the window seat, please ii

I have my modest desk not in the middle of the room, but directly in front of a window. It's comfortable and minus the house next door, the view is fine. I'm in the trees, nose to nose with the squirrels in the oak tree; inspiration washes over me.

The proof of a father-daughter wedding dance 10 years ago keeps me company and reminds me of home. My window seat. Home.

Smiles,

the window seat, please

When I was a little girl I dreamed of a big room with a big fancy desk right in the middle of it. The desk faced the window and it's the place I would sit and make magic, watching the beauty outside from a cushy chair.

I almost had that dream come true in my childhood bedroom, but the nook with the window wasn't quite wide enough to hold my desk. I did situate it such that I could type on my word processor and still get a view of the creek. Poetry flowed and I'm sure it's thanks to having the view as inspiration.

I'm not sure if it was intentional, but my daddy built a big-girl-sized toy box for me when I was barely a teenager -- a toy box that fit perfectly in that nook. While I couldn't type from the toy box (why were laptops invented so late?), I sure could cuddle up on it and read a book. It was my favorite spot and many hours were spent there, just Stephen King, Mary Higgins Clark, John Grisham and I.

As I take this time out from cleaning my own home and yes, rearranging the house to try to find the perfect window seat, I'm reminded of how precious the simplest things are. A toy box with my name carved into a heart on the front; a view of the world from the safety of my home. The inspiration of God's creation is boundless and I'm blessed to see it and love it the way He intended for me.

Thank you, Daddy, for the gift that brought me to tears that Christmas morning close to 20 years ago and still does today.
I love you,

up and up

wet-weather friend

A Father's Day storm sprung up and so did this beautiful orange Eastern Box Turtle. She was a beautiful surprise!

About Eastern Box Turtles

Hey Mama: Save on Vinyl Wall Art at Michael's!

Michael's was on my to-do list for today. I need a new wreath for my door, so I thought I'd go check out the floral offerings. My trip is never complete until I browse at least 75% of the store (I skip the sewing sections as sewing isn't my forte), and I was quite shocked by the deal that awaited me.

If you're a mom looking for quick ways to decorate your kids' room, vinyl wall art may just be the way to go. My daughter has a purple room with lime green polka dots, but when I saw the large pink butterly and starbursts, I couldn't leave them. Not because they're super-cute (which they are), but because the were drastically marked down. I was sticker-shocked so I honestly failed to recognize the actual price (must have been around $17.99-$19.99, I would guess). I walked out of Michael's with this huge butterfly wall cling kit for $1.99.

No good mother would get wall clings for her daughter and not her son, so I took home gigantic cars with my butterly. Amazing. Those big boys were originally $24.99 and are now $1.99. (The photo is not the actual kit; the kit I purchased included two very large cars rather than four medium-sized cars.)

Furthermore, we host Neighborhood Bible Club at our home (VBS to most of the rest of you) each summer and this year's theme is "Storm the Castle." I lucked out and found a castle cling set for the purpose of themeing up my dining room in August. It was also only $1.99. Score!

If you have a Michael's nearby, run (don't walk) to the cashier and ask where they keep their Hip in a Hurry wall cling selection. Hopefully they'll still have something good by the time you get there. :o)