29 March 2012

small change.

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Our days are filled with routines, schedules, boxes, messy craft benches, lost jewelry pieces and baskets upon baskets of laundry. Slowly our books and toys are making their way to boxes in preparation for the big move. And as I prepare I look for the small changes in life. I've talked several times about balance and simplifying my life. These goals continue and there's no better time to purge than a move!

So I will continue to make small changes in my life. I will pass along those objects I don't need to simplify the home. I will finally get rid of all my jewelry supplies that I don't use. My closet will become condensed. I will recycle my piles of Vogue, Bon Appetit and Architectural Digest that have sat untouched for months. I will downsize my enormous book collection and finally pass along my text books from college. I will let the kids use my art supplies that have sat boxed in a corner since the day we moved in. And perhaps I'll pick up a paintbrush or those soft pastels and become inspired.

But in the mean time, I take baby steps with this small change.

And speaking of change, I've been thinking about incorporating more food posts into this blog. I would love to know your thoughts. I feel like I talk about food all the time, I love to cook and bake and we enjoy eating out. It's no secret we're foodies who also enjoy the spirits. We do own a restaurant! So, I thought I could talk a bit more about that experience. Drop me a note and let me know what you think.


little minds. big dreams.


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sometimes i wonder what these little minds think. do they dream of empty forests tucked away under a canopy of green. a vast floor covered in lilies and moss and sweet smells of nature. do they dream of big city skyscrapers reaching to endless heights. birds circling overhead a lonely park surrounded by buildings that hustle and bustle. cars and buses and trains dancing across lined streets filled with music of a city.

or do they dream of open fields with rolling hills of grass. an apple tree standing at the end of a white fence. the perfect spot for a game of tag. a place to climb and run and play. here there is time set aside for picnics and lazy day naps under a warm sun, blue sky and dreamy clouds. sometimes i wonder what these little minds think. big dreams. lost thoughts.

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linking up with Morgan for Small Style and Heather for Just Write

26 March 2012

bikes, trikes and lazy days.

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It is so good to be home. Our getaway to NYC and New Jersey was a blast, but it always feels so good coming home. When the kids found their way to our bed last night and this morning I couldn't have been happier. I held each one of them close and whispered how much we missed them. Today we are enjoying the sun, the cool air and catching up. I'm not thinking of the crazy month ahead, today I am only thinking of my little ones and enjoying every minute with them. We're riding our bikes and trikes, we're playing legos and games and reading lots of books since I have four days of reading with them to catch up on. And, in tradition with every trip Jon and I take, the kids get to go on a search to find the souvenirs we brought back for them.

I know I've been a little absent from the blog and the online world lately. I'm having a moment in my life where there are so many things on my plate I feel like it may tumble over! I'm looking forward to finishing my home tours post this week and sharing our trip with you next week. And we close on our house this Wednesday! I can't believe it. We're currently looking for temporary housing because we haven't found a home yet. It's definitely going to get interesting, but nothing our family can't candle. Well friends, I hope you enjoyed your weekend! I'm looking forward to a productive week here. Let the packing begin ;)


22 March 2012


Happy Spring Friends.

it's been busy around our house and i'm feeling a bit overwhelmed.
happy, but overwhelmed.

the home sold, nothing is packed, we move in a month, i have an art show i'm preparing for and jon and i will be out of town for a few days for a wedding. oh, and did i mention we don't have a home to move into yet? but enough complaining. this is my positive space and i wanted to share this picture i snapped today.

my parent's have the most amazing magnolia tree. it's branches stretch over the house and across the yard. the pink blossoms float in air against a bright blue backdrop. and in the distance you can smell the lake. fresh water walking across the street. and a sun setting over day.
this was the perfect ending to my night. now i head off to bed and wake to spend a long weekend just the two of us in the big city.

20 March 2012

driving in cars.


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today a car drove by our house while we played outside
windows down
music echoing across blades of grass.
a teenagers hair blowing in wind
the subtle scent of smoke lingering in laughter.

i remember those days.
driving in cars
windows down
lost in moments
surrounded by laughter
and the scent of smoke
always the scent of smoke
hidden in that wisp of hair
my blue jeans pocket
a fold in my t shirt.

linking up with just write today

19 March 2012

home tour. the boys room

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boys room

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The boy's room is an addition that we made to our home in 2008 in order to gain some more space. We converted a storage area that was above the garage into a bedroom. The boys have been sharing this room from the day Joshua moved out of the crib and into a big bed. When that day came we used the twin beds and matching dresser that Jon used when he was younger. Since it's on the small side I store books in bins under the beds and the toys go in a toy box at the end of Jonas' bed. The pictures are homemade masterpieces by the the boys that I put in Ikea frames and Jonas made the dream catcher from this tutorial.

This room may be tiny but it is overflowing with memories shared between the boys and our family. At our next home the boys will no longer share a room, and in a way it makes me sad. Over the years I have fallen in love with our bedtime routine. We have turned endless pages in a variety of books. Mom, dad, grandparents, sitters, friends, cousins, aunts, uncles and now Jonas and Josh have all read books here. When those lights go out there is a moment of bonding with my boys that I will forever cherish. Stories told of make believe lands, far far away where animals talk and dinosaurs fly. Stories told of my childhood, how we found Bailey and how mommy and daddy met. Many nights I have fallen asleep in bed with a child wrapped in my arms. Just the thought of those nights makes me smile. We have had camp outs on the floor, sheets hung from ceilings to build our castles and night time stars glowing on walls. We have sung songs in this room, danced like leaves in winter wind and jumped on beds with giggles flying all around.

It is time to take these memories, pack them in our boxes, tuck them in our bags and move them to a new home where we will add more and more to our collection.

You can check out Jessica's room tour here.

14 March 2012

tired days.

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sometimes, you just need to give into that tired feeling. let is consume you and take over. rather than fight the urge to take a nap, jump in bed and embrace the moment. snuggle with the kids and read some books, tell some stories and enjoy the hugs. i need to do this more often. it is such a wonderful feeling.

yesterday was a day when we were all tired. so tired that i needed that afternoon coffee to keep me going. so tired that the boys bickered from the moment jonas came home from school. over toys, over which star wars to play, over light sabers. perhaps packing everyone up to go out to dinner wasn't the best idea, but sometimes you just need to get out. i snapped these photos before we walked into the restaurant. my hands were already full with these little loves. jonas wanted to explore and insisted on bringing all his legos, jessica wanted to run and run and not hold my hand, and poor josh just wanted to cuddle with guy (his giraffe).

there must have been something in the air because as soon as we entered the restaurant everyone was happy smiles and listening ears. the boys colored star wars battles the entire time, jess colored on the menu and we chatted over our meal. it was a great night with my little loves. and when we came home jessica asked to go to bed and the boys were so good i let them watch a short show, which never happens on school nights.

i'm really looking forward to friday night when we can camp out on the living room floor, play games, eat popcorn and watch a movie! how's your week going so far? any big plans for the weekend?

linking up with mama loves papa for small style and mrs. stephanie t for little bits of happiness.

wordless {ish} wednesday.

look

today.
my heart jumped a beat.
my love grew and expanded to new roads
when i saw these two little ones
laugh. cuddle. whisper.

this love i feel captivates my mind
every day
to know such emotion can exist is a miracle
and children can take you there.

linking up with the Paper Mama,Parenting by Dummies, Project Alicia,And Then She Snapped, Jenni from the Blog, and Live and Love Outloud

13 March 2012

Jessica's Nursery Tour

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Considering that we are moving next month and I just started packing, I thought it was appropriate to finally do some home tour posts. I have more prints/paintings to go on the walls but we kept our house simple while it was on the market. I am so excited to create a new nursery, or rather a little girls room, at our next house! But I will miss this room and the memories that it holds. Not only is it Jessica's space, but it was the nursery for all of my children. The blue walls remain from Jonas and we decided not to paint when Jess arrived, because frankly we were so tired of painting, but her next room (and all our rooms) will be white.

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Most of the artwork is from local artists or pieces that I pick up when we travel. Several of the stuffed animals in Jess' room were hand me downs that my mom and grandma made, the star on the changing table was a gift from our relatives in Spain, a couple of the dolls are from blabla the organic bunny is from here. I found the hanging birds at a little store in Bernard, Maine but I know you can also get them at Land of Nod.

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The rocking chair was a hand me down from Josh and my parents had it reupholstered as a baby gift. The white table was a thrift find I painted. The lion pillow is from Anthropologie and the bird pillow from Joom.

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The lamp and wood bowl for books are both from Target and a vintage tin holds bows and hair clips. Vintage Peter Rabbit bank. The bird cage came from Tj Maxx and I painted it white, the paper bird was a gift from Red or Gray Art, Matryoshka doll from World Market, vintage glass deer, books from my childhood and an elephant from Telluride, Colorado.

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Mostly vintage cloths, moccasins from Squirrel Island, Maine, a table made by my grandfather, which I then repainted for Jess. Flower and owl hooks from Urban Outfitters, blocks c/o Wild Dill, owls handmade by myself.

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Star Mobile: Lil Sprout Creations
Flowerburst Print: from Yumi Yumi
Bubble Gum Llama print: local artist
Girl with balloons painting: La Belle Avenue
Painted rocking chair: local artist, purchased at an auction
Fauna Kuma bear: from the Chicago Art Institute
bedding: found online but was unavailable. this local store located it and ordered it for me. i was grateful for their help!

We have built so many memories in this space. Jonas had many sleepless nights filled with rocking and singing. We swayed to music that softly played, I gently placed him down and tip toed out of the room night after night. The walls have been colored on by crayons and markers, cleaned and colored on again. We still laugh about the time when Joshua climbed out of his crib and walked over to the door and called downstairs. And it still scares us to think that the very next morning he fell out of the crib. Babies grew into big beds here while we could hear feet pitter patter down the hallway to freedom. Eventually, we outgrew this room and expanded to the next to add a room for Jonas and Josh. Every night I walk through Jessica's room and tuck her in, kiss her head and give her bunny. I walk through to the next room and tuck in my boys, sometimes pick them off the floor or turn them around the right way. I love this routine. My children tucked away in their little wing, where whispers travel across beds, and laughter rolls out of the crib to the boy's ears. When I hear those giggles I smile. I always smile. And it's these memories that I will take with me to our new home.

I'm looking forward to sharing more photos and memories of our home. Let me know if you have any questions! I'm happy to answer.
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