5.10.13

a change is gonna come.

seejanemove

many things are happening around here. many good and exciting things.

there is the obvious, it’s finally feeling warm in new england!!! the sun shines past the clouds and rain about four days out of seven! wahoooo! the Red Sox have had the most exciting start to their season this year, and we hope the goodness continues. there have also been some unexpected changes in our life lately. because of all the snow days we had this winter, our kids will be in school till june twenty-SIXTH and shortly after that it looks like this family of six will be setting out on a new adventure. there’s been a change of plans, instead of staying here in boston and continue to indefinitely settle down, we are packing up and relocating out west again. we have heavily considered southern california {specifically laguna beach where my husband has family} and utah. as of today it looks like utah is pulling in the lead! the best word to describe this move: bittersweet. we will miss so many amazing people here in massachusetts, but we also know we are returning to what feels like home to us. yes, there are many good things to come…

i am planning to share more of these things with you as they draw closer and utah, we are excited to call you home. again. ahhh… i just said that out loud!

*picture: the organizing and packing is underway. we have just over seven weeks till we leave.

7.1.12

moving forward…

i feel very present. happy to be right where we are at this moment. Home. Home has had a triple meaning this year, defining both going home and coming home— i recently went home to Utah, where i feel i have the largest collection of family and friends. Home also being where I was raised in Washington State, yet no family remains in my home town. and Home, being where our family currently resides.

Six months ago, when I continued to think about the fact that we would most likely be moving again, soon, i would get this big lump of anxiety in my chest just thinking about it. Yet, as each month passed and the inevitable was approaching, there was a paralleled calmness that i could pack up our family and move again, and all would be well. very well.

moving highlights?

i have been choosing new paint for our new-to-us-home, and after a lot of recommendations and advice, i chose the white right, ash, and slate from restoration hardware. however, i used benjamin moore paint and had them match the colors.

our new fireplace is a conversation piece!  sela can’t walk by it without giggling about the naked privates that are on display.

we were living next to the best park in town – and we moved right next to the second best park in town!

our driveway lane is a cozy private road, a cave of greenery.

my art room was immediately put to use as the kiddos took a break from unpacking to play with some of the moving boxes. first they made cardboard shields, swords, and then moved on to boats. you can look here to see what they did with the boats! there is never a dull moment at the rhodes home.

after just two days of being in our new home, i feel the comfort of our new space and the promise of what it holds for our future. wherever home may be, there are so many ways to appreciate it. xo.

6.20.12

moving with kids

good morning friends. I am going to focus all my efforts today on packing for my upcoming utah trip + packing for our move. in the meantime, nikki from the salty pineapple is featuring me as a guest on her blog today. I’m talking about moving as a family, something I feel like we are mastering this year {hardly.}

these are two perfect visual representations of how i pack – for trips. i take it all! have you seen these guys in asia? they are legit – they really pack their carts like this and manage to maneuver through the most crazy traffic. it always makes me smile.

{images via.}

9.5.11

painted ladies*

home sweet home – boston edition.

the “third is a charm” home we applied for & are living in…is a big old updated colonial home built in 1861, we actually have a plaque by the front door honoring the home from our town. do the math: it is 150 years old this year!

the home is full of natural light, three-and-a-half baths, eight – yes – count ‘em – 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 BEDROOMS, lots of parking space, the most darling-ever tree swing in our front yard. and in our price range…which is the best part. although technically i think the best part is that it is right next to the best park in town which also boasts the most amazing playground i’ve ever seen. our munchkins run over there daily to play. downside: we have no garage, which is interesting. meaning: our backyard and dining room are housing what should be in a garage. and, we have no a/c. which is pretty common in these parts – so, our bedrooms are all housing window a/c units & they’ve worked great.

so, our nightmare of finding a new home has ended for a little while. we only have a four-month open-ended lease here because the home is also for sale.

fact: the market is slow here, and we expect to live here longer than four months. however, we are still actively browsing the local market for a possible-move-in-the-very-near-future.






see that tree on the left? i’ve circled the cutest hole it has – it really looks like a tree out of a cartoon, and every day especially in the mornings we watch the squirrels and chipmunks run-along the fence tops then go back in there. at first we were fascinated with the wildlife – when husband and i first started to go jogging here i’d come home and tell the kids “we saw 6 squirrels & 12 chipmunks!” now. we’re practically locals – seeing a squirrel or chipmunk is old news. i particularly dislike the larger animals that attack our garbage cans at night – that is news for another post.

and, the picture of the radiator on the right? they are charming. we have a total of eighteen of them in our house. i have no idea how they work, but i’m hoping those babies really keep us warm this winter. eegads. i don’t even know how to turn them on! i better inquire soon, before we’re all freezing when the first cold weather hits! what i dislike about them: spiders love to weave their webs in between all the pipes. yuk.


{the left door in the kitchen is a darling yellow 1/2 bath & the right door is our laundry room.}

{this kitchen wallpaper just about kills me. if we weren’t renting – i would change it. however, it does fit nicely with the time period of the home. and, those cupboards – they WERE white & they’ve been painted a light beige. seriously a design sin. i LOVE white kitchens. ALSO, that door just to the right of the radiator – it leads to our scary basement.}

our dining room. i am struggling with this room right now because it is housing our dining table + piano + all the sporting goods that should be in a garage. needless to say, when we eat in here, it feels really chaotic & messy. we are trying to figure out what to do!


this picture/map hangs in our dining room and is included with the home. it is an original map of wellesley from when the area was being settled & marks the placement of the home in the town. such a cool detail.



this side of our bedroom has a “secret-staircase” as the kids call it that goes from our room to the kitchen. it’s pretty rad, we all love it.

the only two rooms we painted in the house & changed from their original colors were sela’s & kj’s. kj’s was originally lavendar & he was not ok with that! he chose a blue-grey, and sela’s was a pale aqua that she didn’t like. so, i took her to the paint shop & literally let her choose whatever color she wanted! she chose this bright papaya, and the room illuminates a serious-bright-orangey-peach glow. if you stand in this room, you look this color. so funny. i just keep thinking: we’re renting, so it’s ok! and, to be honest, it totally fits sela.

kiana & myla are sharing a room, i’m not sure how i’ve missed taking a picture of their bedroom because it’s a favorite bedroom of mine. their room looks about the same as these two, except it has a bay window & is the same yellow as our family room. it’s turning out darling with their furnishings.

every room on the third floor is also different colors – when we first walked through this home, kiana nicknamed it “the colorful house” because every room in the house was a different color. i’ll post pictures of these rooms soon.

{we only send the boys down there…!}

we have lots of space for the kids to play outside between the front yard, our fenced-in backyard, and the park nearby. everyone loves the tree swing & to be honest, i’ve always wanted a homemade swing like this! we have a public walking/jogging/biking trail that cuts right through our front yard. at first, we thought this was a bit strange – now we love it. husband particularly started liking it the day ‘Ray Allen’ went jogging by! {he’s a Celtics player, for those of you outside of the sports loop.}

long-story-short about our moving company… they didn’t plan very well when they planned what-size-truck it would take to pack everything in our home & move it out here. meaning: they were very late. obviously, we all survived.

…and, we were very happy when our stuff did arrive! sela immediately started driving her smart car, and i am working as fast as possible {when not going to the beach!} to get our home all put together. i will be posting more “home-decorated” photos as we continue to get more settled. it has been very fun to unpack & decorate – starting with a clean slate. it’s fun mixing our more up-to-date furnishings with the colonial style. i think it’s working.

*Painted ladies is a term used for colonial houses and buildings built between 1849 and 1915 painted in three or more colors that embellish or enhance their architectural details. our home qualifies as a painted lady with it’s green siding + purple shutters + red doors, and we adore it! totally not our style, but it is a great conversational piece for our adventure!

8.18.11

the end of something beautiful.

i have claimed utah as my home since i was thirteen. the same age as my oldest daughter, this very summer. i have lived in-and-out of utah for twenty-two years. i was born in alaska & “grew-up” in a small northwest town on the coast of washington state, but have spent most of my time in the shadows of what is known as the wasatch front.

so, without knowing how long i am bidding farewell to all that i love along the wasatch front, i made sure to take every possible chance to say farewell to those we love, before leaving…

****

summer’s birthday lunch – there have been four babies born to four besties at home since i’ve left… i have this dillusion that life is on hold there & it’s hard to believe some of the babies are already 1 month+ old now. i have already been gone for seven weeks. gasp!

summer’s baby boy – ‘graham allen’ was born on sara staker’s birthday this week, welcome to the world baby boy!


bex’s birthday lunch + lunch with lu + lunch with kelli {a girlfriend from college who popped into town before we left!}…



daphne & susan’s combined birthday lunch —

date nights with the stakers & blands…



sunday dinner with our dear dear neighbors, the duckworth family.


our sweet friends, the brown’s – brought us the most delicious hawaiian meal when we were almost ready to move. omgosh, there were these coconut milk rolls – i had never had them before – A-MAZ-ING!!! in fact, i think those rolls started my summer weight gain… ::smiles::

Bex planned an awesome night out with these fancy ladies for me – {wiping tears. i really miss all of them!} she made personal-sized pinatas as the party favors that were the most adorable things EVAH! she slaved over these beauties & i really want to make them for something soon, too!

every woman needs to be surrounded by amazing women, because the inspiration, support, and friendship can truly change your life.



sarah, in the long striped skirt has a little boy & was pregnant & did not know what she was having… a girl was her surprise! and, she named her “pepper,” so cute. amy, on the far right has two girls & had a BOY! “Lewis.” little louie is now the charm of their home.

ohhhhh, congratulations dear ladies. i would love to be there & hold & sniff your yummy smelling newborns. nothing better than a freshly bathed baby all bundled up.

group date night – a final dinner with our buddies—
the child’s, taylor’s, birchall’s, us, and danny.

a little book club/play date swim party – i hope gygi will forgive me for posting this picture, but is she not beautiful?!? love that belly. this momma taught yoga till it was almost her due date! her little ‘lulu’ has come into the world since i left & after two boys – she has a girl! blessed.

bex was a trooper this afternoon – myla asked her for 30 minutes to go down our pool slide as many times as she did – bex did it!


a baby shower for gygi -

the momma-to-be & i were wearing the same shoes – and, again, love that belly!

check out the watermelon-baby-stroller that gygi’s mom made! a great idea if anyone is planning a baby shower soon!

***

all of these farewells bid hello to an exciting future path. i cannot help but be a bit saddened as i sit here, knowing we are separated by our loved ones by so many miles. however, my soul has always thrived on change and adventure – so, we say adieu to the end of something beautiful, yet i know the good of our past will line our future with the same beauty.

*cheers* to creating your own life – {exactly how you want it – or, at least, very very close} wherever you go.

xoxo.

6.26.11

60 hours…

until we’re oughtta here. 

“the plan” continues to change about every six hours.

at this point: husband goes to the philippines tomorrow morning, for 3 weeks. work calls. kiana and i go to NYC on wednesday morning till july 8th. the three other munchkins get to spend time with their aunties & famiy in southern nevada for a bit. On the 8th, kiana and i will be taking a train to boston to finalize our home plans – then the other kids + auntie might be driving out to meet kiana and i in boston. amazing auntie – right? then husband will return to utah on july 16th, get our stuff loaded on a moving truck, and he’ll fly out to boston – we think. the plan might change again.

it’s crazy – our house is almost empty, and we are spending as much time possible with those we love.

+ we’re swimming as much as possible to enjoy the utah sunshine.

i hope you’re enjoying the sunshine!

xo.

6.12.11

*thank you…

to everyone who helped us with the yard sale! we had help carrying items from in the house to outside; pricing items; setting up yard sale signs; taking pictures; help with adding up people item’s and collecting the cash; help cleaning up; help carrying items to people trucks; and on and on and on!

*thank you to everyone who bought our stuff! we had two-days of complete chaos + complete success!

*thank you to our neighbors who were very very patient with the huge traffic jams in our neighborhood.

with everything said and done, we feel like we are one more big step closer to our move. and, for all of you who have asked – we will be leaving at the end of June/early July.

my little cardboard cash register did a great job and now my kiddos are very excited to be playing with it!   sela’s lemonade/macaron stand was the highlight of the weekend for our little miss four!  she loved having a real shop!  and, we even sold the lemonade stand!  *bonus!*  if you are local and looking for yummy macarons – ours came from ‘le petit macaron’ and they have a blog you can contact them through, here.



we repurposed grandma pat’s frappuccino bottles for the lemonade glasses. they are a very affordable milk-glass-replacement! you can also use this idea, here, for cute goodies in the same bottles! {i’m thinking about doing those candy bottles for christmas treats this year.}

ok. i know i mention pinterest all the time. but i really can’t get over how much i love it & how inspiring it is! if you have tried to register & it doesn’t allow you to… let me know, and i can send you an invite. this lemonade stand was the inspiration for mine, and also – target has the best {really affordable} lemonade stand items right now! you can find the banner we used for $1.50 in their seasonal items , and the money box + so many more items are available!

plus: bex’s little mister – the handsome blue-eyed max!

our moosey. she and kj were not big fans of the yard sale crowds. but, every once in a while she made a cameo appearance to help with the cash register or lemonade stand. we rarely spotted kj, he stayed inside for most of the weekend till it was all over! he was very happy when his friends came to shop, but came inside for a little xbox time!




moi & lu. i tried to take advantage of “friends & family night” to give everyone i love one final big squeeze. if you came to our yard sale & i didn’t get a chance to see you/talk to you/squeeze you – here’s big virtual {{{HUGS}}}

there were moments at the yard sale that got a little crazy – our neighborhood also has a ‘parade of home’ {see here} right now & on friday night – we thought the sale would be casual and fun with just friends & family – but because of the cars/traffic near our home – some people THOUGHT our home was the parade home, and we had a HUGE crowd at times. Which, was good in the end – because we sold so much stuff – but, at one point, i caught a strange old man walking through our home and i had to run in and explain to him that he couldn’t just walk through our home! he said, “oh! i thought that was what we were supposed to do!” eeeks!

also: the darling brunette on the right is our esthetician. {my girls and i are going to really miss her!} she has the adorable blog, “::pack:: of fixations” here. she and her husband have a new-business-venture taking off right now. and trust me, you want what she’s making!

heather is a darling friend, who was a fabulous shopper at the sale!!! we discovered how we were connected between her older sis and other people this year & it’s been so fun getting to know her better.

if you are looking for a blog-makeover, i cannot recommend this girl enough! she has sick kills with design and layout. check out ‘heather rita’s sweet shop, here!

bodie & bella. bella is a little bestie of sela’s. with names like sela & bella, they were destined to be friends! plus, we always call sela… “sela-bella!”

they were cute little lemonade-stand helpers.

bex – moi – shelby {and shelby’s l’il jane}
shelby is the owner of the local shop soel, that i can’t mention enough! this past week i won a $100 gift certificate to soel, i have a feeling it was their very nice way of bidding me farewell. ::winks::
it is my favorite place to shop – ever! and…
i kinda dream about owning a shop like that some day… maybe in boston!
{love these women!}

i absolutely love this picture. oh man, it’s precious. this is kiana with her three very-very-best-friends. these girls are golden.

bex came to the yard sale with her camera-in-hand to document the event for me. and, these pictures have been so fun to see after-the-exhaustion-of-it-all! she is still one of the best photographers i know, i always love her style of shooting. check out her blog, here. {and then, schedule a shoot with her!}

***DAY TWO***

we were up & going very early, after very little sleep.

bex was a two-day trooper! she even brought me diet coke at 9am on day two! it is one of the only things that kept me going…
she was also great at filling in for sela when she went missing from her stand!

you can see by this picture – the crowds were less & the stuff was too, on day two.

my mom & sister were non-stop busy at the cash register for two days –
i have no idea how we would have pulled off this yard sale without them!


and now, our life slows down just a bit. the yard sale was by far our biggest-moving-project!
we are mostly-packed, it’s crazy seeing our home without all of the rugs, pictures, furniture, etc.
it really shows that a house is just a shell to the love that thrives here. we create the home.
and, our next home will become another nest for us.

just the last items we are still using will slowly get packed the next couple of weeks.
and, we are planning mini-going-away parties for each kiddo.

…a little more work and lots more play before we go!

xoxo.

© 2013 jane rhodes.