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.

dear blog,

It's been one month since my last entry. don't be mad. I'd like to say it's because I've been busy, but not really. I've been ignoring you. We unplugged, you know, and although I did not include you in the official "unplugging", things just worked out that you were horribly and sadly left in the dusty corner of all things put aside. You were in good company...waiting patiently with American Idol and Emily Henderson. You have valiantly sacrificed your hunger for domestic attention in order to reconnect a family in need. Thank you, dear blog.

Here, I'll feed you with a few project pictures. yummy:

Ignorance no longer, poor, sad, blog.

there, there. it's all over.

I'm here.

Dani's room.

Dani's awesome, and she turns twelve next month. This combination of coolness means two things...I'm old, and she deserves a monumental celebration! because she's awesome.

Since this is the Year of the House (and the Year of Good Health, and the Year of the Good Read, and the Perfect Sunday Roast, and Cheeescake) we decided to put our generous give-backs from the United States government (aka tax return) towards a new bed room for Dani.

It's needed. She deserves a cool place, to be cool.

I tried to come up with a plan for Dani's room by myself but soon realized I needed help to reach the level of greatness we were trying to achieve, so I asked Autumn, because she is awesome too, and she has been a huge part of our Year of the House so far. I knew she'd make it great. And she so totally did.

Here is what I sent her as our inspiration:

{Premier Prints via fabric.com}

{target.com}

{Beauty Will Save the World by Raceytay

found via Creature Comforts}

Dani loves giraffes, and the owl lamp, and purple - and I loved this color inspiration - and Autumn turned it into pure awesomeness.

Dani is very crafty and has needed TONS more storage space, and Autumn gave her that with all the shelves and bookcases. And all these pieces are grown up enough that Dani can take it all with her when she leaves home {I'm told that happens. they leave. eventually. sniff}.

So we're painting today, and buying a bed tomorrow, and waiting for Uncle Sam to deliver the rest.

I'm super excited. I mean, Dani's excited. It's all for Dani. My addiction to beautiful design and my desire to change everything this year has nothing to do with it. It's not about me. It's about the children.

We're both pretty excited.

good day.

Monster House.

happy october.

a yellow house.

We've been planning on building a house for about...well...10 years now. We get close, and then decide to rent. We find plans and talk to builders, and then decide to buy. The market, the timing, the details, etc.

But we're close. I can feel it. It's just a matter of selling this house, really. Crossing my fingers.

So I've been looking through the humongo house notebook, finalizing how I want our new house to feel. That's important, to know this before we build it. These are a few pictures I've saved; "the feel".





Yes, that is Superman talking in his kitchen with Lex Luthor. Because ultimately I want the Kent Farm.

I want old, but new. White, but colorful. Bright and open. Practical and totally not put together on purpose.

A drinking fountain on the side porch, double ovens, a huge island and a conversation nook in the kitchen, an herb ledge above the sink, books and pillows, benches, windows windows windows, window seats, a kids craft closet with pipe cleaners and bubble wrap, pictures that make no perfect sense, words on every wall, and a green door. Somewhere. A green door somewhere.

Am I asking too much? Does the dream home really exist? It probably will be a little more practical than painted wood floors and a tiny frigidaire, but not totally put together. A place our kids can tell their kids about.

Hmmm.

And I'm pretty sure I want it to be yellow.



I'm sorry I don't remember where all the pictures came from. If I do remember, it's linked to it's bloggy source.