make do {and make lovely} monday-the unexpected

There is a Peony bush at the farm.

A peony bush. In Arkansas. 

This is not common. 

It is totally unexpected.

And beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

I got a cold this weekend. I spent most of the weekend in bed under my fluffy down comforter with my sleep mask securely in place, snoozing away. Sleep is the only way I heal. Some people need to power through, I need rest. Rest and liquids. Lots of both.

I have to admit, I sorda liked the reprieve from my to-do list.

I now spend a chunk of my days at work in what we call "The Book Room." Sort of a small lending library, partially a resource room for teachers.  I found this vase/jug and thought it would be the perfect thing to hold fresh flowers in. I think it rounds out my little unexpected desk-set nicely, don't you?

sticking my big toe in the lake of plans

So here and there, now and then, I plan things for the Farm.

I pin things. I google things. I diddle around with idea boards.

I stalk craigslist like nobodies business. I just can't help myself.

I love to dream and plan. Here are a few of my current conquest/ideas...

I bought this sink (minus the cabinet) off Craigslist.

It is delicious.

It weighs a ton.

I bought it for the Farm House.

I really hope I get to use it.

Now I am trolling Craigslist for a good looking futon for the boys room. Or a bunk bed/futon combo, though I think I would like to build a loft and put a futon under it. I think that would be sturdier, more durable.

My feeling is also that with a futon you get what you pay for comfort wise.

I see this futon growing with Wylie and taking him to college.

This is the reason I am using to justify purchasing the one above from Ikea.

Which is about 5 times more expensive than one on Craigslist and about twice as much as I would like to spend. But oh my, it is good looking and it looks sturdy..

Anyone have futon experience? Advice?

(apartment therapy)

The other thing I am hunting is a claw-foot tub on the smaller side (space issues you see.)

One whose outside I can paint.

At least that is what I am thinking at the moment..

Anyone ever paint a tub before? Of any kind?

Thoughts? Tips? 

random tuesday smiles-only the good stories

About a month ago I had the amazing honor of officiating the wedding of some dear friends.

We have known Jess and her family since we were next door neighbors a decade ago.

Back then we had babies and were stay-at-home momma's trading recipes and laundry tips.

Now our oldest babies are in Middle School together and our youngest ones aren't far behind.

 Watching Jess resist and then relent to God's great redeeming love through the gift of Jerry's affection, affirmations and true-heart  has been beautiful. They are precious together and so was the day.

Recently I told a friend (whose wedding a help perform last winter) that helping two people and their families walk through this process is such a great honor and responsibility that I will only sign up for the journey if it is a good story.

And Jess & Jerry, well they are a great story.

make do {and make lovely} monday-around the edges

Hello friends. How are ya? How was your weekend? Restful? Peaceful?

Mine was good. Trying to get the book edits done (almost there!) planning out the last few photo shoots (can we say Easter, a little Christmas and some Fall in April?)

And packing -in faith-a few boxes at a time.

I was in Pottery Barn this weekend (always such a tranquil place for me) and I spotted the cutest knotted/puckered duvet cover. And then I spotted the not so cute price.

So I did what any self-respecting thrifty gal would do.

I searched a DIY version on Pinterest.

I think this version  from Kojo Designs is the cutest and has the best directions.

In fact I think not only do I need the duvet cover, but I may need the iron bed frame as well..

make do {and make lovely} monday- patina

If you found a lovely farm, and this farm had a barn and in this barn was a vintage set of lockers in the most perfect shade of green, you would have to buy that farm right? No question.

I thought so.

Tell you what. 

I will do my best to buy us that farm.

Deal?

(we are getting closer....)

hurry up and wait

This is my swing. Well it is one of my swings. This is the one I can lay down on. I know I have shown it to you before, but I do adore it. I am already trying to figure out where I can put it on the farm. Ya know, if we move. You are probably wondering how things are coming along. I am wondering that too. Right now we are waiting. Waiting to hear this and waiting to hear that. And there is not a damn thing I can do to make any of it happen quicker. So I might as well lay down on this swing and soak up the sun. 

Earlier this year, when I was praying/thinking/meditating on my word for this year I heard to distinct things.

I heard the word Slow and I then a few days later I heard the word Abide. 

I didn't like the word Slow because I suspected that in-part it meant that things were going to go slow with this house business. They would take longer than I would like. I would have to go slower. Admit my limitations and lack of control. 

But then I heard the word Abide. And I knew it was an invitation, and that I had the choice to accept or not.

I could fight the Slow or I could embrace it. I could rail against The Way Things Are or I could take a chill pill and Abide in Christ all the way through it. Even the most awful parts. The draining savings account, the roller-coaster emotions, the choices, the arguments, the exhaustion, the not knowing. 

Those things don't wear him out like they wear me out. Thank goodness.

walk around the block

Spring is really here at last. Perfect amazing temps. Sunny, breezy, low humidity. The kind of weather that just makes you want to get outside and soak it all in. 

Spring is also a time when animals become a little extra frisky if you know what I mean.

And sweet Maizy is no exception. 

So we have been taking lots of walks. Long walks, short walks, strolls.
Around the block, down the street, through the neighborhood.
The kids all take turns holding on to her, but in the end it is usually me and her, the kids leaving us in their dust.

Doesn't she look so pretty all  cleaned up with her new pretty harness on?

Finally! Someone to buy pink for!

Now I just need to get her some hair bows...

make-do {and make lovely} monday - unexpected

This weekend is a bit of a haze. I think I slept through most of it. I know I missed a lot of things.

Like remembering to buy proper Easter egg dye.

See Friday evening we got an offer on our house.

To which we countered.

And then through a series of mis-communications (mostly to do with spotty cell phone coverage)  we were not 100% sure if the counter had been accepted until late Sunday night.

So see, I was a wee bit distracted. 

Also I was incredibly tired.I guess it was all of it -house, dogs, chickens, work, book - finally catching up with me.

So I forgot egg dye.

And the Easter bunny almost forgot to bring Chocolate Bunnies.

And I took at least 2 long heavy naps. The kind where you wake up unsure of who or where you are.

Despite my zombie like state, we did manage to observe some of the most basic Easter weekend traditions. We dyed eggs. We used ancient food coloring in the back of my grandmother's cupboards,  vinegar, and water,  creating the most lovely collection of 1970's hued Easter eggs of all time. I could almost feel the polyester. 

And we did have an egg hunt. In fact the boys kept hiding them  from each other so the hunting went on for quite some time. We ate amazing food (thank you Sweet Man and Joshua for keeping us all fed) and wore hats and heels to church and spent many hours lazing about on the screened porch.

And when I wasn't in a coma-esque state I loved getting to see my family; my brother, grandparents, cousins, aunt and uncle, mom and dad. But I missed my sisters. Holiday's are not quite the same without them around. Not quite as lively, not quite as funny or silly or vibrant.

Sunday night we came home and found out that the buyer had accepted our counter (praise the Lord!)
So now we are in another week of waiting.
We make our offer on the farm (yes we have found one, yes I am in love ) tomorrow.
The buyers inspection on our house is Thursday.
I am asking everyone I know to pray, pray, pray.
Pray that all will be well.
That it all will be as it should.
Bright and unexpectedly beautiful. Like these crazy eggs.

Risen

Happy Easter friends.

The time has come.

Time to say amen and dig in.

To hope.

To joy.

To laughter.

To dancing.

To praying the devil back to hell.

Ready?

saturday randomness-easter colored phone dump

Today we go to my Maw's house. 

I adore her home, it is my sanctuary and always has been and I cannot wait to get there. To be offline and off work and off worry. I cannot wait to see my mom, my aunt, my brother and whomever else might show up. We will most likely dye some eggs and cook some food and get gussied up for church and take naps, just like always. To kick things off I thought I would show some snapshots from the ole phone in all their Easter colored hues.

My new down comforter. I snagged this at an estate sale minutes before it closed for a great price.

I don't think it had ever been used and boy is it fluffy. Like whipped icing or a bag of cotton balls. In the winter I will put it in a proper duvet cover, but I think for the summer I will leave it naked and white.

We had a house showing yesterday right after school.

We came home in time to run around like crazy people and get everything straightened, meeting the realtor on our way to the car, worn out.

When we got back home after a trip to the vet and then Sonic, I plopped down on top of my new fluffy spread and snapped this photo of the afternoon light. This house has the best afternoon light. That is one  of the things I will miss.

Maizy had her first trip to the vet and looks like a totally different dog post shave. 

She is so pretty and clean and white. So white she almost blends into the furniture. She did great but they said it took 2 of them almost the entire day to get her completely cleaned up! Poor gal was a hot mess. We still have to get her spayed, but the shave and all the shots just about broke the bank, so we will just put a chastity belt on her and keep her locked up till then.

When we move (faith that we will!) another one of the things I will miss most about our neighborhood is all the great trash I find and my neighborhood friends who will pick up that trash for me if I run out of time.  Like these great storage ottomans. How cute are they? And how lucky am I to have friends who will snag them for me? Thanks Dan and Sarah!

Have you ever made a jello cake? Have you ever made one with 8 flavors? Well I have.

And it was good. I will remake soon and take great after pics. Pinkie promise. But for now I have to go to Grandmother's house.

maizy maizy dog

Thank you so much for all your sweet words about our chickens. We miss them and it is weird to come home and not see them all at the fence waiting to talk to us. 

It has been a rough 2012 Have I mentioned that? Um yeah. 

But enough about that.  Let's talk about Maizy.

Sweet sweet Maizy.

She is a precious baby and we all adore her. And she is much bigger than this picture shows. When she stands on her hind legs she can put her paws on my shoulders and go nose to nose with me. I love it!

She watches over the boys like they are her sheep (especially Miles since he is the smallest) and she can already come in and out the screen door by herself.

Tomorrow we get her shaved. All her hair is matted and half rubbed off in places from the pin her original owners kept her in which was too small, so we decided just to take it all off and start over. 

Cannot wait to see a beautiful fresh fluffy coat grow in on her.

Fresh starts is the theme around the Greer casa this week.

Our house is listed with a new agent and tomorrow we have our first showing through them.

I have some new responsibilities at work that I am really excited about (more on that later.)

And we have Maizy.

Life is good & Easter is almost here. 

wash away

I have never been so glad to be in the middle of Holy Week in all my life.

I need Easter in the worst way.

I need new life, redemption, hearts made over.
I need Hope. Buckets of it.

Yesterday morning we found all our chickens dead. Murdered in the night by a fox or raccoon.

Their headless carcasses flung across the yard.

On Sunday I floated through the grocery store, gloating to myself as I passed the dairy section that I would never have to buy store eggs again.

I am such an arrogant dork.

It was heartbreaking. For the kids, for me, for Sweet Man.

It was  especially tough  on top of losing Chloe last month. And on top of so many issues with the house, the never ending to-do list, the waiting, the trying and the general limbo that we have lived in since January.

So last night we did something completely impulsive and unplanned and inefficient.

We got a new puppy. A two year old English Sheep Dog.

She is precious and sweet and so loving and amazingly well behaved.

She had been taken from a not great situation and needed a new home (she also needs a really good grooming, but more on that later..)

She needed a family. Love. Affection. Joy. 

And we needed those things too; we needed to give them.

As I told Sweet Man when I showed him her picture online.  

"We need some happy."

And that is exactly what Maizy is for us. She is our happy.

And Easter is almost here.

And that is the happiest happy of all.