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October 16, 2009

we are on day three of no school…in the middle of the month…for no good reason.
and we are on day five of sick kids at our house.
and i am going a little coo-coo in here!
i need to get some air.
some social interaction with someone who doesn't like hannah montana.

one project to keep some peace and kill boredom was making a painting i'd seen here.
i did actually kick them all out of the kitchen first.
i believe my words were "mommy needs some quiet. everyone upstairs until i call you down."
i cleaned up the counters so i wouldn't feel like i was suffocating in mess…
then stamped the circles with watered down acrylic craft paint.
this part was therapeutic.
it was quiet, calm and repetitious….you should try it. :)
i didn't call them down…they showed up before that.
and for the next 45 minutes it was (nearly) quiet painting time.

at the bottom of this picture is sean's laser pointer he bought himself this week.
it has been so annoying ever since.

i made one for myself also but annie finished hers so quickly she took over mine.
then talby spilled her water on sean's so i dried that and helped sean finish his.
he was going to let that spill ruin his time but i was determined to show it could be fixed.
that is hard for a perfectionist.
he had been trying so hard to not make any mistakes….bummer.
but thankfully watercolors are very forgiving.

i really could just paint all day…mixing colors…swirling them around.
pure happiness.

….and then it was back to crazyville again.

i have to get out of here!
starbucks is calling me.

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tami reed - I love painting with my kids too, its so relaxing we really love it!

Shenandoah bed and breakfast - Paintings are the mirror of your inside.The picture or thing we transform on the canvas is the reflection of our imagination.Kids observed a lot their paintings always convey some nice message to others.It is a nice hobby and a good past time.It will develop in them creativity and they will be an artist of future..water painting or glass panting is also a beautiful and colorful experience…

Nicole - We’ve got sick ones here too. problem is I’m sick too!! Three of us have the H1n1 bug!! Jason’s out of town for seminary but thankfully my moms been here. We aren’t having hte fun we had planned but at least I’m not alone!! Maybe tomorrow I’ll be motivated and get something creative out for the kdis to do. As more of us start feeling better we are ALL getting on each others nerves!

Melanie - Your photos make me smile:)

Christina - There are so many great ideas out there!! Thank you for passing this along.
I have to tell you that when I read about the water on your son’s picture and how it could have wrecked his time, but you didn’t let it, I got tears in my eyes. I could feel his disappointment; I love your response. I so need to be this for my son. (he’s only 6, but so sensitive, and we have great times and then things can be explosive. Ugh.)
I’m so glad you were able to help him fix it!
Sweet time, great project.

Trac-;o) - I LOVE this idea and will have to do this for my kids sometime even if they ARE 15 yo! HA!

Jaime Melcher - I LOVE this project! We were home from school last week too… should’ve checked your blog sooner… 🙂
p.s. What did you use to stamp the circles?

Lori - I love this! I don’t have any kids but I just might try it myself… Hope the Starbucks was perfect. I believe it cures anything 🙂

Diana - what a great idea! {oh gee, like, how many others here said that, huh LOL} i will add this to my notebook of crafts for when the grandkids stayover. i’m known as the messy gramma because i don’t get upset with all the necessary items for making fun stuff. {however, NOT messy as in what my housecleaning is like, because i’m very picky on that.} and i’m the one who taught the grandkids all how to make mud-pie soup, mud-pie pancakes, mud-pie town…. FUN! 🙂

pam - um yeah. i’m scowering my friends’ blogs because my daughter is on the loose and leaving comments all over. 😉 this one was tame.
and seriously. i love this idea! you should homeschool. art all day. hee hee hee hee hee. (i know…i’m HILARIOUS)

AJ - Funny when my children and I are coloring I often draw a modern stained glass window and then fill it in. My challenge is not to have the same color touch. I’m sure I’d do that w/the circles too. Will be doing the circles w/the kids soon. Thanks!

Beth - Very cool! Watercolors are so much fun!

Sarah @ Clover Lane - the laser pointer…cracks me up. it was on my son’s christmas list last year! darn thing.

Amber - you are such a good mom! and that is a wonderful idea! i hope that your kids get to feeling better soon!! and that you stay healthy! {because a sick momma is NOT a good thing!}

Kacey - What a fun idea! Way to be positive.
Hope everybody feels better soon – and you get your escape!

Lori - Meg, would it be tooo nosy to ask for a picture of your to-do list on the chalkboard? The little bit we can see piques my interest!
Hope you get some Starbucks soon!

Nancy-The Goat and The Kid - I wish I could come over to your house for a playdate. LOoks like fun… lots of fun.

Rach - As always, you amaze me. Some days I just want to scoop my 7 month old up and head to your house and hang out for the day. You can ogle over a baby in the house and I can ogle over your craft room. And I promise if we have lunch, I will even do the dishes. Thank you for continuing to inspire. 🙂

Trish - I like in one of the pics you can see in the background the to do list and the first thing on it is Pray 🙂 Your family makes me want to visit Kansas 🙂

PaiselyJade - eeeek – 4 kids home sick (my idea of a nightmare!). You did well – love the paintings.

Lucy Buller - What are they sick with?

Timalee - I saw the link for this project on your sidebar a few days ago and knew we had to try it! My daughter and I just finished our paintings…while your apple bars were in the oven…and now I am going to go make your chicken enchiladas for dinner! HA! Who knew I could have a happy day just by reading someone’s blog?

amy j. - I just sent my kids upstairs for quiet time. When they asked why, I said, because mama is about to lose it and I don’t want to lose it and be mean and grouchy, so I need to be alone for awhile. They understood. 🙂

Starnes Fam - Lovely colors. Why are people so scared to paint with kids? It makes them absolutely giddy with excitement. Love that you do this.
Looks like stained glass!

Patty Palmer - Love seeing kids engaged in art! The pictures are lovely as is the project…I think this will make a great kinder lesson!
Thanks

pve - I see some budding artists there and in your future!!!
This reminds me of me, when I was that age….
I was painting, drawing, making, and creating all the tine!
pve

chris - Those are so beautiful , I have a big canvas in the garage , I think I finally know what to do with it , thanks
Chris
Just Beachy

Flower Patch Farmgirl - I’m liking this one…
And I am mesmerized by your new header photo. I don’t remember my water-colors ever looking so perfectly, blendedly watered.

Tonya McDaniel - fun, fun, fun! and that leaded glass window is to die for!!!

Suzette Mahoney - Great idea. I am on day 4 of being at home with a sick child. I am going to drag out the paint right now! Thank you for the idea. Your blog is my favorite.

Kirsten - Yay! I’m art docent for my daughter’s class – will so take this idea and run with it thankyouveddymuch. And…just so you know you’re not alone…my girl missed 3 1/2 days last week, went back for 3 days this week, and is sick again. Yeah, what is it about Hannah Montana? And the Wizards…and SpongeBob…and Carly…sometimes I can talk her into an episode of House Hunters if there are kids involved…

Sarah @ Dream In Domestic - I love this! They turned out great and look so fun to do!

Mindy - We are so doing this! Thanks for the great idea and now I’m subscribed to that blog too. Feel free to tell other blogs you read. I love your blog, your photography, your scrapbook pages, your style . . . you are my blog hero.

Trina McNeilly - This is just happy to look at…. going to have to give it a try! happy weekend.. hope you get some time out!
x trina

Laura Phelps - GREAT IDEA!
My sister, a beautiful artist, made collages like just this..instead of paint, it was cut paper…they are amazing, as are your children’s. Think I want to try this.
Of course, I find comfort in the spilled water, the annoying new gadget, and the need for quiet and Starbucks…keeps it all so real.
You know, if I could, I would join you for a day of painting and coffee..how much fun would that be???????? We could open up a studio together…just for ADULTS…arts and craft with coffee…maybe throw in a bottle of wine for weekend night classes!
Have a great weekend..I am SO glad it is Friday….

Valerie @ Frugal Family Fun Blog - I’m so happy you did this! We’ve been stuck with lots of bad weather here lately, so a touch of cabin fever here too… come see what we did for some creative rainy day fun. I think you’ll enjoy it!
<3,
Valerie

Kate - I love your ideas. We are on fall break and in desperate need of something creative other than playing soccer in the backyard.
I wish you lived closer. I would SO bring you starbucks 🙂

sandy toe - What a neat project!
Don’t you just wish some days that Starbucks delivered???
Sandy Toe

kristin - i. am. doing. this. soon.
love it.

shelly - Those are awesome!!! I’ve got to go out and buy some new paints…ours are that all mixed up grey-brown color 🙁

susie whyte - it’s been so cloudy and dreary that i forgot what bright colors looked like!! very cute.

Alyssa - amazing pictures as always!! hope they get better soon!!

adrienneK - gorgeous!!good idea!!

Alicia - Great job…you made lemonade out of lemons! It always helps to put that smile on our face even when we don’t feel like it…things usually end up better when we do. You also ended up with some amazing art to hang all over the house! Perfect!

jody - just beautiful!

Staci - Sounds JUST like what is going on at our house 🙁 Last Saturday, Connor downstairs with a 104 degree temp….then Jake on Monday morning….their Fall Break started this last Wednesday…which of course was the day that they both were well enough to go BACK….not complaining…really, I’m not…I’m thankful to get to stay home and take care of my sick kiddoes, BUT, WHEW, when Brian came home on Wednesday night (he conveniently had meetings on Mond and Tuesday, arrrgh!) I hightailed it out of our house to Target….and spent waaay too much money 🙂 Oooops, sorry! Didn’t mean to go off on this comment…again, it’s just another reason I love BloggyWorld….knowing, I’m not out there alone 🙂 And now, off to defend the peace in this house….I hear the chaos starting 🙂

mother runner - come over after 4! we’ll find something to do.

mom - Such a great idea. Wish I could help with taking some kiddos.

Sandy - another nomination for mom of the year!

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pink! pink! pink!

September 4, 2009

annie asked me if we could make cupcakes.

what i wanted to say was "no honey mommy is blogging."

but instead i said "yes!"

a friend of mind told me to try saying YES more often with my kids and see how it goes.

hmmmm…turns out it makes them happy.

i am not sure what i think about that yet…HA.

we decided to make Pinkalicious cupcakes!

(after i finished blogging)

because the only cake mix we had was strawberry.

but it was perfect because it's currently annie's favorite book.

do you have it?

you can get it here…

it's a cute book.

perfect for girls who love pink…or cupcakes….or throwing tantrums.

they were very tasty.

i had four…over the course of two days…not all at once.

do you feel like your automatic response is no when your kids ask for something?

i do.

so i am working on it…

my first thought is usually "No…i am too tired/busy/crabby/lazy/blogging…"

but if i try hard to think first before i give my auto pilot answer….

can we make cookies? well….yes, as soon as these dishes are done we sure can.

can we read 4 books? yes…if you can sit still we can read four.

can you drop me off at the gym? will you be able to walk home…then YES.

i don't know….it's hard to break a habit.

at least this time there were cupcakes to eat.

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Thays - Grandpa Campbell – I was totally ameazd at how great your pics were of Little LUKE’s Event. So many favorites! And when I look back on the Party, I was cannot get over how you were able to shoot from so many great angles and perspectives without impeding on any of the activity.So professional . Great Job!

Renato - Jonathan I keep a supply of homdamee cupcake wrappers with my baking supplies because I like to make cupcakes. I have done these manually and with my Cricut machine. I think this is also and excellent idea for inexpensive Christmas gifts especially using the cupcake box. The recipient can put them in their bathroom for their next party. I might add a slip of paper (like in fortune cookies) to let the guest know this is for them for keeps just in case they use the bathroom more than once.Boy was Oprah wrong for not calling you. Truly her loss.

Adela - Everyone’s cupcakes loekod so good. Unfortunately I can’t do any baking until our ant problem is taken care of. I have the ingredients so hopefully I can make them soon.

Anggara - You are so incredibly tetlnead! Your fondant bow is FABULOUS. YOu should be very proud of yourself! I can’t believe it was your first one—I’d never have known. You’re an expert!

kathy b - Oh my goodness, I just bought this book yesterday. I bought it for Gwyn who is 3, lives next door and loves pink. I loved the story. Did you turn pink from eating the cupcakes?
kathy b

Tecla - We had a Pinkalicious party in January – just because. It wasn’t a birthday, we just thought, “wouldn’t it be fun?”. We kept it pretty low key (read: easy for Mom!). We had a great time!! Your cupcakes are definitely prettier, though! 🙂 http://quirkymess.blogspot.com/2009/01/pinkalicious.html

jess - we love pinkalicious! just the other day my 5 year old told my 3 year old…”ya get what ya get and ya don’t get upset!” any cupcakes left?!

amy smith - I am linking your post to mine…you’ve inspired me. http://thebradsmithbunch.blogspot.com thanks! amy

Amy - We made the pinkalicious cupcakes too!! What fun! Have you tried the purplelicious? (I haven’t been brave enough to, just yet) Thanks for all your beautiful posts and great ideas!

Christy - I usually say “suuuurrreee” & then hope he forgets. See, not much better. 🙂 This morning it was purple cupcakes, which we haven’t made yet, yesterday it was a new lego set, which he will forget about until he sees the commercial again.

Emily - Those are lovely cupcakes! Makes me almost want to give up on my “no white sugar” pledge! I agree with the saying no. As I think about it I probably do say no a lot- no wonder my two three year olds say it back to me so much! Thanks for a thought-provoking idea–saying yes. I’ll try it!

The Paper Note - I’m an auto pilot NO mommy too… 🙂 just because I have two girls who ask for something 24/7
Mommy can we get a hamster? NO
Mommy can I get that barbie? NO
Mommy can we go swimming? NO
Mommy can I have 3 choc chip cookies? NO
Mommy can I blah blah blah blah…. all day long… hehehe… I just get so used to crazy question I auto say NO then sometimes I’m going “What did you ask? are YOU serious?”
Here’s the Best Maddies asked
“Mommy can I get an Elephant? Sure Honey I’ll get right on that. LOL…
Today is a Yes though we are headed to the Fair…
Bless you for being a normal Mommy this was an Awesome Post… hugs, Lisa

K - They look adorable AND delicious! I love all things girly 🙂

pve - YES – 3 letters with so much meaning.

Jenn - YUM. I can almost taste the sugar sweetness.

Debby Graber - I remember hearing james dobson saying that we need to say more “yes’s” to our kids than “no’s”. There are definite times for a firm “no” though. What did you put on top of those cupcakes?

Sarah - pure yummness. what a great idea!

DreamGirlLisa - I already say yes a lot, find myself exhausted most of the time too, but it’s worth it. I bought Pinkalicious for my niece last year, I loved reading it to her 🙂 I have a strawberry cake mix on hand too (on sale at Target ), those cupcakes look good, and pink is my favorite color. I am trying the rainbow cake this weekend for my daughter’s 18th birthday, wish me luck! Love your blog:)

Allison - Those cupcakes look divine!!!

seleta - Ohhhhh, I love the fancy new pic in the header!!!
Yes, I feel like I always start with “No.” It’s a shame, but it’s the truth. Maybe because their questions are always so crazy? Like on a school night after dinner I’ll get the question, “can we have family movie night tonight?” I look at my trashed kitchen and dining table then look back at them with “are you kidding? No!” Really I’d rather be selfish and take a shower or {blog} and I’m so tired I could collapse on the floor. Eeeek, I’m a scary mommy.
My husband never says no. Even if his answer is really no. It’s always, “sure we can eat chocolate cookies…..next time.” Or “yes, we can stay up until 10….really soon.” Smart. He’s much more positive than me. Okay, I’m going to work on this.
Thanks for the inspiration.

Krista - Love love love the cupcakes, love love love your blog.
Look out for Purplicious, it’s just as good as Pinkalicious. We bought Goldilicious, but I don’t think it’s as good as the first two. But my girls love all of them.
I discovered your blog a few weeks ago, I can’t stop reading it, I love your ideas and the gorgeous pictures. I am amazed that you manage a post every day, even with your 5 kids. Believe me, it is most appreciated by this reader!

Christina - Oh, I would have eaten four all at once!
This is a great post…I am totally in that habit. I’ve tried to play a game or do something with my middle son while my youngest is napping these days.
And those are gorgeous cupcakes!

andrea - i almost always say no, but i too have been trying to say yes more, it is hard

Ashley - We LOVE Pinkalicious too! We Also love purplelicious- if you don’t have a copy, I have two and would love to send you my extra for Annie! I just noticed goldilicious in the store today and am dying for it!
Love the cupcakes and I also struggle with saying no too often. I think it’s a have a lot of kids thing…
As always, LOVE the blog, your pictures are amazing!
Ashley

Leslie - YES!!! That seems to be working for us too these days. Not only saying YES but also more of the positive feedback they get from us than the negative…. It’s been working great for me lately!!!
And by the way, my 4 year old son likes Pinkalicious and gigi God’s Little Princess from time to time when it’s not dinosaurs and superhero’s 😀

jody - We love pinkalicious here, too! Even the boys get a kick out if it. I’ve been trying YES more often, too…and it works! xxoo

Kristen - My almost 3 year old’s favorite book is Pinkalicious too!!!! and I have been planning on making Pinkalicious cupcakes for over a week now, haven’t gotten around to it yet…..maybe you’ll inspire me! I am gonna try the yes thing….I do try to do that, but maybe I’ll work harder on it. and also, I’ve stalked your blog for a few months now…finally popping in, i LOVE to read here! One of my favorite things is to pop on her and see a new post! You are a wonderful mom and I wish I had half your creativity! You inspire me to do fun things with my kids too. Keep it up, you have lots of fans!!!

Kristine Robb - what’s wrong with four cupcakes at once?!
i like your entry b/c you are articulating my thoughts…
this am i had a playdate with a mom of two and she said YES to letting them open umbrellas in the house and running with them! they went out in the rain and back inside they came jumping with water droplets flying around. i was watching in awe and she said, “it’s only water.” which it IS. and it’s only itty bitty drops. AND their laughter was worth a few sprinkles. YES TO UMBRELLAS INDOORS!
nevermind the safety factor…. 🙂

Tiffany Morris - I’m stopping over from Cora’s page. OMG… if I only had HALF of your talent. I looked through your house pictures and they are GORGEOUS! I only wish I could decorate like that!
Hugs – Tiffany

Staci - I’m really impressed you only had four…I would’ve had four…just licking the batter…and four once they were actually MADE 🙂 I’m gonna give the “yes” thing a try 🙂 Have an awesome COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEKEND 🙂 YIIIPPPPPEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

Dawn - That book is a favorite at our house! We also love Purplicious, and I can’t wait to get Goldilicious!
Like you, I feel that ‘no’ comes out of my mouth so easily. I really do need to make an effort to say ‘yes’ a lot more. I’m sure there would be a definite upgrade in the mood around our house!

Miranda - My baby adores this book. Saying yes today led to a kitchen floor covered with water and happily…I loved it. 🙂

Wendy - I can totally relate to the “auto pilot answer”. I’ll try to say “yes” more often and see if my kids are any happier. The cupcakes look yummy and I’ll have to check out Pinkalicious next time I’m at the book store. 🙂 Wonderful pics as always.

Becky @ Farmgirl Paints - We have that book too. There is pretty much nothing food wise that I love better than cupcakes. Those were gorgeous. Thanks for the pictures. I saved one to make as a screen saver:) That’s probably not a good idea…cravings will do me in. Have a great long weekend Meg.

amy j. - I read that somewhere once… try to figure out a way to say YES. Can I have a snack? Yes! After you eat your supper! Good reminder. I’m so tired right now, it’s way too easy to say no.
Have you read “Purplicious?” Those are two of Sophie’s favorites right now. (Lawson, too!) 🙂

sandy toe - We love that book…..one of our favorite!
sandy toe

Iman - p.s. Have you seen the movie Yes Man! 😉

Iman - Wow!! This could not have come at a better time. Just this week I was thinking how I say no, a lot to my kids.
So yesterday I started trying to say yes more often.
I think it’s time for this Mama to start initiating some cupcake making.
Thanks for the post and the inspiration.

Sarah B - We (my daughter and I) LOVE Pinkalicious, and Purplicious, and just bought Goldilicous! And I need to start practicing saying yes more often. The cupcakes look delicious. 🙂

Sarah V. - A good reminder of something I need to work on. I do good for a while then I turn back into the “No Mommy”. And a great idea! We are having a sleepover tonight and I think the girls would love them.

Laura Phelps - YES YES YES YES YES YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We are TOTALLY on the same page!!!!!!!!!
Not only does saying YES make them happy…it makes ME happy…AND.drum roll please….
TEACHES THE CHILDREN to say YES to ME when I ask them to do something!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The easiest lessons are always the hardest and yet SIMPLEST.
And my YES on Tuesday was BROWNIES.
“Can we make them mom?”
YES.
And ate three. In one sitting.

adrienneK - so sweet!

Victoria - Oooooh those cupcakes look YUMMY!
I have been trying to say “yes” too! Too often I am just stuck in a rut of “no, no, no” and when I think about it, I can say yes to certain things and it makes my 4 year olds day!

Shana - Yes!

Vera - I really, really have to fight saying “just a minute” pretty much anytime my kids want anything. It must be very frustrating for them, and I hate that it could make them think they’re less important than EVERYTHING. So I have a rule – I try not to say it at all on weekends.

Sarah - Cute!!! I don’t have kids, but I think I should say yes more, too. I usually say yes if someone asks me to do something for them, but making plans with others makes me want to say no right away, even if there is no reason to back up my answer.
Love the cupcakes!! I want one!

callie grayson - You’re awesome!!
thanks for the tip on the book, my niece loves cupcakes, adores pink and throws tanrums on a daily basis!! She is just like me!
xx
callie

Jimaiemarie - These look sooo cute and sooo delicious!!!!

Angela - I have two boys, so I don’t think we have very many pink things in the house. Maybe that will change come March. 😉
I tend to say “no” too much, too. I’m always on my own agenda–laundry, cleaning, blogging, clearing my DVR. LOL
And while I like it that my kids can entertain themselves (thank goodness!!!), I do hate it that it makes them easier to put at the bottom of the list. Thanks for the reminder! 🙂

Summer - Yum! I really needed that pep talk, I’m working on the yes thing.

Shari Barnes - Oh… that gives me a great homeschool idea for next week! We will read and make those cupcakes. She will love that! 🙂 Thanks for the inspiration! Your cupcakes are LOVELY!!

Cate O'Malley - I think pink cupcakes can just about cure anything. Yours look fab!

Renee - my kids love that book! how sweet for Annie. you have the healthiest approach on life and kids, man. i wish i could hang out with you…more often, ever, whatever! lol cheers, girlie! xoxo

Kara - this was a really sweet reminder… no pun intended. 🙂 I love your blog… now I’ve got to go find some pink cupcakes, they look so good!

purejoy - mmmmm. i’d say yes to everything if there was a pink payoff in the end!! so precious and of course, the colors. . . amazing. thanks for the eyecandy!

Marjorie - My kids love that book! The cupcakes look yummy!

Lori Danelle - Such pretty and girl-y pink cupcakes!!! We tend to be a bit girl-y at our house since there’s no reason not to be!! ( I try to give the man of the house stuff for him too. . .) Fancy should be a part of every day.
That and twirling.
and tutus for twirling.
(my 2 year old has already learned that you have to have the perfect skirt or tutu for twirling)
I haven’t heard of this book yet, but it looks like I’ll be checking it out at the book store very soon!
http://loridanelle.blogspot.com

pam - 4? over 2 days? that is total self control. maybe 1 after each meal? and right before your exercise with jillian? see, not that bad. it’s all in how you spin it.
AHHHH!!! you are a fabulous mommy. lucy has asked me if she could make a pink cake out of her PINK PRINCESS cookbook every day this week. i even bought the groceries. now you are inspiring me. i should be a good mommy and get off the computer. 😉
the pinkalicious picture with YOUR cupcakes looks so yummy and professional.

Nancy - Can you be my mommy? I want someone to tell me YES when I ask for things.
Can you make dinner?
Can you do the laundry?
Can you put gas in my car?
Can you pay for my car?
You get the idea…..
Maybe I need a Sugar Daddy.

Mary - I think I was always a “no” mom until I thought one day about my kid’s day from their view, always walking out their room to ask for something, always walking back in with the same no answer. How sad to grow up with a mom who was always more busy with dishes, dinner and laundry than playing. I made a vow to be better and change. It takes lots of hard work, but I’m doing better at yes’s now. Thanks for the inspiration. I think I’m going to stop by the grocery store after work and pick up some pinkalicious cake mix and icing. That should be a fun treat for the Friday of Labor Day weekend.
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your blog. In fact, I didn’t get the whole blogging craze until I discovered you and Pioneer Woman. Now I’m hooked on both of you.

Sandy - I’ve heard that before, but sadly had forgotten over time. My 15 y/o son will be thrilled you reminded me. 🙂
The cupcakes look yummy! I’m sure I would have had more than 4 by now.

Ruth - they look amazing!!! and so cute that they’re just like the ones in the book. (and that they’re in the garden. on a cake stand. sigh! perfection.)

Sherryl Mascarinas - It’s my daughter’s favorite book – we are going to have a pinkalicious themed birthday party for her!

Jess - Yeah, I guess I say “no” way more than I mean to. However, I rarely say no to baking! It’s my other therapy.

Nancy-The Goat and The Kid - I love that book and the cupcakes are so fun! Cupcakes make anyone happy and a day so much better.
I am with you on trying to say yes more often and just relishing in the time with the kiddos. That makes life truly DELICIOUS! 🙂

jennifer - Somebody told me the say yes thing waaay back when, when my oldest was little. MAN is it hard! But I try. Some days go better than others. But if they were asking to make cupcakes, I could SO get on board with that one!

Dina - Oh I say no waaaayyy too often. Thanks for the inspiration:-) I think back to all the fun things my mom did with us and she was a ‘work-outside-the-home’ mom. I stay at home with my kids and don’t do nearly what she managed to do with us. Daily affirmation: YES, YES, YES! … but I draw the line at the pet toad (who lives in the garage) coming inside – ain’t gonna happen:-)
LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog!
I’m with Carissa – I need a cupcake!

elizabeth - Thank you for this simple lesson. I’m going to try it today. Wish me luck.

Kacey - Oh, I love pink and cupcakes! But…I have two boys. 🙂
I have been trying to catch myself when my automatic response is “No” or “Later”. It’s hard. But, yes – I’ve also found the kids are happier, so it’s worth it!

adrienne - good for you mom! this is so hard for me and i need to work on it too, for sure. the cupcakes are soooo pretty!

amanda - Pinkalicious is my 3 year olds FAVORITE book!
I think we’ll make some pinkalicious cupcakes today!

Sara - Love your new picture on the sidebar. 🙂
Ummm, yeah, no is my automatic response. 🙁 I realize I do that a lot…too busy/tired/cranky/checking my email, etc. Someone told me the other day to try to spend quality AND quantity time with the kids.
This is encouraging…I’m gonna work on this. THANKS.

Kathy - Mine response is usually No! I’ll have to try to Yes response not as effective with teens! They already milk us for everything…..omg oops sorry that was negative! Maybe if I can have one or two of your cup cakes all will be good.

www.google.com/accounts/o8/id?id=AItOawmdHu7ccHz4OtAGywokg7ophJ1cSCY5btQ - My daughter loves that book too! She made pink cupcakes with her mom-mom yesterday. It made her super happy!

theelizabethhighsmith.blogspot.com - i love pink and cupcakes and tantrums and children’s books i might should be concerned that i’m 28 and love those things, but i’m not and now i want that book and a cupcake…which might bring on a tantrum……..

Dana D @BoysMyJoys - YES… and YUM!!!

Simply Lanny... - WoW yes you do rock and yummy 🙂 puts me in the mood to bake some myself Hmmm… Have a happy week-end !
Lanny

carissa... brown eyed fox - you’re such rock star! i want to be you! 🙂
girrrrl… i am queen of crabby sometimes… but DO love to jump in & make cupcakes too!
what a GREAT theme for a birthday party too! you KNOW that is Riley’s FAVORITE book too! loves it! and all the new fun colors they are adding too…Purplicious… Goldilicious! you just spurred the best idea ever… THANKS! miss thing… lil bit turns five in OCT! oh PLEASE let me steal your idea! pretty please! please!!!!
i want to EAT a cupcake right NOW!

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talby’s lunch

August 22, 2009

i am not posting this to make you think i am great.

or to make you feel like a bad mom if you don't do this.

i am posting these because i started doing this after reading a post on emily's blog (little momma & co)

she had kept notes her dad had put in her lunchbox when she was a kid.

i saw them and thought "i should do that!"

so i started.

these are a few of talby's lunch box notes.

she packs her own lunch most of the time…

i help her if she is running low on time.

then while she eats breakfast…if i have time….i make a silly little note.

( i wish you could see and hear the morning scene at our house before school…oh my..it's chaos)

she knows i make it but never looks until lunch…she likes the surprise.

just scraps of paper with goofy pictures and notes.

i have some guilt that i didn't do this for lauren's lunches.

but i guess with all those babies at home….i just couldn't get to it.

and that is a bummer to think about.

and i put one in sean's lunch once….

he got in the car after school and the first thing out of his mouth

"mom! don't ever do that again! it was so embarrassing!"

i just cracked up.

i should have known.

scott rarely packed a lunch.

so i did it once.

he said it was funny.

so see…i am not that great…i completely overlooked one child and mortified another.

but i make one of them smile when she is away at school.

and it is so easy.

just passing an idea from one mom to another….

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carissa... brown eyed fox - okay… i do it too… but my notes are NOTHING like yours!
you are WAY too creative!

Lisa - I love that! It ALMOST makes me able to tolerate the idea of sending my oldest to kindergarten next year. I can send a little piece of me with her…whether she wants it or not! LOL. Thanks for the idea!

Maria Masurat - I just dropped my daughter off for her second year of college in San Francisco (we live in St. Louis)and she told me how much she loved getting notes from me everyday when she was in grade school – I love your notes to your daughter – your making Great memories!

seleta - You’re so creative. And fun. What a cool mom. Way cool.
I’m trying this with my four tonight!

lauren - just a thought for your older daughter or your son who thought it was embarrassing…
with my teenaged sons, i will stick a post it note in their lunch with a favorite movie line, or a line from a show i know they like (usually it’s the office…)
it doesn’t say ‘love,mom’ or include x’s and o’s but they know it’s from me and they know i’m thinking of them. sometimes their friends get a kick out of it too.
love your blog.

Ann at the Handley Bungalow - Great idea, Meg! I put a note in my daughter’s lunch today but it wasn’t as cute as yours!! Your blog is so much fun to read. You are such a wonderful mom. I learn so much from you! Sincerely, Ann

Sarah - Same effects with my sons….sigh…

Jodi Brown - I adore your blog! I look at it often! I have never commented but just had to on this post! When I was a little girl my mom put notes in my lunch, not every day. Things to make me laugh or if she knew I was having a hard time. I always thought it was nice. My BF started getting notes in her lunch too and I didn’t think much of it. When we were much older she admitted that she was so jealous that she was making her own notes! You are definately making Talby feel special!

Mrs. Sitcom - Those notes are AWESOME! What a GREAT idea…and they all look like you spent hours on them — so creative and cute and beautiful. I’m going to file this idea away for when we have kidlets. What a fun, special tradition!

Allison - I remember the little notes my mom put into my lunchbox as a kid. made me feel so special. It was the favorite part of my day 🙂

Beth - That is so cool, and your little drawings are so (I can’t think of a word that doesn’t make me sound like I’m stuck in the 70’s), ok COOL. Really. I put notes in my kids lunches once in awhile, but nothing like this. Very very special. A wonderful memory for Talby.

deb meyers - I love every bit of this post — especially your funny honesty!
My Annie (age 12) has a metal lunchbox. I put magnetic fridge poetry bits inside the lid (occasionally) and she drives herself nuts waiting to surprise herself with it at lunch.
She has taken to writing little notes and sticking them in my hub’s business trip suitcase : )
deb meyers

Angela - I thought about doing this for my son, but he’s three and can’t read yet. He just started preschool (Tu/Th, 9-2) last week, and I pack his lunch when he goes. I may put in a picture of a fire truck or something. But I can’t draw. So maybe I’ll just wait until he can read. LOL

Mary - How fun. I’ve decided there isn’t any guilt allowed when comparing what happens with the different kids. We do what we can to survive, and we love our kids in the best we know how at that moment in time. Your kids are lucky to have you for a mom. I’m going to try these notes in my daughter’s lunch.

Aby - Too cool. Mine aren’t that colorful or creative, but my girls (twins) started 2nd grade this morning and I’m proud to say that they have never taken their lunch that I didn’t include a note. They’re proud to say it too. It’s really special for them. In fact, Makinley told me this morning that I could stop putting notes in her lunch when she’s in high school… but not until then.

Trina McNeilly - I love putting notes in lunches… never thought of drawing.. that is great.. now only if I could draw… you are a great drawer…another new talent!!!! Thanks for sharing the idea! Happy week to you!

adrienneK - o cute! well the girls dont have school but my hubby brings his lunch to work and i leave him notes 🙂 (he’s jsut practice for when the girls do have school and lunches)
xoxo
adrienne K

Emily - My blog is not private!
I’m still here!
http://www.littlemommaandcompany.blogspot.com

Becky @ Farmgirl Paints - My mom always did that for me too. She wrote me Roses are Red, Violets are blue poems:) I try to do this for my little one now. What a great way to let your child know how much you care. Trust me they will remember it and be grateful one day.

Rachel / cREaTe - i love it. my favorite was the one when it was YOUR birthday & you asked her to frost cupcakes with you! oh that melts my heart & gives me warm fuzzies. i think it’s so sweet to let kids know we think of them even when they think we’re NOT. 🙂

Kylie - Meg-it touched my heart that you do this. My Mother did this for me as a kid, and at 30 years old, I can say that I have such great memories of opening my lunchbox in the cafeteria, and finding a little something special in there. It always seemed to make my sandwich taste a little better! I lost my sweet Mother 10 years ago, and it is things like the lunchbox notes that make my heart smile. Keep it up…..yours kids will cherish it.

Jen - I don’t do this regularly but occasionally and it’s always a hit. I just use a sharpie and write on the napkin! My kids are 17. 14. 12 and 10 and so far, they don’t mind. Hopefully someday they will look back on it fondly!
Enjoy these special memories!!

amy - I wrote little things on Maddy’s napkins last year for 1st grade. She starts 2nd grade on 9.1.09 & you have definately inspired me to kick it up a notch. I will have to get a silly joke book….now if I just knew how to doodle… 🙂

misty - i think i must still be hormonal from having my daughter- or just a ball bag- either way- this made me cry- a good kind of cry though- this is so sweet and i can’t wait to be able to do this for my daughter when she goes to school in a few years- you really are an awesome mom.

Jaimie - I just started reading your blog.. stumbled upon it from a link on another.. and I must say, I love it. Your blog is one of few that really, really makes me smile and you managed to do it again today. : )

Jennifer - my mom did that for me and i saved tons of them. i always LOVED finding them in my lunch. she also put confetti in there from time to time. and sometimes she’d send me a pb & m&m sandwich. THAT was fun.

Secret Mom Thoughts - Love this idea. I wonder if it mortify or please my daughter.

J.B. Kinrich - I started putting a note in my first child’s lunch bag when she went off to middle school. The first were varients of “You can do this!” but quickly I ran out of ways to say the same thing. So I started putting in wonderful quotes I’d run across, from books, magazines, bumper stickers, whatever. The kids have kept every quote I gave them in special boxes. Now, three children and eight years later, the “lunchbox quotes” have moved out of paper bags and into daily emails. My kids still love getting them, even though they’re now 23, 20, and 16 years old.

purejoy - i used to write stupid (STUPID) jokes with a sharpie on my son’s sandwich bags. one would have the question, the other the (stupid) answer. groaners.
he and his friends loved it. the stupider the better.
this got him through middle school.
that and his spongebob lunchbox which sparked a friend getting a scooby doo, and another to get a dora the explorer.
i’m so glad all those guys were very comfortable in their zaniness.
now they’re all off to college.
and i don’t pack his lunch anymore.
sigh.
but i did every day until he graduated high school.
that’s a lot of stupid jokes!

Georgia - I remember in Infant school when i was about 6, i had notes in my lunchbox, and i remember thinking ‘ i want to go home’ it made me miss my mum .. lol
It was so special though seeing the note thinking ‘ooooooh whats this’
I did it for my boyfriend, but he didnt really say anything…. lol

Amy - I love your blog! I don’t have kids yet, but my husband and I are trying – and I absolutely love all of your ideas on your blog. I think it’s great how you encourage creativity and let you kids get messy and fun (that’s a compliment – by messy I mean it seem like you let them just go nuts and have a great time like kids should sometimes!). Please don’t stop with your great ideas! And – your photos are AWESOME. I used one of your sunflower pictures as my desktop pic because it’s just so beautiful.

Angi - I love this idea…I’m going to have to try it with my Lauren this year!!!

Jenna - My mom always put notes in my lunch. Not quite as visual as yours, but a great pick-me-up nonetheless. I wish I would have kept them. Now that I’ve graduated college and started working, I wish I would open my lunch in the breakroom and a note from mom would magically appear.

Joy - That is a WONDERFUL idea! I am all about the memories. Childhood is short, my girls are 38 and 30…I know!

lorel - Macy only brought her lunch to school every once in awhile, so I only wrote about 5 notes last year. But imagine my joy when I found a note SHE put in MY lunchbox one day! It said,”I love you mom. Have a great day. love Macy” in her best first grade handwriting.

Nancy - I love this…. I do this for my daughter, but not as often as I should nor as colorful/creative as yours. You have some great doodle skills. I like how you just wrote anything and that is what adds to the surprise. I am on it for this school year. THanks for the inspiration. You rock!

Kathy - I just started packing my teens lunch again, our school lunch program is hell. She puts a piece of paper or napkin out so I can write a note. She loves it wish I had kept them too.

jody - very cute!
i’ve put in a few notes, but it’s my husband that really does them well, and much more often. i get the chaos in the am—it never fails!

DreamGirlLisa - I just love this! Over the years I have occasionally put notes in my girls’ lunches. Always on birthdays and “just because” once in a while (wish I had done it more too). I recently posted on my blog about this, a very sweet story about my youngest and her note to me. If you have time, please read it 🙂
http://dreamgirllisa-lovingthislife.blogspot.com/2009/08/blessed.html
Thanks for sharing!

Julie - My oldest son starts kindergarten this year and I’ve been wondering if its ‘okay’ to put notes in his lunch, being he is a boy. I loved it when my mom did….but then I am also a girl. LOL! I’m guessing that I’m probably going to have to just wait it out until my third (our only girl) gets to school. I’d rather not mortify my boys! 😉

meaghan - you are such a good artist!!! who knew?! though i could have suspected 😉 so i’m having my third boy…does that mean i’m off the hook for writing notes?

Dina - I love it! My oldest is starting Kindergarten on Monday. I am thinking of little ways to let her know I love her and that I am with her on this new journey. This is another good idea to implement. 🙂

Dana M. - Hey….those look familiar! I think I have a stash of notes from you from high school that look a lot like these!! Except that our notes were passed in class and posted in eachothers lockers. They usually had drawings of us as cheerleaders and pics of what we would look like when we were “older”. I’ll have to get them out and show them to you sometime!!

Sarah - I do this last year (but only a few times). She collected them and kept them in the zipper part of her lunch box all year long.
too funny about you son saying, “don’t do it again” hahahaha

Melissa S - I did this a lot when my oldest was in Kindergarten. (2yrs ago). For some reason I didn’t do it as much last year. A couple of weeks ago, getting ready for the new school year, I came across his Kindergarten lunch box. Imagine my surprise (and tears) when I found all of those notes in the bottom zipper part. Needless to say I have started it again this year. My middle is in Kindergarten this year, so I am going to do it for him too. I like the idea above for doing jokes for the older one.
BTW – your drawings are great. Any drawings I did were stick people!

Christy - Love the notes! I did notes (minus the art) for my son in kindergarten last yr using words he was learning, his reaction was much like Sean’s. 🙁 So awesome that she enjoys them, I hope she saves them too. 🙂

Regina - I’ve done this for our daughter a little in the past myself, but the one that remains on her bulletin board to this very day (in her bedroom) is the one (and only one) that her daddy wrote to her. 🙂 No hurt feelings here…she just realizes that it’s EXTRA special when dad takes the time to do it. Same goes for camp notes, sleep-over notes, etc.
It’s the little things that make life grand! 🙂

Meredith - My mom put notes in my lunch every day! Some of them were on napkins and got tossed, but I stashed others in my yearbook at the end of the year. People’s reactions to them changed throughout the years too. In elementary school, other kids didn’t seem to pay that much attention to my mom’s notes, but in middle school some kids teased me for it. By high school, many expressed their jealousy that my mom loved me enough to write me a note every day. I am so glad there are other moms who carry on this tradition!

Traci - how cute!! you are quite the sketcher. another of your talents.

jennifer - Love that idea! My kids start school on Monday, so maybe if I start writing the notes today, they’ll be done in time. 🙂

Kirsten - Okay, I’m doing this for the first day of school for sure. And so what about the embarassing part – it builds character!

Amber - Well I do this with Sassy but mine are not as pretty!! :o)

Katy - Your a good artist!! My daughter, Olivia, started 1st grade this year and she is all about taking her lunch to school. The first time she took her lunch I put a note in to surprise her! I’ll have to continue doing it!! Thanks for the idea!

Sarah - Awww that is so cute! I don’t have kids yet, but one day I will and I really want to do this. I’m sure Talby feels really special every day when she opens her lunch. I added this to my “future parenting” folder because it is that sweet!

Michelle - I love putting surprises in lunchboxes too. Now that my son is going into 4th grade, he isn’t as crazy about it, but he sure liked it when he was little. Another good idea is to buy yourself a silly joke book and write a joke down for him every day. Sam loved that!
Now my little one is heading to K, but she doesn’t read yet. Instead, I’ve collected a bunch of stickers I know she’ll love and I’m going to stick one of those in her lunchbox every day instead.
~Michelle

Renee - Thanks for another inspirational story. You helped me make my little guy’s birthday more special (sharing your last celebration with us), and now I have a great way to let him know I’m there with him as he starts kindergarten in just two weeks. xoxo

Kate - Oh, you crack me up! I don’t know how you do it – I only have two and it keeps me on my toes! Thanks for the honestly about chaos. You rock.

Heather - My hubby did this for our son last year — pen drawings on his lunchtime napkin. Monday he starts 1st grade and I’m sure the traditions will continue! I’m inspired to capture some of the fun napkin art in pics to save for them both!!

Lori - The notes are great! Good job.And treating all your kids the same is overrated cause they never think it is exactly the same anyway!
My kids are definately in the mortification stage (teens). But when they were little I found a product that consisted of lunch box notes that were a story, told one note at a time. I bought the mystery ones, so each day they would read a little bit of the story until the mystery was solved. I’m not a creative writer (and hate writing, ergo, no blog) so I resorted to purchasing the notes. Of course, once in a while I wrote a short note and stuck it in too.

kasey - great idea.
but i’m sure if i try it….it’ll be the day that there is a match lying around and the whole school will burn down.
don’t downplay the type of mother you are… obviously your readers love you.
xo

Tammy Sabourin - Love this idea!

TRACI - That made me cry!!!! SO sweet that you do it and even sweeeeeter tha she keeps them!!!!! Darn, I homeschool 😛 lol

Michelle B - This is so cute! My little guy just started transitional kindergarten last week. And it is all day, so he brings his lunch. I was just thinking I should sneak in some notes…although he can’t read yet…and I need to learn how to draw robots! But maybe I can sneak in some fun before he gets too cool for his mommy.
thanks for sharing!

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junkywood.

July 17, 2009

after several hours of all my children within 10 feet of me today

i shouted at my kids "YOU HAVE CABIN FEVER!"

to which annie asked "we're sick?!"

i kicked them all outside.

i had had enough.

they played for awhile…enough to give me a slight teensy break and then i was ready to make crafts.

i brought out the box of junk we've been saving for a year.

literally junk.

trash.

things i would find on the floor and if i remembered…i would stick it in the junk box.

soon the junk sculpture became a city.

talby made a sign and gave it a name.

junkywood…not hollywood.

details…details…what do you see?

this is all talby's creation with me in control of the glue.

sean ditched us and went out on his own.

he wanted his own time with the glue gun really.

do you know how much kids love glue guns?! they do!

it's low temp and i was trying to guide him. totally worth the risk i think.

he made his own "world's largest _______" museum.

largest joke (on the popsicle stick)

largest brain (made from the packaging of a watch and pink pom poms…i love it!)

largest feather (as big as the sky scraper next to it.)

good stuff.

talby filled her bottle with goodies before capping it with a marble.

Abby Reed…do you recognize those red marbles? :)

a little free advertising peter.

the bald footless disney princess (thanks waffle) could swing around the strings to the buildings.

such a fun project.

free.

recycling.

creative.

you definitely have the supplies right there at your house.

go for it.

we got the idea from ms. kristin of course.

here is what we made last summer.

************************************************************************************************************************

business-y things:

thank you for all the goodies you bought from the shop yesterday.

the postman and i are nearly best friends by now.

i love all you bloggy shoppers (and bloggy readers non-shoppers too)

THANK YOU.

AND my next few weeks have opened up a bit for photos.

if you were thinking of having some pictures taken…how about now?

we have a lot of fun.

email me for details at cdduerksen @ yahoo . com.

************************************************************************************************************************

show hide 40 comments

add a comment

lauren - you are a rockin momma. your kids have definitely been graced with your creativity and imagination! so much fun. looks like a great home to be spending long summer days at.

Kameron - I think you should do prints of some of the amazing photos you take in your etsy shop! I’d buy some for sure!

Laura Phelps - I live in Hollywood, and dare I say…it IS a bit junky!

Holly - that is such a neat idea. love junkywood!

carissa... brown eyed fox - I had to send you a “hiiiiiii… woo hooooo… wave wave” as we drive through Kansas!
smiling big & thinking of you!
hugs!

seleta - This is both precious + priceless. What a great idea. Love his title “junkywood not holleywood.”
Thank you for sharing + inspiring this mom of four.

Nicole - What an awesome idea!!

The Countess of Nassau County - You are a rockstar

Sara W - I love this idea. I am constantly throwing away ‘treasures’ like these items.
And I LOVE the sunflowers on your header! They make me smile.

Christina - I think you are one of the coolest moms ever.

Abby - Ahh, the red marbles! Glad you found a use for them, so sorry he did that!!
We will have to start a box once we get settled, I can imagine that I will have plenty of broken bits and pieces to add over time. 🙂
Can’t wait to see the pictures, thanks again for the photo shoot – you were right it was way better than “that other place”

Erica - Peter wants to know: what was that?
And thanks for the shoutout! 🙂

wendy - Great idea! So creative and green. I will file it away and start my junk collection ASAP. As always, thanks for the inspiration Meg.

misty - i missed out on the etsy treasures! =0( I am so disappointed!!! do you do custom orders?

Katherine - Hi! I just found your blog (I know, I’m so late)…i love it! Your photos are fun and I love the pillows & shirts you make. Thank you for sharing! Oh and I wish you were local ( I live in Long Island, NY)!..so you could take photos of my baby! http://www.Kariselle.blogspot.com

CherryTreeLane - Love it–great idea!

Becky @ Farmgirl Paints - I wish we lived close I would have you do our pics in a heartbeat!! Love your Junkywood idea. You have so many of those;)

Rachel / cREaTe - i love the “worlds largest ______” museum. soooo creative!!! and i totally noticed the business card & thought “free advertising for someone!” before i even saw what you wrote. 🙂 ha cool cool cool. thanks for sharing.

juliann brenner - Oh how fun! My kids (I should say Luke) love to collect things to make 3-D sculptures out of…. He will love looking at these pics and will, I am sure, be inspired!

Melissa - Hahaha, this made me laugh because it’s just the kind of things my brothers and I did as kids. Love it!!!

Aubrey - That is a really awesome junk city. Your kids are so creative–it will be fun to see how that develops as they grow up (in a really long time of course).
I wish we lived closer or were doing a road trip RIGHT NOW to have you do our pictures. One day, we will take a trip through your town on purpose for a photo shoot.

adrienne - way cool kids! way cool buildings!!!

Jocelyn Stott - GREAT project. There is so much goodness going on here: creativity, recycling and innovation.

Keri ~ ForeverFoldingLaundry - Creativity at its finest – love it!!
Now if only I could find any junk laying around my house…. (ha!)

cally - genius.

Dina - what a great idea!!! thanks for sharing 🙂
love your blog (and shop)!!

danyele - how fab!!! i can’t wait to do all this stuff again soon with b and jk and s. paige use to create all the time…
my fav, by the way, is the feathers with the bottle caps…ingenious!

Courtney - I love this idea! I would totally have to hide it from my husband though, I can just see him coming home and trying to pry something off saying, “I might need this!” 🙂

Chele - You just keep giving me awesome ideas for my kids! And the junk we could use up! 🙂 Thank you for sharing once again!

Karrie - You’ve got CABIN FEVER??? I’ve got it TOOOOO!!!!
(Love this clip!!! Found it on YouTube)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6lY-EQrdA4

Ashley Ann - Simply great…I totally love this idea and will store it away for a year or so until at least 2 of mine are ready for it. Super fun…

Amber - Love this! I actually have an “imagination bin” that is filled with odds and ends and “junk” as you say. It’s a big rubbermaid bin, and I’ll pull it out every now and then and let the kids go to town. They love it.
You are so inspiring, by the way! I love your blog! I’m so going to try the shaving cream thing with my kids when they get a little older. I’m not brave enough to trust my three-year-old to keep it out of her eyes!
Thanks for sharing!

robyn Beckley Vining - I have a junk box/drawer like that, too!!! We put everything in it and are waiting for our special day that we make such a city! We call it the re-purpose drawer, and one day it will find a new purpose in being our entirely recyclable city one we make it 🙂
fun!

kristin - oh, i love it. i need to do this. my favorite is the bottle filled and capped.

the wild raspberry - that looks like awesome fun….i love the little purple bear in junkywood and of course hello kitty~she is always a hit!
keep this ideas comin…loved this one.
chasity
sam bush will be in olathe for a free concert tonight…roadtrip!

pve - so glad you found the time to craft (cause I think your etsy shop got bought out) I wanted to buy the bubblegum shirt, darn, it is already gone.
glad your kids found something to keep them busy too, they do have a lost in space sort of look, I hear that happens in Junkywood, just beware when they start asking for “plastic surgery!”
I think you are the best Mom.
YOu make me feel like the worst Mom!
pve

Penny - Oh this makes me remember all the fun times I had with my girls when they were little. My oldest had a group of friends 3-5 grades and they formed the Sunshine Club. I let them meet at our house on Monday’s after school. They did things like this. We ordered sweatshirts with their names embroidered on them and put everyone’s hand prints on the back. They had so much fun! I would make snacks and we would do a craft. We took field trips and had camping trips. It was much like Girl Scouts but we didn’t have to sell those darn cookies. Those were some wonderful times. Thanks for making me remember that! You have some lucky kids!

Lori - I sooo wish I lived close enough to you that you could take my daughter’s senior pictures. You have spoiled me for the studio ones that look so fake to me, so overdone. So if you ever come near Richmond, VA, I will drive to meet you! I am on the lookout for someone local.
Great junk art. And it kept them busy for a while – bonus!

princesslasertron - love this! we made so much junk art when I was little…it was my favorite because it was SO FREE. None of that stuff is “for” anything like crayons are for coloring and legos are for building…
I want you to take pictures of me at silver bella!!

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the summer list.

June 24, 2009

the 2009 version.

being intentional with our days.

or trying to be.

no one can claim boredom when there is all of this poster board of ideas to choose from…or can they?

they will anyway.

it's really a fun project to do together.

get your kids involved.

ask what they really want to do.

it's okay to write down silly ones that may not ever happen.

who knows…last year "get a dog" was one of our never-gonna-happen things…

and now we have waffle.

i wonder what we'll check off today….

the 2008 summer list is here.

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castors - There are too many to do when summer days are coming, school is out and fun is in. Sometimes you just want to earn money with these extra time.

Walid - I have MANY books on my summer adneirg list I had an especially busy spring, and I have a lot of catching up to do!In no particular order:DEAD LIKE YOU by Peter JamesTHE TWO DEATHS OF DANIEL HAYES by Marcus SakeyTHE LAST CHILD by John HartLEARNING TO SWIM by Sara J. HenryTHE HELP by Kathryn StockettAnd several young adults:ROT AND RUIN by Jonathan MaberryTHE DEAD-TOSSED WAVES by Carrie RyanACROSS THE UNIVERSE by Beth RevisUNWIND by Neal ShustermanRecent reads:SPIRAL by Paul McEuenBURIED SECRETS by Joseph FinderDIVERGENT by Veronica RothAnd of course, I’ll be bringing LOTS of new titles back from ThrillerFest! Can’t wait!

Claudia - I’m glad others have ticoned this trend!! I was riding my bike the other day and it seemed there was a chipmunk every 2 or 3 feet!! I’ve never seen so many!!! and a coworker mentioned seeing many the other day .Interesting!

מאפרת - Wow.. Great list of the summer. I like planned and manage it. I like studying your posts. Stay up the good work!

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Briton - I shared the link to this post with the readers at alittlegreat.com. Great post!

Jacob - This is why i visit you site daily. Great read thanks. Incidently http://www.rapidmediafire.com has a similar topic.

PS~Erin - I just put mine up for this year, using yours for inspiration. Thanks!

Alisha - I found out about your blog from A Soft Place to Land. And I am glad I did. I just wanted to let you know that we made our own list…except ours is stuff to do before my son turns two this fall (A One Year Old Bucket List) You can check it out here if you are interested:
http://www.snugasabugbaby.com/?p=1139
Thanks for the Great Idea! I love being intentional about doing fun stuff.

Jodi - What a great idea! I’m doing this for myself. ;o)

Jennifer - What a clever idea! The kind where I go… now why didn’t I think of that? I am definitely going to do this with my kids. Thanks for the fantastic idea 🙂

Kelly G in ATX - Just found you through Clover Lane and I thought “take waffles on walks” was pretty silly…until I read that your dog’s name is Waffles. Our cat’s name is Snack. Huzzah for weird pet names and fun summer lists!

marlowe@comehometoroost.blogspot.com - So cute! Gotta try this with mine.

PS~Erin - What a great idea… Even though the summer is winding down, I think we’ll make a “before the summer ends” list. Going to check out your link to the other list too. Thanks!

Nancy - Meg ~ email me direct RE: Chase Co.
3blondesandthelaw@live.com

Nancy - Meg ~ I see the Chase Co. waterfall made your list again this year. Have you gone yet? I still want you to do photos of my family at my childhood home in Chase Co. I have to be intentional…and make it happen. We’ll be in Chase Co. on Aug 30….any chance you’d be available too?

Marie - We just did our own list and the kids loved it and are looking forward to checking stuff off…thanks for sharing.

silvia - One thing that i´d like to do this summer is fly a kite!!

JOY - Gonna Start my list now! Thanks for the great idea!

deanna - Here’s my list add-on for the summer: I hope to have at least one organic bee hive thriving in my lavendar garden:-)

Sally Ann - Michelle, Quite awesome and inspiring, only a little intimidating, but yes, making goals for summer/year round inexpensive fun is very important–especially for grandmas! So my granddaughters and I spent a ‘day in the city’ riding the trolley; and the TRAM; (finally-third time was a charm–it had been closed due to weather and holiday–call before you go! But disappointment is part of life, too.) Splurged with Italian sodas at OHSU coffee cart; played in Jamison Park Fountain–in the rain. (Can’t always wait for sunshine in Portland!)
My really fun project in the summer, by myself, is recruiting, interviewing and matching AFS host families to their peace-making ambassador AFS exchange students. Peace, person by person for Peace in our World! Everyone with a heart for peace should have “Host an exchange student” on their list of things to do! You can find all you need to know about AFS by searching for “AFS USA” Happy hunting!

nisa - This is a brilliant idea, life does seem much busier in the summer although the days are longer. I shall make a list also..so many dreams that can come true in time.

turnitupmom - I love that you can use this list as a reference when you hear those little whiney voices. I’d really like to stop by on your homemade ice cream day. What a fun family!

Chaos-Jamie - We made a list this year also, though it was late enough in the summer that I listed things we’d already done. (I need to feel successful, also.)
When you come up to Deanna Rose, give me a call. I’d love to bump into you there! You don’t have to spend all day with us, I promise. 😉 My kids will drag me off to another area after four and a half minutes.

andrea - I got here through the Inspired Room. Your list caught my eye because the minute I saw “Deanna Rose” on your list, I knew where you lived! Or at least close to it! I spent 7 happy years living in Olathe and spent a lot of time at Deanna Rose. Miss it like crazy! Thanks for tipping off a memory!

Jocelyn Stott - Jumped to this site from The Inspired Room and I love it. Your photography is beautiful!
In terms of your list – great idea. I don’t have kids, but when I do, this will be a great thing to do. I noticed your number one item is “Worlds of Fun.” I am from Portland, OR but I have family in Nebraska. One summer when I was about 7 or 8, we went to visit the Nebraska family. During the trip, my grandparents rented a van and we all made the trek to Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun. It was a blast and I have always remembered that as one of the best vacations. Hope you guys make it there this summer! Take care.

Michelle B - I bounced over here from Inspired Room. Love the summer list – I got to do that! Love your blog – very cute. Amazing pictures 🙂

patsy - this is a fantastic idea!!
I’m putting one together TODAY
thanks for sharing 🙂

Karen B - Oh, I forgot! When I was a kid (long before you) we would ride the Zambizi Zinger! It was the best!

Kim - This is great. My husband is from Olathe, so we will be driving out to Kansas this summer and doing many of the things on your list. I really hope my kids get to see fireflies. It is so strange to me that these little bugs I grew up with are so foriegn to my children.
Anyhoo…great list!

Karen B - Such a cute idea. What caught my eye first was “World’s of Fun”! You must live close to Kansas City. Then the clincher, Royals game! Definitely. This great idea makes me wish my girls were little again. Sort of. Very fabulous and fun idea. Hope your summer is great! Karen

lauren - i LOVE this! my boyfriend and i make a summer to-do list also! it’s fun to write down all that you want to do or aim to do and then get to check them off when you do em! so fun. hope summer is treating you well!!

Rach - My favorites are – Jump in puddles (which is so hard to do in LA), outdoor movie, and catch fireflies (again, hard to do out here where they do not exist). Can’t wait to see the posts that document the completion of your list. So much fun!!

michelle allen - I LOVE your list!!! I really love lists in general but I love the way you write your list and the fun things that you include. You are an amazing woman Meg!

kasey - ha.
love it.
and look at you…i bow to you blog queen!

Traci - i just love your summer list. I remember it from last year and thought it was an awesome idea.

alicia kristine - you rock! I’ve been reading you for a while, never comment… admire the way you inspire me… and I’m going to get my old, delicious house one day;)

Kristi - I am so doing this this summer. love it.

Angi - We made a list this year…I copycatted (probably not a word) yours from last year! My girls have been having lots of fun with it. Thanks for such super ideas!

Susan - Did a list at the beginning of our summer (before Memorial Day), lost the list in the backyard somewhere discussing ideas, and am now happy to have made another list tonight that I’m going to post for safekeeping! Thanks for the much needed incentive to redo our list and refocus our summer.

Steph @ Problem Solvin Mom - I’ve been a total copycat ever since I saw your list last year – we do a much better job of making time for the important (and of course fun!) things when we have them written down and visible. I did one for Christmas last year too, made into a countdown chain with something on each link.

Aubrey - This summer I copied you (from reading other summer lists). One of our not-gonna-happens is “have Mom’s baby early”. It would be nice, but I don’t want to spend the summer in the NICU. Hopefully the rest of the list keeps ME on target.

Lori - Great ideas as usual! Is it stupid to feel that this is so much harder with teenagers? I wistfully remember the cute things they wanted to do over the summer. Now it would probably include “see boyfriend as much as I can” (bleh) and “hang out with people other than mom and dad”. Sigh…

Debby Graber - I had a coffee can when the kids were little and we wrote out ideas of “things to do” on little slips of paper and put them in the can. When the kids said “I’m bored” I would have them draw from the can. They could do what was on the list. They were not allowed to say they were bored if they chose not to do that activity.

kate - this is such a great idea. i have one for my summer on my blog, and it is a great motivator to actually do the things you enjoy.
and i’m definitely adding catching fireflies to mine now. can’t believe i forgot that one.

Gretchen - Okay, that’s it. You got me. I’ve been talking about doing something like this for the past three weeks, but I finally just pulled out the poster board!
BTW, I’m glad you mentioned that your dog is named Waffles, because I thought y’all just wanted to take a walk carrying along some waffles in your pockets or something. Which seemed odd. But who’s to judge?

Jennifer Dawn - I do this every summer! Love it! Another idea is to put each “boredom buster” in a jar and draw one out each day. Each day you wait with great anticipation…What will we do today?

simply stork - what a great idea :o) we might just need to do the same.
~simply~
ps…love your dogs name :o) so cute!

Tricia - Love this! Tomorrow is the first official day of summer break. I think we will do this.
Thanks.
*Tricia

LissyLou - love this!

Mary DeTurris Poust - Hi. I’m a new fan of your blog. On my blog today, I linked back to you. I used your summer list to illustrate the post (with a link on rollover). Hope that’s OK. Let me know if it’s not. Here’s the link: http://notstrictlyspiritual.blogspot.com/2009/06/to-do-list-worth-keeping.html

the wild raspberry - we went to deanna rose last week and the zoo yesterday {ugh it was sooo hot} but we had lots of fun!
xo
chasity

tinycandi - What an awesome idea! The girls come home in about an hour…I think we’re going to copy this idea! I hope you don’t mind! It’s such a wonderful idea!

Sheryl - I just had to share that while I was going through my favorite new preschool blogs (I am also a preschool teacher), I recognized Annie on one of them! I finally put two and two together and realized this was your Annie’s preschool! What a small world. And now I realize why you’d say that her preschool is wonderful. Wow, what an amazing blog her teacher has! Anyways, I thought it was too funny and wanted to share.
Sheryl

Patti - i’m totally copying your idea. hope you don’t mind. that’s a compliment, right? like on ni hao kailan – sing it with me… “when someone copies you, it just means that they really like it too!!” have a wonderful week! 🙂

Anne - I love reading your blog, you are such a creative and cool person/mom. I found you blog through an interior decorators and thought it was so neat, i’ve been reading all your old post. I don’t mean to sound like a stocker, but I have found myself reliving childhood almost through your daughter Annie, because my name is Annie. I was born with a heart murmur, luckily after a lot of tests throughout life (i’m 24 now) and found out it isn’t harmful. (I just have to drink twice the amount of water and stay away from unusually large amounts of caffeine) I had to go to the children’s hospital in columbus ohio and was scared like she was..so many things about your little Annie remind me of myself.. especially the independence, and the nesting thing she does in bed! I don’t know if that’s a common thing or not but I still do it.
Anyway, just wanted to say hello and tell you again that you are a very creative and cool mom, if you don’t hear it enough.
have a wonderful evening–Annie

Jo Paulino - I’m such the type of person that loves to have my goals set out in front of me, and I like this idea. I do the mini notebook, but I don’t have it out in front of me! So creatively well done 🙂

pve - What, no fishing, no making of mud pies, no fort building, no skinny-dipping…shame on you.

Jane - I’m so glad you did this because Waffle is my *favorite* blog dog!

Marjorie - great idea!

Starnes Fam - Really cute idea. Fun to see some stuff we do, too….I always think blogger friends are in another world….and then I see stuff I know!

Kelly - Brilliant! My kids are still in school. They go to year-round. But their “summer break” (6 weeks) starts Friday and my list of things to do is long. I already have a boredom busters list to hang up in the playroom. I think I need one of these too!

sassafrasanne - what a fab idea. 🙂

rachel - Such a good idea, I’m going to get cracking and organize a list on Saturday which is the first day of my holidays….. roll on weekend…. 😀

Marcie Bowman - Looks like you’ll have a great summer!! I totally stole this idea from you from last year (and gave you credit). I think I was more into the list than the kids, but they’ve had a ball marking things off. Here’s our list:
http://marcie-bowman.blogspot.com/2009/05/summer-list.html
Just an FYI, I’m a friend of Frank and Amy who are friends with Russ and Jen. That’s how I’ve hooked up to your blog. 🙂

gina - Last year, I complied and posted this list of 150+ things to do in summer:
http://unpinklife.blogspot.com/2008/06/150-ideas-for-summer-fun.html
I then printed it out and crossed things off as we did them- the girls loved having specific ideas when boredom hit. Each girl also made a top ten request list off of the master list and I am happy to report that each one got finished -there were some crossovers;)- ! Being intentional makes even a lazy day of lounging around less “boring”- if you can cross it off a list when it’s done. 🙂

pam - deanna rose…across the street from me. 😉 come visit.

Sharla - Love this idea – thanks for reminding me and the inspiration. If you guys DO make it to KC this summer, let me know if a photo session up here would be possible 🙂

angela conklin - Love me a list!!! This is such a great idea. Is your goal to get them all checked off???

emily - this is such an awesome idea!!! we are going to have to make a summer to do list too!

Kelly - What a GREAT idea. Thank you for sharing with all of us blog addicts :).

Kari - That’s a great idea… I remember summers of things I watned to do but since they didn’t get wrote down they never happened! I love that you have Worlds of Fun… I miss that place! I know live right down the road from a Six Flags but nothing will ever compare to school and summer trips to Worlds of Fun, it was always the best!!

Shelane - so if you get a chance, can i get the specifics on the chocolate paint color in the bedroom? i’m a paint-color-loser and need all the help i can get.
great pics, btw. hopped over from calico

andrea d. - I love your lists! Were you able to finish most of the list you made last Fall when the kids went back to school?

Sharri - Love it!

adrienneK - this is such a neat idea! i will have to get our girls together to make one 🙂

Laura Phelps - we tried something like this once…we failed miserably. maybe this summer? we’ll see. I need to put “make the list” on my list.

Vicki Archer - GReat idea, fabulous list…but where to start…xv

Tracy - What a great idea! I may have to incorporate this kind of list into our summer as well – of course, ours will only be done on the weekends and my kids are both 15 yo instead of little like yours, so our list will probably not consist of “catching frogs” – *sigh* I miss the days when they were younger and more fun and less whiney! HA!
And, sad but true, we do not have a Sonic close to our house – which is unheard of considering that I am from the South and we had Sonics all over our town where we used to live – New Jersey is just a weird place, I guess! LOL Oh well… enjoy your summer fun and I can’t wait to see the pictures of all of your adventures with the kiddos! :o)

Lisa - YOU MY DEAR ARE AWESOME!!! DID YOU GET YOUR HAIR CUT YET?
HUGS FROM MAINE

Heather @ Cookie Mondays - Fun! We’re doing something siimilar. All of our to-do items are folded up on tiny papers and will be randomly chosen from a hat each day.

Kelly - a dog was on our “never” list too… but I wouldn’t trade this silly beast for ANYTHING. 🙂
Happy Summer to you and yours!

Cath W - My goodness! I stumbled onto your blog late last week, and every day since have managed to grab a few minutes here and there to keep reading – and I just finished all the way back to your first blog! This is the first time I have done this with a blog – I promise I’m not some weirdo stalker! I have thoroughly enjoyed it all, and have seen a lot of your kids in mine (Josh is Sean and Lucy is Talby, though she looks more like Annie).
Truly lovely writing – thank you so much.

Dina - love this idea! will work on ours this weekend! 🙂

Lindy @ Glimpses - What an awesome idea! You might need another sheet of posterboard though!!

amber - That is a great idea. I need to make one for my husband. Thanks for the idea!

purejoy - i wanna play too!! of course, i have an 18 and a 19 year old and am afraid most of our list would have a little *.
*not accompanied by a parent.
making homemade ice cream is SOOOOOO on my list! (raspberry white chocolate)
i’m so happy about your list. and that you followed through on last years and got waffle. the most adorable dog in the world!!

Kathy - Great idea and list! My 15th year old would only have two things -SLEEP and SHOP! Well you know your teen probably has the same list! Have a great day!

joy c. tilton - What a great idea, you are a super Mommie!

ali - We went to Deanna Rose a few months ago before it got so darn hot. Hope you guys had fun, we sure did! 🙂

Trina McNeilly - Can I be your kid? What a fun idea!!!!!

Cathie - love that you are doing this again
I have already started mine and hope to post later this week :o)
thanks for the inspiration again

Anna Marie - Worlds of Fun has a new roller coaster this year.
I really want to go to a Royals game, too. I love going, even if they don’t win.
Do you guys go to the Omaha Zoo? Have you been before?

Shannan - I have thought about your ’08 list so many times as Summer approached! I guess it’s not too late to make our own. Thanks for sharing.

momnipotent - This is a great idea – I think we’ll try it this summer!

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it’s clean.

May 4, 2009

i have been on a cleaning binge.

while the little girls were gone i did a complete overhaul in their room.

4 bags to goodwill and 2 bags of trash.

that's gross.

and last week i cleaned the craft room.

it is so much happier now.

happy to sit.

happy to dream up new projects.

happy to let the sun shine in.

this pile of fabric…will soon become a tent for the pink bedroom…i promised it would be next.

i'll show you what i mean at the end of this post.

i found the black tool holder at a garage sale a few weeks back…i plan to fill-it-up!

they had bunches of good stuff there.

it was hard to hold back.

and it turned out she was a blog reader…and she recognized me…HA!

hi jennie. :)

it was crazy.

my friend and i laughed about it all day!

that chicken lamp? my friend Chicago Jen trashpicked it for me.

it's special because

1. she thought of me while trash picking and

2. she was brave enough to give me something picked from someone's trash.

so i have always loved it.

and the tall cabinet with chippy green paint is my favorite flea market find.

do you remember that julie k.?

do you still have your yellow cabinet you bought that day?

the other white cabinet was in my IL neighbor's basement…he was going to throw it away…GASP!

and my sign to inspire me…thank you julie.

those scrapbooks look sad and lonely…neglected…ignored…poor babies.

a handmade gift that i love.

special stuff…

squares cut for more quilted pillows.

so the tent….

i want to make a tent like in The Holiday.

here's a clip…but it's long…the tent is at 5:47 of the 8 minutes.

you'll understand why i want to make it.

but i just don't know how….

(i love this whole movie so you should rent it anyway if you haven't seen it)

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Emily - I am trying to make that tent for my two girls too! I can’t wait to see how yours turns out. I have been trying to decide whether to use PVC-type pipe to do the rectangular frame at the top, or to just do all cloth…what are your plans? Your craft room is absolutely joyful. So glad I found this blog today 🙂

michelle allen - LOVE your craft room! So bright and cheery just like you!
You make me want to collect buttons, fabric, ribbon…. i actually just bought a new sewing machine so I have been doing a little button/ribbon collecting. nothing near as fab as your collections tho. 🙂
Your blog makes me HAPPY Meg!

kat - I haven’t seen The Holiday. I just watched that clip and bawled. How sweet. I think I’ll rent it to watch tonight!

jerusalem G - good luck with the tent! that is such a great scene and tent and movie. lovin’ the craft room pics. very happy!

emily - i want that tent in my dorm room!

Julie K. - Oh how I love a studio tour … always so inspiring!!!
I do still have that cabinet! It’s in my bathroom … but I painted it green, could you kill me?

Christine - making the tent in the holiday is a magical idea 🙂

Lori - I absolutely LOVE your craftroom!! (And your blog, for that matter.) I also love The Holiday. It is currently my favorite movie. That tent is amazing! I hope you can re-create one 🙂

Kristin - Oh your craft room is so much fun. I think for your tent, you could make a frame for the top any shape and size out of 1×2’s and then upholster that from the bottom. Then make a small tent peak from the frame to the top where it will hang (maybe leave an opening for a light to hang through. Then you can attach fabric from the hoop down that can fan out to make the room. Basically making it like one of those net tent you can buy, but making your own frame so it’s larger at the top. Hope this helps, I am not always the best at putting the pictures in my head into words. : )

Wendy - Okay, I linked to this post in my post today about craft room envy. Because I’ve totally got it. Want to come make over my craft room? Pretty please with sugar on top? http://weightwhat.blogspot.com/2009/05/tell-me-again-why-coveting-is-wrong.html

Jen - Unbelievably amazing!!!!
♥ Jen

Trina McNeilly - I love your craft room… If I was there for real I would probably just stand and stare for awhile…. at all the colors and ribbons, fabric and scraps… and little knick knacks…..so inspiring…

traci - oh my goodness meg. love all the photos. i looked long and hard at them. love all your little treasures.

Donna - Hi Meg …… I was wondering if I could borrow some of your creativity? My daughter (the oldest of 6) is graduating from high school and I wanted to put together a photo album or something for her. Problem is I have like thousands of pictures in hundreds of bins – I just don’t have time to go through all of them – what would creative Meg do???? Please email me – only if you have a minute and don’t mind.
Thanks Donna bourgoinfam8@aol.com

princesslasertron - I love love love all of your fabric!!

Marisol - If you figure out the tent, PLEASE share!!! You are so crafty I know you can do it!! 🙂

Christina - Here are some more pictures of the tent in the movie:
http://hookedonhouses.net/2009/01/04/jude-laws-mill-house-in-the-holiday/

Christina - Yes! Jude Law was so adorable in this movie…
your craft room is so (sew?) beautiful. It seems so bright, colorful, inspiring, cheery-what a fabulous place.

Kelly O. - Hi Meg,
Apparently you are not the only one wanting to recreate this lovely tent…
http://theartofindecisionblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/holiday-part-2.html
After thinking on it for a moment I think I’ve got it figured out–I’m just not sure how safe it is 🙂
But do you remember those old terribly ugly hanging lamps that used to have a cane or crochet covered shade that kind of looked like the hood of a dryer at a salon? well, if you were to hang your tent over one and then use plumbing elbows and tubing to make the squared shape, sew that in and sew gauzy fabric as the “ceiling” where the stars hang down from then you would get your soft ambient lighting. then it’s a matter of draping fabric from that upper “square to form your tent down to the floor. Magic!
Good luck, however you do it!

Lisa - HEY I JUST GOT AN IDEA WHEN I WAS CHECKING OUT THIS BLOG… http://musingsofanightowl.blogspot.com/ LOOK AT HER HEADER PICTURE. IT IS A LARGE OUTDOOR UMBRELLA. WHY NOT START “THE HOLIDAY TENT” WITH THAT AS THE TOP. WATCHING THE CLIP, IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE IT IS FRAMED OUT LIKE AN UMBRELLA. FIND ONE FROM A LAWN SALE, GOODWILL, ETC… HEY YOU MIGHT ALREADY HAVE ONE YOUR NOT USING. WHAT DO YOU THINK.
HUGS FROM MAINE

Joni - DITTO on that movie, and I love your Craft/creating space…it’s so bright and cheerful and your crafting items are even fun to look at! I so love the items you create! I know you’ll do a great job on the tent and I betcha you’ll even show us your project, right?

Whitni - Can I come and live in your craft room? I want to stay in there with all the colorful happy fabrics and letters and buttons and make things until I fall asleep in piles of pillows. K, thanks.

Tess S. - the tent!!! i loooooooove the tent. i’ve watched that movie zillions of times just for the tent scene!

Suzanne - Can I come over and make something? Please.

Lazy Mom Leslie - Your room just screams! A HAPPY AND CREATIVE WONDERFUL WOMAN LIVES HERE! I want to be your friend just looking at the pictures. Thank you for always providing inspiration!

chas at the wild raspberry - love your vintage baskets and suitcases….and cabinets.
just how much does a bird love french fries? i’m in the dark on that one.
i love that scene from the holiday….very sweet.
and i adore jack black in that movie. when he starts singing in the video store—ah it is priceless.
congrats on your organizing. hope the tent works well.
chasity

Julia - thanks for the happy tour…

Ashley - Okay hands down my favorite movie EVER! YOU will be able to do the tent perfectly. You are so incredibly talented! I can’t wait to see it! I have read your blog for a very long time and love every word and picture!

Lisa - THE TENT IS SO MAGICAL. I REMEMBER IT NOW THAT I’VE SEEN THE CLIP. I DO MISS MY PEEPS BEING LITTLE. THAT TENT WOULD HAVE GONE OVER SOOOO WELL… CAN’T WAIT TO SEE IT. WISH I LIVED CLOSER, I’D COME OVER TO HELP FIGURE IT OUT.
HUGS FROM MAINE

Debbie - Oh my, I have button envy:)
Fantastic room…………

lauren - i absolutely love that movie! i could watch it on repeat. and that tent they have is incredibly fantastic and magical. your girls are so lucky to have you as a mom! ha i want one of those tents in my room!!
also love your workspace. the colors and patterns are so fun and inspiring. makes me want to have one just like it that i can escape to and make fun fun things.

Jenny - Hi Meg…good to meet you at the garage sale…thanks for the “hi”…your toolbox looks awesome!!! My friend and I laughed about you showing up at my garage sale too…I had turned her onto your blog! What fun! Maybe I’ll see you around again someday! Jenny

Jen - I HEART your craft room, all the colors and supplies make me SMILE…

Lisa-Marie - I would like to live in your craft room! Please? My husband and I live in a 2 bedroom flat, so my craft ‘area’ is a small corner of our living room. A craft room like yours is my dream. 🙂
oh, but my dream craft room would be in a turret, with bookcases filled with books lining round the walls and a cosy sofa for reading sitting under the window. I may as well dream big!

Dana D @BoysMyJoys - <3 the tent!!!
<3 the movie!!!
Can't wait to see the finished product!

Lori - I love your craft room. The pictures make me happy, and feel like I am crafty (which I am not, sad to say) and that I can sew (which I don’t). My mom made a lot of my clothes when I was young, and ALL of my Barbie clothes. Yet, I can barely sew on a button! Anyway, I look forward to seeing your tent – I have no doubt that you can fashion a super cool one. And I haven’t seen The Holiday but after that adorable clip, am putting it on our netflix list. I will have to squeeze it in somewhere among our current obsession, 24.

Ruth - what a delicious bunch of stuff!! love the pink flowers… and i have that french fry print! such a treasure.

sandy toe - Your pictures are so pretty…I am not sure why…it’s fabric and chalk but I love it!!! It’s so girly…you almost feel like “twirling”!
sandy toe

Sarah - Cleaning is the best!

heather{dot}com - I’m so inspired by your craft room. And in love with the French Fry poster.
I think for the tent you could start with something like this bed canopy from Target as a base:
http://www.target.com/Pastel-Tie-Dye-Bed-Canopy/dp/B0012LUDJ4/sr=1-1/qid=1241459896/ref=sr_1_1/188-5852103-9701152?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=0&rh=k%3Abed%20canopy&page=1
remove the original fabric and drape your own fabric from it in layers.

Jennifer - We are linked up!! Love your blog Meg!!

Sarah B - I think you could make it quite easily. Just build a frame, circular or square etc., and that will hang from the ceiling. Then create your “tent” out of fabric. I love that you use lots of quilt squares, that will be amazing. I’m planning on using easy old sheets for the drape part. The top part will either be squares or triangles of fabric. Lots of ribbon to decorate of course! You’re very talented so you probably have it all planned anyway.
Ikea has LARGE white mesh tents right now for $19.99 if you want a quickie!

Jenn Thomas - that will be perfect for the girls! When they are done with it can London have it 🙂 I will just send her over to play in it with them this summer. very special.

Kelly - oh YES! The tent!! How could one forget that tent?! You can do it, girl! Kelly

Stephanie - I LOVE that movie! I LOVE that tent! That would be SO COOL!!!!! Make sure you take lots of pictures to blog… if you get around to making it!!! :o)

Donna - I wish I could have your craft room to myself for let’s say……..ummm an hour or so!! I would totally snoop through all your stuff and I would leave very happy!!!
I am in the process of creating my own craft room………and you are my inspiration. I decided at 11:00 last night that I wanted to chalkboard paint a wall – so I did, stayed up till 1 am and I LOVE IT. Thanks for inspiring me Meg!

Heather Mattos - Do you want to switch craft rooms?

Shanna - I love that Jenn and Russ’s family is on your “special stuff” board. They all are pretty special. And from what they say of you….so are you. Enjoy the sunshine in your craft room.

Becky - i am fairly certain i have said it before. but it bears repeating after this post. i want to waller in the floor of your craft room. i have never been so completely covetous in my entire life. and i LOVE the holiday and that tent. i would totally live in iris’ cottage.

Vera - Your craft room always makes me want to run home and sew something RIGHT NOW!! I love it!

Laura - why is that a jar of buttons and a spool of ribbon makes me so darn happy?

Jill - I’m loving your craft room, how can you not just feel inspired in there?
That scene from The Holiday happens to be my favorite movie scene of all time, I sob like a baby every time I watch it!

karen - Your craft room & your photography continually inspire me. Thank you!
http://www.karengberger.blogspot.com

Mrs. Jones - Hmmmm, makes me want to go clean my craft room.
That happened to me last week! My son’s new long-term substitute stopped me in the hall and told me she was a secret admirer. I had no idea what she was talking about. Then she told me she had put 2 and 2 together a couple days after she started subbing and realized she had been readin my blog for quite a while. That totally blew me away!
~Heather

Cate O'Malley - Loved the movie – thanks for the reminder to get it back from my mom! Would love to make a tent like that, for each of my kids. I spent the first hour of my morning, taking down my son’s fort that he built in their playroom/my office. He would just about die if I could make him an uber-cool, more permanent one.

Kelly - I’m joining the ranks of Craft Room Coveters. Totally awesome!
The Holiday…that movie has a silly special meaning to me. I rented it while I was pregnant with my third son and was trying to decide whether to name him Graham or Miles. As much as my husband loves Jack Black, we went with Graham. Not that my son is named after Jude Law but that definitely didn’t hurt. We actually picked Graham to name him after my Gram who I love dearly. Anyway, it’s been awhile since I’ve seen that movie. Thanks for sharing that clip. Can’t wait to see your seriously cool tent!

Brooke - love the movie…love the tent idea…and definitely love your craft room…

Becky @ Farmgirl Paints - Love your craft area. It’s too cute to touch. Thanks for sharing:)

Angela - Oh, that is the best part of the movie! Second only to the part where Kate Winslet finds the button that closes the blinds and the room becomes pitch black. That’s my dream. 🙂

Marie - I LOVE your blog!!!….I love your Photography, do you use photoshop or any actions?… and what lens’are your favorite!
BTW, LOVE the bird with a french fry poster!
Marie

Keri - The comment from Wendy is exactly what I was going to say! I know it’s wrong to covet, but maybe God would make an exception for the craft room? I’ll bet he would. Love it!
And, Cameron Diaz was right – that tent IS seriously cool! (I wonder ow many yards of fabric will it take to make that bad boy?)

adrienneK - love all the craft room goodness! and i have never seen this movie! what an awesome tent!!! cant wait to see yours!!!

Lindsay - i love that movie! and if i had a tent like that as a little girl, i would have been happy forever!

maribeth - i so seriously love your house! oh, and the craft room! so much crafty goodness just waiting to be made into something special . . .

amy - i just saw that movie for the first time a few weeks ago (maybe on tbs or something) and loved that tent! i remember thinking, i could make that, or wouldn’t that be sweet in anna’s room. i even think i said something to my husband and he mumbled, “oh brother”.
i can’t wait to see how you do it. and your craft room looks so bright and pretty too! happy monday!

Jess - Great pics of the craft room…love the colors! I have not seen the movie, I MUST it looks like a wonderful movie. Loved the tent, now I want one too! My screened in porch is crying out for something cool.

Lori Danelle - Two things (at least, I may add more!!):
I have dreamed about the tent in The Holiday!!!! I am serious! I have mentioned to my husband over and over my plans to recreate that tent. I didn’t need to watch your movie clip, cuz I know EXACTLY what you’re talking about.
Anther tent that gives me a good vibe is the one in the playroom in the movie Hook—old, I know. Doesn’t have the magic of the tent in The Holiday, but it’s the first tent that I sort of latched on to.
Second: The receipt from Charlotte’s makes me SOOOO happy. I grew up shopping at Charlotte’s! I miss Charlotte’s so much! I loved walking in there and feeling like you were meeting up with friends—which I was, I think my Mom went to high school with Charlotte and half the staff, but you just don’t get that in a city.
Meg, thanks for making my hometown (the one I always dreamed of escaping) seem so cool! Now I actually dream of moving back, just a little. Oh, and was your house Candy Cane Corner Daycare about, um. . .20 years ago?
And! I don’t make it home often and for long when I do, but I’m coming over next time I do make it there!!!! Hahaha!!
Inksomnia

Wendy - Is it wrong for me to covet your craft room? Because I totally do. And your photography is brilliant, as always.
Love The Holiday! I hope you can make that tent! Can’t wait to see pictures of what you come up with!

Mary Elizabeth - I love that movie and forgot how sweet it was!!
I put up a tent (plain mesh) over my daughter’s bed right after we moved her to a new room recently …. have cut out triangles to attach around the top and going to add ribbon and fringe … SHE LOVES IT!!!! She loves to stay up under it and read and play more than anything we have done in awhile. Will have to post a pre picture on the blog and a finished one later.
http://www.marymarthaandco.blogspot.com

Mindy Harris - Your craft room is heaven! Oh, that tent will be so neat for your girls–I watched the clip and I just want to eat up those little girls with their accents. Precious. Thank you for the beautiful photos.

Mandi - Not The Holiday tent, but another amazing tent.
http://www.oliverk.co.za/images/girls/popups/girls_tent.jpg

Angela - I would like to live in your craft room, please.

Jeana - i want your craft room! i love the holiday, and i adore the tent. i really wish i had some girls around here, so i could make somethig that pretty. BUT God gave me 3 boys, so i guess He knows something i don’t lol.

Mandi - here is a picture of the tent…it is small, but i thought it could come in handy!
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_OUdpYYE5b4Q/ScXeNV502XI/AAAAAAAAAFo/UFupTLQF2NE/s320/IMG_3597.JPG

Staci - WOW!!!!! YOU!!! YOU are somethin’!!!!! I wish I was crafty like you!! Glad you got a little time to yourself! Even if it was to clean. That always makes me feel better! I’ve never seen The Holiday…guess I’ll be renting that today!!!

Lyndsey - It always feels SO nice to have a clean fresh space to start to mess up again, nice job! Can’t wait to see what you’ll make next.

meg - I just love your blog! The colors, your kind words, your creativity…it’s all very inspiring, really. Thanks for brightening my day.

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sigh….

May 3, 2009

annie said:

"mom…this is me.

and my head is HUGE.

i am wearing a green shirt and i am smiling.

and i just drank a whole bunch of water.

sigh…

i just wanted to squeeze her little face.

sometimes you feel something stronger than you can put into words…swelling from deep down.

love

love.

my husband is coming home from his man weekend.

my girls are coming back from their grandmother's.

the house will be full again.

it was nice to have the quiet and it will be just as nice to have them back again.

happy sunday.

show hide 17 comments

add a comment

Chasity Heck - that is a great piece of artwork right there!
kids are a blessing beyond words….
have a great week with your family.
chas

pve - Gosh darn, if I was next door, I would have come over to lend a hand, making some noise and some mess for you in all that quiet.
tee hee.
I love your photos and your space.
pve

traci - so sweet. your little annie makes me want to have another little one around here. just for a minute though. i’ll just come down and borrow her for the day.

Alyssa - awww!! i love the water on the bottom half of her face 🙂 so cute

lisa (momy4him) - i love those days- this post put a smile on my face!
happy sunday!

Jen - I always enjoy your blog. Makes me smile every time!

Kat - Priceless. I love that picture and her explanation of it. Truly adorable and precious!

Angela - I love it! I have read your blog for awhile, and just wanted to tell you that I truly enjoy it. It makes me feel at peace. 🙂

Trish - my Lainie Pie says to me today…
“Mom, you know who I love?”
“Who?”
“You, mom”
makes my heart just melt!

Jennifer - love this so much!!

Linda - Your life and your family and your house and your dog–everything just seems so cool! I know having all those kids and a dog can be chaos, but you guys just seem so relaxed, laid back. Its really nice.

Candice - That says it all, I love Annie’s art so fun and full of COLOR, the best part is that she just drank a bunch of water, thats so cute.

Wendy - Oh, please say that you are going to frame that picture and put the caption underneath! It’s just perfect!

Sophie - She is so precious!
Sophie x

callie grayson - Aren’t kids the cutest! I love her drawing and best of all the description.

brooke - so sweet….

CherryTreeLane - I LOVELOVELOVE this too! Perfection in tiny little words. You’re daughter is an Einstein. So colorful.

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