"But it's krinkly and it's fun and I think I'll...

...jump in the fridge!"  That's what we swear our kitten said when we took a Capri Sun straw wrapper away from him. Ha.  He's a bit ADD.  And, he does jump in the fridge if you open the door.  And he runs to the back.  And you have to sweep him out of there somehow.  Every. Time.

Meet Mittens.  Isn't he cute?

Apartment Life: My Workout Plan and Using C25K to WALK

Apartment living has made me a little...ummm...lazy.  I don't get near the workout cleaning as I did when I had 2500 sf to clean.  I don't miss it.  Don't get me wrong.  But I don't like that I am sedentary a bit more than I had been.  Katie and I still get outside and swim, but we do a lot of nothing in the summer too.  Our workout room at the complex has what you would need for a basic workout...it really is pretty nice.  And the cold air feels really good when it's 100 outside.  It is right in front of the pool so there is a pretty view while you work out.

Alright.  I have decided (as a side note) that I hate to run.  I don't mind it if I'm really stress and need to take off down the parking lot and burn off some steam (just kidding), but I would rather walk.  That being said, I decided to try to kick it up a notch when I do walk, so I came up with a plan a few days ago to use the C25K program (these are my own opinions and my own workout, not a sponsored post) to WALK instead of RUN.  It's pretty simple, actually.  And if you live in an apartment, you can hop, skip, or jump to your workout facility and USE it.  From what I understand at our complex, most don't use it.

Here's the plan:

Download the C25K app on your phone, tablet, etc.

Launch the app and get going.  This is what I do.

1.  Start with the Week 1, Day 1 plan (you will continue to go through each day just as you would if you were running.
2.  For the warm-up, start the treadmill incline at 4.0 and the speed at 2.5.  It's not a race, just warm up.  Half way through you could bump the speed to 3.0 if you feel like a turtle.
3.  At the first signal to run, bump the incline up to 9.0 (that's not a typo) and bump the speed up to 3.2-3.5. You could go faster if you have longer legs or are a runner to begin with, but with that incline, you'll feel it, trust me.
4.  At the signal to begin walking again, bump the speed down to 3.5 and the incline back to 4.0.
5.  At each signal to run or walk, decrease the incline by .5, so it will look like this: 8.5 (incline at run signal) to 3.5 (incline at walk signal), then 8.0 (incline at run signal) to 3.0 (incline at walk signal).
6.  Of course, when you get closer to the end, your final incline will be 1 for a few of the walks, and that is a-ok.
7.  You may also decide to decrease your speed by .1 at each signal.  I have done that and it still gives me a great workout.
8.  Bring a towel.  You will be soaking wet with sweat.
9.  Don't forget to have a rad playlist going the whole time.  I wouldn't recommend The Puppini Sisters (my choice for swing dancing).  Ha. Must change mine.  But I have found that some of my inspirational music is GREAT for walking!  And so is Christmas music.  No, really, it is.

Let me know how you like it if you try it!  If you don't like running, it's pretty awesome!  I'm working on building some muscle back up and saying goodbye to some winter fluff (I do that every summer).  And don't forget about that diary I told you about.  It makes it easy to keep track!

Apartment Life: Keep kids busy in a tiny space!

My little bunny is really good at keeping herself occupied and playing by herself as well.  She is as creative as you can only imagine, and she can come up with the most amazing ideas on her own.  Sometimes, though, the "bored button" gets whacked and the whining starts.

Since we've been in a smaller space, it almost seems that we have more to do with less to worry about.  Does that make sense? I think that the huge house that we had hindered our ability to focus or to choose one thing to occupy our time because we wandered around in what seemed like oblivion, overwhelmed by the options of what we had accumulated.  Isn't that odd?

It's summer now, and I was really worried about how I was going to keep the little miss busy, but we've come up with some good ideas and plans.  Here's our secret to busting up boredom:

1. FIND MULTIPURPOSE FURNITURE THAT MAKES FUN EASILY ACCESSIBLE  We bought a little table and chairs at an estate this weekend that now doubles as a coffee table.  This way, she has a special place to sit when we are all in there together, and she can still play, too.  Crayons and color books are nearby, as well as board games and books.  It's also a great place for her to set her place for dinner (we don't have a dining room, so we all eat in the living room).

2.   USE THE LANDSCAPE  Surprisingly enough, the short brick stairs to the courtyard are a fun place to set up Littlest Pet Shop toys and the breezeway is a great place to scooter back and forth.  It's also a good place to find rolly polies.  Did I spell that right?  Speaking of, discovering bugs is the best for summer time adventures!  We also have hills outside in our "yard," and racing to beat your time up and down is good exercise for both of us.

3.  MEET THE NEIGHBORHOOD PETS (and wildlife)   In our complex, there is always someone out walking a dog and most are very friendly.  Be sure to ask if you can pet their dogs first; you never know which one might not like that!  As for wildlife, we've found a cardinal family and some bunnies in the courtyard.  It's fun to learn about how they live and eat and Katie is always curious to see when we will see them next.  A side note:  the birds are not too fond of the kitties roaming the bushes outside our patio, and they WILL tell you about it.  :)

5. READ  To get started, you must read this book.  I'm Bored by Michael Ian Black.  Cutest story ever.  And make sure your little one reads it to you if they are able.  Katie was an awesome narrator on the best page in the book. (I won't spoil it for you).   I think there is a potato craft developing out of this one somehow.   Library day!  Momma's favorite day of the week.  :)

6. SWIM We are lucky enough to have a beautiful pool at our complex.  We've been there several times already.  I take a book and then stop and play in the water with her when it gets too hot.  Figure out when little friends should be showing up, and everyone will be happy!  I have also figured out a few exercises I can do while I cool off in there.  Bonus.

I hope that our little routine will help you come up with some ideas for your own kiddos if you dwell in a small place too.  Have a playful summer, and let us know if you come up with something else fun to do! If all else fails, teach them to love HGTV.  Now, that is fabulous, let me tell you.

Apartment Life: Katie's Room

As promised, here are pictures of Katie's little 8X8 space in our place.  She has just enough room to spread toys all over the floor and a cozy nook for sleeping.  She loves it!  We depend a lot on storage for everything she kept; under the bed we have giant ziplocs with stuffed animals and rubbermaid bins for toys, and we found this toy shelf with bins at the thrift for about $15.  She has more animals in a fabric hamper.  Her keyboard is in one corner with a vanity stool that William repainted.  She has her twin bed and her dresser from our old house, and she inherited the paint-by-numbers from another spot, as well as the big frame we made into a chalk board.  It still says, "Feed the Birdies," for good reason.  :)  Any ideas for more stuffed animal storage?  I'm at a loss!

Apartment Life at Two Months and the American Dream

We've actually lived in our tiny apartment about two and a half months now, so I'm behind a little bit.  William and I have had the week to ourselves with the little one playing at Mimi's and enjoying Bible school.  We've had tons of time to talk about things we want to do in the near future and far from now, too.

It's funny how you think when things change it might be the end of the world.  It hasn't been.  In fact, I can say truthfully that we've had no regrets moving to such a small space and giving up all of the things we've collected.  We just celebrated our eighth anniversary over a 1000 square feet lighter, and I can't say that we miss any of that.  I really am not for certain what it was we left behind, other than "stuff."  And that stuff was heavy.

We talked about whether or not we would own a house soon, or if we would just stay in small spaces from now on.  We think that if we did buy, it might be a condo or a town home; we know we will probably stay here until Katie graduates (God willing we get through the summers, but we've been here this long).   But, in the car the other day, we were talking about houses and the "American Dream," and I just blurted out, "Yeah, but who says we have to live it?"

We've always marched to the beat of our own drum anyway, and I don't think that anyone expects any less of us.  We are pretty much in love with our cozy-just-over-900-square-feet-on-a-good-day space, and we've been really good about not piling things in.  Well, for the most part.  And if something comes in, something goes out.  It's quite refreshing, actually, to not have to dig through things we don't really want to get to the thing we were looking for in the first place.

The only ONE bad thing about living right in the middle of town is the food.  Oh, my gosh...we have access to every kind of food we want.  So, we just need to get that under wraps (and the extra weight that came with it...ooops), and start cooking at home again.  Man, it's hard when your favorite place is just around the corner.

The one AWESOME thing I have enjoyed more than anything, is that we are more focused on experience rather than things than we have ever been, and it is so exciting to go and do and see and find friends.  We love that.

We still estate sale; it's hard to flush that from your blood when you've done it so long.  I am still a paper hoarder (and working on that organization and I still haven't figured it out), and I still love the mid-century era, so it's so hard to walk away from things we used to pick up in a heartbeat.  My vintage buddy says I can still buy for her, though.  But isn't it still fun to look.  Oh, yes, it is.

So, here I am, sitting on my little patio and enjoying a warm but quiet evening.  The kitties are roaming around in the bushes next to our railing, and I have a Coke Zero (yeah, I wish it was some kind of swanky cocktail, too), and birdies chirping and a pretty courtyard to watch.  I'm happy.  Happier than a bird with a french fry.

Out of storms come rainbows.  And we're already living the dream.

What's coming up this summer...on the blog!

I'm so glad to be back here again, and I hope this jump start will give me the momentum to keep my blog running smoothly from now until, well, a very long time.

Here is what I have planned to journal:

1.  Vintage Cake of the Month:  I'm reading the book, Vintage Cakes, and I thought it would be fun to bake one or two each month and offer to share it with friends on Wednesday evenings on my newly decorated patio.  I found the copy of the this book at my local library; you might check there, too, if you want to bake along.

2.  Apartment Life in the Summer:  the pool, the projects, and living the summer in a small space.  I am hoping to save money and find more to do here rather than spend my time doing too much shopping this season.  Sorry, Target.

3.  Pillowcase of the Week:  And my bed, deconstructed.  William and I love to go see what's under all those comfy blankets and linen on the beds at Pottery Barn (don't you?), and we fell in love with the dreamy beds we slept in at Bed and Breakfast stays.  So, one plan I have this summer is to recreate those beds, piece by piece, on the cheap, and finish the summer off with a cozy little nest for winter.  In the meantime, vintage pillowcases are one of my very favorite things, and I use them on my bed every day.  I'll share them with you. 

4.  Katie's Thrift Finds:  I thought it would be fun to share what my little mini-me picks up at the thrift when we go.  You'll be surprised at what she finds!

5.  Furniture Makeovers:  We still have a few pieces that we brought with us to the new place that need a facelift. 

6.  Project Life:  I'm jumping in head first.  Using Studio Calico kits and some things I have in my own stash. 

7.  And so much more randomness that you expect from me anyway...  

This blog is a little bit about everything, and there is no other way to put it.  Thanks for stopping by!

Apartment Patio: Makeover

The first project of the summer is our tiny patio at our apartment.  It is about a 6X8 space with pretty white railing and a concrete floor.  We store our bicycles out there and had some random things cluttering up the area, so we haven't used it yet.  I cleaned up the area and started looking for inspiration on what to put out there.

I want it to serve two purposes:  one, that we would have an al fresco dining area, and two, that Katie and I could play/read/do homework/sit out there and enjoy the courtyard.  It's beautiful and there are always bunnies hopping by or neighbors walking their dogs.  

I searched for rugs, a table and chairs, plants, decor, and sweet little bits that would make it a place that not only we would want to be, but a small area to entertain a friend or two on occasion.  

We painted the top of the table a bright turquoise and then sanded the legs.  The other chairs will get a fresh coat as soon as we decide on a color.  The mid-c tables, cat paint-by-number, and industrial "C" came from estates, as did the wooden hangers.  I printed the quote on heavy card stock and hung it on the most worn chair. The mat (rug) came from World Market. 

I had my first cup of coffee and quiet time out there this morning, and I'm in love with the space already.  I'll add a few more plants and pretty flowers, and then invite you over for a visit.  

Vintage Style Parties: Coming Soon!

I'm doing a little bit of reading that is quite inspiring and I've decided to share it with you.  I picked up a copy of Florence Hamsher's The Complete Book of Children's Parties (copyright 1949) at the thrift for just pennies  but you can find a copy here if you would like to read along with me.  And, so begins a new series here!

Follow along this summer and you will learn:
*basic party planning rules
*etiquette for you and your children as guests and hosts
*ideas for games, gifts, and foods
*how to make vintage invitations with a modern ~twist~
*tips for making your guests feel welcome, and how to behave as a host
*how to make over your tiny apartment back porch for entertaining (no kidding!)

Won't that be fun for us?  I think so.  We'll get started soon, so put your purse and scarf in the guest room and martinis will be served in a bit!

Swing dancing and victory rolls on Mother's Day Weekend

This year, it wasn't just Mother's "Day."  It was the whole weekend.  We had so much fun that I can't even begin to tell you...you would have had to experience it for yourself.

One of the things that is nice about living small is that the money we used to spend on "stuff" and house upkeep, is now being saved and used for experience.  This Mother's Day weekend was planned long in advance and was much better than any gift I could have received.  (Although I did score a Starbucks gift card and a Michael Buble CD from my honey and little princess).

Every year, our friends, who live on a small air strip, have a giant birthday party for each other at their hanger.  They always have a rockabilly band and tons of food and friends.  I missed it last year.  We heard a few months ago that they had recruited the neighbors to participate too, and a big band and swing dance club were coming in, along with lots of aircraft for flyovers, tons of cars, etc...

I decided that Katie and I couldn't just go in our everyday fashion, so we booked a beauty appointment with VinTage Flair (sweet Lynne is the best at vintage style!) for victory rolls and Shirley Temple ringlets.
We kicked off the weekend with an overnight trip to my mom-in-laws for pizza and girl talk, breakfast the next morning, and then a quick trip to Lynne's for a style session.

A couple hours later we were on the road to Justin to catch some WWII aircraft flying overhead and blowing smoke, lots of hot rods parked for viewing and a quick photo or two, tons of good food, a rockabilly band, Buddy's Big Band,

and many friends to share it all with.    Katie was the talk of the party in the cute little pink gingham dress I thrifted.  It was only $4.  I just wore cropped jeans and a black lace tank, but I wish I had dressed the era.  Some were dressed in original war uniforms and dresses.  Fabulous.

Some of these pictures deserve canvas status, don't you think?  I love the one of Katie and the army troops in front of the plane.

I heard that later there was a German officer "arrested" and paraded through the hangers.  Buddy's Big Band provided lots of music for dancing with your sweetie.  We ate too much and played not enough...and drove to a hotel exhausted.

The next morning, we got up and packed the car to meet the boys for lunch for Mother's Day.  Nothing makes this momma's heart flutter more than when these big guys pick me up and squeeze me.  Family style rib eyes and baked potatoes and brandy butter apple pie were gobbled up and we shared lots of laughs about Duck Dynasty and things silly boys do.  I can't believe they are graduating in just a year or two.  A momma's time surely flies.

I couldn't have asked for a better weekend.  It was fabulous in all the ways it should have been.  The best part was that it wasn't just me that enjoyed it...we all did.

Apartment Life at One Month

For some reason this post makes me feel like I am giving maternity updates.  That, I am NOT.  Haha.  I suppose we can count this as an infant stage of a new beginning.  Here are some thoughts and some tips:

1.  We made it!  We made it!  In this tiny little place, we have not threatened to kill each other even once.


2.  When you have a small space, you have IKEA.  Enough said.

3.  We bought this lamp at said store.  It works great in the living room and it stands high enough that you don't bump your head.  We even got a compliment on it from a neighbor that saw it as she walked her dog while our blinds were open.  That was kinda creepy, but, yeah.

4.  Katie had her first play date in the new place today.  Kids don't mind if the place is big or small; they had a ball and played just like they would have in our old place.


5.You can only cram so much in an apartment pantry.  Time to start a meal plan.  I like these.  She's a Dallas lady, too.  :)   Click on the week titles to get the menu and shopping lists.

6. The only thing we fight about it who will take the dog out.  General wardrobe for dog walks at night?  Nightgown (no, not William...his would be boxers shorts) and brown rubber flip flops and select hoodie from coat closet, usually Allen Eagle or American Eagle.  Picture that, now would you?  Oh, and no contacts means you can't see crap, literally.  We try to pick it up, neighbors, we do.

7.  Things I still wish I had:  my craft room, my doggie door (see number 6), and...that is all.

8.  Carrying in groceries has turned into a creative juggling act in which you can and will learn to balance things in a creative manner.  Buy small.  Yes, I've learned that.  Or leave it in the car and tell William to carry it in.  That works too.

9.  The cats want to go outside.  We let them out the other day for five minutes and created two howling monsters.  Well, one, really.  The other one just freaked out and ran back in.

10.  It is still possible to have HGTV Love It or List It marathons without disturbing the other party.  However, the other party may disturb you when he turns up Stephen Colbert too loud.  And snores on the couch.

House to apartment...not for the faint of heart.

It's been three weeks since our big downsize and move to an apartment.  I feel it's time to share some thoughts on the whole process, because, while it's been exciting and fun to nest in a new place, it's also been very stressful. Sometimes life throws a curve ball...

The first night here, I'm not sure if any of us slept well.  We worried about all the little things...I would find myself walking the dog in the courtyard at two in the morning and thinking how in the world would we keep a dog here?  How will I get up in the middle of the night and get dressed to take her outside when she and we are all accustomed to a doggie door?  And how will she make it in an apartment all day while we are at work?  It's funny how you can take the smallest things like dog potty breaks and make them into giant reasons why the whole situation won't work.  Really, though, it will.  You just can't see that right now.

The Sunday after our move we took Katie back to the house with us to make a trip or two of small things.  You know, the small things will kill you when you  move.  Anyway, she was sifting through the clutter that was still there, and finally sat down on the floor in our bedroom and cried.  I lost it.  I was fine until she wasn't.  She woke up that morning telling us she missed our old house and that she "almost had tears falling down."  How do you even respond to that?  It's quite the adjustment for the little ones, but how resilient they are.  I started wondering if we really would make it, changing our lifestyle so drastically in such a short amount of time, and giving away all of the things that we so carefully chose and collected and admired quite frequently.  Easter Sunday was quite an emotional one.

We got to our family dinner that day with Katie and I on the verge of tears and sometimes they did fall down.  My mother-in-law gave us a card that day that read, "The barn burned down; I can see the moon."  The barn did burn.  And how fitting that we can see life ahead of us.  Even though it is a loss, it's a new beginning, a new vision, and a new adventure to wander through.  The clutter was causing stress, the money we spent could have been used otherwise, and it's like this is the one time we woke up and we got it.  We figured it out.  We have goals and know how to reach them.  We have problems we know how to solve.  We have a new sense of what is to come and how it's all going to come together for all of us...all five of us.

We really don't miss much of our "stuff" we left behind.  I've thoroughly enjoyed not picking up a bunch of clutter when I get home and then an hour later being able to sit and hear myself think.  No, I don't miss that one bit.  I thought that we had left some things behind that we needed, namely a muffin tin...haha...but it turns out I just hadn't figured out where I had put everything when we moved in.  We did have one casualty.  William and I wanted to go use the workout room at the apartments, and, lo and behold, we had sold his running shoes in the sale!  We got a laugh out of that one.  Off to Luke's Locker we go for a new pair.

Present day, we do like it here.  We like our neighbors and we like having time to enjoy the little things, including our little place.  It doesn't take long to rearrange the furniture in 900 square feet.  Just ask me, I know.  I like cooking in my tiny kitchen and three of us sitting around our small coffee table eating dinner.  I like my cozy craft corner and I love my book case in the hall, full of the books that we kept and still enjoy.  (Books are therapy, aren't they?)  Katie has her things all arranged in her tiny room just the way she likes them.  She plays dress up in the closet again and tonight she's running around with an arm load of stuffed animals, and she's wearing her sock monkey hat and her nightgown.

Things are back to normal.  Oh, and the walks in the courtyard aren't so bad at two in  the morning, although a potty schedule for the dog would be nice.  She's found friends, too.  William is doing just as well...he's snoring beside me as I type.  Katie is peeling the candy shell off of Cadbury mini eggs and eating it, piece by piece.  All is calm.  All is bright.