Halloween Silhouette Project!!

I know, I know, I'm a terrible blogger. To be honest I have no energy for such things since Layla has started school. Our lives are so busy & she only goes half days! I can't even imagine next year when she goes full time.

Well, it's October & we've had our Halloween decorations out for a while now. I was just really excited & started to slowly put stuff up in September. The past TWO Halloweens we have been in the process of moving so all of my lovely Halloween decorations were boxed up & we couldn't enjoy them. So this year I was just so excited, which is why I couldn't wait to start!!

My mom just sent me a bunch of old picture frames that belonged to my grandma & I had a couple ideas of what I could do with them. Having just received them in October I of course had Halloween on the brain & decided to do something gothic with them.

They're really great frames, but gold just isn't my thing so I had to pick another colour to paint them. Sticking with the Halloween/gothic theme I decided to go with black.

I thought of maybe doing the distressed look, which would be pretty neat for the gothic look, but I'm too impatient to wait for all those layers of paint to dry & then distress it. So if that's what you want to do, then go for it. I think it looks great either way.

Then I had to draw the silhouettes to go in the frames. You can probably print some & cut them out, but since I was feeling lazy & didn't want to go all the way upstairs (OMG! so far away!) to use the printer, I free-handed the silhouettes. I did look up pictures on my laptop to base my drawings on. I found some really cute ones to copy.

To make cutting out the silhouettes easy I used an exacto knife. The frames are pretty small so I needed to make sure the details on the silhouettes were cut cleanly. I also traced the outline of the part of the frame that the silhouette would actually be showing through. Use the actual frame, because if you use the glass you might make the silhouette too big & it might get cut off.

Then I picked out a background paper and cut it to fit each frame. I decided to go with pages out of Pride & Prejudice & Zombies!

Awesome, right?! Perfect for my Halloween silhouettes!!

Next I needed to pick out the paper for the actual silhouettes. I really didn't want to do all black because the frames were pure black. Luckily I had a dark scrapbook page that wasn't too dark & had just enough detail on it to give the silhouette some depth, but not too much detail to take away from the actual silhouette.

Once I had the silhouettes cut out on my pretty, gothic paper I places them on the book pages I had cut out & put them in the frames once they were dry. I think they turned out wonderfully!!

I had to throw in some that just screamed HALLOWEEN at you. I love the feminine little witch & Frankenstein's bride!!

Finished all 5 & now have them set up with some other Halloween decorations I made myself years ago! I think they look great with my pumpkins!

Happy Halloween all!

x

Pride

I am proud to be American. Yes, we have our problems, but I love & am proud of the country I was born in. For the London 2012 games, I will be cheering for Team USA in every event, and I was very emotional seeing the athletes waving the stars & stripes at the opening ceremony. I know that I cannot be the only one who gets emotional watching the games! There is something about nations from all over the world getting together in one place, and in spite of the competition, working together for one big event. When they show the top 3 of a sport on the podium accepting their medals & playing the national anthem, I cry! (Yes, I'm a huge baby!)

That being said, I was surprised by my level of emotion when Team Great Britain walked out during the opening ceremonies. I am not an expat, not a British subject, I am still an American citizen living here in England. Though, I am incredibly proud of my host country & the talented athletes representing Team GB.

I love this country, and I love these isles.

"I was not born for one corner, the world is my native land."

I am quite proud of my American roots, I am also a proud wanderer. I love this world & I will enjoy every opportunity I have of exploring everything it has to offer. 

Good luck to all athletes participating in the London 2012 Games, I know you will do your respective home nation & the world proud!

x

Driving in the UK

One thing a lot of people still ask me about, is how I handle driving on the "wrong" side of the road on the "wrong" side of the card. I know a lot of people have trouble acclimating to driving differently when they move here, they even have a course so people can go practice if they are too nervous to just go out on the road. I was determined not to use that.

Weeks, maybe months, before we arrived I started visualizing myself driving on the left side of the road. I even drove around the neighbourhood in Nebraska on the left side of the road when no one was around.

After we arrived here we got a rental car to get around before we bought one & I had Jer drive first, because he had experience driving in the UK & I had not. I wanted to sit in the passenger seat & observe. Honestly, I don't think I really needed to do that. Once I sat in the driver's seat & started going it felt natural. I beat it into my brain so hard & it didn't feel weird. The only thing that gets me is how tiny the roads are. I have terrible depth perception so in some areas it can feel a little tight, but I know there is enough room on the road for me and the other cars, so reason wins that fight.

In the beginning, Jer would be planning on driving, but then he'd walk to the wrong side of the car. I thought I'd do that, but I have yet to do it. It would feel weird to drive on that side of the car. Jer said that sometimes he would see people sitting in the UK passenger seat playing with their phones and he'd momentarily freak out thinking they were the ones driving, and I had a similar experience! It doesn't phase me when I see adults doing weird things, but I'll see kids, young teens sitting there & freak out thinking they are driving.

All in all, I don't think anyone moving here should worry about the driving. It's easy to acclimate to & if you have a good attitude about it, you'll do fine. I don't understand the women who move here & refuse to drive. Some of the wives of Jer's co-workers don't drive, so they live on base & walk everywhere or catch rides from people when their spouse is deployed.

So basically, they're stuck in one small area, they don't get to go out and explore, unless they have really great friends willing to drive them around the country. I don't know about them, but when Jer deploys I plan on going on small road trips or train rides around to different places with Layla. I'm not going to let him being gone keep us from having a good time & sightseeing. I think others should do the same!!

Happy Monday & Music Monday

I have two Monday themed posts, and lately I've just been switching off what I'm doing, but today I think I'm going to do both. Partly because I want to, and partly because I don't want to get up and clean my kitchen right now. So this will help me procrastinate!!

Happy Homemaker Monday:

The weather::
It's been cold & windy lately. We've had a bit of sunshine off & on, but it's Summer in England so we have more cold days than warm. I think after the summer solstice we'll be getting a few more warm days, but nothing like that week & a half of crazy heat.

On my reading pile::
I've been on a Midnight in Paris kick. I loved the movie and the books that I've read by the authors featured in the film. So I'm rereading some I haven't picked up since high school as well as some I had never read before.
Right now I'm reading Save Me The Waltz by Zelda Fitgerald. I love it so much. The prose is sloppy, but the imagery is just brilliant. She paints a beautiful scene with her pictures. I'm only about halfway through right now, but I'll be finishing it soon & then I'll move on to Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Zelda's husband) both novels are loosely based on their lives together, so it's interesting to see the same relationship from different points of view.

On my TV::
UEFA Euro 2012 tournament has taken over my television!! I was very happy when Croatia won last night. Since my papa was born there I have a soft spot for them, but I'm also rooting for a few other teams.

On the menu for this week::
I don't have a set day-to-day menu for this week. I've been so busy going to the gym 6 days a week, and on top of that we have Layla's activities. So we've stocked up on chicken breasts and other healthy meal ingredients and just playing it by ear. Jer has a weird week at work this week so he might not even be home for dinner some days.

On my to-do list::
Make a plan for the gym tomorrow- working out my arms!
vaccum
clean the kitchen (it desperately needs some cleaning!!)
Finish items for etsy shop

What I'm creating::
I've been so terrible with my crocheting. I have hardly done anything for my etsy shop! I'm nearly done with my Hunger Games ornaments. I need to make 6 more from pages out of the last book (so I'll have 9 sets to sell) & then I need to embroider 4 more pages to send out with the ornaments. I need to really get started on my crochet items. I want to get some scarves and ear warmers done and ready to list in August. Lately I've been working on a ripple baby blanket I'll be sending to some soon-to-be parents I know, and then after I get the ear warmers and scarves done or nearly done, I might do some blankets to sell as well. We'll see.

Summer Fun::
We've been so busy! On days that there is sunshine we try to get to the park or track to get some energy out, but we go to the gym nearly every day & Layla has gymnastics and ballet classes during the week!

Looking around the house::
My kitchen is a right mess. So is my living room, but Layla is playing in there right now. All of her ballet clothes from this morning are on the floor. I am hating this house less and less the longer we live here, but I still hate the plumbing with a burning passion. I just want to take a decent shower!!

From the camera::

Something fun to share::
I don't really have anything fun, except maybe this picture of a rabbit I made friends with. Her name is Truffles & she likes to eat shoelaces.

Looking forward to this week::
I always look forward to Layla's gymnastics class. I am unable to sit in there & watch, but they have a small video screen we can watch them on & they are just so cute!! Also looking forward to gym time with my friend, Amber on Friday. She met us there today & Layla LOVES playing with her daughter, Isobella. It's always easier when there are other kids there, and since we're usually the only ones there Layla gets bored easily and sometimes I have to cut my workout short or modify it so she can work out with me.


& Music Monday!!

I love love love M. Ward. He is in two bands that I love, and he also has many albums out of his own. I have everything he's ever made. His bands are She & Him (probably the most popular because of Zooey Deschanel) & Monsters of Folk. I looooove MoF. They are brilliant & beautiful & simple.
Here is the music video for The Sandman, the Brakeman, and me Have a listen. love & enjoy them as much as I do!!

Fitness Friday

So I slowly started working my way away from the elliptical & on to the treadmill or road. I started out warming up on the elliptical, moving over to the treadmill for a mile, then finishing up my miles on the elliptical. I was pretty sore, but mostly painfree. Taking it slow was driving me bonkers, but I was getting there. Then last weekend I was asked if I wanted to run the warrior dash 5k in London at the end of the month. It's a 5k race with obstacles throughout. I really wanted to run it, but I needed to test out how far I could run pain free to see if I'd be able to run this. So I went to the gym and hopped on the treadmill. Instead of just running 5k & declaring myself ready I decided to throw in a bit of circuit training.

Run 1/2 mile, strength training, run 1/2 mile, strength training, etc.

I ran 2.5 miles doing pushups, squats, deadlifts, dumbell jerks, and reverse crunches in between each half mile. I didn't want to run any further & push my luck, then end up injured and unable to run for a while. So I hopped off and experienced the best runner's high. I knew that if training continued I'd be able to run the race pain free!

Since then I've not stepped back onto an elliptical! I've been on the treadmill and the road! The other day I set out to run a 3 mile circuit on the treadmill, but ended up running 5!! Five beautiful, pain free miles! Well, mostly pain free. My injuries aren't flaring up, my body is just not used to running so much anymore so I end up more sore than I used to get.

This time around I am also determined not to hit that 5k plateau. I'm a rare fat runner, and I'm tired of going to races or being the only one at the gym that doesn't look cute in exercise clothing. Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour clothes are not made for my body shape. They're the most comfortable fabric to work out in, but they are grossly unflattering on me. 

So instead of just doing around 3 miles on pretty much every run, I am slowly working on building that up & including a long run EVERY WEEK, not just once every month, or whenever I bloody feel like it (which was hardly ever.) I think my problem was running too far for my fitness level & then taking far too long to recover.

My biggest challenge will actually be not stuffing my face after every run with all the foods in my kitchen. 

The past month I've actually been really good about this. I still have days where I am ravenous, and want to eat everything in sight, but I've been able to contain myself. I won't claim that I've had a prefect diet this month, but trying to eat paleo meals & cooking at home instead of going out has helped tremendously. 

I've lost NINE LBS since I started running after my costochondritis injury!! 

I am quite proud of myself.

I just need to keep this up. My hard work & willpower will pay out in the end. I won't just be a runner; I'll actually look like one!

Wish me luck for my Sunday run. I'll be running 6.5 miles around the flight line. It'll be the longest run on the road since I injured my foot when I tried to run that route as my first run back after the costochondritis.

**I wrote this out yesterday, but I just noticed it didn't post. So this is fitness friday a day late!

Music Monday

It is impossible to listen to this song (& watch the video) and NOT have a smile on your face. It is nearly impossible to listen to anything from The Vespers & not smile. They are a happy, sunny, smiley, care-free, & fall-asleep-in-a-field-of-wild-flowers-with-the-sun-on-your-face kind of beautiful.

If ever in a bad mood all you need is to put on some music by The Vespers, close your eyes, and you will be transported momentarily to a lovely tea party in the woods. (or to wherever your happy place is, but isn't my happy place just peachy? It can be your happy place too, I can share!)

Listen to them, purchase their music, and be happy!

FITNESS FRIDAY!!

I think I'm going to start a new thing on Fridays. I shall call it Fitness Friday & give an update about what happened that week in my world of fitness, running, and weight loss.

I've been slowly trying to start the Paleo diet. I know it would be better for me if I went hard core into the diet, but I've tried stuff like that before and within a small time frame I usually give up. Paleo isn't a fad diet, it's more of a lifestyle & I think if I slowly integrate the recipes into my regular diet I will be less likely to give up & more likely to be successful in making long-lasting changes. It helps that a friend sent me some info on the Paleo Diet with recipes & grocery lists!!

After the 5 month move overseas (where I was not nearly as active as I should have been!!) & then soon becoming injured once I did start up again, I am finally getting back on track. My body has not been used to rigorous exercise for some time, I am embarrassed to say, so getting back into it has been tough on my body.

The first run after my costochondritis was healed I made the mistake of running 6 miles. My chest was able to bare it, I had no flame up of the injury, but I didn't realize how badly my feet would hurt!! Many people advised me to take a shorter run, but after months of no running, I was just so eager! I messed up my left foot pretty bad, and I'm still having trouble with it. Since then I've been sticking to the elliptical at the gym. I was very fortunate in finding out that one of the base gyms (I have access to 3 gyms!) has a parent/child room with a safe area for children to play & be entertained, and another area with exercise equipment. There isn't as much in there as I'd like, but I make it work with what is in there.

I've been working on my speed & upping the resistance on the elliptical to make my legs stronger. It's actually been going really well! One Sunday I did 5 miles for my "long elliptical run" & two weeks later I did my "ler" 5 miles 14 minutes faster! During the week I have been working on quickening my 5k pace. I cut 15 minutes off of my initial 5k time, then each week since I've been cutting off 30-50 seconds. Now I am running 4 miles in the time it used to take me to run 3 & I'm upping my "ler" to 6 miles this Saturday. I'm hoping to reach that in less time that it took me to run 5 miles that first week.

In addition to working on the elliptical & improving speed & time, I've been slowly getting myself back into real running. Or, at least treadmill running since I don't have a jogging stroller. I'm taking it slow, but this past week I was able to run 1 mile foot pain free! I'd like to try more, but my foot keeps getting sore and painful from just walking around on my busy, errand-running days. So I'm pacing myself. I am very proud of how far I've come this month! Most of April I was injured, and May has really been a turn-around for me!

I am down 3 lbs thanks to my efforts, but I know I could've lost 5-7 this month. I still need to work on getting my eating habits in order, and I think with Jer's encouragement & help in the kitchen, I will get there soon! Next week a new month will be starting and in that time I'd like to lose 6 lbs.

My Tough Mudder

Someone in Jer's office somehow convinced him to run a 12 mile race. It was not only 12 miles of running, it was also filled with 25 challenging obstacles in the MUD!! A few of them had live wires that electrocuted the participants as they went through!! I must say, it was pretty entertaining to watch!

The starting line in front of the lovely estate hosting the race

Marc, Jer, and Chris

Layla & Marc's daughter, they were buddies!

Wolverine, Captain America, and Spiderman are tough mudders!

This was right after the first obstacle, I think it was called 'kissing mud' or something silly like that.

Playing ring around the rosie while we waited for the guys to reach the obstacle.

Going through the 'electric eel' those orange wires were live and shocked them as they went through.

My handsome tough mudder!

We had a fun time watching the race. Spectating a tough mudder should be considered it's own sport! Layla & I were exhausted after all was said and done!! The estate hosting the race was vast & hilly!

Music Monday

So there is this band called First Aid Kit. They are a folk-duo made up of 2 sisters from Sweden. I love love love their music. Their voices are smooth, hypnotizing, and glorious. You know that feeling you get when you've been trying to cut wrapping paper in a straight line, but it's been tearing, then all of a sudden the scissors just start gliding cleanly through? Yeah, it's kind of like that.

If you like Fleet Foxes or Blitzen Trapper, you will love First Aid Kit.

This is one is one of my favourites, and I love their album 'The Black and the Blue' I can listen to it all day & dream of falling asleep in a field of daisies. (Then probably waking up horribly sunburned, because sometimes I forget to put sunscreen on!)

Ode to the Clouds

First off, let me say: THIS MAGAZINE ROCKS MY SOCKS! It is dandy & spiffy in every way! It makes me want to go flea market shopping for treasure & then go into creative mode to fill my home with whimsy & vintagy goodness. (Yes, I just made up & used the word 'vintagy' get on board with it!) This mag only comes out every 3-4 months, and I was oh, so happy to discover that the newsstands here on base carry American Magazines, and this one was included! I just picked up this new one today & I am in love with every page!!

Also, I would like to take this moment to show off my awesome version of 'Starry Night' by Vincent Van Gogh. I drew this for my mom on 'Draw Something' & I think I did a decent job considering I was drawing this on a small iPhone screen.

Okay, and on to the clouds; England really knows how to make clouds. I don't know why it's so different here than it it is anywhere else I've been in the world, but every day I am just in awe of how beautiful they are. I don't even mind that I've hardly seen the sun in the months that I've lived here. The sky seems so much bigger here than in the states (I know, physically impossible!) & so the clouds seem to be bigger and somehow more grand.

I took the above picture while I was driving (gasp!!) but in my defense, I was driving around 15 mph & there were no other cars on the road! So I figured I was safe! This was so strange. It was dark all day, clouds rolling in & out. Then it was dark, but it was also light. It was strange, and I've never experienced anything like it before. 

This is the view out of my living room window. The other day Layla & I were sitting on the couch, Layla was watching cartoons & I was enjoying the constant change of clouds outside.

Music Monday!

I've found some amazing bands the past few weeks thanks to music monday posts on other blogs, so I thought I'd join in!
This week I'd like to share with you the band The Head & The Heart.
Here is the video for 'Down in the Valley'
It's a lovely song. I can listen to it, and the entire Head and the Heart album over and over again, all day long!! Please enjoy!
& happy music monday!

Homemade Detergent

In my previous post that had recipes for homemade cleaning supplies I posted a recipe for a liquid laundry detergent. We used it, and we didn't like it. After a friend posted a recipe for a dry detergent, I knew I had to try it! It's awesome, cheap, and it smells SO GOOD! I love it! Plus, the original recipe makes a HUGE batch that lasts forever!

I decided to make a new batch today & Layla wanted to help me out.
I ended up making a smaller batch to fit my containers. I didn't feel like going out to buy a new container, since I didn't have one that would fit a whole batch.

Here is the recipe as Sandra posted:

4 lb 12 oz box of Borax
4 lb box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
3 lb 7 oz box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
3 bars of Fels-Naptha soap (or Zote)
3 lb container of Oxy Clean, or two of the smaller ones, to make about 3lbs
1 container Purex Crystals

Start out by grating your soap with a cheese grater. 

Combine all the ingredients in a 5 gallon container. 

Store and use however you like.  Use 1 to 2 tablespoons per load.

I switched it up a bit, by just not putting as much in. If you have a smaller container, just use one bar of soap. Then use just 1-2 cups of each of the other ingredients.

I just started pouring the ingredients in & eyeballing it. It turned out fine.
Layla had a lot of fun making this with me!

*Sandra mentioned on her blog that if you have a front loading washer it needs to be added to the barrel and not the dispenser.

Friday Favourites!

I'm pretty sure I've blogged about her before, but it's been a while! Plus I've just received some new Katie Daisy prints that I need to show off!
I've made no secret of my hatred for the house the military has forced us into for our first 12 months abroad. Since moving in I have been trying my best to make it liveable. I can't do anything about the horrible plumbing, but I can make it a bit prettier! So I turned to one of my favourite artists & raided her etsy shop The Wheatfield for some prints to add to my collection.

The prints I already owned and love:

this is my "filled with joy" print in my living room. I have it hanging in my living room near my bookshelves because books fill me with joy!

These two prints are also in my living room. I love the colour scheme, they match pretty much everything in my house.

This is hanging in the hallway at the top of my stairs. I think this was the first print I bought from Katie Daisy. I was searching for Ralph Waldo Emerson inspired art on etsy and I was drawn to this print. That was when I found Katie Daisy and fell in love with her work. It was so hard to decide which print I wanted! I loved everything in her shop! I'm sure that one day I will own everything in her shop.

I picked this one because Jer loves astronomy and stargazing. This hangs in our bedroom near the book pages I embroidered with the Galileo quote "I have love the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night."

This is one of my new ones! I was excited to order it because since moving to England we haven't really had much sunshine. We've had more rainy days than sunny days. I love the rain oh so much, so I've not had a problem with it. This print is just perfect for where we live!

These are the two other prints I ordered with the rain one. I've loved the ampersand since the first time I looked at Katie Daisy's shop. I don't know why it's taken me so long to order it, but I finally have it! These two still need to be framed, I have yet to find frames I like, but I can't wait to hang them & enjoy them everyday! 

MONDAY!!

The Weather::
It's been SO weird! It will be bright, not a cloud in the sky and then BAM it's black as night!! Then 10 minutes later, no clouds, bright & sunny! It's been difficult to get used to.
On My Reading Pile::
Emma and the Vampires
On My T.V.::
Grimm is new tonight!
On The Menu This Week::
Homemade chicken nuggets
Healthy chinese food

lots and lots of smoothies (I just got a new blender!)
Looking Forward To This Week::
I ordered the Hunger Games Trilogy (I have no plans on reading it, it does not sound like my cup of tea,) but I will be making HG themed crafts to sell in my etsy shop! I'm looking forward to making them because I've already had so many people show interest in the items!
On My To-Do List::
Vacuum. Basically get my house ready for a guest arriving in about a week and a half! 
What I'm Crocheting or Creating::
Right now I'm working on a scarf I'll be listing in my etsy shop in August. It's really pretty!
Looking Around The House::
Glitter. Layla and I were playing with glitter and now it's kind of everywhere.
From The Camera::

I've been feeling slightly better with my costochondritis so I decided to shake out the legs and see if I could maybe run a bit. We all headed out to the track and we did a few laps as a family. Layla loves to go out and run & we took our time. I was a little sore, but I'm happy to say that after a warm bath and some motrin, I was FINE!! I think if I take some motrin before I run, I'll be able to tackle a 7-miler on Saturday!!

Favourite Blog Post This Week::

I always enjoy the posts from Tracy

Something Fun To Share::

In addition to my Hunger Games crafts, I'll also be listing lots of yarny goodies as well as some Jane Austen & Pride and Prejudice and Zombies goodies! 

washi tape & a care package

I have the coolest friends ever! I've been having a hard time dealing with my injury & not being able to run or really do anything active, but I cheered up today after receiving some pretty sweet packages in the mail today!

First was a care package from my friend, Kim! She told me she was sending something, and I had NO IDEA what to expect coming from her =) She sent quite the surprise for Layla and I! She sent me some really cute novelty items from what sounds like a really cool store, including a moustache luggage tag (GASP! AWESOME!!!) She also sent Layla some fun stuff, Dora the Explorer snack storage, a WHOOPIE CUSHION, and a (this is my favourite!) Little Miss Austen Pride and Prejudice book for kids!!

This Pride & Prejudice book is a counting primer that goes up to 10. Each number is assigned something from the book; British Soldiers, Bennet Sister, English village, fancy ball gowns, etc. It actually comes from a line called baby lit & they have also made a few other classics into children's books! Romeo & Juliet, Alice in Wonderland, and Jane Eyre!! Pride & Prejudice has beautiful illustrations and the others look just as cute!!

I also got a package of WASHI TAPE that I ordered off of etsy. The walls in my house are made of brick, so I can't hang all of the frames that I have. A few of them are hung with sticky hooks from the hardware store, but I have some that don't fit on the hooks. Since some of the walls look bare I decided to make some pretty things out of book pages to hang on the wall, but to spruce it up even further I decided to order this beautiful washi tape!

CUTE, right?! Etsy has such a great selection, and I found a shop that sold a lot of different patterns. The tough part was narrowing down which ones to get! Actually, the shop RhinoandRoo has a great selection of crafty supplies. I also received my items quickly after ordering & they are just as cute in person as I thought they would be!! I only picked them up a few hours ago, but I've been busy wahi taping up things all over the house!! 

The book pages I've embroidered with quotes that I love. The Galileo one I did for my husband & hung near his side of the bed. I liked it, but I didn't love it. All it needed was a bit of washi tape!

Home sweet home in the entryway of my house.

Cath Kidston postcards on the door to my closet. 

I'm sure I'll find more things to washi tape around the house. I have more Cath Kidston postcards, I just need to decide where to put them. I'd also like to do something to spruce up my kitchen, just not sure what yet!

Around the House

I haven't posted many photos of how the house is set up, and honestly it's because it's been a mess since we've moved in. We just don't have the cupboard space we're used to, so there are a lot of things tucked into corners because there is no where else to put them. So the place looks a bit cluttered, but what is life without a bit of clutter, eh? We live here, and it looks like we live here, unlike those houses you see in Better Homes and Garden magazine. They look so perfect, like no one lives there! We are an active family, we use our belongings, we have a toddler running amuck making messes everywhere she can.

I've been trying to declutter the house a bit, get rid of things we don't use or need. Especially this past week. Since my health scare I've been forced to rest, so my usually active, busy days have been spent sitting around trying not to strain myself in any way, and when I get a bit antsy I clean something, or organize.

My bookshelves! The bulk of my book collection is here, but I also have a few in my bedroom as well as tucked into different places around the house. I love my books. My collection has grown quite a bit because it's difficult for me to get rid of any of them once they're read. I used to do that when I was younger, and now I could just kick myself for it. There are some books I vaguely remember what they were about, but I can't for the life of me remember what the titles are, and I'd love to reread some of the gems from my childhood. I know that many of these will be worth rereading in the future, so I hold on to them. Living the military lifestyle and moving around a lot is an unstable life. We are constantly losing things or having to replace broken furniture thanks to careless movers, or some pieces don't fit into new houses so we have to get rid of them, but my books are always constant. I will always have my books.

My apothecary "table" It is called a table according the store we bought it from, but it is much more like a chest of drawers. It is filled with junk, but we're slowly weeding through it and keeping only the things we need. On top I have a stack of graphic novels that are based on classic lit that I love. I've got The Picture of Dorian Gray, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Nevermore (a collection of selected Poe stories,) The Wonderful World of Oz, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, as well as a beautifully illustrated book of Shakespeare's sonnets.

My vintage suitcases. They're filled with yarn & handkerchiefs.

Layla jumping in on the photo. I've got my old frame filled with Spring inspired vintage hankies, a painting of bunting that I made myself, a print of Katie Daisy artwork, and the farthest one is my multi media 'I beard you' art.

This is where we keep our DVDs. I love the two Katie Daisy Prints here. 

Where we keep Jer's books. He doesn't have as much as me because he has a nook. This is on the landing on the stairs. The window looks out into our driveway and front yard.

Tulips and matryoshka dolls!

The view out our front door. We see the fence that surrounds the RAF base we live nearby. That building is the youth centre where Layla will be playing footie and doing gymnastics. We also have a great view of the nice base housing neighbourhood. It's a bit cruel that we are forced to live in the ugly, terrible homes and just over the fence we're forced to look at a beautiful neighbourhood with beautiful homes.

My dining room table! We are finally able to enjoy the table and I have a lovely Spring bouquet to complement my Cath Kidston table cloth.

My little phone table. This is the only spot in the house where we can hook up the phone, so I had to put my great-grandma's little table here. It's a bit in the way since it's in the dining room, and it's not a very big space.

And that is our wee little home. We've tried to make it as cozy and liveable as possible, but I will never love this house. I'm still counting down the days until we're able to move out. Don't be fooled by these pictures, I've taken them at flattering angles so you don't see the clutter and mess. It looks like a much bigger space in these pictures than it in in real life.