Harvest

We are full swing into harvest, and sometimes I still can’t believe that a short time ago, I didn’t know the difference between a tractor and a combine. Gosh, I wasn’t even positive when harvest was!

Back when I was completely naïve to the entire concept of farming, I thought working outside all day didn’t sound too bad. I’m even going to tell you that I once said that I could catch a nice tan on top of the combine. Don’t worry, I now know that the only “tan” I would catch would be a thick layer of dust and wheat chaff!

I have come a long way since then, but occasionally, the Zsa Zsa Gabor in me comes out. I had a Green Acres moment this spring while riding with my farmer and son in a tractor. I noticed a nifty roller shade on the windshield, and commented, “This is nice, is it new?”

I got the “you’ve got to be kidding me!” look. Then, he said, “Jill, the whole tractor is new!”

Oh well, they still all sorta look the same to me :s

Enuf

Enough.
Am I a good enough mom?
Am I a good enough Christian?
Am I a good enough wife?
Am I a good enough friend?
Am I a good enough employee?
Am I a good enough daughter, sister, cousin, niece?

Everything to everyone. It cannot be done.


Pressure.
Pressure to be distinguished, successful, professional.
Pressure to make a good living.
Pressure to be a wonderful cook, meticulous housekeeper, efficient manager of the household, crucial farm help.
Pressure to keep up with the Joneses.
Pressure to be cool and humble, amusing and serious, sincere and comedic, open-minded and discerning, gracious and aggressive, practical and visionary, creative and productive, stern and loving, willing to try new things and stick to personal morals, flexible and intentional, be content and reach for the stars.


Know your limits.
and
Learn to say “No.”
but
Say “Yes” when it really counts.

Vocabulary Lesson from a 1-year-old

This post is coming straight from my brag bag. My son has a constantly expanding vocabulary. He’s got the basic “dada” and “mama” words down, but he also has his own enunciation that I find particularly cute. As you read, say his pronunciations aloud and I promise you’ll have way more fun:)

“zoos”= shoes
“zeus”= juice
“zeesh”= teeth
“zoosh”= toothbrush

Here's his cousin and him brushing their teeth.  She calls 'brushing your teeth' "ABC's" because that's what her mom sings while she brushes!

“tglglglglglglglglgl”= tickle tickle
“told” (while shivering)= cold
“taaaark-uh” with a scared-shudder= dark
“tote”= coat
“aminal”= animal
“Maaaa-ma”= Grandma
“Papa”= Grandpa
“Bun”= Brad (just like his cousins say)
“nana”= banana
“nana”= Anna
“LaLa”= Kaia
“Ki-yee”= Kaia
“Ki-yee= Kiley
“Zi-Zi”= Cindy (his daycare provider)
“boxsand”= sandbox
“key”= kitty
“key”= Claire
“Bob”= Bob
“baba”= Barney
“baba”= baby
“baba”= bubble
“baba”= bye-bye
“Ommm”= home
“ous”= ouch
“ous”= house
“Ugg”= hug
“Hotzzzz”= hot
“caw”= car
“sinksies…ewwwww!”= stinkies
“no”= no (He’s really good at that word)
“S”= yes
“mo” (while signing the gesture for “more”)= more please
“thunkque”= thank you
“wa-wa” water
“simmy”= swimming

“biper”= diaper
“awsh”= wash
“bash”= bath
“kack-kack-kack”= quack quack
“kack-ka”= cracker

“Ha!”= Hi

“trat-toe”= tractor

“sidseer”= skid steer

“chuck”= truck

“wawn-wowa”= lawn mower

“wowa”= flower
“mocicin”= medicine
“booooook”= book

“banquette”= blanket

“waaaaining”= raining (It does that a lot around here)

“la-LA-la”= I love you

“Mama….doe?”= Where did Mom go?

[panting heavily] = the answer to “What does the dog say?”

[Gasp!]= Gasp!

Blogs & Coffee

http://madebygirl.com/product.php?sku=PR-63

Two of summer's guilty pleasures

Italian Sodas made with 3 simple ingredients: Archer Farms Italian soda from Target (It comes in a lot of yummy flavors, like Strawberry Pomegranate and Blood Orange), whipped cream, and ice.  Yum-O!

And, this frozen treat:

Dark chocolate-covered banana slices.  Heaven!  My friend brought these to work one day (You know how it goes- somebody brings food to share at work and suddenly everyone transforms into vultures!).  I had to run right to Sam's Club to get a box. 

Bonus: each treat is only 100 calories per serving!

Luxury

In keeping with the theme of my last post-


[“Wait!” you say, “There was a theme to your last post?! Was it interior design, or flooding, or materialistic people, or remodeling? I couldn’t tell because you were jumping all over the place, Jill!”
Okay, I’m sorry. I’ll try to stay on track this time.]


In keeping with ONE of the themes of my last post, life on the farm just got a little more comfortable last week. We had central air conditioning and a driveway installed. Two things that we considered luxuries up until recently.

So exciting!

Here is my dad and J installing pavers and prepping the ground...

 It is a work in progress (like most things around here), but definitely an improvement!

Here is my cousin and my baby last July trying to cool off in front of the fan during a heat wave…

…and this is us now…

Just kidding! I got this picture as a forward and I have no idea whose dog this is, but it does look just like our friends’ dog, Stella. And I can picture Stella doing this, too!

Material Girl

I dealt with a personal struggle of materialism after a design consultation with a client regarding her kitchen remodel. She lived in what I thought was an already beautiful home that was about to receive a complete overhaul, and I was there to help her plan her new kitchen. This project is a designer’s dream, with budget-less, tasteful, and personable clients.

This remodel was also obviously the homeowner’s dream, because they were making the home their own, with their own personal flare and style. The timing was right for them, and they were bursting with excitement to get the remodel started.

But, while I was in their home discussing the plan and the scope of their project, all I could think about was my brother who lost his home in the flood. For him, at that point, it was a necessity to have a place to live, rather than a desire to make [what some would consider] unnecessary changes to an already-functional house. This is an example of two families who were at different places in their life with different priorities at the time.

 

I was reminded of an argument that took place with a friend in college regarding the “lack-of-importance and purpose” of my interior design degree compared to his “highly-acclaimed” engineering one. I somewhat understood where he was coming from; I was not going to be a teacher, or a doctor, or a police officer, or anything that he considered “vital” to humanity. Even though I give those professionals (and many more) all the credit in the world for the work that they do, I still defended myself and my profession during that conversation.

Ever since my brother has experienced his loss, I have had to remind myself of my purpose again while at work. Yes, my job can be materialistic and lighthearted sometimes, but that is one of the things that make it so enjoyable. It is also fun to be creative and help clients make their home into their very own sanctuary. Decorating and personalizing a home can invoke different feelings, and I want my clients to have good emotions and reactions when spending time at home.

In addition to aesthetic aspects of design, I can help to make their home safer and more efficient. As an interior designer, I guide my clients towards making the right decisions based on my product knowledge and experience. Designer friends, feel free to add your thoughts and memories!

And regarding flooding, fires, and all other disasters that can occur, I also help people replace materials lost during those situations. I love it when, after the initial reactions to damages, homeowners can see them as “blessings in disguises” if they end up with a home even more beautiful than what they started with.

 

Maybe my college friend was trying to get me to stick up for myself, and maybe that argument was another “blessing in disguise,” because it made me realize a PURPOSE for my own personal career path.  And that's a good thing, because I love design!

Note: These pictures are not specific to the topics of this blog post, they are merely representations of my past work.