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Hello, 2013. / Introducing: House Of Joyful Noise Social ShareIts

January 1, 2013 By Laura 2 Comments

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!

Well now . . . . we’ve all talked about the coming new year enough. Don’t-ya-think? Now it’s HERE.
Time to just LIVE IT, People!

That includes us.
We’ve told you we have some all new and exciting things in store for this year, and I’m about to tell you about one of them.

At the beginning of last year (2012) I resolved to get back to my hand-created artwork skills. Many of you (may) know I went to art school, worked in the illustrating art field for some years freelancing (mostly doing large portraits of people), and then got more and more in depth with photography. Something I had always studied. But in the course of my 13 great years in my (photography) business, I really got away from my love for creating my own authentic artwork. : ( You know….artwork created on paper. With pencils, paints and palettes and other fun tools in my hands. I got to missing it so much, it almost hurt. I’m not kidding. But I had no time to spend with it! No time to really make a mess, and create something – mine. Without my camera. So in 2012, with putting my photography business aside, I found the time! I did. Not quite as much time as I wanted. But I did create a handful of things! Things that I found so much great joy in creating. In fact one of those things turned out to be our #1 most viewed project of the year 2012! Maybe because that one was made with extra love. Or maybe because the world was a little mesmerized with my doodling. (Something anyone can do, by the way. Just give it a go!) But back to the here and now.

This year, I will find even more time, for my artwork. Yes-I-will. And I know I will, because I need to so badly now. The more I indulge in creating, the more I just have to. After anything with my children, or singing a song that gives praise to the Lord, just sitting . . . . and fooling around with different mediums, is way too much fun for me. And therapeutic. And it just puts a happy in my heart and soul, that I would never be able to describe. All is right with the world, when that’s what I’m doing. Hours escape me. (“Really? I should have started dinner an hour ago? What in the world time is it, Honey?”)

Of course, along with hand-created illustration work, I’ll always have what photography and graphic skills I might have too.
And that leads me to what is in all of this for you, this year!

Using any one of those skills, I decided to create a series throughout all of the year 2013, called . . . .

House Of Joyful Noise ‘Social ShareIts’.

What are House Of Joyful Noise ‘Share Its’?
They are those little mini-poster sort of things, that you can share all over your social world.
You can Facebook them
Pin them on Pinterest.
Tweet them on Twitter.
Google+ them in your circles.
. . . or anywhere else you socially network.

I’m going to have a blast, making more and more.

They will be created with various forms of my artwork….and express quotes of my own or others (credited.)
Some will be hand hand-illustrated. Others will be created with photography or graphic design.
The bottom line is…..If they speak to your heart, or inspire you in any way, you’ll be so welcome to grab them and share them for yourself.

The test run has proved way successful.
(Thanks to all of you, who follow us on Facebook!)
I shared my first two New Year’s Eve morning, and they have already been SHARE’d hundreds of times over. AND counting.
Here are those two – and you are welcome to save them right from here, and SHARE them wherever you’d like.

As they are created, throughout the year, and just as I am inspired to make them, I will share them right here on our blog, and at the various places you may follow us.
(See links to follow us, below.)

There’s SO much more to come, here at House Of Joyful Noise.
Here’s to an AMAZING 2013, to all of us.
♥

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Christmas Eve / Morning – 2012

December 29, 2012 By Laura 4 Comments

With Christmas 2012 behind us, we ultimately decided to blog a little bit of it, before we move on to wrapping up our year of projects for you, revealing a new one, and jumping into the new year with both feet, and some bigger projects than ever, that you are welcome to follow along with us. I cannot wait to get to all of that, and hopefully you all might have some great ideas and help for us along the way. It’s going to be too much fun!

But first, our little Christmas. We try to keep the entire season quite simple and stress-free. (Not always an easy thing to do – right?). We celebrate Advent, we decorate, make some handmade gifts and shop a little, bake, drive around neighborhoods at night with cocoa to see people’s Christmas lights, and stuff like that. We also try to not get too distracted from remembering that Jesus’ birth, and what the course of His earthly life would mean for us all, is the whole purpose of our own celebrations, personally. Some years Christmas Eve and Day is more simple than others, with a little more or less gifts or family/friends around.

This year we went to Christmas Eve Mass, and had a quiet evening at home, with a little festive food spread. While we had bought the kids a few gifts, Michael and I decided not to put them out the night before. First because, one, two, or all of them tend to get up during the night to use the bathroom or get a drink of water, and I really didn’t want them to see anything. Secondly, I was kind of curious what their reaction would be. There have been Christmas’ where the only gifts they received were from extended family and friends. But this year, since this year has progressively gone quite well, and we could afford more, I actually asked them all what they might want for Christmas. That’s something I’ve never actually done. Their requests were easy enough: certain books (Olivia and the Trio), a new basketball (Shane), a Pillow Pet (JackMichael), socks, (socks?), and Patriots or Tim Tebow calendar (Alexis). So we got them those things, and a few more surprises. But when they got up in the morning, there was nothing more under the tree than there had been all week: packages that had arrived for them from other family, and a large gift bag each from a sweet family friend. Still, they were bouncing around the house all happy-chatty and excited because well . . . it was Christmas Day. And they love Christmas.

(After Mass on Christmas Eve.)

But Michael and I were pretty excited, to give them their gifts! So after breakfast and an hour or so of chilling in our pajamas, we asked the kids to go upstairs for a few minutes, until we called them. After the 4 “Why?” ‘s, and our refusal to answer, they went up, and we got everything around the tree. Despite the fact that there is a lot more to our simple Christmas than presents, that happens to be all I took photos of this year! lol. Since I do intend to get back to some major scrapbooking some day, and I take photos of the kids through their childhood for their/our own memories, I always ponder if I should bother blogging these kinds of things. But our oldest (Alexis) and husband say yes – it’s our family blog in the end, and they want these memories a part of it too. Not just all of our projects and things we do. So I put together a small collection of some of my favorite photos of them opening their gifts. Note: I am TERRIBLE with on camera flash. Ugh-hate using it. But the important thing for our family history is having these (any) family photos someday – perfect or not, they will be treasured more and more as time goes on. So I am embracing candid casual photography, to most enjoy these times with my family. There is a little description with each photo. But I’ll also say that aside from what they are sitting in, and a small gift each from us, they also got a few small things together, and one bigger item (which has not yet arrived), and will be part of another post (a major room revamp), coming soon.

If you look through the slideshow, you can use the arrows to go to the next one. Anytime you want to get out of the slideshow mode, simply click ON the photo, and it will close out.

[Show as slideshow]

However you and your family does Christmas, we hope it was beautiful, meaningful, peaceful, and you were surrounded by love and happiness.

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Braces Off & Earrings In.

December 21, 2012 By Laura 8 Comments

So sure, these things happen every single day. No big deal really. Except we all know they are kind of a big deal within a family. These 2 happenings in our family, were in the same day! In fact, within the same hour. While our oldest girl was getting her braces off at the orthodontic’s office, her little sister was getting her ears pierced just across the way. Both were somewhat of a long time coming, and so they were exciting. And anyway, we tend to celebrate every-little-thing in life, because well, we enjoy joy.

Of course, I took a photo of Alexis before we left for her appointment . . . . . . .

And after (on the next day…)…

Truth be told, when we got the news, I was more excited than she was about getting her braces off. She’s not much about appearances, under any circumstances. She’s just a different kind of girl sometimes, and you know, it’s another reason why we love her so much. Her reply about getting her braces off was this; “I’ll just be happy to *finally* be able brush my teeth correctly again!”

She’s a very happy brusher now.

And here’s our beautiful, sweet little ‘O’ . . . . . .

. . . . . . but with earrings now.

She wanted them pierced when she was 9 years old. Her Daddy said, “Maybe when you’re 10.” Boy did that year fly by for Daddy. ; ) Her birthday was at the end of August, but I’m kind of a freak about these things I guess, and I really (really) did not want to take her to any mall-type place. I spent months trying to get it done by a true piercer specialist. I just couldn’t get my hands on the one thing I needed. I won’t bother repeating myself about the details of that, but if you’re on Facebook and interested, you should be able to read more about that here.

Anyway, she really reminds me of her paternal grandmother in these photos.
‘O’ has a 7 week countdown to when she can take these little CZ posts out, and wear the teeny-tiny dangle earrings she bought with her own money at the waterfront festival this year. (And also another count-down to a year or so from now, when she and her triplet brothers will have their braces put on.)

So for all of you who were asking for photos, there you go! All 4 of them are growing so fast. These ages, milestones and stages seem to be behind us before we even see them coming! Maybe because we are so distracted by living and celebrating the present. Even the little things. That’s got to be a good thing. It sure feels good.Ct

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A Great Pie Taste-Testing! | $50 to Williams-Sonoma

December 21, 2012 By Laura 35 Comments

All about PIE! This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Mrs. Smith’s. All opinions are 100% mine.

Say “I” if you love pie! And if you love free money, you can put some whip cream on top of that! This should be a fun post for you. It sure was for us!
Recently, Mrs. Smith’s asked us to try their new Mrs. Smith’s Signature Deep Dish pies, and also sent us a sweet prize to give away too.

$50 to spend at Williams-Sonoma!

I’m actually one to bake my pies from scratch. But in a crunch, Mrs. Smith’s is my store-bought pie to fall back on!

My husband and kiddos love pie from anywhere, so they were all over this one! So I thought it would be fun for them to have a great pie taste-testing!
And guess what? No one disagreed!
Imagine that.

Our eager pie-tasting contestants. The kids were napkin-bibbed, with forks and fists.
They were ready to stuff their pie-holes.
(Pun intended. ; )
Here’s what Mrs. Smith’s was dishing up for us:

Signature Deep Dish Cherry Pie with Butter Fudge Sauce
Signature Deep Dish Peach Pie with Cream Cheese Icing
Signature Deep Dish Dutch Apple Pie with Caramel Sauce
Signature Deep Dish Pumpkin Pie with Cream Cheese Icing

And the kids got tasting, all of them!
And I just took photos . . . . . .

Time to switch plates.

Discerning the flavor.

They were loving every minute!

And you can bet Michael/Daddy was off-camera to the side, tasting them all too.

And also having fun designing some more with the sauces and icing.

Afterwards, each one of the kids wrote down their reviews on all 4 of the pies they tried, in one of my many notebooks.

They were so cute and serious about it. Like real little food critics.

Here are some of their comments:
“The peach pie tastes great, and the cream cheese topping was better than I thought!”
“One reason I liked the apple pie is because the apple and caramel blend perfectly together.”
“The peach filling was sticky and gooey, which made it even better!”
“The cream cheese icing was a good choice for the sticky peach!”
“I liked the pumpkin pie. The spices taste good with the pumpkin.”

You can learn more about Mrs. Smith’s Pies on their Facebook or follow them on Pinterest

So the pie-tasting began so late in the afternoon, that the kids pretty much had pie for supper. I did have them eat at least a small and healthy meal afterwards, just so I would feel better about it.
And then their Daddy took me out to dinner. And we had a wonderful time.

NOW……. who wouldn’t be interested in winning this?!
Yes. A $50 Gift Card to Williams-Sonoma. And with it, I will also send you a coupon for a free Mrs. Smith’s Signature Deep Dish Pie of your own.
Someone is going to win. And it might as well be you! Right?

You can shop, and then have some pie! That’s what I’d call a good day. ; )

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“I Am Third” | A Wood Pallet Sign

December 5, 2012 By Laura 9 Comments

It’s always a great day, when I finally get something OUT of my head, and am able to find the time to bring it to life, and have it real and in front of me. It makes me happy because, there’s a whole lot in my head, that never (ever) gets out! I wish I could do all of the projects that I actually think of, but I have other joyful obligations too, than just being all artsy 24/7. So only a small percentage of my notions ever actually come to be.
I’m really glad this one did though, because it’s a meaningful one in our home.

The vision was a wood pallet sign. And we usually have no shortage of those, as this is what our driveway often looks like . . . . . .

. . . . and there’s more where those came from. Michael is able to get them from work by the load anytime. Many of them he chops up and we burn in our wood stove. Free wood is always good! But they are great for many other things too. And a pallet was perfect for my idea for the sign I wanted to make.

The theme of the sign is a phrase we are fond of in our family, and try to live by, and it is this:

I am third.
You may well guess all on your own.
Like all families with many kids, one of my tasks as a parent is to teach my children to always put God first, be compassionate of others, and make great efforts to be selfless whenever possible. Having triplets, you can imagine we’ve had many teachable moments and conversations about this kind of thing from toddler-hood on up, while encouraging them to share, and not grow with any kind of mindset that our own wants and needs should always or ever be first. That’s just not how we roll, as Christians. Of course, this philosophy of serving, goes far beyond the constraints of our family, and the walls of our home. It applies to our world and every day we live in it, and with all whom we interact with across the board, from absolute strangers, to acquaintances, to loved ones a part of our personal lives, and everyone in between whom we happen upon daily . I want that to stick with my kids, as they grow older in their faith, and take on this world, with all of their plans and dreams before them. It can only help, for each one of us to be reminded often.

And so with another an extra piece of plywood, some old extra nails we had on hand, and some paint and a brush, the pallet sign I saw in my head for so long, was created:

Because of the list form of my idea, I saw the pallet as the perfect material for the sign.
It was cut down to a size of about 20″ x 27″.

I wanted it kept as simple as possible. Rustic, raw, and straightforward. Sure, it may not always be easy to live the message.
But God always forgives us, and we always have the opportunity to keep on trying.
It is a simple concept to remember, in terms of the priorities we want to strive to serve in our life:
God
Others
Self

For some reason, I always saw it in this darker red. When it came time to paint, I stopped and considered other colors.
But I really needed to create it just as I had envisioned it for so long. Or else I could go crazy.

Michael hung it up the very same day. Right there where we all see it, again and again, every day. He loves it as much as I do.
I suppose others may come into our home, start to read it, and be a little perplexed. But one of the most cherished things about having a home to me, is making it a place that is meaningful to our family. It’s the little things, that are personal and of the heart, that make it feel like home. And this sign….. and all it says….it means something to us. It’s an awareness that we want to be reminded of, again and again. Not just the kids. But all of us. I know I can use such a gentle reminder, as often as anyone else.

There is lots more space on this particular wall in our open living space, up there with the clock. The wall is much bigger than it even appears in this photo, with the cathedral ceiling. We realize the sign is so flush left, and leaves the wall as a whole quite unbalanced. But we’re ok with that for now. Soon enough, the wall all around the clock will be filled with other things that mean something to us. Maybe more signs. Who knows. But we have no desire to rush these things, just to fill up and balance the wall. It’s what is hanging there, that matters to us.
All of the space? Well, that’s what I call inspiration. Like a blank sheet of lined paper, or a canvas. The possibilities are endless, and exciting.

The kids have really embraced the lesson, most days. But when they are together and it’s needed, because one, or some, or all are reverting back to looking out for themselves over little things, I like to remind them:
“If everyone put everyone else second, you’ll always actually be second, too! Not third. Right? So just be a good example.” ; )
I’m a tricky Mama. ; )

I wonder what I’ll be able to get out of my head, next.

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