Mostaza Seed

Cleaning Out My Closet

2013-05-16T14:03:00.001-04:00

There is nothing like moving to cause you to reconsider just what exactly you need to hold on to and what must be let go...

I have this beautimous pair of El Naturalista leather desert boots that I purchased in Spain in 2011, but rarely wear because my arch is too high, making what are otherwise the most comfy boots on earth, slightly uncomfortable for longer periods of time. They are a Euro size 40, but run a bit small, so I believe they would fit a US 9 - 9.5 just right (I know there are other large-footed sistas out there)!

I bought them on sale for 90 Euros (approximately $115 USD), but they were originally priced closer to $200, full price. They are the prettiest shade of nut brown with two inch rubber heels. Super fun to pair with tights and a skirt or skinnies.

They are in awesome, nearly new condition. I would hate to just drop them off at a thrift store and they are taking up room in my closet. Please give these cuties a good home!

If you are interested, I'm selling them for $50. Just shoot me an email at sbradac@mostazaseed.com or FB message me.

My Handsome Men

2013-05-14T10:36:00.000-04:00

I'd like to thank Alissa from the Printed Palette, one of our awesome sponsors, for sending over this cute Anchored Cardigan for Collin and super nifty Shave the Whales tee for Nick. The quality of Printed Palette threds is exceptional and they have the best designs for men, women and kiddos-- plus there are so many fun, sorbet-like colors to choose from (I have such a weakness for sorbet colors). Check them out here.

On Supporting the Little Guys and Poppin' Some Seriously Good Corn

2013-05-13T14:45:00.000-04:00

There is a charming little True Value hardware store in downtown Joplin which we try to frequent as much as possible. It's much more convenient to buzz on over to the Home Depot, which we definitely do, but if we have the time and are up for some good old Midwestern hospitality, we head over to Pearl Brother's Hardware to support "the little guy" and meander through the crowded aisles. This place is such a gem. You truly feel like you have stepped back in time when you look up at the tin ceiling or have an extended, casual conversation with one of the sweet older gentlemen who run the place.

(Have no clue who this man is, but he's standing outside Pearl Brother's

and that is enough to illustrate my story!)

It's the kind of place that sells everything from paint thinner to barbecues to kitschy lawn ornaments and candy. I'm pretty sure there are some products in here that have been on the shelves longer than we've been alive. The other day we went in with a list and came out with more than what was on said list. Namely, we are now the proud owners of an Orville Redenbacher Presto Popper!

Being that our kitchen is less than state of the art and our built-in microwave doesn't turn without winding and then when wound turns painfully slow, we decided to avoid the fire hazard that is microwave popcorn and go for a popper. We could have gone for a stovetop popper, you know the kind with the crank, but our electric stove is not so good at evenly distributing heat, so electric it was!

Sidenote- for all who are wondering, yes, at some point we will be remodeling the kitchen, but it's not our top priority, as of yet. We'll revisit the idea in a few years OR upon winning the lottery. ;)

I cannot begin to describe the goodness produced from our new popper. I've always known microwave popcorn is a feeble attempt at air popped goodness, and that it's chock full of unhealthy stuff, but now I am fully convinced I never ever want to go back to our old ways. Just a few small pats of butter and a sprinkle of salt is enough to season this fluffy goodness and you don't get that gross, oily build-up on the roof of your mouth, like you do with most of the microwavable variety.

(source)

So, today I am loving that for $2, we can buy a big bag of corn and have enough popcorn to eat every night for the next month, although I know that wouldn't be the wisest of choices, and I'm loving that we get to play a small part in keeping Pearl Brother's alive... Here's to old fashioned hardware stores and good old fashioned popcorn!

Family, Flowers and Fun

2013-05-09T08:51:00.000-04:00

This weekend Nick's parents were in town and what a fun weekend it was. They spent lots of time playing with Collin and helping us with projects! I think Nick and I had hit a wall, so to speak, when it came to knowing what to tackle next on our endlessly long list of projects. Well, these folks are the most hard-working pair I know and boy did they just roll up their sleeves and make it happen with us. We are thankful!

One area, just one- haha, I have no expertise in is gardening. To be honest, I've been afraid to tackle the overgrown jungle that is our yard, flower beds, courtyard, etc. Luckily for us, my mother-law is a gardener extraordinaire! I feel like I took a crash course this weekend. She can identify just about any annual, perennial or tree known to mankind and has such a gift for knowing where to place them so the landscaping looks nice in both summer and winter. I have to say, I've got the bug now! It's really fun!

So, Nick and Dad hammered out a bunch of projects while we spruced up the courtyard and front of the house. There is still a lot to do, garden-wise, but having someone who knows what they are doing helping me map out a plan, especially for the perennials, really gave me hope that we can make this happen!

The back of the truck after one of our nursery/Home Depot runs!

Collin just loved all the Grandma and Grandpa hugs and kisses and we enjoyed two extra sets of hands helping us give him baths, put him to bed, change his diapers and overall keeping him entertained!

How cute is this little play kitchen they bought him!? He is in love with it!

A highlight to the weekend was the chance to go out on a date with this handsome fella! We checked out a fun little Italian place downtown and when we came home, found our whole house vacuumed, kitchen cleaned and all my leftover tomatoes boiled, peeled and frozen for future cooking. Thank you!!! This weekend was truly a treat!

Happy Friday and Giveaway Winner!

2013-05-03T17:20:00.001-04:00

Hope your week rounded off nicely! We've got Nick's parents set to descend upon Casa Bradac to shower Collin with kisses at any moment now!

Wanted to announce the brass trivet giveaway winner! Drumroll please.....

The winner is Amanda!

Please send me a FB message with your address and I'll pop the trivet in the mail this next week. Congratulations!

And now, this Chicken Tortilla Soup needs some stirring.

Peace,

Steph

Naptimes are for Tea and a Giveaway!

2013-05-02T15:15:00.000-04:00

How many other stay at home mammas can relate to the delicious freedom you experience upon laying your toddler down for their afternoon nap?

Napping came at a cost for us. Collin was never eager to nap, or ever go to bed for that matter. He has always been such a social butterfly (like his mom)! When he was about a month old, we put a schedule in place, using a modified version of Babywise and Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. At eight weeks he started sleeping through the night, but the first year of his life consisted of measly little 45 minute naps during the day. We'd let him cry a bit, just to soothe himself back to sleep and get over the "45 minute intruder" mark, which sometimes garnered us another 45 minutes, but not always.

As much as I would have liked to let him sleep-in in the morning, so that I could sleep in, I would set my alarm for a specific time and get him up so that we could start the day out right and stay on schedule, capping the day off with a nighttime routine and bedtime, consistently at the same time every night. Needless to say, I was exhausted when bedtime rolled around, especially since I wasn't ever getting more than 45 minutes of time to myself. But, we kept with the schedule. I think I felt like I had worked so hard to get things where they were, that I feared what would happen if we went off course. (Now, I'm less worried if we deviate once in a while. Especially since he knows what to expect each day).

He went through a period of time, around 9 or 10 months, where he would pull up to standing in his crib at night and howl because he couldn't get back down. Thankfully that was just a phase. We've also had a few night terror incidents now and then. Also a rarity.

He has continued to sleep over twelve hours a night and is now taking at least an hour and a half, sometimes two hour nap, nap each day. I think I started to see things really change when he started walking at 13.5 months. The physical exhaustion that walking brought really set in and made for much better naps. He was ready to go down to one nap a day at 15 months (he is currently almost 20 months old).

There is so much peace for me in knowing what the day will look like and how to plan for it. I can tell, as much as he doesn't like going down for naps, that around his naptime he's expecting me to take him upstairs, close the curtains, sing him a song and plop him into his crib with his animals. I don't get more than five minutes of protesting ever. He's usually out before the five minute mark. If one day, he is just totally and completely not into napping, that's okay. He will still get put in his crib at naptime and I will come get him when naptime is over. That could mean he cries for half an hour and plays for the rest of naptime, but I still don't let him get up until it's time. On those days, he is typically ready to hit the sack by 7:30, instead of 8PM.

How about the rest of you? Have you had success with naps? Are they a source of contention? Do you get a good cuppa tea, or your beverage of choice, and some alone time? At least once a day? I hope so!

I also feel the need to say that if you are currently a mamma in the midst of naptime or bedtime nightmares with a baby or toddler-- take heart! It will get better. I know it's easy for me to say because I'm on the other side of it, but this season will pass. If I could go back and talk to myself a year ago, I would say, "Keep on keeping on, sista! Keep pushing for a routine-- even if it gets messed up every day. Stay consistent and strong and you will eventually see the payoff of a happy, rested baby!" Feel free to drop me an email if you have questions or need prayer!

On this cloudy day in Joplin, I'm enjoying some Plantation Mint tea out of one of my favorite teacups!

Okay, so I realize there are people reading this blog (I'm getting over 300 hits a day), but I rarely get comments on here. I've decided to do my first giveaway in the hopes of generating some online dialogue within this community. :)

Are you interested in winning this lovely, vintage brass trivet from Tinted Vintage? It's heavy and full of nice patina. If so, please leave a comment here and tell me about your naptime experiences with kiddos. If you don't have kiddos, tell me if you yourself are a napper! For another entry, take a look at Tinted Vintage's shop on Etsy, heart it and tell me. For yet another entry, please either go to my Facebook Page and become a fan and tell me you did so, or if you are already a fan, let me know!

I'll be announcing the giveaway winner tomorrow!

Plate Walls and Dinner Parties and Haircuts, Oh My!

2013-05-01T21:40:00.001-04:00

Hi friends,

We've been busy around our house. I just finished up a blog design project for a client and can now get back to this ol' blog for a spell. If you have a chance, take a look at the blog and read about Hope at Home's amazing ministry to adoptive and foster parents.

Last week I tackled a project I've long been wanting to do, even in previous homes-- a plate wall in the kitchen! If you know me personally, you know I'm not exactly a measure it out kind of a gal. I typically just throw things up on to walls and play with their placement. 900 empty nail holes later, I have a a satisfactory configuration. This time, I decided to go out of character by tracing my plates on to butcher paper in order to create a bit of a non-comittal schematic.

And below is how it turned out! I have a few tiny, vintage plates currently missing in boxes, but once those surface, they'll go up on the wall too.

On Friday night we had some sweet, new friends over for tapas. Our whole married lives all we've ever had is a small kitchen table (which we crammed astounding numbers of people around and food on), so you can imagine the feasts our new, big table can hold! It was really fun to prepare a spread and still have room for everyone's place setting. This was, of course, the first of many dinner parties in our home. We do love hosting and toasting. I couldn't help but miss our dear Atlanta friends and wish I could somehow combine all of our worlds into one place. The pretty, white Anthropologie vase is a gift from the mother's group I was a part of in Atlanta, so it felt like they were with me in spirit! For all those reading this, feel completely and totally free to send me Anthropologie goodies whenever you feel the urge! Haha. ;)

Aaand, this week Collin got his second big boy haircut. I cannot keep the mullet at bay! His hair just keeps getting longer and longer in back and staying relatively short on top. He was such a cutie pie at the salon. The stylist gave him two combs to play with and that, coupled with the fun cape, was enough to keep him happy and distracted. Good boy!

Nick's parents will be in visiting for five days, so we are gearing up for some fun family time. I keep telling Collin Gooma and Grandpa are coming and he says "um hmm!" like he knows already. It will be great to have them in town. Then, we have a week of no visitors and the following week my parents come! It's going to be a good May.

Love,

Steph

Making a House a Home

2013-04-26T09:31:00.000-04:00

Good Friday morning, friends! It's thunder-storming here in Joplin and, although the sun yesterday was nice and I am longing for warm weather, I rather enjoy sipping coffee as I watch the elements from inside my cozy home.

Speaking of home, two things this week made me feel like this is truly our home now. First, I baked. When you first move into a house, you may or may not spend a few days eating off paper plates and drinking out of a large, plastic Northside hospital mug, as you locate your proper dishes from the recesses of boxland. Then, things improve as you unpack the kitchen and start acting civilized again, at least in your food consumption habits. But you have not, dear reader, truly made your house a home until you use a major appliance to prepare a meal. That could be the blender, crockpot, food processor, or in my case, the Kitchenaid Mixer.

On Wednesday I was invited by my new friend Amber to an informal gathering of mammas and I decided it was time to do what I would normally do in my home, make a fun treat! What sounded good? Something fruity and spring-like. So, I whipped up this delicious recipe for Banana Pineapple Cake. I always consider it a feat to find a recipe that does not require me to go grocery shopping for ingredients!

You know what else has made this house feel like a home this week? Plants! Not only do they improve the air quality, they make everything feel fresher, more lived in. I am loving my adorable, mid-century dachshund planter, "Doxi," from Phoebe's Treasure Chest. This Etsy shop is full of vintage trinkets and ephemera from letterpress blocks to scrapbooking supplies to puppy figurines. Please check out Michele's fabulous shop and scoop up some of her vintage goodies while they last.

Our pantry/hallway window felt like the perfect spot for a succulent filled Doxi and vintage melmac sugar bowl.

Tonight we are having our first real dinner party here in Joplin! I guess, in our case especially, having people over is another big step towards making this house a home. Some sweet, new friends are going to come over to warm our house over tapas. Have a wonderful weekend!

Sneak Peek at Things Coming Together

2013-04-24T14:30:00.002-04:00

So, we've offcially been in this house for 9 days and it's, slowly but surely, starting to feel like home. While I am so, so grateful Nick's company paid for packers and movers (don't know if I can ever go back to moving the normal way), I can't tell you how many trees must have been sacrificed to wrap and box our entire house in Georgia. The funny thing is, they must have to really cover their bums for liability reasons because every.stinking.thing was wrapped in five sheets of paper. While that is most certainly useful for fragile items, the over-wrapping of a single woodden spoon or a small, plastic toy is a bit ridiculous. Hence, the unwrapping of every.stinking.thing has taken quite some time. We'll get there!

In the meantime, I've managed to put a few areas of our home together! My utilitarian husband, if he had it his way, would not decorate a stitch of this house until everything was unpacked, but come on! Mamma's gotta nest! And he admits, the homey touches, in the midst of boxland, have been nice. And really, boxland is almost gone, save the upstairs guest room/attic storage staging dump.

So, according to my calculations, about one full weekend away from feeling settled. I say weekend because the amount accomplished during the day, by myself with a toddler, while Nick is at work is not always the greatest. Yesterday I kicked some serious booty by organizing the hall closet and completely finishing Collin's room, all whilst keeping him from setting the house on fire. Other days haven't all been so productive in the unpacking area, especially since I'm still simultaneously running a business, but we have been learning to give ourselves extra helpings of grace at the Bradac house-- be it myself and the long list of things that don't always get accomplished or Nick whose new job is wonderful, but also overwhelming at times.

Take a peek at some finished vignettes:

One corner of Little Man's room.

Gallery walls can be dangerous... Especially for those of the "more is more" inclination like myself. Eventually I just had to cut myself off, ignoring the cries of "Look at me! I'm a gaping open hole, fill me! Fill me too!"

I mainly just took this pic to show you the fun new light we got on sale at the Home Depot! This area will be our dual purposed sunroom/office. I'll have some shots on here of the awesome shelving Nick built me soon.

Millie seems pretty comfortable with her new station, which gives her a birdseye view of the front door...

Stay tuned for a yummy Banana Pineapple Cake recipe and my super cute Dachshund planter!

Our Time Capsule Stairwell

2013-04-18T23:10:00.002-04:00

Unpacking is going well, but I thought I'd come up for air and share a bit more about this old house. One of its most unique features is the wheat pasted collage that adorns the walls of the basement stairwell. It's completely wallpapered in 1930's and 40's magazine ads, newspaper clippings, ticket stubs, maps, high school graduation programs, menus, buy war bonds posters and even a filled out IRS form. As previously mentioned, some of the pin-up girls are a bit, ahem-- scandalous, so we might need to sticky tack up a few strategically placed clippings from the same time period, but I truly love that every time we go down to do laundry, we have the opportunity to step back in time.

I can't help but wonder what was going through the mind of the occupants of the house during that time. There are concert programs dating to mere months before the US got involved in WWII. You sort of get a feel for the mood of the era by reading the comics or looking at the tongue in cheek New Yorker covers. If I didn't have a toddler and a house to unpack, I think I'd be spending more time down there... One of these days I'll pour myself a glass of two buck chuck and spend an evening immersing myself in the 30's and 40's.

It's tricky to get good lighting for pictures, but I hope the following shots give you a glimpse of this treasure trove of a stairwell.

Bob Spurgeon (see name above) was the owner of the house at this time.

They appear to have been a well travelled bunch.

War bonds poster reads "Hercules son is flying and buying bonds too! How about you?"

Looking up to the ceiling

Caption on this one reads "It's Christmas and they began saying good bye in August."

Going back up the steps

One of the more modestly clothed ladies of the stairwell. Love her face....

That's cheap, but they probably made all their money off concessions. ;)

I'm pretty sure this is Eleanor Roosevelt... Not exactly sure of the significance of her painting a room blue, although it could be Democratic party related. October 1943 was well into FDR's second term, at this point things were looking promising for the allied forces. If you have ideas on the meaning of this depiction, let me know.

Also, I kind of like the look on Eleanor's face because that's how I'm feeling about painting rooms these days. I'm back and forth about wall colors all the time. If that wasn't difficult enough, there is a china cabinet and chairs that need painting as well! I have the most massive pile of paint swatches known to mankind. I told Nick I wished I owned one of those big swatch book/deck thingies so that I didn't have to continually raid the displays at the Home Depot and he pretty much summed things up for me by saying, with a trace of exasperation in his voice, "Steph, owning a swatch book still wouldn't help you make up your mind!"

Today is the Day!

2013-04-15T08:22:00.001-04:00

(source)

The movers are coming! I woke up at 5:30 and couldn't fall back asleep. Too much on my mind. We officially get to move in and I am so excited. I know unpacking will be a job and a half, but this symbolizes the end of limbo life. The end of living in temporary housing and schlepping Collin's Pack n' Play back and forth so he can nap while we work on stuff at the new house and the beginning of really, truly living in Joplin and not just feeling like we are on a weird vacation.

I am thankful.

For all who were wondering if we ended up getting the clawfoot tub, I present to you Bessie Mae, our cast iron beast of a glorious tub. Adopted this weekend from Pea Ridge, Arkansas. She's a beaut! So worth the trip and the $200. We'll need to strip and repaint the outside (a fun color, of course), so for now she's hanging out in the garage, awaiting her makeover.

Here is a verse I read this morning that greatly speaks to me:

"If you wake me each morning with the sound of your loving voice, I’ll go to sleep each night trusting in you. Point out the road I must travel; I’m all ears, all eyes before you." Psalm 143:8 (MSG)

Have a great week friends! Hopefully I'll be able to emerge from unpacking world to show you some cool shots I took of our 1930's basement stairwell art.

Peace,

Steph

Cafe Curtains, Peanut Butter Pancakes & a Secret Garden

2013-04-08T16:28:00.003-04:00

Hello friends! We had quite the productive weekend over at the house. Little by little we are meeting all the neighbors and they are super sweet. I'm pretty sure, collectively, they've offered to lend us every power tool or lawn instrument we could ever need and volunteered to help us. Can't beat good old Midwestern hospitality!

On Saturday I put up some easy, DIYed cafe curtains over the kitchen sink, made of Pier 1 napkins, a tension rod and Ikea curtain ring clips. It's amazing how something this little makes our kitchen feel so fresh. We won't have our furniture and belongings for another week and Nick doesn't want to start painting projects until we have all of our painting supplies, which are in Atlanta, so the majority of the work we've done this weekend is in the basement and outside. I'm so ready to start decorating and making things more homey!

My super studly husband filled 17 lawn bags of leaves and branches. The yard is looking so much better, but there is still a lot to do. The house was empty for a long time and the previous owner (according to several neighbors) didn't mow the lawn in the entire two years she lived here. Needless to say, it was horribly overrun and everyone's really pleased we are increasing their home values by restoring the curb appeal.

The side patio/courtyard is one of my favorite spots of the house. I can't wait to have it all fixed up! We will have so much fun grilling and entertaining in this sweet space. Here is a shot of Nick rocking a saw. Oh, and it only looks like he's cutting down the branch he's standing on. ;)

Side courtyard entrance:

I took this shot of the whole courtyard back in February, so it's pretty stark looking, but you can see from the shot above of Nick that the redbuds are now in bloom and there is also a beautiful, blossoming pear tree. Just need a partridge! I think we'll plant some Forsythia back here too...

The shrine. Haha!

Spring has sprung in Missouri! The weather was a comfortable 70 degrees this weekend. Please don't be blinded by my glow in the dark legs. Collin got all rosy cheeked and sweaty from all the running around so we pulled off his shirt. He can say "hot" now, but he elongates every vowel, so when you ask him if he's hot he first says, "Um hmm!" and then "Haaaaaaaht!" Not sure he knows what it means, but It's the cutest thing.

On Sunday morning we played hooky from church and went to Colonel's Pancake House. What a step back in time! Their peanut butter pancakes are to.die.for. Can't make this place a habit! Hope you all had a great weekend!

Sometimes...

2013-04-05T14:49:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I wish I could find a reason to both justify the need for and expense of an antique carousel zebra... I'd snap this up in a heartbeat if it weren't $750... Maybe they'd be willing to shave off a zero!? Even then, I'd have to talk Nick into it...

In case you're interested, here it is.

Hope you have a great weekend! It's sunny in Joplin and as soon as Nick gets off work, we are heading over to our new, old house for a weekend of projects. Woohoo!

Upstairs Bathroom Remodel Inspiration

2013-04-04T15:08:00.000-04:00

Hi friends! One of the two upstairs bathrooms needs a bit of work. It's currently missing an essential fixture-- the sink. At first we thought we'd just replace the sink and be done with it for now, but upon closer inspection, Nick realized we'd need to open up the wall and deal with the old plumbing. So, since we have to open up the wall, we decided to actually fully renovate the bathroom now.

Bye bye stick on floor tiles and plywood faux wall tiles, covered in 900 layers of paint, bye bye window shutters, bye bye old electrical.

Now to the fun part! Below is an inspiration board for our W.C. It's a small bathroom as most bathrooms from the 20's are, so we had to carefully measure and plan out the space.

We found a restored claw foot on Craigslist last week and the owner of said tub is willing to sell it to us for a fourth of what you can usually find them for. We are, however, waiting for him to get back from a trip to send us more pictures from every angle before we can justify an hour and fifteen minute drive out to his home in Arkansas. I'm crossing my fingers on this. I really, really hope it works out. How cool would it be to be able to put a claw foot tub in this bathroom?! It would be doubly cool if we could paint the outside of it a dreamy shade of mint green.

Here is the bathroom in its current state. Not horrible, but not what it could be either. You can't see the tub, but it's a pretty standard, yellowed mid-century tub that has seen better days.

I'm all for keeping the existing ceiling light. We debated the merits of keeping the medicine cabinet, but ultimately it's not in the greatest of shape (especially on the inside). So, in order to preserve some of the bathroom's original, period details. I ordered a pair of art deco porcelain bathroom sconces off Etsy. Again, I keep finding the most amazing deals. I got the two for $28. I saw other identical pairs on Etsy and Ebay for upwards of $300. Score!

The new sink is on its way, due to be delivered by Friday. Like how the previous owner left us her claw clip on the towel rod? So nice of her. That's not all that was left. The medicine cabinet was full of gross toiletries. :/

So, I'm not entirely sure how long this project will take us, but I'll be updating the ol' blog with our progress, each step of the way!

Sink, mirror, light, black hexagon tile, subway tile, wood sign, vintage porcelain sconces

Easter Greetings

2013-04-01T13:52:00.002-04:00

Happy Easter! He is Risen! Yesterday we had a lovely, sunshiny day in Joplin. My brother, who is doing a grad program about two hours away from us, was able to join us for church, Easter lunch and a day full of manual labor at our new old house. Yay for brothers! Collin loved hanging out with Uncle Jeff.

Here is an attempt at some Easter family photos. I'm learning to not expect much photo cooperation when it comes to a toddler. As you can see below, Collin did great for the first few minutes and then chaos ensued.

Little man is sporting the most adorable bow tie made by Melanie from Lions and Ladies. I am in love with this shop! We have this yellow polka dot tie and a grey seersucker tie as well. They are super high quality, comfortable on little necks and easy to put and keep on a toddler, with convenient velcro backs. Collin didn't even try to take it off once we distracted him. Check out Melanie's shop here. She also makes men's bow ties and adorable accessories for girls.

Uncle Jeff!

Birdie and Duckie! Easter gifts from the grandmas and grandpas.

Failed attempts at a decent family shot. This is life right now. Haha!

And below, behold Exhibit A). Frazzled Parents!

We Bought a House! It's The Real Deal.

2013-03-29T15:54:00.000-04:00

Well, it's now official! On Wednesday we closed on the house and it's finally starting to sink in. Not only do we live in Joplin, we own a house in Joplin. Okay, so it's not just an odd vacation anymore!

Last night we drove to Webb City, a neighboring town, to pick up a super-duper sweet trestle table that I found on Craigslist for $150. It's a ten year old Ethan Allen monstrosity. The thing is solid walnut, quite heavy and has a great worm woody, rustic look to it. Exactly what we had always envisioned having... Something that could withstand wear and tear and look better for it. One of its two leaves was damaged in the tornado, but if I know my handyman husband, he'll have no trouble fixing it. Either way, it's such a big table, there really isn't a need to have both leaves in unless we decide to invite the whole block over for a pilgrim style thanksgiving, which I wouldn't put past us... ;)

Collin telling us he's "soooo big!" Just like the table.

I'll be showing you some of my ideas for the dining room soon. For now, picture sandy taupe walls, a nice big jute rug, a mint green china cabinet and a different light fixture...

Chairs? You say?! Oh yeah, well, we'll figure that out! I am thinking of finding a bunch of random, mismatched chairs at Goodwill and painting them the same color, something like this with a bench on the one side (if you are reading this babe, I am kind of planning on you building us a bench)!

We drove back from Webb City with the windows down, enjoying a balmy mid sixties night, stopping off pick up some local fare at Babe's Burgers and then on to our new, old house to set up the table! Couldn't help but feel so blessed.

We'll have our furniture sometime around the 15th of April. Looking forward to that, but in the meantime I am also excited we'll have some time to clean, paint and work on projects.

Happy Good Friday! May you be confronted with the reality of just how good this day truly is, inspite of the darkness, because of what was accomplished for me and for you on the cross.

Please Tell Me If I Am Becoming a Creeper...

2013-03-25T14:55:00.000-04:00

This Saturday, Nick was so good to watch Collin all morning so I could have some much needed independence. Any other stay at home moms out there who can relate to how amazingly freeing it feels to do something simple like running to Target without kids? No carseat battles, no trying to figure out what they can play with to keep them entertained long enough in the shopping cart, no unexpected diaper changes in public restrooms. Yeah, it's pretty luxurious, I tell ya. I absolutely love staying home with Collin, but can't help but wish I had truly savored my carefree days a bit more!

I had the best morning out-- armed with a grande, non-fat Caramel Machiatto, I spent some time getting lost in a local antique mall. Soon you will see my fun finds displayed in our new house. I scored a pair of crosstiched, silhouette cameos of George and Martha Washington, a kitchshy wall plate for my planned wall of plates in the kitchen and for $2 a crumbly, old, hand-painted Kodak finishing sign which I took to Hobby Lobby for framing. I then ran a few errands and stopped off at the library to see what I could find out about our old house.

I met the sweetest old man named John who is in charge of the reference section. Although there was no specific information on the house itself in city records, he did show me how to search through the old city directories which started in 1925 and yielded me a long list of previous owners. In some of the earlier directories the owners' occupations were listed as well.

Turns out, our house was home to the former Assistant to the President and General Manager of Eagle Picher Lead Co., the Secretary Treasurer of R and S Motor Sales Co, and an Episcopal Minister, whom my new friend John knew of from back in the 70's.

I'm hoping to get back to the library some time soon to look through newspaper archives for any of these residents. Now that I have names, I can search the census data and find out the names of their children-- many of them should still be living. How cool would it be to invite some previous residents over for dinner?! Maybe I'm being too much of a creeper here. Please intervene if you think I'm going to far!

Before I left the library, I thumbed through a book on American house styles and while I really don't think our house is a Federal style home, it does seem to have a Federal style door like this one:

See our door here:

Hmm... I feel as if our house has identity issues. Craftsman? American Foursquare? Federal? Maybe if we can meet some of its previous owners, they could give us some insights as to whether or not it was built this way or later altered. The mystery continues!

Saturday night we were invited to a dinner at Nick's boss' house. It was neat to meet the team Nick works with, including their spouses. Collin, of course, was a totally ham. He loves people, like his mamma! What a great group. I look forward to getting to know them better.

On Sunday we braved the morning weather for church. 'Twas a snowy Palm Sunday in Missouri. I really do hope Easter won't look like this! My brother, who is doing a grad program near Springfield, will be driving out to join us for the day. Fun, fun!

We received word today that we'll more than likely close on the house this Wednesday afternoon! Although our stuff will take a while longer to get here, we'll at least be able to start working on a few projects-- including painting. Lots to look forward to. Stay tuned, dear friends!

Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend

2013-03-20T12:10:00.000-04:00

I have always been drawn to windows with diamond/crosshatched muntins. There is just something so cozy and cottagey about them. When we get around to replacing the old, non-energy efficient windows in our house, I'd love to keep things contextual and old-timey (I know I use this phrase a lot)! Maybe something like one of these beauties for the kitchen or bathroom windows. I don't even know how much they cost... Probably a lot, but they sure are lovely.

(source)

And perhaps, if diamond muntins are too much of an expense for windows, we could add it to the kitchen cabinets... A girl can dream!

(source)

What We've Been Up To...

2013-03-18T18:20:00.001-04:00

Well, the weeks have started to pick up speed and it's crazy to think we've bee in Joplin for almost three weeks! Nick is loving his new job and he wouldn't say this, but as his wife I can brag on him a bit say they are loving him too. Who wouldn't? :)

I miss our friends in Atlanta and Trader Joe's and have the worst hankering for a homemade milkshake or smoothie which is impossible without our blender here. I know, first world problems!

Our closing date got bumped to "on or before the 29th of March," whatever that means! Oh well, there's nothing like learning patience. In the meantime, we've been exploring our new town as much as possible. I think Collin and I have visited five or six different parks! Anything to keep the little man busy.

I've also found some awesome gems at a few local thrift shops and a big, vintage Mother Goose book that has seen better days, but will be awesome for making framed prints to go in Collin's room. My inspiration, here.

Yesterday we visited a really great church and can't wait to go back. We are seeing God weave together a great little life for us here. He knows what we need better than we do.

Vintage Mother Goose

Puddle jumping

Thriftastic! I'm in love with everything brass these days...

Bath time, sporting a big boo boo he got chasing a ball :(

~~Finding~~ Squashing lady bugs in the field across the street

Admiring these awesome, old-timey PO boxes!

You May Call Me Sleuthy McSleutherton

2013-03-13T15:48:00.000-04:00

Hi friends! After soliciting your thoughts on our new old house's style in my last post, my awesome, house-buff friend Deb, suggested it might be an American Foursquare house with craftsman details. This led me to do a bit of research and I think she is right.

If you look at what we now consider the front entrance to the house, you'll see some of the classic American Foursquare details, including the two up, two down window placement configuration and the dormer. It does not have, however, the classic Foursquare or even Craftsman Bungalow front porch. Hmm...

Here are a few pictures of the American Foursquare homes:

A modern-day shot of a Foursquare (not our house):

Here is Wikipedia's description of the style:

"The American Foursquare or American Four Square is an American house style popular from the mid-1890s to the late 1930s. A reaction to the ornate and mass-produced elements of the Victorian and other Revival styles popular throughout the last half of the 19th century, the American Foursquare was plain, often incorporating handcrafted "honest" woodwork (unless purchased from a mail-order catalog). This style incorporates elements of the Prairie School and the Craftsman styles. It is also sometimes called Transitional Period."

I love this quote:

After looking at our house from the side entrance/sunroom enclosed porch, I have become more and more convinced it's just a modified American Foursquare. Take a look and let me know your thoughts:

The previous owner was only in the house for two years and either doesn't know or doesn't see the value in passing along any tidbits about the house's history. We know the house is from the 20's, but don't even know the exact year it was built. In the seller's disclosure she wrote "80-something years old..." For all we know it could be older... For all we know it could have been the scene of a great murder mystery! Sorry, Nick and I have been watching Foyle's War on Netflix, so I'm kind of obsessed with mysteries these days. I'll have to make a trip to the library to check out the public records.

In the meantime, I have already done a bit of sleuthing and found out some cool facts about our house. Nerd alert: I feel the need to tell you I have spent much too much time the Historic Joplin website and am even considering volunteering at next year's Murphysburg Historic District Christmas Dickens' Festival and/or quite possibly becoming the only Historical Society member under the age of 65, but I digress...

Apparently, a prominent bean broker (didn't know there was such a thing) by the name of Fon L. Johnson was one of the home's early residents. Oh, and our neighborhood's name is Roanoke, but it's also called Snob Hill because it was home to all the wealthy Joplinites back in the day.

Once we move in, I'll snap some shots of the walls of the basement stairwell, which were wallpapered back in the 1940's with magazine ads and pin-up girls. Scandalous! Maybe some strategic poster placement is in order.

All this talk of history and intrigue begs-- nay, demands, a five second homage to Nicolas Cage and National Treasure-- the most historically accurate and riveting thriller of all time:

That's all for today. I sense the end of Collin's nap time is nigh!

If you missed the interior pictures of the house, check them out here.

Our New House!

2013-03-10T18:36:00.001-04:00

So, the bungalow it is! I'm a bit hesitant to post this because I realize there is always the possibility that things could change, but we agreed upon an awesome price and all the paperwork has been signed. I still get emails from Trulia with local listings and was clicking through some other properties today when Nick reminded me our search is over. What a surreal thought! We know where we will be living now! Closing will be on or before the 22nd of March. If you are interested in reading about our path to homeownership thus far, read here.

So, here is a sneak peek of the winsome craftsman bungalow-ish home from the 1920's. If you are a home buff and by looking at these pics know the exact name of this style of house, please let me know. Take a look!

There are definitely some things that need to be fixed up/ remodeled, but those projects will be happening little-by-little, not all at once. Soon I'll be staring to post ideas for each room from paint to drapery to light fixtures. We'll definitely be hitting up the local flea market and resale shops and doing things on the cheap. I get so much joy from the hunt! I'll also be soliciting advice from any of you green thumbs. The landscaping is in much need of some TLC. I'm excited to start this journey!

Living room

Sunroom

Dining room

Kitchen

Master bedroom

Kitchen

We've Moved!

2013-03-08T13:54:00.001-05:00

Dear reader,

I'm so terribly sorry to have neglected this space for a while. There have been some interesting developments in our lives as of late. Nick was offered a transfer/promotion to his company's Joplin, Mo facility in January and what has ensued is a virtual whirlwind of activity. Packing, spending our last moments with our sweet Atlanta friends and coordinating logistics has kept me away from blogging, but I now have a bit of time and space to pick it back up and loop you into our new adventure.

As of February 27th, we now live in Joplin, Missouri! Crazy, I know. And yes, this is the town that had the horrible E-5 tornado in May of 2011. We know. This didn't scare us off. :)

Until we can close on a house, we are living in a corporate studio apartment type place... with a toddler. The first night was a challenge, figuring out how to block noise and light out of Collin's doorless room so that he could sleep and we could actually have a life past his 7pm bedtime (i.e. watch TV, run the water, talk above whispers). To say it's been interesting is an understatement. I have had my share of "What did we do and why are we here?!" moments, especially with a stir crazy eighteen month old on slushy, cold days when Nick is working.

So, my days thus far have consisted of exploring every inch of the apartment complex's parking lot with little man (highlight- yesterday we found a lady bug and it crawled all over his hand-- he loved this!), driving to parks, grocery shopping, tidying up toys and counting down the hours until Nick gets off work. :) Being an extrovert, I'm feeling like a total recluse. On Monday I'm going to go to a local MOPS group. I need people. It's seriously bad. I get ultra weepy and lame-o without people. Probably an introvert's dream, but a personal hell for me! :)

Nevertheless, God has given me more and more reason to hope for good things here. He is so faithful. A key verse for me during this time has been a portion of Psalm 23. "Surely your goodness and your love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." What a comfort. We cannot get away from his goodness. It follows us and ultimately our home is not here on earth-- it is in the house of the Lord. I know he will bring us friends-- a community, a good church, a nice neighborhood and the rest. He delights to give good gifts to his children!

Oh, and if you are wondering how we are all faring when it comes to naps and bedtime-- we are great! Our solution to the pseudo one room living issue was to put up a black out curtain over the doorway and download a noise machine app. I realize so many people around the world live in one room quarters and have never been more thankful we haven't had to thus far. Collin has done so well, it's made me reconsider what we think we actually "need."

So, over the next season, if you are interested, I'll be updating the ol' blog with our adventures in home-ownership and renovation. The following is a detailed account of the adventure thus far. Feel free to stop reading if the minutia will bore you!

We have been on a bit of a home-buying roller coaster thus far. Our first love home-- a cute 1920's craftsman bungalow was looking like it was in the bag when the inspection revealed a number of issues. This caused us to "freak out" and pull away. Then, after a day or so, we more level-headedly decided to investigate the cost to fix these issues. The bids came back and, while none of them were too terribly pricey, they added up to being a substantial chunk of change, so we initiated a termination of negotiations.

We then moved on to place an offer, contingent upon release from the craftsman contract, on a 1950's ranch style home-- not nearly as charming and frankly kind of cosmetically ugly, but the fixes needed were interior, not structural, and we knew could really do some fun stuff with this house for cheap.

During this time, the seller of the original, craftsman home came back to us and asked if there was any way we would reconsider. We said no and were happy to move along and dream up what life could be like in the ranch home.

Last night, the craftsman's owners came back to us with a ridiculously low price. I mean, ridiculously low. They wouldn't, however, cover the closing costs at that price. So, we have made a bit of a higher counter offer with closing included. We'd prefer to keep some of our liquid assets to use on fixing the issues upfront, but aren't against paying closing if we can settle on a good price. Now, it's a waiting game.

If you know me, you know that I have both homes totally decorated in my head! The picture up top illustrates a sneak peek of the direction things could go depending on which home we end up with.

I honestly, equally love both Mid Century Modern and Deco/Traditional decor styles, much in the same way people love each of their unique children. Odd? I know. Maybe I'm a chameleon, but I can see endless possibilities with each style!

So, stay tuned! Thank you for reading. We'd appreciate your prayers for a smooth transition. We'll know something before long!

Find out which house we ended up with here!

Merry Christmas!

2012-12-19T17:40:00.003-05:00

Since I can't send Christmas cards to everyone, I thought I'd put our smiling faces up here to wish you the merriest of Christmases. We're headed up North to Chicago to be with Nick's family and will more than likely get some snow and possibly snow on Christmas! Here's hoping!

¹⁴

The Christmas Story
From Luke 2: 1-20

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, everyone into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Veggie Christmas Tree

2012-12-15T11:47:00.001-05:00

Last night we had a fabulous party for the Mother's Group at our church (avec husbands). I made this veggie tree and it was both easy and fun to create! Check out the tutorial here.

Christmas Vignettes from Our Home

2012-12-11T11:23:00.000-05:00

Here are a few snapshots of Christmastime at our house thus far. Enjoy!

What you do with stockings when you don't have a fireplace...

A Mexican nativity set we purchased last year in Cozumel

This ornament belonged to Nick's Nana

Our toddler-proof tree

Vintage thermos vases for extra tree branches

Kitchen cabinet wreaths

Christmas bunting made of fabric scraps and an old, wool skirt from Goodwill :)

Boxwood wreath for the front door

Front porch cheer

A girls' ornament exchange I hosted this weekend

Winter sangria and a hot cocoa station

Mostaza Seed

Cleaning Out My Closet

My Handsome Men

On Supporting the Little Guys and Poppin' Some Seriously Good Corn

Family, Flowers and Fun

Happy Friday and Giveaway Winner!

Naptimes are for Tea and a Giveaway!

Plate Walls and Dinner Parties and Haircuts, Oh My!

Making a House a Home

Sneak Peek at Things Coming Together

Our Time Capsule Stairwell

Today is the Day!

Cafe Curtains, Peanut Butter Pancakes & a Secret Garden

Sometimes...

Upstairs Bathroom Remodel Inspiration

Easter Greetings

We Bought a House! It's The Real Deal.

Please Tell Me If I Am Becoming a Creeper...

Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend

What We've Been Up To...

You May Call Me Sleuthy McSleutherton

Our New House!

We've Moved!

Merry Christmas!

The Christmas Story From Luke 2: 1-20

Veggie Christmas Tree

Christmas Vignettes from Our Home

The Christmas Story
From Luke 2: 1-20