Organized Chaos

Project restyle

 

 

I joined Project Restyle!

 

  

ok so I forgot to take a picture of the sweater before I cut it..

 

 

I'd been waiting to make sure I could at least somewhat commit. After getting a sewing machine for Christmas and a camera for my birthday I'm all in and super excited!!

Everything I used was thrifted too! We got the sweater on our Appalachia vacation this summer at a flea market and even the elastic I sewed in the waistband came from a huge box of sewing goods I got last week at a new charity store in town!

 

Oh and gots to give credit where it's due. 

What Christmas looked like 'round here

At the top of the stairs waiting to see if Santa came. 

Peeking, did he come?!

He did, he did! I got a sewing machine and my very own Saints shirt! J got a rice cooker, a big pot for gumbo, and "The Encyclopedia for Country Living"! So many good gifts. We must have been good this year!

"The sewing Bible" and "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan"-my absolute favorite! I may be more excited about this one that J. Plus(big plus) this was the first album Kai ever heard, while still in the womb:)

 

Kai's face and amazement was priceless. He loved all his new toys!

Then, we opened our sibling/in-law gifts. 

I was so impressed with everyones creativity. They were all so thoughtful:)

We opened more presents(they were never-ending) then ate a late lunch/dinner. Some extended family came over for dessert and then we finally winded down the night. I hope everyone had a beautiful Christmas day filled with love and tradition. I'm so thankful for the love that surrounds me and my son. I couldn't(or shouldn't) ask for more.

I'll be back later this week with some fun, new stuff. New Years anyone?!

 

New Life

We don't have much of a winter here in Louisiana. It was actually about 80 degrees today. Warm even for us! I've been running around like crazy the past two weeks with Christmas preparations. It's pretty much impossible to get anything done with a toddler running around. After a few mishaps this afternoon, I finally gave up and Kai and I went on a walk. A serendipitous walk:) With all the madness whizzing about I hadn't noticed how beautiful the farm is right now. 

It stays so beautiful all year round!

 

The blueberries are almost glowing red. They are so striking.

 

The garden, the figs, the blackberries. All dead, I know. I love winter though, how everything just rests. There's a season for everything, ya know. 

What is winter like in your neck of the woods?

 

There is new life too!

Meatball! The new calf. Isn't he just adorable:)

 

J has been in his wood room all day building a new cypress swing. His handy-manliness makes me very happy:) I love to see him out there working with his hands. I know it makes his happy too. By the way, there's music playing, if you're wondering, they're dancing. :)

And since it is Christmas time..these were J's mom's Christmas pins. I'm so excited about wearing them every chance I get. 

Merry Christmas from our family to yours.
 

 

Kai Thomas' First Birthday!

 

 

After a day like yesterday, I had to start this one on a high note. So I put in some Ms. Ella Fitzgerald doing it Christmas style and watched this.

He just couldn't believe his eyes at first!

We celebrated Kai's first birthday this weekend. It's just too cliche' to even say, "I can't believe it's been a year!!" He's so mischievous. Notice the sugar coma he falls into during the last 40 seconds. 

I was so pleased with the turnout. It was cowboy themed. Claire and I made the paper chains out of old magazines. We had  these quesadillas, corn on the cob, and sloppy joes. I was going for a southwest feel. We even had a Roy Rogers dvd on in the background! 

 
The cupcake recipe can be found here. I used this icing recipe though. It's whipped cream cheese icing! The cookies were probably my favorite though. I couldn't get enough of them!

Everyone dressed in their best cowboy gear. 

 

Kai loved all his new toys. Especially when mom played the harmonica for him!

 
   



And his new boots!! J and I found these at a local thrift store a few months ago. He's just the perfect lil' cowboy:)

 
The day ended with ANOTHER birthday celebration. Uncle Jer turned the big 24. What a day!:)

Kai would like to thank everyone for such a wonderful first birthday!

Character Development

Who I am today has more to do with who I used to be. The new me (the mom-me) is still under construction. Here's a list of what I do know, more or less, about myself.

 

1. First and foremost, I'm a mom. Again, this is the newest development but by far the most rewarding. I've reached a whole new capacity for love and joy, not to mention patience and tiredness.

 

 

2. I've been labeled a free-spirit, a modern day beatnik, a wanderer..the list goes on. I do know that from 18 to 21 I didn't live anywhere more than 6 months. Everything I owned would fit in my car. 

 

 

3. I live on a blueberry farm. It's only been a year but it has really shaped my life. It's the farm where my boyfriend( who you will know as J) grew up. His older sister(whom I love and adore), along with her husband and two girls, live here too. She has chickens and a milk cow. Which, yes, means we have fresh eggs and milk! We plant a garden every Spring and the blueberry pickers come in the Summer. J's dad also has 15 beef cattle and slaughters one that keeps us in beef all year. It's quite a dream come true.

 

4.I love clothes. I guess you'd call it fashion. I consider fashion to be what's mainstream though and I simply wear what feels right to me on that day. My "look" changes often. Materialistic or not, one of the favorite parts of my day is getting dressed. It's some kind of outlet that keeps me sane.

 

5.My "nieces" (that I mentioned above) are a big part of my life. I don't get to spend enough time with them. Claire and I will feature a children's craft project once a week though:)

 

6.I'm a Louisiana girl, yes, but I have to admit I'm obsessed with all things Tennessee. I got swept away there twice in my travels and I like to say that my heart is still in those hills. The music, mountains, the people, the weather-it's all perfect..sigh..

7.I love to work with my hands. Whether it be crocheting, cooking, gardening, sewing(though I'm still learning), or what ever other craft projects, I can't get enough of them!

 

8.Garage Selling, thrift store shopping, flea markets. Loooove them all. Once, when I was moving from Phoenix to Knoxville all I had to do was stop thrift store shopping to save the money to go. Another time, J and I, and Kai(meet: the little guy) went on a 2 week road trip around Appalachia Country. We visited at least 30 thrift stores and flea markets. At least.

  9. I'm accused of being a bit of a health nut. That said, I'm also a believer that "Everything should be done in moderation. Including moderation." Stay tuned to see just what I mean.

 

Also, later this week I'll explain the vision that I have for Organized Chaos. If you relate to any of the above you may want to follow up! :)