Naughty Nattie

There is no way I have enough sanity to update this blog with everything I have missed lately, SOOOO I'll just start with what's going on at the circus right now. We have an elf. An Elf On the Shelf. Her name is Natalie, but the girls call her...Nattie the Naughty Elf

(She wanted Mississippi State to win the Egg Bowl. They did : )

Mal asked that if she came home from school with a *sad face* (which we've had our share of this year), could we lock the elf in the car so she couldn't go tell Santa...because a magic elf can't get out of an SUV...but has no problem with escaping a locked house.

We started the day after Thanksgiving, ONLY because Mal was driving me insane about it (and I wanted to...because I knew it would be fun. Whatever.) I have notified the girls that she will start her duties next year Dec. 1st and that she started early this year because the elf was excited that she was assigned to our awesomely fun house. Of course they bought that : )

(She loves the plate wall as much as I do)

To make the elf a *girl* you're supposed to buy one of their $8 skirts...or if you're like me you say, "HAIL no! I already paid an outrageous $30 on this androgynous piece of felt, I'll make her one." So I did. (BTW, the *girl* elf has her hair tucked up under her hat to make her more aerodynamic when she flies to and from the North Pole. I didn't make that up.)

I'm tired of people saying that the elves are creepy. Come on...look at that face. I think she's (he's, it's) freaking adorable : )

It has been fun watching the girls wake up and find her every morning...they actually spring out of bed. Worth the $30 right there.

The hard part about this whole elf deal is remembering to reposition her before going to bed. After sitting straight up in the bed at 2am with visions of disappointed children dancing in my head, her daytime perch (after removing her from the previous night's mischief) is in a cute little red antique chair...right below the television (it's the last thing I turn off in the living room before heading to bed). I have to say though, it's gotten cold here the last few nights and if I were to forget, I'm not sure I would leave my warm bed to move her.

Wait! Someone told me that if they DON'T move, that means that the kids have been naughty. Oh yeah, I could flip that around in a second! While Mal is having a hysterical, disappointed fit because Nattie is still on her perch, I'll just say, "Wait a minute...WHAT did you DO?!?". Take the guilt off of me and toss it right back to her.

Yep that's me, always thinking...

(Inside a candy lantern Hubby's YiaYia made for him : )

So far, Mal has only said, "THAT wasn't very funny." when she woke up to Nattie's shenanigans once (I'm sure I've mentioned that you never have to wonder what that kid is thinking) in the elf's 13 appearances, so I guess I'm not doing too bad...I'll be needing to steal ideas from the many photos I've seen online pretty soon.

Lazy bum.

Wish she'd fold some clothes or clean the toothpaste blob out of the girl's sink or something. Obviously the skirt doesn't keep *her* from really being a guy.

Ahhh...fall

Ahh...fall.

Pumpkin patch visit - wonderful.

Rolling in a bin of corn - silly

Running, running, running in fresh country air - exhilarating 

Sliding and getting super dirty - goes without saying...FUN

Discovering - awesome

Being squirmy during the hay ride - bad idea

Pointing out your pumpkin - good idea

Pretending to point out your pumpkin to amuse your mother - also a good idea

Feeling the effect of rolling around in hay and corn - uncomfortable

Attempting to dig roughage out of your drawers - awkward

Trying to smile with hay and corn in your skivvies - priceless

It has started...

Ahhh...Summer. We've been filling our days with lazy odds and ends...and it's been nice!

It's so relaxing not to have something scheduled every. single. day. 

It keeps us free to do things like blueberry picking : )

Delaney started this beauty the other day. I was so surprised at how LONG she will sit and work on it!

It is taking all of my willpower to keep me from bellying-up that paint-by-number when she's out of the room.

I LOVE those things!!!

I don't remember having to mix colors back in the day...do you???

Lots of these critters hanging around the back door lately. I wasn't fast enough to catch this guy but by the looks of that tail, something else might have already caught him recently. I was just sparing him more trauma ; )

Speaking of critters, Mal and I went bug hunting the other day. As you might know, I don't like wimpy girls and it drives me batty that my girls are scared of bugs, lizards, frogs, etc. This bug hunting expedition was a big step for her!

Roly polys are always a safe way to start out. They can't hurt you, bite you or sting you, and well, it's kind of cute when they curl up in that little ball isn't it?

Mal was ok until he unrolled and started walking on her hand...then PLOP, back in the jar.

We had a little talk and she decided to fish him back out and try again.

Success!!!

We (I) ended up digging up five more and before the day was done, they were all named (Tom and Lillian were her favorite polys). She walked around with one or two on her hand at a time, observing them through a magnifying glass and talking to each one about their exoskeletons and what she was going to serve them for dinner.

Summer is rolling right along ; )

Up next

Up Next:

A chair that was owned and refinished by Hubby's Papou. I LOVE this chair and the color PaPou picked for it, but as you can see, it has gotten a bit too...well...worn. The seat is still excellent as is the wood, but the paint is starting to rub off on our clothes, so it is time for a face lift...not sure what color it will be yet, but I'm slowly getting it ready. The more I talk to my MIL, the more I wish I could have been around when PaPou was in his refinishing heyday. I'll have to take photos of a piece we have that he worked on...might be my favorite piece of furniture in our house : )

Found this little guy in S. Florida.

I'm assuming that THIS is what it was for. Do you like my cordless phone sitting up there? Ha! Slightly pitiful but I don't own a cutie retro rotary one...yet ; ) I have some gluing, patching, and sanding to do, but I think he'll be a fun little guy to work on.

Current problem is the weather. It is either too hot, too humid, or (most of the time) a suffocating combo of the two. Boo.

This past week it occurred to me that I was spending the last free days I had with Mal. Soon summer would be here and kindergarten would follow...my baby would be gone all day at school, five days a week. Like a big girl.

I don't often take photos of myself (much less in my pj's with NO make up on) but I wanted to capture some of our *us* time while we still had it. I set up the camera, put it on timer, and let it go (Ali Edwards would be proud : ). Mallory and I played Barbies all day, ate our lunch off of fancy pants plates, and drank decaf fruit tea out of fancy pants tea cups. I will never forget it.

This beauty is my almost MIDDLE SCHOOLER.

She takes my breath away. Where does time go?

Slaying the rusty beast...

Mal's pre-school teacher said she had been looking for a second sign-in desk for her class for a while now.

I told her I would keep an eye out for one...and I found one just a few weeks ago.

Here's where I first saw it...amongst photos of an upcoming estate sale.

I chose the best looking one (seriously) and decided that it was time to try to tackle something I had never tackled before...RUST. I've been watching American Restoration and they've inspired me to try and be a rust-removing bad*ss. What the heck right? The desk cost me $2.50...no better time to give it a shot.

I knocked off the gnarliest patches of rust with a wire brush, followed by a high grit pad on the power sander (it took about 4) and followed that with a low grit pad to smooth it out. It took a lot more elbow grease than I thought it would, but it's amazing to see that shiny metal underneath!

Stained writing surface was a bit of a pain too...

Oh yeah...then there was this warped loveliness.

Yes, the Hubby thought I was out of my ever-loving mind.

I had no doubt I was.

Started with LOTS of wood glue and clamps.

Mistake I made: after gluing, clamping, and drying overnight, I removed the clips. Glue was dry and it was sticking together fantabulously...UNTIL I tried to use the power sander to smooth down the glue.

Don't do that unless you are just dying to do the clamping, glue-all-over-the-dang-place thing again.

Hand-sanding it smooth does the job just fine.

A bit of wood putty (and sanding) where needed...

I was starting to have hope : )

Had to glue, clamp, and sand parts of the seat also...and look at that pretty, shiny metal : )

Don't know if I needed to do this or not (because I sanded 98% of the rust off), but I gave the metal portion a light coat of brown Krylon Rust Tough. Better safe than sorry.

 
 
 

The next day, it got a coat of Krylon Primer in white.

We're nearing the home stretch : )

Taping off.

I do NOT love this part.

Mal picked out the paint colors...and I kind of love them : )

I would have used a semi-gloss or eggshell if they were available, but I still adore it.

Never thought the metal would look this good!

I do believe I kicked rust's back side : )

(like the flower? Mal said that it "needed a little something". like the *after* photos? neither do I. wrong time of day to take them...it's MUCH more snazzy in person...ugh.)

                        I don't think I've ever been this proud of a finished project. I learned a lot.
                                                        I love it...and I LOVED doing it.

      I've done plenty of furniture re-dos, and I've loved (almost) every one.

                           I really want to keep on doing projects like this (furniture revamps, etc.).


Dear Hubby,
I know the word *project* is worse than the *f* word to your ears, but I LOVE furniture projects.
LOVE them.
They make me insanely happy. And I think I've gotten kind of good at them. I want to do more.
I'm sorry. Please still like me.
Love, Dianna


(p.s. I'm thinking about getting a patent for Krylon scented body spray....oh...too much?... nevermind...)

Mallory's teacher loved it and said it was the best teacher gift she had ever received. Her face said so much too, and let me tell you, it did my heart good.

(The kiddos seemed to really like it too ; )

Could I BE any happier?

Nope : )

That desk will be sat on by many little tushies. Every day the little cuties will sit in that desk outside of the classroom to print their names and sign in for the day. The first day they will be nervous and excited, the last day they will be worried and sad. All of the days in-between will be filled with fun, laughter, and learning.

I love knowing that they will start each day, sitting right there...

Tomorrow Mallory graduates pre-school.

Waterproof mascara? Ha! I laugh at you.