projects and parties

So, somehow I got the idea to completely renovate our living room.

blame it on the latest pottery barn magazine and spring fever!

Here was one of my inspiration pictures.  I really wanted to create a space that Jake loved!  Our whole house is such an OBVIOUS expression of who I am.  I am trying to change in that way and make this home more about US, not just about ME.....(and mind you, this does NOT come naturally as our styles are as different as our personalities).

However, this past weekend we jumped right in!  With 3 children under our feet......now our living room is chocolate brown & tan with new furntiture, new carpet.  I'm all the way in!  Each morning I like it more, but it's taking awhile to "grow on me" because IT'S SO DIFFERENT then what I'm use to or what I lean towards. 

He's never really said anything to me about our living room.  In fact at first he wasn't so sure about changing it around.  But I want the space he spends the most time in, (living room and bedroom) to be a reflection of HIM as well.  Something I feel more then I ever did. Maybe I'm growing up a little.  Maybe I'm starting to care more about what he DOESN'T say.

 pottery barn magazine

Secondly, we celebrated Luke's 4th birthday last Saturday, (I've got a whole post of delightful pictures).  I'm feeling a little *behind* in posting all I want to share. There are other things calling my name though.  So, for tonight, it's just this one picture of our kitchen transformed to LIGHT UP THE EYES OF A CERTAIN FOUR YEAR OLD BOY!! 

Lastly, I hosted a tea party today for my sister, as a birthday gift to her.  It was a delightful time.  It's something I truly enjoy, despite the time and effort it takes....preparing, serving, decorating, presenting, pleasing.  It's the good and bad of my personality I guess.  I love to make others happy and feel LOVED, I want to serve, yet I don't want to base my VALUE on what I DO.....part of the core of who I am BELIEVES SO STRONGLY that you are not what you DO, you are WHO you are!  And when you give something with ANY kind of selfish motive attached, it isn't really a gift afterall.That's not how I felt today, it's just something that I keep in mind because of my tendencies toward performance orientation.  More on that someday.

now, onto purging our home for things to sell at our yearly yard sale!    DON'T MISS IT IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO!!!! MAY 6TH-7TH It's going to be ONE. BIG. TREASURE. HUNT. 13 ladies and 1 man with italian ice, (that would be Mr. Rice for all my LMH pals out there)!!   *IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN HAVING A SPACE AT OUR SALE, THERE ARE 2 OPENINGS LEFT!! PLEASE EMAIL ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS OR TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT!  JJ9702@JUNO.COM

"We tend to forget that happiness
doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have,
but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have".
~Frederick Keonig~