Wintry day Randomness

Flowers for you---to brighten your day. Spring will come! {Valentine's day wishes came & went--one word "flu"} Maybe next year???
January 27th heading to Mexico. Leaving snow behind and coming home to lots & lots of it.

This last year up until now has been a blur and maybe a not so good blur. My thoughts have been scattered and really felt out of sorts. I blamed it on having a new baby, closing the store and moving everything to our upstairs. Everything felt out of control. 
I did finally get the office under control and have one little pile in the middle of my things that I need to find a place for. The inventory room is more organized with everything we sell online in order on shelves making it easier to keep track of things. This of course helps to fill orders faster. 
Little boys + sand = hours of contentment.

I needed to realize that if I want to make everything "perfect" it's not going to happen and that stresses me out even more. I'm trying to learn to do what I can and not worry about every little detail. I will miss out on my life if I continue to do that.
I made goals for McMaster & Storm. Darcy and I hope to roll out a big change fall of 2011.

Seems like that is far away, but realistically cannot happen before then. We are excited about dreaming about it and is a direction we would like try to take.
I'm trying to see that I cannot get everything accomplished "right now"! Little by little and over time things will get done.
I need to love & cherish my family they are the most important---

I want to have more company over and not worry about my house so much. Restaurants do not clean with a toothbrush before you arrive to eat. Life is about friends and being hospitable.
I ordered 3 books, one was recommended by Jeanne {Bushel & a Peck}. My heart needs to devote more time to worship and learning to know my Creator even more. The book I can't wait to read is Calm my Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow. 

*Practicing more random acts of kindness---giving is one of the best things we can do. I have good intentions and my follow through stinks. 
Have the girls over more often to just sit and talk and enjoy each other's company. 
I do get overwhelmed easy and it is difficult some days running a business and taking care of my kidlets. Today an interior designer called wanting to know about a light--the size, etc. I was talking to her giving the specifics & Luke comes running and says "I gotta go #2"! He actually didn't say #2, this time it was the exact word. I wanted to melt and am hoping she didn't understand what he was saying.  I will try to laugh more over these things.
Yes, to more date nights with Matt!
I will try {I said try!} to start Zach's baby book. I'm using a Moleskine Cahier journal---I'm doing something simple and sweet. These are a favorite, they have a heavy cardboard cover and have great stitching detail to bind them.

Yes-- to eating outside more this year. {weather permitting!} Yes--to getting up earlier so I can be ready for the day and my boys. Having time to myself those precious morning hours, reading and praying. {coffee too!}
Seeing that projects take time and if you wait you score lumber for your walls. In Cincinnati an operation where they deconstruct old houses and the money goes to charity. We were at the right place at the right time. They also have new building materials that are donated.

 Matt happen to ask and in another building, not for sale yet, they had enough lumber for the back walls. We saved  $800.00. Woohoo! A man had this lumber in his garage for 15 years and donated it. It's in perfect shape. I didn't want dry wall for the mud room/laundry. Boys + smooth drywall = dings!  They are 12" wide boards and will be whitewashed.  I have been seeing this look in quite a few magazines. Plus a Bead board ceiling = farmhouse style! I want timeless & simple!
Raising the floor to meet the kitchen floor. This room was probably the farmhouse's washroom or "summer kitchen".  Our house dates back to 1860.
Our contractor Eric = he gets it!! Understanding that you want the remodel to look like it has history. Details. 

I hope to get more pictures of his house sometime, a new bungalow, but the the details make it swoon-y. They actually purchased some lights from our retail store and need to show you what they did with them.  His wife Jessica has very good taste. 

If you live in Miami Valley Ohio and need a contractor---he's the best! {No, he did not pay us to say that!}
We scored enough antique pine flooring to do this room and the kitchen. St. Vincents in Dayton has now also started salvaging parts of old houses. Again, the proceeds go to charity. I went back & forth on flooring. I couldn't just go get new flooring, well it would look too new and not go with the rest of the house. Plus, it's wider than new flooring and that was what I was after.

I can't wait to show you a concrete double sink, probable from a factory, on a metal stand that I snatched up. It's buried in the snow! It quenches my industrial kick! I want to put this outside so I can wash vegetables from the garden and clean up the kidlet's dirty summertime hands & feet. I grew up with a farmhouse sink outside and it we used it all the time. My parents still use it, it's a practical thing to have.

Sneek peek, a project for Clover & Bee. I want to craft more, running a business keeps me hopping and want to pencil in more time for creativity.

These pictures are what I have been up to, a recap of the last month. I want to blog more and not just blog about the shop, but lots of tidbits on a myriad of subjects. 

May your afternoon be lovely!