let's do lunch

Alfredo had such a wonderful day yesterday. School let out early, at noon and when I picked him up he was grinning ear to ear. The teacher gave each student a bagful of presents and he was so excited to show me.

 

And he said the most adorable thing "My teacher is soooo nice. She didn't raise her voice even once all day. She didn't yell or anything. And if a classmate did something bad she just said 'I don't like that'. And she smiles all the time when she talks." Makes me feel so good to hear that.

 

 

I wanted to send him off today with a bit of love from home...so I packed him a special lunch and snacks (morning and afternoon). I was inspired by all the super beautiful bento box lunches I saw here and used a bunch of ideas from her. I especially love the little animal picks...which I think might be just the trick to get him to eat his fresh fruit and veggies. I used Japanese vegetable cutters to cut the cucumbers into flower shapes. And how much fun is a heart-shaped sandwich?

Lunch: Ham, turkey, cheese sandwich, heart-shaped; cucumber bites cut into flowers; string cheese cut into circles

Snack 1: Nectarines with cute animal picks and Angry Bird Graham Crackers

Snack 2: Oatmeal squares and grapes

 

And, speaking of food, I'm on a crazy* diet. I've never been on one before and it's been incredibly hard. I just completed the induction period (3 weeks) and have already lost 9 pounds. What's more, I'm bursting with energy, sleeping super well, and feeling great. It's called the Rosedale Diet. Rich and I both went on it for health reasons more than weight loss. It promises to help your body heal itself and to work better. So far, so good. But boy would I love a potato chip. And a banana split.

*By crazy, I just mean that it's restrictive, which is crazy for me. Then again, crazy for me is not eating a cupcake whenever I want one.

first day of kindergarten

Don't even get me started on how it is even possible that this little baby boy is a kindergartener...

 

 

After weeks of expectation and counting down and no sign at all of even the least bit of nerves, he woke up this morning in the grumpiest of moods determined that he was not going to kindergarten.

He wouldn't put on so much as his underwear, let alone the uniform. It didn't matter what I said...in his mind he was NOT going to go to school today.

So I did what every good mother would do...

I bribed him.  

 

After that it was all smiles.

 

And even though he was nervous, I know he's going to have a great day.

 

 

My big boy with his new teacher.

 

I'm so proud of you, sweet boy.

clean!

 Wondering where I've been? Well, now I can show you the fruits of my labor....

my craft room reinstated.

Until recently, it has been a minefield of exploding boxes and bags, mountains of abandoned projects, and islands of stash and dash disasters.

I've shown you this prize before...my authentic pharmacy cabinet in blue. I scored this masterpiece on ebay years ago...for only $500. It was once in a pharmacy in nearby Leesburg. Just below the counter are drawers that pull out for additional surfaces, in glass and marble. They still carry the scent of sulfur and other chemicals that were once mixed there.

The best thing about this cabinet is being able to see all my supplies...and this time I sorted every bead, button, and tiny thing by color to make the best jars of happiness ever.

I can't tell you how lovely it is to have everything in order. I feel like a new person, really. The weight of that disorder is lifted and I am free. It's a beautiful feeling.

I bought three new pieces of furniture, all from Ikea. The piece above is a sideboard (Liatorp), now housing my fabric and assorted tools. The top provides a great place to display all the tiny things I love.

These two pieces are from the Hemnes collection at Ikea. Don't they look swell together? I especially love the glass cabinet...everything looks better behind glass.

And in jars...

The tiny jars in my blue cabinet hold pins, needles, and other small things that I often need in crafting. I know where to find them easily...and most importantly, where to return them.

I could look at these jars of pretty all day...

Here's the assortment of stuff behind the glass doors in that cabinet...I may need to rethink how I use this space better but for now this is how it looks.

I've had this ribbon holder for years, most of which it has gone unused. It dawned on me to use the big wooden spools and they work great!

There's still a little more sorting and organizing to do...but I couldn't wait to show you. Want to come over and play?