the sky is pink

Sisters' Gifts 2011

2011-12-29T14:52:00.005-05:00

Here is the 2011 edition of homemade "Sisters' Gifts." Crocheted snowflakes. I made snowflake #20 from 99 Snowflakes. While the priority is to make them for my mother, three sisters, three sisters-in-law and my sister-in-law's sister (who has no other family in the area), I always make enough to spread the love to teachers and close friends.

I think I made 30. Or 30 was my goal. I may have made more. Once I memorized the pattern, they were flying off the hook. I took my hook, crochet thread and scissors everywhere I went. I crocheted at the boys' basketball games, track meets, in the car while waiting for preschool to let out. Every.where. I'm almost sad I've finished. (Not quite sad enough to continue making them, though. The very worst part was pinning and starching those suckers. The pins killed my fingertips and the starch dried out my hands beyond recognition.)

Of course I added a bar of my handmade chocolate-mint soap with each gift.

Merry Christmas + Happy New Year

2011-12-28T16:07:00.002-05:00

This year's Christmas card photo. We had it taken in October, right after Joe retired. (It's been hard to keep in secret since then.)

The Man I Married

2011-10-11T10:04:00.002-04:00

The man I married unofficially retired from the U.S. Army on September 30, 2011.

The man I married will officially retire from the U.S. Army on January 1, 2012.

The man I married is currently on "leave" from the U.S. Army and is still considered active duty.

The man I married served more than 25 years for the U.S. military. (He had a few years of National Guard duty while earning his undergrad.)

The man I married started a new job today at the National Institute of Health (NIH).

The man I married is also celebrating his birthday today.

Happy birthday, Joe. Thank you for serving our country, our family, and the Lord.

My Day

2011-10-10T14:56:00.003-04:00

From Carter. I love that boy. He's offered his services to organize my coupons. Bless him. He has a chore.

From Jackson. I love that boy. Hangman that spells out "I love you." And he hid behind me when I opened it. Funny guy. Always the prankster.

From Mason. Seriously. How could I love this sweet gesture more? I know not. It states, "I hope you like your man made of 2 dollars. Now you are 2 dollars richer than you were a few minutes ago!" (Don't tell the others, but I think I enjoyed this gift the most.) I love that boy.

From Spenser. I'm the "nicksis (nicest)" mom she ever had. Again, the cuteness is unbearable.

And yet more from the girl. She worked so hard. She gave me a sandwich bag full of more drawings, in a gift bag with a Christmas tag with cherubs.

It certainly is MY day.

The Birthday Party

2011-09-30T09:44:00.004-04:00

So, where was I? Oh, right. The memorable birthday party.

The party was starting to disassemble and my side of the family (the early attenders) were leaving. Joe's family (who arrived later) were still hanging around. During the party we had a huge downpour (which has been typical of life in Maryland the past month or so). After things cleared up a bit, the kids went out to play.

One of the kids ran in the house to report one of our hens in the neighbor's yard, so I quickly put on my shoes and went to retrieve the hen. She was hiding from us and it took three of us to get her out of the brush. As soon as I grabbed her, I tossed her over the fence into our yard and walked home. I kicked off my shoes and was about to relax.

Moments later one of the kids ran into the house screaming there was a dog in our yard. We do not own a dog. I ran around the house looking for shoes I could wear out in the wet grass. By the time I got outside, the dog was gone.

But I was out there in time for the chaos that ensued. As I walked near the smokehouse, I saw a hen with feathers everywhere. I screamed to Joe, "It killed a chicken!" At that point I saw the hen was still breathing and screamed back, in a panicked state, "It's still alive!" As we frantically ran around the yard, children running everywhere, chickens clucking and freaking out and heading for safety (under the deck), I noticed another injured hen right near the children's playground.

My niece was calling my name from across the street. A freaked out hen had gotten out of our fenced yard, crossed the street, and was trying to take up residence on my neighbor's front porch.

It was so chaotic and crazy. I walked across the street to get the freaked out hen, I tried to gather my flock and get them back into their coop, and Joe was putting the injured hens to rest.

After a head count, we realized we were missing a hen. I felt terrible. I let them out to snack and this terrible attack happened and now one was missing. I could just imagine she was still clutched in the jaws of the dog. Joe and the kids walked around the neighborhood looking for the hen and/or the dog. We found neither. At first.

Long story short, Animal Control said that they could not do anything about the dog because an adult did not witness it, only children. Joe hopped in his car with his cell phone, found the dog still running the streets of the town, and video-taped what he saw. Another call was placed to Animal Control and the dog was found and picked up.

We found our missing hen hiding in the (front yard) pumpkin patch. As I stood on our sidewalk, talking to neighbors and Joe's family, I kept hearing a familiar sound. I finally brought it to the attention of the others and Carter found the hen who was hiding for her life.

Sadly, because the owner of the dog was irresponsible, the dog was put to sleep by Animal Control. The same dog had attacked, killed and dismembered four chickens in town just a few weeks earlier and a neighbor also reported the dog for trying to knock over his rabbit hutch.

To think that all of this could have been prevented. If the dog had been fixed ... If the dog had been on a leash ... If the dog had been properly trained ... Knowing that my chickens are now safe does not make up for the fact that a dog was just being a dog and the owner was being irresponsible.

Yes. It was a memorable birthday party. Despite the events, Sawyer still claimed it was the best birthday party ever. (And there are still two presents I forgot to wrap and give to him ... which is probably another story in and of itself.)

This Little Man of Mine

2011-09-29T18:14:00.003-04:00

It seems like yesterday that this little man of mine was born into this world. The baby that seemed like he was in no hurry to come out of me. The baby that has grown so much over the years. Years. As in five years.

Five years. Oh my. Where has the time gone? (So many of my bloggy friends have been around for five years. And a little longer. It's a milestone, I tell ya.)

I'm lucky enough to have Sawyer home with me for one more year. His September birthday was just a little too late for him to start Kindergarten. But, seriously, I don't mind it a bit. I always say to him, after the kids leave for school, "It's just you and me, kid." At one point (last school year) he asked me to stop saying it, and so I obliged. I started it again this year and he has started to say it to me.

He often asks me during the day to cuddle with him. Usually it's when I'm busy cleaning the house, doing dishes, etc. I have learned to stop what I'm doing and cuddle with him on the sofa. It's not going to last forever, even though I wish it would. And he really is the best cuddler in the world. He's so good that he nearly puts me to sleep every time we cuddle. (And it's not just because I'm waking every morning before 5:30 to take Taylor to Seminary before school ;-)

And my little man loves his preschool homework. He is so proud of himself. He is eager to learn and willing to do the work the minute he finishes his lunch.

He's really one of my best friends. I spend the most time with him. He's a good listener. He's a good talker. He's a great hugger and cuddler. And he's so obedient. He is wiser than his five years of experience in so many ways. Oh, the things he says. And asks. And figures out. His mind must never rest. Always busy, busy, busy.

I bought him the Cootie game recently. I remembered that we had that game many years ago. I used to play it with Taylor (and Carter ?) until we lost all the pieces in a move. I have deja vu when I play with Sawyer. He is so much like his eldest brother. Even down to picking the red cootie body and head, cowboy hat and googly eyes. It just resonates with me that we were always destined to be a family from the very beginning. He was always meant to be mine and I was always meant to be his. And I could. not. love. him. more. I'm so happy he's here.

To celebrate Sawyer's 5th birthday, we had family over for a little get-together on Sunday after church. Really nothing elaborate. Just brownies + ice cream, chips + salsa, and carrots + dip. Just some cousins (of all ages), grandparents, aunts and uncles.

Somehow, I managed to throw a memorable party, but you'll have to come back tomorrow to read about it. (I mean, why taint such a nice post about my boy with birthday party stuff?) Really, you don't want to miss it. We'll see you tomorrow then?

Cleaning the Slate

2011-09-21T15:33:00.004-04:00

I guess it's time to wipe the slate clean with "Trips to the School Nurse" and "Soccer Goals."

Trips to the School Nurse 2010 - 11
Taylor: 2
Carter: 2
Jackson: 0
Mason: 6 (4 in one day!)
Spenser: 7

Soccer Goals Fall 2010
Taylor: 0
Carter: 0
Jackson: 2
Mason: 0

And, for the record, Mason has already visited Nurse Maureen. And so the love affair continues ...

Edited to add: Spenser just came home with a slip that she visited Nurse Maureen today.

Nine Years

2011-09-09T15:09:00.005-04:00

Nine years ago today, my sister, Kristen, died. In following family tradition, we met for breakfast. Today is also my parents' 44th wedding anniversary, so my parents, three sisters and I met at a local, family-owned restaurant.

When I pulled into the parking lot, I looked around to see if I recognized any cars. I saw my parents' car, so I hopped out and walked toward the restaurant. I thought I heard my sisters talking, so I stopped and looked around. I didn't see anyone, so I continued walking. Then, very distinctly, I heard my sister, Kate say (in a sing-songy voice) "Laurie." (No one calls me Laurie, except family. I do not like to be called Laurie.) Again, I stopped, looked around and said (out loud), "I hear you. I just don't see you." And nothing. No sisters in sight. No other voices. I walked into the glass vestibule at the restaurant and a police officer was standing there smiling at me. (I'm hoping he didn't think I was too loony.)

I walked into the restaurant and only my parents were there. My sisters arrived five minutes later. They were not in the parking lot. They did not call my name. But I heard it. Kate's voice is similar to Kristen's voice. We all joked that Krissy was playing a game with me and said to our grandmother, "Hey, Mom-Mom, watch this ..." and then called my name.

Whatever it was, it was a tender mercy of the Lord. And it is surely something I never want to forget.

Couponing

2011-05-20T08:45:00.002-04:00

So, things are getting expensive. Gas. Groceries. Life with six children. We just learned that our water rates are going up 9% across the county.

While I've always cut coupons (if and when I get a Sunday paper), I wasn't very diligent. I only cut the coupons of the things I regularly buy. And then I'd still buy generic. However, a co-worker of Joe's is really into couponing and has been getting Joe all pumped up about it.

I thought I'd show you my deals.

Um. Yeah. A cardigan and shoes. I'm pretty sure that when Joe was pumped about saving money, he thought I'd actually save the money instead of turning around and spending my savings. (But I got excellent deals on both!)

(Sorry for the dark photo. If it would ever stop raining here, I might have some decent sunlight. And it would help my severe vitamin-D deficiency.)

Lace Belt

2011-05-06T08:04:00.003-04:00

I actually had a different idea for the (crocheted) lace, but when I thought of a lace-only belt, I threw my original idea out the window.

This belt is so springy. Light. Airy. Breezy. Feminine.

Spring, indeed.

I wore this exact outfit (plus jean capris) to here with Sawyer (and friends), here (to buy a few things for the garden), and out to tend the chickens. Pearls. To tend to chickens.

Ruffly Yellow Belt

2011-05-04T09:09:00.003-04:00

You know, the yellow belt was going to be another tuxedo belt, but when I linked over to the original tuxedo belt, I spied another belt that I liked.

I made a little yellow bow for the front, but I have mixed feelings about it. I want it to be removable, yet look like it's actually a part of the belt.

I'm loving that vintage yellow button. It is perfect for this belt so I want to show that, too.

Sash Belt

2011-05-02T08:50:00.005-04:00

I'm still on belts. One belt I wanted to make was a sash belt. I found a very quick and easy tutorial, although it's so simple you really don't need a tutorial.

It's a little floppy, but that's okay with me.

I made the belt with some polka-dotted polyester that I found on clearance at the fabric store.

The Tuxedo Belt

2011-04-29T11:19:00.005-04:00

picture borrowed from: DownEast Basics' Tuxedo Belt

It all started with the above belt. Isn't it the cutest? I had received a catalog in the mail and thought the belt was definitely something I could wear. (Specifically for the upcoming MML Convention I have in June.) The main problem? It has not been in stock online at all. And it was March's catalog.

I had to take matters into my own hands.

In the winter I bought a few yards of gray fabric to make another dress. And, well, it just didn't happen. (In fact, I thought I would wear said dress to Taylor's Court of Honor.)

I decided to delve into the gray because, hey! I can always buy more fabric. I also used gray because I've been on a real gray (+ yellow) kick lately. Oh, and it was colder then and didn't feel like spring with her 85-degree days with humidity. So gray was totally acceptable.

But then spring finally reared her pretty face and brought some warm (and hot) weather our way, so a change was needed. I got my tail to the fabric store and bought some pink. And yellow.

I think I might change things up and put a ribbon tie on the yellow one. ::wink::

Ribbon-Tied Belts

2011-04-28T15:25:00.004-04:00

One of my boys received a brown suede ~~ugly~~ hand-me-down coat. To put it mildly, I despised the coat. But, said son liked the coat and wore it. Luckily he outgrew the coat. It was placed in the donate pile without hesitation of passing it on to a younger boy.

It sat there and I pondered the coat's purpose in life and decided it would be happy to be repurposed into a more useful item. I thought about a bag, but then I knew it had to be a belt.

Afraid to "waste" the body of the coat, I cut apart the sleeves to experiment. And, lucky for me, it turns out that I love the experiment!

I made the belt reversible with a bit of Alexander Henry fabric.

It's versatile, too. I can dress it up or dress it down. (The design on this belt is what prompted me to go to the ribbon outlet in the first place.)

I then decided I'd like at least another belt in this style, so I whipped up this one.

I used a solid gray fabric and sewed a piece of lace down the middle.

The reverse is solid black.

I like this belt, but somehow it turned out two inches longer than the brown one and it's actually too big for my waist. (I cinched it in the back for the photos.)

(I used a medium-weight, iron-on interfacing to give the belt some stability.)

RainBOW Belt TUTORIAL

2011-04-26T13:46:00.008-04:00

Let's talk belts.

Lately I've been loving belts. However, I can never find the perfect one. Thrift stores are a bust (although I've found some belt buckles I can re-use). Target either doesn't have my size or I can't imagine paying $20 for a belt. I've seen a few in Marshalls, but the selection was small and the one I liked the most was damaged. So what's a crafter to do?

After another recent trip to the ribbon outlet, I decided I was going to make a rainbow belt. And then it turned into a rainBOW belt because, well, it has a bow.Ribbon belts are probably the most simple (and inexpensive) ones to make. It only requires a little bit of ribbon and a set of D-rings. Even though it's easy to figure it out, I thought I'd show you just how easy it is. So you can stop procrastinating.

First, gather your supplies. For this belt, I used 1/2"-, 1"-, and 1 1/2"-wide ribbon. Ribbon width is flexible. Use whatever you have or whatever you like. Just make sure the D-rings are the same size as the ribbon that is going around your waist. I'm using 1" D-rings.

Measure your waist and add about 8-10". Using your 1"-wide ribbon (or your ribbon size of choice), cut that length.
With D-rings together, sew them into a double-rolled loop to secure. On the opposite side of the ribbon, double-fold the raw edges and sew to create a "hem."

Cut your widest ribbon approximately 10" long. Again, this is flexible. If you want your bow larger, cut your ribbon longer.

Cut your thinnest ribbon 2 1/2 - 3" long.

Sew both ribbons into a loop (with right sides together if your ribbon has "sides").

With the seam of the wider ribbon centered in the back, slide the thinner ribbon loop onto the wider loop (with seams in the back).

Make sure the D-rings are hidden behind the bow and ...

hand-sew the bow to the belt.

I like to wear my belt with a white shirt that has "lettuce-edge" around the neck and sleeves. I also wore this with a red cardigan (and jeans) recently.

I have some rainbow ribbon left. If you'd like to make a RainBOW Belt, leave a comment and I'll pick one winner later in the week. The winner will receive enough ribbon to make a belt and a set of D-rings.

Oh, and stay tuned. I have a couple of more belts to show you later in the week. I'm saving the best for last.

New Church Tote

2011-04-20T12:19:00.007-04:00

I needed a new springy tote for church. I really should call it the Mom-do-you-have-a-pen tote. Or maybe the Mom-do-you-have-a-tissue tote. Or even the Mom-do-you-have-any-lotion tote. Or perhaps the Mom-can-I-have-a-piece-of-gum tote. Oh, and Mom-can-I-stick-my-trash-in-your-bag tote. Because that's what my tote holds. It holds the pens. And crayons. And small activity books. The lotion. The tissues. The trash. And two of my church books.

I subscribe to a sewing blog that rounds up tutorials and I saw this one the other day. I realized I had everything on hand, so I whipped one up.

I do wish I would have used the wide eyelet lace on the bottom. And I wish I had enough to go completely around the bag, instead of piecing it together with eyelet lace of a different width. Oh well. I'll use it for a few months and move on anyway.

Curlers in Your Hair ... Shame on You

2011-04-18T08:50:00.003-04:00

So Spenser always wants curly hair. Why is it that you really covet something that you just don't have?

I keep telling Spenser that her hair will be plenty curly after she has babies, but, at six, she is too impatient for that day to come.

So, for now, we will put (foam) curlers in her hair. And wait until the next morning to see if it works.

And, after it worked for church yesterday, she wanted to try it again. So ...

we did it again. This time she wore her mob cap to help keep the curlers in place.

And it worked like a charm!

(Does anyone remember the 1970's jingle Curlers in your hair, shame on you? I don't remember the jingle, but I remember my mother saying it to us when we put the hard, plastic curlers in our hair when we were little. And, just for the heck of it, I said to to Spenser when I put them in her hair.)

Circle of Giving

2011-04-14T15:00:00.004-04:00

Nearly four years ago, Taylor helped Jackson learn how to ride a bicycle.

This week Jackson helped Spenser learn to ride a bicycle.

She still needs a little more confidence, but she has one of the best (and most patient and loving) teachers.

Lace "Butterfly" Shirt

2011-04-13T08:55:00.004-04:00

So I saw this cute tutorial the other day and I could totally see myself wearing something like that. So I bought a tee at Target and knew I had lace at home.

I totally wish I had checked my lace before assuming I had the "right" one. When I got home, I didn't have the same style lace (flat, double-sided), but I found a bunch of this ruffly lace and decided to use that.

When Spenser saw it, she said it looked like a butterfly. And she is in. love. (I need to buy her a tee.)

It's alright. I wish I would have just waited to buy some lace. (Or hunt in my stash for more. There's gotta be more lace somewhere amongst my stuff!)

But, as of right now, I'm wearing it with jeans (+ cardi). Or, in this case, a jean skirt.

The Girl and Her Ribbon

2011-04-12T12:51:00.005-04:00

Well, the girl and I stopped at the ribbon outlet again. I realized that the hotel is extremely close to the outlet and it would be a crime not to just drop in ...

They had a sale going on that you could fill a plastic bag of ribbon for 99 cents. I told Spenser she could pick out her own ribbon. That girl. (She is so much like her mother.) As we walked around, she kept asking if she still had room in her bag for ribbon. I kept telling her she did, so she continued to fill it.

At the register Spenser picked a plastic egg that gave us an additional 30% off our purchase.

And the girl and her ribbon? Well, she crammed 76 rolls of ribbon into her bag.

Weekend Getaway

2011-04-11T10:31:00.005-04:00

Joe was going to be out of town this past weekend for an Army training conference he was planning. And since he was going to our favorite hotel (near my favorite thrift store and ribbon outlet), I told him we were coming. All of us. It was so nice to spend two nights away. The Army paid for one room and the hotel gave us an adjoining room for free. (See why it's our favorite?)

The kids went swimming after breakfast, after lunch and before bedtime.

And then they ran straight into our bathroom to the jetted tub. (The indoor pool is just steps away from our sliding glass door.)

And while we were in the area (after Joe's Army conference was over), we took the children on a tour of Antietam. I love the rich history in our area. And, while I certainly didn't love it when I was younger, I'm hoping the children will learn and appreciate where they live.

Part of the tour had us visit the Mumma Cemetery. Joe has ancestors buried here. These four headstones represent the Ecker family. (Joe's mother is an Ecker.)

And then we visited the tower.

And climbed up it. It wasn't bad until the last couple of flights of steps. Then my thighs started to burn. It was steep.

Joe took the four oldest boys to see Burnside Bridge. We were all walking down the steep, paved hill, when Sawyer fell head first. As I stopped to help him, Spenser fell ... I had to take her back to the car for some first aid. Poor thing cried for 20 minutes.

The World is a Rainbow

2011-04-08T09:54:00.002-04:00

The world is a rainbow.

Ugh. Now I'm singing that song. I guess it's fitting because all the pretty flowers are blooming and the yard is quite colorful. Even if it's a rainy day ...

A few months back I saw somewhere in blogville a cute rainbow garland, like above. I thought it was adorable and I knew that my rainbow-loving daughter would love one in her room.

As you may recall, Spenser got a new big girl bed last year and we took Sawyer out of the crib and put him in her old toddler bed. Because I was dragging my feet (and not wanting to admit that Sawyer is growing and no longer a baby), I kept up the baby boy bunting that I made before he was born. I knew it was time to take it down, but it was hard.

Once I decided what would replace the boy bunting, I was ready. I found a pattern for little coasters and they were just the size I was looking for.

Spenser was thrilled. I hung them while she was at school and, after she saw it, she ran downstairs and hugged and kissed me. Then Jackson asked if he could put his cup on the wall ...

My Community Service Project

2011-04-06T09:43:00.004-04:00

Every time I run, I notice trash. Everywhere. And I started to get sick seeing it all the time. Everywhere I go. Every time I run. Cigarette butts all over the place. Plastic bottles thrown out of car windows. I'm sure you know just what I'm talking about.

So I decided to do something about it. One of my "goals" during my campaign was beautification of the town. I talked to my fellow council members and mayor about a spring town clean-up and they liked the idea and wished me luck.

So, I made up fliers. And I walked to each business in town, introduced myself (if they didn't already know me), handed out fliers and asked them to display them. The business owners were very supportive.

And so all the planning began. I borrowed a five-gallon water cooler, I bought snacks and water bottles (with my own money), I contacted local schools, the newspaper even interviewed me (and I made the front page!).

My arch enemy approached me, thanked me for doing it and donated four dozen donuts for the volunteers.

We arrived early to set up (with a pretty tablecloth) and waited for volunteers ...

And no one showed up.

Besides the eight of us, three nephews, one niece, my sister and my father-in-law. (Only the eight of us actually live in this town. The rest of my family were imported from other towns/cities.)

We cleaned the town parking lot, Main Street, and some side streets (our street) for a few hours and then we headed home and ate donuts and snacks.

And, because I'm just that dumb, I'm planning to do it again next spring. Anyone want to volunteer in advance?

Care Tags TUTORIAL

2011-03-30T10:17:00.006-04:00

When I was making hats for my sisters, I realized that it is important to know how to care for a handmade item. I'm always nervous when I make things for others. Will they like it? Will it fit? Will they use it? I'd be mortified if a gift I made someone fell apart during laundering. To alleviate my (sometimes irrational) fears, I made simple care tags for each of the hats.

First, find a font you like. I used a "typewriter" font for mine. Then I found a free clipart image of yarn. (I found several of yarn and knitting needles, but the hats were crocheted, so I was not able to use them.) While I love Google, I have found that searching for free images is so much user-friendly on Bing. Print on cardstock, scrapbook or another heavy paper (i.e., Kraft paper would be cute).

If you have a paper cutter, this will be easy. If not, it will still be cute. Just think of your tag as having a more rustic appeal. Cut the tags, leaving more space in front of the image (or at the "top" of the tag).

Next cut out the individual tags.

Using a hole punch (I chose a little rectangular one), punch a hole at the top of the tag.

Using paper scissors, cut off the corners of each tag.

Using ribbon, embroidery floss, bakers twine, or crochet thread, attach the tag to the garment. (If you don't have an area that you can easily attach the tag to the garment, you can use a small safety pin to attach the string.)

Now you are ready to make and gift away. Your gift suddenly looks like it came from a boutique. (And, be warned, your friends may say silly things like, "Only people with chickens make tags." Crazy, but true.)

So, I'm a Liar, Part II

2011-03-29T09:07:00.002-04:00

So, you see. I am a liar.

I had been seeing some cute berets (and free patterns) online and thought, "Heck. since I am a hat person, maybe I should make myself a beret." And so I did.

I was a little unsure about embellishing the beret (it just seemed too plain alone, since I didn't use that fancy yarn from the pattern), so I came up with a few options ...

Above is a single jersey flower. (Which is actually the hair clip because I had been unable to find my yellow pin ... I have since found it, attached to this.)

Three jersey flowers (I think they hang too low).

A ribbon flower.

And a darker gray (wool/bamboo blend) crocheted flower.

What do you think? Do you have another idea or suggestion?

So, I'm a Liar, Part I

2011-03-28T10:40:00.003-04:00

So, apparently, I lie. I should have known when I spoke the words, "I'm not much of a hat person," that it would come back to bite me in the butt. And, oh, it has.

You see, I love Spenser's cloches. (Is that how you pluralize cloche ?) Love them. And coveted them. And I thought that maybe, just maybe, I would like to wear one.

I found a gray yarn in a wool/bamboo blend and decided to go for it. I used the same pattern, just adapted it to fit my head. And when I finished, I loved it. So much so that I made another one for myself ...

in army-green wool. I wore one when we took the boys out for Scouting for Food, and the subsquent family birthday party, and basketball game. I wore it all day because I had a case of "hat head" after a few hours.*

But, no. I couldn't stop there. I made three more (in the gray wool/bamboo blend) for my three sisters' birthdays. This time I made the flower a little larger with three rows of petals.

I was late for one sister's birthday (January 1st), early for another (April 4th) and just in time for the other (March 23rd). I made sure each of them knew not to talk about the cloche to the others. Then, with each delivery, I texted them to let them know the secret was safe.

We're thinking we might take our picture together with our new hats this weekend.

*I recently read in one of my fitness magazines that, to avoid flattening your hair while wearing a hat, you should part your hair on the opposite side before you put the hat on your head. When you remove the hat, flip the hair back. (I did not have this information prior to my all-day hat adventure.)

Thrifted

2011-03-25T09:37:00.004-04:00

Last Friday, while gallivanting around ribbon outlets, I stopped in at my favorite thrift store. Joe had a meeting in the same area as my favorite thrift store, so Sawyer and I went along for the ride. It's about an hour away, but well worth the drive. I never leave empty-handed.

At first when I saw the huge assortment of punch bowl cups, I passed them by. It may have had something to do with Sawyer having to use the bathroom within minutes of arriving, or it may have been the worker and her friend who were blocking the aisle. It didn't matter. I saw them and passed right by them.

The rest of the time I was in the store, I couldn't take my mind off the punch cups ...

so I headed back. The worker and her friend had moved along and I had free reign of the aisle. There were tons of cups.

I know you're thinking, "who even needs punch cups?" But we do. We like to use our punch bowl for little things and we never have enough cups. And how cute would a table display be with a bunch of mismatched cups?

So I bought 19. For 15 cents each.

And I'm totally thinking I need to have a party now. I'm ready.

Ribbon Outlet

2011-03-21T09:11:00.004-04:00

On Friday I went to the ribbon outlet. Yes, there is such a thing. The last time I went I was pregnant with Sawyer.

They've changed things around in the past 4 1/2 years. They no longer sell ribbon by the (generous) yard. They only sell it by the spool now.

I went in for some brown ribbon. I couldn't decide between satin and grosgrain. Then, I saw some gray (satin and grosgrain) and decided I needed some of that, too. I mean, how could I resist? Especially when I saw the prices ...

$1.25 per spool. Four spools of gray (light and dark) and two spools of brown. My total bill was less than $8. And the spools are huge!

Anyone have suggestions for ribbon crafts? I'm thinking about ribbon flowers, although none of the ribbon I bought has wire. Oh, and some belts.

Decorating with GREEN

2011-03-11T10:00:00.003-05:00

I really couldn't wait to put away the Valentines decorations so I could put up some St. Patricks Day decorations.

So on February 15th, I did nothing. Absolutely nothing.

I printed the subway art and framed it (a few days later) and that was it. I kept up the Valentines Day stuff.

I thought about making a shamrock garland for our dining room mantle (we have three mantles in our house, but the dining room sees the most traffic). I looked for a shamrock paper punch, but couldn't find one. Then, duh, I realized I had one on a Cricut cartridge. I had previously looked for it, but didn't see it. So glad I checked again.

I made three-inch shamrocks from scrapbook paper and cardstock and then sewed them together. At first I wasn't giving much thought to it. Then I realized the shamrocks would likely be top heavy and I would need to sew them closer to the top. As you can see in the top photo, the first bunch are upside down.

Then I decided to replace Spenser's bedroom hearts with shamrocks.

I made two-inch shamrocks for her window garland.

She was pleasantly surprised when she came home from school.

Jersey Infinity Cowl Scarf TUTORIAL

2011-03-09T08:01:00.000-05:00

I have a thing for things around my neck. I like to wear necklaces, and often play with them subconsciously. I like to wear cowls and scarves to keep my neck warm. (I'm always cold. You turn 40 and your problems and idiosyncrasies grow over night. Just wait. You'll see. And don't say I didn't warn you.)

I had a little bit of gray jersey left over from various projects and thought I'd sew it together to make an infinity cowl/scarf. It was so quick and easy that I decided to make another one and take you along for the ride. Hold on tight. Well, not really. It's not that long of a ride. You can probably even ride without your seat belt, if you're daring.

This is what you'll need:

1/4 yard of jersey/knit (60" wide)
ballpoint needle for your sewing machine*
coordinating thread and bobbin
(and sewing needle for hand sewing opening closed)

With fabric right sides together, sew along the long edge starting 5/8" from top.

Sew the entire length of the fabric. All 60" of it.

BUT, stop short 5/8" at the end. (Like in the beginning.)

Slide your arm through the tube and pull right side out.

With right sides together, making sure not to twist the cowl (unless you are attempting a moebius scarf), match the seams and pin.

Starting right before seam, sew the short ends together (right sides together) until you can't sew any further.

It will look crazy and twisted (and feel tight), but that's okay.

Turn in raw edges and hand sew the opening shut with needle and thread.

Now try it on! (I always put the hand-sewn seam on the inside of the scarf and place it on the back of my neck.)

You can wear part of it on top of your head, like a snood. You can even wear it when you run outside to tend the chickens in the freezing rain. You can wear it around the house when you're 40 and freezing. (Or, ahem, 41, and freezing.)

*I could have used my serger for this, but the serger and I are fighting again. She wants to stay unthreaded and I want her to stay threaded. She's winning this battle. We're taking a little break from each other. So, in the meantime, I'm trying to make her jealous.

Our Saturday

2011-02-21T14:12:00.004-05:00

On Saturday we held Taylor's Eagle Court of Honor. We had a busy few weeks preparing for it. (And, boy, has the inside of my house suffered because of it.)

Joe wrote the program and prepared a PowerPoint presentation and pretty much organized everything. I took care of the food (chocolate fountain + other goodies) and made two slideshow presentations: a short 4-minute one for the actual ceremony and a longer one for the reception we held afterwards.

As his mother, I pinned the medal on his uniform. It was crooked.

And then Taylor gave a speech that he wrote. He did a wonderful job. I was so proud of him. (Carter, in the background, was the emcee for the Court of Honor as part of the Communications Merit Badge. Carter did a wonderful job, as well. And he was funny. We are still laughing at him.)

And, so ... it's official ...

I'm the mother of an Eagle Scout. (One of many future Eagle Scouts.)

Happy Valentines Day!

2011-02-14T08:26:00.004-05:00

A week ago on Sunday I made chocolate chip scones.* They were heavenly. The kids loved them, but not as much as I did. At that time I thought it would be a nice Valentines morning treat for the children ... Too bad I didn't remember until nearly 11:00 p.m. last night.

I tried a different recipe this time. They are good, but I think I'll stick to my tried-and-true Joy of Baking recipe. It must be the stick of butter that makes the difference.

Last night after the scones cooled, I packaged each in a cellophane bag and placed one at each stool at our kitchen island/breakfast bar for the children. (And I stuck one with Joe's wallet and keys for him to take to work this morning.)

While the scones were baking, I remembered that I bought a bag of M&Ms for the kids' lunch treat. I bought some adorable red-polka-dotted treat bags at Michaels last week for the very occasion. I cut the treat bags and attached some Valentines scrapbook paper to the top.

I wish I would have thought of this earlier in the morning, but when I wake up before 6:30 and start packing lunches, I'm barely awake. Taylor and Carter's sandwiches were normal, but Jackson, Mason, and Spenser's sandwiches were made with love. (I use white wheat for the sandwiches. My kids are anti-"dirty" bread and do not like to see grain of any kind in their bread, thanks to their father.)

My Valentine treat for today was a necklace with six golden hearts. Joe gave me the chain (and a bag of Ghirardelli chocolate) and each of the children were lined up with a heart in their hand, told me they loved me, and gave me a kiss. So sweet.

And I made Spenser a rushed Valentines jumper to wear to school today. I made it from pink fleece.

Instead of hemming it, I made a blanket stitch all around the raw edges of the dress, neckline and sleeves, included.

And, because I still wasn't happy with it, I made a little heart from ruffled scrap fleece. I added two satin ribbons to tie in the back. The heart, by far, is my favorite part of the dress.

Today I'm hoping to make chocolate-raspberry cupcakes for dinner, along with homemade bread and lasagna, and my little heart butter pats. But, it's Monday, which is cleaning day. And Mason has an orthodontist appointment. And I have a town meeting. And the weather is supposed to be nice, and I'd love to go for a run, but probably won't be able to fit it in.

So, have you planned any Valentine surprises for your sweeties?

*I have made the Joy of Baking scones several times in the past. I omit the dried fruit and add extra chocolate chips. Usually I throw in a small handful of mini-chocolate chips along with the regular-sized ones.*

Don't Laugh. Okay, You Can

2011-02-11T10:24:00.006-05:00

This is my first real "beading" attempt. The only reason I tried it is because I have a favorite pearl necklace with a broken clasp. I can only imagine how much money the jeweler would charge to re-string and re-knot the thing. (Especially after they charged me $15 to replace the battery of my running watch a few months back -- I had the $2 replacement battery, but couldn't remove the backing.) I decided to see if I might be able to learn to do it myself.

Thankfully I was able to find some tutorials and a video on YouTube to get me on my way. As you can see, it's not the prettiest thing in sight, but I was able to practice stringing and knotting.

I think the main problem with this necklace has to do with the knots (even though they were four strands thick). The knots are slightly smaller than the holes in the beads and doesn't keep the beads in place so they slide around a bit. I think I will cut this sucker apart and start over. And see if I can buy another strand of those turquoise beads. I bought the last strand in the store, but I'd like the necklace to be a little longer.

As for the pearl necklace? Well, I have a lot of practice ahead of me before I take it apart.

(The inspiration for this necklace came from here. I really dig the orange + turquoise together. I'm an orange-kind-of gal.)

Jersey* Flower Pins

2011-02-09T11:50:00.006-05:00

The other week with my leftover jersey,* I made a few flowers. I found a quick and easy tutorial and made them in just minutes. (I just love that when I have an idea, I can find someone else who has already done the "hard work" and figured it out for me. The internet can be a wonderful tool.)

After I made these three, I realized that I used the same color scheme as ones I made over a year ago: gray, yellow, and white. At least I'm consistent. I really do think that gray and yellow are my winter colors. Or maybe just my everyday colors (like in this photo of my kitchen).

Yellow + gray. I just can't get enough of them together.

I like to be able to swap out the flowers with my mood and my wardrobe. I can wear it on my wool peacoat. (They would look adorable on a bag or hat. I'm not much of a hat person.)

On my infinity scarf ...

And I even made one for a hairclip for my girl's golden brown locks. (I just have not been able to get decent sunlight when she's home so you'll have to see it in my hair instead.)

When I make pins, I like to cut out a circle (or oval) piece of felt, when I attach the pinback. (Click on the last link to see exactly how I do it.)

*I am choosing to call these jersey flower pins instead of knit because I don't want any confusion with knit meaning knitting with yarn.

The One-Hour Cardigan That Took Two

2011-02-08T13:09:00.004-05:00

About a month (or more) ago, I made this one-hour cardigan. It actually took two.

First, it was a pain in the you-know-what to cut out. (It's jersey.)

And then the armholes were too small and I had to cut, a little at a time, to enlarge the opening.

But, in the end, I think I like it. That's my way of saying that I'm still getting used to it. (The shoulders sit low and it's a different feeling.)

I made the middle length and then shortened it to the shortest length. And then I lengthened the sleeves to fit my gorilla arms.

Le Cloche

2011-02-07T08:31:00.004-05:00

Perhaps I should have warned you that after I found that cute cloche pattern, I would become an obsessed woman. Although, if you know me, you should have already guessed it.

Last week I went on the hunt for the perfect brown, cotton yarn.

I almost didn't find it. (Michaels was a bust. I actually found this cotton yarn at Wal-Mart.)

I couldn't wait to get started.

Or finished.

So I finished the hat in almost one sitting.

Minus kids' baths, family scripture reading, family prayers, finishing the dishes, washing the eggs, etc.

And I was so pleased that I made one for her to wear to church.

I'd prefer that it would be pink to match her coat lining, but I could not find a pink I liked enough. For her. Or for me.

But I found (in my stash) a pink for a friend's baby. While I'm not in love with the self-striping yarn, I do like the way this hat, excuse me, cloche, turned out. (I made this one while the men-folk in the house watched the Super Bowl last night.)

Ruffled Flower Necklaces

2011-02-04T08:31:00.002-05:00

A few weeks back I stumbled upon a new-to-me blog and this tutorial for making pom-pom bib necklaces. Well, last week with all of our snow days, I was able to make not one, but two ...

I actually made the yellow one first out of a yellow tee. It took longer than I expected (not just because I had to cut four million little circles) because I made my extra ruffly. I guess I should have referred back to the picture/tutorial more often.

The gray one was made from some leftover cotton I had from the clutch I made for our big night out. I was able to cut out many layers of cotton at once (as compared to the jersey from the tee). It went much quicker the second round.

At first I wasn't sure about these necklaces because they are quite different than the ones I usually wear, but it turns out that I really do like them.

Looped Scarflette

2011-02-01T10:22:00.004-05:00

We've been snowbound. This statement actually makes me laugh out loud because it's soooo not like last year when we had four feet of snow in one week's time. We have just enough snow (and ice now) for schools to close. Again. The district called for a two-hour delay this morning, but with the supposed forecast, they closed school. I think there's a smidgen of ice out there, but I can't see it. There is absolutely no precipitation at the moment. From what I saw online, it will start back up in the middle of the night and be icy all over again. Which means tomorrow we could be looking at another day at home. I've come to learn you cannot trust weather predictions.

I'd rather have the snow.

Anyway, with this "snowboundness" I've been a little antsy. I found a cute pattern on etsy and had just enough scrap yarn to knit a Looped Scarflette. I'll say it was touch and go for a bit. I changed the pattern a wee bit (skipped the second loop) because I was seriously not sure I'd have enough yarn. I did. And I had about two feet of yarn left over at the end. Talk about calling it close.

If it warms up, I might run a few errands today. We have enough bread, milk, toilet paper and eggs, but I need brown yarn. Next on my list is this hat for Spenser. I guess in the meantime, I can finish sewing a spring jacket for the girl. I just need to attach one sleeve and do some finishing touches. Although there's no rush ...

By the way, do I look like Freddie???

Crocheted Hearts

2011-01-31T15:36:00.003-05:00

A few months back I thought about crocheting some hearts to make a little garland for the dining room mantle. After I started making hearts, I couldn't stop. And then I decided they'd look darling in Spenser's pink bedroom.

I crocheted red, white, and pink hearts and sewed them together with fishing line.

For the life of me I cannot remember which pattern I used, but it was a free one off the internet. The kids have been off from school since last week (snow, ice, end of marking term) and I sat down one day and just relaxed and crocheted. They were pretty quick and easy to whip up.

I crocheted a chain and hung them from the chain on the lower half of her front bedroom window. I used two little Command clips to hang them up. I love those little clips. I have used them a lot lately.

*Edited to add: I found the link to the hearts.*

Illusion Necklace

2011-01-24T08:24:00.006-05:00

Many years ago Joe bought me a pearl illusion necklace. I have loved that thing to death. I still wear it on occasion. Just last week at church a little girl told me how much she loved it. It reaffirmed my own love for it. The only teeny tiny problem was that it is made from white pearls and, well, some times I'd like to wear it, but need it in a different color ...

You know how that goes. You think about something you "need," and then figure out a way to make it. And that's exactly what I did. I think it was a wardrobe essential. And I'm pretty sure I didn't actually need it, but it was simple enough to pull together.

You can dress it down.

You can wear it with a scarf (because rarely do the two leave my neck -- it's been so cold lately).

And you can dress it up. I wore it to church yesterday with my Shabby Apple dress. [Can I just tell you how much I love their dresses? They are comfy, stylish yet classic and well-made. I wore one to Taylor's special night back in December. And then I bought another one with my town council pay check after Christmas. Oh, and Spenser has one, too! I owe my first two dresses (and Spenser's dress and this cute bracelet) to Groupon and a very awesome deal they had back in the summer. But now I'm hooked! I'm eyeing up the Truman, but it might be a little too short for me.]

I'm still in the very early experimental stages of making the necklaces. Spenser has requested one of her own. I made a second one, but it needs tweaking. I also found some baby pink pearls I bought to make a bracelet for Spenser a few years ago. I have enough for one necklace ... Maybe, if I'm lucky, she'll share it with me. Or I'll share it with her.

Banana Butter

2011-01-13T12:27:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was a snow day from school. The kids were all playing peacefully and Sawyer was being entertained with all of his older siblings home. It was bliss ... at least for awhile.*

I was looking through my recipes yesterday and saw one for Banana Butter. I stopped and remembered the six (!) bananas I had sitting on my kitchen island that were overripe. I usually toss the bananas to the chickens, but that's when I have one or two. Not six. I think I am over banana bread right now and I really have no room in my freezer for any more leftover bananas for smoothies. (And honestly, I can only eat bananas when they are perfectly ripe and have only a few sprinkles of brown on the peel. If I try to eat overripe bananas, I gag. I seriously gag.) Banana butter it was.

Oh. My. Goodness. I did not realize just how good this stuff would be. I thought I'd share it with you in case you had some ripe bananas hanging about your kitchen, too. Sadly, I do not remember where I found this recipe because it was saved on my hard drive.

Banana Butter

5 ripe bananas, peeled**
3 1/2 TBS lemon juice
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Break bananas into pieces and either place in food processor with lemon juice or put in saucepan and blend with immersion blender (like I did) until smooth. Add sugar and spice and heat over medium heat until it starts to boil. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring regularly. Store in refrigerator in airtight container. (**I used six bananas and kept the proportions as listed above. This recipe made 1 1/4 pints + a few extra tablespoons for "sampling.")

I then made some bread. And some barbecue sauce, just because I ran out the other night.

*Joe called in the early afternoon and I told him how peaceful the house was. Shortly after that phone call, all heck broke loose and it was wild and crazy. The rest of the day went downhill very quickly. In fact, when Joe left to take the four older boys to scouts, he told Spenser and Sawyer to be nice to their mama.

An Introduction

2011-01-12T18:34:00.001-05:00

Keen meet Merrell. Happy feet.

(My new Christmas boots.)

More Fun with Silhouettes

2011-01-10T08:14:00.003-05:00

After making our Christmas cards, I still had silhouettes on the brain. Can I tell you just how much I love them? Because, oh, I do.

My real-life friend, Christy, reminded me that she had made silhouette ornaments one year. And I thought it would be the perfect time to make a few myself.

I made several of the one on the right for grandparents and Aunt Lettie. The one on the left was one that I gave Joe for Christmas. It was a last-minute idea, but they were all well-received.

And then I decided I needed one for my red-room Christmas tree.

Every year I try to give the children a handmade ornament. Last year's never got made. This year they had three. The first one was from Jackson's birthday party and they each made one. I thought I was off the hook (and caught up from missing last year), when I thought of the silhouette ornaments. Each child received his/her own silhouette in a frame. I can't wait to look back at these in the many years to come. I always want to remember Sawyer's full head of hair (we cut his hair the next day) and how he reminds me of The Great Gazoo.

(In 2008 I made the scrappy ornaments. In 2007 I made karate uniform ornaments. In 2006 I made felt ornaments.)

And, of course, I didn't stop there. We made silhouettes for the wall. This is in our newly painted family room.

It's the first wall I see when I walk into the room. I can't tell you how happy I am every time I walk in there and see my children's silhouettes hanging on the wall. (There is usually an elliptical machine under it, but I'm thinking about moving it and putting a bench below it. One that has a shelf to store games.)

And other exciting news:

Joe turned in his retirement paperwork last week!!!
My blog turned five last week.
Carter passed the sacrament for the first time since being ordained a deacon.
I was released as 1st Counselor in the Primary Presidency and am now calling-less.

Christmas Pillows

2011-01-07T09:31:00.002-05:00

After repainting the family room this summer, I made some pillows for the new furniture. (But I think I forgot to blog them.)

This Christmas season I decided I'd like some festive pillows for the family room. I went to the fabric store and found two Christmas prints that I liked. There wasn't much of a selection because it was about two weeks before Christmas.

I came home and finally got around to washing the fabric. Then it sat around a little bit longer. I really told myself that if they didn't get made, I'd totally be okay with it. (I told you, I had a very stress-less holiday this time around.) One evening I had a few minutes to spare, so I sat down and made them.

The top one is probably my favorite. I really like that print.

Hey! How'd he get in there?

The other new fabric I picked up was this candy print. I thought the kids would like it. It's okay, not my favorite, but pickin's were slim.

And a fleece candy-cane striped pillow. I know you're thinking, "That's not new. You made that a few years ago." And you'd almost be correct. I had some leftover fleece and another pillow to cover, so I made a twin.

Well, only it's larger than the original. But still so comfy and soft.

Our Christmas Outfits

2011-01-04T12:41:00.002-05:00

This post could almost be titled The Christmas Outfits That Almost Weren't.

A year ago I found a fun, festive, handmade tablecloth on sale and I knew it would be cute for our matching Christmas outfits. The only problem was, last Christmas I didn't have time to make them. And then I had forgotten all about the tablecloth. Somehow, in the hustle and bustle of the impending Christmas holiday, I ran across the tablecloth. I wasn't sure if it would survive a washing, but I tried anyway, and it came out unscathed.

As I started planning what exactly I was going to make (and if I had enough of that awesome border to go around), I realized that we were going to miss church the Sunday before Christmas. The day we always wear out matching outfits.

Knowing I was going to a Christmas cookie exchange, I forged ahead. I even told myself that, as long as I made something for Spenser, that was enough. (Did I tell you how chill I was the weeks leading up to Christmas? Oh, I must. It's just unbelievable. Especially when we also celebrate three December birthdays.) Anyway, I whipped up a dress for Spenser. It was a pretty quick sew. I decided to make the sleeves long because, well, it is winter after all. I used It's So Easy 4927 by Simplicity. I don't see it on their website, so it may be out of print.

And then, miraculously, it turned out that I did have time (and enough tablecloth border) to make myself a matching skirt. For my skirt I made a straight skirt with a side zipper. And, as usual, it turned out about five inches too wide. I almost didn't fix it. I was really running out of time. By the time I was determined that I would fix it, I had to pack and leave town within minutes. Although, I wasn't really stressed about it, just more frustrated that my skirts are always too large. I used the Sew What! Skirts and I'm really losing faith in that book. I take my measurements for every skirt I make, and they are all too large. Every last one of them.

I made it home in time from our trip to head right back out the door to the cookie exchange in our new Christmas outfits. And then I wore my skirt to a town meeting. And to church this past Sunday (I had a new dress for the Sunday after Christmas and that one took precedence). I guess now we'll put them away until December.

Sisters' Gifts 2010

2011-01-03T11:18:00.004-05:00

My favorite craft is making gifts. In years' past, I have cranked out multiples of the same gift to give to my sisters, friends, and teachers.

This Christmas, I decided to give an embroidered linen handkerchief (with a bar of my homemade chocolate-mint soap).

At first I was really excited about giving the hankies. I love little vintage hankies. I collect and use them. (I have a very small collection.) But then I started to wonder and fear if this was a weird thing to give people. After all, I'm sure not everyone shares my affinity with hankies.

I still wonder what people think about them. And if they know what is is. One teacher sent home a thank-you note and thanked my son for the monogrammed "cloth."

You can see years' past here. My sister, Kate, reminded me last year that I gifted a gold-gilded picture of the temple one year. But there is one year that still eludes us both.

* * As I was typing this, I looked out to the chicken coop and saw an odd thing. We had a hen that was acting strange yesterday. She was very still and standing. Carter tried to pick her up, but she panicked and made some sad sounds. We patted her and told her we loved her, but I didn't expect her to make it through the night. Sadly, the "odd" thing I saw in the chicken run was more horrifying than just a chicken who died in the night. And more horrifying than a dead chicken who was eaten by her fellow hens ... It appears there was a predator last night and took the poor defenseless hen and dragged her to the chicken run door. She was too large to fit through the opening, so it ate her where it was: wedged in the doorway. It was gruesome. I am ever so glad that Joe is home today. (Just recently Joe shot an intruding opossum who was scaling down the chicken wire of the chicken run.)* *

My Eagle

2010-12-22T08:28:00.004-05:00

On Saturday night Taylor and I traveled to go meet up with Joe at his Annual Training Conference in Lancaster, PA. It was going to be a special night. Each year they have a ~~boring~~ training conference and a ~~boring~~ awards ceremony. I stopped attending these things because, well, they are boring. There I said it and I don't feel guilty about it. I went for the first few years of our married life, but then we had too many children and then the children started school and it just wasn't as easy to pack up for a three-day weekend as it was with preschoolers. (And, I really don't like to leave my children. I have only left them when I had a baby and I left some of them when Joe took me out for my birthday one year, but we had three kids, one of which was a newborn Sawyer, so that really doensn't count as being away.)

Anyway, my in-laws came and stayed with the younger five while Taylor and I went on a road trip. And, by the way, Taylor is not an enjoyable traveling companion. He wouldn't talk. And then he had the nerve to fall asleep in the car. I had to jam to Christmas music alone in the car.

We arrived before the ceremony and Joe introduced us to the guest of honor, retired MBA player, Darryl Dawkins. He was a very nice man. In fact, right after this picture, he hugged me and then kissed my neck. It was unexpected.

Then we dressed up and headed to the formal. Taylor wore his Boy Scout uniform. Sadly, he left his sash, neckerchief slide and something else at home, but he still looked dashing. And I almost made him smile. Even if I had to tickle him to force it upon his face.

This ceremony was the most special one I've attended because Taylor was awarded the Chief of Staff Youth Appreciation Cerificate for completing the requirements for Eagle Scout. Brigadier General Bryan Roberts presented Taylor with the certificate. I could barely stop smiling I was so proud of Taylor (It just also happens to be Joe's last Annual Training Conference because he will retire next year.)

After the ceremony, we posed in front of the Maryland state flag.

While we were escorting Taylor to the stage, the emcee read the following (editing out details):

Taylor X, 14, of Troop X, in X MD, completed his board of review on 16 Dec 2010* and earned the Eagle Scout Rank. Taylor is the son of the Honorable Lera Fera, of the Town of X Maryland Town Council, and MSG Joseph Fera, Reserve Operations NCOIC of the X Recruiting Battalion.

The process to Eagle started at age 8 when he joined Cub Scouts and at age 10 earned the Arrow of Light, the highest award in Cub Scouts. In the last three years as a Boy Scout, he completed 43 merit badges including all four historical merit badges which were only available in 2010 for the 100th anniversary of scouting. He has personally served over 230 service hours to the community, served as a den chief at three Cub Scout day camps, attended the National Youth Leadership Training, served as a Patrol Leader in his troop and earned his Duty to God award.

His three years of Scouting experience culminated with a Eagle scout project that he had to design and carry out. Taylor and his 46 supporting volunteers completed the project over a six month time period. He planned and built bench seats and cut back vegetation along a quarter mile walking path, near an elderly low-income housing complex, in his home town that had exercise stations but did not have any seating. The lack of seating resulted in few elderly using the walking path and exercise stations. He also coordinated a cleanup and mulching of the playground at the adjacent community center that had become overgrown. Since his project completion date in October, the path and playground are safer and more frequently used because of his efforts.

Taylor is currently an 8th Grade honor student at X Middle School, an avid soccer player, and a blue belt in Tang Soo Do Karate taking 3rd place in fighting at the 2010 US Eastern Regional Karate Championship. He is a candidate for admission to the Johns Hopkins University center for Gifted Youth. He plans to continue in scouting and would like to earn the Varsity Denali award and the Venturing silver award. He also has a goal to play high school soccer and earn his black belt in karate.

See. Now you can see why I couldn't stop smiling! I'm such a proud mama. And last night he actually had his Eagle Board of Review.* And passed. It was scheduled for last week, but we had a scant one inch of snow (1/2 inch in other areas of the county according to the local newspaper) and it was postponed. The award he received Saturday night still went on as planned because he had already completed the requirements to receive it.

Tagging It

2010-12-21T13:01:00.004-05:00

Every year I make new gift tags. Even though I'm sure I have some left over from last year (and the year before, and probably the year before that) I still made more.

While I have a "gift tag" punch, I love the simplicity of a round tag with a hole punched through it and strung on bakers twine. Oh, how I love bakers twine. I bought a spool a few years ago and it's still going strong. (I actually bought mine from them on eBay, but when I checked recently, they are no longer selling on eBay. They also have nice jelly roll pans.)

Spenser has been fully involved in tag-making. I think I left to answer the phone and she took over. Gotta love her.

Last year (?) after Christmas I found these Martha Stewart craft punches on clearance. Spenser and I found the perfect craft: gift tags! We punched into little cards cut from scrap pieces of cardstock. I used poster tape to adhere it to packages, but I could easily punch a hole in the corner and string it on ... bakers twine.

With the "leftover" holly leaves, we glued them onto ready-made tags that I had with my sewing stuff. We added a small punch of red for a berry.

Which perfectly matched Sawyer's gift for his preschool.

Paper Dolls & Puppets

2010-12-17T09:34:00.005-05:00

Last Friday the three elementary-school-aged kids in our house had early dismissal from school. (The two older boys were not happy they had a whole day of school.)

Knowing that the minute my children walk in the door, they start arguing and fighting about who is getting on the computer first, I was armed with ideas. I printed some Christmas word searches and mazes for each of them. The website I found had different levels, so each child got the appropriate-aged puzzle. And that kept them quiet. For a bit.

Spenser then worked on addressing her class Christmas cards.

And then we decided to break out the new Cricut cartridge I had bought on clearance the week before: Paper Doll Dress Up. Now, I have to admit that this was as much for myself as it was for Spenser. I'm not going to lie about this. I felt a little giddy when I saw it. And I seriously cannot believe I waited a week to break it out. I should also admit that it was my first cartridge purchase. (Although not the last.)

Anyway, we started to make paper dolls out of scrapbook paper and cardstock and we had a grand time. Then a few boys joined in on the fun.

The next morning (on our way to my nephew's baptism), I stopped at Michaels to pick up craft sticks to turn the dolls into puppets. (How could I have not foreseen that dolls turn into puppets, which turn into family puppet shows?)

I started to think about all the things I we could do with this cartridge and decided that I would make a puppet kit as part of a gift exchange at Sawyer's preschool. The gift is to be in the $5 range. I picked up a clearanced $2 set of Legos at the store yesterday and thought a puppet kit would be a fun addition.

I made an elf, Santa, and Mrs. Claus kit, each in their own labeled zippy bag.

They were placed inside a clear page protector with extra craft sticks, a glue stick and miscellaneous pieces, like a Christmas tree, sleigh, reindeer and gingerbread men, plus two plain people to decorate/color.

I hope it is well received. I mean, I would love it. And so would my children.

[I thought it would be a fun craft for a class (i.e., Spenser's Kindergarten class) holiday party, but sadly, I don't think they are allowed to have parties like that anymore. I think everything they do now is low-key. They exchange cards and maybe have a snack, but with political correctness, food allergies and store-bought food only, it's not as fun as it was in my days.]

Christmas Cards - 2010 Edition

2010-12-15T08:57:00.004-05:00

It was that time of year again. Remember that? If you don't, go back for a fun read and hurry back.

So, it's a time of year I don't particularly look forward to. I felt like we've exhausted backyard shots. (Although I did come up with a few new ideas. Maybe next year ...) Anyway, I started to think about 2010 and how one of the biggest accomplishments of the year was Taylor completing his Eagle Scout project. It seemed only fitting that we would include one of his benches in our family Christmas card shoot.

After about 200 shots, we picked this one. Sawyer looks goofy, but at the age of four, he is allowed to look goofy. He reminds me of Mason that one year. Oy.

We told the children to put on their sweaters because they were not going to wear their coats. Amazingly only the four younger ones listened. We didn't even realize it until we were getting out of the car and told the kids to leave their coats in the car. Taylor and Carter were cold, but that's a consequence of disobedience.

This year I thought it would be fun to do a different kind of Christmas card. We usually order the photo cards from Walmart or Target and I just wanted something new.

The idea to do silhouettes hit me during a Christmas concert. I thought about making notecards and it grew to be Christmas cards.

We used GIMP and found this tutorial on YouTube . It was perfect. It was clear to understand and easy to do. I let Joe do the actual tracing of the faces because his hand was more steady than mine. It took mere minutes for each one. (I bought some square 8x8" frames to print one of each of the children for our family room.)

Joe said we should write something witty on the inside, so we wrote "Hoping a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year add up to a wonderful holiday season." I usually sign our names or include a note to make it seem more personal, but after spending a few hours making the cards, I think it will be obvious that the card was handmade and "personal." And if we wanted to send them out this year, this is how it would be done. After all, I think I made 75-80 cards.

I printed the white tops on cardstock, four to a page and the actual cards were red cardstock, printed on the printer. I bought a pack of invitation envelopes from Office Depot. I did have to trim the edges of the picture to fit into the envelope.

Silhouette tips:

Ponytails work best for those with long hair, otherwise you will look neckless.
Enlarge the photo and it will make is much simpler to trace with the mouse. (That may have been my issue.)
I used as much of a plain background as I could get: the bathroom door.
Take photo at head level and make sure the subject's head is level. (This is especially helpful with adults to prevent the appearance of a double chin.)
Try to stand/sit/kneel as naturally and relaxed as possible.
You can always edit! My hair was not straightened that day and the ponytail was "full." Joe edited it to look more like the normal me.
Try not to hate your profile. I know it's hard. Joe and I almost decided against putting ours on the card.

Adventing

2010-12-13T12:23:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was a busy day. We went to church and then attended a huge family Christmas (reunion) party. Santa was supposed to come through town on the fire engine last night, but rain kept ol' Saint Nick home. (He's rescheduling for next Monday.) I tried to console the children that they had just seen Santa (on a fire engine no less) at our family Christmas party just two hours earlier. I think they're cool with it now.

So we had some "down time" last evening. As always, I turned on my Christmas music and everyone just kind of did their own thing: playing, making, creating, etc. For Advent I had picked out a few crafty things to do throughout the month. Sadly, our busy family life has us going in different directions on most weeknights, so our Advent has mostly been drinking hot chocolate with a candy cane (or cool snowman-shaped marshmallows); drinking eggnog; family movie night (on a school night! with popcorn); and other holiday treats.

Last night was the perfect night to break out an organized craft.

I had picked up some dollar crafts at Michaels several weeks ago and hid them away. Even though I bought six of each, I knew even then that Taylor would not participate.* We still asked him.

The children liked this craft, although it did bring a few tears. Those darn little beads are so darn little and twice the "frame" popped up and all the beads under the frame scattered here and there and had to be redone. And tweezers were involved. And fighting over tweezers was involved.

Despite the tears, I think ~~Joe and I~~ they did a great job. Really, we just fine-tuned the errant beads.

The kids used the leftover beads to create their initials.

Sawyer: gingerbread man

Spenser: snowman

Mason: polar bear

Jackson: penguin

Carter: reindeer

*Today at 12:42 p.m., I will have officially been a mother for 14 years. Taylor's birthday is today. We are so proud of him. He has his Eagle Board of Review on Thursday night and then it should be official. His goal was to have this Board of Review before his 14th birthday, but, ahem, some of the volunteers weren't willing to make it happen.

Vogue 7871 Dress

2010-12-10T08:21:00.004-05:00

Last night our town held the MML's Christmas dinner for our county. While our local chapter of MML meets frequently (monthly? quarterly? I'm not even sure), I rarely attend. I went one time last year, which I think was also the Christmas dinner. I don't go often, mostly, because of the cost for the town. It usually costs around $30 per person for food. Our little town of 900 people is struggling just like major cities. But, since we were hosting it, we all agreed to attend.

I had planned to make a dress this past summer and never did. How typical of me. So when I heard about this dinner, I knew it was time. I used the fabric I had originally picked out this summer, which is a thrifted sheet. Or something. I thought it was a sheet, then I realized it was homemade. So maybe it was a shower curtain. I'm not sure. It's hard to tell but it's off-white with a reddish-pink floral design. I thought it could also double as a Christmas outfit with red and white. Or reddish-pink and off-white. Whatev.

It's been freezing here, so I had to wear it with a cardigan. I also wore my black ribbon belt. Oh, and that cool, vintage rhinestone reindeer pin I have. Except the reindeer is now missing his red eye.

Without the cardi, it's kind of plain. But I still like it. The pattern calls for a belt, but I knew I wasn't going to wear it to the dinner, so I didn't bother making one yet.

And I thought, if I never get around to making the matching (bleh!) belt, I could always improvise.

I used Vogue 7871, which sadly is out of print now. I made the length a tad longer than the shorter version. And I had to slightly modify the sleeves because it looked like the sleeves and I were about to take flight. I had thought about making a felt-poinsettia belt to go with the dress, but I ran out of time. After all, I cut out the dress on Monday night; started sewing the dress Tuesday night; and hemmed it and fixed the ~~wings~~ sleeves Thursday afternoon, just hours before the dinner. I also used a 22" invisible zipper instead of the regular one. (Thank goodness I made a mock-up dress 2 weeks ago. The invisible zipper looks much nicer.)

Around the House

2010-12-08T08:36:00.004-05:00

Last week, before Jackson's birthday party, I started decorating a bit. I put up two of the three Christmas trees and fought with Christmas lights the entire time. Then I hung lighted garland around my front door. And fought with Christmas lights the entire time. I had exhausted myself with Christmas lights. Those darn buggers.*

I always save the "big" children's tree in our family room for last. Mostly because of Jackson's birthday party. I can just imagine the tree falling over with that rambunctious group of boys.

So, like I said, I started decorating last week. The above picture is in our newly-painted kitchen. (We hung up bead board and painted the walls. More on that later. Maybe.) I had some of my vintage aprons hanging on the above shelf. Last week I decided they needed some seasonal sprucing up, so it got a makeover.

The Advent Christmas Stocking Garland has been hanging since Advent-Eve night, after the kids were in bed. The children look forward to its arrival every year. And they look forward to a nightly "treat," too. (The above mantel has been rearranged since this photo was taken last week.) The above print was printed at Office Depot on poster paper for around $10. LOVE it.

A little snowman print in the dining room above my sewing table adds just the right touch. (I found the print online for free and shrunk it to fit a thrifted frame, which I spray painted black two weeks ago.)

And a little forest on a different dining room window. (These are the super-cute trees that were bleached Sarah-style a few years back. I had forgotten about them and now wonder where the rest of them are ...)

*On Monday I decided to put up the third and final Christmas tree. We had bought a pre-lit tree years ago and some of the lights stopped working. When I pulled it out on Monday, I noticed most of the lights were not working. I spent two hours on my knees cutting the lights off (the bottom section only) with wire cutters. My poor delicate knees cannot handle such torture. In fact, I can barely kneel at all since I fell, over a year ago. My poor knees are literally bruised from Monday. I usually kneel on pillows, but forgot on Monday. Anyway, when Joe came home he told me that he thought the lights I had cut off may have been good and only needed a new fuse. The children decorated the tree after school yesterday. We are inching closer to Christmas ...

A Decade Old

2010-12-06T10:46:00.004-05:00

Today, Jackson is a decade old. It's hard to believe another ten years have flown by.

On Saturday we celebrated his birthday with some friends from school. I think this is the third year in a row he has invited the same friends. As in years' past, I am always leery of Jackson and his friends coming together. And I have good reason ... Remember the sofa they flipped? I will never forget that party as long as I live.

Anyway, it's been cold and windy, but I figured it would be a perfect day to send the kids outside to do an outdoor activity. And, would you believe it, they actually begged to go outside before the activities started. I sent Joe and another father out to supervise, while I heated up some food. (Which was clearly my excuse to stay inside.)

While they were eating, Carter and I went outside to hide the loot for the scavenger hunt.

The list of items to find included:

a pencil (hidden on the fence),

a Christmas stocking (quickly sewn by me the night before, hanging on a bare tree),

a clementine (hidden on the floor of the play fort),

bubbles (hidden on top of the frozen rain barrel),

eraser (hidden on a rock), candy cane (hanging on the fence around the garden), cup (hidden on the shelf in the back of the candy stand), animal parachute (hidden on the wood pile), activity book (hidden in the foliage of my yucca plants), Reese's peanut butter Christmas tree (in the treehouse "mailbox"), and Christmas ornament [a personalized ornament made by me as shown in top photo (hung from the bare forsythia)]. The boys loved it.

After we came inside to warm up, we ate brownie sundaes, played "freeze dance," guessed how many M&M's and Hershey Kisses were in the jars, and played pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey. Actually, we ran out of time, even though it lasted 2 1/2 hours. The kids were playing pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey as their parents waited for them.

I think we lucked out by not having snow like we did for Jackson's last two birthday parties.

Happy birthday, Jackson! I hope to spend many more decades with you.

Pointy Elf Hat

2010-12-03T08:16:00.003-05:00

About a month ago I sat down to knit the Pointy Elf Hat as seen on the cover of More Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. I'm still using leftover orange yarn. I think we're about out of it, so this may be the last of the orange knitted projects. One can only hope.

The hat was a fun, quick knit and the children have been fighting over who gets to wear it. Some day (after our three December birthdays and parties and Christmas) maybe I'll make a few more.

As of right now, Jackson's birthday party is tomorrow and Taylor's is (maybe ?) next Saturday. Taylor will not decide who or when. He's being fickle and won't tell us what he'd like for Christmas. Oh, the joys of teenage boys. I better get the hang of it soon. My life is about to become the life of teenage boys.

Which Came First ...

2010-11-30T13:27:00.004-05:00

the skirt or the bag? Actually, it was the bag.

My sister-in-law decided she wanted to learn to sew and she bought a sewing machine. I told her I'd help anytime she needed it. She emailed me a link to a bag she wanted to make. It made me laugh because I had printed it a year and a half ago and never made one. She came over and I helped her make one. As she was sewing, I whipped one up, too.

The closest fabric I had nearby was the vintage sheet. Thinking that I would not have time to make a Thanksgiving skirt, I thought I'd "settle" on a new bag. Lucky me, I got both.

The bag is extra tiny. Well, tiny for me. I took it to a choral concert (the same benefit concert as last year),* and it was the perfect size for a very rare, once-a-year date night.

And you can see the little ruffly flower I attached to the front. I hand-stitched it in place so I won't lose it. Because you know I would.

*Oh, and yes they announced my name again at the concert. At least this year I was prepared.

Circle Skirt a.k.a. The Thanksgiving Skirt

2010-11-29T11:24:00.009-05:00

Happy belated Thanksgiving! We had a great Thanksgiving holiday. Well, except the kids had off of school all week and they fought and made messes all over the house. I'd be lying if I said I was sad to see them leave for school this morning.

But even amidst the chaos, that is my life, last week, I had to make another Thanksgiving skirt. I always have grand plans, but then run out of time. Again this year, I made plans and waited until Wednesday to start (and finish) the skirt.

The fabric I chose was a no-brainer. A friend of mine found this fun vintage sheet at the thrift store and knew it would make a fab skirt. In fact, when it was in her cart someone asked her if she was going to make a skirt from it and she replied, "No, my friend will." And right she was! (I love that my friends and family know me well enough to know what I like ... and what I can make with it.)

I made a circle skirt. Which is very twirly.

Very twirly.

The skirt has a side zipper and a vintage button closure. And did I mention it's twirly?

Skirts from Thanksgivings past:
2009
2008 - Did I make one and it was undocumented?
2007

Hooded Towels

2010-11-19T09:12:00.002-05:00

Remember when we so happily got new towels earlier this year? I think I neglected to report that Spenser and Sawyer were still using old towels. Sawyer rotated between two towels: a hooded towel I bought before he was born (ahem, four years ago) and a hooded towel a friend gave Mason when he was born. They were both well-used and not as soft as they once were. Spenser's towels were just as old. Well, actually, older. After all, she is two years older than Sawyer ...

Part of the problem is that our clawfoot bathtub is in our first-floor bathroom for all to see. I was having a hard time, once again, finding towels to complement that room (which is a pale pink). Inexpensive towels can be so ugly.

Anyway, I found an affordable light blue set and a more-pink-than-I-wanted pink set. I was just going to make them simple, until a google search helped me find this tutorial.

I love them. And I find that I'm kicking myself for not doing it sooner.

Not Good

2010-11-18T14:13:00.003-05:00

In the words of Scooby-Doo, "ruh-roh."

Late yesterday afternoon I was getting ready for parent-teacher conferences and my glasses broke. Luckily I was able to call my doctor's office to get a referral and called and scheduled an appointment for today. At least it was my today. I showed up today and was told my appointment is actually tomorrow. Someone had their days messed up. And it wasn't me. Unfortunately Mason has an "emergency" orthodontist appointment at the same time the office said I was scheduled, so it's not going to work out for me tomorrow. Or next week when the kids are home from school all week for Thanksgiving. And, as it looks now, it might not work the following week either. (Seriously, who wants an evening eye appointment? We have lives in the evenings. And meetings ...)

I am wearing a spare pair of glasses and I don't recognize myself. The glasses are okay. They just aren't me anymore. Honestly, I'm not sure if they were ever "me." I have two important town events/meetings coming up (well, four total, but only two are important) and I'm sure I'll be self-conscious.

Oh, and my kids rocked the parent-teacher conferences. No worries there. I actually came home smiling and showered the kids with compliments.

The Girl Child

2010-11-17T14:51:00.002-05:00

The girl child was sick this weekend. It started early Saturday morning with a croupy cough and sore throat and developed into wheezing by Sunday evening. Poor thing.

She claimed she didn't like the way the breathing treatment "tasted," and was not happy to do it. It really broke our hearts.

She stayed home from Kindergarten on Monday. She doodled and drew all day long. She followed me into the bathroom while I was cleaning it and when I turned around, she was busy working. We so love that little girl. And we are so happy that she is on the up-and-up and feeling better. Her cough is still nasty, but she has her ol' pep back.

The End of Soccer Season

2010-11-15T12:42:00.003-05:00

I am so happy that soccer is over for the season. No more practices during the week. No more Saturday games. No more dirty cleats and smelly shin guards. No more matching socks and uniforms. Our evenings and Saturdays have just opened up. And it is so freeing.

Last week Jackson and Mason had their soccer tournament. They placed third in their age division. I think they played five or so games that day from 10:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. And it was a cold and windy day.

Taylor and Carter's soccer tournament started the same Saturday and finished this past Saturday. Their first game of the day was quite exciting. In a mom's nervous kind of way.

The absolute best part of the first game was a save made by my very own Taylor. He is a defender and the other team was trying to score. Somehow the ball was bouncing from head to head, inching closer and closer to our goal. Taylor set up for a head bunt ...

hit the ball ...

and sent it sailing. (That's the poor goalie on the ground up there with his feet in the air.)

And, yes, I started to cry. You know me by now.

Taylor and Carter's team ended up losing the last game, but they took 2nd place in the championship. It was another tough game, as Taylor played against two of his best friends.

The season ended with only Jackson scoring. He scored two this year. Jack plays well at offense, but the coach played him in defense this year. Mason and Carter barely played ... Let's not get me started on this one. And Taylor, as always, is a defender. I still think of him as "The Wall."

Crocheted Rosette

2010-11-12T09:20:00.003-05:00

My mother asked me to keep my eyes open for a vintage knit children's earflap hat that she wants to hang with her Christmas decorations. The crafter in me came home and started Googling knit patterns.

It was while searching for said hat that I came across this adorable bonnet with flower. I really think Spenser needs a little knit bonnet like that. And maybe her mama, too.

Anyway, when I saw the crocheted rosette, I was intrigued. It has been a few months since I crocheted and, every once in awhile, it's a nice break from my usual crafting routine.

I made it from scraps of organic cotton and glued a pinback to it. I have been loving E-6000 glue as of late. (I actually used it a few weeks ago to glue my Dyson back together and, so far so good.) I always add a circle of felt with two slits for the pin to poke through. It hides all the edges and gives things a more finished look.

As I worked on it, Spenser loved it, so I placed the pin on her jacket. After she left for school I noticed the pin on the dining room table ... Hmmmm.

Polka-Dot Skirt

2010-11-10T08:39:00.004-05:00

When I thrifted two polka-dot pillowcases a few months back (a year ago, perhaps), I knew they were destined to become a skirt.

On Monday late afternoon, I decided I wanted a new skirt to wear to that night's town meeting and I knew exactly which one I would make.

I'm not going to lie. This skirt has issues. The first and most annoying issue is that this pillowcase had seams on both sides. You may not be able to notice it, but there is a seam running straight down the middle of the skirt. I had hoped that the front and back could be their own separate panels with a side zipper, but it wouldn't work for the A-line skirt I had in mind. If I had just made a simple straight pillowcase skirt, it could have worked. Instead I had to make do and live with a very seamy skirt. But, alas, I have two front panels and two back panels and a zipper in the back.

The facing is a bit funky, but who's going to see that?

Infinity Cowl

2010-11-08T08:28:00.005-05:00

I've been Googling and browsing Ravelry, which is always a dangerous thing. With cooler weather (and no humidity! wahoo!), I decided I needed a knit infinity cowl. (I've been digging my black and white striped jersey one that I bought on clearance over the summer.)

I found a very cute pattern online, but I didn't have the right yarn, and thus the dimensions were grossly off, so I improvised.

I grabbed the last of my gray chunky yarn (I thought I had more because I so forgot that I made this cowl with it. So, yeah, I now have two gray cowls. Whatev.) and got to work. As I knit, I could tell I wouldn't have enough to make it wide enough, so I added a bit of orange for detail.

It's warm and great to wear while waiting for the school bus.

I thought I liked putting it around my head, but after seeing this photo, I don't. It should probably be wider, but I didn't want the orange to take over.

It is almost 6" wide ...

And about 23" long.

Details:

US15 circular needles 29"

1 skein of yarn (I think I used this in gray, but I don't know.)

Cast on 100 stitches, knit in stockinette until desired width, cast off.

Last-Minute Gifting

2010-11-05T08:47:00.002-04:00

Today is the last day for one of Jackson's teachers. She's a very nice lady who has decided to do a career change with the Department of Defense. Jackson had her last year in third grade and then she moved up to fourth grade this year. Taylor had her in third grade and in fifth grade when she taught fifth for a couple of years. (She missed teaching Carter.)

Last night before bed, Jackson reminded me that today was her last day. I knew he wanted to give her a gift, but I really couldn't think what to give her. I remembered I had some homemade soap and that's all I could come up with. (I was sleepy and ready for bed at 8:00.)

Then our dishwasher started to leak all over the kitchen floor. As Joe repaired the dishwasher, I decided to make her a rosette pin, just like the ones I made for my sisters last Christmas. I used a bit of jersey, tulle, and wool to make it and I love how it turned out. It's very dark and gray. A wonderful combination. I might need to make one for myself now. Don't you love when that happens?

Six

2010-11-03T12:27:00.002-04:00

My girl turned six yesterday. Six. She seriously needs to stop doing this.

She had her birthday tea party yesterday, as in past years. This year she invited her best friends from Kindergarten. My girl was born on Election Day, so it was only fitting that she had her party on Election Day. (And, yes, I did vote on my way to the hospital the day she was born.)

We hung garland that was made by my new sister-in-law for her wedding brunch reception.

We decorated the table with thrifted china and fluted saucers which held tea light candles.

Complete with dress-up gloves and princess name place cards.

The girls colored little frames (which I found on clearance), played pin the tail on the donkey, guessed how many Skittles were in one jar and Lifesavers in another, decorated sugar cookies, played outside, danced, and drew pictures.

And Spenser was pleased with all of her new things. My mother bought her a new dress-up costume and princess shoes (and little book to draw her own fairytale, which is nearly finished).

I think she had a grand day.

Now We are Six (1927)
When I was One,
I had just begun.
When I was Two,
I was nearly new.
When I was Three
I was hardly me.
When I was Four,
I was not much more.
When I was Five,
I was just alive.
But now I am Six,
I'm as clever as clever,
So I think I'll be six now for ever and ever.

A.A. Milne

Spooky Ooky Halloween

2010-11-01T12:03:00.003-04:00

This is our house. Joe decorated it. (Finny would be appalled. I just know it.) It was complete with Halloween music, a black light, fog machine, a small cemetery (with a strobe light), and a skeleton creature hanging above the rocking chair. Oh, and giant furry spider hanging from the ceiling. Most of the visiting trick or treaters loved it. One little boy refused to walk in front of my house. Really, I don't blame him. It was spooky and ooky. Even for me.

Joe took this brood trick or treating last night while I handed out candy. (The boy on the top left is a friend.) We had 109 trick or treaters in 1 1/2 hours. It was hairy for awhile.

Sawyer was Curious George. I sewed this for Taylor 11 years ago. I nearly had forgotten about it. I found it in a Halloween costume bin in our basement while looking for something for Carter to wear. Despite the above picture, Sawyer loved his costume. He has worn it four times in the past few days.

Spenser was a pilgrim. I used Simplicity 3725. Seriously, have you seen a cuter pilgrim in your days?

At first she was unsure about the costume. I tried to persuade her for a year. Just a few weeks ago we discussed Halloween costumes and she wanted to be a princess, an angel, a witch ... All the things she has already been. I asked her about being a pilgrim and showed her the pattern. Of course her eyes were quickly diverted to the pink dress on the pattern cover. Finally she consented to be a pilgrim and that it could be black, instead of pink. And then told everyone she was going to be a gremlin.

She's so wearing this for Thanksgiving. She wore it three times this weekend.

Mason was a robot. Joe made this from things we had around the house: old boxes, paper towel/toilet paper rolls, egg cartons, foil, tape and hot glue. I was surprised it has held up for the four times he's worn it.

Jackson was an Army man. This costume has been worn by both of the older boys so far. (Jack wore this three times this weekend, too.)

Carter is wearing Joe's old scrubs from when he worked at an Army hospital as a medic many years ago. I had sewed Carter a little face mask, but it couldn't be located last night. (He wore his costume twice. He was out of town this weekend.)

And last, but not least, Taylor. He wasn't planning to participate in any of the activities we were invited to or for Halloween, but yesterday he was invited to go out with friends from church and had a change of heart. He whipped this costume together on his own. That kid cracks me up. The sign on his shirt says, "I AM A ZOMBIE! And this is my t-shirt."

Tomorrow a very special little girl in the is having a birthday. And a birthday tea party. I have to finish getting ready.
I ran to the store this morning and dropped a gallon of milk. It exploded everywhere. I was embarrassed at first, but no one actually witnessed it. The worst part was trying to find someone to tell. I offered to clean it up. I think the guy thought I was nuts. I apologized profusely. Repeatedly.
Yesterday for church Spenser and I dressed a little witchy. She wore her candy corn skirt, long-sleeved black shirt with her orange and black striped tights. I wore a white shirt, with a black cardigan over it, this ribbon belt, a black pencil skirt, and some black and white striped tights.

Candy Corn: The Grand Finale

2010-10-29T08:22:00.003-04:00

The candy corn yarn became:

candy corn leg warmies ... (March 2010)

which she loved,

but she was too cold

to wear them on her legs,

she

improvised.

I like that girl and I like her style.

Here is a closeup of the skirt. I bought the candy-corn pompom trim last year (the year before?) but never got around to making the cord jumper I had planned. (The corduroy later turned into a funeral skirt.) I had just enough black fabric left over from Spenser's Halloween costume to make her a skirt this year.

She's decked out with this shirt, my necklace (hers broke at school), and this hair clip. I think she took the necklace off before she left for school. And she packed her leg warmies/arm warmies into her bag because they wouldn't fit under her jacket sleeves.

P.S. It's Crazy Sock Day at school today.

Candy Corn Pendant #2

2010-10-28T08:07:00.001-04:00

I say this is Candy Corn Pendant #2 because I made #1 two years ago. Remember that one?

Well, I saw this necklace and knew that Spenser and I needed some more matching holiday bling. I decided to keep ours simple. Mostly because I am not talented in the jewelry-making arena.

Spenser and I cranked out a bunch of candy corn and then Mason joined in on the fun. I loved to see their wonky interpretations of candy corn. I should have made theirs into pendants. Now that would have been awesome. But, probably huge and bulky, too.

Candy Corn Candles

2010-10-27T08:02:00.001-04:00

I nearly squealed when I spied these little candles at the thrift store a few weeks back. Look at the candy corn candles! Aren't they just the sweetest?!?

Halloween related: My kids have been loving these.

Candy Corn Hat

2010-10-26T07:57:00.000-04:00

I must admit: I did not make this hat. But look how simple it would be! I bought this hat years ago for Jackson (from Old Navy). I'd say it's been in our family for about eight years -- longer than some of the little people in our family! I've always loved this little hat and, sadly, this might be its last season. It barely fits Sawyer's head this year.

'Tis the Season: Candy Corn

2010-10-25T07:48:00.002-04:00

'Tis the season for candy corn. This week I will be posting candy corn-esque things. (If you post anything candy corn-esque this week, leave a link in the comments.)

Don't you just love the abnormal candy corns? Right before I spotted this pair, I gave an all-yellow piece to Sawyer to eat. Honestly, when I'm shoving them into my mouth by the handfuls, I'm not always paying attention to the individual traits of each piece. So it's kind of rare for me to even notice them.

An all-time family fave is candy corn + salted peanuts. Look out! This is dangerous. It takes like a PayDay bar, but better. Especially if the candy corn is fresh and soft. I ate a few handfuls as a pre-run snack on Saturday. It probably wasn't the best fuel, but it sure was tasty.

Bonnet & Apron

2010-10-22T07:38:00.000-04:00

So I finally made (and sent) Alana's Halloween costume. Actually, I did it the same day I posted that it needed to be done. I guess it was the guilt that got me.

Alana had texted me in early September asking me to make her a bonnet and apron because she wanted to be the Sun-Maid Raisin girl for Halloween. However, in early September she neglected to tell me that she had three costume parties in September. I really thought I had time to make it. I mean, after all, it's not like I sit around on my tush all day long. I do have a family and a busy life like everyone else.

So, yes, the guilt got me and I really had to get it done and over with and worry about my own children's Halloween costumes. I must admit that I was a little grumbly when I started cutting and sewing that day. I used an old pattern for the bonnet, but somehow the directions were missing. It wouldn't have been so bad, but there were several hat patterns on the same pattern and I couldn't figure out which pieces I needed. I eventually found the instructions in a very odd place, which I entirely credit the Lord in helping me find. Because, as I was completely stressing out, I had a "vision" of some instructions in a cabinet in our red room. I went immediately to the cabinet and looked for them, and they weren't there. But I "saw" them again, so I kept looking. I found them, smooshed and crumbled behind the karaoke machine. Seriously, no human could have known where they were. I quickly thanked the Lord, humbled, and began my project.

Like I said, I was grumbly when I was making this. I had a million things on my to-do list that needed to be done. When I was putting on the finishing touches, a very strong impression came to me. It was Kristen's birthday. I knew that earlier in the day (as documented in my blog post), but the reality of what I was doing, for Kristen's daughter, really hit me hard. I was doing this for Kristen's daughter on Kristen's birthday because Kristen isn't around to do it. And then I think I cried a little bit. Humbled, once again, in my personal imperfections and the perfection in the Lord. It was meant to be.

(Alana has since attended two more costume parties. Unfortunately the costume didn't arrive in time for the first one, but she wore it for the second one. She won "top three" for her costume.)

A New Cowl

2010-10-21T08:15:00.002-04:00

The knitting bug has definitely hit me. I've been taking a bag of supplies with me almost everywhere I go. I even knit on the short 20-minute ride to church one Sunday morning. It's also a great diversion when sitting out (and freezing one's bum) during soccer practice and warm ups before games.

I don't have a huge yarn stash. And I'm kind of thankful about that. I am using what I bought earlier this year, which is somehow limiting, yet liberating at the same time.

Last week or so I finished the Dolores Park Cowl. This was a really quick knit. It seems a little large and baggy around my neck, so maybe I need to block it to see if that helps. I might have used the yarn rescued from this sorry scarf. Or it may have been a too-large hat that was frogged. Either way, it was reused from a knitting project that went awry.

I have since started (and frogged) another hat many, many times. Too many to count. And, as of Monday night, it needs to be frogged again. I am improving, though. Slowly, but surely.

Knit Beanie

2010-10-20T08:59:00.002-04:00

I have started and frogged this hat many a times since I started knitting earlier this year. I recently picked it back up, frogged it and was determined to get it right. It is the Chunky Knit Beanie and I loved the aesthetics of it from the beginning, but I just had a hard time making it.

I think what screwed me up is that the pattern calls for circular needles, but the actual instructions are written for straight needles. I think. Wait, please don't let me think about it anymore. I just can't do it.

Here is what I did: I used 16" size 15 circulars. I cast on 44 (the smaller size) because after starting the larger size, it was waaaaay too large for my head. 44 seems a little loose, but it's livable. Then I knit in stockinette for ten rows, then switched to garter for the rest of the hat. (The directions say to knit in garter for the first ten rows, then switch to stockinette, but the bottom of my hat rolled and it wasn't right. And it wasn't bumpy like it should be.) Since it was knitted in the round, I didn't have any seams to sew.

(I used leftover yarn from my cowl.)

The FINISHED Eagle Scout Project

2010-10-18T13:18:00.005-04:00

Taylor completed his Eagle Scout project on Friday. (There was no school that day.)

Taylor picked a walking path and park in our small town for his project. We have two walking paths in town. One is in the wetlands that runs along a creek and the other is near the town's community center, which also has ball diamonds, a playground, batting cages, tennis courts, horseshoe pits (and more) all within walking distance of a small senior development.

Part of the project was to prune small overhanging branches from the walking path.

A large limb had recently fallen and blocked the path. We asked a friend bring his chain saw and open the pathway.

We also picked up trash along the path, around the community center, and on the playground. My sister-in-law works for a company that does a lot of community volunteer service and she let us borrow fifteen of their trash-picker-uppers. The kids actually fought over who was going to pick up the trash. Score! (I think I need to buy six for home ...)

We mulched,

and mulched,

and mulched some more. I think there were about four full hours of continuous mulching with varying amounts of volunteers. The last hour or two we had nearly all of the forty-six volunteers working on the playground.

The actual mulching was not officially a part of the Eagle Scout project. Our town desperately needed new mulch for the playground and with a very small and unforgiving budget, we were able to replace the very old existing mulch, but we didn't have money to pay for spreading it out. When we went up to survey and take "before" pictures of the area the week before, we saw the ginormous mound of mulch and decided that since we'd have plenty of volunteers, we would help with the mulching.

As you can see to the right of the pavilion (on the other side of the fence), the pile of mulch is still huge. We probably used half of it. Or maybe more than half. It's like the never-ending pile of mulch.

The mulch is supposed to be deep enough to be even with the wooden frame of the playground. See. Never-ending mulching job.

Since it wasn't actually part of the project, we are not responsible for finishing it, although both my mother and I have volunteered to help this week.

And the benches. This is the essence of the project. This is what the original Eagle Scout Project was. Benches for the walking path. Joe's grandparents lived in the senior community for about a year and said they liked the walking path, but at their age, it was hard to walk because they needed to take a break and there was no place to sit. We talked to a few other residents who agreed. Then we talked to a neighbor of ours who is trying to get in shape after several heart attacks and he thought benches were a great idea.

There are three exercise stations along the walking path and we put a bench at each one.

And here is my soon-to-be Eagle Scout, Taylor.

On Friday we logged almost 160 hours of service from the forty-six volunteers. This does not include the time it took to build the three benches. Boys at Taylor's scout troop built 1 1/2 benches and Joe, our boys, and some neighbor boys finished.

Taylor wrote a letter and solicited donations from local businesses and family. We lucked out when a coworker of Joe's offered to donate all of the composite decking because it was left over from when he built his deck. We had to buy the wood for supports, legs, screws, and cement. A business in town offered the use of an auger for free because we bought screws and cement from them. The Marines made and donated three plaques to be placed on the benches with Taylor's name and date of the project.

After Joe submits all of his final receipts and has the troop balance the account, if there is money left over, Taylor might buy a tree to plant or mulch beneath the benches to prevent growth of grass.

For lunch we served the volunteers hot dogs, chips, pretzels, cookies, and lemonade.

It was a great day and it's even a better day today, knowing that this part of the project is behind us. Now on to his Eagle Board of Review and a mound of paperwork.

I keep hoping and praying that the benches are not vandalized. Our town has a bad problem with unsupervised teenagers vandalizing everything in sight. I'm hoping none of them are athletic and have any desire to walk down the walking path.

Bat Specimen Art

2010-10-13T10:18:00.007-04:00

After seeing this, I knew I had to make one. I had actually just been to Michaels and saw those frames on sale and was intrigued with them (but had no use for them). While I didn't make it back in time to score one that cheap, I did go the next week and still got a pretty good deal on the T-shirt frame.

I bought the only bat punch that they had. The very last Martha Stewart one. It's a little small, but it definitely works. I bought a few pieces of scrapbook paper and then used what I had at home. (Spenser has already requested a butterfly one.)

The mice are up. The chalkboard pumpkin is out. I think Halloween is definitely on its way. And I'm loving it.

10.10.10

2010-10-10T22:10:00.000-04:00

On 10.10.10 I turned 41. Yikes.

This is How I Feel Today:

2010-10-06T10:46:00.006-04:00

Go ahead and fill in the blank: ________. Frazzled. Frustrated. That's me.

I have a bunch on my plate today. Well, the past few weeks.

Taylor is officially starting his Eagle Scout project. He is building three benches for a walking path in our town. It has taken since the spring for the BSA district to approve the project. An insane amount of time. We had hoped to have it completed this summer. Before soccer season started. Now we're thick in the middle of soccer season. We just started to receive donations this week. The boards have been cut and, if the rain holds off this evening, the benches will be assembled with the help of the scouts from our troop. Awesome. Installation and cleanup of the park are scheduled for the 16th.
We honored Kristen's memory on September 9th with a family brunch at my house. Eight long years since she died.
Today Kristen would have been 31 years old.
On September 6th, we started a small remodel of our kitchen. It was "done enough" for the 9th. We haven't touched it since ...
Sawyer, my baby, celebrated his 4th birthday. We had a joint weenie roast with my nephew (whose 14th birthday was the day after).
Kids' Halloween requests are coming in. Including one from my niece. She texts me every few days to see how it's coming along. She wants it to be mailed by Saturday. I haven't started it yet. She neglected to tell me she wanted it a month before Halloween.
Mine and Joe's birthdays are this weekend.
I have knit and frogged many times over the past 24 hours.
Spenser had her maiden voyage to the school nurse last week. Jackson was swinging his umbrella at the bus stop and it hit her in the face, just as the bus pulled up.
Mason visited the nurse four times in one day. A student dropped a book on his open eye and then he fell off the monkey bars and his knee hit his bottom lip into his braces.
I'm sure there are another 999,000 things calling my name, but I'm trying to ignore them.

This little "thing" was started on Sunday while I watched General Conference. She's a freaky little thing. Really, it's not her. It's me. (And my poor execution.)

To My Sister:

2010-10-04T09:15:00.002-04:00

October 4th

Exactly {twenty-six years}* ago today,
We were on our merry way.
It was the daily route we took,
But since we were late, we quietly "snook."
Around the corner, then around the bend,
How did we know our luck was to end?
As we looked, we could barely see,
What was stopped beside the tree.
Suddenly we saw it, but was it too late?
The {garbage}* truck was to be our bait.
As you hit it the Mav shook with great might.
It gave us both a terrible fright.
“Stop!” he said he heard me yell,
“I could have lost my legs,” he’d tell.
Most of all what we’d hate,
Was that ¾ inch steel plate.
Rick and Jill came out to view,
Baby Ryan joined them, too.
You made me call Dad.
Boy, was he mad.
Quickly he came,
He acted the same.
Soon we had to go to school,
After you had cried a pool.
We were glad that day was over,
As it was the fourth of October.

In 1984 my sister and I were driving to Seminary (a before-school religious class) and she hit a garbage truck with her 1970's Maverick, lovingly called "the Mav." Every year for the past twenty-six years we call/email each other with this poem. I wrote it on the one-year anniversary, 1985. Each year with cry and howl with laughter. A few details have been changed {}* to protect the innocent.

Celebrating Autumn

2010-09-23T14:32:00.004-04:00

Last week we had autumnal weather. This is unusual for Maryland. Usually we go straight from hot and humid 90-degree summer days right to brisk 40-degree wintry days with very few "true" autumn days. This year has been different.

Maybe this is the reward for having over six feet of snow this past winter. Or the very early summer heat-waves and subsequent droughts. Whatever the reason, it's been wonderful. (Even if yesterday, today and tomorrow are in the 90's, it's supposed to break by Saturday.) There have been tons of annoying, pesky stink bugs. I could live without them.

Anyway, last week on a cooler day I was springing forward into autumn. I hung leaf garland around my front door, but I didn't put the mice up yet. (It was still summer a few days ago.)

Then I had my first attempt at subway art. I bought myself a Cricut on Black Friday last year for half price. I just started to use it. I'm not in love with vinyl itself, so I've been using the vinyl letters more or less as stencils.

I had some blank canvases here from a past, not completed project. And I used clear contact paper for the lettering. After all the letters were down, I sprayed a few coats of black spray paint, peeled up the lettering and voila!

Now, this was not my original idea. I first saw something somewhere recently. I can't remember where. (If I come across it again, I will give full credit for it.)

I wanted to add a few more words like goblin and ghoulie, but I ran out of room.

And a few years ago these little Boo decorations were everywhere. I think I bought the thrifted frames last year and never made them. Last week I painted them black, and printed the letters on white cardstock.

And then last week I made two non-Halloween-but-still-autumnal decorations. (The owls were previously thrifted. The two smaller ones are salt and pepper shakers.)

I googled images of leaves and quilted them. Well, the way that Lera "quilts." I use that term lightly. I quilted them onto pieces of felt and attached them to a piece of scrap linen.

And then a little patchwork and quilted pumpkin and attached it to a piece of burlap. (I ran out of linen.)

All I can say now is bring on the fall weather!

School Frock

2010-09-21T13:00:00.002-04:00

I've been crafty lately. Once again I have been bitten by the crafty bug and I'm really liking it. I wasn't able to do much this summer with all the kids home, and it's a welcome break to do a little here and there.

A couple of weeks ago I sewed Spenser a little school frock. It is mostly a sleeveless little dress, but I wanted her to wear it over leggings or jeans. And since it's not quite "jeans" season (unless you ask Carter), she's wearing them with capri-length leggings and a short-sleeved tee underneath.

The fabric is something I picked up more than four years ago when I was pregnant with Sawyer. (He will be four on Saturday! Aaaaaah! I seriously do not know how that happened. ::sigh::)

The frock is fully lined with red gingham. The perfect combination, in my opinion.

I used a red vintage button and a red and white striped piece of ribbon for the loop.

There are more planned.

In the Kitchen

2010-09-20T09:20:00.005-04:00

On Saturday one of the hens left me a bumpy egg. The shell seems rock hard. I haven't cracked it open yet. I kind of like admiring it and feeling it.

On Friday (?) I made these wonderful pumpkin chocolate-chip muffins. Holy cow they are dangerous! And don't say I didn't warn you!

No, Lera did not lose her mind and make those darn crayon shapes again. (I told you I was never, ever going to make them again. And I totally meant it.) I had another basil harvest, so I made more pesto. I froze most of it in small jars, but I was running out of jars (and space in the freezer), so I tried using an ice cube tray. This was the only ice cube tray I could find (we have an automatic ice maker in our freezer). Unfortunately, the smell of garlic has penetrated the silicone ice cube tray and is now rendered useless for future ice making. I froze small hunks, wrapped them in foil, popped them in a freezer bag and then popped them in the freezer.

Are you sitting down for this? I scored a Squeezo with all three strainers at a flea market last week for $3. Three. Dollars. I almost cried. (And I actually thought I'd have to wrestle a Mennonite lady for it. Just teasing. She was just looking for a customer service number on the box as I waited patiently for her to step away from the box. I snagged it before she made it to the end of the table.) Two years ago my friend and I made applesauce using her Squeezo and I fell in love. It is so much easier than using the little foodmill I have used for more than a decade (making baby food and other things). The Squeezo is an older model, but two of the strainers are in their original packaging. And did I mention: three dollars?!?

I've also dehydrated tomatoes. My friend is a huge dehydrator user and she told me she was going to dehydrate tomatoes to use as sun-dried tomatoes. With Roma tomatoes coming out my ears recently, I made some, too.

After snacking on a ~~few~~ bunch, I put the rest in freezer bags, smooshed all the air out, sealed the bag and popped them in the freezer.

And pickled peppers. I still have a bunch that need to be picked and pickled, but I just haven't wanted the mess to clean up. This week .... This week.

Has anything fun been in your kitchen lately?

Back-to-School Sewing Projects

2010-09-17T10:38:00.003-04:00

Before school started, I had a few, short back-to-school sewing projects to take care of.

Spenser has a neoprene lunchbox that looks like a purse. There was no easy way to label it with her name and phone number, so I sewed a little cloth tag on it and labeled it with a extra-fine tip marker.

A few snack baggies were made following this idea.

I sewed a few girly cloth napkins (using scrap fabric) for my favorite girl.

AND some place mats (using scraps) for the girl child.

I made little covers for the ice pouches. I was hoping to cut back on the condensation that accumulates in their lunchboxes.

The kids love picking out which one they want to use. Strawberry Shortcake is off limits to the boys.

For lunchboxes and book bags this year, Mason and Jackson have identical ones. They are not twins even. The book bags were free from when they attended an Operation Purple camp this summer. The lunchboxes were cheapy, $3 ones from Wal-Mart. Since we needed to be able to tell them apart easily, I sewed a little ribbon to the handles of the book bags and lunchboxes. It has helped immensely.

Journaling

2010-09-15T11:44:00.002-04:00

The end of summer break flew by. I'm just going to recap (very briefly) for the sake of journaling.

Spenser got a new haircut. My neighbor and fellow council member owns the hair salon in town. It was Spenser's first trip to a salon. (My friend, who cuts my hair, gave Spenser her very first haircut, when she was about four, but the other two or three times I've cut it myself.)

Joe took the boys camping. All of the boys (plus his father). Our church had its annual Father-Son Camp-Out at the end of summer, leaving the two girls alone for the night. (Incidentally the same day she got her hair cut.)

We had a great time together. And she dressed up for the occasion. We did a few three-legged races (she didn't get to play at Mason's birthday party.) We didn't play against anyone, so we won each game. We then took a walk and walked to dinner. We came home and played Toss Up and Bunco. Then we watched a movie and ate popcorn and homemade salsa and chips. She fell asleep on the sofa because she was afraid to sleep in her room alone (without Sawyer). Then I carried her to my bed for the night. It was one of my most favorite nights of the summer.

School started the week before Labor Day, so we had a back-to-school weenie roast in the backyard. Complete with sparkling lemonade and s'mores.

Taylor started 8th grade and Carter started 6th. Both attend the same middle school now.

Jackson started 4th, Mason started 3rd, and Spenser (gulp!) started Kindergarten. Full-day kindergarten.

Any apprehension I had on the first day was blown clear out of the water when I saw this:

she ran to the bus stop! (She had Kindergarten orientation the day before and we were separated during the two hours. She told me later that her eyes watered because they "burned." It nearly broke my heart. I was very grateful that she was over her "burning" eyes by the next morning.)

Mason was baptized on September 4th. He was so very happy all day long.

And my littlest man, Sawyer, started preschool two mornings a week. It's hard to believe there are two mornings a week that I have three full hours without children. (Although, with holidays and election day he's only averaged one day a week since he started.) The mornings without Sawyer are spent running errands and shopping. Not exactly fun stuff.

And because school and soccer season have once again started, I need to officially clear the Trips to the School Nurse 2009-2010 and Soccer Goals Fall 2009. Here is the breakdown:

Trips to the School Nurse 2009-2010

Taylor: 2

Carter: 12

Jackson: 5

Mason: 16

Soccer Goals Fall 2009

Taylor: 1 (Taylor usually plays defense)

Carter: 4

Jackson: 11

Mason: 2

The Party

2010-09-03T11:24:00.000-04:00

Mason's party was a huge success. It was hot outside, but I don't think the children minded it a bit. The top two pictures are out of place, but Blogger makes it so difficult in rearranging photos (and I forgot to add these two in order), so we'll just have to look at them first. And explain later.

Here is the candy stand in all its glory. This was our old lemonade stand that was yellow. I had the idea to have an old-fashioned birthday party for Mason and had visions of the lemonade stand becoming a candy shoppe. The children eagerly helped me scrub it clean and put the first coat of white paint on it.

I filled up a few jars with treats. We had circus peanuts, candy buttons (on paper), Dum-Dum lollipops, Peanut Chews, pink wintergreen mints, Andes mints, Atomic Fireballs, and rock candy. (The rock candy was actually "lump sugar" that I picked up at the Asian grocery store. I bought it for my herb tea, but decided we liked to eat it instead.)

The lollipops were the first to go. And the rock candy. The pink mints were not such a hit, but the kids did enjoy trying them.

We had all kinds of outdoor games available. We had (hard-boiled) eggs on a spoon race, a bean-bag toss, three-legged race,

sack races (I made bags out of burlap),

and a very mini-golf course. Joe found some frozen juice containers in our freezer and made "holes" with them. This game was the one that the kids loved and played over and over.

By the end of the party, we had seen great progress in the boys' skills.

The children earned "money" (wooden coins, see above) for playing and participating in the game stations. A coin for each game. If several kids played golf, we gave an extra coin for the winner of that game. With their money, they could visit the candy shoppe and buy candy. Each child had a little white paper gift bag to carry around to hold their coins and candy. They loved to shop. Carter was my good sport and tended the candy shoppe while the others played games.

Since it was so hot, we had rootbeer floats to cool us down. Followed by brownie sundaes.

The party favors we gave each child was a bag of school supplies, pocket tissues and a yo-yo. With school starting just a few short days later, and with the extremely affordable cost of school supplies, we thought it would be fun. The yo-yo's were cheapy $1 ones that I bought back at Easter time. I had a hard time finding yo-yo's for the boys and found them in the dollar bins at Target. (I eventually found real yo-yo's at Five Below.) The cheapy yo-yo's were to be returned to Target, but that never happened. As my luck would have it, I had just enough for the party.

That evening we sang to Mason and gave him a few more (small) gifts. At first he was not amused, but confused. Why on earth were we giving a boy with braces a can of mixed nuts?

Following my urging, he opened them anyway ...

and a snake popped out!

He said it was the best part of the day.

So much time and so little to do. Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it.

2010-08-25T10:43:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow is Mason's birthday and party. We have been busy beavers getting ready for his first "friends" party. (Poor guy, with a birthday right before school starts, it is always too hectic to pull together a real party. But this year I promised him. And, as crazy as it is in my house, I am so happy that I kept my promise.)

He's having an old-fashioned birthday celebration.

Details are forthcoming.

"So much time and so little to do. Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it." (Anyone recognize that famous quote?)

Peppers

2010-08-19T10:01:00.002-04:00

In the spring I planted six jalapeno plants. One was promptly eaten by a critter, which left me with five. I guarded those plants with my life. That is, if you include the cut hair from my boys' head as being part of my life, which I totally do because I gave them life. Anyway ....

Our plants are literally popping with jalapenos and I'm in heaven. I picked a colander full just this morning to pickle. I have at least this many jalapenos still on the plants.

And I'm drying a few. I tossed in a few cayenne peppers, too. (A lot of our cayennes are still green.) My house is filling with pepper fumes and sometimes I can feel it in my throat and it makes me cough.

*Ooh! And notice the yellow pear tomatoes? They were a garden surprise. Over near our mint patch (which is now also a strawberry patch), I noticed a few volunteer tomato plants. Two were yellow pears and two or three are cherry tomatoes. I just love how Mother Nature works with the artful calculation of plants re-seeding themselves for future harvests. It's like she knew I wasn't going to plant the yellow pears this year and wanted to treat me anyway.

Veggies from the Garden

2010-08-17T12:05:00.003-04:00

So much yummy stuff is coming from the garden these days. These are the days that I love. Love, love, love.

I often eat roasted veggies for lunch and as a side for dinner. And sometimes on the same day. This day I had cherry tomatoes, sweet yellow peppers, potatoes, onions and jalapenos.

I can't simply get enough tomatoes or tomato sandwiches in my system. I love tomatoes on toasted bread with salt and mayonnaise. I don't use mayonnaise often, but it's almost a necessity on tomato sandwiches. However, that being said, have you ever tried it with homemade pesto? Wow. I don't know which I love more. Some days I wish my belly could hold more.

Last week (in the midst of our family room remodel) I roasted bunches of tomatoes both cherries and romas. I turned some into roasted tomato sauce that will be used in soups and such this winter.

I just roasted them and ran them through my food mill. (One of the food mills I used to make baby food.)

And homemade pesto and marinara sauce. I think this may have been the third batch of pesto I've made in recent weeks. I've frozen a bunch and look forward to a winter of homemade pesto. I made a simple marinara with olive oil, garlic, onions, cayenne pepper, and threw in a few whole basil leaves. For dinner I couldn't decide which one I wanted, so I had some of each. (It might look like a lot of food, but last week I was so busy working that I was averaging one meal a day.)

So, what veggies are you harvesting and what are you making with them? Do you have any new ideas for me? (Some critters ate all my squash, zucchini and pumpkin plants this year.)

A New Room

2010-08-16T10:33:00.002-04:00

Nearly two years ago I mentioned I wanted to get new sofas for our family room. I was waiting until the last of the children (Sawyer) was potty-trained. And then I waited until we had some extra money and well, here we are. With new furniture.

Getting new furniture isn't about only getting new furniture. It means new paint, new curtains, new pillows and throw blankets (those might be awhile), and everything else. Because surely you can't put new furniture in a room that has been lived in by six children. It would be sacrilege.

So, the four big boys were off to camp, again, this past week. (My mother jokingly says that I am trying to find every way to get rid of my children this summer, which is not true, but it seems to have worked out that way.) We wanted to surprise them with new furniture, so we ordered it and had it delivered while they were away. We made pinky promises with Spenser and Sawyer that they wouldn't tell the surprise to the boys when we picked them up on Friday.

So we painted walls and trim. Added a fancier baseboard moulding to the existing moulding. We hung and re-hung antique, cast-iron grates.

We spray painted a lot. This little clock used to be green, but it just didn't go with our new blue walls. We sprayed the new curtain rods black. I hemmed canvas painters drop cloths and "made" curtains out of them.

And we removed all of the toys from the family room and put the children's computer in the corner.

Joe even got fancy and installed new speakers in the ceiling.

And the kids were ecstatic when they saw it. There are still a ton of things that need to be done, like finding a new home for the elliptical/stationary bike; making pillows and finding a blanket (or quilt ?); painting a bookshelf; and caulking/painting some new trim. I'm sure it will be weeks until it is officially declared "finished."

Cover-up/Dress

2010-08-12T07:37:00.005-04:00

I bought a pack of men's white undershirts a while back with the idea of repurposing them. One of the first things I made was a cover-up/dress for Spenser.

It's very similar to the bandanna shirt I showed last week, except it's longer. I used the original hem of the shirt for the hem of the dress and serged all exposed raw edges.

The first day she wore it, she belted it. All on her own. (I just love her style.)

Sadly, I made her go change her clothes because we were going berry-picking and I knew how it could end. (And, sadly, after she wore it, it was misplaced for several weeks. It was later found with some of my white tees.)

Bandanna Shirt

2010-08-05T10:04:00.004-04:00

Since my serger and I are friends, again, I decided I should spend some more time with her. I was looking for a quick and easy project. My sewing time has been limited this summer with all the kids home. (My house is a constant mess even though I am constantly tidying. You seriously do not want to use my bathrooms if you come to visit. There are too many boys here full-time right now and I can't keep up ... The week they were all at camp was the week my house was at its cleanest this summer.)

Anyway, I had some assorted bandannas lurking around my sewing area from past projects of skirts and shorts. I grabbed two pink ones and got to work. I did a rolled hem around all the exposed edges and then sewed it together at the shoulder and side seams. I left the bottom untouched. I added a pink vintage button with a bit of velvet ribbon and it was complete.

I found her a few days later wearing it with a set of wings.

I love that girl.

Vacation 2010

2010-08-03T20:02:00.003-04:00

We've had a few busy weeks. Taylor and Carter went to Boy Scout camp one week. The following week Jackson attended Cub Scout Day Camp all week and Taylor and Carter volunteered all week. The next week all four big boys went to summer camp. All four boys. (Thanks to Operation Purple.) Then we went on vacation. It's been wild and crazy this summer, but so, so much fun.

In the past week we've hiked several times, including a mountainous five-mile hike. Sawyer never complained until the last half-mile or so. His poor little legs and feet were tired, but he was a trooper. We geocached, as we hiked, in the mountains and by the lake.

The kids swam and played in the lake.

We took the troop canoeing twice.

Spenser found a seashell fossil in the lake. We kept telling her she wouldn't find any shells and she proudly found this "shell." After a quick inspection, I realized it was a fossil and she felt like a rock star and impressed her brothers.

We set out to take the children's family photo. This was one of the better ones. (Don't get me started on family photos.)

Even though Taylor wouldn't look at the camera (he was fighting his urge to smile), I still like this shot at one of the lakes.

And canoeing. This was the first time I have ever canoed. Ever. Like ever, ever. I'm usually on the sidelines getting children into life preservers and signalling Joe to return for his next group. We rented two canoes one afternoon and we went in the lake and around a small island. (I made Taylor go with me since he just earned his Rowing Merit Badge this summer.)

Joe is continually taking photos of me. I am continually avoiding the camera. This was one of the only non-hideous ones of me. And I think it's because I'm not looking at the camera.

And on our last night we ordered what seemed like the world's largest pizza. I'm sure there are larger ones somewhere, but this was the largest one we've ever seen and eaten. It was a whopping 26" in diameter. It barely fit in the car between me and the dashboard. It was actually wedged in there. My hands only supported the bottom of the box. We have since decided that this will be our newest vacation tradition.

We continued other vacation traditions, like hot-tubbing and homemade ice cream every night. We enjoyed strawberry, vanilla, strawberry-banana, chocolate-fudge, cheesecake (my favorite), and chocolate ice cream.

Joe and I were able to go on several runs while we were away. We ran through the mountains and by the lake and the view was breath-taking. Literally. This was our first vacation where I could run, as I had been recovering from knee issues the previous two years. (I'm currently coming off an extended leg injury that I've been dealing with for over three months.)

And Sawyer took his first ride on the Mountain Coaster. He loved every single second of it. He screamed, "Wheeeeee! I love this! Wheeeeee! I love this!" all the way down. And Jackson rode down all by himself this year for the first time. Mason was just a few weeks too young this year.

Knit Skirts

2010-07-21T09:39:00.003-04:00

I love skirts. But that's not new news. (I think I need to count the skirts in my closet again. It's been awhile. Thanks for the reminder, Jessi.)

I have been thinking a lot about knit skirts lately. I see them often on other people, but with my long legs, it's always difficult finding anything to fit the lower half of my body that is long enough. That goes for pants and skirts. No one really wants to see any one's butt hanging out of a skirt. I just wish more people realized that.

I ran into the fabric store to buy a zipper for a dress I want to sew and came out with some knit fabric. It was seriously on sale. Like $3.49-3.99 a yard. I thought it was the perfect price to experiment.

I used my serger, ballpoint needles and not really any pattern. It's a basic A-line skirt with a waistband.

(No, I'm not pregnant. I am trying to awkwardly take the photo myself.)

And, had my serger not been acting up again, it would have taken only minutes for each one. But if you have to thread and re-thread your serger 95 times in a row, it might take a tad longer.

I thought about doing a rolled hem for the bottom, but ultimately decided to leave it untouched. I was afraid of stretching the hem in a lettuce-edge fashion and, while I love that look, it wasn't the look I wanted for the skirts.

I may never take them off.

The She-Still-Sews ?? Skirt

2010-07-19T08:55:00.002-04:00

Yes. I still sew. I hadn't sewn in awhile because my serger and I had a falling out. I said some things I shouldn't have and she wasn't very happy with me. I decided it was best that we both part our ways and take a breather from each other. And it was the right thing to do because now we're friends again.

Last Saturday we were invited to my aunt and uncle's 50th wedding anniversary party. It was a casual afternoon luncheon at a local Irish Pub/Restaurant. (My cousin's wife is the manager there.) Just the night before I decided I should wear a new skirt.

I guess it's hard to see, but it's made from a vintage sheet. The skirt is a basic A-line with a tie waistband and zipper. I think I did a rolled-hem along the bottom. (I can't remember.) I wore it Saturday to the luncheon, Sunday to church, and Monday for a town meeting.

Blowout

2010-07-15T09:48:00.004-04:00

So a friend stopped by yesterday while I was making a batch of strawberry-rhubarb jam. I was trying to convince her how fun and easy it is to can your own fruits, veggies and jam.

I know I was a little distracted while I was working, because I was trying to carry on an adult conversation at the same time. So, when I noticed some random rhubarb floating around the water bath just seconds after dunking the jars, I wasn't worried. I assumed I was too distracted to remember to put a ring on one of the jars. When I pulled the jars out of the water, they all looked fine ... from the top. I dunked the jars again and I saw more rhubarb floating about. I pulled the jars back out and discovered that one of the jars had broken.

It was a clean break. Well, clean as is no miscellaneous shards of glass to contend with. Not clean as in a whole pint of strawberry-rhubarb jam floating around a pot of boiling water ...

I'm not sure if I convinced her how fun and easy canning is. I did tell her repeatedly that this was the first time I had a jar break like that. As much canning as I do, it was bound to happen sooner or later.

The Pie That Almost Caught My House on Fire

2010-07-14T09:41:00.002-04:00

So yesterday I decided to make a strawberry-rhubarb pie. (I actually went to the produce market and bought more rhubarb. I tell you, my obsession runs deep.)

Anyway, all was well and fine while I was baking the pie. With only ten minutes left of baking, I removed the foil from the edges of the crust. I came back in a few minutes later and removed the pie from the oven. It had bubbled over in the oven. I was annoyed about the mess, because in May the same thing had happened right after I had cleaned the oven and I really loathe dirty ovens. (And microwaves! Don't get me started on that one.)

I had a "rustic raspberry pie/tart" in the oven on a small baking sheet, but it needed a little more time, so I turned on the timer and walked away. When I came back in, the inside of my oven was on fire. At first the flame was small, like a candle. Then it grew to about 10-12." Smoke was billowing out of the oven. I was freaked out a bit and freaked the little ones out a bit, too.

The flame extinguished itself in what seemed like forever. And after I determined we were safe from danger, Sawyer and Spenser walked into the kitchen wearing plastic firefighters' helmets on their heads and paper doctors' masks on their faces.

But I saved the pies! Oh, and the house, too.

Today I think I'll stick to making another batch of strawberry-rhubarb jam.

Jammin'

2010-07-12T11:17:00.005-04:00

Last week was a regular old jam-week at our house. We've been finding great deals on fruit, either very inexpensive or free.

We started with apricot jam. Apricots at the produce market were 99 cents a pound. I bought a bag and made jam. It was such a hit at the house, I bought another bag and made a second batch. (When I made the second batch, I invited two of my nieces over to help/watch the process. One niece is working on her Knowledge Value Project for church. Last fall I taught her how to draft an A-line skirt pattern and sew it. And last winter I taught her how to make soap w hen I was making it for Christmas.)

And then we made raspberry jam with all the raspberries we picked for free. The kids loved doing a toast/bread sampler testing both varieties at the same time.

Then, while at the store, I noticed bing cherries were $1.99/pound, which is really cheap for bing cherries. So I picked up two big bags. Joe loves cherries and we can only afford to buy them when they are $2 a pound. I had just planned on eating the cherries, but while I was browsing my beloved Ball Blue Book, I ran across a recipe for bing cherry jam and well ...

Who am I not to try the recipe? It would have been a crime to pass it by. (I didn't add the liqueur or cloves to the recipe and it was still delish. This recipe is similar except mine didn't call for salt.) I accidentally pitted and chopped too many cherries, so I immediately made a second batch.

And a neighbor of mine, who knew of my rhubarb obsession, went to an auction and bought four large bunches of rhubarb for $1 and brought them down. I stewed the rhubarb and canned it for future strawberry-rhubarb pies. (Just before the neighbor brought down the rhubarb, I had made a batch of strawberry-extra-rhubarb jam. My second batch of the season.)

So, that's what I've been up to. I've gone through about 15 pounds of sugar and several boxes of pectin in the past week. BUT, here is the unofficial breakdown of what I accomplished:

apricot jam: 10 1/2-pints + 2 pints

raspberry jam: 7 1/2-pints + 1 pint

strawberry-rhubarb jam: 1 1/2-pint + 3 pints

cherry jam: 8 1/2-pints + 2 pints

stewed rhubarb: 3 pints

Plus I had enough of each to sample and put a jar in the fridge (and give a jar to my nieces for their hard work).

I wanted to mention that I picked up this little set at Walmart for $10 last week. Although I'm not a "beginner" canner, it's great for smaller batches. It fit right inside one of my cooking pots, using less water. It would be great if you are short on storage space or don't want to invest a ton of money on a larger canner.

the sky is pink

Sisters' Gifts 2011

Merry Christmas + Happy New Year

The Man I Married

My Day

The Birthday Party

This Little Man of Mine

Cleaning the Slate

Nine Years

Couponing

Lace Belt

Ruffly Yellow Belt

Sash Belt

The Tuxedo Belt

Ribbon-Tied Belts

RainBOW Belt *TUTORIAL*

New Church Tote

Curlers in Your Hair ... Shame on You

Circle of Giving

Lace "Butterfly" Shirt

The Girl and Her Ribbon

Weekend Getaway

The World is a Rainbow

My Community Service Project

Care Tags *TUTORIAL*

So, I'm a Liar, Part II

So, I'm a Liar, Part I

Thrifted

Ribbon Outlet

Decorating with GREEN

Jersey Infinity Cowl Scarf *TUTORIAL*

Our Saturday

Happy Valentines Day!

Don't Laugh. Okay, You Can

Jersey* Flower Pins

The One-Hour Cardigan That Took Two

Le Cloche

Ruffled Flower Necklaces

Looped Scarflette

Crocheted Hearts

Illusion Necklace

Banana Butter

An Introduction

More Fun with Silhouettes

Christmas Pillows

Our Christmas Outfits

Sisters' Gifts 2010

My Eagle

Tagging It

Paper Dolls & Puppets

Christmas Cards - 2010 Edition

Adventing

Vogue 7871 Dress

Around the House

A Decade Old

Pointy Elf Hat

Which Came First ...

Circle Skirt a.k.a. The Thanksgiving Skirt

Hooded Towels

Not Good

The Girl Child

The End of Soccer Season

Crocheted Rosette

Polka-Dot Skirt

Infinity Cowl

Last-Minute Gifting

Six

Spooky Ooky Halloween

Candy Corn: The Grand Finale

Candy Corn Pendant #2

Candy Corn Candles

Candy Corn Hat

'Tis the Season: Candy Corn

Bonnet & Apron

A New Cowl

Knit Beanie

The FINISHED Eagle Scout Project

Bat Specimen Art

10.10.10

This is How I Feel Today:

RainBOW Belt TUTORIAL

Care Tags TUTORIAL

Jersey Infinity Cowl Scarf TUTORIAL