Gray wedges, Target.

I brought back the scarf from Thailand. Jean jacket, Gap. Layered Bracelets–Thin sterling cuff, Devoted bracelet, my shop.

This dress is shorter than I would usually wear–but the thick gray tights make it perfect for a warmer winter day. Similar dress, Gap.

My dear necklace, my shop. Tights, Target. Jean jacket, Gap. Molded heart bracelet, My shop.

Boots, Fossil.

I’m off to Blissdom today! I’m excited and nervous–so many people I want to see and new people to meet. I’m so sad to leave my boys but looking forward to some girl time. Maybe next Wednesday I’ll share pictures of all the cute outfits people wore from Blissdom–if I don’t get lazy and forget about my camera. What was the last thing you did that made you feel kind of nervous?

Q. What are your three favorite things about Thailand?
A. 1) Taking a shower.  During hot season I take three or four a day!
2) Mango & sticky rice.  If you’ve ever tasted it, you’ll understand.
3) All my worlds touch here.  I was born in New Zealand, raised in Colombia, and spent my adult life in both California and Russia.  In Thailand I am surrounded by memories of my tropical upbringing in Colombia with the plant-life, fruits and weather, am working with Americans, send my kids to a bilingual school run and taught by New Zealanders and enjoy visits from our old Russian friends frequently, as Thailand is the number one tourist destination for Russia.

Q. What are a couple unique experiences your kids are getting by living in a different country?
A. Having a chance to experience life as an outsider is a gift.  I believe it will give them a heart of compassion and understanding for those they encounter in the future that may not fit in.  I hope that sacrificing ease and comfort for the sake of bringing justice and dignity to the marginalized and impoverished will grow a selfless worldview in them.

Q. As a mom, is there anything you feel guilty about?
A. I feel guilty when I realize I am more worried about people thinking I am a perfect mom with kids who behave exactly how I want them to, than I am actually concerned with loving my kids well and raising them in this messy world to hope in Jesus.

Q. Are there any new foods you’ve tried since moving to Thailand?
A. Yes!  And everything new I have tried has been delicious.  (I have to confess, I haven’t tried fried bugs, but I do firmly believe that if and when I do, I will think they were pretty good, considering they were…fried bugs.)  My favorite new dish that I have grown to love here is Som Tam. A salad made primarily from shredded unripe payaya, with tomatoes, lime juice, garlic, chilli peppers, fish sauce, and nuts – it is a perfect combination of spicy, sour, sweet, and salty.

Q. How do you relax and get refreshed?
A. A one-hour, ten-dollar Thai massage does the trick every time.

Q. What has been the hardest thing about living in Thailand?
A. Learning another language.  The actual language is fascinating and unlike any I’ve ever studied, but with a full life as mom of four I feel like I never have enough time or energy to devote to it.  Not being understood never feels good.

Q. What do you and your husband do for date night?
A. I throw on a helmet, hop on the back of his motorcycle and we head off to try out a new restaurant, walk the night market, or sit in a quiet café to talk over coffee.

Q. Anything else we should know about you?
A. I will be traveling to visit my thirtieth country this month: China.  With our parents in California (and mine retiring to New Zealand next year), a sister in Colombia and a brother in London, I am grooming one of my children to grow up and become a commercial airline pilot, because all this travel is killing our budget!

Debbie, thank you for sharing a bit of your journey with us! It makes me want to be more adventurous and experience life with my kiddos. I love you, friend!

Is there an adventure or experience you desire for yourself or your family? Please share!

hello no school

hello lazy morning at nana’s house

hello blissdom {I leave Wednesday}

hello laundry

hello packing

hello grocery shopping

hello meal prep for my boys while I’m away

hello not ready to be away from them again

hello Lindsey, Jessica and Maggie–my blissdom roomies!! {The only one missing? Mique!!}

hello ready for some girl time

hello fun things to share this week

hello winner to announce from our instagram challenge!

hello big week with lots to do

hello monday! ready, set, go!

leave a comment and tell us what your week holds–or link up your own ‘hello monday’ post in the comments section.

I snapped this picture while walking through the market in Khon Kaen, Thailand. I miss our friends so much!

Yum. Spring rolls at the mall in Thailand. And the sticky rice with mango? Loooove.

Our long flight home {30 hours of travel each way} included some very puffy clouds–and also about 5 movies, lots of snacks and very little sleep.

It was wonderful to be home and be with the boys again. My energy level was pretty low–so the first couple days included a lot of snuggling and laying around.

We were watching Peter Pan a few evenings ago, and David sat next to Matthias and put his hand on his leg. Their relationship is different than most brothers, but sometimes I see a real connection, and it makes my heart full.

One of my favorite chores is dishes. I love how I can take something messy and in 10 minutes make it sparkle.

Erika, one of our longest employees, and a friend, made these seriously cute cupcakes on Valentine’s day. Some had ‘XO’ and some said ‘love’ in cursive. Adorable!

Also on valentine’s day, I walked down an alley and saw chalk hearts on a brick wall–which made me smile.

The trees are starting to blossom. It’s early and we’ve had a very warm winter. I love the tiny pink flowers.

I think bath time is one of David’s favorite things to do. He laughs and splashes and goes crazy.

Do you instagram? This weekend take a pic of your favorite piece from Lisa Leonard Designs on instagram and be entered to win a $100 gift card. Make sure to use hashtag #mylisaleonard. So fun!

We are headed to Fresno to visit family and friends this weekend. I am hoping to get some good rest and put jet lag behind me. And next week is Blissdom! So I’ll be prepping for that as well. I’m bringing lots of fun, new things to the handmade market–so if you’re coming, please find me and say hi!

What are your plans for this weekend?

I paired the dress with jeans from Anthropologie. The locket was my grandmother’s and has a photo of my grandfather inside. The wooden bracelets were thrifted for $1 each.

And my new favorite boots from Lotta from Stockholm.

I love to shop for chunky vintage necklaces {with lots of color}, wooden bracelets or cuffs, brooches and bags. On the right day, I can find something fun, unique and totally affordable–love that. Do you ever hunt for vintage or thrifted accessories?

]]> http://www.lisaleonardonline.com/blog/what-i-wore-wednesdays/wiww-vintage-accessories/feed 16 http://www.lisaleonardonline.com/blog/diy/his-very-own-art-gallery http://www.lisaleonardonline.com/blog/diy/his-very-own-art-gallery#comments Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:08:14 +0000 Lisa Leonard http://www.lisaleonardonline.com/blog/?p=11564 A couple months ago, Matthias told me, “In our next house, I want to have my very own art gallery.” And since we have plenty of space, and no plans to move any time soon, I thought, “Why not give him an art gallery now?”We have a loft upstairs that connects all the bedrooms. It’s a great space but I’ve never really decorated it.  I pulled everything out of the room–some random throw pillows, an old lamp and some random toys–and left just the basics for a clean slate.

Here’s the finished space. It’s whimsical and simple–a perfect kid’s space. I framed a few of his favorite pieces of art–and there’s lots more room for more framed artwork!

We found this couch a couple years ago at Pottery Barn. It was a floor model and marked way down. It’s super comfy.

The chair is from Target quite a few years ago and it’s still in great condition.

I picked up a couple new pillows and the small aqua lamp from Target. All of it was on sale–nice!

I love this Eric Carle style sun art that Matthias did last year in first grade.

I drew some chalk frames on the chalkboard and we can add more frames and art as needed.

Matthias loved it. And now he has his very own art gallery!  Doesn’t it make you want to pull out the watercolors and create?

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Here are some pics from around the house while I worked out the manual focus…

Hello tree with layers and layers of bark, and lots of background blur {love that}

Hello winter that just can’t make up its mind–chilly winter mornings transform into sunny spring afternoons

Hello creating and creating and creating. Matthias makes so many masterpieces–I can’t keep them all organized!

Hello carousel of crayons that David loves to knock over–and it takes a while to pick up all those crayons

Hello blurry heart garland leading to funky plaster bust. This entryway is about to get a makeover!

Hello needing to go buy the paint color you picked. Are you curious which color won?

Hello little plaster bust who would look lovely piled with colorful necklaces

Hello getting inspired to spruce up our home and clear some clutter

Hello day off school with a lazy morning and pancakes

Hello open house tonight–are you coming?

Hello email to catch up on {I’m pretty sure I say that every Monday!}

Hello piles of laundry {I’m pretty sure I say that every Monday, too!}

Hello Valentines to make for each boys’ classroom

Hello day to express your love. Maybe I should think about trying to plan a date night?!

Hello flowers in an aqua vase in a sunny window

Hello menu for the week that includes white bean chili with ground turkey and homemade low-carb chicken strips and sweet potato fries. {I’m hoping Matthias will love my healthy chicken strips more than McDonalds!}

Hello city blur {this shot was taken in LA right before we flew out for Thailand}

Hello Monday! I’m still a little bit jet-lagged but with another cup of coffee I’ll be ready to go!

What does your week hold? Leave a comment of better yet, link up your own hello monday post in the comments section!

Our updated sweet and simple birdie necklace is just that–absolutely sweet and simple enough for any outfit. Perched on a tree, this little bird is perfectly content.

It’s only $42 and this weekend, get free standard shipping with code sweetbirdie. Offer expires Sunday at midnight, PST. US only, not valid with any other offers.

Click here to shop the sweet and simple birdie necklace!