making ourselves at home

". . . some kind of spot in the world is the place we each call 'home', no matter how temporary that place might be. . . Here, wherever it is, is your spot.  This place should be expressing something of yourself.  It should be communicating something of you to your visitors, but it also should satisfy something within you.  You should feel 'at home' here, because you have made it home with something of yourself."

Edith Schaeffer, The Hidden Art of Homemaking

odds and ends

• fall brings out my urge to nest.  (every year.)  so does living in a new house.  this combination has me spending my in-between moments staring at walls and rearranging shelves.  i should finish unpacking.  but this is soul food.
• i will be filling up on soul food this weekend.  and actual yummy food from the state fair.
• above is my new favorite wall.  fruit botanicals and polka dot washi tape?  yes and thank you.
• enzo now does this cute thing where he asks, "dis name?" everytime he wants to know what something is called.  love it.
• which is a good thing, because his dennis the menace act is in full force.  oh we are feeling the effects of no formal occupational therapy for the last 9 weeks.  i'm pretty good, but definitely not a professional.  
• i recently read through this series.  this post just made so much sense to me.  luca hasn't found his translators here yet.  this makes things like attending sunday school at church and hiring a babysitter near impossible.  with time, i remind myself, with time. . .
•  this is a fantabulous time of year to live in new mexico.  the smell of roasting green chiles greets you all over.  the mornings are crisp and bright, begging for big sweaters and hot chai.  but layers are a must because it heats up and bakes the ground each afternoon, calling for sundresses and sweet tea.  and the hot air balloons!
• i am 33 years old,ve been married for 12 years, and have been a mama for 8, but buying new pots and pans made me feel very grown up this week.  my grandma will be so proud that we are rid of the junky mismatched and dented collection.  
• when on the plane back from our recon mission in june, my requests for moving here were new cookware and cowboy boots.  the carrots to be dangled in front of me when i was near exhaustion from the craziness.  i am still waiting on the cowboy boots, jesse.
• did you catch my monthly contributor post at beautifully rooted?  how about ruth's?  He is working all things out.
• don't forget the shabby apple giveaway open until sunday night.
• tonight is pizza-movie night at casita hart.  yay for a nice end to a long week.  and for star wars.  and black olives.

happy weekending, friends.

xoxo,

annalea

be strong and take heart (free printable)

something inside my crafty soul has woken back up.  it went into hibernation over the last four months while i used my creative juices to help get our family through unemployment and house selling and cross country moving.  but it did feel as though i was missing a part of who i am by not making - creating - with my hands.  that is who i am.  a get-my-hands-messy creator made in the image of the original Creator.  

one product of this awakening is a bit of wall art i designed for the boys' room.  i wanted a Bible verse for them to remember and meditate on.  psalm 27:14 encourages us to wait on our Lord in times of distress.  He will give us courage and strength.  we just need to wait.  i hope to pray these words over my sons daily. . . a reminder for me as well.

and then i thought maybe some of you may like one of your own.  

download the be strong and take heart printable here.

and just for fun, i made it in red, yellow, and blue too.

so choose your favorite and get printing.

happy weekend, friends!

xoxo,

annalea

p.s. with the font used, i had best results printing this out fast quality.

setting up house

spending our days at my parent's new place.




 so much to do . . . cleaning. . . unpacking. . . hanging up clocks. . .

did i mention cleaning?
and unpacking?



and arranging cookbooks by color.




and lots of playing with old toys by my littles.




and a very well loved samantha and kirsten find a new girl to befriend.




and a goo underfoot.




and slowly, but surely, setting up house.

this is what i do. . .

cashew embroidery (wip), originally uploaded by annaleahart.

. . .when i am stuck on the couch due to an aching back and swollen, tingling feet. make things. . . and watch tv.

59

1. the number of days until my due date
2. the approximate number of items on my to-do list until this little boy arrives

hmmmm. . .

nursery as of today

daybed rough draft, originally uploaded by annaleahart.

as has been requested, here is a sneak peek into cashew's nursery. 11 weeks to go (or less)!!


check out other photos at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/annaleahart/