love

**I don't know what is going on with Blogger...the spacing is so weird on this post but I'm sick of trying to fix it.  So just disregard the disorganized fashion of it.** 

We had a lovely Valentines week...it really was a full week of celebrating. 
Side note: aren't you proud of me for getting this post done in February?  If I were following habit, I'd wait and post about it in July.

Last weekend we made a trip to Lake Oswego to visit my great Aunt Shirley and Uncle Bob.  We had ice cream, talked, and the kids played dominoes.  I only snapped a few pictures, but I'm impressed I remembered my camera at all.
Shirley has a special place in my heart.  She married my grandpa's twin brother.  I never met my grandpa or his brother, but have loved hearing stories about them as I've grown up.  Long after Shirley's husband Gene passed away, she remained a supportive and important part of our family:

visiting great aunt shirley and uncle bob.
doesn't harper looked thrilled??
yes, yes she does.  

too much ice cream

way too much fun.
and whining...it's a hard job people.

I look pregnant in that picture.

I'm not.

Just too many chocolates apparently.

On Valentines Day, we decorated the table with candy, balloons, confetti, and love notes for the kids. 

My talented mother made them each a felt envelope with their initials on it...it was packed full of candy.  Which was gone before I had a chance to confiscate it, and eat it all myself ration it out to them in the upcoming days.

I just love Valentines Day.
I mean, who doesn't love a good excuse to hug and kiss and buy all that chocolate??

The kids got to do valentines this year for their classmates at preschool.  Dawson chose G-Force (rodents...really?), Harper chose princess', Beckham chose sports (surprise surprise):

when i taught dawson to write his name, i taught him in upper-case letters.
he is having to learn how to write it in lower-case letters.
he's doing great.

2 months ago, harper couldn't even write her name. 
she has come so far.

decorating his place mat with heart stickers

waiting patiently for breakfast

harper is both left and right handed.
often times she switches hands 1/2 way through a word/activity.

we had cinnamon twists with pink frosting, strawberries,
 and pink fruit smoothie for our valentines breakfast.

breakfast was a big hit.

My sweetheart (the Mr, not the 3 little rats) surprised me with 2 new pieces of furniture.
Of which I've become completely and totally obsessed .
See why???

There are 2 of them. 
How cute are those??

We spent the evening together in the kitchen making dinner...and when I say 'together,' I mean Dylan watching me while I slaved away over a hot stove.
We ate pasta and chocolate dipped strawberries by candlelight, we danced to '90s love songs, and I oooooed and awwwwwed over my new chairs all night long.
He surprised me with truffles AND Caramellos. 

That man sure knows how to sweep me off my feet.

xo,
tracy

luck

I am not a lucky person.
I've never won anything in my life.
Ever. 
A few months ago, Dylan went to an eyeball convention and won a flat screen TV...worth $600.  Which we promptly returned for credit so we can purchase iPhones...what will I ever do when I join this century and lose my hot pink teenage phone???

Despite my poor luck, I have been known to have a bit of luck in the thrifting department.
Does that count as luck?

Last month a woman approached me at the Goodwill (where I frequent...no seriously, it's like Cheers.  Everybody knows my name.) as I was checking out at the register.  The conversation went something like this (I'm paraphrasing because if any of you have ever tried to have a short conversation with me, you know it just doesn't happen):

woman: Is your name Tracy?
me: Yes. 
woman: I don't know if you remember me, I'm Victoria.  I sold you that fixer upper credenza last year on Craigs List.  The ugly white one?
me: Yes, of course I remember you.
woman(who we now know as Victoria): I am so glad I found you!  Did you ever do anything with that piece?
me: Yes.  I stripped and painted it.  It is in my front room.  I didn't refinish it as beautifully as you would have, but it is done and I love it. 
victoria: Oh, good!  I'm so glad.  I could have never lived with myself if I thought you had just thrown it away or something.

KEEP READING...I know this is getting wordy and long...but hey, that's what I do.

me: I really love it.  And I would never just throw it away.  All my sisters have claimed it if I ever tire of it.
victoria: Well, last week I found out that the piece is from the 1930-1940, and was made by a man named Gilbert Rohdes.  Go home and look him up.  It will make you happy.

So I did.
Immediately.
Not as immediately as I would have if I already had my iPhone, but as quickly as I could once I got home.

And this is what I found:
http://www.lamoderninla.com/servlet/the-106/1930s-Deco-Gilbert-Rohde/Detail

and this (my favorite finish):
http://www.1stdibs.com/furniture_item_detail.php?id=589145

and this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1930s-Deco-Gilbert-Rohde-Buffet-Brown-Saltman-/190467473873

Look familiar?


I know I lowered the $3500-$4500 value by painting it Retro Avacado...but think I would do it again.
I love it. 
And someday when my kids are grown, (and aren't wiping boogers on it, scribbling on it with crayons, and running the wooden rocking horse into it...bless their hearts) I will hire a professional to refinish it.  Restore it back to it's perfect original form...just like Mr. Rohde intended for it to be...
sans snot and dings of course.

But for now, I am content with my new-found knowledge.  Happy that I own my first collectors piece...sorry Dylan, it's the truth.  And overjoyed that although my decor/style taste is ever-changing, I have not tired of it yet.

It makes all the blood (yes there really was blood), blisters, tears, and endless tortuous grueling long hours feel worth it.

Which makes me love the piece even more... I didn't even think it was possible.

xo,
tracy

It's beginning to look a lot like...

Yes, I'm just posting Christmas.
Just didn't want to bombard you with too much merriment all at once.
So I decided to save my holiday posts until February.
You're welcome.

Our Christmas morning started around 7am, which was about 3 hours earlier than I hoped and 2 hours later than I expected.  Once all the kids were awake, we headed downstairs to see if Santa had visited our house:

are you noticing that in every single picture, dawson is making a hideous ridiculous face?
 yes?
 me too.

Santa did indeed visit, despite some of the naughtiness in 2011:

harper: gumball machine and polar bear stuffed animal

dawson: star wars toy and polar bear stuffed animal

beckham: glow in the dark basketball hoop, yellow lab stuffed animal

Santa brought the kids stuffed animals...apparently he didn't get the memo that we don't do stuffed animals at our house.  The kids were SO excited to receive their first (and probably last) stuffed animals.  They were a BIG HIT...good job Santa. 
Everyone had a wonderful time ripping open gifts and everyone remembered their manners except one little girl, who had MAJOR attitude that day.  I'm surprised she even cooperated for this photo...if you can consider this cooperating:

This year, I started a new tradition of doing 4 gifts for each child:
something you want
something you need
something to wear
something to read
As our kids get older, this tradition may be met with some resistance.  But for now, the kids seemed thrilled with the arrangement:

animal masks, made by my talented friend lyndsie

Dawson's favorite gift was a pair of 'real glasses.'  Ever since his friend Ryan got eyeglasses, he has been begging for some.  He wears them constantly...and apparently is STILL incapable of smiling in a semi-normal fashion:

Beckham's favorite gift was candy. 
Awesome.
Note to self: next year skip the new jeans, book, blanket, and dinosaur toy.  Instead, opt for a pack of Smarties.  'Or gum...give them gum...kids love gum'...
Friends reference? 
Yes, I think so.

he's making that face because his mouth is packed full of sugar sweetened cereal from his stocking.
we're health nuts at our house.

The aforementioned grumpy girl did receive one gift she was thrilled about:

Yes, that's a makeup kit.
And no, it was not from me.
No parent would EVER buy that for their own child. 
It was obviously a gift from a grandparent.

It has provided HOURS of entertainment.
And it turned my sassy grumpy spirited sweet little girl...

...into a girl who constantly looks like she is going to work the corner:

And again:

Yes...she actually went out like that.
We got a few looks.
I'm pretty sure people thought she had some kind of skin disease.

Oh, and we can't forget these ones:

Aunt Jade is such a good sport.
Even Dylan tucked away his manhood played along:

This is the only makeover I've received:

We had the best Christmas yet.  Holidays are so fun with kids.

A big thanks to all our friends and family for the holiday cards, gifts, and phone calls...it made being away so much easier. 

And a big thanks to Santa and Uncle Jake for making the trip all the way to Portland.

And let's not forget Grandma and Grandpa Hatfield...for turning our little girl into a hussy.

To many more traditions, Merry Christmas', and makeovers!

Maybe not 'many more' on that last one.

xo,

tracy

reason

I have absolute no reason for why it's been almost 2 months since I've blogged. It could be because Sonic opened here (finally) and I've been spending my free time there.  Or that I've been too busy cleaning up the remnants of Beckham's potty training.  Maybe it's because it's been unusually sunny here this winter(holla) so I've been trying to spend more time outside...with my 3D friends...not that you guys aren't my friends.  You are.  Promise.

Or maybe it's just because I suck.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's it...I suck.

Instead of dwelling on my suckiness I'm going to post a plethora of pictures that recap our Christmas Eve...because it's February and I'm awesome like that.
And by awesome, I mean unorganized.

But before we get to Christmas Eve, I have a pressing dilemma that I need your opinions on...all 6 of you. 
Remember how my hair used to look like this?  All blond and streaked?

does this scare you?  i look like i might jump through the picture and strangle you. 
i won't.

And then I got in touch with my dark side, and went to this:

clearly I did not know that this picture was being taken...

I am bored with my current washed-out drab brown do...and think I need a change. 
Bangs?
Blond?
Layers?
Perm?

That last part was a joke...the perm part.

Also, I'd like to be tan like this again...oh Mr. Sun...please shine down on me:

I am Caspers twin right now....white and pasty.
Pretty.

I digress.

Christmas Eve:
The kids had a program again this year at their preschool...their teachers always go to SO much work...and it always turns out perfectly.

Dawson:

how handsome is this kid???

He also had a speaking part, which we ALL know now thanks to his commitment to memorize it:

i like winter, i like snow.
i like icy winds that blow.
i like snowflakes, oh so bright,
making all the world so white.

Harper:

i just want to keep her like this forever

And after the program, there was a visit from the Big Guy...and we all got to chat with him:

if you look closely, harper looks like a tiny chipmunk in this picture

Someone was unwilling to cooperate:

The teachers (and by teachers, I mean saints who put up with 24 children 3x/week):

teacher chris

teacher lynda

We were so glad we could all be there to see the kids sing their little hearts out:

On to Christmas Eve...we had company for Christmas.  My Uncle Jake spent 4 days with us, and I think we all wished it had been longer.  It was SO fun to have him.

making snickerdoodles for santa...with uncle jake

Christmas Eve was very low-key this year...which was lovely. 
I've decided that I'll attempt cooking a new type of food each year.  Last year I tried my hand at Greek food.  This year, I decided to do Mexican. 
I made tilapia fish tacos, homemade salsa, and guacamole.  It was divine.
Since I knew the kids wouldn't Mexican food, I was prepared to make them a gourmet meal of their choosing. 
They chose pizza Lunchables:

Because we like to keep it classy at our house.

Before bed, the kids each opened a gift...pajamas, courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa Hatfield.

I think this pictures captures how they felt about their new jammies:

We made sure to leave Santa cookies and milk:

And the reindeer a treat on the front lawn:

don't mind the bum...he was in jammie-transit when we decided to leave the reindeer oats outside...
see, i told you we're classy.

We tucked the wee ones in bed and watched old home videos while reminiscing about Christmas' past.  It made me so unbelievably the tiniest bit homesick for my parents and sisters...just as it should have. 
Christmas Eve was everything I hoped it would be: great food, delightful company, and three excited little ones.

xo,
tracy