greetings from san francisco

these three cuties dropped me off at the airport bright and early this morning.

there will be no thoughtful wrap-up on what the last 31 days of finding my voice has taught me. 

just know that i would not be posting today if i didn't remember that a simple photo of these munchkins and virtual wave from the west coast is sufficient after a day of travel.

i do ask for your prayers for these coming days.  that jesse and the kiddos would have a sweet time together back home.  that i would feel refreshed while away and equipped during my training.

deep thoughts on the last month to come.

xoxo,

annalea

i am joining the nester and will be blogging every single day in october! 

full list of posts here.

october is too short and other tired ramblings

i look around at the display of autumn color and think, "God is just showing off." the reds are my favorite

can you believe tomorrow is the last day of the month? i am in denial. can we have another few weeks?

i fly away tomorrow morning. and return to san francisco! but this time for business. and i will miss halloween with the kiddos. but still. san francisco!

this week has been a pretty awful one when it comes to my health. major fibro flare-up and food intolerance annoyingness. 15 years later and i still struggle with acceptance.

i am posting from my phone for the very first time. kinda weird. but helpful since i am in too much pain to get my laptop that has already been packed.

lastly, we had the most amazing sunset tonight. simply stunning. these photos do not do it justice.

He was showing off again, methinks.

ask away, friends

this is one of those requests that i look forward to, but make me want to cringe all at the same time.  i love to hear what is on your mind, but hesitate to commit to answering your burning questions.  oh the pressure.  but since i have done the near impossible and blogged 29 days straight, i figure i can handle a little blog q&a.

so that being said, what do you want to know?  anything you want to pick my brain about or makes you just plain curious?

if it helps, here are the a few of the posts i have in the works.  you might have a specific question that i can address.

our 2013 homeschool curriculum choices

my shampoo free journey- 6 month update

thoughts from an (often overwhelmed) autism mama

a year of on and off paleo eating

whether it be rental house home decor or family movie nights.  my obsession with plants or starting over across the country. or how i feel like we have time travelled back to junior high fashion with all the black and white, polka dots, gold and denim.  (but it is oh so good.)  

ask away, friends.

life is a bit fuller than usual this week as i prep for an upcoming business trip for the weekend.  but i have every intention of finishing out this 31 days challenge.  even if i only post a cute photo and silly poem of our littlest.

i am joining the nester and will be blogging every single day in october! 

full list of posts here.

there was a little boy

 

There was a little boy,
Who had a little curl,

Right in the middle of his forehead.
When he was good,
He was very good indeed,

But when he was bad he was horrid.

By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

(with slight gender changes)

i love this boy, but we had a day. and i am mighty glad it is over.
the end.  

i am joining the nester and will be blogging every single day in october! 

full list of posts here.

san francisco with sonya (night 3)

tea tasting, souvenir shopping, and a super yummy dinner spread amidst the vibrant color and sound of chinatown made my final night pretty much the best.  those lanterns! i want to print out these photos and plaster my walls with the red gorgeousness.  they would just transport me back to those streets.

this was the last of my visit with my girl sonya.  thank you, friend, for inviting me to join you in beautiful san francisco.  it was truly a sweet time.  muah!

i am joining the nester and will be blogging every single day in october! 

full list of posts here.

where we live

if God doesn't rule you in the mundane, He doesn't rule you.

we live in the little moments.

-paul tripp

i am joining the nester and will be blogging every single day in october! 

full list of posts here.

instafriday

last saturday i was honored to help with sweet mandie's baby shower.  more to come on that celebration next week.

this surprise snake plant bloom is so cool.  these plants rarely, if ever, flower.  i may have been dancing around the living room upon discovery.

a sign you live in albuquerque: walter white's memorial service is held across the street from your neighborhood.  jesse and i have not seen breaking bad, but lots of our family and friends are fans.  so this ups our cool points, right?

late sunday cat naps are very sweet, but don't bode well for early bedtimes.

if i had to finish the yucky root canal treatment, at least this is the lobby view. plants make me happy.

and pruning makes me uncomfortable.  but then i remember...

"Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit." John 15:2

they are enjoying the ability to play piano after dusk.

wednesday was our fifteen years couple-versary. thursday was our fourteen years engagement-versary.  i am a sucker for anniversaries of all kinds.

we left the house on this rainy friday morning for my first classical conversations campus visit. 10 minutes in and i see my 3yo stripped down to the waist and my 8yo hiding under a table. pretty much a smashing success, don't ya think?  thankfully homeschool mamas are very understanding.

when we left the building, i spotted the snake house by architect bart prince.  (i don't think that is the official name - nope, it is not - but i have heard the nickname around.)  i had been meaning to take the kids down this street for awhile, so we redeemed the afternoon and went exploring to get a better view.  luca has decided this will be his future abode.

i am joining the nester and will be blogging every single day in october! 

full list of posts here.

simple pendant light diy

the need for better lighting over our piano has become more obvious with the shorter days.  practice in the evenings after dusk was not happening.  combine that with my deep desire to not spend any unnecessary money (did i mention i even cut my own hair last week?) and this simple diy was born.  it as completely free (except i need to replace the edison bulb i stole from another lamp) and was super fast.  those are my favorite kind of solutions.  especially when they produce something nice to look at.

the hemma cord from ikea was used in my old illinois studio space, but has been gathering dust since the move.  and the gold krylon paint pen was thrifted (unopened) with lots of other crafting goodies for my stash by my grandmother a while back.  all i did was paint the black plastic.  simple and fast.  three coats later and voila!  taping off the cord near the plastic would have been good, but i was able to scrub away the gold smudges.

i remember thinking the cord length was ridiculously long in the past.  but it is absolutely just right for our tall ceilings here.  i apologize, ikea, for my shortsightedness.  we screwed in two mug hooks to one of the ceiling beams and attached the included cord clips.  the cord is lightweight with just an exposed bulb and didn't need anything else for support.

the pendant also has very little visual weight, which i think pairs nicely with my grandfather's painting and jesse's guitar.  i also like having the space on top of the piano free when our teacher comes for lessons.  or when i need a place to set keys and such while getting ready to leave.  or when all other spots are covered with school books and paperwork, but i still have one more pile needing a home.

the new light has made such a difference.  like moths to a flame, the kiddos have taken to playing at night again.  (and it is much brighter than the above photo appears.  but not too bright that the shade-less bulb is annoying.  a happy medium of brightness.)

have you made up any simple and fast hacks lately?  don't keep them to yourself! share and inspire, friends.
xoxo,
annalea

i am joining the nester and will be blogging every single day in october! 

full list of posts here.