This beauty comes with a story

And the story goes like this:

Supposedly, when my parents first toured my brother and sister-in-law's home, everyone commented that I would looove the chandelier that hung in their dining room.  And, supposedly, my brother and sister-in-law said, "She can have it!  It's not our style."

Then, when I got the house tour, sure enough, the chandelier was the first thing I noticed.  And, of course, I said, "I looove this!"  

Here it is hanging in their dining room the day we finished painting their built-in hutch:




About a week later, that very same house filled with flood water up to the lowest hanging crystal on this very same chandelier.  In the aftermath of the flood, return visits were made to the house to assess the damage and gut it down to the studs.  Of course, I didn't give the chandelier a second thought, because we were all heartbroken after the disaster. 

Then, to my surprise, my parents and brother (being the handy electrician that he is) removed it and delivered it to me to be "rehabilitated" and re-used.

Now, thanks to a can of spray paint, new candelabra bulbs and some help from my dad it looks like this...

Here it is with the lights on.  Please forgive the quality of these photos; I am a designer, not a photographer.

T & C, thank you so much.  I do looove it!

Him

I must write this down,
To keep a record of his little “things,”
because time…
It goes so fast,
And I fear I’ll forget all of his idiosyncrasies.
The things that make him him.

He, on the other hand,
Does not forget a thing.

Like when I bend over and he thinks I’m about to give him a horsey ride on my back, because I’ve done it once before.

Or when we bring him into bed to snuggle in the morning and he points out all of the parts of our faces while cuddling next to us.

And he knows that "Bucky Puppy" lives at Bumpa and Gamma’s house.

He calls attention to every kind of vehicle he sees while riding in the car.

And he announces, "Home!" when we turn down our road.


He remembers the talk we had the day he bit his friend at daycare, and now he says, “Parker…niiiice…hug…”

He loves listing groups of people...and don't leave anyone out! - "Emmie, Gus, Kaia....Bob!"

This guy cracks me up all the time,

And he is sweet as pie,
And boy all-the-way,
And sharper than a tack,

And the spitting image of my “hubs.”



If he wants to watch TV, he points at the television and says, “News!” since that's what daddy watches.

He says “Sarah” as if he’s speaking Espanol by rolling the “r” authentically like: “Sadddrah.”

He takes my face in his two chubby hands so I look him the eye when he thinks I am not paying attention to him.

...And his ever-expanding vocabulary:

Bawsterries = strawberries

Pick-uck = pick-up

Goes! = There he goes!

Ready?...Go! = Ready, Set, Go!

Pontz = pants

Dason = Daddy

Boos Coos = Blue’s Clues

Poot = (just guess…)

Pudge = Paige

Bus-us = school bus

Pairs = prayers

Deesus = Jesus

Shhhh! = church

Hoss = horse

Pzaa = pizza

Vas es das? = What is that?

La la la la la Elmo’s sock = La la la Elmo’s Song

Wock-ock = washcloth

Choo choo chain = choo choo train

And there are a couple of multi-syllable words that I am amazed he can enunciate so perfectly:
Applesauce
Soccerball
Halloween

That's him. That's my boy.

What to do, what to do???

Creative friends, what should I do with these? 

I am stumped, so I am thisclose to sending them to my sister-in-law since, after all, they are from her grandparents' home. 

They must be glass inserts from an old door or something.  Each is approximately six inches wide and twelve inches high. 


Ready [to brainstorm]?
Set...
Go!

Available by request...

Stuck in Colder Weather

Instead of mourning the loss of my favorite season, SUMMER, I am going stay positive and remember one of my favorite things about colder weather:

Scarves!

Mine are washed up and ready to go.  How 'bout yours?  Please enjoy these scarf-tying tutorials on this website.

R.I.P.

My favorite shoes...

...and the heel is broken beyond repair :(

[silent tears]

Any normal person would not waste time writing about this, but I want to take this opportunity to give a shout-out to some of my favorite places: the shoe repair shops.

I have brought many-a-shoe into the shoe repair shop at West Acres, and for next-to-nothing they have replaced heels, straps, laces, snaps, and soles galore.  Imagine my delight when I patroned a similar place now closer to home in GF!

[Insert happy face...
then, insert sad face]

Unfortunately, these red beauties are unable to be fixed, so into the burn barrel they go.  I'm going to take this as a sign that since I am pushing thirty, four-inch heals are not advised AND the boney-bump-growing-on-my big-toe-that-I-am-convinced-is-a-bunion-that-I'll-eventually-need-surgery-for is an indication of that.

How do ya like them apples?

This marks the first fall that we have truly appreciated the fruits of our very own apple tree. 

I am sorry to say that it has been ignored and neglected up until this August when Little L noticed all the "ap-pohs" laying in the grass.  He was so excited, so we got a bowl and picked apples until it was heaping full, and L has been eating ap-pohs (right down to the stem) for breakfast, lunch and dinner ever since!

 
Daddy came home from work to a special treat of warm apple crisp and ice cream. 
 

Here is the recipe that I received from a dear friend and former co-worker:

 

Apple Crisp

1 C. all-purpose flour

3/4 C. rolled oats

1 C. packed brown sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 C. butter or margarine, softened

4 C. chopped, peeled apples

1 C. sugar

2 T. cornstarch

1 C. water

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Plus, my friend adds nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice.

 

In a bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  Cut in butter until crumbly.  Press half of mixture into a greased 9" square baking pan.  Cover with apples.  In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, water, and vanilla; cook and stir until thick and clear.  Pour over apples.  Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture.  Bake at 350-degrees for about 1 hour or until apples are tender.

 

There is something very satisfying about making homemade goodies grown from your own soil with your own hands.  This year, after so much rain delayed the planting season, we did not have a garden besides a couple of tomato plants.  I am still hoping that there will be enough tomatoes for homemade salsa!