Phillips Phamily Phive: 01.10

If I Don't Write This Down NOW...

I'll surely forget by this evening.

Our after-lunch conversation:

Mama: Make sure you don't drop any of those M&Ms on the floor. Bailey can't have chocolate.

HJ: Why, Mama?

Mama: Dogs are allergic to chocolate. It's not good for them.

AE: 'Lergic? He's 'lergic to CHOCOLATE? (inflection with disbelief)

Mama: Yes, honey. It would make him sick. HJ, do you know why Bailey can't eat any chocolate?

HJ: Yes, Mama. BECAUSE HE DOESN'T HAVE ANY HANDS.

Controversy in the Making

Painting Brick

Dun, dun, dunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!

Love it, hate it, or indifferent? People sure have opinions!

Our "new" home was built in the 1950s, and though the previous owners did an extensive renovation, they left a few original items:

(MLS photo with previous owners furnishings)

parquet floors
plain hollow doors
one HUGE brick fireplace with brass accessories

See???

First thing we did was change the flooring:

See??? We replaced the parquet floors with wide plank distressed hickory in a dark stain.

Then we moved in and unloaded all our "carp"

See??? See all that "carp"?

And now. About the fireplace.

The brick was pretty. The brick was in good condition. It was just too much brick for me. I wanted the fireplace to disappear, and thankfully, The Daddy agreed with me.

This weekend, we painted that HUGE fireplace. We found the primer and an almost-full gallon of paint that the previous owners kindly left us in our shed.

Here she is with a coat of primer.

The paint color is Sherwin Williams "Urban Putty," the same color as the walls in the room.

Here's The Daddy getting started with the second coat.

The Crazy Dog hung out right outside the door. No dog hair in the paint, please!

It really was a lot of work.

But the end result makes me happy.

We live here and we love it!

We plan on painting the firebox black with some heat-resistant paint. We also plan on painting the back of the bookcases with a pretty color. I'm thinking an orangey-rusty-red. Maybe a Terra cotta-like color.

I'd like to place a pretty fern in the firebox since we will rarely use it here in Florida.

I'm also thinking some piece of artwork or some salvaged architectural piece would be nice directly above the firebox.

This is the one that immediately came to mind:

But aren't these fun?

A clock would be practical and this one is pretty:

Maybe a mirror?

Ga-ga over this one!

Love the added detail around the edge of this one:

This shape is so appealing:

Classic sunburst, anyone?

Maybe circles, but something different like:

I love the colors in this one:

*I found all these options at Ballard Designs, Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware.

So, what do you think? Don't hold back...

I'm joining Kimba today over at:

Do You Look Up or Down?

When I look down, I see my past failures.

When I look UP, He can see my corrected path. He can see what I've done right in the past. He can see what my future, though not perfect, holds. He can see how I'll learn from my past failures.

When I look down, I see my character flaws.

When I look UP, He can see my desire to please. He can see my raw and transparent self. He can see my desire to be honest and true. He can see my true character being woven through my innermost being.

When I look down, I see myself lower than others.

When I look UP, He can see who I will become. He can see where I stand, not according to others but with Him. He can see me standing in His place of eternity. He can see me up where I belong.

When I look down, I see my stubbornness.

When I look UP, He can see my determination. He can see how I strive for perfection on the first try. He can see my frustration with anything less. He can see my resolution and purpose. He can see how I'll never give Him up.

When I look down, I see my imperfect body.

When I look UP, He can see my beauty. He can see my face, my body and my soul for what it really is. He can see through me to what is good and perfectly made. He can see my beauty, body, mind and soul.

Presented with a challenge, a disappointment or obstacle, I tend to look down. I'm working on seeing myself from His point of view. I'm working on looking UP.

What do you do? Do you look UP or down?

A Sneak Peek

Our weekend so far...

turning the blue "boys" room into a pink palace.

Enjoying an after dinner treat

Oreoes!

Tonight The Daddy and I are going on our first date that has required us to HIRE a babysitter. If it goes well, we're doing it again next week! Ha!

A Simple Update

Y'all!

I knew it would make a difference, but look at this:

Waffle Weave Empire v. Linen Drum

Wowza! What a difference!

Thanks to Rhoda, who suggested the update!

Baby Bumps

Feeling the love, folks! I got my wish and got to hear from a couple of y'all that I knew were out there, but have been silent. Now, for the rest of you lurkers... :)

My mother-in-law called to see if she was one of the ones to which I was referring! HA! I told her she didn't have to comment because she always calls and gives her comments live over the phone.

Thanks so much for all your well-wishes. We are so blessed to be expecting our third child. I thought I'd take a minute to answer all the typical "So, you're pregnant!" questions.

When is the baby due?

Mid-September; AE's birthday is 9/22, so hopefully well before her special day!

Will you find out the sex of the baby?

We did not find out the first time around, and I LOVED not knowing! We DID find out the second time around and that was nice, too. We will more than likely find out as soon as we can.

Do you want a boy?

Of course. I also want a girl. I want both, either, whoever God has blessed us with. He knows what we need! AE is convinced it's twins. A boy AND a girl, if you ask her!

Will you post pictures of your baby bump?

Simply put: no. You'll thank me! Although there are two little girls who would like to show you theirs...

Because I Can't Keep a Secret...

and neither can they. The girls have something to tell you:

And here's the proof:

That second line came up in 'bout 20 seconds flat!

Back when I started this blog for our family, I knew we wanted to have more children and I also knew that we might be moving. In the very first post, I outlined a few goals for writing.

So #1...check.

#2...check.

#3...check.

NOT so sure about #4.

#5...check!

Now I know there are lots (ahem, three) of you who NEVER post comments. I need a few here today.

And while you're at it, would you answer me a question?

How did you find this blog and would you keep reading if I changed the name of it?

Dining Room Dilemma

So friends, I didn't get to go to Atlanta last weekend. I must admit, I was pretty bummed. Snow and ice prevented me from seeing Eddie, going to Scott's and FINALLY buying some fabric for the dining room chairs.

Oh, well.

Let's talk about our new dining room, shall we?

Besides the sitting at the counter in a barstool, the only dedicated eating place is this space. It has to be kid friendly, but it's also the first room you see when you walk in the front door, so it has to be pretty, too.

See what the previous owners had going on before we moved in:

small oblong table (58")
four chairs
small buffet
parquet floors
off-center and hung-too-high chandelier

The Dining Room Before:

And the Dining Room Now:

And here's what we've got going on so far:

large rectangular table (75")

four chairs

bigger buffet

lamps (considering buying drum shades to update them)

This is the fabric for the chairs:

I wanted something a little more modern to help bring the chairs up-to-date and make them less FAHN-CEEEE. I also wanted something with some texture to hide grease stains from little hands.

Which leaves this fabric for the window panels:

I love toile, but I wasn't bold enough to choose it for the chairs. I figure if I make curtains with it, I could take them down and make dresses for the girls if I get sick of it on the walls. Call me Scarlet!

I want a new chandelier. This one is new, but the glass "shades" are splatter painted. Me no-likey. But, if you heard me correctly, I said I "want" which means it won't change for a while.

I'm not going to bother with a rug until our children cease to throw food spill food on the floor.

It's only been a year of planning. Maybe I'll get it done this time!

What room have you been putting off until later?

Slo-Mo

I'm learning to move slower here.

The speed limits are lower.

The urgency isn't there.

The race to get there the fastest is over.

Our life is now moving at a much slower pace.

I have to remind myself that this new way is better.

I have to remind myself that this new way is best.

While my children are growing like weeds, I am slowing down in order to grasp all the small steps they are taking.

A jump here.

A dance there.

Smiles of joy.

A realization of how life is.

And it's moving slower now.

I've got a goal, and it's slowing down.

Who's In?

I've got something fun to look forward to!

This weekend, I'm headed to Atlanta {alone} to look for fabric and maybe some furniture and to attend a framing workshop lead by Eddie Ross. He's going to teach us all about how to make our treasured items look pretty!

Remember the fun I had last January at The Scott Antique market? That's when I ran into:

Rhoda AND Eddie!

Rhoda's going to be there again and a little birdie told me about some other big time bloggers who will be there! Aren't you curious who?

Remember what I bought???

And what I made out of one of my purchases???

So who wants to go with me?

If you're not convinced, go over and check out the spread and framed "eye candy" Eddie has in store for us! The session is free to bloggers and only $10 if you don't have a blog. He's even hosting a giveaway from the framing workshop sponsor, Larson-Juhl! I know you've got something you've been putting off getting framed. :)

Seriously, email Jaithan (jaithan@eddieross.com) today to reserve your spot and let me know if you want to meet up!