Oprah's Lifeclass #10 - Joy Rising Week #2

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Did you make it to class tonight or this week? 
I feel like I breathe the air differently.
I am so PROUD of my living after life class.

Today was another episode of Joy Rising and so I ask you again, what is your joy rising?

Here are my 10 joy risings for this week on the 10th episode of life class:
1.) LITTLE MAN GEORGE!

2.) Shopping for crafty goodness

3.) MONSTER eyebrow :) - complete with stitches

4.) Tony DiTerrlizzi and Judy's popovers

5.) OPRAH and ROSIE who have brought not just a JOY, but a LOVE and LAUGHTER.

6.) I AM ENOUGH, and I am the ONLY one who gets to say what goes on in my life.  Love 
people enough to tell them the truth and respect them enough to know that they can handle it.

7.) D&D SPICED HOT APPLE CIDER

8.) Yarn wreaths with felt flowers

9.) LETTING go of things and people I can not change, while taking responsibility for the goodness
you bring in the world.

10.) The realization that in God's eyes, as seen through a child's eyes, I am LOVED.

I am so grateful for my joy.


Pinterest Challenge #9 - YARN wreath

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So, pinterest challenge #8, was a little bit of a fail.
Not the right fabric, not the right feel.

When LMG and I were at Michael's, we were picking out some knitting supplies for me.

I saw this multi color yarn and asked LMG if it reminded him of the beach.

"Um.  Can I get this?"
"Does this remind you of the beach?"  Big thinking breathe intake.
"Um, yes, can I get this?"

I, of course, took his 7-year-old professional opinion and bought it.

These are all over pinterest, but I found this link here to the tutorial: Yarn Wreath Tute

Here is the piece hanging in my room.

I did wrap mine tightly, and only once, so that pattern in the yarn could be seen. 
However, I loved this one SO much, that I think my November wreath will be yellow yarn goodness.

This project was SO simple and took me 1/2 of the Rosie Show to complete :).

Pinterest Challenge #8 - Fabric Wreath

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Pinspiration here: Frabric Wreath with Felt Flower (and AMAZEBALLS tutorial.

I loved, loved, loved the black damask.
Don't ask.
I don't know why I have a new obsession with damask.

I didn't go that color for my fabric because my room is trying to be beach cottage.
That was too much for my beach cottage.

What I made the first time was too country for my room.
So my 89-year-old Nana reaped the benefits of my mistake.

"I think you were always making it with me in mind," She chuckled over dinner last night.
89, it's ridiculous how awesome she is.



LMG and other life lessons from a 7-year old

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LMG or my little man George, who I introduced in this post: That's Why She's So Awesome, got to have some QT today.

His mom needed to take the Frank and Ellie to the DR's and LMG needed a pick up from school.
I, of course, was THRILLED to oblige.

He attends a private parochial school and as I got in line to get him, I could see him, his GIGANTIC brown eyes, his red bow tie (I KNOW!), and his white crisp shirt, and his khaki blue pants waving at me.

He started to dash towards my car, I rolled down my window to yell at him to wait, but a teacher was doing the same thing.

"But, I know, but that's my, that's, that's my Rena."  I heard him trying to explain.
SO stinking cute.

He hopped into his booster seat in my car and exclaimed, "Is this YOUR CAR?"
"Yup."
"It's awesome."
My 2000 corolla, big hit with kids.  The only thing I can think is that his mom drives a Momobile, and he has to sit in the third row.  He kept telling me it was so cool to sit up front.  I didn't have the heart to explain he was still technically in the back seat.

I had to run some errands, and of course, LMG was thrilled to come along.
Thrilled because I let him pick out some stuff at Michaels, and Stop and Shop.
LMG got to hold my phone so I could pick up a few things for this recipe...and he decided to play photog:





Thrilled because he got to ride IN the cart and then on the end of the cart
Thrilled because I may or may not have brought him to Dunkin Donuts for some hot apple cider and some donut holes.

Mmmm....hot apple cider.
I was teasing him that since I didn't have any kids of my own, I enjoyed getting practice at being a mom.  Someday, I'll be one.  I had to stifle laughter as we were leaving Stop and Shop these three older ladies were commenting that I had such a HANDSOME son.  For all intents and purposes, I could pass for his mom, but I politely said I was just babysitting.
LMG laid on the charm, "She's just practicing being a mom."
The ladies chuckled, and asked if I was doing a good job.
Thanks ladies.
"Yeah, I got to get a candy bar and we're going to Dunkin Donuts."

Bahaha, great parenting.
Anyways, my friend told me that LMG loved hanging out and was high on sugar when I dropped him back off.  I'm like an Aunt was my reply, the devious aunt.

Oprah's Life Class #8 - When you know better you do better

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"When you know better, you do better."

Oprah says she's said it 48 times on the air.
I've said it a bajillion times in real life.
It's not just something I heard her say once.
It's something I've had the PRIVILEGE to live.

We are not DEFINED by our past.

It is something we lived, sometimes it is something we lived through, but it does not HAVE to be who we are now.

That's a powerful understanding.

Everyday we can do better.

God is SO gracious.

Everyday we can do more.

More.
More and Better.


Pinterest Challenge #7 Continued - Oil Drip Pan Love

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I'm in LOVE.
My room is in love.
It's dry erasable too.
 Foam adhesive paper, letters, and homemade magnets.
 I have some beachy things to add later, to go with my beach cottage, but the paper had blue photographs today and I had my name in alpha letter that I added for now.

So HAPPY.
That's my joy rising today. :)

Pinterest Challenge #7 - Oil Drip Pan Magnet Board

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I found this beauty on pinterest and immediately fell in love.  Also, fell in love with the adorable diaper baby. :)

Find the blog link here: NicandKate

My bed is pretty lame.
I have this beautiful black wrought iron frame from IKEA that I LOVE, but since moving home, spatially it's impractical to have a head AND FOOTboard, so I am using my old frame, which in the grander scheme of things works better with the beach cottage feel.
 That seersucker bedding is from the Bon Ton and I LOVE IT. I have two shams and a square pillow cover but ever since the visitors came last fall, less bedding is more.

I put up the wall pops that I had while at the Boston Ballet.  I know what you're thinking, what are you 12?  Sometimes, on the inside, I am. ;)

However, I needed something more long term.  Cue OIL pan magnet board.  I have to get some more pictures of this project, but suffice it so say, this is one of my FAVORITE projects and seeing an idea get tweaked to work for my room....INSANELY rewarding.

Pinterest, thank god you and my Crockpot are not people, I probably would never leave you alone.
Here's what I used to put it together:


$9.00 Oil Drip Pan from Wal Mart.  There has been a lot of talk about wiping it down  This bad boy was brand new and required no cleaning.  It was HUGE!

I used spray glue, glitter foam sheets (that were actually self adhesive, letters, rickrack, scissors


I made the magnets with left over $1 store gems and $1.97 magnets from WALMART.





I added the foam over the part of the oil pan that was indented with their logo, still leaving a large chunk of the board for use.

Challenge #7 Continued


Oprah's Life Class #6

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Okay.
I can not tell a lie.
I didn't get to watch last night.
I've started cooking dinners (with my secret lover-CP) ;) for friends to deliver and surprise.

That means I'm not always here.
So.
I owe you a lesson tonight.
Instead, enjoy a little vlogging.
I had brain freeze when trying to think of a video to make for The Rosie Show.
This is what happened.
Meh.
Whatever.

Confession

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I have something I need to get off my chest.
It's not right.
I had to tell Mr. Belding last night over dinner.
I had to tell him because it isn't fair for him to not know.


I've fallen in love.


I've fallen in love with someone that is not Mr. Belding.
It didn't happen overnight.
I PROMISE.
It started with the occasional dinner.
We'd hang out, have a delicious meal of some kind and I'd be really happy.
Then, it started to be almost every night.
The dinner was always good.
Before I knew it, it WAS every night.
Every delicious meal.
I found myself online trying to find new ways to hang out with him.
He was just what I needed and I didn't even know.


You want to know the biggest surprise of all.
Mr. Belding has given us his blessing.
He thinks we make a good team.
He thinks...



We make good food together.
So I get to keep seeing him.
Like tonight.
Where we'll make this together.
Isn't he cute?

(As an aside, I've had my crock for about 4 years.  The white model.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE being able to change the size - it comes in three, 2, 4, and 6 quart.  Especially if I'm making and taking my Buffalo Chicken Dip and I don't want a gigantic pot of it.  It's gotten bad reviews, but as long as you take care of him, he'll last.)



Open House/Class Community Activity

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I've gotten some questions regarding this picture of my "class" and what exactly is going on.


I mean, besides the oversized Patch of Good Ideas... :)
These are my "students" at our open house.

Read more »

THAT'S why she's so awesome

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A dear friend and former colleague of mine has three adopted children.

The youngest of which she brought home from Ecuador this summer.

The oldest and WISEST of which is George.
(Random side note: I LOVE LOVE LOVE older sounding names on little boys...their younger son is Frank...uhh...love.)

He is 7.

I want to steal him all the time.

He has the BIGGEST, BROWNEST eyes you have ever seen.

BIGGER than mine.

And that's HUGE.

Anyhoozle.

George and I were hanging out yesterday.

He's into legos.

I'm into anything he's into.

So we were building.

I was also telling him about the BFG and how when we're done playing legos, I should start reading it to him.

He's not entirely sold, but I think my accents will kill it.

So he was taking the time to tell me all about his new BEAUTIFUL, AMAZEBALLS little sister, Eleanor.

CUTEST little peanut.

In George's word, if I can take the liberty, "She's pretty special."

And, my personal favorite, "She's like, having a baby, but better."  What?

I don't even know what that means and it's so cute.

So, as we're playing I happened to say, "Being adopted it pretty great George, you're whole family is special."

He slowly stops playing stands up and looks at me.

I stop playing and look at him.

"Are you adopted?"  He asked me.

"Yes sir,"  I answered.
He was staring at me intensely.
Like, I was a little scared intensely.
Like, did I make the spaceship wrong intensely.

"Oh.  That makes sense."  He said matter of factly.
He sat down and started to play again.

"Um, yup." I responded because at this point I was lost and my spaceship needed lights.

...

A little while later, when I was getting ready to leave, George made me fall in love with him all over again.

I was trying to find my clutch...STORY OF MY LIFE, and my friend was holding Baby Ellie and George was trying to whisper to his Mom.

Exasperated he finally announced, "Did you know Rena was adopted?"

We both smiled.
"Of course," she said.

"THAT'S why she's so awesome," George said.
So matter of fact, that I had to skedaddle out of there uber fast so as not to lose any of my cred' with George by bawling like a small infant.

Being adopted.
It's like, awesome. :)

Oh, George.

Climbing our Way to 100 Days!

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I've used LOTS of ways to count to the 100th day of schools.

I always have to LAUGH because as the 100th day nears...every classroom has a different count of the days.

Hilarious.

Here are some of the ways we keep track:

  • Receipt Tape, adding a number in an ABAB color pattern and winding the tape around the room.
  • 100 piece puzzle that I number on the back and adding one puzzle piece per day.
  • Links in a chain, adding a link, taking a link away.
  • Number of the day and ways to make the number of the day.
  • Book basket, adding a new favorite book a day, and creating baskets of "10" with 100 of our favorite books.
  • A paper clip chain.
  • See Below
When we were hanging out in the rainforest, one person a day with take our banana, color it in or # it until we got to 100 :).

Enjoy.
Climbing Our Way to One Hundred Counting Our Way 100 Days
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