Canvas

When we moved one and a half years ago, I decided to update the master bedroom's decor. Previously, I had gone trendy and used darker colors and animal print accents. Don't judge me...it was very "in" ten years ago.

I went with color. My life was missing color. I chose a beautiful quilt with vibrant blocks of color, overlaid with floral prints. I have been blissfully happy with it, but have had trouble finding a large enough piece of art to hang over the king-sized bed - one that would match the color and vibe of the room. One without animal print.

Finally, I found the perfect canvas. The colors looked hand-picked for the room, matching wonderfully with the quilt. The size was made-to-order. What luck!

As it happens, the artist is local. And I LOVE her work. Not only that, she has the cutest little boys...they remind me so much of my own.

Look how well this matches:


I love how the artist "grunged" it up a bit:


I wonder if I should have gone with overlapping squares instead of stripes? I could always paint over it. What do you think?

Parenting a PreTeen

First of all, if you came here for advice or some insight into successfully parenting a preteen, run away. I know nothing.

I take that back. I know one thing. It's hard. With no instant gratification. Which means if you are into instant gratification, you're a bit out of luck in this situation.

One of my Rowdy Boys is 12 and 1/2. It's the 1/2 that's important here, because that is where all the male hormones start raging. Trust me on this - if you think 12 is bad, just wait 'til that 1/2 rolls around.

He is moody. We argue.

He refuses to talk. I pry.

He picks on his baby brother. I mediate. A lot.

He is getting a mustache. I sigh.

Sometimes we laugh. Sometimes we yell.

And sometimes.......

we dance!