::the chair that lived::

Josh always wanted a big fat Lazy Boy chair.  Not in my house.  No way.  I am not a fashion icon, but I just don't like them.  My parents did have this great old Eames style chair (not a real one so don't get crazy) that he loved to sit in.  This chair has way too much potential to be sitting in my barn attic.  It had gotten into various stages of green vinyl disrepair over the years and needed major TLC.  I have been meaning to do something about it for the last two years so in May I set it as one of my goals.  I took it in and just got it back a few days ago.   

Before

After

Doesn't it just look happier?

Before

After

Now I just have to figure out were to put it in my house. 

::white chocolate strawberry's::

  We had some plan changes and I needed a quick (10 mins or less) dessert to bring to a little dinner party we were going to.  I grabbed out all the sprinkles I could find and put those shorties to work.

We don't own a double boiler, but this pyrex bowl on top of the boiling water did the trick.  (PS - this is not my bowl - is it Shelly's???)

Then I let the Shorties go crazy.  I loved how pretty they looked.  And not one made it home from the party.  Next year we will make them for the 4th, but only use a tip of blue sprinkles.  

::log beds::

I have this little dream in my head of what I want the flower beds in front of my garden to look like.

This is not it.

I had this image of elf sunflowers filling this great log lined bed. 

For some unknown reason only one of the 50 seeds came up.  

The house rule is - you can't complain unless you are willing to fix it.

So, I grabbed my favorite assistant and got to work.  

Josh got out the chainsaw (something I am not allowed to touch, for good reason) and cut down a junk tree that was over crowding the tulip trees.

Perfectly straight and ready to finish off the border of the beds.

I got a bale of peat moss and fortified the crappy soil in those areas.

 

Then my faithful assistant helped me cut the bottoms off of some cups to use as seedling protectors.  We started with clear, but ran out and had to use red too.  LOVE the red.  

Then we stuck the cups in the ground, added some shasta daisy seeds to them, topped them off with some soil, and then thickly mulched the whole thing. 

The cups are to help remind one and all what needs to be weeded and what is to be saved.

I will keep you posted on the progress...

In my head I see a hedge of white daisies welcoming you to the garden.  

::poor lizzie::

The other day Max was taking a nap.  Emma and Lily were home.  I was SO tired and I told the girls to be good while I took a little rest.  Good parenting?  I am not sure, but I have done it before.  Emma is 12.  An hour of alone time, with me in the house seems reasonable to me.  They turned off the TV and decided to play instead.  Which I think is wonderful!  They got out their little hair painting kit for kids and decided to decorate Lizzie for July 4th.  They gave her a "reddish" pink mohawk and a blue tipped tail.  I laughed so hard I could hardly stand.  

I love so many parts of them doing this I can hardly figure them all out -


They gave the dog a mohawk - punk rock cuteness


They painted the dogs hair - creative self expression


They knew that they have the kind of mom that would think this was cool and not punishable


The dog allowed it - she is the kindest small breed dog I have ever met

Let me tell you that this paint comes right out of the human hair it was designed for, but white dog hair?  Not so much.  But I really still think it is funny.  The dog doesn't care.

Nor does she care when Max decided that "Sissy need shoes.  Go bye bye."

What little dog would take this crap?  I just love that dog.  

::hay::

No joke.

Josh is one fine hunk of man.  

view out to the hay field

He got called off work the other day and stayed home with the shorties while I went in to work.  It just so happens that was the day the the hay was baled.  One of our farmer neighbors bales our hay, they take half and we get half.  But when it is all ready they bring us the hay wagon and drop it off in the yard.  Then we get the joy of unloading it.  All of it.  

Josh stacked up every little piece of it.  In my head I visualized it as him with a bandana on, jeans, no shirt, tattoo gleaming - I will not creep you out with the details.  (Too late)  But you get the image.  

It is so green!

Even when I got home and he was actually wearing a long sleeve shirt (throwing hay rips up your lower arms) and a dust mask - I stuck with my work daydream.  Plus let us not forget the merit of someone doing that much physical work for someone else.

Good thing we put up that new hay because this is all we had left from last year. I don't even want to finish it off.  It looks so washed out and brown compared to the new stuff.  


The barn smells amazing.  Nothing smells so appealing as a barn full of fresh hay (except a new baby that is yours).  

::gulp... a wedding::

I got to shoot my first wedding, and it was my dream come true.  

I am very friendly with my neighbors and their 13 children.

I have done some work for them before and Amanda (the bride) asked me if I would shoot the girls getting ready and do some candid shots. 

We bartered babysitting for the deal.  I love bartering.  If I ever get eggs from my ladies I will barter them for everything possible.

Anyway, (FOCUS!) she had a professional photographer but just wanted my input as well.

I was flattered and nervous and excited and nervous and overwhelmed.

Weddings are a lot of pressure.  You don't get a Muligan if things go wrong.

But sweet Amanda is the opposite of a bridezilla, so I tried my best.

Here is a detail shot of the carriage she arrived in.

Her husband is a cowboy of sorts, and I loved the image of his saddle all laid out and ready.

You have to get dress detail shots - right?

Handmade by a family friend.

Glad to see I am not the only person who is totally in love with this family.

Location was borrowed from a church friend.  What a location!!!  

Her grandfather made the arbor and the sign they walked under at the end of the aisle.

They used mostly decorations that were on the farm.

It was the most beautiful budget friendly wedding I have every seen.

The bride and her sister, Andrea.  Andrea is the very pregnant one that I am raising the puppies with.

It makes me feel old to see Andrea all grown up.

I taught that fellow horse lover how to ride back in the day.  I love that kid.

The groom rode in on his horse.

Here is Andrea's husband and daughter.  See the box in front of them?  That is the puppies!  All five are still thriving.

I loved the center piece.  So cute but still budget friendly.  

Overall my first wedding was a great experience.  Lots of great images to capture.  They teach a local photo class on weddings that I think I might take.  And I have talked one of my girl friends into letting me shoot her wedding (as a backup and as a gift).  I want to do more weddings.  They are so joyful.   

::vintage tool box::

Look what I bought.  I couldn't stop myself.  Everything about them appealed to me.  For $10 total I just couldn't walk away.  The colors, the age, the wear.  I just couldn't stop myself.  I see them as storage options.  The flat red one wants to store paper for art supplies.  The flat blue one wants to store pencils or such.  The little blue one wants to be for misc little craft stuff.  The yellow suitcase is going to store american girl dolls.   But the big red one and the big green one can't decide yet.  Please give me some ideas.  

I really do LOVE this green one.  The details on the front... it is just my style.  Great vintage paint and it really is in good shape for being a tool box.  

LOVE IT!  What shall if be?

Ideas - 

Photo prop

Craft supply storage

Toy storage

My grown up craft supply storage

Sitting on a shrine with a sign that says "My Favorite Thing From a Garage Sale Every"