Plans

We’re about to start some more projects in our house, and I’m eager to get them all done…at once…in one day. BUT…that’s not going to happen, so instead I’m trying to figure out where to start. We’ll be having tile put in the upstairs bathrooms next week, as well as new flooring put in my studio, so I should probably start with painting those walls first. However, my brain doesn’t always think of the practical. It wants to focus on the fun. That’s why I’ve been perusing the internet for ideas for our gameroom.

Since we moved into the house, I’ve wanted to lighten up the dark brown walls, and make the space fun and kid friendly. Not that having a big open space to do with what you will is not kid friendly, it just doesn’t look like a space for a child’s imagination to soar to the very ends of the universe. So, imagine, if you will this tent, surrounded by bright yellow stripes and colorful accents, board and batten, and lit with a red chandelier:

Yeah, I had a hard time picturing it, too, so I drew out several ideas [please note, that these were hand drawn last night in very dim light, so be impressed]:

::This first plan has an accent wall of yellow and white stripes, flanked on either side by a faux board and batten treatment. The hallway that leads to the kids’ rooms will be painted a spring green and have bead board. 

:: Design # 2 has the same yellow and white stripes, but this time they’re flanked with grey walls to pull the grey in from other rooms in our house. I might add bead board, I might not.

:: The third design has the yellow and white stripes flanking the board and batten focal wall. The hallway is painted the same yellow as the stripes.

All of the designs have a blue ceiling which will pull in the blue from the kids’ rooms and our office nook upstairs, and all have a red chandelier. I found a chandelier at a garage sale for $3 that has always wanted to be red [it told me]. I want to figure out how to add some wooden beads to the fixture for a different look, but I’m not sure how just yet.

I have several more combinations of stripes and colors, but I had to quit somewhere. And I just realized that I forgot the arched opening on the third design. Oh well.

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

xo

nessa dee

This Morning…

::The kids are enjoying the new and improved tent with wider entrances for larger folk.

[Mind you, the tent was taken down, and gameroom cleaned before it was rebuilt several days later.]

:: I’m taking into account my hip size before choosing which entrance to crawl through.

:: I’m hoping no one will use one of the new additions.

:: Someone else is enjoying the new tent, as well as some of its accessories.

:: Guess what we’re going to learn about…

:: Coloring is on the agenda.

:: Decisions, decisions.

:: I’ve lost my new pillows that I bought from Home Depot yesterday. I have a hunch as to where they might be…

:: Hmmm, let’s see…

:: Yep, found them. Aren’t they cute? The outdoor fabric should be durable enough to survive a playroom, and only $8 a piece! 

:: I found my missing vacuum, too…

Happy Monday!

xo

nessa dee

Pirating

I apologize for my absence. It’s not because I’ve been working on a project. It’s actually because I’ve been going on pirate adventures with the most fearsome, most infamous, most pointy teethed of all the pirates…Blackbeard!

Even with his pointy teeth, I have to say this pirate is pretty cute.

I’ll be back soon enough with news, but until then, I’ll be sailing the high seas in search of treasure.

xo

nessa dee

This Morning…

::I’m enjoying my hot pink toenails. They make me feel pretty girlie…

and they compliment my painting pants quite nicely…

:: I’m listening to the sweet sound of my children arguing over who’s going to get to vacuum the carpet with our new vacuum cleaner…

:: I’m seeing a light at the end of the tunnel…

and praying for patience as I try to finish the last few illustrations…

Happy Monday!

xo

nessa dee

Distracted

Every once in a while I find my self searching for a specific pictures amongst the thousands we’ve taken over the years. It’s never a good idea because it always ends with me looking at the sweet baby pictures of my ever-so- quickly growing children. Then, I have to watch their baby videos, and then, before I know it, two hours have gone by and I’m in tears. [Good tears.] I always stumble upon favorite pictures and wish that I had started blogging long before so I would have a journal of those sweet times.

Here are a few of my favorite pics from the early days of Finn:

Maybe one day I’ll journal what I can remember, but right now I have to get back to work. I’ve found myself distracted again.

xo

nessa dee

Another Glimpse

I apologize for my sporadic posts. I’ve been working like a mad woman, neglecting my family [and blog]. Just so you know that I haven’t forgotten about you, I wanted to give you another glimpse of the project that’s keeping me busy:

That’s all you get for now.

Now I’ve got to take my kids to get ice cream to let them know that I haven’t forgotten about them.

xo

nessa dee

Super Awesome Mega Tent

I think in the history of all handmade tents built by kids, this has to rank in the top ten. I don’t remember any of my tents ever being so elaborate and well thought out. It spans our entire gameroom.

It has individual rooms designated for sleeping, lounging, dining, and working.

It even has interior windows, a pet kennel, and an alarm system [a squeaky toy that gets stepped on upon entering the tent].

The last couple of nights Jonathan and I have been forced to climb into this place to bid our kids sweet dreams. We’ve had to force them to come down for breakfast each morning.

I think they enjoy they’re home within a home.

xo

nessa dee

This Morning

xo

nessa dee

Latest Work

This was a recent commission for a little girl who likes to play dress-up.

xo

nessa dee

San Antonio

Our little trip to SA was fast and furious. We stayed one night on the Riverwalk and tried to be tourists for a day. Thankfully, we had a couple of good tour guides to make sure we were on the right track:

We took the Riverwalk boat tour which was quite educational and entertaining. I’ve been on this tour years ago, but I don’t have a good memory, so it was all new to me. If you’re ever in SA, I would suggest riding the boats with this boat operator:

I don’t remember his name, but if you wait long enough at the docking station, I’m sure his boat will come around. He kept us laughing throughout the whole tour.

I was able to snap tons of pictures of things I’ve seen a billlion times before [I grew up south of SA], but since we were tourists, I had to act the part. I will only bore you with a couple.

I also snapped tons of pictures of people I’ve seen a billion times before, but since we’re family, I felt obligated.

I also snapped pictures of people I’ve never seen before, but that’s because after 5 years of owning this camera, I’ve yet to figure out how to use it.

After the riverboat tour, we made our way to the Alamo. Along the way, we saw a very brave duck…

and a statue that resembled someone we know…

When we arrived at the Alamo, we acted as good tourists should, and took a hundred pictures of ourselves in front of it. Here’s me and my brother and the kids in front of the Alamo…

Here’s the kids in front of the Alamo…

Here are these people in front of the Alamo…

Here are the kids in front of the Alamo again…

Here’s a close-up of the Alamo…

Fortunately for you, we weren’t allowed to take pictures inside the Alamo.

After our tour of the Alamo, and the purchase of a few souvenirs, we took a trolley back to the hotel. I snapped a billion more pictures, mainly of Finn who sat in the back by himself, eating his ice cream. Unfortunately, because I don’t know how to use my camera, most of the pictures are extremely dark due to having the camera on the wrong setting. I’m going to show you anyway.

Hey look…light!

After the trolley ride, our vacation apparently ended because I didn’t have any more pictures. It’s funny, though, I seem to remember doing a few more things before we left for home. I guess that’s what you get when you live in the land of exhaustion…foggy-braindeadness [which is a condition in that land].

Since the quick trip, my kids have been obsessed with the Alamo, and have checked out tons of books at the library on the subject, and have recreated it in blocks, Styrofoam packing thingies, Legos and oatmeal boxes. Yay for educational trips!

xo

nessa dee