Flea Market Frame Freebie

In case you didn't see it, I posted these cute frames on my Shabby Blogs blog. I am a girl who loves a good frame...as you can see by looking around. :) Enjoy them!

Pretty Much Destitute

We decided to go on a budget last month. We've never done that before. That's bad, huh? We just never have. We've talked about it before. We've planned to go on one before. We just never actually did it. I'm not going to lie to you- I was pretty nervous. I'm a bargain-hunter by nature, but mandatory penny-pinching just seemed grueling and restrictive. However, after a few days I realized that I was actually more happy being on a budget. Who would have thought??? We even talked to the girls about how important it is to save money...something, I am sad to say, they have very little experience with. Now, each time we go to the store and they ask for something I tell them they need to save their own money to buy it. All of this money talk seems to have really sunk in with our two little girlies- especially Ryen. This was quite obvious when I took her to Lowes last week. I asked a man who worked there if he would check on the price of a sink for me and Ryen told him not to bother because we can't buy it. "I'm sorry, Sir. That costs too much money. We are saving people!" She'd ask me the price of every item she saw and then slap her cheek exclaiming, "Are you kidding me!?!!" each time I answered her. I think she's convinced that we are poor and that the retail industry is of Satan. Fun times.

You guessed it!

I'm pretty predictable, huh? I bought this tin box that originally held chocolates when I went to the flea market. Isn't it delightfully shabby? It was only $5- which I paid cheerfully. I like to imagine what little treasures have been inside it for the past 50+ years. Plus, I'm pretty sure I can turn these photos into a blog header... so double score. :)

Thanks for all of the birthday love, everyone! (Isn't my husband the sweetest?) Turning 30 freaked me out a tiny bit, but as Lew Wallace said:

"A man thirty years old, I said to myself, should have his field of life all ploughed, and his planting well done; for after that it is summer time."

...and I am totally excited for summer.

30 and Counting

At the risk of sullying this remarkable blog with an amateurish post, I proceed - undeterred by a desire to shout to you and to the world:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE WOMAN I LOVE!

Here is a list of 30 reasons to feel elated about where you have come from and where you are going as you pass this milestone in your life.

1. You know and love God and you know that He knows and loves you.
   
2. You have a husband who adores you.
3. You have three beautiful, dynamic, and strong daughters who spend the entirety of every day in a tireless quest to become like you.
4. You are at the center of a family, yours and mine, who love you completely and forever.
5. Your presence on this earth has brightened the lives of your countless friends and acquaintances.
6. At risk to your life and to your sanity, you successfully fought to bring our three daughters into our home and our hearts.
7. You have come to know who you are.
   
8. You have read all of the works of Shakespeare and not only appreciate them, but truly understand them.
9. You have successfully talked your way out of at least ten speeding tickets – and have since slowed down.
10. You were voted Homecoming Queen.
11. You have swam in Lake Michigan in March and lived to tell about it (or so the story goes)
12. You went off to college with very little money, not knowing a soul, and never having been there, and came home with a great education, countless friends and three marriage proposals.
13. You are the most engaging public speaker I know.
14. You appreciate the beauty of beautiful things.
15. You taught yourself HTML, CSS, and who knows how many other computer languages.
16. You a fully accomplished photographer.
17. You have been to more places and seen more of the world than most see in their lifetime.
18. You have a beautiful voice.
19. You have made our home into a work of functional, delightful, art.
20. You can buy more for a dollar than anyone else I know.
21. You have a wonderful talent of taking ordinary things and turning them into works of art. (note the previous post)
22. You have discernment which makes you an excellent judge of character.
23. You can, and have, written an entire childrens book in under 5 minutes.
24. You have a talent for finding new, good, musical artists – long before they become popular.
25. You have been to almost every national park in the country.
26. You can spit frozen peas further than I can.
27. You are just about to launch a website which is certain to be successful.
28. You will have the privilege of witnessing our daughters grow into women who will honor you with their love and their lives.
29. We will grow old together and I will love you more all the while.
30. The best is yet to be.

- Love Sonny

Flea Market Finds

Thanks to a super kind family from church, Yours Truly and The Old Ball & Chain got an actual date last weekend. Since my birthday is rapidly approaching, Sonny let me choose where we went. I decided to go antiquing because 1.)I looooove old stuff and 2.)I wanted to find some little treasures to use as embellishments in my blog designs. My expectations weren't too high. I expected a shop or two with a few interesting things, but nothing I was really excited about. What I found was The Mother Ship. 2 massive flea markets + a ton of awesome antique shops = Megan Heaven. I could have pitched a tent in the midst of it all and lived out the remainder of my days in a state of dust-covered bliss. Instead, I took pictures of everything in sight and came home high on mothballs and the thrill of victory. Though I could have purchased enough random and utterly useless (but DIVINE!!!) items to fill a Uhaul, I walked away with only two things. One was this stroller in mint condition. (Usually, it bothers me when people sell newer things in antique venues, but snagging a $400 stroller for $15 softened my heart a little.) Just for fun, check out the photos above and guess what my other purchase was.

Long time, no blog...

It's not like me to go this long without posting. I've been so preoccupied lately. I did manage to sneak out one afternoon this past week to take a few pictures of my girls. It's been a while since I've really taken "portraits" of them so we took advantage of a beautiful afternoon in our neighborhood.

(You can click on a photo so see the larger version)

I'm still here!

I've just been working on this...

Quote of the Century:

-Ryen

Getting Her Crawl On

It's official. We have a crawler. Ally has some mad rolling skills, but just yesterday she decided to "get her crawl on." She got up on her hands and knees and the next thing I knew- BAM! She was taking her first little crawling steps. She just started sitting up on her own over the past couple weeks and is still a bit wobbly. She has also just recently started to really laugh. She can roll like nobody's business. Now this. *sniff sniff* My baby is growing up!

In other news, for you digital scrappers out there, Shabby Princess has released her newest free kit. I always look forward to those. You can snag it here.

In other other news, I have been a bad blogger lately. Sorry for the short and infrequent posts and the lack of commenting. I've been crazy busy! Besides the usual family stuff, I have been working like mad to get everything ready for the launch of my website. I am SO excited about it though! More on that to come...

Baby Feet

Is there anyting in the world better than baby feet? :)

Blessed.

After a week of hearing Madelyn ask if it was valen time, it finally was. I remember loving Valentine's Day when I was a kid. From the parent's perspective, it is still fun, but WAY more work. Good heck! The cupcakes, the goodies, the cards, the class parties... it's enough to make your head spin. Despite all of the hard work (or perhaps because of it) we had a seriously fun loooove day. I feel truly blessed to have four valentines to smooch on. :)

I've been thinking a lot lately about how important it is to be mindful of our blessings now... in the moment. It's easy to look back and see how blessed we were, but at the time we only saw the dishes to be washed and diapers to be changed. A little boy in Madelyn's class passed away. I keep thinking about his seat being empty when I take her to school again and about the little valentine we made for him-that all of the children made for him, but he will never see. I keep thinking about his mother. I ache for her. With her in mind, I cannot be angry when my children make messes and don't clean them up. I can't be frustrated when they forget to wash their hands or turn the TV up too loud. Each sticky kiss and delighted giggle lingers in my heart a little longer than before. I've let my kids have two cupcakes when I would normally only let them have one. I've taken them on walks that lasted a little longer and read them stories a little more slowly. I've held their perfect faces in my hands and looked into their beautiful eyes as I have said, "I love you with all of my heart" with all of my heart. May I never forget how blessed I am.

He's here!

I captured this bit of video when Sonny came to the door. I hope you can hear what Ryen says because it is priceless! I asked her what she had there (meaning her flower) and she answered, "My handsome prince!" talking about her dad. I love it.

A Date With Daddy #2

Ryen had the time of her life during her special date tonight. She was so cute waiting for Sonny to come to the door. I laughed at how overflowing with anticipation she was as she fluttered back and forth between the window and door. I know Ryen will always remember this.

A Date With Daddy #1

Ryen, Madelyn, and Ally are so lucky to have Sonny for a dad. Ry brought a note home from school about a daddy-daughter dance. My first reaction was to chuck it, but then I started thinking about Ryen. How much would she love this? So, we coughed up $20 and sent in the registration. The big dance is tonight. But what about Madelyn? We gave her a whole list of things she could do with Sonny and she chose to go get a manicure- no surprise there. She is girly to the core, that one! I don't know a lot of men that would take their daughters for a mani, but Sonny did... and he did it lovingly. I don't think I will ever forget how excited Maddie was waiting at the top of the stairs for her daddy to ring that doorbell. She was absolutely beaming all night. My husband is awesome.

Entertaining Ally

So I don't mean to brag, but seriously, Ally has the coolest big sisters ever.

Bloom where you are planted.

Ally Pie

Miss Allyson has a cold, but we didn't want her missing out on the fun so I took these pictures yesterday. I can't believe she will be 6 months old Saturday! My baby! :)

Snow!

The girls went to bed on Monday night praying it would snow. You would have thought it was Christmas when they woke up the next morning to the chilly white stranger. :) This was Madelyn's first time playing in the snow. She loved it until she realized she could no longer feel her fingers. (We don't have mittens for her since it never snows here!) I taught her to tuck her hands into her sleeves and she was fine after that. Ryen was like a little winter fairy, skipping around and throwing snow on anything and everyone. She and Sonny made their first snowman. I forget that I married an Arizona boy sometimes! Not everyone is part polar bear. We decided to take the kids out to dinner and there was nothing open! Almost all of the stores and restaurants were completely deserted. It made me laugh. What a fun thing though... their first real SNOW!

OfF tO sEe ThE wIzArD

It's pretty amazing that a movie originally released in 1939 is still not only relelvant, but adored today. My kids love The Wizard of Oz. Madelyn would watch it a thousand times a day if I let her. When Sonny came home from work last Friday, he opened the door to his wife wearing wiskers and a construction paper mane. A yellow blanket became the yellow brick road, a stuffed dog became Toto... the girls even made their own Munchkin Land with building blocks and small figurines.
An Imagination is a beautiful thing.

Right on, Target!

I heart Target. Ooh, I really do! They have a serious clearance going on right now. I try to buy ahead for the girls when things are on sale and I totally scored today. They had so many cute shoes for 3 or 4 dollars. They even had tons of baby shoes for around $2. I snagged the most adorable rain boots ever for $3.74. Other great finds:

Entire Disney princess doll collection- regularly $60, now $15
A Leapfrog educational toy thingy- regularly $15, now $3
Light up princess wands- normally $7, now $1-something
Play Wonder princess dress- usually $30, now $7
Puppet theater- regularly $70, now $17

There was a lot more too! I'm too lazy to list every bargain I saw, but trust me... there were orangey-red stickers as far as the eye could see! I'm telling the Easter Bunny. We both love a good deal!