Latest project, almost a reject

 

I bought this big little girl picture years ago when we were first married and had bought our fancy white furniture for a formal living room experience at our Walton house.  The large picture was originally $250 at JCPenney at the mall and was marked down by half so I thought that was a steal I couldn’t pass up...  back when we were a total of two people living on two incomes, not six living on one.  Man, that can change your perspective on what’s really a steal or a deal. 

So anywho, we lived with it hanging in exactly the same spot at the Walton house for thirteen years and then we moved and didn't rehang her. And then we moved again. Little Missy was left leaning up against a wall being stored for the past four years,  along with the other pictures that seemed past their prime like these. 

 

But the frames were still nice ones.  Plus, I really needed something to hang in this spot down here i at the new house after trying out various things I had just lying around, none of which seemed to work.   This wall is a focal spot from entering the front door so whatever was there, I wanted it to be something I was proud of.

 

Since our Michaels’s doesn’t carry them anymore (?!), I went to Hobby Lobby to find a print that would work in the living room with our colors:

and narrowed it down to these that I liked.  I think I see a pattern of maybe liking tree pictures?  And then I tried to figure which of the outdated pictures’ frames I would want to use. 

Scary but there was even some math involved.

Even though Little Missy herself was way too blue and 90’s anymore, I liked her classic frame the best and saw the multi-layer matting as having some interesting potential so it was her.    

    

And I went with the most reddish tree picture. 

Can’t you just see it all together?  I could.

And then I about pulled my hair out working with this mess on the table for a week. 

Dealing with sticky gluey mats and prints is not easy and now I get why getting a framing job done is pricey.  I trimmed and re-trimmed the print, disassembled and masked off and played around with painting the matting until I got the right color, fiddled with taking off and on and off and on the backing via manipulating heavy duty steeples, and tried to get all the bits of stuff off from under the glass that seemed to appear out of nowhere.  And I knew if I could see a little bit of anything under the glass once I had it all sealed up, it would forever drive me crazy hanging up there on the wall.  I will say there were a few moments that the whole thing almost ended up being launched through our big back window and into the pool.  

Finally I asked for an extra pair of hands from Gary and was able to get it finished good enough to let it go.  And thank goodness we lucked out with studs in the right place because, oy, this frame is heavy.  And now it’s hanging in the spot and I love seeing it every time I walk through. 

Grant stuff

Final band concert of the year and being recognized as an 8th grader.  I thought he was the school principal. 

 

Day the braces came off, before and after, May 2014

 

Flashback to before and right after the braces, Summer 2012

Then he went with me to pick up the sibs from school.  There’s that sweet stuff again. 

 

Practicing tying a tie one morning in preparation for dress up day where he wore this sharp number: 

   

I can’t remember when the purple thing started.  A few years ago anyway.  We’ve looked a couple places for purple socks but haven’t found just the right ones.  Wonder where Donny Os gets his?

 

Now why is the principal getting on the bus? 

I got him to go to the mall with Caroline and me last weekend by promising him a big burger out for lunch.  This 10 ounce deep fried cheeseburger is called Heart Attack on the menu and served with High Blood Pressure sauce.  I am not kidding. 

The truly amazing part is that he had to ask for a box and take part of it home.  Now that’s telling you it’s a big big meal.

Last batch of iPhone pics, for now

Spring, finally!

 

At the SIUe Gardens, we saw the miniest daffodils I’ve ever seen.  And very cool metal artwork that I would like to bring home, too.  But I didn’t. 

 

Recently I replaced the former dining room plant with a fern, which I’ve never tried indoors.  This shot sure makes the red dining room look like a crazy pink.  The stand is not the prettiest in the world I’ll admit, but it was made by my great great grandpa so I keep it and am happy to have it.  Now I can’t remember why I even took a picture of this. 

Hey, a pic of Jack!!  And my mom.  This was taken a few days after he had oral surgery for all four wisdom teeth.  That’s how he spent his Sophomore year Spring Break.  The other kids spent the week at Grandma and Grandpa’s house, so it was pretty quiet at home.

Taking a look at the big tree on Grandpa’s farm. 

My three sons.  Robbie, Ernie, Chip ?  : ) 

Their one son. 

 

So happy for our sunny days with family.

Who needs to paddle the boat when you got the dog paddle?

 

Checking out the creek at my folks’. Lots of little fish and a dead crawdad and that was all we saw.  Well, also a bunch of ticks that appeared later.  But not a single snake which was surprising on this kind of day.

 

The only kid remaining at our house that cares about an Easter egg hunt.  Sniff, sniff. 

 

My view from the trampoline which is the perfect spot to sun on cool Spring days.  We better never get rid of the tramp.

 

Going into SIUe for a night of bowling. I don’t want these days to end.  Will you guys just keep on dressing alike and holding hands even when you’re 30 and 26?  It’ll keep your mama happy.

At Sam’s last eye exam, he was having trouble with convergence.  Luckily it wasn’t noticeably affecting his reading,  but I’m telling you, he couldn’t cross his eyes at all.  He’s been practicing since January and now it looks like he’s gained the skill. 

She’s on an iPhone pic roll

  

It’s hard to get a good picture of fire I think, but I kept trying since it was so cool to see the chimney effect from a hollow piece of wood one night at our friend’s house in the old Rosie neighborhood.  Fires are fun and that’s a fact.

 

April Fools’ Day.  One of the kids brought home the brown E’s from school actually.  For two years now I have had awesome AF’s tricks planned that I haven’t gotten to use.  Next year I swear!  

I thought someone had dumped the icemaker bin when I came home and found this at the front step. It was hail just like Sonic ice.  And our icemaker had quit so I had been buying Sonic ice.  It took quite awhile for me to accept that this really was hail, but it really was. Lots of Spring storms here lately.

 

Because I used to work in Patoka, IL, little town that it is being quoted on an Old Navy ad!, I had to take a pic. 

 

AND my girl is Caroline who is all into clothes shopping and fashion and she has a friend named Livia!  This was actually a TV commercial that I had to stop and take a screenshot.  I don’t actually know what the commercial was for. 

I love my (our) new grill Gary bought over the winter to replace our oldie that had caught on fire twice.  I call it mine because I am so far the only one that uses it.  It’s so cool.  None of the dials are melted and it is big enough I can cook the entire mess of hamburgers and hotdogs at one time.

I don’t take food pics at restaurants but I guess I occasionally do at home.  Strawberry shortcake. Apps are fun.

Naps are, too.

Gary and the boys are expanding their wardrobes to include quick-dry performance wear to use this summer on their high adventure camping trip. I have to say I was compelled to snap this pic because raglan sleeves = hunky shoulders and biceps, IMO.

The cloudy day takes a lot away but trust me, these pear blooms were beautiful. When the wind blew, it looked like giant snowflakes falling in the air. 

This was from the day I was so excited to get to the yard sale with leather furniture that I slammed the passenger van door somehow into my left ankle.  I don’t think I could do that again if I tried and I don’t ever want to do it again because, holy mother that hurt.  I didn’t even get to see the furniture.  Boo hoo.  Missed Zumba for more than a week too, but now it’s much better. 

I’m not even done with April yet, folks!