Please Read This Carefully

I was on the phone today at work A LOT and one thing I can state with near certainty is that 95% of all businesses have changed their menu options. Please listen carefully as our menu options have changed. I don't know about you, but hearing this as the IVR is one of those pesky little things that gets under my skin just enough to annoy me ever so slightly.

I don't care who you call, any business phone, from your hometown doctor to a very large book vendor a thousand miles away, is rigged with this welcome message.

Quite frankly, I miss the point. Do I know the menu options of all the businesses I call well enough to hastily start pushing buttons? Of course not. So, I'm going to listen to the choices. I would even listen to them without being told.

But since it seems everyone's doin' it, I think I'll begin classes tomorrow like this...

Please listen carefully as today the boys will get to check out books first.

Though I Love Them...

...snow days are growing a little tiresome. There. I said it. Now, all you who know me personally may take a minute to pick yourselves up off the floor.

I do love snow. I always have. And I love snow days, just not when we have so many together. Why? Because I have two children who cannot be in the same house with each other for very long at all before all heck breaks loose and I turn into Momma Witch #1.

So, while these days are beautiful...

I am kinda looking forward to seeing this...

What about you? Are you ready for some sunshine, blue skies, and green grass?

A Room Makeover Begins

John-Heath's Bedroom/Playroom

When we began building our house in the very early summer of 2006 it was our initial plan that this room would be a guest bedroom. I even had visions that it would also serve as a comfy reading room/office for me - a mom cave, so to speak. My mom and dad have been holding our rice-carved bedroom suite for us at their home for the past umpteen years (it was too tall to fit in the house we were living while we built). I thought once we moved we would reclaim it.

When we finally moved in we thought it might be best for a while, as John-Heath was just a little over two, to let him sleep on a toddler bed in our room and use the spare room as his play room...but just until he was old enough to be moved upstairs to his "official" bedroom across the hall from Ren.

Well, here we are a little more than three years later and we have yet to make the move upward, though the guest room downstairs (his playroom) has become his full-fledged bedroom. He still gets up from time to time in the middle of the night and comes to our room and I don't want a sleepy him to take a tumble down the stairs. So, until I feel secure that he will stay put each night we'll just leave him where he is.

Other than painting some pieces of furniture and hanging some airplanes from his ceiling I never decorated this room very much. It was just a blue room with a bunch of toys in it. And, frankly, blue is not a favorite of mine. Here it is with everything off the floor (so that I could vacuum) and a couple things off the wall (unintentional).

We used this time to get rid of some toys, too. Some went into permanent storage to keep, some went into temporary storage until the next yard sale, and others went in the trash. Shhh.

I was really hoping John-Heath's little t.v. would fit into that top opening on the shelf but, alas, no such luck. The picture on top of the shelf is of Ren and John-Heath on a creek bank in Kentucky and was taken just a couple months before we moved in to the house. Our friend Nikki Wolf took it. She does an awesome job and is very reasonably priced.

There sits John-Heath in the hall having one last hurrah with some of his toys.

So, where am I headed with a makeover? Well, take a look below. I found the perfect inspiration room for a boy who loves his little army men. My two favorite parts of this room would be the painted camo below the chair rail and the curtains. There was a time I did not like drapes made from two different materials but I have since changed my mind and I love these. The colors in this room are more my style, too. You can see more pics of this fabulous room at the link below the picture.

Beyond the Screen Door Designs

Isn't that the cutest little table? Some people are so clever in their creativity!

Well, I'm hoping to get started on this pretty soon and I'll be sure to do a big "reveal post" when it's all done.

Linking up to some of these great sites.

Sometimes They Call Me Twyla

You know it must be a slow news day when you blog about your name but here goes. A new friend, Heather over at Love and Life at Leadora, was a little curious about mine.

It is somewhat unusual I guess. For years I was the only Tyla I knew. In fact, I thought I was the only one. On the planet. Ever! Then a friend got a computer that was hooked up to this thingy called the Internet and told me you could find just about anything on it. You could even search for people.

So one evening I sat at my friend's computer and, in the process of trying to locate my long lost friend Ursula, I decided on a whim to type my name in the search window. I was shattered. Really, people. I almost cried. I wasn't the only Tyla. In fact, there are thousands of us out there.

How could this be? I was always (and still am) the most average person you'd ever meet. I wasn't a straight A student. I wasn't an athlete. I had done nothing incredible. In fact, the only thing special about me was my name. And now it wasn't even special.

My mother's friend, Ms. Effie, is the lady responsible for my moniker. She herself the bearer of a great name had read the name "Tyla" in a novel and suggested it to my mom and the rest, as they say, is history.

Over the years 91% of people have mispronounced it when first addressing me. It is pronounced Tie-la, with the 'a' in 'la' having a short 'u' sound, as you would hear in luck or duck. A few, like a former, legendary, beloved boss, never pronounced it correctly. Ever. He, as so many others, called me Twyla. Our first phone conversation went something like this...

Mr. Brown: Hello. Twyla?

Me: Yes, this is Tyla.

Mr. Brown: Twyla, this is Mr. Brown at your hometown school. I have a 3rd grade spot up here if you want to come teach for me.

Me: Oh, yes. I would love to teach for you.

Mr. Brown: Well, okay then, Twyla. Now, I'll need the spelling of your name and your social security number. So, how do you spell that?

Me: Well, Mr. Brown, it's Tyla. T.y.l.a. Tyla.

Mr. Brown: Okay, then, Twyla. We're glad to have you. Just come on up and stop by the school when you get a chance.

Me: Thank you, Mr. Brown.

Mr. Brown: Sure thing, Twyla. We'll see you in a day or two.

Bless his heart, he never did call me by my actual name but I didn't care. He was an awesome boss!

Today, it seems I'm everywhere. I'm the Texas Young Lawyers' Association, an English rock musician, a sophisticated line of bikini wear, and now...wait for it...a Bratz!

I am Tyla and you'll be happy to know I finally found my long lost friend Ursula. She's alive and well and living somewhere really cold!

The World According to John-Heath

"Dad, I know what monsters are but what's an ink?"

John-Heath, age 5, after watching Monsters, Inc. for the sixty-fourth time

1/16/11

Easy Peasy Silhouettes

I have long wanted to have silhouettes made of my children. Every so often there is an ad in our paper announcing the arrival of a certain maker of fine silhouettes to nearby shopping centers for a limited time. This man, whose name escapes me just now, is credited with creating ones for the grandchildren of President and Mrs. George H.W. Bush. Each time I've seen the ad I have always thought I should set up an appointment and take the kids. I have yet to follow through with that thought, though.

So, I thought for the time being I might as well just try to make some myself. Honestly, I am probably one of the last in bloggerland to try this. I had seen some on someone's site (their name also escapes me) that were made using a photo editing option in which you create a contrast between the head and the background and then erase everything but the head and shoulders. I tried this with little success. I'm not sure what I was doing wrong but I had a very hard time getting a smooth edge around the faces.

Anyway, I decided to cheat a little.


First, I took profile shots of my kids against my kitchen wall.

In case you're wondering (though you probably aren't), the paint color in my kitchen is English Red by Porter Paints.

After downloading the pics onto my computer I just printed them off onto regular paper. Then I cut them out, traced around them on black construction paper (which is all I had at my disposal at that particular moment), and cut them out one more time.

I cut out a piece of pretty scrapbooking paper to fit my cheap ($3) faux wood frames from Wal-Mart - On a side note...I miss the fact that few things are made from real wood anymore - and used Mod Podge to affix the silhouettes to the paper. I put a light coating of the MP on the back and pressed it into place and then put a very thin coating over the entire front of each silhouette. It goes on white but dries clear and gives it just the slightest sheen.

Finally, since they were small (5x7s), I picked a spot of minimal wall space so they would seem more in proportion. I hung mine in our foyer.

I didn't quite get Ren's on as straight as I would have liked so I will probably be redoing them at some point in the future. But for now, they do the trick and add a little something special to the entry of our home.

I am linking to these fabulous sites. Be sure to check them out for ooodles of ideas.

Her Name is Chena and She...

...is probably not dancing across the sand today, but she is celebrating her birthday. So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my friend! I won't reveal her new number here - that just wouldn't be very tactful, but I will say she is older, MUCH older, than me.

Chena and I grew up close to each other throughout most of our school years. In fact, so close did we live to each other that she was an auditory witness to a few of the many times I wound up in trouble.

In high school she was one of my constant friends (even during the times we might not be speaking to each other). Together, we sailed through 80's pop music, twist beads, sticker and button collections, scary movies (a certain vibrating pillow that once scared me to the point of peeing my pants while watching The Texas Chainsaw Massacre comes to mind just now), guy talk (he was not a block head! He just had a strong jaw line), trips to the mall, and even the Challenger explosion - it just so happened we were out of school for snow that day and watched it on television at her house. Later, she served as one of the bridesmaids at my wedding, gladly wearing a peach colored gown with puffy sleeves.

Today, we still live in the same town and get together every once in a while to eat out, catching up on what's new and reminiscing about the good ol' days. Where does the time go?

Happy Birthday, my friend!

Want to Attend a Great Party or Two...

...or three or four? Below are links to some fabulous blog parties where you can find ideas for everything from crafts and home decor to recipes and beautifully set tables. Check them out. You will not be disappointed.

S.O.S.

hElP. mE. HaVe. bEeN. ClEaNiNg. 5-YeAr-oLd'S. rOoM. sEnD. ReInFoRceMeNts.



P.S. hUrRy.

Two Turtle Ducks and a Partridge in a Parrot Tree

I love it when my five-year-old sings to me before our his nap time.

I also love how he...

Enjoys a nice cup of joe (decaf, of course) and has tried to order one at the Barrel on more than one occasion.

Has informed the office staff at his school that he is now a doctor - "a medical doctor, not like Dr. Stafford" (his principal).

Spreads his hands apart in a mystical way and says "it's all the vaz" whenever he thinks something is awesome. We have no idea what "the vaz" is, but we're guessing it's pretty great.

Until recently, called the bullets for his Nerf guns "needles".

I also love how he set the table for dinner tonight without even being asked. Yes, we all had two knives and no plates but it was the thought the counted.

Well, I'm off to join in on a rousing game of Toy Story 3 Memory. Have a great night, one and all!

Another Snow Walk, Perhaps?

Happy 1/11/11, ya'll! Isn't that a neat date? You know what will be an even more fun date to type? Yep. You guessed it! 11/11/11. But until then, I wish you a fabulous January 11.

We're all at home for another snow day today (insert tiny giggle here) and are loving it! Well, three of us are loving it. A certain teen feels as if these days off are causing major problems in her social life and has retreated to her room in protest. I'm hoping to lure her out a little later with some hot chocolate and a card game or two.

If you stopped by yesterday you noticed we all (again, minus the protesting teen) took a walk through some of the woods on our farm. John-Heath is ready to go again. He literally just asked if we could go on another "snow walk". We may just have to do that.

I had a good time yesterday with my family. It's not every day I'm able to enjoy the beauty of the woods, as my walks in them are limited by seasons (meaning I don't walk in the woods when snakes could be walking crawling in the woods), but my out-of-shape legs are paying the price. The balancing act I was attempting to do over some uneven terrain trying to keep myself upright and my camera out of the creek has left me a little sore this morning. Of course, it didn't help that I had gone out in my hot pink LL Bean house booties. I mean, who does that kind of thing? "Tyla, would you like to take a mile long hike through some snowy woods and over a hay field or two?" "Sure. Let me just slip on my HOUSE SHOES."

We're still under a winter weather advisory here so there's a chance we'll be getting a little more snow. It reminds me of times in bed when one blanket feels good, but two feel great. I think the ground could use another white blanket.

Stay warm, my friends. Oh, and if you go out to play in the snow...wear real shoes ;)

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound's the sweep

Of easy winds and downy flakes

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,

Almost home

And miles to go before I sleep.
- Robert Frost



It's been a wonderful snow day! I'm so looking forward to another one tomorrow. Goodnight, friends.