impulse craigslist purchase

Yesterday, I was looking for chairs on craigslist. I got side tracked and found this gem of a dresser. I quickly called and made an offer, lower than the asking price, and jumped in the car to go pick it up. In my excitement, I probably offered too much, because the owner took it without counter-offering, and offered to throw a matching headboard in for free. (I didn't take it). Oh well. I still love it. 

Now I'm trying to decide if I should paint the wood. Everything is in its original 1954 condition, including the contrasting white drawers, and gold legs and hardware; so those would all stay. But the rest of the wood/veneer dresser is just ok. If I do paint, I'm not even sure what color I'd use. Mark is suggesting I live with it for awhile to really be sure painting is the way to go. Any advice?

The owner told me this piece graced the cover of Drexel Furniture's 1954 catalog. He said he was a picker and he had done his research. I can't find any evidence of that, but I want to believe him. Just look at those concave top drawers.

Sidenote: Hank launched a grand fit when we moved his old dresser out, and this one in. He has a hard time with new anything. His old dresser is a 50+ year old hand-me-down, but lacks any character and has at least 12 layers of dirty white paint by its previous owners.

3 is a magic number

The "terrible twos" is a misnomer. I've always believed that three is the real age of parental concern. Nothing compares to the "let me do it" - "NO! NO! NO!"- threes (which actually starts at two, but is amplified at three). I am praying this is somehow not true with my twins. You see, they turned three this week and I am ready for some low-key, mellow, no-tantrum, eat something, anything, at dinner, times. They are sweet boys. But do the math: 

1 sweet boy x 2 = several daily situations on your hands. It's true.

We threw a little party for them and invited the grandparents to celebrate with us. I asked Hank and George what they would like to eat for their birthday dinner, and they both gave me blank stares. Is it because they hardly know what dinner is anymore? Is it my fault that they like to graze all day on graham crackers and craisins and cheese, and then are not hungry at dinner time?

Needless to say, I planned a dinner menu that the adults would like, and we let the three-year-olds eat cheetos for dinner. (It was their birthday, afterall.)
I decided on a few soups in honor of the cool 70-degree days we've been having.

Homemade green salsa and chips
Red Bell Corn Chowder (from Liz)
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Artisan Bread (from Alice)
IBC Rootbeer

Hank's only request for the past month has been "donuts and candles!" I was happy I could make all his birthday dreams came true. These two had the hardest time blowing out the candles. It was very funny!  I think we will work on that skill for next year.

Happy Birthday my sweet boys!

something in the water

I attended a baby shower this week for a friend who is expecting twins - a boy and a girl. So exciting!  The number of twins in our neighborhood is pretty impressive (including several identical). I can think of 8 off the top of my head, and we attend church with all of them.

I made my friend two quilts mostly from Bonnie and Camille's Vintage Modern fabric and a little from their Ruby line. (I won some of their fabric awhile back.)

The pink quilt is a pattern I found on a quilter's blog. I will link to it as soon as I remember whose it was. Sorry. Here's the link to Amy Smart's free pattern: Easy Bricks.

The green quilt is the Yellow Brick Road pattern. I quilted it with double random circles - a first for me. 

piecemeal

My sewing machine is (still) on the fritz. It sews straight lines, but forget about freehand quilting. tension. tension. tension. And I don't just mean the tightness of stitches. agh!

So while I currently cannot finish a few quilts waiting in the wings, I can work on this one that I am really excited about: gray and white and lots of piecing. More photos to come.

It's for a friend's baby, but I might just make a duplicate for my own boys too.

This photo was taken after I asked the boys to put their arms around each other for a picture. I think George made a good effort here.

yep, we're two

Hank loves to sort things. This morning, he was focused on laying out the UNO cards, with great care. George tried to foil his plans early in the process, and Hank let him know it was NOT ok to touch the cards.

 He did this all on his own.

He also likes to stack and re-stack plastic cups (as seen above). He carries them with him all day long.

Meanwhile, George grabbed a handful of dirt from my new Yucca plant and deposited it on my rocking chair. He was more than happy to get the vacuum out and help clean it up. I'm not sure if he was being mischievous, or if it was an actual plan for me to vacuum? He loves that thing. I wouldn't be surprised.

it's official

Hank and George are 2! To celebrate, we invited the grandparents over for lunch and cake and spent a low-key afternoon playing with hundreds of new matchbox cars. 

When we sang to the boys, Hank did not like all the attention and was ready to cry. Mark leaned in and gave him a kiss and that kept his tears at bay. Once the song was over, (and Owen blew out the candles for them) both boys clapped and were relieved it was all over.

Mom and dad were proxy party hat wearers. Because when you are two, you don't have to do anything you don't want to, including tying some silly string and cone around your head.

 

painful haircuts

Last week I decided George's hair needed some attention. It is no surprise that my dull hair clippers and lack of hair cutting skills are no match for George's resistant thrashing, as indicated by his uneven front bangs. (I've been letting them grow out for months now.) I usually buzz Hank myself, but since I was already committed to go elsewhere, he got to come too.

So off to Great Clips we went. Just me and the boys. Hank went first and he held his sucker tightly, for comfort, not taste. The quiet tears flowed and he let me know he was not happy, but he was mostly cooperative, by comparison.

Then it was George's turn. He flailed and he wailed . It took me and two stylists to hold him down. We were the center of all of Great Clips' attention for a good 8 minutes. A little 5 year old boy in the lobby walked over and insisted we "stop hurting that little boy!" I felt like mother of the year.

It is actually pretty impressive that his hair turned out respectably. Before we started, the stylist (is that what they're called?) wanted to use scissors because I didn't want his hair super short. What? Scissors on an apprehensive 2 year old! Are you kidding? Of course, I convinced her to use her longest guard and blending skills instead. I have to give her credit for working her magic and being so patient.

When it was all over, Hank and George happily ate their suckers and happily waved goodbye to the whole occupancy of Great Clips. And everyone (staff and customers) happily (thankfully) waved us on our way.

BEFORE

 AFTER

22 months and counting

This is Hank's favorite spot to "hide." Sometimes he can get out himself, and sometimes he can't. It drives me crazy. He thinks it's funny.

baby b needs a trim

...but baby b is a little feisty and he will not conform.

these boys these days

george is OBSESSED with the vacuum. he gets it out of the closet first thing in the morning and begs me to turn it on.  after he gets his "mom's vacuuming" fix, he dismantles all the parts, which hank then uses as guns and swords.

hank is a shoe fanatic. he panics when i take them off for his nap and worries when george is not wearing shoes too. oh, and the older kids showed these two how to take the cushions off all the furniture and jump on them. nice.