{organized chaos}

 

Since moving to our new house I've yet to unpack everything...and so those pretty pocket doors lead to a very formal dining room complete with a full wall mural of Italy...and antique chandelier and a four and a half foot wall of boxes and tubs that need to be put away....it's just that every time I open the doors I get a little overwhelmed and freak out then I quickly shut the doors and pretend that room doesn't exist just yet. Funnily, I actually had a vision of myself the other day imagining my surprise when I am actually able to get that room squared away....I imagined myself like one of those home-owners on HGTV's show "Buying & Selling" (the one with the two hot twin brothers) ...who comes home to find their space has been added on to and beautified!...I mean it'll be like a I gain a whole new room! How exciting!! (yes.. I'm a bit of a delusional dreamer...and I'm ok with that).

 

So we couldn't find the iron...and ... well, you know being adults and all we should probably have access to that. I went in with the purpose of locating the iron and came out a few minutes later with a huge tub filled to the brim of old photographs... LIKE REAL photographs.  An entire journey in that box.  It holds photos from when Mr. Quinn and I were young and dating....our wedding...births, birthdays, and milestones of our two Indians...all the way up to about four years ago. I had assumed with all the moving we had undergone in the past years that the box had fallen off a truck or gotten accidentally thrown out and here it was! I quickly jumped over the four foot wall of China (er..boxes)...bumped my head on the antique chandelier...and ran right out of Italy...slammed the pocket doors shut tight and then, me and my tribe sat in the living room floor gazing, laughing, and having precious bittersweet floods of memories. After about and hour... and several little yawns later I was snapped back to the present time and realized it was an hour past bedtime on a school night!! I promised to leave the neat, tidy stacks of photos on the floor and we could continue our tour the next day....

 

 

FAST FORWARD to the next eve (last night)... while cooking dinner I could hear the belly laughs....the "oohs & ahh's" and "ohhh! LOOK!"...coming from the living room and new they were pilfering through the piles of photos.. they would even bring me one occasionally and ask "who's this chubby baby?"

 

When the call to dinner came... they shut the pocket doors to the living room, washed up , and we sat down and ate. That was followed by our regular scheduled evening marathon of homework, showers, and what seems like a three hours of  me proclaiming "go back -to bed!!"

 

THIS MORNING.....after the kids were off to school I danced through the house doing my morning ritual of opening up the blinds and doors in all the rooms...allowing the space and the light to greet and kiss...when I opened the living room doors...I almost fell over!

..............................................................................................

 

 

 

those little rascal's sure did have fun though... and as I replayed the giggles and chuckles I heard coming from this same room the night before.....

 

I just decided...that I was ok with that..(but darn-it i never did find that iron!)

Source: etsy.com via Dejah on Pinterest

xoxo
Dejah

{a song for Sunday}

here's you a sweet lil' song that's been ricocheting around my little head all week...

this weeks beautiful  song for Sunday is by:

Sarah Reeves



Here at the altar of the broken things
I'm finally throwing down this mirror of me
when Ive done all I can do and there's nothing left to prove
and I just need you

I'm totally completely dependant upon you
I'm totally completely dependant upon you

Here at the place of empty vessels
I'm pouring out this heart of selfish ambition
When theres no more options left  
and im nothing but a mess well
that's when you' re best

when there's no words left to say
and there's nothing to pray
I just wait

Oh I wait on you Lord

I'm trusting in your word, yeah

Oh cause you' re totally completely faithful to me
You're totally completely faithful to me

{finally friday}

It's finally Friday!!

 

....and tonight we are going to do a little relaxing ...

and a lot of cuddling....
because tomorrow we go hard on home renovations! ahh!  I hope you have a lovely relaxing eve. I'll try and remember to take some before and after pics. :)

 

xoxo

Dejah

be awesome...

The secret to being awesome at everything is having the courage to be horrible at first.
(source below)



really enjoying this guys blog and wisdom lately... http://www.jonacuff.com/blog/how-to-be-awesome-at-everything/#more-1050'

xoxo
Dejah
(rambling lane)

wish it....do it...

Source: Uploaded by user via Dejah on Pinterest

 photo source (pinterest)

I saw this fun photo on pinterest and thought is was brilliant! I am such a visual person so it really sinks in seeing each bead as a pound and being able to really see your progress.... I pinned the pic and went about my life making a mental note to get the things to do it.

Then last week I took my kiddos to the Dollar Tree (their favorite store...they call it the Dollar treat! ). I picked up two glass vases AND these stick on wall decals for $1.00 each! I looked at all of their fun deco beads and river rocks etc...but had another idea in mind. So I got home and went to work....



Here's my finished project..took about 4 minutes!! 'Cause listen...us busy working moms often need quick and easy, gratifying DIY projects!
I decided to use sea shells that I picked up on the beach on our trips to the Outer Banks. Each seashell represents one pound towards my goal weight...And what's a better reminder that swimsuit season is approaching than a seashell!!?


So I'm working towards my goal. I am making healthy changes to my diet...and exercising more. I am really enjoying Zumba with Al....and Sexy morning runs with my girl Michelle.

WHAT?! runs CAN BE SEXY!.... just look at this photo I took just after 4.5 miles this cold morning...no make-up....hair a mess...frozen fingers...sweating sunblock.....and I'm pretty sure at some point during my run I blew my nose on my jacket once (maybe twice)...that's sexy!! :0


"some people dream of success while others wake up and work for it" unknown



xoxo
Dejah
(rambling lane)

places and spaces

With the cold Oklahoma winter winds pushing us to hunker down and hibernate indoors I am suddenly more aware of my surroundings and the places and spaces that I inhabit. Things of comfort...and things that make me at peace. While all my spaces are a constant work in progress...i thought i might share a few spaces here and there.....

This is a set of cubbies in my bathroom...in and on it I keep some pretty little things that make me happy!!!...Things like my favorite perfumes...a vintage camera (a gift from my bestie Michelle).... a little pottery bowl from Sparkly filled with rings...etc.

The top right is a photo print of a painting of colored horses...I love seeing it everyday!! I bought it from a primitive artist in the Ozarks...I will own an original someday.



I believe that jewelry is art for the body...and reflects your taste...I certainly can't wear every piece all the time and hated the thought of it all being put away into some box or drawer when I'm not wearing it....that's why Mr. Quinn is pretty handy to have around :)...I picked out colors and knobs and  he made me two of these jewelry displays...LOVE them!!


I stapled some vintage lace to the back of  an old frame and made a sweet place to hang my earrings!!
 (this is a 16x24 frame)



....my favorite pair.... they were my Granny's and she wore them often. I can close my eyes and still see them on her delicate ears.... she gifted them to me Christmas 2010....one of the best gifts ever!!



here's a pull back shot of my little vanity area...




OH! did you notice the boots?? Those are a new gift from Mr. Quinn...They are so very cosy and warm and and have hardly left my toes since! (yes...I MIGHT be a little spoiled).


xoxo
Dejah

{Happy Valentines}

Hope your having a sweet day spent with your Valentine (s)!
I sure am!!

xoxo
Dejah

{true story}

Sparkly is getting her bag backed to sleep over at a friends house....she comes in the living room and says to her dad & I:
"Now you can have a drama free night"
(cause her other nickname is drama queen)
only....
i heard something different....
so...
I glance at Mr. Quinn,
shrug....
smile....
then say...
"I like p'jama free night!"
she gives me a grossed out face and says..
'ewwwwwee!!! A DRAMA FREE NIGHT!!! NOT P'JAMA FREE NIGHT! GROSS!!!!!"

Now I just need to find somewhere for my lil guy to spend the night....any takers??

{true story}

{waiting to exhale}

No photos....tonight.

I can't sleep. There are too many things rolling through my head. The mind is a curious thing. I have trouble shutting mine down when it comes to "down" time. I've tried green tea...wine...excessive exercise...Tylenol PM...(not all in the same night, mind you)....I've tried reading, praying, journal-ing..... yet my mind sputters on too no avail. It mimics me...mocks me...reminds me...urges me...cheers me on...and sometimes it even tricks me.

This particular night I'm feeling:
antsy.
inspired.
hyper.
restless.
guilty.
foggy.
needy.

how one earth can I feel all these things in a single deep breathe in.....

but then as I exhale....

I feel:
relaxed.
focused.
energized.
refreshed.
justified.
clarified.
empowered.

But as I inhale again the process repeats itself with a whole new slew of verbs and adjectives.

I envy my husband, how he falls into slumber the exact second his handsome head hits the feather pillow without a worry to be found there. I long to join my little ones in the land of nod...blissfully unaware of my battlefield-- nighttime ritual.

There is no drama needed to bring about my unrest...it just is what it is. My list of to-do's (have to's...want-to's...even don't want-to's).

My evening's examination of what the day brought...or what I brought to the day. Knowing that there is no promise of tomorrow. Hoping that I lived the present one to the fullest. Reminding myself there is still so much more I want to do.

And so I keep on....waiting to exhale.

xoxo
Dejah

{cabin fever}

So we had a little snow......

which turned into....... ALOT OF SNOW!

AND school was let out for days...AND DAYS!

Me and my little Quinn crew cozied up and hung out for several long winter days. We spent lots of time playing, cuddling, loving on one another...and I tackled tons of stuff on my mile long"to-do" list....it feels really nice to have some things off that list!!

By day four we were all getting a little stir crazy (and low on supplies) so we ventured out to find a little....

I was soooo worried we might get stuck. It was bad out!!! But Mr. Quinn was a great driver!



...and so we didn't get stuck. And to our surprise there was a fast food joint open!! Hardly no one was there so I sent the kids over a few tables so I could pretend I was on a mini-vacation! Some friends texted us they were out re-stocking supplies too so we had them join us for burgers. It felt really nice to re-join civilization for an hour or two.

I stopped by Lowes and got some paint to freshin' up the walls in the house! Then we headed back to the "Quinn cabin". I really enjoyed our days snowed in and I'm so gonna miss my little crew when schedules resume in the morning! I hear we are due for some more snow....(and secretly wish that we get snowed in again!).

(Feel free to right-click-save the pic & quote for your background desktop...or for re-posting...just remember to link back to rambling lane!)

{Celebrate YOU!}

A few random things about me:

-I have a very unique first name "Dejah"...and then my middle name is a plain ole-southern Ann!
-I have crooked pinkie fingers....was born that way. When I was a kid, forced to raise my hand to answer the teachers questions...I was tormented so much that I wore band-aids around my right pinkie finger (the more crooked one) and would pretend to have injured it if anyone asked. -I would be lost without my savior-Jesus!
-I was raised (for the most part) in trailer parks and apartment complexes....I had a single working mother and there's no shame in my game...it's part of what shaped and molded me into who I am today and I am so thankful for my journey.
-I love the color pink to a fault.
-I was born in Tacoma Washington but shortly thereafter shipped to the great state of Texas where I was raised.
-BACK IN THE DAYS.....After watching "A Time To Kill" with then upcoming star Mathew McConaughey." I looked up his phone number in Austin TX and called it (a few times) but never worked up the nerve to leave that a message to that smooth talking southern voice on the other end. (Cause what REALLY would I have said!?)
-I have always had a pair of cowgirl boots in my closet since I can remember.
- I CELEBRATE when I find the perfect-est shade of pink paint for ONE! dollar in the mistint section...at Lowes and can transform a stuffy old gold gilded garage sale frame into a pink princess (see photo above).
-I married my own, real life, Mr. Darcy (Jane Austen)...he is everything to me.
-My children teach me new things every day.
-I have a MASSIVE week spot for Green and Blacks dark chocolate.
-I always have at least 3 loads of laundry waiting on the sofa in my bedroom to be folded & put away.

....and on that note I'm out. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. This week I will be starting my "Wardrobe Wednesday" and while I'll be featuring an outfit from my wardrobe..I have "archived" the last two Wednesdays....so it's likely if you ran into me this Wednesday you may not have seen me in the outfit featured. My logic was to give myself a little head start...this way I am always a few Wednesdays ahead....so if something comes up and I cannot post one week I will still be able to feature "Wardrobe Wednesday".

xoxo
Dejah

{defining a movement}

Just a touching little video that I wanted to share with you mommas! :)

The lady who put it together is an author here is her site http://www.katherinecenter.com/category/blog/


xoxo
Dejah