, until we got our first microwave that was bigger than our regular oven! We played records for entertainment on our disco studio record player - oh yes we did. It had colored lights that blinked to the beat; so cool.

So, they want to know what some of my favorite things were. Well, I loved my real Cabbage Patch doll. A doll made out of panty hose with a hand-painted face, butt-cheeks and a silly name. What was my doll's name? Bonnie Blue. No plastic doll for me and paying the several hundred dollar price tag for the Xavier Roberts signed original was not in the cards for my family, so my mom made mine. Bonnie Blue really was cute and you could not tell the difference between her and the real ones. My mom is good. I think she (the doll, not my mom) is still in a closet somewhere at my mom and dad's.

I also had a thing for the Muppets. Kermit, Rolf and Miss Piggy were my furry friends! I even had the Miss Piggy paper doll set. Yes, I did. My name is Krissy and I had a Miss Piggy paper doll set. I loved it. I miss it. Things were much simpler then.

One thing that I cannot get the mini-pearls to understand is car travel in the olden days of my childhood. We only had a radio, our voices (we were a Griswold-esque singing bunch), car bingo and our imaginations. This seems to go way over their little heads. "But Mom, what did you do in the car?" My kids are under the impression that one must be doing something all the time. Doing something means watching or playing something that involves a screen and a computer chip. I really showed them! Last December when I purchased a new car, I intentionally chose one without a tv. You know what? It hasn't been all that bad! They know not to complain anymore and have accepted the fact that they will have to have actual conversations when they are in the car with me or sing. We have a lot of conversations. Thanks to the black hole that is Pinterest, I found a picture of the little handheld water ring toss game that my brother and I used to entertain ourselves in the car back in the olden days. Yes, those were the days.

Happy Friday dear ones!

Krissy

Brighten Your Day

Hello lovelies! My poor Sport has been home sick since last Thursday. Last Thursday was the poor guy's eighth birthday and he spent it at the doctor. What was diagnosed as a sinus infection took a turn for the worse and we were at the emergency room early Friday morning with an acute asthma attack. My baby just can't seem to get a break! He is doing better. I mean it's nothing that six medicines and a lot of prayer can't cure. It just seems that for every one step forward in battling his asthma, we take two steps back. So, we are plugging along.

All of the downtime around the house hasn't been all that bad. I have had my fill of snuggle-time and have caught-up on my design mags. I came across these fabulously bright rooms in D Magazine (that's the Dallas Magazine for those not from these parts). They sure brightened my day, so I thought I would share the smile with you!

Happy Wednesday!

Krissy

photos via D Magazine.

Light-up My Life

This one I love for the breakfast room.

via Shades of Light

We are making steady progress on the new house. I am at the point where I have lost all patience and I am ready to move-in! Can you say impatient? I am, and I will not hide it. Although I prefer to simply call it "overly excited" about the new digs.

Lighting is next on the agenda for me to select and I have discovered that I have a big problem. I like too many fixtures and do not have enough rooms to put them in. Oh, what is a girl to do? I have always had a "lighting problem." Fisherman had an assignment in Kindergarten to count all the lamps in the house. The children were to count all the lamps and come back to school and make a graph on the numbers in each house. Bless Fisherman's heart, he could barely count as high as the number of lamps we had. How many? 57 - yes, fifty-seven. He came home and said he had the most that any one had ever had at the school and his number was "off the chart!" What can I say? I don't like overhead lighting.

Here is a selection of some of my faves thus far. Let me know what you think.

Family room

via Shades of Light

Sweet Pea's room

via Layla Grace

Stairwell sconces

via Layla Grace

Formal sitting and dining room

via Horchow

Game room

via Horchow

Another stairwell sconce idea

via Lamps Plus

Sport's room

via Barn Light Company

Fisherman's room

via Barn Light Company

Game room

via Lamps Plus

Another Game room

via Lamps Plus

Kid's study nook

via Barn Light Company

Have a great Monday!

Krissy

EIght is Great

Eight years ago today on a rainy morning, we welcomed our Sport to the world. Upon his arrival, the doctor called in the NICU and had me and Mr. Pearl scared for the health of our newborn son. The NICU team arrived and examined him and then turned to us with smiles stating that our son was healthy as can be, he was just mad at having to leave the comfort of the womb! Nothing has changed! You always know where you stand with Sport and he demands to be heard. He never meets a stranger and likes to be out and about, yet he really loves the comfort of home and considers "snuggling" a hobby. Sport is the self-proclaimed "wall of defense" in soccer, his favorite sport. He lives his entire life with a passion that is contagious to all. He is smart and funny and has a memory that keeps us all on our toes - he never forgets anything.

Happy 8th Birthday to my curly-headed, big-hearted boy!

xoxo,

Mom

Round Top with the Girls

We're here! Fresh and excited upon arrival!

First stop - Arbor Antiques

The artist who made these funky and fun fixtures customized them as we waited. They are really cool and assembled with "found" items. Debbie purchased one for her powder bath.

Nice shot of the trash can. I think I was getting tired. It is supposed to show the HGTV booth decorated by the Junk Gypsies. They have a show coming up on HGTV!

Last Friday I had the pleasure of spending the day going to Round Top with three amazing women. How lucky am I to be able to call them my friends? At least, I hope I can still call them my friends. They were all "Round Top Newbies" and we only had one day, so I was a bit of a drill sergeant keeping them focused and on track. We managed to get through a lot of it and had a wonderful day to boot.

The car was filled to the brim with an antique prayer kneeler for Angie, Carolyn Westbrook pillows, several chandeliers, an antique mirror and the coolest architectural salvage floor lamp that puts Restoration Hardware to shame for Debbie, a French flag and Republic of France flag holder for Becky, an antique, faux bamboo French side table, a metal chair, vintage fishing items and an old classroom map of Texas for me and vintage olive buckets for all of us. Whew! It really was a lot of stuff. I think that my favorite part of the day, was getting to know Robin from Lily Lane Home. I sought her out to look at the Annie Sloan line of chalk paint that she and her daughter carry at their store in Waco. What a doll she is! She let us experiment with the paint and helped us plan our projects. This paint is amazing! There is no need to prep the piece you are working on and the results are wonderful. You can check out Lily Lane here or visit the store next time you are near Waco.

We are already planning our trip back to Round Top next spring. We didn't even make it over to see Rachel Ashwell's new bed and breakfast and store, so that is at the top of the list. I am looking forward to another chicken sandwich from Royer's Cafe - it is to die for! Thank you Angie, Becky and Debbie for a day filled with laughter and fun! I can't wait to do it again!

This is our last stop, back at Arbor Antiques at the Lily Lane booth. Can you see how hot, tired and hungry we are?

Love you guys!

xoxo,

Krissy