A tree fell on my house; or I'm thankful for Martha Stewart

Some things are expected when you move, some are not. We expected to be tired, have many projects to do, to be overwhelmed and to help our boys adjust to our new surroundings. We did not, however, expect to wake up 5 days into our new home to a neighbors 40 year old, huge pine tree ripping into our roof and leaning into our boys bathroom ceiling. The fallout (ha, ha) from the tree in our house has been blessedly the best case scenario. Yes, the bathroom ceiling has two gaping holes and there is a tarp on our roof, now covered in icicles. But the tree really fell on the right place, not into my sleeping boys bedroom next door. It didn't hit any utilities, and while a roof truss is broken, nothing is seriously damaged. A testament to a strong 1971 home, and we believe angels sent from above.

So, now our moving in is shifted for a while from decorating to surviving and repairing. I'd rather be spending my money on painting and flooring instead of a large home owners deductible, but we are safe and sound. I mentioned in my last post that I was loving Martha Stewart's paint line from Home Depot. This is still true, even more so now. I have simple, hopeful vinegettes around my chaotic, box filled home. I have a paint chip sitting in my laundry room bath (Brook Trout) next to a perfect vintage frame I found in my own Funky Junk collection that daily mirrors my tired face. Martha's amazing foam floor mat is sitting in the entry between my laundry room and kitchen reminding me that my kitchen's 70's era chipping, dirty linoleum is not forever. And I brought over our little orange and ghost pumpkins and found homes for them, some nestled on our rock fireplace (which can grow moss, we hear, if sprayed with water!), looking forward to the day I can paint all the walls the delicious colors I choose.

I'm cultivating thankfulness this week because it is the times when things are the hardest that need that we need this spirit the most. So follows my thankful list:
~Even though we are still trying to sell our old home, I'm grateful for the opportunity to even have attempted and purchased this amazing home we now live in. And while I do not like shoveling two driveways, I'm grateful for our old neighbors who used their snow blower to make a path for prospective buyers. And as a bonus, the snow covered the mass amount of pine needles still on the ground at our new home.
~That even though our bathroom floor is still wood sub-floor since removing the disturbing carpet, it's a floor I couldn't ruin while dying my roots this morning.
~The waiting time for projects and repairs to even get started and the visual chaos of my home right now has pushed me to rest in what is important. Like my husband has a good job. Like we have health insurance. Like my sweet little boys who have thanked me often this week.
~Though I am out scraping snow off of my banged up, in need of tuning up and snow tires Odyssey in sub-zero temperatures this week because our garage is still filled with moving boxes, for goodness sake we have two working, serviceable vehicles and the money for gas to run them!!!
~Though our old houses neighborhood has way prettier snow, two doors down from this house is some of our (amazing) dear friends and their children who are my boys close friends. And what am I complaining about, there are Christmas-like trees lining our back yard for me to gaze out our picture window at when I'm in need of cheering up.
~Even with our two exhausting weekends of moving (and numerous small trips before and still now) I am ever thankful for our growth group and church friends from Whitworth Presbyterian and for all of my immediate family who has made our move even possible, and sometimes fun!!

So, if we harvest what we cultivate I should be in good shape today, I am blessed beyond measure. Happy Thanksgiving to all of my blogger, facebook and virtual world friends; may grace and blessings be poured into your lives this season! Love, Hollie

Welcome Home to the 70's or I love Martha Stewart

This week marks a momentous occasion for my family. We are moving from our home of 11 years (exactly!) into a home built right between the years my husband and I entered this world. Our three little boys have only known this house we live in (and still own, though really want to sell) and are about to have a radical life change. We're just moving across town, from east to west. But we're moving into a home 30 years older than the one we've been living in for the past decade.

My husband and I had no desire to move. We knew how much work it would be to pack up our house, much less to actually move. When our friends pointed out that the house two doors down was available, we were intrigued. Which was weird, because of our complete lack of desire to move, even into this coveted neighborhood. But as we investigated, we discovered that we had found our next home. So the crazy plan to get our house ready for a For Sale sign ensued. It took many backbreaking days of packing up, POD-ing our stuff and finishing projects, but we did it just in time for Labor Day. And then we offered on our house to be. There was much drama with offering, almost losing our house to another bid, reoffering, financing and constant prayer to produce a miracle.

We have our new "old" home. And we still have our old "new" home. Wow, living the American Dream. While we wait anxiously (most days), we are still strangely and completely at peace waiting to sell. And making our 70's house move in ready has become another full time job. My husband has labored away painting the popcorn (read:asbestos) ceilings to seal them as best we can for the time being. We had a contractor newly sheetrock and carpet our boys rooms and new (amazing and huge!) playroom just because our boys will be boys. And while he was at it, we asked to add fans to our bathrooms. Just because I'm OCD that way. Don't get me started on the carpet in our master bath. It WILL be gone by Thursday.

But I got to do some of the fun redoing and revamping this week. My sister and I recently went and picked out paint samples. I've been very drawn to the Martha Stewart palette of colors at Home Depot. I love all sorts of paint types and brands and colors, but this year, her color line completely goes with the vintage and retro reality that I will soon be moving into. I'm very much in love with "Bone Folder" this week, a creamy off white that my sister choose for my much in need of painting laundry room. I'm looking at Brook Trout (brown) for the above flower child bathroom and cannot wait to hold up as many luscious Martha color samples as I want when I move in in just a few days.

This is what is fun about the medium fixer upper with really good bones that is our home. Mostly there are just cosmetic changes, things we can easily handle, bit by bit. Some things I can live with. For awhile. Some I made emphatically clear to my bewildered husband: I CAN NOT! He has found a great new line this week, and I quote: "Whatever you want to do." Music to my ears! Here I come Home Depot!

Minneapolis Memories & Creative Connections

How do you sum up one of the most amazing trips you've ever had the chance to take? I'm not sure how. Which is why it's been a month since I've even attempted to condense my Creative Connection Event into a simple blog. When you get back from a trip one of the best things is reliving the adventure; through pictures and souveniers and story telling. I've been doing that for a month now and still the event sticks with me.
So, what was so cool and unforgettable about this event? The gathering, the staggering amount of creative presenters, the city, the classes, traveling with my mom and my friend, the friends from home who were there, the new friends made?....yes. I'd go back in a second, and need to start saving for next year so that I can feel the love all over again. I'll leave you with some of my favorite memories:

~My scrapbook journal class with Jenni Bowlin-I'm going to copy my mom and use my old book journal for my trip pictures. Love, love Jenni Bowlin-vintage and scrapbooking, and a she's a really nice person, what's not to love!!
~Junk Bonanza. Two days in a row. I think I've made it clear that it was love at first sight. I love my t-shirts and wear them constantly. And I got to meet Heather Bullard and Ki Nassauer in real life-love Flea Market Style!
~Getting to know some people from our little corner of the world Eastern Washington/North Idaho better: Rolane, Holly, Becky, Lisa, Virginia, Elaine, Kelly(the Western Wash. crew too - Timi, Amber, Tippy, Tiffany!!) All really super talented, fun and nice girls!
~Shopping in the Handmade Market and meeting the artists in person-some very cute and unique items in my life came from that room.
~The handmade/creative world celeb sightings-daily!! So much fun to see so many talented, self made, successful and creative women in one place at one time! I admit to being quite star struck most of the weekend. (This includes our very own Celeste and Serena!)
~Sewing my own potholder project; I didn't think I could do it. I had the best tablemates who shared everything with unprepared me and talked and walked me through the whole thing! Now to finish them...
~My glittery crown I made. I learned I have a lot to learn about real glass glitter application, but it still turned out super cool and reminds me of my sparkly trip every day.
~Finding Diet Coke. Apparently Minneapolis is a Pepsi city, or so it appeared to me and those other Coke product devotees.
~The two story Target. Love my Target. We were in the land of Target and it did not disappoint. I mean come on, a cart-escalator. I think I don't need to say anymore. Well, I did also buy a super cute black dress there too.
~Taking care of myself. As a stay at home mom, a job that I love and have always wanted, pretty much can suck the life out of me some days. So to be in a place, on a trip, for 5 days straight and only have to make big decisions like "what do I want to wear?" and "I could actually wear some makeup today" was so refreshing. I came home rested and renewed.

I can tell I had a great time, there must be twenty exlamation points in this blog. Eating, laughing, playing, creating...ahhhh. Thank you Creative Connection Event for putting a spring back in this girl's steps and reintroducing me to me.

PIck a Pumpkin Patch

We said we were going, even though two out of the three boys were a bit under the weather (which turned out to be full blown stomach flu for three of the boys plus me by Sunday). So we went. Our annual pumpkin patch trip was only going to fit on this weekend, and the hero of the day turned out to be Daddy! Super Mark really came through for us; even packing lunches to fuel our pumpkin picking fire (and so that there would be no meltdowns mid-patch).

We went to our favorite family pumpkin patch up on Greenbluff, WA, just north of Spokane. This is sad, because we've gone there for 8 years straight now, but I cannot remember the name of said patch. I know. But it's the patch just past the church and grange, on the left, and it fits us perfectly. Our patch has a little (free!) tractor/trailer hay ride that takes you back to the back forty pumpkin patches; has raspberry plants to pick from (cheap!); sports a tiny toddler size hay bale maze (free again!)which included chickens for the children to chase; and plenty of home grown produce and assorted gourds and pumpkins in full bins to conveniently choose from when you check out (at which point we are usually all spent from our hour of fall frolic).

Well, to condense this, Haden suggests a three point list: (from Haden, age 7)
1. First we went to the pumpkin patch. We rode the tractor and we all picked out one. I picked out a misshapen one, Liam picked out a medium sized one and Finn picked one that was small. We saw all sorts of different shapes and sizes of pumpkins. We saw even bigger ones than we had picked.
2. Then when the hay ride came back we rode back on it to the place that you can buy stuff. We got some squash and weighed our pumpkins. Then we went to the car to put our pumpkins back in.
3. We then went back, and got a container to pick raspberries in. (Side note: I, Mommy really, really liked the yellow and white vintage carriers we got to tote!) We picked alot of raspberries, we filled the whole container, it was just a $1.29. That's all.

On the way home we stopped by Cole's Orchard to pick up some organically grown apples for my little guys and spied some huge carrots and awesome old apple crates. When we got home I told the boys I was "borrowing" all of their pumpkins to sell our house (read: staging), hence the pictures of my humble natural displays.

A beautiful day in one of the most beautiful areas around with the most beautiful little boys and big boy to boot.