thoughts.

thoughts for today in no particular order.

1. chili is much better as a left over.
2. Baby is starting full day school.  2 days a week.  he is thrilled.  i am thrilled on the outside, sad on the inside.

3. i have never had all the laundry done. ever. like in my whole life.
4. i am making my first pumpkin pie today. it's in the oven.

5. i think i would like to move to somewhere far away with only the ones i love. we would live off the land. and not care what anyone thought.
6. i think i would miss target and getting tattoos. maybe once and awhile we could come to town.

7. it bugs me when people are mean. but everyone else thinks they are nice.
8. i have our desk/command center in the living room. maybe that's weird. but it works for us.
9. i wish people didn't act so happy all the time.  like they never have a bad day. makes me feel guilty when i have one.
10. there is a Goodwill going to open up very close to my house. this will be dangerous. but i think i will give lots away.
11. my 3rd grader has to read 1000 min a month for an A. are these really his min.? because i feel like they are mine.

12. hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs. Proverbs 10:12  this one is hard for me. maybe it is hard for you.
13. in my bible study this morning i read this...when conflicts arise, chose to cover over with love wrongs done to you.  this takes humility,but let it go. release it. refuse to dwell on it. hmm.. that's a tough one.
14. Baby sings numbers with his ABC's .
15. he also recites the Pledge of Allegiance all the time. usually in a mean shouting voice. i wonder who he is trying to convince.
16. i hate carving pumpkins. but we do. and i smile.

17. do dust bunnies ever go away ? how do they get there anyway?
18. i love spray paint.

19. i ordered another bag from Ika bags on etsy. i have a stripe one. bright for summer and spring. it is so great i have carried it every day since February. i got one for fall and winter. it is mustard yellow corduroy. she is making it right now. in France. just for me. there is only one. swoon.
20. there are babies and puppies popping up in my life everywhere. weird.

little mama.

listening.

a loving husband.

a loving wife.

3 caring boys.

a package deal.

taking time to listen.

listen to each other.

listen to what God is trying

to tell them.

taking time to connect.

connect to the ones they love.

the ones they love the most.

each other.

spending time being silly.

laughing about things only they

think is funny.

listening to the heart.

the hearts of their little ones.

the hearts that teach so much.

making their children

and their marriage

a top priority.

helping their boys become

amazing men.

listening.

this is us.

this is our story.

this is our journey.

loving the team we

are on.

little mama.

lets grow old together.

dear workinman,

i hope this is us someday....

lets grow old together.

love,
little mama.

books.

are you a book person or an e-reader type of person?  maybe you are not a book person at all.  maybe a magazine person.  maybe a tv person.  i am a book person.  i love the feel of a book in my hands.  i love the smell of a book.  i love the look of stacks of books anywhere and everywhere.  i love books.  i love the idea that there are many books on our shelves that i have read and many left to discover.

shelves of books make me happy.  makes me feel blessed.  books can be expensive.  may people don't have books.  i love to share and give books.  a book makes the best gift.  my mama recently cleaned out her book collection, to make room for more books i am sure.  we are a book family.  she gave me 5 large boxes of books and said that if i would take them to the half price book store then i could have the money.  bonus.  i of course went through them.  OldestBoy and SportsBoy went through them.  and then i called my book loving neighbor sue (hi sue!) to go through them.  she came down, sick even, and left with a paper bag full and a smile!  books are happiness. 

books bring knowledge.  books bring adventure.  books bring comfort and peace.  books can save you.  they can bring you out of that dark place.  they can help you see more clearly.  if you have a chance, give a book to a child in need.  give a book to anyone.  you never know how it may help or change them.  sometimes it can just be the idea of escaping from regular life for a while.  a little bit of relief from the everyday stress.  whatever the help, know it was somehow needed.  i love books.

little mama.

lots going on.

hello there friends.  lots is going on in life right now.  mostly good.  life is good.  baseball is in full swing for the boys.  altho our spring weather is no where to be found.  which has made for some very chilly practices thus far.  oh well.  soon enough i suppose. 

WorkinMan and my 12th anniversary in on easter sunday so we decided to celebrate on saturday instead.  we love baseball and went to a Twins game together.  it was lovely.  chilly but so fun!

tomorrow is easter and we are very excited.  we all love to dress up.  especially the boys.  i will try to get pictures up of their fabulous outfits.  have a lovely easter weekend with your family and friends too.  much love!

little mama.

some things that make me happy.

happy things...

smiles from a dear friend.

snuggling little boys

campfires at the cabin.

(this may or may not involve wine.)

owls.

brothers who are getting along.

a night out with awesome friends.

this bag.

ikabags from france

via etsy.

the awesome support

this woman gives

my mama.

little mama.

beauty stuff.

hello all.  happy friday.  don't know about you but it has been a long week.  glad the weekend is here.  went today with my mama to the mall.  the mall people.  haven't been there in ages.  went to get my MAC makeup. come to think of it, that was probably the last time i was at the mall. to get makeup at the MAC counter.  we also went to get mama some skinny clothes.  since her diagnosis she has lost over 25 lbs.  which is scary and lovely at the same time.  double edge sword.  i am sure she would rather be cancer free and plump but here we are.  so off the J.Jill we went.  her favorite store.  she got some super cute stuff!  so now she can feel a little more comfortable in her clothes and not feel like she is wearing my dads pants.  while we were there we stopped in at Sephora.  love that place.  i was in need of some concealer/spackle.  :)  i ended up with this stuff.  love the name.  anything with balm in the name, i am all about. 

it's called Time Bomb by the balm.  it's great. it's thick.  and it covers.  love. 

on the beauty subject i have been wanting to try the Sally Hansen nail polish strips, with the patterns.  i bought the flowers called Girl Flower and I also got the butterflies called Fly With Me.  here they are...

p.s. i have no idea how to rotate this picture. 

i think they are super cute.  they were easy to use and from what i have heard last quite a long time.  Dainty Squid did a review on them and said they lasted 15 days for her.  that's longer than traditional nail polish lasts for me. i am super hard on my hands.  i will let you know how it goes for me.  they are fun and i will defiantly be trying the other patterns.

so that's about all.  i might be a little m.i.a next week.  we have family coming into town.  my mama's sister and her parents.  can't wait to see them.  it has been too long.  they are from the south and always tell it like it is.  they have not seen many of my tattoos or nose ring or dark hair.  eek! :)   i am sure i will have some funny stories to share!    hopefully the sun will come out where you are!

little mama.

details.

are you a detail person or a bigger picture type?  myself, i am a details person.  i think about accessories first before the outfit.  accessories in a room before the furniture.  i notice hands, sparkle in eyes, the shape of lips, and dewiness in skin before i notice the shape of a persons body.  details.  i want to know all the details of my mama's chemo.  where she will go, how long it will take to administer, what kind of chair will she sit in, all. the. details.  WorkinMan is a bigger picture person.  we balance each other out. 
when i was young my mama had this type box.  at least i think that is what it is called.  she would put all these little items in it.  little houses.  tiny little things she found neat or important.  it's one of the things i really remember in our house growing up.  i love teeny tiny little things.   i have been looking for one and finally found one at an antique store in a near by town.  it was a great price and so he came home with me.  ever notice how men call their things she...weird.  most of my things are he.  is that because i am a girl?  is that because i have boys?  anyway, where was i?......

i took down the map in the kitchen.  it was giving us bad vibes. do you ever have that?  something that you once loved, now doesn't fit?   we had put little tacks on where we had been or where loved ones live.  we had a tack in Amsterdam, where my parents used to live, and where my mom was diagnosed with cancer.  it was a constant reminder that we were once apart.  we don't need that every time we eat dinner.  so down the map came.  it was relocated to the hallway going to the basement.  minus the tacks.  and it brings some much needed color down there.  and the boys can use it for homework since in is right outside their bedroom doors.  win, win.  so the type box is hanging over the kitchen table.  we will slowly fill it with treasures and bits that are important to us.  we have already put in tiny little special things.  my original Yoda from growing up, a lego robot, a clay owl handmade by SportsBoy and other little things we love to look at.  you know, priceless treasures.

that long brown tube holds toothpicks.  it belonged to my dad's best friend Royce.  greatest guy ever.  and there is my glass Shamu the whale from california when i was in kindergarten.  i was obsessed with him. 

so there you have it.  my newest find.  i am really excited to see what little details we kind find to house in here.  super fun!

little mama.

girly stuff.

my mom is getting prep ed for surgery as we speak.  so in order to not go crazy with worry i am going to talk about fun, meaning less things.  :)   i have 2 great products that i am enjoying lately and thought i would tell you about them.  the first is a lovely little nail polish by Essie.  it is called angora cardi.  it is a great purplely mauve color.  but not your 80's mauve. it's my new favorite.  it's lovely.


yes. i have my mothers hands.
i love them.



angora cardi.

 my next new love is for all my natural girls out there.  after having lasik eye surgery years ago, i have not had great luck with mascara.  for some reason my eyes seem very sensitive to just about everything.  i have been using a product by Tarte that i really like.  it is called an eye lash stain.  it's the same idea as a lip stain but for your lashes.  it last 4 days! and gives me a natural look.  i love it. 


tarte lash stain.

this stain is not cheap.  it runs about $18 a tube.  but if each application last 4 days i feel like i am getting my $ worth.  plus even the "cheap" stuff is about $6 a tube lately.  it is worth it to me, you decide for you.  :)

and lastly, we went to the library today.  my boys are on spring break and are reading through books so fast, and im runnin out of money!  so we headed to the library.  these are some jems that we found in the children's section....of course the big boys got their chapter books too....



the color.
that title.
love.



we are very excited about
this book.
cool crafts
for cool
boys.



love this movie.
love this book.

lots of great books to pass the time till we hear from nannie.  send up a prayer.  after surgery and getting well, she will start a 6 month round of chemo in 4-6 weeks.  on to the healing.....

lots of love.

little mama.

blessed & broken.

this blog is fun. this blog is a nice way to get feelings out and share parts of my life.  this blog is unimportant.  yes, you read that right.  unimportant.  i sometimes go through my everyday life focused on what is not going "right."  my children are fighting.  my husband isn't reading my mind.  it's cold out and i want spring.  i miss my parents.   i am a glass half empty kind of gal.  sad but true.  i have accepted it and just have to try hard to focus on the positive.  as much as i sometimes think i am getting the short end of the stick, i am not.  i have not.  i only need to look beyond myself to know that i am blessed.  not just blessed like everyone else.  but really blessed.  i have been guarded from much pain in my life.  i have my parents alive and healthy.  i have a wonderful healthy family.  i have had 3 easy pregnancys.  i have 3 healthy children.  i have never lost a child.   my husband has a job.  i have a warm home.  i have 4 grandparents alive and married to their original spouse.  my children have 5 great grandparents.  i have a loving, supportive church family.  i have in-laws who are still married and love our family.  i have a brother and sister who i am close to.  physically and emotionally.  blessed.  

when i hear of others loss, i am abruptly reminded of how cruel this life can be.  how your whole world can fall apart in an instant.  never the same.  and i am reminded in all my flub ups and mistakes and short comings why i need a savior.  i am reminded that his grace is enough.

mary from a splendid adventure wrote a lovely post on being broken.  it touched my heart.  it might touch yours too.  http://www.asplendidadventure.blogspot.com/ 
my friend shared a lovely verse that i want to leave you with...have a blessed day.  
little mama.

"the lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." psalms 34:18

fashion friday....not so much.

Ok heres the deal. I started a post last night on Fashion Friday. As I wrote and posted picks, it was just annoying. Boring picture after boring picture of me in less than stellar outfits. Not my idea of a good time. So I am changing my mind. I'm allowed to do that, it's my blog. I think what I might do is post items from my wardrobe that I think you might like or things that I want to show. We will see. This may all change as I am feeling very fickle.



http://www.madgirlvintage.etsy.com/
love. love. love.
new to me Vintage Chukka boots.
Mad Girl Vintage has tons of amazing
vintage
clothes & accesories.
Lovely.

beads-African Opal
wood/gold necklace- Little Mama

This is my new Ika bag from France!!!
beautifully made. sturdy.
custom just for me.
get one too.
love. love. love.
this bag.
http://www.ikabags.etsy.com/

wool cardigan-old navy
caleb hawley t- concert
heart jeans- target/little mama
vintage chukka boots
beads- African Opal




Baby in a shirt made by Little Mama
for his
Valentine party.

There you have it one of the most random posts ever.

 Fashion Friday....not so much.

P.S. I am having trouble with my posts.

Weird page breaks and spaces. And random text changes.

Please bear with me.

I am sure it is the operator.

 So Annoying.

Little Mama.