Spell Girl's Room Makeover

Spring Break Project #2:  Paint Spell Girl's Room


I actually started this project about a month ago when the kids were off of school for President's Day. After taping a million little paint swatches to the walls of Spell Girl's bedroom,  I finally bought a mini paint sample at Lowe's to see which color we really wanted to commit to.   We loved this one:

Aqua Ocean

This was our inspiration...

she loved the purple and turquoise combination, so we got this comforter for her birthday LAST OCTOBER and started thinking about some kind of teal color on the walls.


And a short 6 months later, here's the result...

Don't look closely at the details on the bookshelves yet.  I was just grateful that her bed was made!

Look at how awesome that color looks on the walls!   My favorite thing is the purple sheers.   It's so fun to just hang out in that super bright, cheery space now. 

It was awesome to finish a BIG project and have it turn out so well.  Spell Girl is so happy in her new space!!  I'm grateful that we had a whole week of Spring Break to just sit around and paint stuff.   And I'm grateful for a husband who is taller than me and doesn't mind painting the top parts. 

Spray Paint

It's Spring Break here and since we have no plans to go anywhere this week, it's a great time to get some things done around the house.  On Saturday, I did all those little organizational things that have been on my list forever.  I found my desk under the mounds of paper, and emptied boxes that have been sitting for over a year.  

There are a few other MAJOR things on that list that I'd like to accomplish this week.  One of them is getting all of our pictures hung on the wall down the hallway.  I love that "gallery" look with all the family pictures on one wall.  We have FOUR kids, and I take a million pictures, so I'd like to fill a couple of walls with them.  

I like the uniform look of the black frames, but the frames I had were a variety of colors.  So I dug around in the garage until I found some black spray paint (because the Scout Master has EVERYTHING in that garage!) and I transformed my assorted, random pile of picture frames into classy, black, gallery quality frames.  And it took all of 10 minutes!

I used this black stove and grill paint because I really like the matte finish...and because it was available.  :)

I still have so much to do before this project is finished.  I have to choose from all the millions of amazing pictures we've taken over the years.  I have to decide whether I'm going black and white with the pictures or color.  And I might have to actually purchase a few more black frames.  I also need to convince my friend, Laura, to make me one of those vinyl stickers that has a cute "FAMILY" quote on it.    

But, at least I'm making progress.  And at least today's adventure didn't cost me any money (that's always a good thing.)   And if I could find something else to spray paint, I totally would do it because it's such a satisfying thing to make something look brand new and sparkly in less than 10 minutes!  I LOVE spray paint!!



 

Sunday

I LOVE Sundays.  

This morning I woke up in a grumpy mood...probably that hour of sleep that I lost... 
I was grouchy with the kids.  I was irritated that the kitchen always seems to be a mess when I walk into it.  And everyone was SO slow getting ready.  But I said a quick (and I mean really quick) prayer on the way out the door, that I would be in a better mood once I walked into church and that I would get something out of the meetings.

A few great things happened before the meeting even started.  We got there early (which was actually on time today because this was TCD's first day as chorister.)   The Bishopric set her apart in her new calling and gave her a beautiful blessing.  We sat in our usual spot for the first time in weeks because we were there on time.   And we got to see a preview of the special musical number (which was amazing!)  All that stuff by itself lightened my mood quite a bit.  So now all I needed was to hear something relevant that would get me through the rest of the week.  Usually, that sort of thing happens during the talks or the lessons.  But today, it was during the Sacrament that I got my little personal revelation.  I was distracted by a million things and all of a sudden realized how casually I was taking the whole thing.  And then part of a quote started ringing in my ears...something about "I find that when I get casual in my relationship with divinity..."  That's all I could remember.  I didn't know where or when I had heard it.  I couldn't remember who said it.  And I couldn't remember what he said he finds when he's casual in his relationship with God.  Here's the awesome part...I had my phone with me (because I always have my phone with me) so I Googled that quote and within seconds I had found the whole quote.

"I find that when I get casual in my relationship with divinity and when it seems that no divine ear is listening and no divine voice is speaking, that I am far, far away. If I immerse myself in the scriptures the distance narrows and the spirituality returns."  - President Spencer W. Kimball

So, that was the little thing I needed to be reminded of today.  I need to read my scriptures.  

I have become gradually casual in my "relationship with divinity" over the last few weeks.  I haven't had time to do the things that normally bring balance and serenity for me.  And I've replaced them with late nights, too much Diet DP, and running around instead of being still.  That little quote was exactly the reminder I needed to get me back on course.  And after I found it, and played it over and over again in my head, I heard little reinforcements of it in every single talk that was given through the rest of the meeting.  

Read your scriptures.  Read your scriptures.  Read your scriptures.  

So, guess what I'll be doing first thing tomorrow morning?  Yep! Starting from wherever I was when I left my scriptures a couple of weeks ago, and immersing myself back in them again.  Nothing brings greater peace and gratitude for me than spending time every day in the Book of Mormon.  I love that book.  And I love Sundays.  I can always, always count of getting something I need when I'm in the right places. 

 

 

IKEA

I love organizing stuff!  Since we have an official workspace for the kids, we had to have a place for all the office supplies and papers and things.  So this morning I made a trip to my favorite store for organization helpers...IKEA!

I LOVE this place.  I only let myself go there a couple of times a year because I could go a little crazy in there.  And because it's never a short trip.  All that snaking around through every department upstairs and down takes forever!  And almost always, along the way to the place I intend to go, I find a million other things I wasn't even shopping for.  This time, I did all my research in advance so that I could go straight to the things I wanted and get out fast!


Here's what I got...

Those little tins are on a MAGNETIC STRIP!  I was originally going to put these above the kids' desk, but they ended up in my space instead.  I LOVE them.  They hold all those little things that used to float around in my desk drawer.

The desk that I found on Craigslist is massive, but doesn't have any drawer space, so I needed both drawers and a place to house the printer.  This IKEA rolling drawer only took about 30 minutes to put together!

I love these little tin buckets SO much!  They are big enough to hold ALL the pens, pencils, rulers and accessories that the kids need for homework and art projects.  And I used the extra tin for a little green plant.  (Nope, it's not real.  I got it at IKEA, too, because living things don't love it here.)  

So, that's how we spent our Saturday...putting together IKEA things and hanging things on walls.  I love days like this when we get little projects done that make everyone's lives so much easier. 

iMAC

Since January, I've been strongly requesting a workstation for the kids and I to use upstairs.  I have a tiny little portable netbook that I use when I'm not really doing anything important.  And the kids use an old dinosaur laptop that the Scout Master has long since upgraded.  But neither of those is connected to a printer, and it becomes quite cumbersome to have to disconnect and reconnect one of them every time we need to print something.   It's also difficult to police computer time with the kids since the laptop tends to wander into bedrooms and perch on people's laps in front of the TV for HOURS!  


A few weeks ago, ALL four kids had homework (which is all done via online textbooks these days), and a few of them had major projects requiring Power Point presentations and extensive time on the internet.  Both little laptops were being used to their capacity and there was a lot of arguing about whose projects took precedence (including my major New Beginnings project.)  By the end of the week, I was ready to throw all the electronics and ALL THE KIDS out the front door.   We desperately needed a new system.  


So, when the Scout Master came home from his most recent trip, I started the petitioning all over again.  All I wanted was a stationary workplace that would live in a high traffic area with a printer (and maybe some PhotoShop and Media extras.)  I found a desk on Craigslist for FREE.  I carved out a space in the playroom where it could live.  And I waited patiently for the Scout Master to research the best option to fit our needs, and then GO AND GET the darn thing!

Honestly, I know nothing about electronics.   But the Scout Master likes that sort of thing,  so he polled the audience, and read the reviews, and tried out several things in a few stores before deciding that this was the computer system of our dreams.   And guess what!  He was RIGHT!  I kinda LOVE this thing!

The first thing I loved was that there aren't a lot of pieces (what do they call them??...  components??)  It's just a screen with a wireless mouse and a wireless keyboard, which means there's only one cord for the computer and one for the printer.  LOVE THAT!


The other thing I love is the size of the monitor...27"!!  Seriously??  I wasn't sure at first whether we would really need to see anything that large.  I've lived pretty contentedly for a couple of years with my 7" netbook screen.  But now that we have it, I don't think I'm going to be quite as content with my tiny little screen anymore.  It's awesome to be able to have dual windows open at the same time.  In fact, at this moment, I have Google taking up 14" of my screen and this blog taking up the other half.  Earlier this morning, I had Yahoo up on one side so that I could send some emails, and this blog up on the other side so that I could listen to my Playlist!  The sound is awesome.  The picture is awesome.  And I am so happy with 27"!


We were also able to set up individual user accounts for each of the kids with their own passwords.  We limited the sites that they can each go to, and we set TIME LIMITS for each of them.  It just just logs them out when their time is up!  Hooray!!  No more yelling for kids to get off the computer.  


I'm sure there are a million more things that this computer can do that I have yet to discover, but so far I'm blissfully happy and fully converted to the iMAC!  

The Bishop

When the Scout Master and I were first married, my father-in-law was our Bishop.  I thought then, and realize more and more as I get older, that there couldn't have been a more ideal situation than the one we were in.  Everything for me was new...new husband, new apartment, new member of the Church.  I didn't have a lot of confidence in anything I was doing at the time.  So to have a man I already loved and trusted as my first Bishop was the perfect, safe place to start finding my wings.  

At the time, I didn't have a very complete understanding of the great responsibility that it is to be a Bishop.  (I still don't.)   But, at this point in my life with a very lively family, and a husband who is extremely busy with work and a demanding calling, I feel like I have a BETTER understanding of the enormous sacrifice and commitment it is for those men who are called to be Bishops.  


Once, when we were having dinner at my in-laws' house, my father-in-law received a call from a woman in the ward who didn't realize the answering machine was audible to everyone in the house.  She left a frantic message about a crisis in their family and a request for my father-in-law to call her back as soon as possible.  Dinner was barely on the table.  We had just said a prayer.  And my father-in-law had already finished a long day of Sunday responsibilities and meetings.  But he didn't call her back.  He got up from the table and went to that family's house...without saying a word to any of us.  My mother-in-law made him a plate of food and set it aside for him to eat when he returned home and the rest of us had a relaxing, comfortable, delicious dinner.  My father-in-law returned home hours later, thanked her for dinner, and jumped right into a Deep Doctrinal Discussion that we had started without him.  (We indulged in lots of those before we had little children to remind us to go home.)  


Our current Bishop is about our age, has a demanding job, and 5 kids.  I know his Sundays and several other days during the week are filled with meetings, visits, blessings, and countless hours spent in prayer on behalf of the members of this ward.  And I'm sure he's missed his share of dinners going to handle impromptu crises.  He's a busy guy!  So, when I was preparing the joint YM/YW activity earlier this week, and having a little trouble with it, the LAST person I wanted to call for help was the Bishop.  


This activity was scheduled without me, but the Beehives and Deacons were in charge of the planning and set up, which means the Scout Master and I had to help plan and set up...and the Scout Master was supposed to be out of town.  The BYC (Bishop's Youth Council) had planned a service activity where the youth would be divided into a few groups and sent to do service projects at the homes of various ward members.  I had received a list of potential homes where we might be able to help do a few things, but when I called them, I was only able to get two families to agree to let us come.  I needed 6!   So, on Monday night, with only 48 hours left to pull this activity together, and the Scout Master still out of town, I panicked and called for help.  I actually didn't call because I didn't want to be that voicemail during dinner for the Bishop.  Instead, I sent an email that I hoped he would read and respond to when it was convenient for him...and secretly hoped that would be SOON!   And guess what!  He responded that night to my email.  I called one additional person on Tuesday which increased our families to 3.  I sent out an update email to the other youth leaders and copied the Bishop on it and then talked to him at 6:00 on his way home from work and we made a plan.   At 9:30 Tuesday night, he called again with 4 other families to add to our list!  He gave me all the details that he had talked to them about and we worked out the logistics of food, drivers, and randomly dividing youth.  And last night, the activity was AMAZING!


I could not have done that by myself.  Only the Bishop had the perspective to know who would most appreciate our help, and the words to convince them to let us.   I am so grateful that he dropped everything to help me pull that activity together.  And I am overwhelmed at that little glimpse I had of the immense love he has for ALL of the members of this ward...even the ones who don't come to church, even the ones who are sometimes grumpy, even the ones who don't always make the best choices.   I am grateful for the office of Bishop that turns ordinary men into extraordinary leaders.  And I am grateful to have this one to work with at this time.  

Missionaries

It feels like it's been forever since we've had the missionaries over for dinner.  I've been hounding them for months for their dinner calendar and finally last Sunday pinned them down on an exact date.  

They came this afternoon, on Fast Sunday, after 8 straight hours of meetings!  They devoured dinner (which always makes me happy.)  And then they shared a lesson with us and a video about John Tanner (who we all now love, too.)  After their video, we shared this one with them...it's totally our favorite. 

I LOVE the missionaries.  I LOVE having them in our home.  I LOVE the spirit that they bring with them and the awesome messages they always share.  We had a million things to do today, but this was by far the most rewarding.  I hope they get to come back very soon! 

Allen Eagle 5K

This morning, I was able to check off one of those 2012 goals on my lengthy list...and I can also take pride in sounding super cool when I tell people, "I RAN A 5K!"  Wait...just in case you didn't see that, here it is again...

I RAN A 5K!

TCD and I BOTH ran it.  I asked her sometime in the middle of the week if she wanted to run with me and she said, "Sure..." like it was no big deal.  So, bright and early at 8:00am, we drove to the high school to get ready to RUN!  Because we're RUNNERS!  (see yesterday's post...)

I heard someone say that there were 2000 people registered, but I think there were more than that who actually ran.  It was a HUGE crowd!

It was SO much fun to run with that giant crowd of people.  They were all so nice.  And they kept us moving.  Even when we wanted to stop, we kept running because they were all running.  Amazing motivation.

And the very best thing was running with TCD.  She did awesome!  We kept each other going and we finished together.  And she loved it!...well, she loved it when we were done.  In fact, she loved it so much that she wants to do it again.  When we got to the van, we found a flyer on the windshield for this 5K in April...

You might have noticed the updated countdown clock on the sidebar of this blog.  Yep, we're doing another one!  I'm so excited!!  It was such a great feeling of accomplishment for both of us to do this HARD THING.  I kept hearing the Bishop in my head saying to the youth, "You can do hard things!"  It's totally true!  We can do hard things.  Our whole family did a lot of hard things this week and we are all better for it.

"Have a great run!"

This afternoon, I went to the district office to pick up my packet for the Allen Eagle 5K tomorrow.  They put the coolest stuff in this bag.  

My super cool t-shirt was in there, my official race number (I think they call it a bib), my timing chip that goes on my shoe, and about a million coupons!  I happily took my little bag and thanked all the people who were helping distribute them.  

And then, the very best part of my whole day happened.  As I was walking out of the office, the cute girl at the desk said, "Have a great run tomorrow!"  And she was talking to ME!  So, I think that officially makes me a runner!   Even if it doesn't, I'm going to pretend I'm a runner anyway tomorrow.  

SO excited!!

Mars and Venus

Remember that book Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus?

I think I read that years ago when it was so popular, but I honestly don't remember the details of it.  I mostly remember thinking that it was a great printed validation of things I had always suspected...men and women are totally different.

On Tuesday night, the Scout Master and a few of the YM leaders and boys were setting up their half of the gym for a Court of Honor, and I knew I would need some extra muscles to help get tables and chairs for New Beginnings, so I capitalized on my opportunity.  I had the Scout Master throw boxes of Christmas lights into my car, and I went to the church with him to see if I could get all those guys to help me set up my event, too.  We were right there in the other half of the gym anyway, and all I needed was 8 round tables and a few chairs (and two long tables, and a piano, and the couch from the foyer, and the ladder and boxes out of my car!) 

We happened to come in just as the 6th ward's Blue and Gold banquet was finishing, so we asked them to just leave their chairs and long tables out for us.  It was the easiest clean up for them and a SUPERFAST set up for the Court of Honor.  In about five minutes, all those scouts and leaders had about 60 chairs set up on the opposite side of the gym.  They added one long table and three flags and POOF! One Court of Honor...ready to go!

Since they were so speedy, I jumped in and asked if they would help me set up my event, too,  and they were more than happy to do that.  When the chairs and tables were set up, one of the other leaders asked if there was anything else he could help with.  And that's when I mentioned the big boxes in my car and the piano.  

Shep:  What's in these boxes?
Me:  A million white Christmas lights.  :)

As we walked through the boys' side of the gym, I said, "Shep, that's the difference between men and women.  You guys are minimal and direct.  We are decorated and fluffy."

And then he said the nicest thing..."And you guys make life worth living!"  

I loved that guy on Tuesday night.  He didn't complain one bit about all my crazy requests.  And I've met his adorable wife and seen their beautifully decorated and fluffy house and I realized he's totally right.  We need them to do the heavy lifting and setting up of things.  And they need us to soften it and make it all beautiful.  

Here's what their activity looked like on Wednesday night...

They had chairs, tables, and a few cookies for refreshments...everything they needed. 

Here's what our activity looked like...

It was the funniest thing to walk between the two sides of the gym and go from candle light and tablecloths to full fluorescent light and metal chairs.  Theirs was efficient and ours was fluffy.  But they were both amazing events.  All the youth who attended could feel the love and support of their leaders in both meetings.  The Spirit was in both rooms.  And the effort put forth for the scouts is equal to the effort put forth for the Young Women.  (I know that because I live with the guy putting forth all that effort!) 

I love that there are distinct differences between men and women.  We need efficient as much as we need fluffy, just like Shep said.  We need Mars as much as we need Venus.  And I love them both!