Inspiration

Today my Cali Girl in Washington inspired me to create my own *copied* french shabby chic design accessories. I was introduced to a gorgeous shabby chic store in my hometown by my hubby. He himself happened to stumble across it as he was heading to an appointment in town. He said I would love it and that I HAD to go and see this store. * Hubs is a catch I know* Before he could put the car in park I was already calling out things I had to have and gasping and pointing in every direction, I was in heaven!! I wanted everything in the store and swore to him I had a perfect spot in our home to put everything I wanted.



As my excitement settled and my husband hid his wallet, I really started to examine all the expensive and very expensive little furnishings. In my head I kept thinking, I can recreate this, I know how they made this, they want how much?!?! I mean I really loved the items they were selling but thought perhaps there are other shabby chic design lovers on a budget out there. Other people who like me want the look but can't take the price tag. Which got me thinking maybe actually I could recreate the look and blog about how I did it for less and how you can too!! I explained this brilliant idea to my Cali Girl in Washington, Kristie and she encouraged me to do it and so I am.



So Staples, Michael's, and Target here I come!!! I'm going to go back to the shabby chic store in my hometown to take pictures of the accessories I am going to try and duplicate. Candles, bottles, tags etc. and you can decide if I accomplished the task of recreating these items or not.



I ask that at this point in the blog you wish me luck because I will be using a hot glue gun and if a hot glue gun in my possession doesn't make you spontaneously erupt in laughter, well then I'm sure the pictures will!!

GO TO SLEEP!!!!

I am seething with anger and frustration!!!! I went to bed around 9:30p.m. fell asleep around 10:30p.m. and was awaken at 1a.m. by the littlest boo boo. I have been awake with him ever since because for some reason he can't sleep tonight. So if he can't sleep well that means I can't sleep and I know every mommy out there knows what I'm talking about!!

I am so angry at my husband right now because he is sound asleep at 5 o'clock in the morning and I have yet to be. We have a family gathering to go to this afternoon and I just know both I and the littlest boo boo are going to be cranky and an absolute joy to be around. Hmmm well that last sentence is just dripping with sarcasm. I have a headache, I want to cry but most of all I want my boo boo to GO TO SLEEP!!!!

Oh look here comes the sun coffee anyone?

Ol' Friend

Look who finally made his way home from Darkest Peru, my dear ol' friend Paddington Bear. After a nail biting auction and weeks of waiting my darling friend made it to our home where he greets my guest from his little black rocking chair.He doesn't look exactly like the one I had so long ago but he fills my heart with joy just the same. Welcome Home Paddington Bear, oh how I've missed you.

Guess Who?!?!

Guess who is also on Twitter??? My chihuahua Walter that's who!!! I thought it would be funny to give him a twitter account and see how many people would actually follow him. As some of you may or may not know I am a HUGE fan of The Real Housewives of New Jersey and one of my favorite housewives is Dina Manzo. She has a hairless sphinx named Grandma Wrinkles and when my eyes first fell upon Grandma Wrinkles I knew for sure Dina was my kind of girl!!!

Well I am now on Twitter and besides following Dina I also follow her cat, Grandma Wrinkles who has herself over 5,000 followers and I am one of them. Yes I know how crazy that sounds but look who your talking to.*hahahahah* Anyway it got me thinking and I thought it would be funny to get Walter a Twitter account and post funny things on his wall. He's a big eared chihuahua how could it not be funny!!

So if you're interested in how a spoiled SoCal chihuahua lives you can follow Walter. Not only is he cute but he is funny and an all around great guy.

http://twitter.com/SoCal_Walter

With My Jaw On The Floor

My father and I had a falling out and really haven't spoken to each other since December. When my husband and I were having our issues I went to my father for support and received none. Instead I was insulted, criticized, and belittled by my oldest sister as my father sat there silently shaking his head yes in agreement with everything she said.* She and her children live with my father, she herself is divorced.* Even though when she was going through her divorce I was there for her she couldn't do the same for me. No she judged me, didn't believe what my grievances were and basically sided with my husband. I left his home in tears and hadn't seen him up until a few weeks ago when I saw him at my nephews graduation. I hugged my father hello but didn't get the opportunity for very much other then small talk. It was after all my nephews big day and I didn't want to ruin it in anyway.

When my husband and I separated it was a very difficult time in my life and I had no ones support accept my other sister Elba and of all people my husband. Now my husband and I have reconciled and have put our relationship first in our lives.We are doing wonderfully *Praise God*.

This Sunday is Father's Day and my boys and I were hoping to take my father to dinner. My boys have been asking to see him, they have no idea of our falling out.I called him from my car to let him know that I was in town and if he had any plans on Friday. He was short, cold, and practically hung up on me. He had plans and I had my jaw on the floor, with my kids in the backseat shouting "Can we go to his house mom please is he home?"

I sat there for a moment then lied to them "Oh no we can't go he's busy right now maybe another day." With disappointment in his voice my 6 year old said "When will he not be busy?" I was so hurt, so angry, not for me but for them!! Doesn't he miss my kids?!?! Doesn't he want to see them?!?! He can't find a way to put up with me for an hour or so so my kids can visit with him?!?! I guess not, so I took my kids to the store and helped them pick out a nice card for their Grandpa and put it in the mail.I don't know what else to do and well there is nothing that I really can do.

I hope you have a Happy Father's Day dad even if you don't want our well wishes.

Wait I Wasn't Ready!!!

Yesterday was really hard day for me and around 10:30 last night I couldn't take it anymore and I had a major anxiety attack!! I was certain that the dangerous, harmful, whatever it is, was outside my house. Circling, looming, just waiting to destroy my life. It was going to penetrate through and shatter my life and my families sense of security. All the rituals that I do to protect my family were not going to be able to protect us or help us.

I have a lot of changes going on in my life and I don't know exactly where I stand. Relationships are changing, my children are growing up very quickly and I am having trouble with that. My baby isn't a baby anymore. He started preschool, a second choice preschool. A if we have to we can enroll him there preschool, not our first choice but finances played a huge part in our decision, unfortunately.

This next school year will be my oldest sons last year of elementary school. It hurts, I just can't take it. Life gets so busy and with three kids things get so incredibly hectic and you don't notice how quickly the sand is running through your children's hourglass and their youth is passing you by and by the time you notice and shout TIME OUT... GIVE ME A LITTLE MORE TIME!!! You're simply to late and all you can do is pray you'll pay better attention as the sand starts to run down again.

If I had one wish it would be to let me go back and relive that time, those moments, those memories again. Let me breath in the scent of my new born babies, let me rock them to sleep in my arms, let me watch them take their first steps again.Enjoy those big toothless grins just one more time, if I had one wish I know what it would be, but really all I can do all I can say is "Wait I wasn't ready!!"

Home Improvements

We have been up to some home improvements lately here at The House of Jones. I had mentioned in earlier post that we had purchased a new couch set and even tho it is not a traditional over sized, overstuffed, shabby chic couch. Leather can be shabby chic and work in a shabby chic look with the right accessories. I softened the hard lines and modern look of our leather couch with my toil pillows and a crushed velvet throw blanket. Leather is also to this point a smart fabric choice for those with young children.



My fabulous hubby was kind enough yesterday to hang the shelves he painted especially for our boys. Now my next project is to take tons and tons of pictures of our beautiful babies to fill the frames and then some. A task I find easy well because they are just so darn cute!!! That is not a bias opinion all my friends and family think they are adorable too!!! *smirk*



I have a feeling our summer will be filled with projects, adventure, trips, and most of all FUN!!!! I can't wait it seems we are off to a good start 82* degrees is what the days weather forecast is for today.



I hope in my next post I will be announcing the arrival/addition of a new member of the family!!! Fingers crossed everyone fingers crossed.

Time Flies

So I have been a busy little bee now that the school year is rapidly coming to an end a fact that has hit me very hard because MY BABIES ARE GROWING UP WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! My hubby and I now understand the dozen of parents that have told us through the years children grow up so fast that one day you'll wake up and say where did the years go?!?! We find ourselves making the same face they made when telling us this ugly fact of life. The face of sadness and longing when we look at our babies and reminisce of them in diapers and first words and favorite stuffed toys. As we confidently said to them we will be a parent forever, and now somehow forever just doesn't seem long enough.

So as to not think of my babies rapid growth I have been trying to figure out Twitter. I know how to tweet but have no idea how to post a response or greeting on someone else's Twitter tweet. Finding people to follow isn't so easy either so if you Twitter let me know so I can follow you!!!