where are the children?

There's a neighborhood I drive through every week, and the sign as you enter makes you believe that children are hiding behind every bush, about to rush toward base, squealing as they run. I imagine the bike rides and pinecone fights {ouch} that we used to have, and I keep a sharp eye out as I creep through the neighborhood. I'm sad to say that I have never seen a child run out into the street. Yes, children live in this neighborhood. When the school bus screeches to a halt, I see then disembark.

Recently, it struck me. I don't see children playing outside anywhere. No one is shooting hoops, playing tag, or blowing bubbles. I'd like to imagine it's because they're at soccer practice, or finishing up their homework before rushing outside to climb trees, but when I think about life honestly, I imagine they're attached to some electronic device, and it keeps them hostage inside. As soon as we could, we would rush outside for make believe wars and chalk drawing. On the flip side, I do remember being glued to my grandparents t.v. when presented with cable.

Sunburnt cheeks + Dirty hands - Cable = Our future

How about you? Did you grow up playing outside? Have you noticed the decline in outdoor play?

every day visits

• http://smileandwave.typepad.com/ Vintage, mommy, crafty.
• http://mycakies.com/ Homeschool, mommy, crafty.
• http://www.handmadecharlotte.com/ Kid's toys, crafty, food.
• younghouselove.com I think everyone reads them already. 
• littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com Design.
• abeautifulmess.com Food, design, crafty. 

These are some of my favorite internet people. Hopefully, someone will strike your fancy too! Who do you read every day?

camera shopping

Um, I've posted six times this month and it's coming to a sharp close. It's a tiny miracle anyone is still reading. It isn't that I have nothing to say. In fact, I'm always thinking of things to say {which I'm going to just start saying}, but I wanted to let you know that I no longer have a camera. My "real" camera randomly started having trouble uploading pictures to my laptop a couple of months ago, so I started using my iphone exclusively, but {as I told you} I no longer have an iphone, so now we have zero picture taking capabilities.

Matthew's birthday is coming up and he wants a video camera, so we're thinking about splurging and getting a decent one, but for us a splurge is a couple hundred, and after some research I found that most of my favorite blogs are using cameras that cost $1,000+! Yikes. We're too cheap for that, but you can't buy a good camera second hand, so we're looking around. Any experience with a camera that takes great video/pictures and isn't a fortune? Cause text posts are boring, and the sooner you help us, the sooner I give you a pretty little something to relieve your eyes from the black and white.

See how I made it seem like I'm getting this camera for you? Well, I kinda am. You and memories we're missing as the days slip away.

down grading

Yesterday we did something drastic. We switched from AT&T to Verizon {after talking to four different companies, looking for the deal that suited us best}, and downgraded from my iphone to save $600 over the next two years. Recently, I heard about a young {unmarried} couple who has saved $85,000 over the last three years of dating. No, they don't have a house payment yet, but he does live on his own, so he does have all the bills that come with being a grown-up. Regardless, I was impressed. That's $28,000 a year! Matt and I have been married for a year and we have saved $5,000. Yeah, we appear to be a little behind the end goal. So, we looked to see where we could cut out some of our "wants". My iphone, which I still highly recommend as the best phone ever, was just for fun. It was simply a want. I want to check my e-mail every hour, flip through Instagram when the mood strikes, and get a facebook notification every time one of you lovely people does something. Need? Not so much.

How about you? Have you ever dropped a current want for a better end result?

white paper packages sealed up with tape

Instead of traditional wrapping paper this Christmas, I decided to go with white paper and colored tape. Yes, we have done a chunk of our Christmas shopping already, but no, these are not already wrapped Christmas presents. These are a couple of Matthew's birthday presents. Here's hoping that our spunky kitty doesn't open them early.

rule number one

Beg, borrow, and steal.

Honestly, this is my new life motto. A golden piece of advice given to me by one of my college professors. He was talking about our future lives as teachers and he encouraged each of us, "You're not the first person who has done this. Look around as often as possible. Always remember rule number one: beg, borrow, and steal."

Very rarely does anyone do anything for the truly first time. Almost always, they are taking an idea that someone else had and adding to it; tweaking it until it shines with their finger prints. Often I'm scared to take someone else's idea, hoping to think up something truly original. It hasn't happened yet. Even when I think I've found something original, a quick check around the internet proves me at least second.

So tweak things. When you find a good idea, write it down. Have a place where you keep inspiration. Sort it by category if you have different venues that strike you. Pinterest is a great place to sort things, but sometimes things are tangible, found somewhere in the day to day. Make sure you have a place where you put those ideas too. I find if I don't think it's important enough to write down/ file, it won't be important enough to remember/ act on later.

Just a little encouragement to everyone out there who, like me, has trouble coming up with something completely original. So, your voice may not be heard by everyone. Keep talking. So, your craft may not be remade by everyone. Keep crafting. Continue to be yourself, but don't be afraid to find inspiration in everything. Keep doing what you love and remember to beg, borrow, and steal.

it's basically fall

It's finally that time of year when you throw the blankets off in the morning only to grope for their warmth again. The weekend was filled with long sleeves, sweaters, and a nighttime chat in the hammock. Change is in the air, and it smells like peanut butter and honey toast, steamy mango tea, and burning leaves. Matthew's birthday month is only a couple of short weeks away, and I love the excitement that comes from a planning a party. Autumn, it's always good to see you again.

this guy

Most of the time I shy away from posting about Matt. Honestly, I don't want to get annoying or "gross anyone out" by being mushy gush, but I just wanna say....

I love this guy. Matthew is the hardest worker I know, he doesn't waste time on childish things, he knows how to surprise me and keep our marriage joyful, and he loves me so hard. I'm just thankful for the husband God has given me who is willing to lead me (sometimes by rebuke). Thank you for being a loving, giving, and helping example of a Christian husband. :)

trading cream for white

It's been awhile since I showed you the kitchen. Mostly because I didn't like anything that was in there originally. It's still not painted white, but it's getting so much better.

You remember this right?

This was a wall in our kitchen that I added a shelf to because there was so much empty space. But, you also have to walk through there {it's basically the hallway through our kitchen to our dining room} so I couldn't put a big piece of furniture {like a console table}. Here's the old view from the side.

I was so boring. Mostly because NONE of the colors that I like are represented there. It's like cream on cream on brown on cream. No contrast = bleh. It needed a heavy dose of white, less cream, more color, a little vintage, a little brass, and a little more function. 

So I started my search. I was looking for cheap half bookshelves. I was afraid if I got a whole bookshelf it would take up too much visual space from the side {you would see its side when you first walk in the front door and it would over power the open feeling we're trying to achieve}. First place I looked? You betcha. Thrift stores. I found two half bookshelves for $20 a piece. They were wooden {not solid real wood, but wooden colored anyways} and not really what I was looking for. If they had been $10 a piece I would have purchased them and worked with them. They weren't. 

Enter Target. For the same price at target, I could get two white half bookshelves that I wouldn't have to paint/refinish/hate. Deal.

I proceeded to fill the shelves with things we had hiding in our kitchen cabinets. I tried to mix finishes and sizes on each shelf, but apparently I have a thing for shiny dishes. Obviously the walls still need a coat of white paint, and the styling is far from finished. But you get the idea. Baby steps.