I do not like them, Sam-I-Am. - DIY Refinished Dresser

Although it may be hard to believe, occasionally I put down my knitting needles.  Usually I spend the needle-less time cleaning my house or feeding my children, who always seem to want to eat just a few hours after I have just fed them.  I just gave you food, yesterday! But, this week I neglected the house (don't worry, I did feed the littles) and finished a project long in the making.

You see, shortly after Atticus was born I began frantically looking for a dresser for him.  The poor boy needed very little coming into this family of boys. We had all the clothes, all the toys, all the diapers, all the everything that any little boy baby could need.  But, my poor sweet boy did not have a place for all the everything! We only have two dressers in our house, one for me and one for the boys.  Everything else is stuffed into closets. So, in those days after his birth when I was sitting around enjoying my baby I desperately searched for a new dresser for him so that his clothes and diapers didn't need to sit in a laundry basket on the floor permanently.

I found this cool old dresser on Kijiji for $60. I sent my wonderful husband out late one night after work to pick it up, because I NEEDED it, right then!!!  (Have I mentioned lately that I love that man? Because I do!) I wish I had taken a before picture, but I didn't.  The dresser was well over 100 years old and in pretty rough shape.  The drawers were falling apart and there scratches and gouges all over the surface.  If it had been a family heirloom I may have tried to keep it in it's original state, but it wasn't, so I told Jared my vision of what I wanted it to become and left it at that. And, there it has sat for four months in our garage. (Did I mention how desperately I needed the dresser?) 

Then, this summer while I was away in Sandpoint, Jared got busy and finished it for me. He's a dream!

Maybe you cannot appreciate the transformation, but it is amazing.  It was unpainted, with a solid wood top.  He stripped the whole thing, glued together the drawers, took off the top and made a new one, repainted, stained the top, and put back on all the hardware.  Love?  Yes!

But, one problem still remained.  While the drawers were definitely more solid, they were still very gross.  Check this out:

They were stained and dirty, and not a place I wanted to lay my baby's wardrobe.

So, with all my creative powers combined, I refinished the inside of the dresser, and here's what I came up with:

Okay, the sides of the drawers could use a little love, but honestly, I'm totally in love and may just cut up all my Dr Seuss books and Mod Podge my entire house!

That's right. I cut apart an old copy of Green Eggs and Ham and with a whole pot of Mod Podge I lined the drawers (after I painted the sides a bright yellow, which I love!)

I may or may not have opened and shut the drawers about 30 times today, waking Atticus from his nap once just to take a peak inside those drawers! And, putting away laundry has never been so rewarding, I promise.

Adventure Journal 2012 - Frank Slide

For some bizzaro reason I decided it would be a good idea to load up all three boys and drive to the cabin all by myself to "relax" there, all by myself, for two whole weeks.  Guess what?  Being alone with three kids at a remote cabin in Idaho is not necessarily relaxing.  Cabin fever anyone?  I was very happy when Alice and her family showed up with her kids and offered mine some distraction.

Anyway, as a survival technique, on the way to the cabin we went through the Crowsnest Pass in Southern Alberta and stopped to climb over the rocks of the infamous Frank Slide. It was too late to go to the visitors center, but frankly (no pun intended) the boys were just as happy to play on the rocks.

For some reason, my lasting memory of visiting the Frank Slide when I was little is buying black rock candy at the gift shop. Does the fact that my only memory 20 plus years later is of the food?  Hmmm... we'll save that thought for later.

There is really nothing there but a whole pile of rocks (enough to cover a whole town) so really this is just an excuse to show you pictures of my darling littles.

Birthday Stripes

Remember when I said I was knitting Eli a sweater for his birthday in June?  Well, I had so much fun knitting that that as soon as I finished I started knitting Silas one for his birthday in September.  And then I just couldn't wait for September to put it on him, so now both my boys have stripes for their birthdays!

I haven't been able to do a real photo shoot yet, but today I took a few shots in the house. I figured I had better get them photographed before they get too loved.

Here's Eli's sweater. He picked the yarn, and requested five stripes for five years. It's my own design, which I will have tested once my holidays are over, and release the pattern.  Anyone interested in testing???

And Silas's sweater: the 8 stripes have no significance. There are three stars though, so let's say they are for his three years of life. This pattern is called Gathering Stripes and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it.  I am going to have to make one for me one day.  It's been so hot, I've barely been able to get Silas in it, but he didn't seem too miserable today, so I snuck it on and took a few shots.  What a cutie! 

Adventure Journal 2012 - Big Hill Springs

We normally spend Sunday afternoons as extended family at someone's house.  This particular Sunday was far too beautiful, and far too hot to spend indoors anywhere. So, after church, we all loaded up and drove to Big Hill Springs Provincial Park for a picnic. We agreed that never before had we been there when there was more than two or three other families, but on this day it was BUSY! It was hard just to find a spot in the shade to picnic. We managed, somehow. 

I'm not sure if any of the kids ate anything besides the rootbeer that Holly and Tyler brought.  They were having too much fun playing in the stream.  They got absolutely filthy, and my boys had to strip down before I even let them in the van, but it was so much fun, and way cooler than anywhere in the city would have been.

Oh CANADA!!!

I know where the centre of the universe is, do you? Well, I went there this July 1st, just as I always do, and had a fantastic time, just as I always do. Enjoy!

Passing out the Canadian paraphernalia.

Ask anyone who's ever gone, the Raymond parade is the very best parade in the world.  Why? Because they throw candy. Lots of candy. 

It's fuzzy, but amazing how much these two fellas look alike. 

Atticus already has a favourite cousin, and Rachel is surely the one. 

And, my favourite pictures of the day:

Adventure Journal 2012 - Waterton

If you're from Alberta and you've never been to Waterton National Park, let me tell you, you don't know what you are missing. It is lovely, and wonderful, and you seriously need to go. NOW.

We really wanted to go to Waterton for the entire July long weekend. We had visions of tenting it in the camp ground there, hiking every day, and thoroughly enjoying ourselves. However, the campground was full, so we had to make other plans. We headed to Raymond, pitched our tent in my brother's back yard, and planned a day trip to Waterton instead.

It turned out a blessing, because on the first night there was a major storm in the middle of the night, and I got sick (like puke my guts out sick), and so we went into the house and slept there instead. Our day trip, due to my budding relationship with the toilet, was shortened as well. But, we were determined to make it to Waterton, so as soon as I emptied absolutely everything in my stomach, thereby reducing the likelihood of further puking, we jumped in the ol' minivan and headed out.

Have I mentioned that I love Waterton? It was really busy, being the long weekend and all, and we really just wandered around and checked out the sites, but it was still fun. We will have to go back again this summer for a real adventure, but our short perusal was even worth the drive.

We walked through town to the shores of Waterton Lake.  It's a glacier fed lake and incredibly cold.  When I was little my Grandpa Jackson used to offer us a dollar a stroke - out.  You really had to determine how much money you wanted, and how far you could possibly get before your muscles started ceasing.  I remember my brother Matt and cousin Eli needing to be rescued because they couldn't make it back to shore - but they definitely made the most money doing it. 

 

We stopped to check out the Prince of Wales hotel.  Excess Baggage anyone?  (If you know that reference, you are officially my favourite.)  Maybe one day our Waterton plans will include a room at the Prince of Wales instead of a 10 person tent at the camp ground. Maybe.  

 We stopped for a short picnic lunch, which Atticus fully enjoyed. Have I mentioned what a wonderful baby he is?  Well, he is. I love him.

And then we went to Cameron Falls, and our planned hike actually became just walking up the paved path to the lookout above the falls. It was dangerous though, at least according to the signage.  That's okay, it gives us a reason to go back, soon. 

Another successful adventure under our belts!  I'm beginning to like this summer.

Dear Walmart Lady

Dear Walmart Lady,

Today, as my 2-year-old had a wild fit in the middle of the isle, stopping all passerbyers from passingby, I thank you for the smile you gave me.  The smile that said to me in such a short moment, "Don't worry, I've been there and understand. Take your time and care for your child, I'll try my best to pretend I interested in these peas while you figure out how to gracefully deal."  As I attempted to scrape the 30 lbs of screaming mess off the floor, you kindly spoke to my older son, asking him about his new little brother. 

You looked very different when I saw you later that same day in the changing rooms at the department store. All I wanted to do was try on a bra, to find something that contained all that is now my body.  But it must have been you, because it was with total kindness (and a little surprise) that you gently guided my escaped child out of your change room and back to mine.

And wouldn't you know it, I saw you again (although I hardly recognized you) when you offered to hold my baby when I found myself with a desperate-to-pee two year old and no hands to help pull down underpants.

At Costco you showed up, and I was blown away when you asked if you could give me all of your old baby carriers.  You just wanted them to go to someone who would use them.

And funny, there you were again, sporting a different face altogether, at the grocery store.  You emptied my cart for me, because my baby was screaming and needed to nurse just as I got to the till.  I tried to help, one handed, as I nursed him in my sling, but you gently told me to do what I needed to take care of my baby and finished the job for me.

I didn't catch your name and I don't know if I'll ever recognize you again until after you've done something else for me, but I wanted to say thanks.  Thanks for understanding and not judging me.  Thanks for being there at the very moments that I need you.  Thanks for reminding me that in a world where differences so easily divide, it is also very easy to make all the difference in the world. I hope you don't mind if I try to be you to some other woman who might need a little help in this world.  I think everyone needs a Walmart Lady in their life.

Love, A very grateful, very humble, Me