what I've been doing

Besides getting up early to get kids ready for school/preschool, doing laundry, cleaning up messy floors for the umpteenth time in one day (having young kids will do that), washing and folding more and more laundry, giving baths and making meals and everything else that comes with being a mom, I have had little time for "extra" things.

I did squeeze in a quick layout the other day, and I mean very quick. Simple layout, not too many embellishments and nothing fancy but at the very least I got to scrapbook, something I am really starting to miss with our new schedule and extra demands with having the two youngest kids at home without their big sister- Hailey was often the one to keep Sarah going from one activity to the next.

Page credits: paper from Making Memories, K&Co, American Crafts, My Mind's Eye. Flower from Pink Paislee, alphas from Basic Grey, Creative Imaginations brad, Kaiser Craft rhinestone.

I have also been painting our dining room/kitchen. This is a project I've been wanting to do for quite some time but hadn't found the right color to go with our cabinetry, our furniture, our tastes. It's funny, though, because even after bringing home an assortment of paint chips from Home Depot on Saturday we decided to go with a color we'd had all along- a color we thought we'd use in our den but didn't like it in there. I LOVE it in my kitchen, though, so I've been hard at work the last couple of days trying to get that done. Believe me, it's no easy task to paint and keep three kids entertained and out of the wet paint. Here is what it looks like so far, or at least as of last night. I did get quite a bit more done today and am really liking the color.

I am using a Dutch Boy color from Walmart called "Useful Brown." The color seems more olive than brown to me but whatever color it is I am quite pleased with the outcome and it makes our kitchen look so much more inviting than the flat ivory paint the builders use all the time. Why they use flat paint I will never know (except that it's probably a ton cheaper) but it lasts no time at all in a house full of small children. We're talking food, crayon, boogers (sorry) and other unmentionables that come along with the territory.

What do you think?

I hope you're having a wonderful day!


p.s. Leah just told us that our September kits from My Scrapbook Nook were just shipped so I will have that loveliness to share with you soon!!!