Dani's room.

Remember this? This is the plan Autumn Clemons put together for Dani's room. Asking Autumn for help was the smartest thing I did in this room. (She has helped me with our entire downstairs, too. I'll show you those later. Awesome.)

Well, we're done (almost). I still need to add a few little details that Dani could care less about (like a bigger bookcase and ruffles and pillows and knobs, and pictures in the empty frames - you know...candy).

Autumn made this project really easy for me...she listed everything very clearly - where to get it, how much it cost, and why she chose it. So in case I couldn't get that exact item, I knew what to look for - matching the scale and colors, etc. There are only a few things we had to compromise on because of unavailability (like the awesome stainless steel desk from IKEA, blah). But the compromises still work.

I had her shelves all clean and organized once upon a time, in a far away land, but then she moved her stuff in. I kept sneaking in and rearranging everything, but she kept rearranging it back. So I backed off. It's her room, not mine. It's not my room. This is not my room. Hers. not mine.

let it go.

Dani and I made the headboard. I think it's pretty amazing. I took pictures along the way to show you how we did it, but I'm really not sure how it all came together. It was kind of a miracle. I didn't realize I didn't put the last row of buttons on until it was on the wall, and I'm not taking it down...and don't let that lead you to ask me how it's mounted to the wall (Dani is totally safe, but it's not pretty). There will be no tutorial on that one. I used the power tools before Conan came home and told him not to look closely. I got the "eyebrow". Code: unauthorized power tool usage. bad.

The chalkboard wall has been the biggest hit. It was well seasoned at Dani's birthday party...which deserves the mention: No, she does not love Dmitriy. You're welcome for pointing that out Dani. Because I know all the 6th grade reads my blog.

The peace sign is my favorite (found at Home Goods for $5). And that's Dani's mini apartment she made out of her cardboard stash. Okay, I'll show you around. It's awesome:

Yup, that's a toilet, and a shower curtain. And you can't even see the toilet paper roll.

So, Dani's room is now officially awesome to match the girl. Conan and I like to sit in there and talk all night, it's so nice. Then Dani comes in and kicks us out. Just kidding, she asks for us to leave very nicely. Just kidding, she wants me to stay in her room FOR-EV-ER.

Thank you Autumn!

And thank you, Dani, for being so wonderful. I love you.

I love this fabric.

{White Tail. Lewis and Sharon Textile Co.}

It now lives in our office.

And it's very happy there.

time to plant.

We decided to put building our house on hold and stay here for awhile. The market just wasn't cooperating. blah.

Every time we've tried to build, it just hasn't worked out. Not the right time, not the right budget, not the right economy, etc. So everywhere we've lived has been just a stepping stone till we build on the land.

When we live on the land, that's when all our dreams will come true.

I have a binder full of house dreams. It's 10 years full of ideas and wants and wishes, just waiting for "the house". The hardest part of putting "the house" on hold...again...was putting my binder away...again. Back to temporary living. Until my wise (and handsome) husband said to me, "Why can't you have those things now? What are you waiting for? Go through your notebook and make it happen where you are."

He's so smart. I've just been waiting, not seeing. Not planting.

So the first thing we've done is put in our garden!! Hooray!

4 raised cedar boxes for vegetables and herbs, 2 long rows of 24 blackberry and raspberry bushes (that's right, 24. I'll make you a cobbler), and 4 blueberry bushes. And they look lovely in our fenced in neighborhood not-the-land back yard.

The rest of the house is coming...slowly. That's where I've been: lost in the huge world of design, and my notebook.

In the mean time, I'm enjoying where I'm planted.

Just waiting for berries.

My sister's amazing Tangled party.

My sister is amazing at everything, but today we're talking about her parties.

Namely, this one.

I'm not even going to post pictures so you have to go over and see them all...because then you'll see not only the adorable invitations, but the giant yellow braid hanging out her second story window, and that same braid strewn all over the entire house until it ends up in a very awesome home-made Tangled Tower.

And you'll also see the incredible Floating Lanterns mural she painted that I want in my living room.

And the Snuggly Duckling menu, served in frying pans.

And the treasure hunt for the missing satchel.

And the frying pan shrinky dinks.

And the hidden Royal Sun paintings.

And THE CAKE!!! yup. for real.

And then I kind of cried as they all let their biodegradable yellow lanterns float into the sky.

And she's funny, too. Read it.

She has a crush on Flynn Rider. Like for real.

She makes magic for her kids. I love her.

Happy Tomatoes.

I have this tomato print {found on Etsy} hanging above my sink. It has become the perfect place for me to organize mealtime.

I don't like making the same thing for dinner over and over. I get bored easily and I want my family to eat good food, so I try new things a lot. Dinner time can be hectic, so I have a system.

The Happy Tomatoes.

I have a great collection of cookbooks (I love them), a binder with recipes I've ripped out of Food Network Magazine, a nice array of online recipe boxes from various websites, and food blogs bookmarked like crazy. These are my resources...plenty of them.

Every two weeks I make a new menu. I pick just one resource...one cookbook, or my binder, or a website, etc. This way I know where to find each recipe and I don't confuse myself.

Then I spend an hour or so picking out around 10 good recipes. I write them down (with a dry erase marker) on the happy tomatoes, and then right down all the ingredients I need on my grocery list. I try to find recipes with similar ingredients, to save money and not waste anything.

Then I pick 3-4 "flex" recipes from my head. You know, the easy quick ones you always remember. The ones you can whip together at the last minute.

I put a little circle by the recipes with the ingredients that will go bad quickly, so I remember to make those first (not pictured. I was lazy this week). There's nothing worse than buying green peppers just to throw them away a week later. ugh.

In the top right hand corner I write down some side dish ideas.

The bottom right is dessert, snack ideas.

So while I'm standing over the sink snarfing down a brownie after breakfast, I can choose what to make for dinner and I know I have the ingredients for it. I have a variety of recipes to choose from (which is good, I like choices...I might not feel like having Italian on Tuesday, or Pizza on Friday. Sometimes I want Rigatoni on Mexican Monday...you know? variety.), I know exactly where to find the recipe, and I can prep anything I know I'll need for the 5:00 dinner rush.

I'm happy.

My family's happy.

We have Happy Tomatoes.