March | 2013 | simplylifestuff

As some of you know, my family moved to CO less than 9 months ago. Since that time, we have been making various changes to our house to make it more of “our home.” We have painted a majority of the walls and replaced the carpet with hardwood floors. Once the walls were painted, the hanging began. Well, hanging of pictures, that is.

When you walk in our front door, there is a huge blank wall. That blank wall kept beckoning me to do something with it. We kept thinking about what we could put there. I have an amazing one-of-a-kind painting on the wall adjacent to the blank wall, so I wanted NOTHING to compete with it.

Ryan Bradburn Original

This painting was given to me by an extremely talented coworker who has gone on to do even more amazing things. You can check out his website at www.ryanbradburn.com Here is another view to help you get oriented.

The wall opposite the windows and front door is the blank wall I am referring to. Don’t mind the small desks in that room. We have plans to purchase a long table that we can use when we have friends and family visit. The table will also double as mine and N’s desks. But that is for another day.

My hubs decided that a decal would be great. Specifically, a decal of a tree. I loved the idea and it was fairly inexpensive. So, here is the wall now.

This decal also came with a quote: “Do not be afraid to bite off more than you can chew.” We have not decided yet whether to add that quote to the wall. Oh, and see those little pieces of paper? N decided that this would be his “Reading Tree.” So, every time he finishes reading a book, he writes the title and date on a piece of paper and uses a small piece of washi tape to place it on the tree.

N’s Reading Tree

Win, Win. I decorate my wall and N is motivated to read more books. Here is how it all looks.

What do you think? We will be adding a light above the painting soon. It has already been purchased, but still sits in its box.

I love the tree decal. Now, when I walk in my front door, I smile. It also looks great from the outside at night when my desk light shines on it.

Do you have a big wall decal in your house or have plans for one? What do you think about adding the quote to the wall, as well? I love when things come together, even if sometimes, it is just a little thing.

I am so guilty of going through the routine of my day and not stopping to do something little that will just make me smile and take me to that happy place. You see, once I get started on something, I sometimes get too focused. Usually something will happen that will refresh my memory of the importance of just taking a time out.

Yesterday, a neighbor and I walked back from the school together. You see, I am fortunate in that we live very close to N’s school, so I get to walk him and his friends to and from school every day. She invited me to come inside and share breakfast and conversation with her, her 2 year old daughter and another neighbor. We had some amazing Polish food, bread, and cookies. But, best of all, we had great conversation, fun, and laughs. I love getting to know people better. We sat and sipped hot tea for hours. Did my housework get done? Not as much as I had planned, but I did that housework with a smile on my face, dancing along to the music on the radio. Why is it that we get so focused on the “to do” list in our heads that we forget to stop and just enjoy “time with the girls.”

So, with this idea still fresh on my brain, I called my Mom this morning just to hear about her life and how her day is going. I really miss my family since moving to Colorado. Unfortunately, I seem to get so caught up in my day that I go several days without picking up the phone just to chat. I will change this.

With this in mind, I have started an “Entertaining the Girls” board on Pinterest. I will be adding things to this board that will motivate and remind me to just invite people over for a small gathering and tons of fun. Wouldn’t you like to sit with the girls and sip this white wine with frozen grapes?

White wine with frozen green grapes

Or bake a quiche to be served with a small salad and some hot tea?

Tea time

Of course, something sweet would always be in order. If you read my post yesterday, you know how much I adore sugar.

I think you get the idea. Take a Time Out to invite a friend over for hot tea, coffee, a cold beer, wine with raspberries, mimosas, etc. Pick up that phone to talk with a family member or friend. Enjoy that time, laugh alot, and get to know people better through great conversation.

Do you have a go to drink or recipe that you serve when you invite the girls or guys over? Please share.