OLW Prompt # 76

I recently stumbled across the One Little Word blog. Love the idea of a single word prompt every month and the variety of layouts that are shared!

I decided that it was something I wanted to try out, so here is my layout for the October prompt.

Color

It's what my world is all about. Rainbow colors. Bright colors. Vintage colors. It surrounds me in my home. In my life. In my studio space. Standing in an art store, surrounded by paint colors, makes me giddy. It captures my attention. It elevates my mood. It's just what I like.....

And one that the dog photo bombed.

Beach House Recap

Pros:
      -beautifully decorated (colors, textures)
      -gorgeous wood floors
      -enclosed private yard great for dogs (even though we did not bring ours)
      -only 2 1/2 blocks from beach
      -3 bedroom/2 bath = plenty of room for everyone

Cons:
      -furniture not as comfortable as last beach rental
      -not as fully stocked with supplies
      -too much space meant everyone retreated  to their own room rather than gathering together
      -too far from beach psychologically (did not feel like a beach house)
      -tall fence around entire house made it feel closed in, like a fortress
      -outdoor seating not comfortable and in sun all day
      -wood floors are noisy!
      -no sense of privacy with the layout
      -bar located directly behind the house makes for noisy weekend nights
      -sharing parking with neighbor is not always ideal


Take home message:
       -we need to be closer to the beach and have access to comfortable outdoor seating
       -we need less space to encourage togetherness (especially since our kids are teenagers)
       -don't get sucked in by the decor....pretty is not always better
       -must paint a wall that brilliant blue color in a future house!

Do you rent houses when you travel? Do you have any tips/secrets to share? This was only our 2nd vacation rental, so I'm sure we still have lots to learn! Do share....

Currently

eating:  nachos for dinner tonight. meatloaf tomorrow.

wearing:  new reading glasses. splurged for a cute pair with multi-colored stripes on the sides.

drinking:  flavored sparkling water. best thing about it is that the rest of the family hates it!

starting:  to work on being organized. weeks of blog posts ready to go. 2014 calendars ordered.

feeling:  relaxed and happy to be off work, and without the million and one commitments of the past 2 weeks.

reading:  The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown and We Are Water by Wally Lamb.

watching: Parenthood, Modern Family, HGTV (love the return of fall TV).

weather:  82 high/61 low with sunny skies (tomorrow's high is 73...need to plan an outdoor activity).

needing: to live in the moment and appreciate the now. don't waste away the gift of today while wishing for changes in the future.

listening:  to the quiet chatter of people working and visiting at Starbucks.

dreaming:  of that Disney trip coming up in 6 weeks.

loving:  this time of year. the idea of gathering and holiday and birthdays and family fun.
photo taken October 2013.
Downtown Disney. Just a taste of things to come in December.

I Spy...La Jolla Walk

  

  

photos taken Oct. 2013
while walking through the beach house rental neighborhood

Five Minute Friday: Together

I'm trying something new here on Fridays. Or Saturdays if I'm running late.

I'm joining in with Lisa Jo Baker for a five minute writing session.  The basic idea is that a prompt is given weekly, then I spend only five minutes writing whatever comes to mind. You can get the full scoop here. And maybe think about joining in!



This week's prompt is Together.

Together.

We're better together, as Jack Johnson likes to sing.

And I believe it's true with this family of mine.

I love it when I get to have all my kids together around the dinner table.

Laughing together. Fighting together, Annoying together. Being loud together.

Together makes me feel complete. And I can tell it makes my family feel complete. Even if they don't know it just yet. While they are still kids. But I can see the joy in their faces when they are together. And I know it is true in their hearts.

It feels like old times, before life marched on and one moved out.

And now my family is a bit bigger when we're together. A new daughter and grand baby.

Sometimes I wonder what life will be like in 5 years....in 10.

How big will we be when we are all together. How crazy and chaotic. How big will the dinner table need to be. How big will my heart become as we grow from being a family of six, to a family of eight, to a family of who knows how many.

But I do know that I want to be smack dab in the middle of together, holding onto my husband's hand, relishing every moment!

Project Life (Week 40)

Happy Thursday everyone.

 

I'm still going strong on Project Life. Still loving printing photos again and having a place to share the stories (other than this blog).

 

I'm even starting to run out of the million page protectors I had stockpiled. You know, those page protectors that weren't created for Project Life, so they don't fit any of the official PL supplies that I've bought. But I'm determined to use them up. And it's going so well, I think I will get to order the official PL page protectors in December so I can start 2014 fresh.

 

Eek. 2014. It's coming.....

 

Anyways, here is week 40.

 

We spend the week in the San Diego area, so you will notice lots of photos this time. I even added a mini-page with 6 extra 4x6 photos in the center of the spread.

 

Gotta have some ocean photos!

 

5 Faves (Autumn)

1. Upcycled Poker Chip Pendant



2.  Felt Acorns



3.  Woodland Fox Rubber Stamp



4.  Shabby Chic Burlap Flowers



5.  Autumn Leaves and Squirrel Tea Towel

Books

Are you a book lover?

I go through periods. Don't get me wrong, I read all. the. time.

But not always books.

I get distracted by blogs. And magazines.

But lately, I've been doing lots of reading.

Partly because of my new love for the Kindle App.

I hear about a book, check out the price on Amazon, and bam. It's mine.

How can I resist when it costs $3.99. Or less. How?

So here is what I have read recently:

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green  (can't wait to check out the movie)

Packing Light: Thoughts on Living Life with Less Baggage by Allison Vesterfelt (blame this one on my sudden need to follow my heart and move to San Diego)

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver (this one touched me so deeply that it will get it's own post soon)


And here is what it waiting for me to start reading:

The Great Gatsby by Francis Scott Firzgerald

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown

Are you reading anything good right now? Do share!

I Spy...After the Rain

It rained one day while we were in Southern California. When the sun started to peek out again, I took the camera outside to capture some drops of water. This is what I saw:

 

 

photos taken 10/2013

La Jolla beach house

5 Minute Friday: Laundry

I'm trying something new here on Fridays. Or Saturdays if I'm running late.

I'm joining in with Lisa Jo Baker for a five minute writing session.  The basic idea is that a prompt is given weekly, then I spend only five minutes writing whatever comes to mind. You can get the full scoop here. And maybe think about joining in!



This week's prompt is Laundry:

Always there. In a family of six. It. Is. Always. There. One has moved out, but he still brings his laundry here every few weeks. And now there are girlfriend clothes and itty, bitty, baby girl clothes too. That makes it a family of eight.

We bought those machines, the washer and dryer years ago, when we made a major life move. A move to a house we would be spending the rest of our lives in. That was 3 houses ago.

Ha.

Sometimes life does not go as planned.

But back to the laundry. And the machines.

They have seen so many changes over the past 8 years. Back then, the kids were 13, 9, 6, and 4. Now the oldest is turning 21 in 9 days. Another is graduating high school this year, and will probably be moving out not in the too distant future. It's amazing what things have changed over those years, moving from toys and crayons in the pockets of jeans, to work schedules and drivers' license's.

New Faves Found While On Vacation

Sharing a few things today that I fell in love with while on vacation.

1.  Blaze Pizza



You gotta check this place out if you are lucky enough to live near one. We tried out the Pasadena location. Choices, Quick, and Yummy! Need I say more?


2.  Method Lemon Mint Dish Soap




I love the smell of lemon in my kitchen. This is what was sitting above the sink at our beach house. Made washing dishes slightly more fun.

3.  Ikea Wok and Frying Pan

I've been needing some new cookware and I really like using this at the beach house. Plus, It's only $19.99 during October. Score!

4.  Laundry in the kitchen



I have to admit I'm stunned that I liked this. I never, ever would have bought a house with a washer and dryer in my kitchen. But it turns out that the kitchen is a super convenient place to put those darn appliances. I would throw in some laundry while cooking a meal, toss it in the dryer about the time we were ready to eat, then fold the clothes about the time the dishes were done. I was already hanging out in the space, but now I got 2 things done at once. Without forgetting about the wet clothes until hours later. Yep. I've done that. Even done it overnight! And that photo above, it's not from the house we stayed out. I pulled it off Pinterest (follow link above the photo), but the kitchen setup was about the same, so you get the idea.

5. 

Wordless Wednesday

Light falling quietly on a stool at a coffee shop......

photo taken in Mission Valley (outside San Diego) Oct. 2013