In Love With Home

We weren't supposed to fall in love with our home.  It's a rental.  Not a fancy rental. In fact, we intentionally picked out a not-so-fancy rental because well, we aren't fancy people.  We are messy people that would rather play in the back yard than manicure it.  We are don't worry about tracking mud in the house people.  We are life's too short to worry about being perfect people.  

Source

So this not-so-fancy rental was supposed to fill a need.  We needed a roof over our head and this place provided it.  Who cares that the driveway is the worst and grows more grass in the cracks than in our actual yard? Not us.  Nope.  Roof doesn't leak, we're all good.

That was as far as it was supposed to go.  But what I've discovered is I kind of love this crappy old home.  The green walls, the nice neighbors, the quiet street, wood floors, the way the light shines through the windows in the morning...a few months ago I started to fall in a lot of like.  But then, we started hanging out on the porch this spring/summer.  And it's official, I love this crappy old rental home.

The porch is big enough for all six (seven including the dog) to spread out and do our own thing.   

 Of course the people filling up my porch are pretty wonderful, even those people that don't want to get their picture taken.

It's been an interesting up and down, little over a year since we moved into this house and it feels...not just like home, but a home we love.  And it feels good.


We are less than a week into summer vacation and aside from a couple sick Youngbloods, we are off to a good start.  Check out what we did in 2 1/2 days of summer vaca last week:


Just The Beginning- Summer 2013 from Jumping With My Fingers Crossed on Vimeo.

And here's the old(ish) song that I love so much and is all about HOME.

A Blurry Week, What I Know For Sure & #iPPP

Life is a little blurry right now.  (No, it's not the amount of tequila I've had tonight.)  It's a busy and scattered and who's taking who where and what time's practice and oh my gosh I forgot that was today and I have no idea how that's getting done and I didn't have time to go to the grocery store so you'll just have to eat rice and frozen peas for dinner kind of week.   It's a so what kid, you have two different sandals on your feet at least you have shoes on kind of week.

Wade went to school like this. Neither his teacher nor he seemed surprised or disturbed.

Next Wednesday is the last day of school and summer will finally be here.  Life will slow down, maybe too much for some of us, but I can't wait. The countdown is on, I know that for sure (this week).


Here's what else I know (this week):

• Even though it's been busy, the girls had some time to hang together. All us girls in the house--Lucy, Cosi and me.

• I love having a big family.  One of the many reasons I love having a big family is that when I'm at my wit's end with a fit-throwing preschooler, a big sibling comes to the rescue and makes everything better.

• Lean in, lean back. Stay home, work. It's complicated and personal. I love what Ali Wentworth says about motherhood and career. I'm a huge fan of hers.

• I can't stop bragging about my new table made out of a door on my porch that is now where I spend most of my time.  I love it.  Click here for details.

• Watching celebrities play games equals a fun night for me. Maybe that's incredibly sad, but it's true.  I can't wait for this summer show, Hollywood Game Night.  Remember watching celebrities play Win, Lose or Draw? I loved that show.

• Popsicles are awesooooommmme! Or at least that's what Wade thinks in this color coordinated Popsicle moment.

• Going back in time can be pretty telling or not.  I read from my diary (circa 1990) on YouTube and discovered I haven't changed all that much in over 20 years.  Here's the latest vlog in case you missed it this week.

  

• If I know nothing else this week, I know that bubbles + a puppy + my Lulu=adorable-ness.

What do you know for sure (this week)? C'mon, we're friends, share what you know. What's your week been like?  What are you looking forward to this summer? Tell me about it. Leave a comment here or on the Facebook page.

  Please come play with me on Instagram @jumpingwithmyfingerscrossed.

I'm linking up today with my good buddy Greta from  Gfunkified.com and Sarah at SundaySpill.com for the #iPPP link up.  They host a link up where they encourage people to share "your funny, your yummy, your heartfelt, your favorite photos of the week" from our phones.  Check them out.

Oh yeah, and come follow me on Twitter @AngelaYBlood, subscribe to my MomPulse YouTube channel here and follow my Pinterest boards here.

Old Door=New Favorite Place (Pinterest Poser Challenge)

This is the story of six people picked to live in a house, have their lives photographed and written about constantly to see what happens when people stop being polite and start being real.  Okay wait, I'm kidding, this isn't Real World.  And this isn't a story about people.  This is a story about a door and a porch and my new most favorite spot in the whole world.

This is a Pinterest Poser Challenge** story.
 **In an attempt at not being a Pinterest Poser,* every week I  detail a new Pinterest challenge whether it be a new recipe or a craft.   

*My definition of a Pinterest Poser is someone who is all pins and no substance.

This is the story of how this:

and this

became this:

When we moved into our rental home over a year ago, we found two doors in the back of the garage.  Now, I've been on Pinterest long enough to know that this is quite a find.  But even with all the inspiration online, I had no idea what to do with the doors.  Until Memorial Day Weekend, when we decided a door would become our table.  

I've wanted a table for this porch since we moved here.  It's a covered porch that's perfect for spending time on during hot days or rainy days in the summer, spring and fall.  I was inspired by a trip we had taken to Hilton Head a couple years ago, where the house we stayed in had these long tables on the porches and we spent hours there.

I intended to spend many a Saturday morning going to garage sales to find the perfect, beat up old, yet sturdy table.  But I'm not really a good garage sale gal, I usually show up way too late after all the good stuff is gone.  But then I thought why not make the door the table.  Why not?

So, Tim bought four posts and brackets at Home Depot for under $50.  And he and baby Wade went to work.

He actually bought six posts, but decided against putting posts in the middle.  And it worked out well.  More leg room! 

The whole process took less than one hour and that includes the trip to Home Depot.  Notice the chairs are from another Pinterest Poser Challenge when I went a little nuts with the spray paint.

I am BEYOND PLEASED with how it turned out.  It is sturdy.  It is beat up enough that I don't care about wear and tear.  It is long enough for all six of us, and even a couple friends.  

The first night we ate dinner on the table was Memorial Day, which happened to be a little chilly hence the blankets and fuzzy PJ's worn at dinner.

This table isn't fancy, it isn't perfect and that suits us just fine.  This table has become a place for us to play games and eat peanuts on during an early summer rain storm.

This table is a place for us to take a break and play on the iPad and draw.

This table has become a place where Lucy can do her end-of-the-school-year-I-can't-believe-you-didn't-do-this-earlier-pain-in-the-butt book report and I can write a blog.

This table has become a sweet place to share a Popsicle and a story.

I keep a box of books at the ready for impromptu story time.

This table has become part of the story of our family...a meeting place, an eating place, a connecting place, a special place.  This door that is now our table that is on our porch that is now our outdoor living room is some kind of wonderful.  And definitely my new most favorite space in the world.

Have you made something from Pinterest lately?  Had any great successes? Or advice?  Or warning about a project that's a total waste of time? Do tell.

Please share whatever you're working on in the comments here or over on Facebook.  Come on over and follow my Pinterest boards.

Here are some of the projects I've already attempted, the good and the bad:

Summer Wish List Chalkboard-click here

Peanut Butter Nutella Cookie Sandwiches-click here

Painted Mason Jar Vases-click here

Cinco de Mayo Paper Flowers- click here

Earth Day Cupcakes- Click here

Nail Art-click here

Homemade Photo Booth Fun- click here

Fake Bangs- click here

DIY Subway Art- click here

Furniture Painting and Bench/Chest Makeover- click here

Thanksgiving-y Project/Gratitude/Holiday Countdown- click here
The Smoothie-click here

The Free Printable Turned Artwork in a Boring Hallway- click here

The chalk board-click here
Seven Layer Dip in Individual Cups (my favorite so far!)-click here
The pumpkin address-click here
The Kitchen Dancing Sign--click here

Come play with me on Instagram @jumpingwithmyfingerscrossed.

Oh yeah, and come follow me on Twitter @AngelaYBlood and subscribe to my MomPulse YouTube channel here.