Last Day of NaBloPoMo...Artsy Fartsy

I am livid.  Well, as livid as I can get which is more like a whine for most people.  Why you may ask?  Well some nut job woman at a school meeting tonight suggested doing away with music and PE to meet the budget cuts for next year.  Gratefully, this is not in the proposed budget plan...crazy woman!  In my mind I reached out and "touched" her right upside her snobby little head.  Take away the arts?  OVER MY DEAD BODY!!  We live in a very blessed school district where my kids get choices and can be anything they want to be.  My son can take guitar in middle school and website design.  My daughter can take french and drama.  We moved here for the well rounded education of our children.  And when you have 5 children, we bound to have varying interests at play.  I'm sure that we will be seeing every corner and aspect of this district the longer we stay here...no we are not moving...never!!!

This whole experience made me realize just how important the arts are to my family.  I don't think I could live without them.  I might not be an accomplished musician or painter but I dabble at quite a bit.  I think this has fostered an eagerness in my own children to explore their artistic side.  I'm forever yelling at my kids to give back my scissors (never mind that there are at least 15 pair floating around at any given moment) or ask someone for the tape dispenser.  My colored pencils spend more time in every room in my home than my on my desk.  My jewelry parts become play things.  Paper, glue, Mod Podge are staples in our house and I buy gluesticks in the 24 pack a couple of times a year in addition to the school season.  That is just the way it is.  The piano is being played daily.  Music is on almost always. We sing in the car, at church, at home, when we clean, and dancing...well that is almost a no brainer.  I have painters, and constructors, and composers in my home.  I have performing artists, material artists, and artists with the written word.  No one is left out.  In fact, the older kids are making all of the presents for their siblings this year.  We have knitted caps, puzzles, fashion accessories, jewelery, bags, go-carts, remote control boats, and I got a full floral arrangement made out of origami placed on my computer tonight.  I am one lucky lady!

Tonight, after I came home from this meeting, I noticed my daughter working on something while watching Glee.  She was making a mini nativity for her little brother.  He seems to be fascinated by baby Jesus at the moment.  And I am grateful that if she chooses, she can take a ceramics class when she gets to high school.  Because we live in a great district where they believe a child learns just as much from the arts as from history, science, english, and math.

In Which I Begin To Gag...

I am still fighting this cold but have successfully thwarted the massive frontal assault on my lungs.  Nothing is getting past my throat, thank you very much!!  This is due to the overwhelming amount of coughing that is going on.  I fall asleep with a cough drop in my mouth...it's rather disgusting actually.  But enough about me and my illness (Which Madeline caught on Saturday and has stayed home today and will be staying home tomorrow as well).

So because I have been coughing like a lunatic who is trying to put out a forest fire single handedly, I have developed quite the sensitive gag reflex.  What does one do when you haven't done laundry in 2 weeks and need something completely mindless to watch?  Well I just happened to stumble upon a great little show.  Perhaps you may have heard of it....Hoarders.  I kid you not, I folded laundry to Season 1 of Hoarders all day and night long.  I have done at least 10 loads today and have about 3 more that need to be washed.  I think that might be some kind of record for me.  Lets just say that seeing the filth that other people live in made me get uber motivated to get the laundry washed, dried, folded and put away.  I didn't even wait for the kids....I am gettin it done!  Nothing like seeing a mom and dad lose their kids because their home is so filled with crap.  During the sorting process, I must admit that I gagged quite a few times just smelling some of my children's dirty clothes.  And our dog kept coming in the laundry room.  I had this strange urge to dip him in Clorox....and then I gagged a little more.  One side benefit of all this gagging in the copious amounts of water that I have been drinking to quell the gag that on more than one occasion could have produced actual vomit.  Was it the rotting pumpkin episode or the 76 dead cats episode?  I don't know, but it was hard for me to make dinner tonight just thinking about it.  

To make matters worse, or better all depending on how you look at it, Patrick and I told the kids that we would decorate the tree tonight.  He brought down all the decorations from the attic (what a neat invention!  This is the first house that I have lived in with an attic and it's quite cool).  While he was stringing the lights, I decided to go through all the boxes quickly.  Low and behold, because I have been so engrossed in Hoarders, began to purge with reckless abandon.  Lights that didn't work?  Tossed them.  Decorations and ribbon that didn't match my color theme?  Tossed them.  Then I happened upon a box that had our stockings, a motherload of little fake ivy vines in it, and various bows in all the wrong colors.  Well as fate would have it, it smelled like cat piss!  Gagging and purging go hand in hand on this one!  I yelled for a glass of water.  I got rid of 2 totes of Christmas stuff and then washed my hands 3 times....gross!!!!  I guess I was inspired to make new stockings out of a cable knit blanket that was on clearance for $4.  

Tomorrow, I am tackling the refrigerator to season 2.  If any of you need motivation to clean....I have found the holy grail of cleaning energy....Hoarders.  Enjoy!!  

What I Can Give Up And Still Be Just Peachy

1. For 2 weeks, I can give up laundry.  You'd be amazed at how many times you can wear the same clothes when you don't have a little baby slobbering all over it.
2. I can give up making my bed.  I can go a month and not tuck a sheet in.  Nope...I hate making the bed.  I practically have lived in it the last 2 weeks, so I think I might need to change the sheets...gross!
3. I haven't even attempted to clean the Fridge in the last month.  Something must be done...PRONTO!  There are things growing in the tupperware and although it doesn't stink, I can tell it's almost there.
4. I haven't washed the car in two months...shocking!  I know...my little plan of always having a grey or brown car is working...
5. I can go 5 days without a phone.  I really am not much of a phone person.  I use it for the apps mostly and to check email.  But otherwise, I could do without verbal communication.  Sorry people.  I let my phone die and only charge it occasionally.  I'm more of an emailer....is that a word yet?
6. I don't have to have a big bathtub to be happy.  Having a bathtub, even a small one, does the job and since I am shrinking, it's not that confining.
7. I could be completely fine without going grocery shopping.  In fact, the more I think about it...I might just have to give it up as my new years resolution.  With the invention of the Internet and places like Organic to You, it seems fruitless to step into a store.
8. I could totally forgo a movie player in my car.  We have one.  It never gets used...ever.  I don't know why, but now my kids love to sing songs instead.  They just don't need the distraction.  Fine by me.
9. I could never go on a big vacation and still be fine.  I don't like planning, packing, tending, mapping, itinerary, or doing all the laundry and unpacking after.  Maybe this will be different after the kids are out of the house, but for now, I can live without vacations.  My husband cannot....bummer.
10. And last but not least, I could live without ever stepping foot in a mall.  I haven't been in a very long time.  If I needed something from a "mall store" I'd just buy it online.  It's not that I hate shopping, I just don't like clothes shopping.  Stick me in a little holiday bazaar and I'd go nuts I tell you NUTS!  So I don't go because I really don't need to spend money on things.  This year, I purchased 90% of our gifts through the Internet or I made them.

There you go.  What is expendable to you?

It's Official...Christmas Has Begun

Cabbage and Beef Stew is simmering on the stove.  Cornbread is going in the oven after I finish this post.  I spent the morning in bed watching movies with my man.  The kids are busy creating things and playing rock band.  Such a lazy day (well in between I am preparing my lesson for church tomorrow).  We did get something accomplished though...we cut down our Christmas tree.  After having a fake tree for 7 years, we decided on a real one last year.  Someone gave us a real tree for free last year and we scoured our Christmas boxes and found lights.  This year, we had to search close to our home.  I didn't want to drive all the way out to Newberg/Sherwood to find a tree and I definitely wasn't going to pay 6.95 a foot at Lee's Farms (What a rip off!!) 

 So we drove through the little town of Willamette and conjured up a beautiful noble for $25.  It's a gorgeous color with a tad bit of blue to it, and it was a mere 15 minutes from our home.  My husband and Christian cut the beauty down with the help of the reciprocating saw.  Now, our family room smells like Christmas.
   



Tomorrow, while we snack on ham and left-over stuffing, we will be decorating our tree.

Freezing My Butt off Along With Laughing My Butt Off

Movies and my family go hand in hand.  We all worked really hard today to make this house shine and as a reward/tradition, we were going to take the whole family out for a movie.  This is something that is so expensive when you have a basketball team worth of kids.  Well, our trusty Movies on 99W was playing MegaMind or Secretariat.   Well, after the slave driving I have been doing, I let the children choose....MegaMind it was.  Piling into the car, the children all sang the 50 Nifty United States in round until Patrick and I were about to stick knives in our ears, but we made it in 40 mins.  

The reason why we go to 99W is because it is cheap.  The snacks are half the price of Regal Cinemas and the admission is less than half the price. But....I think the way they keep the prices so low is because they do not HEAT the theater!  When we were leaving the house, Brighten had a meltdown because she couldn't find a coat.  Patrick, being the almost native Alaskan, thought a coat wasn't necessary.  Well I insisted that everyone had a coat.  As I sat shivering, waiting for the movie to start, I reminded Patrick that sometimes he needs to listen to me.  I usually have really great reasons for the things I insist upon.

The movie was great!  I would watch it again.  Why?  Well the soundtrack was worth it alone.  AC/DC and Guns and Roses provided for a fun backdrop of good vs evil gone awry.  The writing was witty and I actually laughed out loud several times.  This is a fun movie...just don't go see it at 99W unless you wear moon boots, gloves, a fur lined hat, and a parka.  The savings of $5 a person might not be worth the cold butt.

I'm British

Thanksgiving is over and we are all huddled around the TV. Watching movies together is a holiday tradition. Our dinner was over at 4...and the leftovers are already being eaten. The blueberry tart was sooo good! The stuffing will be fortifying our diet for the next few days. I will be making my own pumpkin pie tomorrow. I just can't get enough of this holiday!

Well since my diagnosis with Celiac, I have had to let go of yet another beverage. No Pero for me anymore. My kids are living off of cocoa, apple cider, and non-dairy cocoa. All of those drinks are far too sweet for me. So I have become a lover of tea. It's in my blood. My great grandmother came over from Britain when she was 19. She was a hat maker (millinery). Maybe that is why I have an obsession with Jane Austen and all British movies. Anyway, I have started drinking copious amounts of tea. I enjoy a little honey to take the bite off, but I can drink it straight too. Chamomile is a favorite for night. I have a detox tea, a fasting peach tea, a red zinger, a non caffeinated chai, a vanilla, and lemon. My daughters have become quite the tea drinkers as well. They favor berry flavors and licorice mint. So my only problem with my new beverage is all these little wet bags of spice. I just happened upon this little crazy invention that has changed my beverage drinking for the better. It's the Aladdin Tea infuser. I love this! It has a mesh basket that holds the bag and drops into the water. When your finished steeping, you just lift a lever and it stores it away until you are done drinking your tea. It's fabulous! If I was Oprah, I would totally put this on my list of favorite things. I'd even give it away to all my favorite people. Don't all go rush out an buy one, but if you are into tea, this might be a perfect stocking stuffer for yourself or someone you love. It's not under $5, but it's sure made my life easier without the need for a plate and a little wet bag laying around.

Twas The Night Before Thanksgiving...

And I am so busy! I made pot roast thinking that it would be an easy thing to make since I was going to be cooking all day. Sick induced stupor told me to stick that 5 lb hunk of meat in a pot in the oven. It looked gorgeous. It took forever to cook though and if I was thinking clearly, I would have stuck that slab in the crock pot. So I had the kids cut onions and celery for the stuffing while I cubed day old cornbread. They were crying and laughing at the same time. I had to stop production because the oven wasn't freed up. So instead, I watched glee, took a nap, and stayed warm. Now, onto my afternoon. After the roast was done, in between taking my daughter to gymnastics, I stuck 3 cookie sheets of cornbread cubes in the oven to toast. That took another 2 hours. Then I had to put in the potatoes for dinner. It was then that I discovered....remembered...that I did indeed have TWO ovens!!! &^$&^%#^*$)_(_*())_(*&%^$!!!!!!! Wow!!! How could I miss a second oven?! Well rather than kick myself in the butt for prolonging the process of one hard to be accomplished dinner, I just took it in stride and started loading things into the bottom oven. It's all been a cake walk from here. NOT! I am having to learn how to do everything different this year. I am making everything gluten and dairy free. No cranberries, no almonds, and it makes things a little more complicated. Good thing I am creative and can improvise. Armed with Epicurious, I am trying to combine great recipes with gluten free alternatives. So this year, Cornbread stuffing(made with Bob's Red Mill Cornbread mix) with apples, sausage, and pecans. Instead of a flaky crust for a cream pie, I am making a gluten free ShortBread crust from Bob's and then taking a simple Jello pudding brand mix and using coconut milk and rice milk mixed. You can't taste the difference in my opinion. In fact, I like this one better. It's creamier. Then there is the pumpkin pie that I am not making for thanksgiving, but rather for my family for this weekend. I will be attempting a hazelnut flour pie crust. What is more Oregonian than a roasted pumpkin pie made with a hazelnut crust? Feasibly, I could have used items that grew in my backyard (if I still lived in Sherwood in the Hippy House). The blueberry tart is more of a crunchy hazelnut crust in a springform pan. We will see how this one turns out.

I can't even imagine what Thanksgiving would be like if I had to make everything this year...too stressful for sure. But my Step-Mom is coming through for me and making sure that everything is gluten and dairy free for Brighten and I. Gravy, mashed potatoes, etc...all gluten free.

So there you have it folks. I'll probably be up for another 3 hours, and I did my post. Tomorrow pics of the feast.

Necking....

One of my most sensitive spots on my whole body is my neck. I suspect that lots of women are in agreement with me. That would make complete sense since the Twilight series is HOT even with us approaching decrepitude. Have you ever ventured close to a young adult fiction section lately? It seems that every story has been twisted into a vampire romance.

Well this post isn't about Edward sucking the blood out of my creamy white neck, no, this is about adorning our necks. Lately, I have noticed that bigger is better when it comes to neckware. This is not just limited to women and their neckware that resembles an indian chief dressed for a war dance. No, men are doing it too. Have you seen the size of the knots on ties these days? You could hide a pack of fruit snacks in that baby! And don't get me started on scarves...I love them, even on guys... the chunkier, the better right? Well I attempted what would be a slippery slope into bold neckware. I was bored and this is what I could piece together from my treasure trove of jewelry parts.

I'm not in love with the middle one...it needs like 3 more layers inbetween to be classified as over-the-top. I love the black and silver one. That rosette is fab if I do say so myself. And the wood beads with the cotton ribbon is just plain granola. All these three coming soon to a neck near you...

Good Deeds

It is very easy to focus on the bad. It's all around us everyday. You are bombarded with it in the news, in peoples hysteria on email and other social networking sites. But today, it was all about good. There is good all around us. In fact I think there is more good than bad. We just don't see it unless we are actively looking for it.

This past week, I have really been trying to recognize and acknowledge all remarkably good things that happened to me or that I witnessed. The only word that describes this for me is gracious. I see people's grace. I see God's grace.

You want a list? You want proof? Well the evidence suggests that if you look, you will see.
1. Tonight, I watched the full moon rise from the edge of a cloud. It was truly magnificent! It's not that often that in Oregon, you can see a break in the clouds, especially at night. I was filled with awe.
2. I watched a man approach a woman at the can return at Fred Meyer. He asked how she was doing, and then handed her a leaf bag full of cans to redeem. He told her to have a nice day. She was dumbfounded, and he walked away with a smile on his face.
3. My friend offered to pick up a 50lb box of apples for me. I didn't have to twist her arm. She just was being nice. A small, but thoughtful act of love.
4. My children were taught piano today by an exemplary lady in my congregation for free. Usually, she teaches them on Thursday, and they missed last week because I was canning beets. She went out of her way, and gave up her Monday afternoon, to make sure that my children could get their lesson in. What an amazing example of love.
5.Today, while I was about to enter a grocery store, a man offered me his empty cart. Again, a small act, but an act of love none the less.
6. This morning, a woman held the door for me while I entered my son's preschool. She wished me a good day with a smile on her face.

I didn't earn any of this. It was given freely without price. And today, I am grateful for the goodness that surrounds me.

What is love?

I finally found a picture of Christ that speaks to me. Can you capture love? Is it possible? In a small way, I can see a measure of love in this piece of art. When you really love someone, there is nothing you won't do to make sure that they are given the very best. And this picture seems appropriate for a Sunday post. This is love...it's painful, all encompassing, sacrificial, but also eternally rewarding.

Harry Potter Movie Review

It was sad. It took a boring part of the book and made this part of the Harry Potter series the most human of the movies. You could really understand relationships and the depth of despair. It was so much better than #6. You can tell the story is winding down because all the pieces are falling into place. And it gets bad. But doesn't life always get bad just right before the light? I will watch this movie again when it comes out on DVD. I didn't find the "skin" scene to be that scandalous, but I also have a picture in my bedroom that is of a lady in a see-through dress, so it didn't bother me. I don't know if children will like this movie, but if you were a teenager when the films first came out, you will love this movie. Again....it was sad....be prepared. It was gritty, dirty, and heartbreaking but also inspiring. Hope you go see this movie soon.

What Husbands Do

10. He calls the landlord and tells them not to come and fix the lights, winterize, check the roof, so his wife cannot freak out the day before when she is obviously on her death bed and can't even THINK about cleaning the house.

9. The house smells. He is like a blood hound. He determines that it is coming from one of the children's rooms. He goes to inspect and an hour later, the room is clean. Bless that man!

8. He took the garbage out...at midnight...after Madeline texted him to remind him that it was coming at 5am. (She is my internal calendar that kid) Not only was it raining and cold, but the dog took off. He spent a half an hour in his pajamas chasing after the dog. When he forgets to put the garbage out, he stealthily pulls our garbage out of our can and runs to the other streets to deposit them in less than full cans that the garbage man hasn't picked up yet. This one makes me laugh out LOUD!

7. The dishes are done almost nightly. The most attractive quality in a man is dishpan hands.

6. He loves to maul me. I mean, like a teenage boy! Evidently the 70+ women/girls he's kissed wasn't enough cause he is still going strong.

5. He is letting me buy my own Christmas presents this year. He always wants to surprise me, but I really hate surprises. Besides, I get stuff I want at cheaper prices than his wild dash 2 days before Christmas. This year, no clothes. I've been shrinking and I really don't want to buy any clothes until I get down a couple more sizes. He buys me clothes. He has good taste. I just don't need any right now.

4. He gets no sleep in order to spend more time with me. Any man that will get up at 4am just so he can spend time at night with his wife is a ROCKSTAR! I cherish that 2 hours at night when all the kids are asleep and it's just him and me. No work.

3. He has learned to tame the beast in one of our children. I can't handle this certain child's whine and he is able to redirect it. God Bless You. I would have killed her by now....(she is just as stubborn as me...)

2. He tolerates my cold feet on his legs. He shares his covers on occasion. And he puts up with my upgraded "boyfriend" that is a full body pillow now.

1. He doesn't yell anymore. Yeah!!! I am not kidding. I can literally see himself catch it before it comes out of his mouth. So he might not be completely perfect yet, but it's been over 2 months and not a peep. I think he must really love me. What do you think?

Beet It...Beet It...

I just can't stand it...being sick.  I have no idea what it means to just chill.  Ok, that is not true.  I chill plenty (you should see my house right now...YIKES!).  But when food needs to be canned, it needs to be canned!  So after a gracious day (really it was a great day filled with all things spiritual and comforting), I drove to the other side of town and helped my step-mom can beets.  You heard me right folks, beets.  These bad boys had to be coconut sized.  50lbs of beets canned and I did it all while I was sick.  What can I say?  Well if you tasted their sweet goodness, you'd understand.  What exactly am I doing with this interesting vegetable?  Well I'm putting them in smoothies because they are sweet and mixed with strawberries no one will know!  I'm a sneaky mom...all that calcium, iron, potassium and anti-oxidants will just casually start appearing in our menu and no one will even know!

The Sexiest Man Alive Is....

Remember this guy?  Well I used to watch him on some crazy sitcom...Two Guys A Girl And A Pizza Place.  I fell in love.  He has seriously got the best comedic timing.  And, well, if you have seen the latest in the X-Men movie series, he is ripped!  I mean....well....ok.  He's been voted the sexiest man alive this year by People Magazine.  Now, he is just plain cute with facial hair or without...and I completely agree with People.  But honestly....


The sexiest man alive is the man who brought home dinner, dropped off Madeline at Mutual tonight and just made me popcorn....  :)

Fighting it...

I haven't been sick with a cold or flu virus in a very long time.  Brighten stayed home because of it.  And now I have a sore throat, fatigue, and a stuffy nose.  I wish I was Jane Bennett making my way to be pampered at the Bingley's, but sadly I still made dinner (chicken noodle soup) and am taking care of my nephew.  So what will suffer?  My blog.  Sorry.  Nothing interesting today.  Just that I am finally getting to suck on my Halls cough drops that I got for free using coupons a month ago.  Hope your day goes better than mine.

My Little Secret....Shhhh

You all know that I can't eat squat.  Can you even imagine what it's like to figure out food storage with no wheat and dairy?  Well let me tell you, I am finding that you just have to be a tad sneaky about it, but it's totally doable.  I shop online.  That's my secret.  It's cheaper.  It's fast.  And sometimes you can even get free shipping.  Where do I go to get all these weird foods delivered?  Well....Amazon.com has the cheapest prices I have found on lots of things that I use like  gluten free pasta.  It's a whole different world out there folks!  I can get my dairy free milks online.  I can get my bulk flours online.  And all with a flick of the wrist and an Internet connection.  One place that I just discovered that fits in with my living local philosophy is azurestandard.  They are based out of Dufur Oregon and not only do they supply staples that are all organic or earth friendly, but they have organic beef, chicken, and lamb as well.  This Internet thing just blows my mind!  I can significantly cut my regular food budget and still be uber healthy.

So there is my secret.  I shop in my jammies and save money while doing it...all organic, all granola hippy like...sure makes this girl sleep a little better at night.

My Belated Birthday...Foodie Style

My parents just happened to be in France or Spain ( I can't keep track) during my birthday, so our traditional jaunt to a chosen restaurant had to be put on hold.  Since the last two months were quite crazy, we haven't been able to get together until now.  Waiting two months for good food and great company is fine by me!

I was treated to dinner at Andina which is a fine dining Peruvian restaurant in downtown Portland.  They have an extensive gluten free menu to choose from.  We had octopus appetizers with crab and prawn stuffed avocados, with a side of purple potato puree.  Then for our entrees Patrick and I both got scallops in a potato-parsnip puree with a beet reduction that was fabulous.  It's amazing how good seafood tastes when it's prepared correctly.  My dad had duck and my step-mom had the lamb chop.  It was amazing!  Then we ordered dessert.  Patrick got the trio of creme' brulee that included cinnamon, pear and mocha flavors.  My dad got a hazelnut ice cream and my step mom got a goat cheese flan.  I opted for the traditional gluten free torta chocolata.  Very yummy and it even came with a lit candle and a remarkable "felis cumpleanos" drizzled in chocolate.  I am a very lucky girl indeed to have such wonderful parents that have given me the opportunity to learn how to be a foodie from the best teachers.

Christmas Gifts Under $5: Pillowcase Apron

My dear friend was asking everyone last week for a simple sewing project to tackle with her 6 year old girl.  She really wanted to get that sewing machine back into holiday gear.  Well here is an easy, fun project for any level of sewer to undertake.

Take a pillowcase procured from the local Value Village or Goodwill (the more interesting the design, the better...I mean take that Star Wars pillowcase and go nuts!!) and decide how long you want your finished apron to be.

Cut it to desired length (this pillowcase just happens to be a king pillowcase so it's extra long).

Divide remaining section into at least two parts (in this case, 3 because it was such a large pillowcase).

Take the actual Apron half and tear out the seam (note, it is better to purchase or use a pillowcase that only has one seam down the side instead of down both sides...it just looks better in the finish product).  Embellish with fabric or ribbon.  I also took part of the extra strips from the previous step and made a little pocket...I know, cute right?!  Hem all the sides.  The bottom is already done...sweet!

Now take those strips you cut and tear out the seams.  Cut one strip in half and sew them to the ends of the long strip.  Now you have your ties.  

Here comes the fun part...what do you want your apron to look like?  You could gather it and then sew on the tie, or you could pleat it, or you could just leave it be and make it more of a wrap around apron with almost full butt coverage! LOL!  But whatever you do, make it your own unique design.  If you don't know how to sew the tie to the body, just center the tie on the apron, put right sides together, and sew the tie to the body.  Then if you still don't know what to do after that...get yourself a hot iron and fold in 1/2 inch and iron yourself some seams and sew those babies up.  I am not a McCall pattern maker, so if you need more detailed instruction, just call me, or better yet, go look at an apron and you'll figure the last part out.

With this pillowcase apron, I did half large pleats and the other half I left unadulterated so I could have a cute pocket.

This creation took me all of an hour to make.  It cost me $2.50, $1 for the pillowcase, and $1.50 worth of ribbon.  I'm sure someone will like it!

This little guy was fun!  I finished all the hems, added some cute tiny pleats, and stitched down about 2 inches.  Then I attached my tie down two inches and added some orange ribbon with the zigzag stitch.  It's whimsical and I love the fabric from this pillowcase.

I also added a little grosgrain ribbon at the bottom.  You like?

This is my gathered waist calico apron.  I like to call it my Laura Ingalls Wilder apron.  It is very easy to gather the waist and sew on the tie.    Sew are you hungry to dust off the old machine yet?

This pillowcase had a ruffle at the end already so I spiffed it up with a little decorative stitching and ribbon.  All of these aprons could easily be made into skirts for a little girl if you got a tad more creative with the waistband area.  Let yourself go!

The best part about this project is taking someone else's castaways and making something completely unique and lovely out of it.  I can't tell you the amount of satisfaction I get from taking junk and making it into greatness.  It literally feeds my soul.  Any old person can go to the fabric store, buy the matching fabric and accessories and make something fabulous.  So I dare you to step outside of your comfort zone and be creative.  Just go for it!  See what you come up with!  

ToysRus Is Not A Fun Date!

Evidently taking your husband to do the Christmas shopping is not his idea of a fun date....he's all tuckered out.  Too bad I was all out of quarters so he could take a ride.  :)

When I Need Meat...

  This lady is quite the amazing bible scholar.  I find her writings to be especially thought provoking.  I am not the kind of reader that loves a light book.  This book gives me the meat I need to chew on.  White bread and honey might be easy to digest but it leaves you hungry for more in just a short time.  This kind of read sustains you, fills up your stores of knowledge for long periods of time.  I have found that the classes I am taking right now are quite....easy.  I already know 99% of what is being taught.  I am not finding intellectual stimulation in the least bit.  So this is how I exercise my brain.

Here's a quote or two to stimulate those of you who need a little meat now and then...

" When we covenant with the Lord Jesus Christ, we become passengers on a plan that moves steadily toward it's destiny in the celestial kingdom, with all the sights, sensations, relationships, and experiences particularly selected for our personal.most effective use of this preparatory period.  Elder Richard G. Scott said: "H would have you suffer no consequence, no challenge, endure no burden that is superfluous to your good. "  We may know then for ourselves that what is coming in our individual futures is benign in its design if we will pay attention to the lesson it means to impart while we are faithful to the Lord. " pg 16

" God will "wake us" if we need to be wakened; God will bring to our attention that which it is necessary for us to know when we need to know it.  He may also withhold certain information so as to precipitate a situation which is pregnant with learning possibilities for us.  The right orchestration, the right timing for events, even sad ones, is part of the covenant promise..." pg 15

"When a woman accepts in spirit who she was in the premortal world, her beauty of spirit, her valiance, her power, her passion, her great love; and when she accepts who she is destined to become; and when she acknowledges that that gifted, premortal woman is present now in the mortal woman and is seeking expression now in the mortal probation, she will know that she does not have to accept behaviors meant to demean her nor act in self-demeaning ways.  Rather she can honor her inner divinity and step forth in her God given power and birthright to bring to pass much beauty and holiness, and thereby fulfill her own unique earthly mission." pg 164

Anyone that can use the word pregnant like she did, just has my upmost respect...such great imagery in this book while dealing with deep subject matter...

Wordless Wednesday...A Touch of Summer

Soccer Phenom

I got one kid out of 5....that actually enjoys sports.  I guess that isn't quite true because my daughter enjoys gymnastics and that is a sport, but still an individual sport at this point.  Christian tried his hand at soccer, t-ball, and football.  None stuck.  He's going to try basketball this winter...but I'm not getting my hopes up.  See, my family was not into sports at all.  I never saw my father watch a game in my life (unless you count WWF wrestling which is more like violent acting).  My older brother was on the JV basketball team, but as far as familial sport talent, we got the short end of the stick.  Patrick on the other hand, was in basketball and soccer during high school.  He wasn't phenomenal, but he did make varsity.  He hit his stride when he was in the Army and played basketball.  Since then, he's been playing ball on and off with great success.

Enter Anderson.  Crawling at 6 months.  First set of stitches at 8 months.  Walking at 9 months.  Going up the stairs at 8 months.  Climbing onto the table, 9 months.  Crawling up the pantry shelves, 10 months, and running at 9 months 1 day!  Seriously, this kid is physical.  I put him in a walker from the moment he could crawl because that kid had no fear.  He didn't see an obstacle, he saw a challenge.  So it's no wonder that when he was 3, we put him in soccer.  He cried when he didn't get the ball the whole time.  We waited a year or two.  When it was time for Kindergarten soccer, he excelled.  Top scorer on the team.  He's aggressive.  He dives for the shot.  He isn't afraid of anything.  And this year, it wasn't any different.

He gets in there with his scrawny self and dominates.  He passes, he dribbles, he does a whole bunch of stuff that I don't understand at all...

That kid can kick the ball...and leave his team in the dust.  Of course having half of the spectators cheering for you doesn't hurt either does it?!  (6 people and that is just immediate family)  I can only imagine what it will be like when he plays in high school.  I'll be that crazy mom that is screaming in the stands, "Run, Anderson, Run!!"  He has this side kick thing that just blows my mind...I guess I need to figure out the rules for soccer now.   And next year...Patrick is going to coach.  His award this year....

This year, to mix it up a little...he got Best Goal Maker...same difference!

Front Yard Foilage

My Front yard this weekend...

This yellow tree that I can't figure out what it is.  We had one in Hillsboro too...anyone know?

And of course the best part of my front yard is this cute little boy that carries around his Hot Wheels, needs his mommy, and loves to give hugs.

Downtown in the Fall

Madeline had a free day from school and everyone else had to attend, so guess what we did?

Downtown Portland!!

Iconic Portland drinking fountains were running.

Gorgeous old churches with intricate stained glass line the park blocks.  

The history speaks to me.

Of course we went to Powells to check out the overwhelming amount of books for sale.  Madeline is sick to death of all the remakes made into vampire adaptions.  Doesn't she look like she needs a book to read on this park bench?

We had a great time.  Next time your in need of something free to do, wander downtown and check out Powells, the Central Library, The flying Scottsman Food Cart, and the Park blocks.  It wont disappoint.

Brighten's Obsession

My little Sad Goth ballerina...

 Brighten's current obsession is Goth...so every halloween, she goes all out.  Please don't judge her if in a few years, she decides to dress like this on a permanent basis...




Goth Ballerina in all her glory











































Such a sad Ballerina