the project-per-month PROJECT month 1

I meant to start this "series" (yep, a monthly series, at least that's the intention!) yesterday but it's funny (but sooooo not haha-funny) how a yowling baby -- what is this SOUND? why is this SOUND? go away SOUND! -- will lead to a mama's sleep deprivation which will derail super-fun blog intentions like super super fast. But, even though this whole lack-of-sleep thing has put me off my game I didn't want to wait any longer to launch this thing so here goes, half-baked post and all...

I made a badge and everything! That means I'm legit and you should be too. If you want to join in the fun, you totally should! Here are the rules...

1. Pick a single, manageable project off your to-do list, just one.
2. Decide, "I can do it!"
3. Give yourself goals.
4. Give yourself a deadline: the end of the month.
5. Give yourself a budget.
6. Do it. Do it.

The project I'm doing this month is the lowest man on my totem pole, because I wanted to ease into this thing. So, I'm taking on the mantel in my living room. Here's the "before" shot:

My goals for this mantel are:
- clean (no clutter, no junk piles)
- include a plant (with a long term goal of helping that plant to live a long, lovely life)
- print up some pictures of Loretta since she lives here too
- $50 budget

I don't have a lot of inspiration at this point, but here is my inspiration so far:

Yes that is a photo of a sink that I'm using for inspiration. I love the bright white and blue and the visible dirt and the beautiful colors in the cacti assembly. Cacti garden photo via. Found via Pinterest.

So... I challenge you to join in this project! If you do, please let me know in the comments and link to wherever I can find progress on your project. As my mantel project progresses I'll keep updating here on Ot and Et and at the end of the month will post an "after" photo and if anyone joined in I'll announce a winner as well and that person can win a $20 gift card to Target or Amazon. Hurray!

he scoots; she strolls

Now that we live in a house with a chalk-able front walk and picnic-able grass there is probably going to be a lot of, "haven't I see these pictures before?" around these parts all spring and summer. Hopefully we'll start adding some backyard kiddie pool and gardening pictures to the mix soon. My garlic in the crisper sprouted so I'm hoping to throw those cloves in the ground today and add blueberry bushes and some other things out back in the coming month...

Baby girl's hair is finally starting to grow a bit. I love her big bald head; at the same time it's exciting to see the beginnings of soft curls start to appear at the nape of her neck. Her strawberry blonde coloring seems to be sticking around as well -- nearly red in certain lights, mousy like mama's in others. She's so beautiful to my eyes and so much like her brother in appearance, yet very much her own fierce self in disposition. I think the dirt on her skirt, the scuffs on her shoes, that ornery tongue, and the light in her eyes tell the story...

Ot is such a b-o-y-boy I suddenly realize. I am so used to referring to him as my toddler, but really I suppose that time has passed. He whips around on his scooter while shooting pretend light sabers "hotter than pizza blood!" and has long, bruised, colt-like boy legs that he unselfconsciously shows off while running around the house in his undies. Dude is a super-hero-battles-obsessed semi-nudest (this thrill for battles and about bad guys is something he picked up at school; something he doesn't exactly understand and that we never encouraged and that kind of horrifies me; so funny how boys are just... boys) and there is no toddling.

In fact, Loretta is the one beginning to toddle.

And time marches on. How bittersweet but sweet nonetheless.

ps. Loretta's apple skirt was a sweet gift from my cherished friend, Alana, and comes from Ashley's Ark.

currently link up | holy cow

Currently is a weekly link-up hosted by ♥ Randalin of Harvesting Kale and I am super happy to be co-hosting the series with her. I hope that you can participate by writing your own Currently post (using the provided themes or your own) and please join us by linking up. This week, around these parts, we have been...

Feeling a bit less overwhelmed, finally! Still overwhelmed though. ::clacks imaginary castanets::

Imagining that Easter is going to be a quiet, sweet little holiday this weekend and I can't wait. We are dying eggs tomorrow. Visiting Katherine for a picnic and egg hunt Saturday. And maybe just discovering Easter baskets and having a nice picnic outside in our yard on Sunday.

Considering deviled eggs. How I love them so!

Listening to the Keurig brewing for all the coffee I've been guzzling lately. Water running for a handful of baths I've been able to take now that Etta is laying down peacefully at night in the evenings -- her molars seem to have stopped giving her hell, at least for the past few days. I've been reading Raymond Chandler in the bath and it's been a serious dream come true. I realized last night, though, when I entered the dark bathroom and noticed through the window that our neighbors were having a firepit cocktail hour in their backyard, that I could see them super clearly through our bathroom curtains, right down to their fingernail polish, so it seems that in reverse we've been giving them a real peepshow! During daylight hours you can't see a thing through the lace and trees between our houses, but I'm thinking that if they were in the dark and looked into our lighted bathroom they could totally see our bathroom business. Scandal! Temporary opaque curtains were thrown up immediately. I will be no one's "the naked guy" hmmph. 

Moving and shaking things UP! around this blog. Well there are a few fun things coming up soon  that I am pretty excited about including a discount code, giveaway, and some adorable pictures of Otto and Etta playing with custom, handmade dolls by my amazing, creative, and crafty as hell mama friend Kat of the Etsy shop From My Hand to Your Art. I am also starting a once-a-month project-based blog series on the 1st and hopefully every 1st thereafter where I tackle one project at my house with a goal and a budget. I'm excited about this because I'm hoping it motivates me to get some of the things on my to-do list done! And also my house will stop looking like such a train wreck maybe? A lady can hope.

That was this week. Here are next week's themes:

drinking, buying, driving, missing, obsessing

a family visit

Rob's spring break started on Saturday and we kicked off the week with a visit from his sister, mom, dad, and our two nephews this past weekend. Four little cousins aged four and down is the makings of a cuteness party -- also a party that is hard to photograph all at once and usually has at least one little crier and/or one little napper in the bunch.

I sure miss living near to our family and having everyone in town was just a couple of days of magic.

The next few days will speed by as days do and I am looking forward to maybe taking a little time off of work Friday to spring break it UP with my husband, toddler, and baby. We are thinking of dying eggs Friday afternoon and then I need to throw together some Easter fun for the kids. Otto is at an age where he remembers every sweet detail of the holidays so I need to get on it and pull together a special basket for Easter. He was bonkers for his giant chocolate bunny last year so that's an easy one and then some other special little craft items and non-candy snacks is what I'm thinking.

And then deviled eggs need to happen, because priorities.