setting up

room arranging We painted the kids rooms 4 months ago. We ripped out their floors 4 months ago. We put in one room of floors 3 months ago...but we never had time to paint and reassemble the bunk beds, or floor the second bedroom. This year, like most, has been really full. But I'm realizing (because I'm pregnant and actually on "pelvic rest") how much Kenneth and I are a total team. We get so much done when we are working on projects together!  But this year, he's been pulling 80 hour weeks, and I'm unable to move around very well. Hmmmm. Tricky.

See, I think and feel SO much more clearly when my spaces aren't cluttered, and the house is in order.  Not perfect order. I'm NOT a neat freak by any means. But the truth is, we've been under a lot of clutter because I've had to been on "pelvic rest" and I've not been able to do things like assemble and paint bunk beds. And it's something that's obviously second to making a baby, but not having beds for your 3 children gets to you after a while! It's something really only a woman can understand. When you have all three kids camping out in a small room with no floor space because the mattresses are sprawled out in a room the size of 3 mattresses, it's cute for the first couple weeks. But 4 months, and pretty soon you have a bunch of kids and a mommy that just need a bit more space.

room arranging 2

 

And we are starting to get there. I'm excited to show you the progress in the next few weeks. It's been quite the transformation. And the kids are really involved with which art piece of mine they want where...and are even giving me ideas for what they want me to make next. I love hearing their ideas. So clever.

And with this new space, I've been inspired and will be showing you some new art prints this week as well! I can't wait! They coordinate with my up and coming fabric line that I'll be sharing with you at the end of this month, and I'm tickled.

owl clock

Something that's really hard to articulate, is the dilemma of the mother-artist that lives in a constant ebb and flow of creativity and order. For me, when life is out of order, I'm not very creative. But on the flip side, when I'm crazy creative, things get out of order. You'd think I'd have this all figured out by now. But something about not having order in my home these past couple months with rooms under construction, being on partial bed rest, and managing on my own most of the week, I've found that I've been less creative than I normally am. Any of you fall into this boat? And maybe it's the nesting, or maybe it's just me....but something about starting a room from scratch and reorganizing my home makes all the juicy creativity flow again. I could be odd, but I bet I'll find a soul mate reading this and saying....."Um...Yes. That'sexactly the way it is."

IMG_7213

But on a good note, I actually got cooperative, happy children for Easter pictures right before church. Like 3 minutes before church. Score! I haven't always been so lucky:) Actually, I've never been that lucky. Happy kids. That's what I live for. And 3 faces in focus:) Eek! Soon to be 4! I can't wait.

But really....I'll be posting lot of new things this week. New art, originals, sewn items, and a sale! So stay tuned:)