Dad's Sweet Ride

Dad & Mom have a "little thing" for vintage travel trailers. It's way uncool to pull one with a modern truck, so they have been searching, for a retro tow rig. Voila! This 1960 Ford will definitely work, complete with stylin' canopy (the windows on the other side are not broken). Of course, the boys at this house have some grand plans for it as well - I think it may include swapping the engine out with a powerhouse that will leave people scratching their heads wondering what old contraption just blew past 'em.

Shopping Alert

Yes, the dollar store is a favorite. There are some bargains for a buck - but the toy aisle is loaded with junk that barely survives its trip to the car. We've had more than a few tears shed after a disappointing experience with those cheap-o handcuffs. No matter how much they were warned about the shabby quality - they were always shocked when an arm broke off, in the process of detaining their first felon.

However, I spotted these fake mustaches at a quick glance - a sure bet for a few laughs and only $1! Better grab a few packs - never know when a stache will come in handy.

911 to the Basement!

These harmless little creatures can make me scream like a . . . like a girl. I isolated a noise that I assumed was a mouse stuck inside a pot in the basement. I am slighty embarrassed to admit that I did not even have the nerve to open the lid and peer inside. Instead, I called in the "critter abatement team" who quickly confirmed my hunch and took care of the innocent rodent.

It's one of those fringe benefits of marriage. That is HIS department. Mouse traps give me the creeps, dead mice make me squirm, live mice hopping around in a pot send me over the edge. Thank you dear husband for coming to my rescue.

I love my Dinosaur

Despise is not a strong enough word for what I felt when an overhead projector was used in class. I hated the squeaky sound of the markers and sitting in a stinky room with 25 sweaty 6th graders, copying mountains of notes from it's glare. Today, these dudes are nearly extinct.

I am so not an artist - I cannot draw a thing. However, this dandy dinosaur is going to help me evolve into a sham artist cuz I can print things out, and by golly - I can trace real good!

The school is letting me "borrow" this creature, until it is officially turned to surplus. One of 200, I'm sure. At that time, she'll be all mine and I will cherish my very own overhead projector. Who woulda thunk it?

Decor on the Cheap

I have enjoyed designing window displays at a local florist. As with many design projects, the request is to make it look awesome, using a budget of $1.75 or less! This tends to make one look at ordinary objects in a unique way. A paper bag banner and tin can planters make a statement without putting a dent in the budget.

This wheat grass was amazing. The second picture is less than a week after the first picture. The stuff grows FAST and it is unmistakably springy.

I gave it a "haircut" after this picture

More of the White Stuff

Not 1, but 2 snow days! We had about 11 inches total - a near record amount. The power was out for over 24 hours and, as usual, our house became "snow fun headquarters" for the kids' friends.

Sten's orange machine did double duty. He used an old Ford hood, turned upside down as a giant sled - with the old Kubota towing his cronies.

My least favorite part of snow days - PILES of laundry and dirty boots

Honored Guests

We were lucky enough to have these two as honored guests recently. Pssst, the one on the left can really cook (didn't hear it from me tho). Hurry back!

Go Beavs!

There is no question about where this family sits in the statewide struggle of Beavers vs Ducks.

Especially this kid.
Especially when she sat on the floor.
Especially when she got a hug from Benny.

One of the girls favorite gymnasts, Brittany Harris is just behind in the OS shirt.

Grandpa & Milah - showing off their celebrity status with courtside seats.

Kitchen Canvas

I had an "aha" moment yesterday. I noticed a dry erase marker beside the cooktop. Hmmm, me thinks . . . dry erase + glass surface = giant white board. Imagine the possibilities!


A note that I will likely see on occasion!

A note I hope to see on occasion!

Oh, and I'll be waiting for a love note. Hint Hint

Sentimental Treasures

During this "transition" period, we are spending an exorbitant amount of time in our small home office.

Together

Sitting side by side

For hours

For days

Although small, it is perfect and I love the hand-me-down vintage treasures that we are surrounded by- especially their connection to the past. It's impossible to look at these things and not remember the loved ones they belonged to. To most people, they would mean nothing and have very little value - but they are special because we remember the hands that used them - they are big in our hearts.
We start by clocking in first thing in the morning (not really). This time clock was a bit of a splurge a few years back as a Father's Day present. I spied it at an antique mall and tried to shove it out of my mind. When I ventured back a few weeks later, it was still there - I could hear it calling me from the parking lot. It actually works and I love the authentic wear and greasiness from years of use.
Old ledgers and time books are way cool. The stapler was used by Scott's grandma and the asphalt calculator was my grandpa's.

A small collection of vintage toy typewriters - from great aunt, Ebay (Wow - she's your aunt too?)

Scott's grandpa's real estate sign.
From my grandparents - was at the bottom of their road. Big deal -it's just a wooden sign with letters routed on it. No, that combination of letters is meaningful. As a girl, I would have uncontrollable butterflies in my stomach when I saw this sign, because it meant that we would soon be at their doorstep.

I guess someday our grandchildren will be heaped with loads of stuff that they will likely take to the trash cuz it's just a bunch of junk to them. Charles and Vivian or Dick Schuller will have no meaning. Sad but true.

This is called Rambling . . .

With 4 swimmers in our house, we have a heaping basket of swim goggles. Maren was reorganizing her swim bag tonight and explaining to me just how important goggles are to competitive swimmers. She mentioned that once at a swim meet, she was on the starting blocks and just before the whistle blew, she realized that her goggles were upside down. She didn't have time to fix them and consequently swam poorly in the race. I replied, "You didn't do that bad." She shook her head slightly, gave me a look like "get a clue" and said, "Mom" - I got 11th place. Do you have any idea what color the ribbon is for 11th place? (Paused for emphasis, thinking I would know this) It's brown, MOM - the ribbon for 11th place is brown. Apparently the brown 11th place ribbon is beyond disgusting.

In other news - I noticed Maren was wearing one of Sten's tshirts to bed. When I casually asked her what the deal was, she said it was because she likes the smell of him. He smells good, so says she.

Unlike the dog who has apparently been frolicking in cow poop. Sheesh! I guess we'll have to dress Danner in one of Sten's shirts to see if we can get him smelling any better.

For the record, Sten recently won 1st place in a mechanical skills competition at the local community college. 3 cheers to Sten! Him's a smart feller and a good smeller to boot.

It's NOT MINE!

We have 3 children in this home. Why is it when they are asked to pick up an item, take something to their room, or clean up an area - they suddenly claim no ownership or responsibility? It is ALWAYS the other kid's problem/stuff. Maren's latest trick is to say that she has "outgrown" the item in question - could've got it just last week, but it doesn't fit now!

All kids have brain damage, isn't that how it goes? Maybe it's me?

A Little Humor

This is knee slappin' funny. Yes, H@ck is a bad word in our house, but this is too funny not to share:)

A Fork in the Road . . .

March 1st is quickly approaching and we are madly finishing projects and packing up the shop. It is sad to leave our cozy pad as it has suited us well, but we had no choice. We did not wish to purchase the building because it was not ideal in the long run. However, it seems that as one door closes another opens . . .

Well, we are hopeful that it is going to open in a month or so. It would be handy to show up at the "other" door and unload all this junk - but for now, we have to be patient.

Pallets full of boxes and tools, bound together with miles of shrink wrap.

Susie arrived to help us with this "fun" process. We enjoyed a "Susie appreciation" moment at lunch.

For some reason, she takes offense at being called a tech geek. However, here she sits amidst a laptop (one of the two), ipad, iphone, and dog shocker. If this is what it takes to be a 4.0 nursing student, I guess I'd better zip it.

A warm fuzzy to share: beside our building, sits a large cabinet shop that has been in business for years. Due to the economy, they were forced to close their doors recently. As a parting gift to their longtime employees, they designed and built each one a new kitchen. Makes my heart smile:)

Friday Fun

The girls have become avid OSU gymnastics fans. Last night was "Pink Out" (a breast cancer benefit) and OSU tied for 1st. Maren went all out - even using pink hair spray.


Their favorite part - getting autographs after the meet. The gymnasts mingle with admirers and happily sign posters for swarms of girls.

A favorite of theirs - Olivia Vivian, from Australia.

Spaghetti and a Hair Cut

27 kids for dinner

And Haircuts

And hair coloring

Before a District swim meet, the tradition is to get creative with clippers or dye or a combination of both. Then before the State swim meet (one week later), shave the head completely to lessen the resistance.

This year's preferred wacky do was the mohawk - featured here on Mr. Victor

As seen here on Jake and Zach.

Now, don't scream . . . but do you recognize the blond? Where is his mother???

My job tonight is to make 7 pairs of swan wings for the senior boys as they finish their high school swimming career with a choreographed "swan dive" tomorrow:)

Add to the Collection

My addiction to home decor magazines has nearly been quenched by Pinterest, but this one is different. It is a must buy, must sit down and read, must keep fo'eva kina thang. Keep your eyes peeled - it will hit the newstands soon . . .

Easy Peasy Sign Making

I adore signs. Most of the signs I make are freehand lettering - but I wanted to try this method. It is fun and my mind is whirling with possibilities.
Print out a saying in the font of your choice. Pssst - shorter sayings take less time (yup yup, I'm a brain surgeon) Prepare your board. This is just fiberboard (pegboard minus the holes). It has been painted and distressed. To add patina, you can dry brush another color onto the initial color or roughly add contrasting color, achieving the desired "look" when the paint is wet (I like to use my hand to spread the paint where I want). The idea is not to mix the colors, but make it look like it's been faded and weathered. For example - this board was primarily cream, but I added a mustard brown color to give it depth and make it look old.

Then, transfer your image onto the wood using carbon paper (a nearly extinct office supply). Oh yeah, you may want to make sure everything is straight and lined up close to perfect. But that's not the fun part. Grab an eensy paint brush and start coloring in your letters.
Once the paint is dry, rub lettering with fine sandpaper to distress. To age it even more, I used a dark walnut stain over all. It's a no-fail recipe. Honest.

Can u spot the Differences?

I wanted to use this picture, but that light pole in Abraham Lincoln's face irked me. We had picked up this camper in Dix Nebaska in the early afternoon (June 2007) and were thrilled with our teeny RV. As the day came to a close, we were at Mt. Rushmore for their evening ceremony which I highly recommend. I have to say from the parking lot, I was slightly disappointed. But when you sit at the base of the massive granite structure and they gradually illuminate those faces, in tandem with "America the Beautiful", it is impressive and gives you goosebumps (and a lump in your throat).

For the record. Settled at our campsite, later that evening the kids were first class ROTTEN, and we questioned our logic in buying a unit for such cozy (did I mean miserable?) family togetherness.

Enter Susie. Photoshop wizard. She removed 5 things. Can you find them?

Gallery Wall

I have been preparing to do a gallery wall in the office. I couldn't resist this sign. I think we can all relate . . .

I plan to use black/white pictures in black frames. After a successful trip to the thriftstore, I came home with these beauties and some new family members! I used flat black spray paint to paint the frames and now the arranging process begins. FYI: make sure the frames are real wood. Removing the glass is a pain and sometimes even painful if you get sliced. Careful careful.

Thriftstore 101. There is typically a tag color that is 1/2 off (this day was green). So, before you begin your shopping experience, find out what color is discounted and you can keep that in mind as you peruse the aisles.

Some people do this in a very systematic way, but I will probably end up with 300 holes in the wall. Love these old pics. Where did these kids (and puppy) go?