What's new under the sun...

Okay, so my camera isn't great.  Like it's bad.  So in order to get my pictures to look somewhat interesting/true to color, I mess with them in my little photo app long enough that I don't even know what I started with.  So from one picture to the next  you might think we've changed rooms, when in fact it's just me changing the way I change the pictures.  Confusing, huh?  I'm pretty tricky.

New rug in Marg's room!  I saw a little DIY chevron rug on a blog, and thought I should try it.  No- I didn't do it.  This baby came straight from Ikea looking so lovely.  My brother, who lives minutes from Ikea, picked it up for me (which I requested, it wasn't a gift.  He's not that nice.  That last part was to test him-- do you read my blog, Isaac?!) 

And after seeing this on Etsy, I had to embroider it for Margot's room, straight away!  I don't know that a quote from Dirty Dancing is the most appropriate thing for a baby's room... but it made me laugh.  Nobody puts baby in a corner.

I've been checking eBay for these vintage Kasper Wire Works gym baskets, and finally won an auction!  Vintage wire baskets are pretty spendy, but the Kasper ones are exceptionally steep.  I just thought it would be fun to sport my maiden name on a basket if I could- so I did.:)

Now we really are in a different room.  I happened to paint Oliver and Gigi's bedroom the day before the birthday party (that's how I roll), and I'm still unsure about the color.  The one that I had picked looked awfully dark on the can- when I put in on the walls it was dark and blue.  Not what I was going for.  So I went to my basement paint store, and found the gray that I had used in the family room.  It's a very warm, beige-y gray.  I mixed that with a little of the new color, and this is what I got.  I don't hate it, but it's not what I had in mind.  Oh, that little slip of paper tucked into the mirror frame was inspired by some art I saw on a nursery ideas blog.  I couldn't find the source, so I had to copy it right off the computer screen using my mad skills.  Isn't it hilarious for a shared bedroom??

Six years of crazy fun and love

Oliver turned 6 last week! It's so hard to believe (cliche, I know- but so TRUE!). My mom documented the fun, I took a few shots of the preparations.


We have this old Frigidaire in our entryway that we're using for a pantry until Andrew gets to that project.  The idea is to eventually have a floor-to-ceiling message center/pantry here, probably the mysterious greenish grayish of the stairway.  For now I just have fun piling things (related to our current season or event) on top of the old fridge.  Oliver chose a native American theme for his party, so I finally put to use all those pheasant and goose feathers from uncle Luke.  The antlers were in our garage when we bought the farm, the 6 is from my dad's line truck at work, the gold book is titled 'Indian Paint', and the teal book was a gift to Oliver from us this year- Billy and Blaze.  Oh how I loved Billy and Blaze when I was younger.  The illustrations are such simple sketches, they almost seem achievable to a child (they aren't, but it felt good to think they could be). 

Chief  designed and drew 8 of these invitations.  The gruesome creativity is startling.

When I told Oliver what I had written in the invitation, he said, "Probably be feathers?!  There will definitely be feathers."  I had pinned a spaghetti feather making tutorial on Pinterest around Thanksgiving time, so I pulled that up and we got busy making and painting feathers.  Such a fun and simple craft.



When I googled Indian cake some pretty interesting things popped up, but this teepee-in-a-cone cake was so awesome I had to do it.  My mom and cousin made them pretty with the confetti sprinkles.

And there's the chief himself, along with the brave cousin Levi.

Oliver had such cute and willing helpers when it was time to open gifts.

Auntie Jessica mediated a meeting between G and baby Daphne.  Georgi loves babies...like that feeling you get when you think you could squeeze a baby until she pops?  Georgi will act on that feeling if left on her own.

Oliver donned a flight suit and helmet after the gift opening- a present from Luke, Anna, Isaac, and Jess.

Somebody's had a little too much party.

Not this girl.  My little papoose was all smiles when uncle Isaac gave her a teepee.

This little dude brings such joy to our lives.  I've been trying to explain to him how God made him oldest in our family for a reason, because He knew that Oliver could be a good leader and protecter and teacher for his sisters.  That's maybe a lot to lay on the shoulders of a six year old, but I want him to know he is equipped with all it takes to do what Christ created him for.  As of now, I recite the Fruits of the Spirit surprisingly often, pausing at virtues that would help him in his attitude toward the girls...I'm basically pausing after each one of them, if you're wondering.