The Little Moments...

January Craft Time with cousins

2012-01-29T14:54:00.003-05:00

I'm so lucky to have my cousin Colleen and her family across town from me. Our little girls get along really well and we have decided to schedule times to get together more frequently. If it's not on the calendar, it just doesn't happen.....ha.....with so many things, it seems! Anyway, we both like to make stuff and are mildly addicted to Pinterest.

Olivia with her heart shaped cupcake.

These cupcakes turned out good, considering I forgot to add the eggs. I always use applesauce instead of oil, but leaving out the eggs was a surprising calorie reducer. They were a bit more dense.

Belle made a mountain of frosting.

We tucked a ball of foil into the cupcake pan to shape them into hearts. I considered saving the balls for next time I need heart shaped cupcakes....but thought that was a tad TOO thrifty. Kinda wish I had now.....

Sweet tooth

Next up, another pinterest project idea.
"This is a MOMMY craft." we must have explained 17 times before the kids ran off to play.
We painted wooden hearts in conversation heart colors and then printed out our family names for each heart.


AWWWWW SWEET!

Chocolate, crafts, cousins:

A perfect afternoon.

no more wings

2012-01-23T14:53:00.000-05:00

"My shirt has WINGS on the sleeves!!!! Think you can do anything about that?" a co-worker asked me.
I guess I'm starting to get a reputation for alterations. (I personally would call them HACK JOBS, but whatever.)

I tried on the shirt myself, and yup...the sleeves were wing-y.
2 quick snips, 2 quick seams and it's done.

The note says,

"I think the shirt will fit better now that I cut off the wings!"
And I taped the extra fabric onto the note just...because.

I'm always amazed that the smallest tweaks can make such a difference in clothing. :)

Sledding at RIT

2012-01-22T19:44:00.000-05:00

It was a cold, sunny day.
Gorgeous blue sky and puffy clouds.
20 degrees and no wind.

The perfect day for a family adventure with the Christmas sleds.

I thought and thought about the perfect place to go with a 6yr old, 4 yr old, 2 yr old.
someplace close to home....
someplace with bathrooms...
someplace not crowded.

Hello, R.I.T.!!!

(When I graduated college, I was awarded "Person most likely to never leave RIT". If those people saw me taking my kids sledding outside the dorms.....LOL. It's true...I really like RIT)

It was so much more fun than I expected. I whooped and hollered every. single. time. The kids had a blast. Kaylee said it was "Wicked Fast". (where did she pick that up?)

We stayed for an hour, and by the time we walked back to the car, all three kids were crying.

Joshua because he was hungry.

Kaylee because she was cold.

Grace because she didn't want to leave.

Brian and I just grinned and held hands while we drove 1.5 miles back home. Family memories were made....and the tears will be forgotten.

oh christmas tree, oh paper tree

2012-01-20T14:47:00.001-05:00

I made a few Christmas decorations, but this was my favorite. I still havn't put it away, actually.

Rolled up scrapbook paper, random jewels, pearls and buttons glued on like ornaments.

"So that's where our pizza pan is? I was looking for that the other day!!!" Brian said to me.
"Oh, sorry...." I replied. But I was thinking, "Dude, I spray painted that thing a couple years ago for some other project, and you're missing it now?"

I love that pizza pan as a back drop/ frame thing. I'll keep my eye open for more of them at thrift stores....and maybe, just maybe I'll put one back in cupboard for Brian to use for pizza. :)

Things heard around my house: December 2011

2011-12-31T20:23:00.000-05:00

Brian: Joshua! Stop picking your nose and eating your buggars. It’s really gross!

Joshua: Well, Kaylee picks her nose too.

Brian: That’s true. You *do* pick your nose a lot, Kay.

Kaylee: Yes. But I don’t eat my buggars! I just put them all over the house!

(Maybe I should have a category for “Things I wish I Hadn’t Heard Around my House”)

“LOVE ALWAYS WINS !” I overheard someone yell in the car. I listened to figure out the context…and this is what I heard:

Paper, scissors, rock, building. Building wins!

Rock, paper, scissors, toilet. Toilet wins!

(Rock, paper, scissors, love. Love always wins.)

After school, Joshua told me: “There’s one birthday in my classroom for December, but that person is invisible.” Huh? “It’s Jesus”, he whispered like a secret. “But Jesus is in every classroom!!”

(Grace is transitioning into no naps…some days less we find her in funny spots)

“I LOVE Cheetos!” (Pause) “But I hate Styrofoam.” Kaylee

“I don’t want to go to bed! Never! NEVER!” Grace

“Hey! I know who your dad is!” Joshua said after I told a story about when I was a kid.

Brian: Are you going to the store today to get some essentials like milk?

Me: Yes. Milk and chocolate.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T14:13:00.001-05:00

It was the night before Christmas

2011-12-24T01:31:00.000-05:00

It was the night before Christmas…..and they all fell asleep in the car.

I don’t know why, but I think it’s really funny when that happens. Funny enough to say, “Hey take a picture of them!”

We spent Christmas Eve afternoon and dinner at Grandpa’s house doing fun things like duffle bag rides and opening presents.

Right before we left for a church service, Grace had a massive blow out diaper. I didn’t bring an extra set of clothes because last time I did, no one needed them. We hosed her off and then began searching for some clothes for her. In the closet, I found a diaper bag that I had stashed just for this purpose….4 years ago. I found a shirt that fit, but it had transformers on the front. NICE CHRISTMAS EVE OUTFIT.

Joshua wore some jeans that had a small rip in the knees. (I just can’t catch everything before we walk out of the house….. ) In the car, he managed to turn that small rip into an absolutely GIGANTIC rip. I mean, like “worse than I’ve ever seen” ripped jeans. See????

My mom asked if the church people saw my family and offered to take up a collection so I could clothe my family at Christmas. LOL.

At one point, I gave Grace my phone to play with, and she managed to turn on Beyonce’s “Put a Ring on it” during the sermon. I had an agonizing 5 seconds of desperately pushing pause and play and pause and play on the phone. Nothing like a little R&B ON-CHRISTMAS-EVE.

The kids were restless, they covered their ears with their hands, told me 67 times how thirsty they were.

Going to church is hard. We don’t do it much. But on Christmas Eve it was just where I needed to be. Listening to the songs of the season, the ones that mean the most at this time of year.

Glory to God in the Highest

“I’m married”

2011-12-23T01:06:00.000-05:00

Kaylee’s pre-school put on a Christmas play, that was insanely well attended and documented. I bet least 30 people have a full recording of the 10 minute performance.

Kaylee got the part that every girl wants: Mary, the mother of Jesus. But she totally doesn’t get it.

She told everyone that she was ‘married’. If you ask (as everyone does) “Are you playing the part of Mary?” she’ll enunciate very slowly, “No. I said I’m MARRIED. Not Mary.”

Joseph, Married, and a shepherd.

Shower curtain and hoodies

2011-12-08T15:50:00.000-05:00

This red hoodie wasn't getting much wear...it was a size too big and I'm not a huge hoodie person. I took a couple inches off the sides and arms which made a big difference it how it fits me. (I'm pretty excited that I didn't screw this part up! LOL) I found some beautiful red fabric for $3 at Craft Bits and Pieces, my favorite junk store and sewed a lining for the hood.

Hello. Awesome. Hoodie.

From the front, only a little tiny bit of the awesomeness can be seen.

Next up: ablank white tee is like a blank canvas

$2 white tee from Target (clearance)
Lacy hower curtain from mom

I cut out a hunk of lace from the shower curtain, then sprayed it with spray adhesive. This helped it stick to my shirt so I didn't have to use a million pins. I sewed around the edges and in random places in the middle. It looks....uh.... pretty good! (If I can say so myself?)

Way more interesting than when I found it at Target, and a pretty good layering piece for my sweaters. I know this shirt is destined for a stain sooner than later, so I plan to dye it a fun color when that happens.

Santa 2011

2011-12-08T15:23:00.001-05:00

One of the first interpreters I ever met was "Santa". If you've worked at RIT or attended school there in the past 25 years, I bet you've seen him around.   It's pretty easy to spot this jolly old fellow amidst a sea of college students.

We take the kids for pictures with Santa every year, even though it's something I feel a little funny about. (Santa was practically like the devil, when I was growing up.)   I love that Santa signs, that he knows Brian and I and now our kids too.

"I think I saw Santa's bedroom." Kaylee whispered and pointed down the hall.    LOL

My little guy was skeptical, nervous and blown away all within a span of a few minutes. At 6 years old, he's *pretty* sure that Santa is just a fun story.... It must be confusing to be a kid at Christmas time.

Last night we opened up one of the Christmas book presents, and read "God Gave us Christmas". It's a very sweet book with amazing pictures. I appreciate that it mentions Santa in passing, but emphasises all that God has given us, including Jesus as the best present of all. I want my kids to hear all the different stories there are at this fun time of year.
1

It’s December first!!!!

2011-12-01T21:27:00.001-05:00

And I am ready! (Or as ready as I’ll ever be)

Last week I wrapped up all of our Christmas books. It took $1.50 in wrapping paper and about 40 minutes of my time while I watched something on TV. I keep the basket WAAAAAAY up high on a bookshelf, and each night this month, the kids will take turns picking out a book, unwrapping it and then reading it together. I love this tradition!

Our Elf, Martin, arrived today for the first time from the North Pole. The kids kept checking to see if he had moved from his spot on the mantle. This is a new tradition, and I hope to God that I can remember to move the dude to a new spot each night!

Our tree is up.

A batch of Christmas cookies has been baked. (triple recipe)

Christmas lights have been strung on the porch.

It’s December first….. BRING IT! I’M READY!

Things heard around my house: November 2011

2011-11-30T09:32:00.003-05:00

Me:   Gracie, do you have a dirty diaper?
Grace: Yes. It’s lucky.
Me: I know…it’s yucky.
Grace: It’s ‘GUSTING!!
Me: Totally disgusting….

Gracie is learning her ABC's:
"ABCDEXYN now I know my abc's, next time won't you sing with me."   (We're working on it.)

I inquired about the “talk” that Joshua had with Daddy about hitting. He said,   “I’m under punctuation. If I hit my sisters again, it doesn’t matter what time it is, I will be sent to my room for the rest of the night. But if one of my sisters hits me, they should go under punctuation too!”

“Where in the TRUMPET are we going now?” Joshua asked when we turned down an unfamiliar street.

(They have more fun picking the paper wrappers off than actually coloring!)

At the pre-school play, Kaylee and Jack were Native Indians.
I overheard this conversation on the drive home:
Kaylee: Jack, I want to marry you!
Jack: Friends don't marry friends!

Grammy’s friend brought over 7 Dalmatian puppies that were 4 weeks old.
Awwwww! Puppies and kids...

"I just love monarch butterflies.
They are so beautiful. I really miss them.
(BIG SIGH) I haven't seen them in YEARS!" (She's 4.)

Let’s go on an adventure

2011-11-29T20:52:00.000-05:00

We found a new spot to hike near my mom’s house.

It’s one of my favorite things to do.

They are some of my favorite people in the world.

It’s so beautiful in so many ways.

(Even though we had to carry the girls all the way back and listen to a million complaints about cold it was.)

All part of the adventure.

Interpreter Line of Clothing

2011-11-27T15:07:00.001-05:00

Looks like a scarf, right?

But when it's time for me to interpret, I can move the fake scarf behind me.....

And it can hang out there like a cape or something, leaving the front of me with a solid backdrop to sign.

I had this super soft, pretty fabric laying around my sewing table from when I made that velcro belt. It matched this purple sweater that Cindy gave to me. I love the sweater's solid color and the little tufting at the shoulders. Really, it's a great sweater all by itself, especially to wear when I'm working. But I just couldn't leave a good thing alone.

Brian thinks I should start a line of clothing for sign language interpreters and make a butt load of money. I think a scarf/ cape is weird and I'm not sure I like it. Creative? for sure.... but I have a feeling that I'll be snipping that beautiful piece of fabric off pretty soon. :)

mittens from sweaters

2011-11-26T15:30:00.007-05:00

Of course this mitten idea came from good old Martha Steward. And of course I LOVE THIS IDEA!!! I have several sweaters that have been hanging around, waiting to be transformed into something.

First up was a soft gray sweater that I had shrunk in the laundry I was pretty sad when that happened, but it was something I found at a thrift store, so not too too sad. The first mitten turned out.....uh... bad, but the second turned out great. Whew....love a quick learning curve. I used the hem of the sweater as the bottom of the mitten.

Next up was a blue wool sweater that was always just a tad too tight and too warm for me to wear (also from some thrift store many, many years ago). I cut it up into 4 mittens. A set for me and a set for Kaylee. A little lace, cuz I'm fancy like that.

I'm not a huge mitten fan, but you know how the steering wheel is so cold in the morning? These have been the perfect thing to wear this week.

I made a belt

2011-11-25T14:17:00.005-05:00

What an amazing "Indian summer" we've had this fall. It's been really great weather, but I gotta say that I'm happy to be able to pull out my leggings, tall boots and cardigans. Ultimate comfy clothes. The purple dress below was something I wore A LOT when I was pregnant, and I always felt good in it. I love the color, but needed to change it up to get past my "maternity wear" mindset.

I found some gorgeous knit fabric at Joann's and bought the remainder of the bolt. A few Christmas treats have been made with it, and I used some leftover material to make this belt.

I fiddled around with it and decided to close it in the back with some velcro.

Or I can wear it around my neck. A versatile little piece!

I'm thankful for these little clowns

2011-11-24T10:23:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Among the many things to be thankful.......

Grace is our little automatic kiss dispenser.

The sweetest thing around.

I'm thankful when the kids play together.
Some days there are more giggles than tears.

I'm thankful for two little sisters who are starting to become friends.
They take coloring time very seriously.
A sister is a built in lifetime friend.

Taylor Swift's song "Never Grow Up" is exactly how I feel about these kids....

Your little hands wrapped around my finger
And it's so quiet in the world tonight
Your little eyelids flutter 'cause you're dreaming
So I tuck you in, turn on your favorite night light

To you, everything's funny
You got nothing to regret
I'd give all I have, honey
If you could stay like that

Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
Just stay this little
Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up, don't you ever grow up
It could stay this simple

Ruffled Sweatshirt

2011-11-23T14:23:00.002-05:00

One of my very favorite purple shirts got a splash of melted butter. I hate when that happens! I knew immediately that the shirt was doomed. I'm terrible at laundry, and sure enough, the stain did not come out. I saved the shirt....(of course I did.) The other day inspiration hit and, I dug it out of my "pile of ruined clothes". I used the back of the shirt to make ruffles, and then sewed them onto a sweatshirt that someone gave me. (Thanks Cindy!)

When it's unzipped, it looks pretty cute. But as soon as I zip it up, lol, you can see my imperfectly sewn strips.... oh well.

wedding garter headband

2011-11-22T06:40:00.000-05:00

I never expected my wedding garter to be used in this way, but why not, right? I applaud creative accessories and outfits, so I asked her to pose for a pic.

Brian took her picture, and then told her to take it off and get ready to leave for pre-school.

MELT DOWN CITY!!!! She was devastated.

I assured Kaylee that she could wear it to school if she wanted to. (even though Brian was horrified at the idea) Gotta pick the battles, and this is one she can win.

Of course, as soon as she walked into the classroom, she pulled the "headband" off and it hasn't been seen since.

ruffled crepe paper

2011-11-21T10:50:00.036-05:00

"I hate ruffles. I JUST HATE RUFFLES!" I overheard Kaylee tell Grammy.

Whaaaaaaaaaa??????   Is this really my child?   She's living in a ruffled world whether she knows it or not.

I made some ruffled decorations for a few parties we had recently.
I used $.99 crepe paper (which I'm not a fan of) and sewed them together.
I'm a big fan of ruffled crepe paper. HUGE improvement!

What a happy little mess of paper ruffles!
One of my friends at the party said, "You seriously sewed crepe paper together? I can't believe you had time for that!" I don't think she was trying to be mean....   but her comment made me stop and wonder if I should have spent those 25 minutes in a more worthy manner....more productive....something that was life changing

But that's who I am.....
and it made me happy....
and made my kitchen festive on a day of celebration.

I got this idea from Dana Made It, who has mad sewing skills.   I only copy her easy projects, and drool over the other projects that she does, especially the children's clothing.

Flower power pillow

2011-11-20T09:52:00.026-05:00

This cute pillow has been on my "To Do" idea list for a long time. I first saw the idea on Cluck Cluck Sew and really liked the dimension and the idea of using felt to make something beautiful, instead of tacky. Maybe I'm the only one, but for me "felt" reminds me of Sunday School crafts, of which I'm not a fan.

On my first attempt, I had the bad idea to glue petals directly onto the pillow using fabric glue. I wanted to watch some show, probably Parenthood and thought I could do something productive at the same time.    I was not happy with the result...but the kids had fun pulling the petals off.   Grrrrrrrrr.

"IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED, TRY TRY AGAIN."

I'm not always willing to try again, let alone try two more times....but I gave it one more shot and sewed the felt petals on properly.    It was worth the extra effort!    There it is, hanging out on my brand new couch. The other pillow covers are from Dubai, and I'm crazy about the splashes of color that they bring. Thanks mom!

Camisole + sweater re-do

2011-11-19T09:51:00.004-05:00

This black cardigan was one of my first "interpreter dress code" items. I can throw it over any outfit and instantly have the right backdrop for my hands to sign. It's super warm, but ridiculously plain and boring. I haven't worn it much lately.

I took a pink camisole from my mom's discard pile, cut it up into strips, ruffled them and added them to the edges of the cardigan. It's so pretty and feminine! I added black lace to the inside to cover my messy seam and a little eye hook in case I want to wear it closed.

It's no longer something I can wear to work.
It's retired.
Refashioned.
Recycled.

Pumpkins and Piano

2011-11-18T16:50:00.000-05:00

When I pulled out my Tupperware bin of Fall decorations, I found an orange sweater. It had been my Aunt Cathy’s, who passed it to my mom, who asked if I wanted it. “Sure!!! I could make it into a pillow cover or something!!”, I said. The “Or Something” turned out to be pumpkin softies. I made 2 from the body of the sweater and 2 baby pumpkins from the sleeves.I wanted to use real pumpkin stems, so I asked my neighbor and my sitter if I could have their stems before they threw them out. Both of them thought I was crazy, but were happy to donate to my creative endeavors. (Thanks Julie and Stephanie!) The stems are hot glued on, and I think it’s an interesting combination of textures.

And……I painted the piano green….totally on a whim one lazy weekend. Brian was out, the kids were resting and I had an itch to change things up. I grabbed some paint that was intended for another project and dug in. I’m in love with that shade of green combined with blue. I was wondering what Brian would say, but he hardly noticed. I had to directly ask, “DID YOU SEE WHAT I’M WORKING ON OVER THERE?”. “Hmmmm. That’s an interesting project”, he responded. LOL. I love that he doesn’t really care either way if I do something really unusual in our house….it gives me freedom to play around with different ideas. My mom, who passed the piano down to me, laughed hysterically when I showed her what I had done. ( I’m pretty sure my dad is NOT going to be a fan of this though)

This is the pumpkin that Kaylee girl brought home from pre-school. It’s a fabric wrapped roll of toilet paper. I squealed when I saw it! What a great craft for 4 year olds!

Any thoughts about my green piano? I like it. I like the pop of color, but I admit it’s a bit strange….and at some point I may re-paint it white or cream.

Please excuse the mess…

2011-11-17T12:08:00.001-05:00

…while my kids are making memories.

(They dumped out the clean laundry so they could watch a show in their own "boats".)

Eat in kitchen

2011-11-15T18:26:00.008-05:00

I am lucky to have a pretty decent size kitchen. It's about four times larger than our first kitchen, so I was THRILLED and completely happy with it for a while.   We set up our dining room table (that was a perfect fit at the old place) and thought it was great.

And it was great.....until I started really looking at the space.   Without much warning, I suddenly hated the color of the table. And then I realized the rectangle shape was ALL. WRONG. for the space. It had to go.

I found this beauty on Craig's List for $40.   It was pretty nasty and grimy, but I could see the potential in the round shape, (and an additional leaf) the great pedestal and leg combo and most of all the incredible carvings along the edges.    I love it.    Maybe "really like it" is a better way to describe it now that I've painted, glazed, repainted the top, sanded then repainted once again with oil based paint. That's three paint jobs, in case you lost count.   Just the other day Grace smashed her fork on the table and now I see 5 fork holes.   I'm not re-painting.

Once that gorg table was brought into the kitchen, I realized that a gigantic window seat would look AWESOME in the space.     I went to the ReStore and was lucky enough to nab each of the cabinets for $35 each. Lowe's donated several truck loads of brand new cabinetry to the ReStore because they were switching out the brands or something. They were marked $90 at Lowe's.   That's a deal!

I hired someone to install them, since I don't have any math skills, and very limited power tool skills.   Now I have a ton of storage space that is accessible to the kids.   Tricky.....Tricky.... What do I want out of sight, but don't care if the kids paw through it?

One of the cabinets holds crayons and coloring books. Another holds party supplies, and a bunch of them are empty for now until I can think of something the kids won't mess with.

I liked the white bench, but it was getting dirty very quickly and showing it.   I also knew that a cushion would bring in some color.   ("Why is everything around here White, WHITE, WHITE????" Kaylee complained after I painted it white, instead of purple.)

The fabric is an outdoor canvas, so it should hold up pretty good.    I love the colors in the pattern, and know that it will hide a lot of dirt.   I think that's a good thing.....

I wrapped the two foam sections in an old shower curtain liner before wrapping the fabric.   That foam is WICKED expensive, and I want it to last until the end of all time. The shower curtain will hopefully protect it from stains so I can replace the fabric as needed.   I wrapped the fabric up like a present and secured it with safety pins.   :) No sewing required!

Ruffled pillows

2011-11-14T20:37:00.000-05:00

I've decided to enter my ruffle pillow into a sewing contest, which looks really fun. Even if I'm not chosen as a contestant, I'll be watching to see the fabulous projects that are created in the process. Check out Mommy by Day, Crafter by Night to see what it's all about!

I'm crazy about the Urban Outfitter's Waterfall collection.
Don't you just love it?

All those glorious ruffles make me really happy.
But the price tag....not so happy. ($48 for a sham and $198 for a duvet)Instead, I grabbed:
*one of Brian's tee shirts for the ruffles
*a pillow form a friend gave me
*left over drop cloth fabric for the base of the pillow

I cut the entire tee shirt (even the sleeves!) into 3 inch strips. The strips ruffled up beautifully when I changed the stitch length to 5 and the tension up to 9. A gazillion pins held the ruffled lines in place for me, and I sewed 6 rows of ruffles.
I considered making a ruffle duvet for my bed......but lol....don't think that's going to happen anytime soon!

Another friend gave me an Ann Taylor cami, saying that I could probably do "something" with it. I checked to make sure I couldn't repair the straps for her (nope!), then cut the soft material up into strips and ruffled it up. I used some iron on tapeto glue it onto a really boring striped pillow.

Joshua wanted to pose with the ruffles.
Someone please tell me that he'll *really* smile one of these days... That fake grin makes me cringe.

Grandpa’s Ties

2011-11-13T10:57:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I have a great idea....and then it doesn't turn out so good.

Case in point: Embellished shirt with grandpa's old tie.

I pinned it a whole bunch of ways, but ultimately hung the boring shirt back in my closet and put the tie away in a "someday" pile in the basement.

This was the "inspiration" photo from westermanfam's blog

This is actually a "necklace" made out of a tie, and it looks super cute (on her). I'm not sure I could pull it off, to tell the truth.

I asked for all of Grandpa's ties when I saw this necklace from etsy shop, Podged. I wish I could figure out how they made that pendant because it's AWESOME! And that's a tie necklace I would actually love to wear....

Ruffles on my shirt

2011-11-07T20:25:00.002-05:00

I love when people give me a bag of stuff and say, "Here: I bet you can do something with it."

My friend's mom has been cleaning out her closet this fall and I've been the beneficiary. SWEET!

A plain white Danskin (exercise t-shirt) was in the bag. It was a tad thin but perfectly white and pristine. I already have plenty of ratty exercise shirts, so I decided to play around with the blank t-shirt canvas. I found a organza camisole (that I took out of my mom's Goodwill pile because I liked the fabric) and used that to make tone on tone ruffles.

I cut the camisole into strips, ruffled them with my sewing machine and then pinned them onto the red lady so I could get the placement just right. I had an extra strip of fabric left over, so I played with that along the collar, ruffling it up, turning it, twisting it all the way around the collar.

It's going to be a great layering piece under my fall jackets and cardigans.

I loved turning two cast away items into a super awesome shirt that I'll wear.

Halloween at our House

2011-11-01T15:14:00.002-04:00

When you have friends that love Halloween as much as the Fantastic Foxes, it becomes a day worth getting excited about. How awesome are those costumes??? Sara's mom made it all, starting with a batman mask as the base to the face. Then she sewed the dress and mailed it up to NY. Seriously...that's what I want to be doing when I'm retired. :)

Tanya put some frosting on her face to go with her clown hair. Grace called her "Dirty Tanya" all night! I threw on a blue wig and zebra hat right before heading out the door, and the kids called me a model. Love that!

Little Lady Bug with Mrs. Fox.

Grace was determined to walk (even though Aunt Sara forgot to put shoes on her little pajama-ed feet) and she was determined to carry her own treat bag. It was awesome to watch her try to get candy with those mittens on. Probably frustrating for her, but so funny to us! "I keep hand up; I keep hands up!" she would say every time someone tried to carry her treat bag for her. It was the only way she could carry it around without dumping all the contents. (which happened a few times)

After trick or treating, Mrs. Fox read the story "The Fantastic Mr. Fox", charging one piece of candy from all three kiddos.

Brian threw on a Jedi cloak that I sewed for a Halloween party about 7 years ago. It never goes out of style, so he keeps on wearing it year after year.

We went around the whole block, 5 adults happily watching the ladybug, pumpkin and superman collect free candy. Such a nice night filled with happy kids, friendly neighbors, and an awesome kid to adult ratio 5:3. I even held hands with Brian for about 2 minutes as we walked down the street, knowing that 6 other eyes were keeping track of our kids. What a great way to spend my least favorite holiday of the year. Fun times...

Things heard around my house: October 2011

2011-10-31T17:53:00.005-04:00

(Making silly faces!)

Texting one day while we were both on campus…
Me: I’m free 1-2. LMK if you have time to get an ice cream!
B: (later) didn’t see your msg in time
Me: no kidding. U suck!
B Everyone kept getting my attention…sry
Me: Ur in high demand. Lucky I married you!

Texting a few weeks later on an unseasonably awesome weather day…

Me: Class ended early! Ice cream now?

B: Sure! Let’s go.

we walked until we found each other, grinned at the mid-day date opportunity. no kids. no work. Just sunshine, fresh air, ice cream and time together.

                           (One last bonfire and smores for the fall with Grammy)
"Look at the things in my doctor bag!” Kaylee excitedly showed me things from pre-school.   Then she lowered her voice in awe, “I even have a real LIVE band aid.”

*******************************************
Joshua: What should we name the next baby in our family?
Kaylee: How about “ Zero Stanley Trager”? (we read and watched Holes recently.)
Joshua:   What is Trager spelled backwards? That would be a good name for our next baby!

(Now that Grammy has 2 puppies, Kaylee has spent a lot of time pretending to be a dog…lapping up water.)

Look at me! I got my boobs on!- Kaylee (with my bra wrapped around her little body and my boots up to her thighs)

Aunt Sara: Grace, did you want this?
Grace: (no response)
Aunt Sara: Grace, yes or no?
Grace: No
Joshua: Well, she always says the last word that you say.
Aunt Sara: Ok, Grace, did you want this? No? or Yes?
Grace: No.
Joshua: (Surprised) Hmmmmmmm. I guess she has a mind of her own!

(Saturday morning pancakes)

Joshua spent a couple days at Grammy’s house by himself. Once when he was playing with the puppies he said, “Oh! I wish Kaylee could see this!”   And another time as they built a gigantic bonfire by tossing pine needles on the fire, “I wish Kaylee could be here too!”
(This made my heart melt, considering how much time they spend fighting.)

                ( Gracie’s 2 year birthday pose)
Me:   Why are you nakey? (As she was eating ice cream after dinner)
Grace: Because.
Me: No, I asked you why?
Grace: Because.   I nakey.

“Happy Ween!” said the ladybug on Halloween.

screwy pumpkins

2011-10-30T21:24:00.000-04:00

I took the kids to pick pumpkins from a local neighbor and they each picked out itty bitty pumpkins. They didn’t even glance at the huge pumpkins, but picked out the “cute” ones….that happened to be fifty cents each. Fine by me! ha

I absolutely do not carve pumpkins, but I adore many other creative ways to decorate that orange vegetable. I saw this idea in Family Fun magazine and thought it looked fun and easy. It was.

Pretty cool, huh?

Or creepy….

Mostly funny.

Apple picking 2011

2011-10-27T22:42:00.000-04:00

Fall….

Leaves.

Warm sweaters.

Bright red apples.

Hay rides and mud.

Honestly, it was AWEFUL getting everyone dressed, fed, and out the door on a weekend morning to go apple picking. There was a point where“maybe we should just stay home instead of going out to have fun” crossed my mind. I’m not sure if I said it out loud, or just in my head. There was fighting, crying and whining….I put my hands over my ears during the car ride and told Brian he should turn his hearing aids off.

But then we pulled into Whittier Fruit Farm, where I’ve picked apples every single year of my life.

My face broke out into a huge smile.

Fresh air, green trees, red apples.

The sunshine broke through after a weeks worth of rain.

Even the kids couldn’t resist smiling.

Now that’s the kind of face I want to see!

A change of scenery….

A mission to pick the best apples on the trees….

A huge orchard to explore…

Cinnamon doughnuts to refuel from our picking adventure.

And here’s the face behind all the pictures! I love that he is willing to capture the little moments for me.

“I love your face”

2011-10-25T21:45:00.001-04:00

Grace likes to grab my mom’s face with both hands and declare:

I love your face.

I love your neck.

And my mom will practically melt, giving Grace smooches and ask “Who’s my girl?”

Gracie replies, “Gracie your girl!”

Gracie is 2!

2011-10-23T22:03:00.000-04:00

Sweet little Grace turned 2! Just look at that face! Sometimes I think, “God must have spent a little more time on you…..” (Name the boy band who sang that!)

Aunt Sara make the cake for our Strawberry Shortcake party. Making cakes is her *THING* and I was happy to provide an opportunity for her to expand her skills, which included tracing a coloring page outline onto parchment paper with black frosting and then filling the picture in with a zillion colors/ frosting tips. Super cool, right?

My mom and dad both adore this little girl.

I made her little dress by piecing together a couple different things, and then ruffling up a GIGANTIC number 2 for the front. I really intended to make a shirt, but the whole thing ended up much larger than I expected. She may be 2, but she’s still tiny!

My mom got her a life sized Strawberry Shortcake doll. If she smelled like strawberries, I’d be the one sleeping with her at night.

Wat Pa Lao Buddhadham

2011-10-18T14:32:00.001-04:00

Last month, Brian drove our family past a most unusual building.

Stunning....
beautiful....
intricate....
detailed.....
unusual....
especially in comparison to the boring suburbs surrounding the area!

This place has captured my attention.   Talk about a creative outlet!   While I'm chopping clothes apart, someone has made a totally awesome creation. It's very impressive....but those monks don't have kids, I bet.

Lately, the kids and I take a 30 second detour and pass it when we go to the sitter's house. We have been calling it the Chinese Palace.   I often pull over and we check out the grounds to see if there's anything going on. One day Joshua spotted a "palace guard mowing the grass", which we all thought was hilarious!

I did a little bit of digging to find out exactly what this place was about.
I started with facebook. ha!
Brian's boss was kind enough to post some links about the place to my facebook page. She lives very close and has watched it evolve over the years with many coats of paint.
It's actually a Laos Buddhist temple located about 4 miles from my house.    The temple includes an ornate and distinctive ceremonial hall set in the middle of 60 acres. Festivals are held inside the temple about 12 times a year and several large festivals during the summer months raise money for the monks who live there.

RocWiki has a short page about the Wat Pa Lao Buddhadham Temple.
The Rochester City Newspaper had an article describing some community concern over the summer festivals that are held on the grounds.

Re-fashion take two

2011-10-16T21:55:00.001-04:00

A couple months ago, I chopped off the bottom of a dress and added a green tank top for Kaylee. Super cute little thing for my super sweet girl to wear.

She stained the front the VERY FIRST TIME she wore it. But I let her keep wearing it….hoping people would think that she just got it dirty earlier and it’ll wash out. Am I the only one who does that? Embarrassing, but true.

Now that the weather is turning colder, I ripped the tank top off and sewed on a pretty shirt that I got on clearance last year at The Children’s Place.

I like this version even better, especially with those cute leggings.

Up-cycle

Re-fashion

Makes me happy (and Kaylee too, apparently)

Angry birds party

2011-10-14T13:03:00.001-04:00

We had a family birthday party, an "Angry Birds" event. My family loves to play that game. Sometimes when I'm trying to cook dinner, I ask Brian to play with the kids, he pulls out his phone and they gather around quietly to watch him play the game. That's a game worth having around. Even Grace knows how to scroll down on my phone and get to the right screen to play all by herself.

It seemed like a good theme for a party!

When our guests arrived, they colored Angry Bird images then glued them onto a "headband" type thing that I made with elastic and cardboard. I found the free coloring pages from CartoonJr .com

I had a couple dozen boxes from the USPS. (The priority mailing boxes are free and I like to have some on hand for mailing out Milestone Month orders)

(Grace helped me put corn in the boxes and tape them up. It was like giant building blocks for her. )

I spray painted some of the boxes gray and some brown, and then added some dried corn from an old project so they had a bit of weight to them.

I bought some plush angry birds and a water balloon sling shot from Amazon so we could set up a life sized version of the game in our backyard.

I bought a bunch of streamers, but I kinda hate streamers as decorations. I'm not good with that flimsy stuff. Instead, I had the kids grab a partner and design "angry bird" costumes. It was pretty entertaining. :) And the girls did WAAAAY better than the boys.

The balloons were super fun to make! I found a template on line at The Party Animal blog, which is an amazing resource for planning any party. I am lucky to have a friend who loves to make cakes.

(Super lucky.)

I can’t stand spending time making something that gets devoured in 2 minutes, but cake decorating is her creative outlet. And I’m happy to provide her with opportunities to be creative! ha

When I saw these cupcakes, I may have gasped and definitely squealed. Absolutely amazing, and the cutest thing I've ever eaten! They were a huge hit at the party (and I'm so glad that I wasn't the one chopping up candy and marshmallows into minuscule pieces. )

Check out Then Comes Life for more details on the "Angry Bird" cupcakes that Sara made for the party!

The boxes became a train and other fun things as the afternoon proceeded. We loved having friends and family over on a beautiful day to celebrate the Trager birthday week. (3 of us in 3 days)

Hearts beat holes

2011-10-13T12:24:00.000-04:00

I got these leggings for little K at Once Upon a Child, and she fell and ripped them open the first day she put them on.

She wears leggings under dresses every day, so I knew that it was worth a few minutes of my time to fix them up.

I cut a heart shape out of some other scraps then sewed it to cover up the hole.

Is it weird that there’s a heart on her bum?

Quick fix for my new yoga pants

2011-10-10T11:28:00.002-04:00

As if I do yoga. LOL
They are my pajama pants…
My walking-out-to-the-bus-in-the-early- morning pants. They were a few inches too long so I tied them up out of my way on a rainy morning.

These knotted pants made me think of the 80’s jeans roll. I was so good at that, although I never wore sexy shoes when I was a teenager. I also used to tie up my baggy t-shirts on the side…gah….

(Picture source)

I cut off 3 inches from the bottom of the pants and now all is well with my yoga pants. No more 80’s flash backs. Tee shirt fabric never frays, so no hemming or sewing was involved in this super duper quick fashion fix.

Ruffle Scarf out of pants

2011-10-08T08:54:00.000-04:00

Once upon a time I had a hard day with the kids. I made something lame for dinner, like grilled cheese. When Brian came home from work I calmly stated, "This is what is for dinner. I'm leaving now. It'll be much better for everyone if I go." Then I went to Dunkin Donuts to get the most amazing pumpkin muffin in the world and a decaf coffee. My very first decaf cup...."coffee without a reason", as Brian calls it. I puttered around a nearby store, then texted home to see how things were going.

Me: "I'm doing better now. Want me to come home?"

B: "We're good. Stay out as long as you want."

Smart man.

So I went to a thrift shop called Savers. I guess they are all over the place? I like ours because it's HUGE and the clothes are separated out by size.

I was browsing through the pants, sorta looking for velvet pants to cut up to make plush velvet pumpkins, when I came across ruffles. LOTS of RUFFLES. On pants.

I literally did a double take, then laughed and threw them into my cart. $5. Cheap fun....I knew I could do something cool.

I had to try them on just to see what ruffle pants would look like.

They were a perfect fit! Comfy too. I had a brief thought, "Maybe ruffled pants is a good idea! Maybe this looks really cute!"

But Brian actually gasped when I came floating down the stairs in my ruffles. "You're not going to wear that to work are you? I mean.... what is that?" LOL

I cut the legs off and sewed them together to get a long ruffled tube. Sewed a couple straight lines and

VOILA!

A super easy, super fun, ruffled, scrunchy scarf.

Ribbons and curls

2011-10-07T08:36:00.000-04:00

Is there anything better than watching the man you love playing with the kids you love? Screams of laughter are pretty much the only type of screaming I can tolerate, and watching them play is one of my favorite things to do.

Look at those happy little faces! For now, he's the greatest guy in their life and I hope it stays that way for a long, loooong time.

A big shout out to my guy for sprucing up my little spot on the web and making it super cute.

He's amazing, really.

I can do some pretty cool stuff with ribbon, but a digital ribbon? That's all Brian.

Dining room chairs

2011-10-05T16:36:00.001-04:00

This is my best advice: don’t buy brand new furniture if you think you’ll ever have kids.

My second best advice:don’t buy upholstered dining chairs if you think you’ll ever have kids.

Why didn’t anyone tell me this? MOM???

I’ve replaced the fabric on these dang chairs way more than I ever anticipated. I’ve tried outdoor canvas, thick decorator’s fabric and now my latest idea: iron on vinyl

I picked out four different cotton prints, washed the fabric then ironed on a sheet of vinyl to each.

I spray painted the chair frames white to match the new round table then stapled the new fabric to the seat cushions.

They are absolutely FANTASTIC to wipe off. Ketchup, milk, syrup…it all just wipes off.

I have no doubts that my kids will find a way to demolish and destroy these, but for now I like that they are C.L.E.A.N.

Taboo coffee mug

2011-10-03T14:41:00.000-04:00

Brian: Oh! I see you got another travel mug. That’s good, cuz we needed more.

Amy Jo: I know! I got that one for $1 at a garage sale.

Brian: What? Why did you do that? That’s like “taboo”. That’s the one thing you DON’T buy at garage sales! You don’t know what they used that for!

Amy Jo: Probably coffee. They looked like a normal family. Plus, I already put it through the dishwasher.

Brian: Well, I’m never going to use that.

Amy Jo: Great! I’m going to put a pink label on it and it’ll be for me.

I’ve washed and microwaved it many times with that vinyl label on it, and it’s holding up great so far.

So, I’m curious….would you have snagged this mug for $1 too, or do you think that’s really gross and “taboo”? (please be nice, even if you agree with Brian!)

Permanent fix

2011-10-02T11:42:00.000-04:00

I love dark wash jeans.

I like Rider jeans, and I think this is the pair I just bought. (Slender Stretch Tiffany Bootcut Jean – EbonyRider ) They are supposed to hold the shape, tummy control, and are approved by Stacey London, of “What not to wear.”

I grabbed some off the shelf at W-mart and was mostly happy when I tried them on at home. They are about 4 inches too long, but that can be fixed easy. And they had gold “accents” on the rear.

That will not do. I don’t want to call any attention to that area. Thankyouverymuch.

I got out a Sharpie permanent black marker and started coloring. The detail is still there, but now it is much more subtle. Quick fashion fix. I hope Stacey would approve…Somehow, I don’t really see her coloring on clothes, or buying from W-world either, LOL. Oh well.

Things heard around my house: sept 2011

2011-09-30T22:33:00.000-04:00

“Mama’s home!”

“Mama’s out shower!”

“Kaylee shut door!”

“Joshua naughty!”

-Gracie has a knack for stating the obvious…very loudly.

“Gracie reminds me so much of you at that age!”, my mom said. “We used to call you The Reporter because you always knew and reported on what people were doing.”

“I’m always wrong.” Joshua said.

The context had something to do with trying new food and is a direct quote-I swear!

When I grow up, I want to go to work like you and daddy! I want to do all the grown up things, just like you. And when I’m grown up, I’ll wipe my butt myself!

-Kaylee (4 yr)

Joshua: How was your first day at pre-school Kaylee?

Kaylee: Good.

Me: We met her new teacher today, and she’s very nice.

Joshua: What does she look like?

Me: She has long brown hair.

Joshua: No, I mean what color skin does she have?

Kaylee: The same color as me and as our whole family!

Interesting to see identifiers the kids use.

Brian: I heard a CRAZY rumor today!

Me: oh?

Brian: Don’t you want to know the CRAZY rumor?

Me: Sure. (I have a pretty good idea the direction this conversation is going….)

Brian: They may put Windows 8 on our phone. Isn’t that crazy?

Me: I nod, uncommitted, because I’m not quite sure if it’s crazy GOOD or crazy BAD.

Brian: Don’t you remember what happened when they tried to put Windows 7 something lada dadad ba?

I just keep eye gaze and nod, knowing that was a rhetorical question, lol. Poor guy married way out of his technology level.

“Bees are not nocturnal. They’re just turnal.” Joshua explained to Julie, the babysitter. A couple seconds later he turned to her and said, “Wait! I don’t even know what that means!”

“They sure are having fun! I don’t know if I’ve ever had that much fun grocery shopping.” an old lady commented as my girls giggled, tickled, screeched and laughed their way through the store with me.

Grace: “Mama, I horny.”

Me: hmmmm. Are you hungry?

Grace: No. I horny.

Me: ummmm. Are you happy?

Grace: No. I horny.

Me: You are horny?

Grace: Yes. (and she walked out of the room)

putt putt's decorating ideas

2011-09-29T12:24:00.029-04:00

Who do you think designs the layout for miniature golf places? Is that a career choice? Landscape artist?

So... I kinda hate playing putt putt. But the rest of my family really likes it. Sometimes I don't even play or get my own club. Chase down kids, chase down balls. That's kinda how it goes. The place near our house is strangely fascinating to me. It has some really neat elements, and some really odd things too.

See the waterfall? Nice focal point.....but the water is blue.
Like, REALLY, REALLY BLUE. Freaky blue.

The flower border is pretty sweet with the "waterfall" effect down the sides.   Lighthouse is super cute. I wonder if it lights up at night....

And this little stepping stone area?   What the??? Random slabs of cement. Random stones in the cement. I hate it.

I'm crazy about this tree and it's flowery tree skirt. AWESOME. Magazine worthy.   I totally want to copy that.

Giraffee? um..ok. Weird. Huge. Creepy eyes.

But this is what it's really about...time together.

Slip Debut

2011-09-27T09:05:00.000-04:00

7:24 AM

on route to the bus stop

zero makeup and ponytail hair

a couple sips of coffee

“I think this might be a good outfit! Can you take a quick pic?” I ask Brian. “Make sure you get an angle that doesn’t make me look pregnant!”

$11 super cute top from Clothes Mentor

$.50 salmon cardigan from a friend’s garage sale

$5 jean skirt from a thrift store years ago

$2 flirty slip that I made

$20 DSW clearance shoes

Stunt double

2011-09-26T21:06:00.000-04:00

My birthday present this year….

May there be less pin pricks and swear words in the upcoming sewing year…

Foam is Fun

2011-09-25T21:21:00.001-04:00

I love when craft “left overs” can be put to use in creative ways that don’t involve fighting.

(Leftover foam from my window seat cushions)

black ruffled sweater

2011-09-16T11:24:00.001-04:00

I found this sweater at The Clothes Mentor, a couple miles from my house.

Black is good.

Ruffles are better.

1/2 price at a consignment store

You know that’s coming home with me!

I wasn’t crazy about the buttons, and after the first wear, one of them fell off. I could either sew it back on, or make it better. (for me)

I don’t mind ruffles cascading down my chest, but a line of shiny buttons marching down the front of me? No thanks. I prefer to have a solid top when I’m interpreting or signing, which is pretty much ALL THE TIME!

I snipped the buttons off and then sewed down the front, basically turning it into a pull over sweater instead of a cardigan.

The baby was screaming during this photo shoot, so I let out a scream or two myself.

Funny, I thought I loved that grey cami with the super chunky lace edging at the bottom….but now that I “see” what it looks like, I wish it was half as thick. I can fix that……

awesome slip for skirts

2011-09-12T20:54:00.001-04:00

Have you seen those slips that are meant to be seen?

They can make a semi-short skirt seem more modest, and definitely more feminine and interesting. The one pictured below is $28 from etsy shop ASlipShop.

Super cute, right?

I remembered that I had a long slip in my drawer, probably from back when I was a teenager or something. Slips are just not something I need…..ever. But if it’s super cute, then maybe….?

I chopped the slip in half and added a 4.5 inch wide eyelet border around the edge. (I bought a ton of it from an etsy seller under the “supply” section)

I wish I could say this was easy, but SHOOT!!! That satin-y stuff is terrible to work with. I’m not proud of my sewing job on this….sigh.

It Doesn’t Have to be Perfect to be Beautiful.

I think it may work under this flowery skirt that I hacked apart to make 2 sizes larger to fit me. I lost some of the length when I did that, so a slip under it makes sense.

I think it looks the best under this denim skirt (which I never wear) because it almost looks like a ruffle peeking out of the bottom.

I have no idea if I’ll actually wear this little “undergarment”, but it makes me feel trendy and thrifty that I was able to make my own version for about $2.

A Day in the park

2011-09-11T21:27:00.001-04:00

Mendon Ponds Park

Sept 11, 2011

After watching the 9/11 memorial service this morning, we took the kids to a gorgeous park to run around. What a great place to remember all that I'm thankful for...my country, my home and most of all my little family who can make me smile.

Me: Watch out for that horse poop!

Kaylee: I think that's gerbil poop.

Me: Ok.

I'm not one to argue with a 4 year old, but I don't think she's ever seen a gerbil... because they are about the size of horse poop.

Joshua: Hey! I see Alvin over there!

Kaylee: Me too!

Alvin, as in "Alvin and the Chip-monks" . I kept my mouth shut, and just laughed.

Joshua: Dad, are you sure we're not going to get lost out here?

Brian: Yes, I know where we are. Did you know that's the reason your mom married me? I'm good with directions. You can't rely on your good looks alone, son. You gotta have brains too.

Kaylee: I think there’s a crocodile in that lake.

Kaylee liked this “star” shaped tree root. And I thought it was pretty awesome too.

flower girl dress

2011-09-10T11:47:00.000-04:00

Isn’t she just gorgeous?

My mom made this dress for me to wear as a flower girl when I was five. (We didn’t stay in touch with that couple, but ironically I now work with their daughter, who is also a sign language interpreter. Small world, right?)

This dress was in high demand in our dress up clothes when I was a kid. It is AWESOME for twirling! I made my mom save all the dress up clothes, and she gave them back to me when I got pregnant. They are finally getting some use, and I let her wear it to a birthday party. She was a princess.

Later, she wore it to get her first haircut at a salon. She got lots of compliments on it, and I tried not to cringe each time….. She was so proud to wear it.

New haircuts, and model ready.

tutu favors

2011-09-09T11:22:00.000-04:00

My cousin gives the BEST birthday parties. Seriously….she goes all out. The latest was a pretty amazing princess birthday party for her daughter.

Each girl was given a unique tutu and the boys had some really cool prince capes. My girls loved it and looked pretty stinkin cute too. They have been wearing them non-stop, so it gets my vote for “VERY BEST PARTY FAVOR EVER”.

Colleen, my cousin, has an etsy shop with a couple of friends to sell these cute tutus. Check it out here: http://www.etsy.com/shop/whimsicaldreams3?ref=pr_shop_more

A home for fairies

2011-09-07T16:46:00.000-04:00

Did you know that fairies live at Grammy’s house? They make

Kaylee spent an hour making a special spot homey with Grammy, who had perfect decorating accessories that she’s collected from nature walks over the years.

mushrooms = umbrellas

twigs + bark = table

rock = bed

leaves = blankets

acorns = chandeliers

rolled bark = sleeping bags

rocks = gems

acorn tops = bowls

When she was all done, she contentedly whispered, “I think they’re going to LOVE it!”

(and mom possibly had more fun than K did)

$5 thrifted planter

2011-09-06T13:21:00.000-04:00

I found this weird dish thing at an antique store near my mom’s new house. The color is a cool green and the shape is AWESOME or unique, or maybe just weird.

The price tag said “$5 as is”. There are some cracks in it, so the first time the kids knock it over, there’s going to be a gigantic mess in my house. Anyone want to take bets on how long it’ll last?

The metal grate on the bottom was originally gold, which was not good. 2 minutes in my garage and it was a fresh clean white.

My mom gave me these “chick and hen” plants, which don’t require much soil or care to grow. We’ll see…..

Kaylee fashion

2011-09-05T13:14:00.001-04:00

“Wow. That’s quite an outfit!” I said when Kay came down for breakfast. “How many colors are you wearing today?”

“I don’t know! There’s too many to count!” she replied.

I’m gonna have to say….if there’s too many to count, maybe that’s not such a good combo.

A container for my containers

2011-08-30T15:13:00.001-04:00

I love a good container. I try to only save the “really cool” ones out of the recycle bin, but sometimes I get carried away and end up with more Pringles cans, jelly jars and Altoid tins than I will use.

I spray painted an ugly old popcorn tin that has been sitting around my basement.

Maybe it’s a tad obvious, but hey, I like to label things.

When this “container” gets filled up with awesome containers, that’s it. No more.

I’m containing my containers.

Things heard around my house: August 2011

2011-08-30T10:49:00.000-04:00

I painted our kitchen table white and had a huge white window seat installed. I thought it looked great, but Kaylee thought differently.
Kaylee: Why is everything white, White, WHITE in here?
Me: Because I like white in the kitchen. What colors would you like in here?
Kaylee: Hot pink and red.
Me: Well, you can decorate your kitchen like that when you grow up.

Joshua: I have something really special to tell you!!!!!
Kaylee: what?
Joshua: God make the whole world!!!
Kaylee: oh.

One August evening, we sat on the front porch to watch a summer storm pass over our house.
Joshua: How much damage can lightning do?
At that moment, thunder and lightning struck simultaneously and we all screamed.
Kaylee was the first to speak, "I thought the lightning was going to burn a hole in my butt!"
Joshua said, "God aimed that lightning right at us!"
Gracie added, "Mama, that loud."

Playing with some June bugs on the ground, Kaylee yelled, "Look at that cockroach!!"

Do you want some gum? Kaylee asked, showing me different color wooden blocks
This one is Orange blossom.
This one is yummy, yummy moose moss.
The next one is hot fudge.
This one is yummy, yummy, SUPER yummy grape jelly.
The last one is Raisin Bran Hot Fudge.
Which one do you want?
(I picked Raisin Bran Hot Fudge gum.)

Listening to Gracie’s playlist, which consists of only Sarah McLaughlin's “Ordinary Miracle”….
“Mama, will you dance with me?” Kaylee asked, and I twirled her around and around.

It's not that unusual
When everything is beautiful
It's just another ordinary miracle today
Life is like a gift they say
Wrapped up for you everyday
Open up and find a way
To give some of your own

Shelves, #2

2011-08-28T21:44:00.001-04:00

I built two shelves for Joshua’s room.

ALL BY MYSELF.

I followed Ana White’s instructions for a $10 ledge. If you google “Ana White $10 ledge”, you’ll find tons of people who have made them, so I’m not a pioneer in this project…but it’s still pretty freakin awesome!

I used the nail gun (oh yeah!) wood glue and 6 pieces of wood for the 2 ledges. Really easy project. really.

Brian helped me drill some screws into the studs of the wall, and they are super duper strong. He also made triple sure that the ledges were level before drilling. (I don’t think I’ve ever hung anything perfectly level in my life)

Joshua's wooden ledge has similar features to the gutter bookshelf that we installed in Kaylee’s room. Both hold books facing outward so the kids can see the book covers easily. The wooden ledges are cheaper to make and MUCH more sturdy. I know Joshua has probably already hung off of them….Kaylee too, I bet.

We found the lime green chair at Target for about $25. It’s actually comfortable to sit in and a great accent color in his room.

Sometimes I find him asleep in the chair with the light on and a book in his hand. So, so cute…..

Summer outfits 2011

2011-08-26T14:20:00.000-04:00

My girls don’t often wear matching clothes, but Grandma sent these outfits and they have become very popular. Today, Kaylee helped Grace get dressed, which was sweet. (and one less thing for me to do)

Updated mini pea coat

2011-08-25T13:52:00.000-04:00

I bet my mom loves this coat, just as it is.
And I see the potential there, hiding behind gold accents.

I discovered this wool pea coat under Gracie’s bed the other day when I took down her crib. She’s officially in a big girl bed, even though it’s strange to see her tiny little body in that big twin bed, it’s working out pretty good.   (meaning I’m getting much more sleep)

I dumped out my bucket of buttons, which was pretty fun, and found a few sets of colors that were the right size.

That gold star makes me think of Anne Frank. Thank God it just peeled off. The ribbon came off pretty easily too and the buttons took just a quick little snip, snip, snip.

Gold, BE GONE!
I decided on navy blue buttons and added a flower pin to sweeten it up.
Grace declined to try it on, but I’ll get it on her this winter. Oh yes I will…..

Small scale gardening (with trash)

2011-08-23T13:44:00.001-04:00

Last year we replaced 8 tires.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$, right?
I saved two of the worn out tires and had Brian hang them on the shed.   It made me feel a little better…like I got a good deal on the purchase.
Brian…what a guy….he can make my weirdest ideas a reality.

This year, I wanted to make our outdoor spaces a little more interesting.   A bit eclectic with “furniture” like stuff. (Since I’m so bad at gardening!)

$10 red wagon from Thrift Store
$20 cream planter (50% off) from Joann’s for my tomato's
$2 metal thing with 3 shelves from an estate sale
$2 yellow chair from a garage sale 8 years ago.
$0 wood ladder from the old playhouse
(hmmm. that $20 planter seems pricey, compared to the other deals, huh?)

I was worried someone would try to climb up the ladder, so I rigged up old planters with twine to hang off the ladder.

I dug out a huge strip of clay soil, replaced the dirt with some worm compost and some topsoil. Now shade loving hostas line the walkway, and I really hope they don’t die.   (like everything else I’ve planted there)

$40 table

2011-08-22T16:15:00.000-04:00

The table above wasn’t $40. It was much, much more.

We bought it brand new for our little city house before there was such a thing as Craig's List. It was perfect for that space, but not so perfect for our current house. The dark cherry table didn’t match our maple cabinets, and it was difficult to squeeze around when we had company over.

Honestly, I just wanted a change and I love a good project.

I scoured C.L. for many months before I found the perfect pedestal table with leaf, at a price I could work with. I wasn’t sure how it would turn out, so $40 sounded good to me.

This table had been used for years by another family. And it showed.

It was grimy and sticky with undistinguishable globs. Then it had been stored in the garage for a while, so there were spider webs to deal with too. Good thing I’m such a sucker for a deal.

I sanded it down, using our round electric hand sander. Blah. Dusty, dirty work.

I spray painted Kiltz Primer over everything, then sanded it down again. I spray painted it white, glazed all those really awesome details dark, then re-painted the top with a foam sponge roller.

This bottle of Martha’s glaze is probably going to last until the end of time.

The details along the edge and pedestal are so cool!

It makes the kitchen seem much lighter. But then my chairs from the old table set TOTALLY didn’t match Miss Pedestal.

To be continued…..

Bunny books

2011-08-22T08:47:00.001-04:00

On the way out to work, Brian stopped to read a book to Grace.

I love that he stopped, sat down and read/ signed her favorite book. It took 60 seconds out of his busy morning, but meant a whole lot.

Kaylee’s ruffled curtains

2011-08-20T20:56:00.000-04:00

I made curtains out of white table clothes and old maternity shirts.

I’m serious.

I have a re-occurring disease called “I’m sure I can find a way to use this”. During phases of remission, I purge crap out of the house. I guess it works for me.

So I had a stack of solid worn out maternity shirts (and one dress) that were not even worthy of donating, but I liked the colors together. I cut them into strips and ruffled them up.

That’s a pretty big pile of ruffles.

I lovingly smoothed each strip of ruffled fabric and pinned them to the tablecloth. It took me 6 months to complete all 4 panels, during which I was tempted to buy Target curtains. But I held myself back….

Awfully cute, right?

It fits now!

2011-08-16T11:46:00.001-04:00

You know I love thrift stores, right? Spray paint, ruffles and thrift stores are separate, yet equally exciting entities.

Once upon a time, I had 15 min to kill before a manicure-pedicure appointment. My neighbor took all 3 of my kids so I could have a little time to myself. (Totally awesome set up: we take turns almost every week, which the kids like just as much as she and I do!) I could have sat in my car and listened to the silence for 15 minutes, but I decided to stop at a huge "antique/ full of junk and clothes" shop near my house.   (Nancy's Barn)   They have really strange hours, so I had been there only one other time, 10 years ago.

I could not believe the amount of clothing, mostly vintage. Racks and racks and racks of stinky, old clothes! The owner told me that she goes to estate sales and buys out whatever is left.   What a fun, fun job!

I picked out a skirt with pretty flower print for $5. But when I got it home, I realized it was 2 sizes too small for me.   I'm not sure how I missed that.....    Instead of putting it in pile for when I lose some weight, or donating it or passing it along to a friend, I decided to cut off the waistband and add elastic. It had a zipper, but I just kinda ignored it and sewed right over it.    Now it'll fit!

$5 for the skirt (JC Penny label)
$3 for the sweater (Target label)

$8 = cute summer outfit for work.

Wall decorations

2011-08-14T15:56:00.001-04:00

I found these “things” at the Re-Store downtown. They were $10 each, and I saw potential! They are super light and are generally used as ceiling medallions with a light or fan in the center hole.

I sprayed them with some white paint, loving the intricate iron-looking design. (even though it’s some crazy plastic or foam material)

I hung them up with one thumbtack. That's how light they are! One measly little tack.

My step-dad added some wood detail to my bedroom accent wall a while back, and I've wanted to complete the look by adding something to the top third of the wall. I've tried different sized frames, pictures of the kids, wedding pictures of my grandparents. But because this wall is directly across from the bed, I felt like my family was watching me as I went to sleep....and did other things in bed. ;)

I found three circle mirrors for $.99 each at Joann's and hotglued them into the centers of each medallion.

Total: $33 for some art work that I am crazy about (and that could work in other rooms of my house when I get the itch to re-arrange)

A tent for the kids

2011-08-02T22:50:00.000-04:00

I found directions for making a play tent on line, and thought my kids would love it! The directions call for just a few pieces of wood and a twin sheet. I was so excited to use a sheet that I grabbed from my grandparents house last fall. I slept under those flowered sheets when I would visit, and they are still in great shape.

I set the kids up with snacks, pillows and books and ran inside to tidy up the house. The next time I checked on them, everything was flattened to the ground. Gotta make it more sturdy or something….

Things heard around my house: July 2011

2011-08-01T09:01:00.001-04:00

“This is the best day of my life!” Kaylee whispered as we watched fireworks out her window on July 4th.
“I want to go to shore!” J and K say when they are ready to get out of the pool.

“I found your wallet. It went through the laundry.”   (A text message I sent to Brian.)

You can tell that Joshua’s been reading a lot when he says stuff like: “I can’t wait to jump into the crisp cool water.” (He’s been plowing through books this summer and has 4 books going at the same time right now)

Brian lets the kids practice taking pictures on his old SLR camera.

B: Hard night?   (as I grumpily poured some coffee)
Me: Hard night. Hard morning. Hard life.
B: It could still be a good day. (he said gently, and I repeated that over and over to myself, surprised that it worked.)

“Mommy, have I ever steered you wrong?”   Kaylee asked me.

At Kango play center, I overheard Joshua strike up a conversation that went like this:
Joshua: Isn't this place so much fun?
Stranger: (no response)
Joshua: HEY! Are you deaf?
Stranger:   No.   Were you talking to me?
Joshua: (laughs) Yes! My dad is deaf.
Stranger: oh how nice, do you know sign language?

"I see mama's booty" Grace says when I'm getting dressed. I think it's time for some additional privacy.

Snoopy’s ready to swim

2011-07-30T22:36:00.000-04:00

I looked all over the house for Gracie’s swim top and eventually came across Snoopy face down on the floor. Now, I just have to figure out who’s wearing the swim shorts.

Picnic table splashed with colors

2011-07-21T23:17:00.000-04:00

I painted my picnic table the other day. Totally on a whim. The kids were playing outside with my mom and I had the crafts paints outside for some reason.

And I just decided to start painting away.

We’ve had this table for-e-ver. One of our neighbors moved out of state and asked if we wanted it. It’s super heavy and pretty ugly. Any time we eat outside, I’d put some kind of tablecloth over it. I’m not crazy about tablecloths because I think they are a lot of work to clean up, wipe up, wash. I gotta do that with 3 kids….

I happen to know that craft paint, the cheap stuff in the small containers, will hold a stain. The kids spilled some last summer when we were doing a little project and it soaked right into the wood. I couldn’t get it off! Perfect for this paint job.

I gathered inspiration from the colors on my Christmas Tree mini rug, and followed the planks of wood to make cheery stripes.

I added a polyurethane clear coat over the colors and now it wipes up popsicle and ice cream drops very nicely!

Totally free update to a sad, sad looking picnic table……a splash of color on my grey deck…..fun and easy project all the way around.

Brassy to classy

2011-07-13T18:34:00.000-04:00

Every door knob in our house is shiny and brassy.

Not my style.

I found a $10 glass knobbed door knob at the ReStore, but it was brass too!!! I took it apart, sprayed it with ORB (oil rubbed bronze), and epoxied it back together.

I love how it looks now!

I’m slowly adding character to this suburban home.

8 doorknobs to go.

I wonder how white would look instead of the dark bronze….

The most wonderful story…family

2011-07-12T16:40:00.001-04:00

Last summer I came across a stack of 11x14 canvases that some teenage boy had painted all over for an art class or something. They were awful! I bet his mom was happy to unload them to me for $.50 each.

I pulled a couple of them out, primed them with spray paint and asked the kids to draw a picture of our family. Unfortunately, Kaylee thought it was hilarious to give everyone “antlers”, and Joshua liked the idea too. GRRRRRRR….I can always spray over them and ask them to re-draw another time! But for now, they are hanging up in our family room.

I printed out their names and ages with my Silhouette machine. The quote “The most wonderful story…family” was my first attempt at cutting out a longer phrase on that machine.

Thrifted Art #2

2011-07-10T22:55:00.000-04:00

I found this art work at an estate sale for $2.

I like the detail on the frame, and it’s big: 11x16”, I think.

I snatched it up, already spray painting it and glazing it in my head.

But then I got it home and realized I like it. I like flowers and it’s a decent painting, right? Better than anything I could paint! I hung it up in my kitchen for now, reserving the right to whip out the spray paint and re-use it later.

I’m glad this unknown artist’s work (that sold for $2, poor guy!) is once again hanging up somewhere.

Brownie cut outs

2011-07-08T22:39:00.000-04:00

Kaylee asked to make cut out cookies using different shapes. I almost groaned out loud. Cut out cookies are so much work! I make them at Christmas time, but it’s a 3 day event.

Day one: Make the dough

Day two: Cut them out and bake

Day three: Decorate cookies

Maybe I could toughen up and pull it off in two days….but today I used a brownie mix. Sprayed a large cookie tray and baked a thin layer of brownies for 20 minutes.

We tried to maximize the placement and got about 12 cut outs. The poor gingerbread man lost a leg and an arm.

The best part just may be all the “leftover” parts that must be eaten.

They will be decorated on day 2….if any survive that long before we eat them up.

Dress to Skirt

2011-07-07T22:36:00.000-04:00

The Good: awesome colors and design, soft and flowy

The Bad: Weird neckline, requires a strapless bra (BLAH…enough to discourage me from wearing it)

The Ugly: the shirred waist falls right under my bust, which would be perfect if I was pregnant. But…I’m not.

I bought this dress for Sara’s bridal shower last year. See the strange neckline?

I thought about it for a few days, and then just started chopping away at the waistband.

After some stitching around the waistline and (cringe) some hot glue gun action in a few stubborn places, I now present to you: a SKIRT.

I think I’ll like wearing it lower on my waist with different tops and cardigans.

Thrifted art

2011-07-06T14:16:00.001-04:00

I have a new obsession:scouring estate sales for fun stuff. I’ve been to about 5 or 6 different sales and I’m always checking to see if there will be new listings. It’s really quite exciting to me and I wish I was at one today.

One weekend, my girlfriend set up an estate sale hopping day. I brought my mom and Kaylee along for the fun. We met at Simple Crepes to fuel up for the afternoon, then headed off to several estates.

The first one was very interesting because it was the exact house plan of the house I grew up in: 2 Gateway Dr. It was eerie to see the details at this house and have childhood memories attached to them. (The curved wall in the living room, the laundry chute, the stone tiles in the foyer)

Anyway, the man who lived here had been an artist and there were several canvases for sale. I got this huge one for $3.50. CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP for a canvas this size! My first thought was to cover it with fabric to make a headboard like I did in my bedroom, or prime the canvas white and let my kids paint over it.

But, when I got it home, I realized that the colors were CRA-zy and I sorta liked it! I put it up in Joshua’s room to add some color and balance out his Lego-Batman bedding. For now it stays…..

2 shirts = 1 dress

2011-07-04T16:45:00.001-04:00

Both shirts were from garage sales.

White tank: $.25

Green “thing”: $1

It’s from Abercrombie and Fitch, and maybe it is a halter top, or a tube top?

One more outfit for Kaylee to get stains all over: $1.25

Kaylee’s bed

2011-07-02T21:58:00.000-04:00

Brian got an air compressor for Christmas this year and his first project was to make a bed for Kaylee. How sweet, right?

He had help from a good friend in building it and I did the painting.

The headboard and footboard look like something from the Pottery Barn- a simple, classic design. This thing is sturdy and built to last.

things heard around my house: June 2011

2011-06-30T12:00:00.002-04:00

“Kaylee hit my head!” (Grace can talk well enough to get her siblings in trouble.)

"Do you want to come see my bedroom? It's ADORABLE!!!",

Kaylee told one of my friends.

“There’s nothing better than this!” Joshua proclaimed about having quiet time outside under a shade tree with a stack of books. I totally agree!

“Having kids changes everything.” I said after a quick dinner out to celebrate our first kiss eleven years ago. I was hoping to walk along the beach and kiss, but we ran out of time and got the kids into bed instead.

"NO! I amN'T" Kaylee is still figuring out when she can use contractions in our crazy English language.

Let’s play “You’re the mommy and I’m the honey.” Kaylee says as an invite to play.

I’m a gardener. - Kaylee

“Here, mommy! I picked a flower for you!” (Good thing I think weeds are just as pretty as flowers!)

Where’s your nose?

"Mama pretty." Grace said as I pulled on a dress for work.

“Can you believe it’s been 10 years?” ( at Watkin’s Glenn State Park)

“That was really fun.” Brian said after driving our Ford Fusion around Watkin Glen race track 3 times.

Every child is an artist

2011-06-29T15:58:00.002-04:00

Sweet little K loves to color.
My Little Ponies
Fairy's
Princesses
Or almost any thing else.    She thinks it’s really great to hang her art up on the refrigerator. I’m not sure where she got that idea from…maybe the babysitter? It surely wasn’t me.

Because I really like my fridge to look pretty.   I’m sure the winner of the “Mother of the Year” award tapes her kids stuff all over the kitchen, but…… not me.   I like that vinyl! (Never mind the top of the fridge, which I have cleverly cropped out of the picture.)
a
I found an extra board in the garage, painted it and epoxied clothes pins so she can switch out her masterworks as she pleases.   IN HER OWN ROOM!

book shelves and boxes

2011-06-25T11:14:00.000-04:00

I always thought that having an entire wall of bookshelves would be so awesome.
Brian made me happy by tracking down 4 of these Target shelves a few years ago. We even drove an hour out of town with all the kids to get the last one. However, I never thought it would be so hard to "decorate" these shelves.

Just look at this picture! What a mess......

There's one part in particular that is really trashy.
Here it is up close. Activia for a well-functioning digestive system.

I'm embarrassed to say how many ~~weeks~~ months it was up there holding ...something....who knows what.

After a few minutes with my mod-podge glue and some pretty paper, and now my recipe books are all in one pretty spot. Isn't that awesome? I can hardly believe the transformation.....

red chair, red flowers

2011-06-13T13:14:00.000-04:00

Before

AFTER

Behold the power of spray paint and flowers.

new dress for K

2011-06-12T21:28:00.001-04:00

Creativity hit me in a big wave last night.

It’s been a long time since I’ve sewed something quick and fun.

Two separate garage sale finds have become one sweet little sundress for Kaylee.

I cut off the (stained) top of the dress and attached the tank top. While I was working on it, she told me that she didn’t like the black and white part of the dress.

I rolled my eyes, but knew I’d have to do something “BEAUTIFUL” so that she’d wear it. I found a fabric rolled flower that I made a while back and quickly added a bead to the center and hand sewed it to the front.

It made it into the line up of her outfits today at #3, so it must be cute enough!

closet storage

2011-06-11T13:09:00.000-04:00

I stalked Craigs List for a couple of months, looking for the perfectly sized chest of drawers for my closet. We have a walk in closet, but the organization of it wasn’t great. I gave all the good spots to Brian, because he needs all the help he can get in keeping his clothes in the right spot. ( lol)

My socks and undies were stored baskets in random spots and it was basically a giant mess. I am a huge “hide it away” type of girl, so I knew I wanted drawers of some kind.

This dresser was listed for $60. I offered $50, and the guy even delivered it to me. AWESOME. The laminate oak finish and gold-ish handles were not so awesome.

I primed it and painted it white, both with spray paint. I’m not sure laminated spray paint finish will hold up for the long haul, but for now it looks fine. I even spray painted the handles with ORB (oil rubbed bronze) At some point I may switch them out with some super cute, cheap knobs….

It fits in my little 2 foot space perfectly! One drawer is still empty. SHOCKING.

I found this strange little plate at an estate sale for 5 cents. FIVE CENTS! It has a little chip on the back, but that doesn’t bother me, and it’s perfect on top of my dresser for earrings and spare pocket change.

Vintage suitcase storage

2011-06-10T11:58:00.001-04:00

I snatched up this $2 old suitcase at an estate sale.

It’s so tiny! I can’t imagine ever using it for an overnight bag, or for any kind of travel, actually.

The kids helped me scrub down the outside and I reattached the red lining using some spray adhesive and my hot glue gun. Isn’t that red color gorgeous?

Now it’s the perfect home for the potato family and all their accessories.

things heard around my house: may 2011

2011-05-31T16:25:00.003-04:00

She's wearing a dress my mom sewed for me 32 years ago.

Kaylee: How old am I?
Me: 3
Joshua: really, you are like 76% to 4 years old
Me: That’s true. You are 3 and 3/4.
Kaylee: And how many cents?

Joshua

Me: Hey, look over there! They are digging around that house.
Kaylee: I like that house. Maybe we can move there in 90 seconds.
Me: I really like our house. I don’t think I’m ready to move anywhere. Are you?
Kaylee: hmmmm. well, maybe in 3 minutes.

Both girls fell asleep on our evening walk.

Joshua: When I grow up I’m going to live with Kaylee.
Me: really?
Joshua: Yes. We are going to live in the house together.
Me: What about me? Where will I live?
Joshua: You can live with the grown ups and we will have a separate place. We will go to college together and live together.
Me: What about Gracie? Can she live with you guys?
Joshua: No, she can stay with you.

My mom is back from Kuwait!!

Out of the blue…
Joshua: I think I’m going to marry Tori.
Kaylee: And I’m going to marry Joshua.
Joshua: You can’t marry me! I’m your brother!
Kaylee: Then I’ll marry Caiden.
Joshua: He’s your cousin. You can’t marry him!
Kaylee: Kierson?
Joshua: No! You can’t marry someone in your family!
Kaylee: (unsure) Jack? (Tori’s brother, which would be very convenient for me and Julie, our awesome day care provider)

If I could have found a spot, I would have snuggled up on top of him too!

Joshua: Were there carrots around back when you were a kid?
Me: Yes
Joshua: Then why do you wear glasses?

Beautiful blooms in our front tree.

That’s my mommy, but her nickname is Amy Jo. – Kaylee

Post ponytail hair

Grace: NO! Stop Mommy!
Me: I can’t! This is my job. (changing diaper)

A new water table toy that all three kids love playing with.

Gracie’s longest sentence to date: “I want more strawberries please.”

Kaylee putting Gracie's diaper back on.

Craft fail to sleeping bag

2011-05-15T21:55:00.000-04:00

Have you ever made something that was terribly flawed but you couldn’t bear to throw it out?

While I was pregnant with my first baby, I decided to knit a baby blanket. I bought gobs of soft yellow yarn and proceeded to make a little blanket with the one stitch I know: Pearl. That’s it. Pearl over and over and over.

I brought this project with me everywhere: on the train ride to NYC to visit my sister, to work, on car trips, and to classes that had down time. It was a major part of my pregnancy. Every little stitch brought me closer to my due date…closer to holding my softly bundled baby.

But, it didn’t turn out so great.

Lopsided.

11 holes where I dropped a stitch .

ELEVEN!

I hated it. I hated it so much! But I couldn’t bear to throw it away. So many hours, so many skeins of yarn.

I never used it on my firstborn baby, or any of them, actually. It moved from closet to closet and eventually landed in my fabric stash for a couple of years.

It didn’t belong there either. It needed a HOME or a quick toss in the garbage.

I fooled around with it, and realized that if I folded it up, like 8 times, it wasn’t quite so lopsided. I sewed around the edges and VOILA! It’s a doll sleeping bag.

I know….. it’s a sad, sad story.

Things heard around my house: April 2011

2011-04-30T10:01:00.000-04:00

“My mom can speak sign language, but she’s not deaf.” Joshua explained to a friend.

Kaylee: I want you to hold me.
Me: I can hold your hand if you want.
Kaylee: I want you to hold my whole body!
So I picked her little body up and carried her the rest of the way to the car, knowing that pretty soon she’ll be too heavy to carry, and too old to even ask.

"Let's go! Time for a FAMILY ADVENTURE! Get your coat, shoes and get in the car!"
(This could mean we are going to the zoo, to the children's museum, home depot, ice cream or any other family destination.)

“Look at all these PESKY worms!” - Joshua

While I was getting ready for work, Grace found the stash of feminine products in the closet. She unopened a couple and used them as tissues. Then Kaylee walked in….

Kaylee: What are these????

Me: They are for mommies.

Kaylee: Are they toys?

Me: No, no.

Kaylee: It looks like a diaper. Is it a diaper?

Me: Sorta!

Kaylee: Here Gracie, put on a Mommy Diaper!

Me: How many pair of underwear are you wearing? 2 or 3?

Joshua: (laughing) Only 2.

Me: Why?

Joshua: Just in case someone rips off my clothes, I still have protection for my private parts.

I love to see my geek fixing stuff around the house.

The perfect scrabble word

2011-04-14T22:04:00.001-04:00

Gracie’s boots

2011-04-02T09:18:00.001-04:00

Something’s not quite right about these pictures…