trying...to...pause

but i can't.

the post explaining my abrupt disappearance has been hovering in draft mode since august.

h-o-v-e-r-i-n-g.

sort of like levitating...

like i am as i run from place to space on legs that feel like a winded (and aging!) cartoon character.

tonight, after the guilt from not replying to inquiring emails weighed down my heart, i'm here to tell you  that i'm   f  i  n  e.

and.... i'm  f i n a l l y  back to focusing on my children more than my chalk paint and my husband more than my hurried blog post.

yes, yes, YES i miss writing and painting and commenting and linking and oohing over delish details painted to perfection.

BUT.

opportunity knocked, an empty 6th classroom needed a language arts teacher... and i'm on a chase after my other-other-other passion.

harried and hurried...and happily chasing.

so, what have you been chasing lately??

update: house skim guest post

a slight breach of ...

for shari, my cross-country creative sister...

head over to turnstyle vogue for a peek at the new digs!

NC: the trail

 the 7 mile trail winding 'round our new 'hood....

and 'sup wit dat overgrown orange organism?

update: WE'RE IN!

still august, still on...

(sorta.)

(remember this?)

(and this?)

(welllllll....)

(i told ya so.)

august break: plans

i'm on....

so hushhhhhhhhhh with me.

'cuz...

oh, how we will miss you, our crazy maisy.

so...

there's a rock star canadian blogger named michele who peacefully posts about simple stuff like pebbles and pinecones and cereal box spheres...

and  toilet paper rolls.

see?

and she writes about those toilet paper rolls in this serene way that makes me want to scramble over and unravel the costco 64 pack of 2-ply TP rolls and craft colorful thistles for the  e  n  t  i  r  e  world to enjoy.

she almost makes me feel calm.

sooooo... michele's taking an august break.  an august PHOTO blogging break and, in an effort to emulate michele's placid persona for just this month, i'm on a break, too.

photos only.

starting  N O W.

update: i owe you

have you felt the recent imbalance in our relationship?

don't pretend.  we both know y'all (practicing southern ways) have been slingin' niceties at me  while i shirk my blogger role and rarely respond to comments nor return with promised follow-ups to my mere 10 posts in--yeesh!

let's not look.

for the most part, i've been whining 'bout  B U S Y and instagram-ing 'bout beer-inspired bon fires built by bayside neighbors.

aside from hangovers, no harm came to participants.

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so, the following is my sorta succinct attempt to bring forth my promised promises and square away that  off-kilter scale.

first, i owe you a peak at the secret writing spot in the faux-zinc chest....

AHHH-mazing, isn't it?  makes me want to whip out a pen again.

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next, i owe you an update on my dad and his evil BUT no-longer-golf-ball-size-inoperable-malignant-primary-central-nervous-system-large-b-cell-non-hodgkin's lymphoma. (yup... fer freakin' real.)

he's pretty great (wood knocking) and the evil bugger's shriveling up like a worm glued to a dallas sidewalk on an august day.

(or chicago today.  whew!)

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now, i also owe you tips on decoupaging fabric to furniture.

pay attention here 'cuz this is the zippy version.

1.  wash your hands and your work area well and OFTEN 'cuz mod podge sucks up scuz, fuzz and schmooz like a vacuum.

2.  don't bother to pre-coat with glue to stiffen the fabric; it just stiffened the wrinkles.

3.  do trace your shape onto paper to make a template then cut your fabric a hair BIGGER  j u s t  in case.

4.  do use a super-sharp exacto to trim and breakout the 180 grit...

and gently sand to clean up the edges.  uh-huh, fabric is oddly sandable after mod podge magic is applied.

it's not hard but amy at mod podge rocks  is the expert 'splainer so click here for her demo.


hold tight.... just one more update and we're even steven.

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finally, after the 1st floor tour, i owe you a 2nd floor NC new house tour but first i will remind you of our "white/sleek/clean/minimalist"-theme so you can prepare to be NOT wowed, k?

i LOVE our simple balusters, chosen to remind us of our first NJ home, a teeny cape and our first large renovation.

"play room" area.... single door leads to full bath and 'tween's bedroom, double doors are a closet.

(i'm using every last spit of restraint NOT to shout out the things that are already buggin' me... grrrrr!)

'tween is splashing her/playroom bath with sorbet colors for a steal from marshall's...

the twin dudes have requested to sleep solo for the first time in their 11 years.

yes, my heart is breaking a bit.

frick's half of his shared "buddy" bath.

frack's view to closet and tiled vanity area of "buddy" bath

the chill of white cabinetry and slate-like floors will be warmed by THE LAST TWO round wood mirrors plucked from a durham-area home goods by my mom and me.

$49 each.  couldn't you just cry?   okay, so they're on the small side but stiiiiiiilllll....i'm so happy!


for the boys, of course...

problem solving to reach whatever they trapped in the tree.

who are the type to lose sleep over bathroom mirror selection.

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do you feel the change in our relationship already?  to prevent further disharmony, i am alerting you to my extended disappearance into the darkness of moving, starting tomorrow, ending yet to be determined.


pray for me.

pray harder for the children.

the moving truck arrives wednesday.


p  r  a  y.