Date Night! At Home

My husband and I enjoyed a quiet night together at home recently, foregoing the babysitter. It was quiet, peaceful, very low key and simple. And I loved it. Music, drinks, a game, a candle and time to unwind and talk to the man I fell in love with so many years ago...made for a perfect evening.

I find we get so caught up in going places that we don't take advantage of downtime at home like we should. I appreciate the quiet after my little girl is in bed in a different way than I appreciate the energy she brings to our home and our lives.  Our home is a comfortable place to unwind and I look forward to many more date nights at home...

~Angela

 

Linking up here: 

Simple As That

Bowl Full of Lemons

An old Chair gets a new Life



I mentioned in a previous post that I love chairs. My mom and I started giving each other chairs and chair related gifts many years ago. Neither one of us can remember how this little tradition began, but it has been fun searching for and collecting chairs for each other ever since.




A framed pic of my mom & I that is in my laundry room

chair charm bracelet from my mom

Another gift from my mom

My mom and I each decorated these chairs for each other and made them almost identical!

It was only fitting that it was my mom who bought my little girl’s high chair for her

and also gave her a table and chair set, perfect for tea parties, of which we have many!

My husband and I gave our little girl this chair for her 1st birthday.

Then there was this chair that I picked up from a fundraising garage sale for $3 that my little girl likes to rock in while she sits with a book.

The “chair thing” as my mom and I call it (I know, so original) has now been extended to include my daughter. I am not a collector in general since I don’t like to have a lot of unnecessary stuff- I like to say that I only collect photos and memories- but as I look back at all the chair items I have, it is safe to say that this classifies as a collection.

My latest find was this chair I bought off the Internet for $5. It was dirty and the varnish was peeling off in places but that didn’t bother me. I knew it was the perfect size for my little girl and with a little soap & water and paint, it had the potential to be exactly what I wanted it to be. After scoring this free child’s art table for our Art Room, I have been on the search for a chair that my little girl could sit at when we do art together. This was the perfect height and very sturdy- really my only parameters for a chair.(I wish I had taken a "before" picture so you can appreciate the improvement).

I spray painted it  Blue Ocean Breeze. My husband asked me “What made you choose that color? It does not go with anything in the house.” And although he is absolutely right, my response was that I liked the color. It spoke to me. While at the store, amidst the giant wall lined with cans of spray paint in every color imaginable, this is the one that said Buy Me. And so I did. I figured if I hated it, I could always repaint it, although that won’t be necessary since I do love the finished product.

So does my little girl. And after all, it is her chair.

~Angela

Linking to these parties:

Truly Lovely

Ivy Cottage

Bowl Full Of Lemons

Alderberry Hill

Glittery Fun for a Fun Two Year Old

Now that my little girl is 2 (still cannot believe that!) and recognizes numbers, I thought we needed a new project. And this was very simple. I just freehanded a 2 and cut it out for her.

We decided to try out the glitter as part of our latest art project-. My little girl loved it!

 It was quite the sparkly mess, but totally worth it. My little girl loved this stuff and the glitter that has been transported to vairous parts of the house are just reminders of this fun day! After all, a crafty, fun child lives and plays and creates in this home.

I am not sure if she had more fun dumping the glitter out or cleaning it up!

~Angela

Handwritten Letters Part 2

I did not start doing this with plans to blog about it as this is very personal. But I have had such a heartwarming, positive experience, I needed to share. I hope someone who reads this blog decides to write their own letters.

After reflecting on the letters I exchanged with my friend Velma, I began writing letters to some of the people I care about. Wow, has this been an experience. First off, the task is daunting. I am actually taking the time to write those letters I keep thinking I should write. Not the obligatory thank you notes (that I still write) or the letter requesting fundraising dollars. A real handwritten, no-strings-attached letter. Saying the things I keep thinking I should say. Putting my words to paper. But it is also fun. In a time of email and social networking, mobile phones and texting, a handwritten letter is really a lost art. Well, I’m bringing it back- at least for those I care about. I bought and made stationary, stocked up on stamps and complied addresses.

Then I started writing…

-A letter to the deacon/friend that married us

-A letter to my brother for the unconditional love he shows my little girl and to let him know just how much my little girl loves her uncle

-A letter to my husband telling him the reasons I love him

-A letter to a friend that I am proud of because of a recent accomplishment

-A letter to a handful of friends I cannot imagine my life without

-A letter to the store where I recently had a great experience

-A letter to my in-laws for raising a wonderful son who is a great husband and father

-A letter to my grandma, telling her how much I cherish all the memories we have shared together

-A letter to my aunt for all she does for my grandma

-A letter to my mom for being the mom I can only aspire to be.

-A letter to my cousin who stayed with me when I was a new mom, helping with my baby, allowing me to nap, helping with errands

-A letter to my daughter that she can open in the future with my thoughts, my hopes, my dreams for her. I put this letter in our fire safe. They have no monetary value, but I do hope they are something she values as she grows into a young woman, maybe even a mother herself. I plan to write a letter to her each year on her birthday.

The list goes on…and as it does, I will write more letters

It humbles me to think that I have so many people that deserve a letter. It makes me realize how blessed I am.

I’m sentimental and some might classify it as cheesy, but I believe in being thankful for what is good, dealing with what is not in the most positive way possible, showing appreciation when I am thankful, paying it forward and enjoying the simple things in life.

~Angela