Jones Design Company

Mar

25

today’s thoughts

1. I am ready for a living room facelift. We have a built-in next to the fireplace that needs to be finished as well as a fresh coat of paint on the walls. But I’m also wanting some new pillows {which I’ll make}and a change in accessories to freshen up the space. I get this way at the onset of every season … the itch to change things around. My poor husband. I’ll take some before and after photos and post them when we’re finished.

2. My mother-in-law is a thrift store shopper. I am definitely not. She always comes out with the best treasures. I just come out feeling like I need some hand sanitizer. But, I benefit greatly from her thrifting trips as she tires of her collections quickly and I get to take what I want. Tonight, I’m headed over to her house to pick through her give-away pile. Hope I come home with some good stuff!

3. My daughter, while precious in every way, has a major spitting up problem. My goodness we go through a lot of outfits and burp cloths each day.

4. My husband is at work tonight and I’m planning on watching every show that he can’t stand: project runway, shear genius and america’s next top model. So looking forward to my date with the dvr.

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Mar

20

It’s a sunny day

My mom taught a song to the boys:

“It’s a sunny day, it’s a sunny day, it’s sunny outside so we can go out a play. All the little children say ‘hip-hip-hooray!’ It’s a sunny, sunny day {boom boom}”

Most days when it is unexpectedly sunny {quite frequently, I’m afraid}, we all break out in song. Today was one of those day.

GORGEOUS.

So we headed outdoors.

I realized that since having our little girl, I really haven’t photographed my first three loves. So I grabbed the camera and snapped a few shots of our beautiful day.

We met up with my mom and her wonderful husband for a lakeside lunch.

Then ventured to another park to meet up with cousins. {Note: it was only 68, which is really a nice spring day, but certainly not warm enough to be shirtless – unless you are 5 and you really don’t care}.

My silly six year old found posing for the camera quite entertaining. He had some awesome poses.

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend. We loved today.

Unfortunately, I think we’ll be singing the “It’s a rainy day” version of the song tomorrow.

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Mar

17

the nursery

My heart is happy every time I walk past Audrey’s nursery. The colors, the patterns, the fact that it is the girliest place in our house. At first, when my husband saw the color I was asking him to paint, he questioned me. Why blue? It was my one chance to go pink, and I chose blue. I guess I’m just not as crazy about pink as I am blue. I’ve realized as I’ve spent time in her room, that if I could decorate my home any way I wished {without considering the four males that reside with me} it would look very much like our sweet girl’s room.

So let me welcome you to the nursery {beware, there are many photos!}

First, the before.

windows

This was previously a boy’s nursery {go figure} and I loved the stripes. I originally wanted to use our guest room as the new nursery and us this room as the guest room so that I wouldn’t have to paint over the stripes, but that didn’t happen. So goodbye stripes.

And here it is now:

We’re still missing a few key elements {a chandelier – I just haven’t found the right one; a large sheepskin rug; a canvas painted with her scripture verse on it; a few more pillows}, but it is as good as it will get for today. The rest will happen over time. I’m learning to be okay with that …

Some of my favorite things:

:: the wallpaper {actually flat sheets of gift wrap that I have adored for a long time}

:: the ruffles on the curtains

:: the old gold frames {from my grandparents’ collection. They passed before I really knew them, but I think we would have gotten along beautifully. Both were actors and artists – my grandfather did set designs for theater, my grandma taught acting classes to Judy Garland. My mom mentions often that I would have loved her home growing up – glamorous and eclectic at the same time.}

:: the vintage little dresses {I bought one before I was even married and the other was my mom’s}

:: the pink ruffle pillow {I was not planning on putting pink into the room, but I found the pillow and then my mom gave me the crown artwork and it just came together.}

I really love all of the room. I was concerned that I had a vision that I wasn’t going to be able to translate into real life, but I think I got it pretty close.

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Posted by emily | 28 comments

Mar

16

sick day

It’s a sick day around here. It started on Saturday in the middle of the night and continued through until late last night. I think we’re over the hump, but we’re laying low today, just in case. My husband’s first day back to work since our little girl’s arrival was Sunday {conveniently, also the day I got sick. Fortunately, we had spent the night at his parent’s house and they took care of the boys while I spent the day resting}. He’s back at work today and I was a little nervous about having three boys with the flu and one baby who likes to eat a lot. But it’s been good today.

Sometimes sick days are just what I need. Mellow kids. Lots of movies. Coloring. Comfort foods like applesauce and graham crackers.

And hot chocolate {its a proven sore throat remedy, right?}

Time for reading {Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl}

Catching up on my bible study {Walking By Faith by Jennifer Rothschild}

Making flower headbands for a few special new babies.

And taking photos of my Audrey-girl.

I had a few minutes while the boys were napping to play around with photo editing. I’m fascinated by what you can do with photos and eager to learn how to do it correctly. This is just me messing around with some color, cropping and photo effects.

audrey sleeping

Here is the before :

audrey awake 60s

And another before:

Kind of fun to play around and see the difference.

Time to get back to my book …

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Mar

15

tonight

{lots and lots of laundry}

{these sweet dainty little fingers}

{the best chocolate chips}

Not pictured:

cleaning up vomit {yuck … even when it is my own child’s}

watching dumb tv { i am definitely no smarter after watching The Bachelor: behind the scene}

finding some new fun blogs

feeding the little darling every hour.

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Mar

12

i can’t live without …

well, actually, I can’t live without a lot of things {God, my family, chocolate}.

Instead, I should call this, I COULDN’T BREASTFEED WITHOUT …

because, truly, I don’t know what I did before this invention.

My very good friend created this brilliant undergarment. I wear one everyday.

I am pleased to introduce you to the

This little wonder is much like a tube top, only it is worn under your bra line. It doesn’t seem too impressive upon first glance, but believe me, it is amazing.

Here are my top three benefits:

1. It keeps you all tucked in. We all know that after expanding incredibly, a stomach takes quite a while to go back to normal {if ever …}. This is just tight enough to slim you without the uncomfortable squeeze of wearing spanx.

2. It hides the beautiful reality of back fat. Have you ever sat behind someone who is breastfeeding? Ever noticed that no nursing cover can quite cover a mamma’s side and back? You lift up your shirt to feed your baby, and out pops the flab leftover from growing the precious darling. Not something I’d like to show the world. An empire tank is worn under your bra so that when you lift your shirt, you keep your torso covered by the tank. IN.GEN.IOUS.

3. Do I really need another benefit? I’d say the first two are enough. However, I will also say that I love supporting my dear friend. She has worked tirelessly on creating a company for moms, she is creative beyond belief, such a thoughtful friend and great mom. I think supporting other companies created by moms is one of the best things we can do for each other.

Check out her little company video {shot at my house! How fun it was despite my nasty nausea at the time}

Rae has generously offered a 25% discount on any of her AROMMY products.

{the smib – part smock, part bib}

{another product I can’t live without once my kiddos are eating real food. And just look at that little cutie in the orange shirt – my darling no. 3}

{stationery} {flowers}

{door bumper. Yet ANOTHER one I can’t live without. No more slamming doors}

{placemats}

Visit AROMMY’s blog. If you’d like to place an order with the 25% discount, please email rae@armommy.com directly.

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Mar

10

affirmation and a necklace

First off, thank you to all the sweet women who commented on my last post. I debated about whether this was the right place to ‘journal’ and I think after reading your comments, it was. After I pressed ‘publish’ I said a prayer that somehow my total honesty would make some sort of impact on someone and that ultimately God would be glorified. I hope that both have occurred.

Sometimes I just need to write out my thoughts and process through things so that I can get past it, so thank you for being my listening audience. It seems like this idea of unrealistic expectations is something that I am not the only one struggling with which, believe me, feels good.

I was doing my bible study last night {yes, night, not morning like I thought I should do} and it put into words just what I needed to hear. Paul writes:

“To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. ⁸Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹But he said to me,

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

That is good, yes?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

On a completely different note, I am not really a jewelry girl. I generally wear my wedding ring {my great-grandmother’s and I love it} some fake diamond studs, a watch and this:

About two years ago, I searched and searched for tiny charms that I could have my boys’ initials engraved on. It was hard to find such little ones, but etsy came through for me.

When I got the package in the mail I cried. They were perfect. One little charm for each of my darlings.

Once we named Audrey, I placed my order {kathrynriechert.com} and was delighted once again when I received the tiny package.

So now my necklace is complete.

My FOUR darlings.

I sort of wish it spelled out something cooler than ebma, but we weren’t really thinking about my necklace when naming our first three {it was, ridiculous as it sounds, a consideration when naming baby no. 4 – that’s just kind of how I am}.