Cutie Hairstyles

Avery's hair is getting so long and we've been enjoying trying out some new hairstyles. 

A sock bun for gymnastics! Avery's hair is thin, so Aunt Bethany sent us some sock bun inserts to try for dance practice. They're wonderful!

Avery tried out some gems one morning. 

We worked on reverse French brands for dance class. 

Valentine's Day dance class meant heart pigtails!

A reverse French braid tuck for gymnastics. 

Avery found 2 "Topsy turvy ponytail" makers but didn't know what they were so she gave herself a cute bun and inserted them like chopsticks! Such a cutie! 

She was impressed when I showed her how it should work. 

She requested a bubble braid the other evening so we tried this out and redid it for school the next day. 

How fun! We look forward to lots more fun hairstyles!

Until Next Time, 

Much Love, Reba

Valentine's Day 2024

This year was so much fun to shop for Valentine's goodies. I was prepared weeks in advance & had to hide the items in my closet lest any hide & seekers ventured that way! 

I used the little felt envelopes that I've had for years & this year I chose to find two things per kiddo & a little bit of candy as well. 

I chose Target's little heart shaped boxes filled with heart shaped chocolate. It was just the right amount of chocolate for each kid to enjoy and not feel overwhelmed by the amount. 

For the gifts I chose to get two things per kid-- something to play with and something that they've mentioned they'd like. 

Avery received a heart-antenna headband which she saw on Amazon. I added a multipack of stick-on earrings to her envelope. She's enjoyed choosing a set of earrings to wear each day!

Noah received a Chase Elliot Nascar truck toy and a Coyote Peterson book that he mentioned he wanted. He was thrilled with the truck (and the Styrofoam peanuts it was packed in) and we'll get around to reading the book.

Michael received a little book of "642 Tiny Things to Draw." I thought this would be good for him for his "do something creative" part of his daily chore list.  He also received a pair of house shoes/slippers that he was ecstatic about! 

They were very thankful and enjoyed their goodies and little tokens of love displayed. 

Until Next Time, 

Much Love, Reba

Faux Fireplace

As I've mentioned before, we didn't have a fireplace installed in our new home but it was always my intention to eventually add a mantle to give myself an area to decorate for holidays and to add character to our home. Aaron was so sweet to construct the shelf for Christmastime so I could hang the kiddos' stockings, but after Christmas he told me I could find an actual mantle for us to install. I'd been perusing online for months, so I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted. Near New Year's Eve, we went to a local antiques/collected goods store and bought a weathered antique mantle that had sat outside on a covered porch for about a year. Most of the paint was chipped off, so we knew we had a project in front of us. 

Here's some pictures from the listing (when we got it, it hardly had any paint left and looked weathered & gray):

I was smitten with the star details! 

Here's our progress more than halfway through. It took a lot of sanding to get it to the point where Aaron could prime it. 

Eventually, I was able to paint it (Cavern Moss like I painted the shelf) and he installed it in our dining room! 

I added some artwork I already had, but I think eventually I'll hang a statement mirror above it or leaning on it. I also plan to do something in the blank space under the mantle (maybe add some peel & stick tile or something). 

 

Some tulips from Publix adds to the springtime color scheme! 

I'm super happy with how it turned out, and I'm excited for all of the decorating I'll get to do on it throughout the year! 

Until Next Time,

Much Love, Reba