summer in texas

Crepe Myrtles... This is my favorite time of year in Texas. I know, it is hotter than Hades, but these babies are what really float my boat. Crepe myrtles. They are everywhere in Texas. Gorgeous shades of white, pink, purple and red. I have thought, many times, about leaving Texas and going somewhere where you don't start sweating the minute you get out of the shower, or where you actually have seasons. Our seasons include very hot and humid summers from about April to November, fall for about 2 weeks, the winters that include lots of rain, a little ice here and there, and then about 2 weeks of spring before the sauna begins all over again. Oh yes, I daydream about snow and sledding and ice skating and leaves turning every shade of green, yellow, orange, red and brown, but these beautiful little fluffs of purple just make this Texas girl's heart sing every summer.
When we moved into this house, I fell in love with the abundance of crepe myrtles surrounding it. In our other homes, if there wasn't a crepe myrtle or two, the first thing that we did was to plant some. Crepe myrtles are what make my house feel like a real Texas home. This little bloom above is just the beginning around here.

Blessings...
Jenn

Readin' & Writin' and 'Rithmatic

Okay, so yes, we are homeschooling next year, and we all know that the most important thing is decorating the homeschooling area, um, I mean curriculum. Tee hee...
Anyway, so curriculum is a go, but I have been trying to figure out how to turn our home into a classroom without it looking like a classroom since schooling is going to take place smack dab in the middle of the dining/living room...and yes, I said smack dab. I am from the south...y'all...
So, I have been doing a few projects. I made a sketch that I won't reveal because I have the artistic talent of a 3 year old. So I will just show you my projects as I go.
I scored 3 of these little desks for $4 a piece. I am going to line them up along the left side of my fireplace (this will become our classroom). I sanded down the edges of the desktops and stained them a darker (less school-ish) color and plan to decoupage 2 of them ((E's with a map and C's with some pretty pink paisley (say that 3 times) wrapping paper)) and paint W's with chalkboard paint. Actually, I have 2 of them done, but in the interest of posting more than once a month, I'm going to make you wait...all 2 of you who read my blog ;)
Also in the mix are 3 book shelves, 3 whiteboards, 3 vintage alphabet flashcards (framed and matted), some cute little lights so my little chirrens can see their work, and a partridge in a pear tree. Just kidding, they don't need light. ;)

Jenn

lots of changes

Let me start this post by saying that my crapola camera is half dead, and I can't afford a new one, which will definitely cost more than a couple of hundred dollars since I am now completely spoiled to the pictures that everyone else posts on their blogs that are totally in focus, crisp as a freshly ironed cotton shirt, and have incredible color...whew, breathe. Yes, I have my eyes on a few different ones, all of which are around a grand, give or take a couple hundred. Yeah, we'll see how long it takes. Soo, in the meantime, I will have posts with either no pictures, pictures straight from the world wide web (Ha! I'm 85...) or pictures from my phone (which aren't all that bad).
So, lots has happened in our world. The short version is that I have lost about 30 pounds, and have decided to homeschool. No, they are not related. The weight loss is something that I have needed to do for a long time, I just decided that enough was enough. That is for another day though. The homeschooling is something that I have wanted to do since I homeschooled my 8-year-old way back in kindergarten. I only did it for a few months back then and decided to put him back in public school for two reasons...kid #2 and kid #3. They were 2 and 1-year-old at the time. Do I even need to 'splain Lucy? I felt as though I was ignoring the babies to help my eldest, or I wasn't giving him the attention that he needed for his schoolwork because I was tending to the younger two. I was so torn and felt totally defeated as I hung my head and walked him into kinder. Don't worry, I've stopped beating myself up about it.
So, upon a very clear leading from the Lord, and a real work in my husband's heart (which could only have been accomplished through God Himself), we have decided to take the gigantic leap again. I am so excited! So, aside from researching curriculums and trying to figure out how to manage a school in our home (along with my husband's business), I have been a busy mama.
Now, on a design note, I do have a rockin' idea for our homeschool "area". I'll give you a little sneaky peek on Monday!

Black bean brownies...yes, you read that right

Sorry Rocco... I was so flippin' excited about my new cookbook that I whipped out the brownies from page 235. I was pretty skeptical about the ingredients which included black beans (pureed), Splenda, sour cream and Walden Farms chocolate sauce (although I use this frequently on fresh strawberries...yummy!), among some other normal ingredients.
Well, I have to say, my chocolate loving family threw them in the trash...sorry Rocco...onto the next page. I am determined to shock and awe my family with healthy comfort food!!!

wisteria luv

I will show pics of my kitchen later (I have yet to take "afters"...I know, bad blogger...hang with me folks), but I have to tell y'all about my first trip to the Wisteria Outlet. The outlet, located in Dallas, has stuff that is still in the catalog, but with discounted prices. Let me show you a few goodies that I found (squeeeeeeeel):I found this little gem in the "scratch and dent" section. What was wrong, you ask? The zipper wasn't working. It is a beautiful khaki linen with a red linen trim, and the emblem is embroidered on thick felt. It is GORGEOUS!!! Well, after fiddling with the zipper for a few minutes, it worked. Go me!

This is deal #2:This is my second find. It is a big red burlap sack. Unless you love burlap (as I do) this might not excite you. As soon as I saw this red beauty (and 2 of it's friends) all I could envision was a big "SC" embroidered on the front. Fun!!!

Here are a few other beauties from Wisteria...

Oyster shell crossesIndustrial bookcase

Linen handtowels (I think I'll grab a pair for my guest bath)

Aren't these precious? I think I will go back and grab a pair for my kitchen for Spring :)

Jenn

I'm not fat, I'm fluffing...

This weekend while the hubby was out playing, I decided to do a little "fluffing". I can't wait to share it with you. I am almost done and, as most small projects do, it makes you weep with joy, and pull your hair out all within a matter of a few nanoseconds. As with most of my projects, there were epic wins, epic fails, a couple of "what was I thinking" moments, and a few fist pumps thrown in here and there. As with all of my projects, I will give you the good, the bad, the ugly, and the downright atrocious. Stay tuned... (don't you love a good tease? Tee hee)

welcome

If you have meandered over from my old blog, welcome! If you are new, hi there! This blog is in the very beginning stages and I am trying to figure out this whole blog design thing myself, and let me tell you, I am no blog designer (and I'm too cheap to have someone design it for me...maybe later in the game...). Let me start by saying, I am passionate about the Lord, my family, and my home (in that order) :). I have an amazing husband and 3 incredibly energetic children (8, 4 & 3). I live in a small Texas town, am a stay-at-home-mom, but in reality, that actually means that I have several full time jobs that include housekeeper, nanny, decorator, chef, party planner, administrative assistant, crafter, seamstress, and recreational director. I get paid in hugs and kisses, which is fine by me! I have no hobbies other than running a household, so behold my blog's name. With 3 kids & a hubby that works long hours, I have to squeeze in my hobby when I have a few spare minutes. Although I would love the luxury of bags and bags of money to go shop with and decorate and fluff my home, I simply don't, and that makes making my house a home more challenging...and fun! Come follow me as I live my life with my Home as my Hobby. Jenn