Joss & Main

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Intentional Design

As most of you know, my hubby and I have been in the process of rebuilding our furniture and redecorating our home. This process, well the thought part of it started 7 years ago when we got married. I used to daydream all day long about how I wanted our home to look. But the challenge I faced was that I was thrown off by the fact that we lived in military housing. This was not my idea of our forever home.

(Courtesy of www.eplans.com)
My idea of our forever home


Navy Housing on the Bangor Subase in Silverdale WA


Navy Housing in Groton, CT

Not my idea of a forever home.


I'm not really a fan of living "on top" of other people. I don't like hearing other people do their various activities. We like quietness and land. Because we're loud. Point blank WE. ARE. LOUD. We love to run and scream and make tons of noise!

Anyway, back on track. I have recently gotten into the art of making design boards for my home. It's been helping me get a better handle of what I would like to do to our home decor wise. So far I have the living room and our bedroom done. 

Most of you our there have heard of Photoshop Elements am I correct? Well, for those of you who have but aren't serious about taking the plunge, I have come across an online editing program thanks to Centsational Girl. It's called Pixlr and it's entirely free!! It's layout is very much like Photoshop Elements. So you can learn all about editing photos and creating lots and lots of fun artful projects on your own. Doing this will help you decide if the $80 price on Photoshop is worth it. 

But using this program here is what I've come up with. Let me know what you think.


Living Room


Master Bedroom

What do you all think so far? All the furniture my hubby Rich would make. And the couch and chair would come at a later date. We're trying to run our current pieces into the ground before purchasing more. I love the idea of both rooms. There is still room for improvement but let me know what you all think! More design boards to come!




Saturday, May 19, 2012

All Day I Dream About...SOCCER!!!

As a child was there anything that you were interested in? I mean like seriously interested in? I always wanted to be the Little Mermaid. No joke. I'm serious! Stop laughing, lol. I would wear a red sweater on my head and pretend that I was her. As I got older I realized that I wanted a fairytale life. 

As I'm here now watching my own children with their child dreams I take joy in watching them and remembering myself at that age. My son who is 6 is fixated with soccer at the moment. He likes golf too. But that's because his dad does. But he is IN LOVE with soccer.


Look at that face!! Absolute Pure Joy!! I love seeing my little man like this.

My daughters are in the dress up phase of their lives. They love to be princess'. The make up, jewelry and clothing is all they can get enough of. Yesterday my Lylian came up to me and told me "Mommy, I need glass slippers. We need to the store and you need to buy glass slippers for me." All I could do was laugh hysterically.


Lylian(above) also loves to swing. Every time we're outside she races to a swing. Any swing that's available she'll take it hostage and demand that one of us push her on the swing. It's adorable.

Back to Seamus. Ok I'm going to brag a little bit. It's wrong but I love him so much and I am so proud at how he has adapted to school becoming one of the best readers in his class and striving to be the best he can be at everything he tries. But I love this picture 


He looks like a little professional doesn't he? As long as he's happy and doesn't lose his interest and love for this sport we will back him all the way. 

That's all you can do really. Is love your kids isn't it? Raise them in Christ and love them unconditionally. That's what God does for us. No matter how we fail, or no matter how much of a lack of trust we may have He is there for us loving us through every step of the way. None of us are perfect. That's why He sent His son to die for us. John 3:16. Because as imperfect beings there is no way that we can be in His presence. God cannot tolerate sin. Because He is perfect. This is repetitive but NONE of us are perfect. "If any one of you  is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." John 8:7. This was in reference to a woman who was caught in the act of adultery. Back in Bible times that sin was punishable by death of stoning. Jesus stepped in and saved her. But we can love, as Christ loved us. As he loved that woman.  Like how we love our children. 



Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Table Completion!!

Da-du-da-Da!!!! We have finished our table!!!!! It is currently sitting in our eating area with it's two corresponding benches!! You have no idea how RELIEVED I am that this big project is done. It took roughly three weeks, a broken circular saw and a lot of warped boards to get this thing done.

This project was a total nightmare. I dreamt about it. I cried over it. And it turned me into a crazy monster. Of course while the building of this project was underway I was very, very pregnant. I was in my 8th month and I was impatient and extremely hormonal. I begged my husband, well nagged would be a better word, to finish. And all it did was drive him to practically hate the fact that he ever agreed to do this for me. Lesson learned I will not nag said husband anymore. Ok, this table is a monster piece. It's plans, found on Ana White, were modeled after Restoration Hardware's Farmhouse Table. Which is gorgeous by the way. I absolutely love their table. I love my table too. But there are things that I would have done differently. Who am I kidding? There are things I would have had my hubby do differently lol. Like I actually built this table. First I would have purchased my lumber elsewhere. I love the Orange Store, but framing lumber, which is what they sell, is not ideal for a project this size. Most of the pieces we purchased were warped or had staples and cracks in the wood. Second, for the legs of the tables and benches, I would have used plain 4x4's instead of two 2x4's. I think it would have looked a lot better. With that being said here are the completed pictures!!


Bench with some condensation


Slanted table top shot. One cost of stain on it.


Another table top shot


Condensation!!


Stretcher


Table in the house!!



Up close of the color







The crooked benches!! 


Condensation awaits



I think they came out great for the cost and for the condition of the wood. Keep tuned in for the next set of updates to our family home!! If anyone has any questions just let me know!!





Big baby

Right now, literally right now, I am sitting on my couch, feet up, beneath a blanket...breast feeding. That's right. I'm doing it one handed! Lately, that's all I feel like I've been doing. My fourth child is my biggest so far. He was born at 10lbs. 4oz. That's huge for me! My next heaviest baby was born at a whopping 7lbs. 6oz.



Feeding this miniature man is taking so much of my time. It feels like I'm feeding him 3 times an hour every other hour or so. Last night he ate two ounces from me, an entire four ounce bottle and another two ounces from me! Now he did lose a pound between being born and coming home. His doctor said that he was playing catch up. I doubt it. I think that he setting up shop to keep the milk rolling in so he can sell to his friends. :-)



One the other hand he is just so beautiful. Even if he legitimately eats like a horse. His silky dark brown hair, creamy skin and numerable fat rolls. I've never seen a newborn this size in all my life.