Pumpkin Head

Who wouldn't want this?

2010-10-27T08:59:00.002-04:00

I know it has been ages since I have posted on here. Bad, bad Jessica. And to top it off this isn't even a real post but a lame attempt to win a $100 gift card to the Gap.
megduerksen.typepad.com

Check it out!

Enjoyment

2010-05-12T10:00:00.004-04:00

Thoroughly enjoying my time off now that I am done & graduated!Playing in the rain with Kate is time well spent!

30 Days! Easy!

2010-03-28T14:56:00.003-04:00

Well folks I made it! 30 days without sugar! I lost 5 pounds & some waistage. I wish that I had taken measurements before so I could know for sure how many inches I lost but I did manage to go down a jean size! I like the way I feel without sugar in my body. It just feels better.

Friday was Duane's birthday and since Saturday was my 30th day he said we could wait till Sunday to celebrate with his annual Ritter's Frozen Custard Turtle Pie. I had a piece today and I feel like crap. All bloated and blaah. I had already decided to stick with the no sugar but this just solidifies it for me. I'm sure from time to time I'll have a cookie or two but for the most part sugar is no longer a part of my diet. I just need to make this a permanent change for my own health.

Oh, by the way. Only 5 more weeks of school! I graduate May 1st! I am so ready to be done!

Sugar is the devil!

2010-02-27T11:14:00.003-05:00

I have had a long love affair with sugar. It has been going on for years & I have finally had enough. I am tired of the control it has over me. I have decided to go without sugar for 30 days. I'm on day two.

I figured 30 days isn't all that long. But it means no cookies, except maybe these, cake (which I'm not a big fan of anyway), candy (same, not a big fan) and ice cream. No more Grogg lattes from Boston Stoker. I'll just have to settle for Highlander grogg.

I'm feeling pretty confidant right now. We'll see where I'm at in a couple of days. I feel sorry for my family who will have to live with me through withdrawal. I do have my cousin's wedding reception coming up in a couple of weeks. I have decided that I will allow myself one thing if I want it. I'll keep you posted on how I am doing! Wish me luck!

Senioritis

2010-02-22T10:01:00.002-05:00

I have it BAD! I am so ready to be done. Only 10 more weeks & one of those is spring break. I keep telling myself I can do anything for 10 weeks. But I don't feel like I can. I have no desire to do homework anymore. I feel scatterbrained & I am forgetting things that I wouldn't usually forget. I am so wrapped up in finishing my internship that I have time for little else.

I told myself that I wouldn't get stressed out about trying to finish two semesters of internship in one. But I am. I want to be done SO badly that I can't stand the thought of not trying hard enough and putting in enough time to finish on time. At the same time I have no desire to do so. Does that make sense?

At this point I am only there for the sole purpose of getting enough hours to finish on time. Trouble is part of those hours must be with clients and right now I am getting very few client hours. The weather has something to do with it. That & I can't control when people will and will not show up for their appointments. At least half the time they don't show. I'm scared that that is what will keep me from finishing. Something I have no control over. I'm slightly okay with having to continue my internship into next semester for a week or two if I need the client hours but I am not okay with much more than that.

Sorry, I don't mean to sound so negative. But I just needed to vent. I just needed to put the words to paper and hopefully give my brain some relief. At least until the next time I start ruminating about it and can't stop. Ha ha! I sound like one of my clients!

Bummed

2010-02-21T22:46:00.002-05:00

So our big decision was regarding a house. It had exactly what we needed & the location was pretty good too. Still in our neighborhood but on a better street. The thing was we were going to have to give our house back to the bank in order to move. We weren't thrilled about that but the house was a foreclosure with very little to no work that needed to be done to it and we would have to act fast. So we made an offer and waited. And waited, and waited. We finally got a call Friday that our offer was not accepted. Bummer. Apparently there were several offers. But on the bright side we don't have to deal with the stress of giving back the house. The bad side is we must continue to live squashed into our tiny house with the prospect of it taking MONTHS to sell our house. I know God has something better in store for us but now I have to be patient! Augh!

Decisions Decisions

2010-02-05T21:10:00.002-05:00

Aagh! We have a HUGE decision to make over the next day or two. Somewhat life changing. Praying about obviously. But there is so much uncertainty. I'll update when we have an answer. In the mean time any prayers would be greatly appreciated.

R.I.P. Goldspeed

2010-01-30T13:10:00.003-05:00

Goldspeed committed suicide today. I should have seen it coming. He has attempted suicide before. Only to be foiled by Elijah's timely entrance into the room where he found him floundering on top of the dresser. This time there was no hope. He made sure it worked. He jumped behind the dresser where he could not be seen. And in fact it took us several minutes to locate him because he was covered in so much dust he just looked like a fish shaped dust bunny (yeah, that's right. I don't clean behind our dressers very often).

Oh, the tears. Who would have thought. I mean he had long outlived his brothers and sisters (all but one that is) who were all dead within a few weeks of arriving at our humble abode. Heads were buried into my shoulder with large alligator tears soaking my shirt. With requests of buying a new fish interrupted by loud sobs.

Services were held promptly in the bathroom and officiated by me.

Changes

2010-01-30T11:46:00.005-05:00

Over the last few years I have changed.

Alot.

Mostly for the good :)

One thing I have been wanting to change for a while is my store name. I have grown out of the Pumpkin Head phase and no longer have the desire to sew the baby items I was selling in my PHBC store. So this week I made the decision to close the store. Whew! What a load off of my mind. I know it sounds insignificant but I put alot of time and effort into that store, well at one point in time I did anyway. But it had been months since I had added anything new, all my listings had expired and I did not want to renew them.

About a year and a half ago I opened another store Pumpkin Head etc, with the intent of selling handmade things for everyone else. Then last January I discovered how much more fun (and easier) it can be to sell vintage. Vintage doesn't really fit with the Pumpkin Head name. But I didn't want to open up another store & at the time I was unable to change the name of the store I had. Well, (this is exciting) I recently found out that at some point this year you will be able to change your user name on Etsy! Hooray! Just what I needed. Now I get to change my store name & I don't have to restart my store!

This is basically just a heads up. Over the next couple of months I will be gradually changing things, including my blog, over to my new store name Glenna & Joy. An homage to my grandmothers. The new store will be vintage and handmade. Perfect.

Birthday Boy!

2009-12-29T08:31:00.003-05:00

It has been eight years since God blessed us with Seth. Eight interesting years. Full of laughter and tears, questions and answers. I love that he is smart in some ways and not in others. I love that he is unique, so very unique. I hope that, even though being unique will bring along some pain, he will always be himself. As he sits here on the floor, with his knees pulled up into his chest, surrounded by legos, I am watching that brain of his work and I am loving it!

Happy Birthday Seth!
I love you!

Merry Christmas, Happy Birthday Jesus!

2009-12-25T11:20:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone is having a fantastic Christmas. More importantly I hope you are remembering what Christmas is truly about. God sending the the gift of his son Jesus!

Old Man's Cave, Hocking Co, Oh.

Ready!

2009-12-23T10:28:00.002-05:00

The tree is trimmed, the presents wrapped & under the tree, the children wriggling with anticipation. Yep. We are ready!

Thanksgiving Baking

2009-11-29T15:06:00.002-05:00

Since we couldn't be at Grandma's house this year for Thanksgiving I used one of my bowls inherited from her to mix up my famous pumpkin pie. It's a vintage Texasware bowl. It's huge and I love it! As for my pie. I love that too. It's delicious. Adding extra eggs and extra spices is the key.

Bittersweet Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T10:31:00.003-05:00

I had a chance to run this morning. I like to run on Thanksgiving. Mostly because it is one of the few chances I get to run at my favorite running spot. But today was different. There were no cows mooing in the distance, no plowed cornfields to my right, no river running next to me, no train tracks to cross. Today there was just pavement. It was hard. Today is the first Thanksgiving of a new tradition. One that is bittersweet. You see we have gone to my Grandma's house every year for Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember. But not this year. It will never be the same.

The other day I was reading this post from Mabel's House and I sobbed. I could recall the digression from beautiful fluid handwriting to scratchy scrawl in my own Grandma. I see it in my Grandpa too. And my heart just aches from the loss.

I will leave you with happy memories of time spent at my Grandma's house. Good news is my parents are buying it as their second home. So more memories will be made there, sadly they will not include my Grandma, at least not in the physical form. But she will always be there in spirit.

Did You Know?

2009-11-05T10:05:00.002-05:00

I know it's past Halloween but I came across this video today & just had to share it!

Trick or Treat...

2009-10-31T09:07:00.001-04:00

Smell my feet
Give me something good to eat

BOO!

2009-10-19T12:29:00.005-04:00

My first Halloween vignette. Which turned out okay if I do say so myself. And thanks so some thrifting and good sales didn't cost all that much either!

Queen of Hearts and Alice in Wonderland Costume Set GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-10-17T11:28:00.001-04:00

This is just amazing! I cannot even begin to fathom what went into this dress. I wish I had half of her talent! And to think that she is giving this away! The pics alone are worth clicking on this link.

Queen of Hearts and Alice in Wonderland Costume Set GIVEAWAY!!!!

13 Years of Good Friends, Good Food, Good Thrifting!

2009-10-12T11:40:00.007-04:00

Sunday was our anniversary, our 13th. To celebrate Duane planned a surprise trip to Pennsylvania to visit some good friends. I was somewhat suspicious but he held fast & would not tell me a thing. I was super frustrated to say the least. The trip was quick but was so fun. We ate lots of yummy food including this sandwich we had for our anniversary dinner.Besides our friends (and the good thrift/antique stores they have) it is probably the only good thing to come out of Pennsylvania. It's called a Pittsburgh Style sandwich and it was delicious! We ate in this adorable little cafe' in downtown Brookville, Pa. called the Courthouse Cafe'. The service was a little cold but the atmosphere was great, so was the food. I couldn't help but take a few pics.I was especially in love with the chocolate brown tin ceiling!Duane even took me thrift store shopping! I picked up a couple of things while I was there. Here are my favs.The cake plate & cover came from this fabulous old house in Clarion called The Fulmer House. Three floors stuffed full of antiques & collectibles. And with a bargain basement what's not to love! I wished we could have stayed longer but it was great to get away. I can't wait to do it again!

Just Existing

2009-10-03T11:43:00.003-04:00

I have an itch. One that I can't scratch & it is driving me nuts. We have been in our house for almost 11 years. Over that time my tastes have changed and I am ready for a decorating change. Problem is we plan on moving within the next year or less and it seems silly to spend the money to redecorate when we have such a short time left here. So I exist, in my house. Living in it as if it were not really mine and it is somewhat depressing. Don't get me wrong. I love my house and I am very grateful for all of the blessings that it has provided us. It is just way too small for us (it only has 2 bedrooms) and is not in the best neighborHOOD (hood is bold because that is where I live, in the Hood!) Also because of where we live any money we put into it we would never see back in increased home value. We'll be lucky to get what we paid for it 11 years ago. I wait, wishing, dreaming, trying desperately to scratch the itch knowing full well I cannot.

If Only...

2009-09-29T13:49:00.002-04:00

Conversation with Kate today.

Kate: "Mom, is sitting down exercising?"

Me: "No"

Kate: "How about sitting up?"

Aah, if only it were that easy!

Indian Summer Shirt and Skirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-09-28T11:27:00.000-04:00

Indian Summer Shirt and Skirt GIVEAWAY!!!!
I love her creations! And as always Kate would look so cute in this! She also has a simple & cheap way to make maternity pants. Not that I need them. But you know some of you may so I am sharing the info!

Something New

2009-09-06T17:10:00.005-04:00

She didn't cry but boy was she mad! I told her it would hurt. I'm not sure if she didn't believe me or what. She just sat there after they were done with this angry look on her face. When they put the mirror in front of her she wouldn't even acknowledge that they were there. She didn't talk to me for a whole 5 minutes which for Kate is a long time. But as we were walking back to our car she said "It's fun that I got my ears pierced isn't it Mom?!"

And Their Off!

2009-08-25T09:00:00.003-04:00

First day of school! I made it!

I couldn't believe how smiley Seth was this morning. The last two years there have been tears about having his picture taken on the first day of school and I am lucky to get one good picture out of the lot. But this year he was all smiles. He doesn't care for school all that much and at first I wasn't sure what was bringing on the smiles. But I think I figured out why he was so happy. It's because he now gets to spend his days away from Kate. Yep, that's it. I am sure of it.

Christmas on a Budget

2009-08-23T19:43:00.003-04:00

I know. Christmas is 4 months away. But if you are like us you have to plan ahead & spread out the cost of all those gifts! This year, like last, I am trying to make as many gifts as possible & hopefully find some great thrift store gifts too. I've already finished my niece's gift! I fell in love with this sweater & thought a whimsical version of it would be perfect for a tween. Shh, don't tell!

Wool J Crew Sweater - $2.00 at my thrift store's 50% off Memorial Day sale, felted & cut by me :)
Ribbon & buttons I already had on hand. Total cost $2.00!
P.S. It looks MUCH cuter in person! I can't wait to see it on her!

Yum....Coffee

2009-08-21T14:48:00.002-04:00

Note to self: Do not share coffee with Seth again.

Last night was meet the teacher night at school. We had some time to kill beforehand so the boys & I headed to Boston Stoker to get a cool drink. Seth was having a hard time deciding what to get. I finally offered to just share my grogg latte with him & he happily obliged.

I offered to let Seth carry our drink out to the car. When we reached the car I noticed that Seth had greedily slurped up about 2/3 of OUR drink!
"Seth!" I said. "That was supposed to be for us to share."
"Oh" said Seth, "I didn't realize I drank so much." was his excuse.

From there we went to school to meet their new teachers. Let me tell you. I had no idea caffeine affected Seth that way. He was BOUNCING OFF THE WALLS! And not just the walls. The floor, doors, desk, drinking fountains, couch, air, sidewalk. You name it if he came into contact with it he was BOUNCING off of it. I tried to reassure his new teacher (1st year might I add) that he was not normally like this. I'm not convinced she believed me.

Times Goes By

2009-08-16T19:18:00.002-04:00

It's hard to believe it has only been two weeks since Grandma passed away. It feels like it was months ago. I was doing really well until today on our way to church. I started thinking about it & had I not been driving I probably would have broken down into tears.

The kids & my mom & I went back this past week to spend a couple of days there going through stuff and getting away from the hustle & bustle of the city. It was nice to be in the country but it was strange being in her house without her there. The first night I was lying in bed trying to fall asleep & I could of sworn I heard her say "What?" In her squeaky high pitched voice. I could see her sitting in HER chair asking me what I had just said. Yes, there were tears.

I miss her terribly. I want her back but I know that I am just being selfish. My Grandpa & God are enjoying her now. Along with her brothers and sisters and the children she lost before they even entered this world. I'll get to see her again someday. Until then I just need to remember the good times we had together and be happy in the knowledge that she is with Christ.

In Memoriam

2009-08-02T18:51:00.005-04:00

I bet she is walking with Grandpa
Basking in God's wonder that is Heaven
Holding hands
As if they were never apart.

Goodbye Grandma
We will miss you terribly.

Pink Polka Dots and Shirring...

2009-07-21T21:45:00.002-04:00

What could be cuter?

Perhaps the 4 year old wearing it!
Happy Birthday Stink!

Vintage Beauty

2009-07-19T15:38:00.006-04:00

On a lighter note I wanted to share with you a recent vintage find and my quilt top made of all vintage linens!
Don't you just love these? I am not a huge strawberry fan, well for decorating that is. But when I saw them leaning against the wall in the Hospice resale store I just could not resist. Of course the price tag of $7.50 each with an additional 50% off because they were clearance and then a special of, buy one 50% off item get another one free, was equally hard to resist! I paid $4.25 for both! I still haven't decided if I am going to keep them or sell them. At some point in time I plan on having a red & white vintagey kitchen & these would be perfect. But who knows when that will happen. For now they are mine cause they make me smile and think of all the yummy things we used to make out of strawberries as a kid when we grew our own in the backyard.

As for my quilt isn't it yummy! I collected the linens from trips to various thrift stores. I love how it turned out. Now I just have to quilt it. What a chore that will be, especially since I have never quilted before!

Sadness

2009-07-18T14:31:00.004-04:00

This week has been filled with lots of tears and emotions and two of the hardest conversations I have ever had in my life. To put it bluntly my Grandma is dying. She does not have a terminal diagnosis, just no will to live. Thursday I went with my mom to visit with my grandma and to talk with the Dr about THE decision. To continue medicating her or to keep her comfortable and let her go.
There were 9 of us in on the conversation, my mom & her five brothers and sister, a sister-in-law & myself. It was decided that we would ask grandma what she wanted even though she had expressed numerous times that she just wanted to die. My mom, my aunt & I were somehow unofficially delegated to be the ones to ask her. Everyone else went outside to vent and probably to avoiding being a part of that conversation.
There were tears, lots of them. Questions were asked, answers were given, but they just added to the confusion. The last thing she said about it was "I'm not ready to go until God is ready for me and he is not ready for me." Last night she begged my mom to just take her home. But going home means making the decision to let her go. It means dying. Things are still up in the air, with no real solid decision made, just to wait a few days and see.

The second conversation happened yesterday. I had to tell the boys something. I tried as gently as I could to explain what was going on. There were more tears, lots more. Elijah took it really hard. He sat in my lap and sobbed for several minutes. Seth was very concerned with what would happen to her house and all of her things inside it. I think the way his brain works keeps him from really understanding the emotion involved with it. Perhaps it is better that way. It sort of protects him.

I don't mean to be depressing. I just needed to share, to vent, to release some of that emotion I am trying desperately to keep inside of me. As a clinician this is something I must do. As a human living my emotions is something I must do. I find I am struggling with that.

Take Me To The Zoo

2009-07-02T17:33:00.009-04:00

A trip to the Columbus Zoo has been in order for a while and we finally made it happen on Monday. There were many animals on our list of things to see here are just a few.

Baby Elephant ~ Check

Eagles ~ Check

Kangaroos ~ Check

Koala Bears ~ Check

Komodo Dragons ~ Check!

When we were at the koala exhibit the exhibit was full of free growing grasses some of which were quite tall. Elijah said, "I feel like I am at home with all this grass around" It was all I could do not to laugh. In case you were wondering our grass is not that tall. Duane just likes to see how long he can go without cutting it. He tends to let it go alot longer than I would.

Girls Weekend Away

2009-07-01T19:19:00.006-04:00

This past weekend a few of my friends from church went to Norris Lake for a long & much deserved weekend away. Fun was had boating, eating out, cooking, riding 4 wheelers & jet skis, having our feet pampered & playing Hand & Foot. It was so relaxing to get away & spend time with friends

This was the view from the deck of our cabin one morning. Just breathtaking and awesome to think that God created all of this.

Birthday Party!

2009-06-20T15:12:00.008-04:00

Last weekend was Elijah's 9th birthday party. He was so excited he could hardly wait. Especially since his birthday was like two weeks before the party. Poor kid!
He had decided back in January that he wanted to have a football party at Great Grandma & Grandpa's (cause they have a HUGE backyard perfect for a fun game of football). The cake this year was a football field, of course it was a BROWNS football field. Cake baking this year went MUCH better than last year. Although, I did have to bake two cakes cause the first one broke into three pieces after I took it out of the pan. And the very old cake decorator that I was borrowing from my mom broke on the first inch or so of the first yard line, so I had to make a makeshift one from a ziplock baggie & some old tips I found in a drawer. But then the baggie busted so I had to double bag it. This happened for both the white icing & the chocolate. Oh, and I went through 2 tubs of icing before I had the perfect orange. But other than that it went quite well! The little football is made from a small tootsie roll I softened, rolled into a football shape & then iced laces on. Turned out pretty cute if I do say so myself. At least Elijah was happy with it!
The boys plated football while some of the girls & the younger kids did crafts & cheered from the side. Duane & Nate, our good friend & pastor, were the team captains & took their roles very seriously! At halftime we enjoyed cake, ice cream & our traditional birthday treat of lemonade & Mikesell's Puffcorn. The game continued until I broke out the water balloon launcher!(I highly suggest that you get one of these if you don't already have one. They are an instant crowd pleaser & guaranteed to bring hours of fun. Plus you can buy biodegradable water balloons so you aren't hurting the environment :) ) Withing minutes the boys were lined up waiting to launch a balloon at the kids standing at the other end of the yard. I think that was their favorite part!

Memorial Day Shopping & Eating

2009-05-29T11:20:00.009-04:00

Well, actually mostly thrifting but I'll get to that in a minute. On Sunday we went to my grandma's house a couple of hours away. (Can you tell my kids love to travel!) She lives near an antique "mall"/flea market that I rarely get a chance to go to. So this time my sister & I quickly snatched the opportunity to go. There are lots of booth on the front porch of the main antique store. I quickly realized how much less expensive things were on the outside than the inside. I spotted this container of vintage Christmas ornaments for $5.00!

No need to think about it they were mine! I still am not sure how many are in there but they are worth WAY more than $5.00! Inside I picked up an orange plate for $1.75! And a couple of pieces of jewelry for a project I am working on. You'll see those later.

On Monday my favorite thrift store was having a 50% off sale. Every major holiday they do this & it is a BIG deal! They opened at 8:00 & I got there 15 minutes early & the line was already to the back of the building on both sides (they have an entrance on each side of the store). I had been there on Thursday & hidden somethings that I wanted! I found everything except for one thing so I thought I did pretty good! I found an vintage curtain, silver canister, green glass plate, framed embroidered mushroom picture, jewelry box for Kate (.24 cents!) three more pieces of jewelry, purse & a set of 4 federal glass vases (all vintage!) as well as two mens shirts to make dresses for Kate & a bright green J crew wool sweater for felting! And some extra Christmas tree tinsel cause you can never have enough of that for crafting & decorating purposes! All for about $20.00! Aah. The highlight of my month I think!

Now on to the eating part.

My grandma that we went to visit is actually in the hospital because she fell & broke her hip last week. We went to visit her in the hospital on our way into town & passed this.
For those of you who don't know what Rax is I strongly encourage you to drive to Lancaster, Oh & try out the beef & cheese along with a chocolate chip milkshake. Rax used to be everywhere here in Ohio. And up until they closed ALL the local restaurants they were Duane's favorite place to eat fast food. He about flipped when he saw this one on the way to the hospital & without hesitation said "I'm eating dinner there!" So after we ate lunch at my grandma's house, spent some time at the local lake & antique store we drove back to Lancaster for the sole purpose of getting Duane a Rax fix! I'll admit. I had one too & it was totally worth it!

Monday I made the Winning Hearts & Mind Chocolate Cake recipe from Molly Wizenberg's book A Homemade Life. It was AWESOME! I made homemade whipped cream to serve with it! If you haven't seen this book check it out. It is filled with yummy & unusual recipies. I have tried the french toast & custard cornbread recipes as well & they too are awesome! I checked it out from the local library but I think I am going to have to buy it. It's worth it!

Nine

2009-05-27T15:26:00.003-04:00

Look who's Nine today! I can hardly believe it! He is pretty excited about being Nine. I am not sure what he thinks Nine has in store for him but it must be pretty awesome. No doubt it will be filled with books, legos, ideas for movies & many light saber battles. Oh, and he gets to play football this fall! He has been waiting for years to play on a team! I can't wait to see him on that field loving life! Oh to be Nine again!

Quilt Along

2009-05-18T13:12:00.002-04:00

Cause I don't have enough to do. I need to add one more thing to my plate! But this is something I have been wanting to do for a LONG time. I see a trip to the Fabric Shack in my future!

Making Mother's Day

2009-05-14T19:16:00.005-04:00

For those of you who were wondering Seth's present included a paper flower and a box filled with peanut butter cups, kisses & hershey's miniatures, yum!

I decided to make Mother's Day gifts this year. I made these cute broaches for my mom, grandma & sister. I had the hardest time giving them up. In fact after mother's day lunch I went home & made one for myself. They are ridiculously easy. I got the idea from here. The card I printed out on some card stock & just pinned the broach to it. Instant present! Hmm, I'm thinking end of the year Teacher gifts! Aren't they adorable!

My mom requested a necklace & bracelet so I made these for her from some lovely Amy Butler fabric that I had been hoarding. I think I am going to have to make one of those for myself too!

My Dad and the husbands planned lunch after church on Sunday. It was yummy, with grilled pork loin, fresh green beans with browned butter, spring salad with avocado & grape tomatoes, red potatoes & ice cream brownie sundaes for dessert! The kids made up a menu and were our waiters. They took our orders & the kitchen (men) filled them. So cute. The kids really enjoy playing restaurant. After dinner we were pleasantly surprised with a visit from The Mother Day Band. They had a private concert just for us and sang three songs. Emma was the lead singer, Elijah was on the electric guitar, Madelyn the bass, Seth played the drums and Logan danced. It was so cute.

I hope your Mother's Day was as fun and loved filled as mine!

Do Not Open Till...

2009-05-09T17:28:00.002-04:00

This little bag came home with Seth yesterday with strict instructions of "Do not open until Mother's Day!" The suspense is killing me!

Can't get enough

2009-05-08T15:52:00.004-04:00

A while back I was introduced to this artist & I instantly fell in love with his music. But life ensued & I quickly forgot about him. Last night with the kids in bed & the TV on I saw a commercial for cannon cameras that had the best song. Here it is.
Only problem is that is was written just for the commercial & is only about 50 seconds long. Which in my book is not nearly long enough. I kept playing it over & over cause I just couldn't get enough.

I was listening to it again this morning when I was reminded of Elijah. (Not my Elijah) So I googled him & once again began listening to his music. I haven't stopped since this morning. This time I am purchasing his albums so that I can listen to it everywhere. I think that will be part of my Mother's Day gift! So far I have not heard a song I don't like but this one is definitely my favorite.
A Song Of Simplicity - Funny blooper videos are here

Makes me wish we still had our piano.

Something's Different...

2009-04-28T10:26:00.003-04:00

Look closely. Do you see it? I do.

It's Jesus!

Cause last night Seth asked Jesus into his heart!

Warm

2009-04-27T13:45:00.003-04:00

Loving the weather & all that it brings with it.

Impromptu games of water tag in the backyard

Tree trimming/cutting down in the front yardSpending time on the front porch with good friends

Last minute overnight trips to great grandma's &

Hanging out in your skivvies in the backyard!

X-Rated Nuggets

2009-04-25T20:31:00.002-04:00

Duane fixed dinner the other night while I went out for Indian with a girlfriend. He found this in the nugget bag!

I couldn't help myself. I just had to take a pic.

Watch out parents. You never know what those dino shaped nuggets are up to when you aren't looking! I am imagining that the dinos were going for one last hurrah before they were eaten and well they weren't quick enough & were frozen in the process!

Having Fun with OCD

2009-04-17T19:50:00.004-04:00

I have a child with minor OCD tendencies. Well, ok they are probably more than minor.

A couple of weeks ago I found an almost complete set of vintage alphabet blocks at a thrift store. When I got home I noticed there were enough letters to spell out our last name. I didn't want them to be all straight. I wanted them to look a little cock-eyed because that's the way I like it. A few hours later I noticed that the blocks no longer looked like this

They looked like this.

At first I thought it was just the kids getting used to having the blocks sitting around & they were messing with them. So I fixed them & walked away. Later in the evening I noticed they again looked like the second picture & not like the first. So I fixed them again. The next morning the OCD child had fixed them again. It was at this point I decided to play a little game. I call it "Having Fun with OCD". I display the blocks in an unperfect manner and the OCD child comes and "fixes" them. This has gone on for a couple of weeks and I still have not tired of it. I am just trying to decide if I am being cruel or not. Am I causing a problem that will take years of therapy to undo? Hmm?

Watching God Work

2009-04-10T13:22:00.004-04:00

Duane & I have spent the last couple of weeks desperately searching Craigslist for a car that would work for us, our budget & Duane's music equipment. After test driving a few different cars we decided that we really wanted a Volkswagen. The Jetta was sporty but too small for the band equipment Duane hauls back & forth to church twice a week. So we figured a Passat would be a better fit. Problem was every Passat we saw was either too much or already sold by the time we got in touch with them.

Last Saturday morning I sat down at the computer to refresh the Craigslist page. Just to see if anything worthwhile had been posted since we went to bed the night before. But first I said a little prayer to God asking him to provide a car that would work for us in every way. Page refreshed. Passat posted! In our price range, a manual (which is what we were really holding out for), good milage & it came with an extra set of tires! We wasted no time in contacting the guy.

We went to drive it that afternoon. Taking Duane's guitar with us to make sure it would fit. It just slid right into the truck with more than enough room to spare! The car had a couple of problems which after we made him an offer & he accepted he then fixed for us! What a blessing! It was so neat for me to be able to sit back & watch God work in all of this. For quite some time I forgot to let Him work & I waisted so much time worrying and getting upset about different things big & small. God is so working in me right now & I love it! I'll post a pic of our snappy new car soon!

On a side note, let me just say how much I LOVE Craigslist! Our church has been in need of chairs for the children's class. I looked for some on craigslist last Sunday & found someone selling them for $3.00/ chair! My Dad & I went to pick them up today & the guy gave us eight or nine more chairs than what we paid for just becuase he wanted to get rid of them. Again a blessing from God!

Having Faith

2009-04-02T13:13:00.003-04:00

The past few days have been filled with fear and trepidation. The night before last I was up worrying and God told me to "have faith." Instead of having faith that He would take care of everything regardless of whether or not I liked the outcome, I lost hours of sleep over it both that night and the next morning. Still ignoring God's command, the next day was filled with more apprehension. And then today the answer came. It was the answer I wanted. Yet I feel foolish. Foolish for not listening to God and not trusting that his statement of "have faith" would have the outcome I wanted. When will I learn that regardless of what happens He has my best interest at heart?

Bringing Up Boys

2009-03-21T12:17:00.006-04:00

Last week I was REALLY sick. Like I did nothing for at least 6 days sick. I am feeling better but am still getting over it. Thursday I attempted to go to the grocery store before I picked the boys up from school. It proved to be too much for me to do and by the time I got home I was in a semi delirious state with barely enough energy to walk in the door let alone bring the groceries in & put them away. I had the kids help carry in the bags & had decided I would just put the cold stuff away for now. To my surprise & delight I walked into the kitchen to find Elijah putting the groceries away for me! I helped with the cold stuff & then laid down on the couch. He continued until every last thing was put away.

Today for lunch I asked what everyone wanted. Elijah replied with "peanut butter & jelly" Kate reminded me that I had bought fish sticks. I asked Elijah if he wanted that instead. He said & I quote "No, thank you. I'll just have peanut butter & jelly." How polite!

Now if only I can bring up my girl to be just as thoughtful and polite.

The Elusive Perfect Green Shoe

2009-03-09T14:56:00.003-04:00

I am on a mission. In search of the perfect (and budget friendly) green patent flat. So far they are proving to be quite elusive.

There are these. Although for the life of me I cannot comprehend why they are so frickin' expensive. Oh & look! They are even on sale! What a bargain!

The search continues.

Fashonista Revisited

2009-02-26T15:08:00.004-05:00

You may remember my post about Kate's fashion sense.

Here's what she wore yesterday.

Not too bad really. I mean all the same colors are there. Just a little overwhelming to look at that's all.

Still, I wouldn't change it for the world & I hope she keeps her own sense of style when she grows up.

Fat Tuesday

2009-02-25T12:34:00.004-05:00

(picture from TheAng)
I am not catholic but I do enjoy fat Tuesday. I mean who doesn't right! An excuse to eat whatever because you are going to "give it up" for the next forty days. Anyway, yesterday I ran into these little Fat Tuesday treats at the grocery store. Staring at me from their obscure red & white box. Paczki, pronounced Punch-key. A polish tradition for Fat Tuesday to use up ingredients that are not to be eaten during Lent. I have heard of them before but had never had one. They looked yummy, I was hungry so I caved.

Um, let me warn you. If you are highly susceptible to cravings and addictions read no further!

They come in 9 different fillings. Most of which sounded good (except for the prune, yuck!) I chose bavarian creme because I knew everyone else would like that filling too. I thought they might be good. But I was wrong. They were freakin' awesome! I am not a huge doughnut person but I would eat these EVERY day if I could. Of course it is a good thing that they are only available for Fat Tuesday or I would be in SERIOUS trouble. If you have never had one I strongly suggest that you run out TODAY & see if you can still get some. However, I did warn you, they are highly addictive. I am convinced that they are laced with crack or something to keep you coming back for more.

A little note. When I was telling Duane about them last night (he's out of town) he said he made the die for the box. See now I feel so much better about buying them because in a round about way I am supporting myself, or at least my husbands job!

Not the Best Day

2009-02-23T13:55:00.002-05:00

Despite my exciting finds on Saturday, Sunday & Monday have not been the best days. Duane left yesterday morning for a business trip. Something he has never done in the 7 1/2 years he has been with his company. He will be gone until Friday. I readied my self for it though & was only slightly concerned with how the week was going to go. But you know. Someone always has to throw a bone into our otherwise boring week.

After a great day of church and playing Seth suddenly had a fever. It was about 20 min from the time he complained about not feeling well to the time I took his temp. It was 103.3. Knowing that sudden high fevers for him have a tendency to set off a seizure I quickly gave him tylenol & put him to bed. About an hour later the kids told me he was awake so I went up to talk to him. He was completely out of it. He was talking but not making any sense. His eyes were rapidly moving back and forth. I kept asking him questions trying to get him back into reality. He either didn't answer, answered with non words, words that didn't belong together or an answer that had nothing to do with what I asked him. I asked him if he knew where he was & he couldn't tell me. After about 9 minutes of this I decided to go ahead & call his Dr. They instructed us to go to the ER. Woohoo! Just where I want to spend my Sunday eve! After several hours there they said he did have a seizre, he tested positive for the flu, told us to see his neurologist in the morning & sent us home.

Today he is home, still sick with a fever & so am I. At this point I am just trying to make it through the day without falling over asleep. I have to miss class tonight & am praying that I feel better so I don't have to miss class tomorrow too.

Finds

2009-02-23T13:04:00.005-05:00

Elijah & Seth both had birthday parties to go to on Saturday. At opposite ends of town. Duane & I were discussing who was going to take who. Elijah's was down the street from my thrift store, so you can guess which child I was quick to claim!

I had two glorious hours to peruse the stuffed shelves WITHOUT KIDS! Needless to say my cart was overflowing with fantastic finds. I did weed through them a bit before I checked out. I bought a set of vintage daisy glasses, a set of vintage mugs, vintage plates, a larger serving platter for my best friend (it matched her dish pattern), a couple of yards of red & white striped knit fabric to make something for Kate, a super soft blanket for Elijah, a felt table cloth to make a costume for a oral book report, two pairs of Gap jeans for $2.99 each!, a bracelet for me, four brand new books, a wool cropped cardigan for Kate. It is a little big for her but after I felt it it will fit perfectly! Jackpot!

This was the 2nd time I had gone back since my last post. Last time I found lots of great melamine sets & a set of 6 juice glasses for myself. I absolutely LOVE them! They are nice & sturdy. Thick heavy glass so you know they will last. The have this great rib which makes them that much more special! They were $.49 each! I wish they had a mark on them so I could possibly find some more but oh well. I recently found a couple of new (to me) thrift stores in the area. I haven't had a chance to check them out yet but I'll keep you posted!

Blushing Buttercream Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-02-23T12:19:00.001-05:00

Blushing Buttercream Pettiskirt GIVEAWAY!!!!

Love these skirts but they are a PAIN to make! I made two last fall for a dear friend in exchange for her taking pics of my kids. They turned out so cute! Kate loved them but they were so time consuming that I had no desire to make another one. Oh, Kate would be so excited to have this one!

Logic from a 7 yr old

2009-02-16T11:27:00.002-05:00

Logan is allergic to nuts.

An elephants favorite snack is peanuts.

Therefore Logan is allergic to Elephants!

Makes perfect sense to me!

Little Fashonista

2009-02-12T13:43:00.007-05:00

Like many little girls Kate likes to create her own looks. Here are a couple of her latest.
She didn't want me to take her picture so she kept running away from me, hence the action shots. But what a fun game it turned out to be & the pictures are so candid!

Yes, she is wearing two skirts. She did have some difficulty with this one though because the bottom skirt would not stay up. But being the true fashonista that she is she didn't let that stop her & just made adjustments to the skirt as necessary.

Follow up

2009-02-06T08:52:00.003-05:00

I can't say much about what really happened yesterday. It turned out it was a student. He called the school with a bomb threat. He also brought a starter pistol to school.

He is 14.

He is crying out for help.

I'm not for certain but I am pretty sure he spent the night in jail. I can't imagine what he must be going through and what would make him do such a thing. The boys and I prayed for him last night. It was the first time in a long time where I really felt my heart pouring out to God.

The Unthinkable

2009-02-05T16:11:00.006-05:00

I wasn't home today. I babysat for a friend this morning & then we had lunch together while the kids continued playing. I barely heard my cell ringing & caught it after the caller had hung up. There were 3 missed calls. Which for me is strange. I don't live through my cell phone & most people don't call it. My dad, who is assistant superintendent of the school my boys attend, was one of the calls I had missed. Which had it been a normal day I would have thought it was strange that he called me on my cell because he is an extremely busy person & doesn't call during the day for no reason. But I had called him earlier in the day about a paper I needed him to fax to the other school location so I was half expecting a call back. When he didn't answer again, I left another message thinking he was just returning my first call. My sister was the last call I missed so I called her back next. It was then things took an unexpected turn. The conversation went something like this.

Amber: "Do you know what is going on at school?"

Me: "No?"

Amber: "There was a bomb threat at the school. All the kids have been evacuated, are ok & are at the church next door. I can pick them up but I need to be on their EMA list."

Me: choking out a "Yes, you are."

Amber sounded surprisingly calm as I was somewhat upset. I thank her for that. I am usually quite calm in emergency situations but for some reason I was rather shaken up this time. I am still shaky just thinking about it.

There was no bomb. As of right now we don't know for sure what happened. I briefly spoke to my dad but only long enough for him to make sure Amber was on my EMA list. He sounded angry. My dad doesn't get angry very often. It has been speculated that it was a student that said something. I was subbing one day last spring when a group of middle school girls pulled the fire alarm. I was in the teachers lounge when my dad & a police officer were talking to them. I hadn't seen him that upset since I was a teenager. I can only imagine what is going on now.

The kids are fine. My sister talked to them on the way back to her house & then I talked to them again on the way home. They had a few questions & Seth was mad because he had to leave his backpack there with a favorite toy in it. But they are otherwise unconcerned as Elijah put it.

There is nothing in the world that can prepare you for hearing those words. I cannot imagine had there really been a bomb. Just a threat of one shakes you to your core when it touches someone you love. This would have been five someone's that I love. I am trying not to be angry. After all no one was hurt. But the sheer stupidity of it all is hard for me to wrap my brain around. I keep telling myself that I need to pray for the person who said something. I have no idea what is going on in their life. Perhaps this was their way of calling for help.

CPSIA & Gap... Works for Me!

2009-02-04T14:17:00.002-05:00

Apparently Gap didn't get the FANTASTIC news that the CPSIA testing has been postponed until Feb 2010. Because my sister, who works at the Gap, came over yesterday with a bag full of clothes for Kate. Ten shirts and one pair of yoga pants all for a grand total of $.11! How you ask? Well, they all had little sequins or rhinestones on them that didn't pass the CPSIA standards so they all had to be pulled from the sales floor. But! The employees could buy them for $.01 each! Man I wish I still worked there!

Frugality

2009-02-03T11:15:00.003-05:00

I know that we are not alone, but things have been very tight for us lately. Duane had 3 days off last week because there wasn't any work for him. Partly because things are slow, partly because of all the snow and ice we got last week. I don't know about you but when you only have one income missing three days out of five really hurts. Luckily he can take vacation days to cover them, at least for now.

In an attempt to make what we do have coming in stretch a little farther I have been reading up on living frugally. I found this fantastic blog Apron Thrift Girl, which I cannot stop reading. Of course it doesn't help that her "job" is buying & reselling thrift store & craigslist vintage finds. Now that is my kind of job!

As far as our bills go we don't have much to cut down on. We don't have cable or car payments. And we have good yet minimum cell service. I am not an avid coupon user(shame on me), mostly because I don't get the paper because it is a monthly expense we cannot afford. Duane has started driving my car to work as many days as possible for a couple of reasons. One, it get's better gas milage than the truck and two, because it means I can't be tempted to go to Target, the bane of my budget, because I refuse to drive the truck simply because the driver side door is half broken & doesn't shut properly. I have to climb over the passenger side to get into the seat. And when you have a manual & not an atomatic it's not that easy to do without getting the gear shift shoved near places it doesn't belong.

I sell what I can on febay & craigslist. Stuff I don't need, stuff the kids don't need, stuff I find at the thrift store ... That becomes my spending money, right now I am saving for our trip to Gatlanburg this month!

My parents live closeby so my mom & I try & combine trips to the grocery store whenever possible. I also buy all my bread at the bakery thrift store. I can get the wheat bread I buy at meijer for $2.79 a loaf for $.59 a loaf on Wednesdays. We don't eat out very often. One of your favorite "fast food" places is Chipotle. But for Duane & I alone it is over $13.00. Last night I attempted to make our own Chicken Burrito Bowls. While it wasn't exactly the same it was still pretty good & it fed our entire family plus leftovers for less than what it costs Duane & I to eat the real thing.

I am going to be meeting up with this couponing guru soon. So that she can show me the way & hopefully I can become half the couponing queen that she is. But despite my efforts I still feel like there is more I can be doing. Any suggestions?

What?

2009-01-29T19:33:00.001-05:00

More from LOST, cause I just can't resist.

LOST in Heaven

2009-01-23T14:12:00.001-05:00

I imagine that heaven must be something like sitting in my living room on a Wednesday night with my husband enjoying new episodes of LOST. I just can't get enough!

3,248 & Living in a shell

2009-01-21T12:10:00.005-05:00

Seth had another laser treatment yesterday. The Dr. did 3,248 laser pulses on his face and arms. It is pretty intense. His face and arms are swollen and a dark grayish purple. Hard for even a parent to look at. I remember the first time I really looked at him after his first treatment. It was heart wrenching.

Duane & I made the difficult decision to go ahead & send him to school today. Usually his treatments are on Friday so he has the weekend for the swelling to go down & for the redness to fade slightly. But since he had missed so much school last month we didn't want him to miss anymore. Thankfully my Dad is the assistant superintendent at the school so he can check up on him during the day. Duane dropped the boys off in the morning and my Dad met them inside. He walked Seth to his class and watched from the door as he put his stuff away. He called to tell me that things went well and that one of the boys from his class came up & put his arm around him. He said the rest of the class was excited that he was back.

Duane called me a short time later. He asked me to call my dad to see if he could eat lunch with Seth. I noticed that he was upset. In seven years Duane has always been the strong one when it comes to Seth's birthmark. I don't ever remember him crying even when I knew he was upset. But this time was different. He was crying. He said when he dropped Seth off he noticed a kid look at him with pure disgust on his face. He then turned to tell a friend & looked again at Seth with disgust. It broke Duane's heart. It was all he could do not to get out of the car to beat the crap out of that kid. He told me he was mad at himself for not walking Seth in just to show everyone that there is nothing wrong with him.

My kids go to a Christian school. While I know there are many great kids there, there are also kids like the one above. Who live in a Christian shell where the world is perfect and there is no need to show or learn compassion because nothing imperfect ever touches their lives. If they only knew of the imperfection that Jesus touched. The compassion that he showed absolutely everyone! It reminds me of this song by Todd Agnew.

Squirrels in the Hood

2009-01-14T10:57:00.005-05:00

As you may or may not know I live in the hood. I also have 3 large pine trees in my yard & one VERY large pine tree. Along with the large trees comes an abundance of squirrels. Not just any squirrels but squirrels from the hood, squirrels on crack.

The squirrel above spent a good twenty minutes if not longer sitting there on that post. I think he was feeling a little paranoid & was scared to move. Earlier that morning I kept hearing this sound like banging against the front of my house. When I looked out the window I saw at least 6 squirrels chasing each other around our front yard and attacking the front of our house. No doubt a drug deal gone bad. I am sure at least one of those little critters did not make it back to his pad.

A little later I was startled by a squirrel hanging from by back door. I startled him too but it didn't stop him and a crack buddy from climbing all over the overhang at our back door & taking turns jumping onto the back door. Unfortunately they were never there long enough for me to get a picture. That would have been awesome. I mean there has always been speculation that squirrels in the hood are products of their environment but here i would have had proof!

Celebrating Wall-e Style

2009-01-13T14:55:00.004-05:00

We celebrated Seth's birthday on Saturday. Surrounded by brother & sister, cousins, friends & two generations of Grandparents he had a blast. Of course it had to be a Wall-e birthday. So to keep with the theme we played Get the Plant to Eve. Just like Pin the Tail on the Donkey only with Eve & a plant. We also played another Wall-e themed game where the kids threw bean bags into scored holes. Each hole was a different "bad" robot from the movie & whoever got the highest score won. Seth's cake was a scene from earth. It was Wall-e stacking cubes of trash. The trash pile was a scoop of chocolate frosting with m&m's, jelly beans & gummy pop bottles in it. The cubes of trash were made from my fudge recipe with the aforementioned candies inside it. I dusted everything with hot chocolate mix to make it all look dirty. It turned out really cute & was really easy.

I need a fix!

2009-01-12T14:46:00.002-05:00

I don't think I mentioned this but a few weeks ago I discovered this AMAZING thrift store here in town. It was about a week before Christmas when I first discovered it. While there I saw a sign that on Christmas Eve everything was 50% off. Okay, when the prices are anywhere from 9 cents to four or five dollars originally, how could I resist! So on Christmas Eve I dragged the kids there & forced them to shop with me. It was crazy busy but it was soo worth it! Here is what I got;
1 pair of roller blades for Elijah
4 books for the kids cause they were being so good for me
23 pieces of various vintage melamine
2 vintage glass baking dishes
1 glass jar for my vintage Christmas bulb collection

Grand total (drum roll please) $6.02!

I haven't been able to get back since & I am seriously in need of a thrift store fix! I am so addicted!

Just Because

2009-01-09T11:37:00.002-05:00

Because I haven't posted anything about my firstborn in a long time. I didn't want you all to think I had forgotten about him. So here he is in all his stylin handsomeness! I can't believe he is going to be nine this year!

Our Little Randy

2009-01-09T10:53:00.006-05:00

It started snowing on Wednesday & it snowed all day. Kate was so excited she spent quite a bit of the afternoon playing outside and anxiously waiting for her brothers to come home so that they could join her. Thursday morning I woke up to this smiling face wearing her snow pants and not much else.With exclamations of "Wake up Mom! I'm ready to go outside!" how could I resist. I quickly fed her breakfast and after properly dressing for the snowy outdoors I sent her outside. Shortly after walking away from the back door I hear cries of "Help! I'm stuck! I can't get up!" Upon racing back to the door I realize that she has seen A Christmas Story a few too many times and was simply pretending to be Randy.

The Perfect Cup of Hot Chocolate

2009-01-03T16:20:00.003-05:00

1. A cold nose and fingers

2. A fun vintage mug

3. Steaming hot milk
4. Hot chocolate mix
5. Marshmallows
6. A spoon

7. A dash of salt

Aah! Perfection!

Happy Birthday Seth. I Give You the World

2008-12-29T10:51:00.008-05:00

Today is Seth's 7th birthday. Seth has changed so much this year and has also been through alot. Another seizure in March, new struggles at school and a short stay in the hospital recently has added to his change. He is definetly a different and unique child and Duane and I have learned so much from him. All in all things are better than they were last year. I feel more hopeful and open to what God has in store for his life.A couple of weeks ago I found this globe at goodwill. I had been wanting one for quite some time and I knew Seth would love it. It was only $3.99 and when I went to pay for it some guy offered me $10 for it! But I kept it because I had great plans for the globe, just like God has great plans for Seth. So Seth, here you are. Happy Birthday my man. I give you the world.

Countdown to Christmas

2008-12-22T10:20:00.004-05:00

With Christmas only three days away I wanted to remind everyone what Christmas is really about. It's not about Santa or presents as most people tend to believe. But about the celebration of the birth of Christ Jesus. It is way too easy to forget this, especially with the media's never ending ploy to try and exclude the use of Christmas from our vocabulary. With the increasingly popular use of Holiday instead of Christmas more and more people are forgetting what Christmas is really about. So take a pledge not to forget and don't be afraid to say "Merry Christmas!" instead of "Happy Holiday"

Handmade for Teacher Too

2008-12-22T10:08:00.004-05:00

In keeping with my Handmade efforts I wanted to make handmade gifts for the boys teachers too. It took me till the night before to figure out what I wanted to make them. I had already made the Spiced Pecans and Savory Oyster Crackers but it just didn't seem like enough. I decided to try my hand at fabric coasters and they turned out so cute! I used coordinating Flea Market Fancy fabrics (my fav!) some fleece I had on hand and went to work. I made eight, four for each teacher, and it took me no more than an hour to make them all. Best of all since I already had all the supplies it cost me NOTHING! When I was done I didn't want to give them away! Then I tied each set up with yellow ric-rac and I REALLY didn't want to give them away. Good thing I have more fabric to make my own set! I will so be making these again VERY soon. I think some of my friends can expect to be getting a set of these for Christmas!

How Many Years HAS It Been?

2008-12-20T23:04:00.004-05:00

Today Duane and I decided it was time to clean our room. I'll admit I am TERRIBLE at keeping my room picked up. There were three large baskets of clean clothes that we have all been picking through for the last two or three weeks because I just haven't gotten around to putting them away. And that is just part of the mess. Seth walked in while we were cleaning and asked "What are you doing?" Okay, you know it has been a long time if your six almost seven year old has to ask what you are doing.

Me: "Cleaning our room."

Seth: "Why?"

Me: "Because it has been a long time since I have cleaned it and it needs it."

Seth: "How many years has it been?"

Ouch.

Handmade for Christmas

2008-12-17T14:56:00.007-05:00

I wanted to try & make as many of our gifts this year as possible. I ended up with only a few being handmade but I thought it was a good start. I won't reveal my favorite because it is a gift for my sister, Chubby Baby, and I don't want her to know what it is (obviously) but I will share another one of my favorites. My first quilt! (Transformers made from kinex are guarding the quilt while it is on the floor should anyone DARE step on it while I was taking a picture).

I have been wanting to make a quilt for a couple of years and just wasn't sure if I could pull it off & honestly didn't think I would have the time. But for some strange reason I thought it would be a good (and feasible) idea to make a T-shirt quilt for my grandpa & grandma for Christmas. I collected a t-shirt from each of their grandkids and great-grandkids, seventeen in all, and made my first quilt. The colors are scarlet on the front & gray on the back for what else but the Buckeyes! I also took a small piece from each shirt and made a strip down the back of the quilt. I decided to tie it instead of getting it quilted as this was a MUCH cheaper option for me. I still have some learning to do but all in all I think it turned out pretty well. I can't wait to see my grandparents faces when they open this on Christmas morning!

This is so true

2008-12-15T21:17:00.000-05:00

I saw this on my friend Jenny's blog Mommin It Up & I laughed out loud. This is so true. I give you The Man Cold.

Fatty, Fatty, Two by Four...

2008-12-14T17:15:00.005-05:00

Can't fit through the kitchen door.

That's our tree. I love big FAT Christmas trees. Last year I went for one a little skinnier and well it just didn't satisfy my Christmas tree itch. So this year I had to make up for what was lacking last year.

I also love hunting for the perfect FAT Christmas tree. My kids love it too. My husband not so much. But I have to drag him along because although I can cut the tree myself I am unable to lift it onto the top of the explorer myself. This year he grudgingly tagged along. I told him he could wait in the truck while we searched for the perfect tree but he came along with us. Once we found the tree he wouldn't let me cut it down! I think he secretly likes Christmas tree hunting and just doesn't want to admit it.

Elijah insisted on pulling the tree back to the barn. You can't see him here but see that BIG bushy tree in between the two rows of trees. That's our tree and he is in front of it pulling the cart.

He is working so hard!

The only thing missing was the snow.

Going Vintage

2008-12-14T16:54:00.005-05:00

I have recently fallen in love with most things vintage. Blame it on Etsy and the plethora of beautiful vintage things you will find on there. Part of me loves vintage because of the nostalgia associated with it. I have told my husband numerous times that I was born in the wrong decade. I should have been born in the thirties or forties. Buying vintage allows be to tap into that feeling of having missed it the first time around. But I also love vintage because it means I can be green without really being green. I really can't stand this whole green thing. It has become such a PC thing to do and well I am not PC. I do believe in taking care of what God has given us and being good stewards of the earth, but I do not buy into the media, democratic agenda, global warming thing. It just isn't happening for the reasons that they tell you it is and well basically people are not intelligent enough to do the research and find out the truth for themselves. Ok enough about that moving back to the whole vintage thing.

Here is what I have scored so far. A few, alright ALOT of vintage ornaments which I LOVE and only wish I had more little containers to put them in. The glass apothecary jar on the right was a vintage find from Salvation Army for $1.99! Score!

They even look cute in thier little boxes!

I did manage to add some to this wreath. I stole the idea from Sis Boom, but only because I couldn't buy the one she has.

The other day I found a little something for Seth's birthday at Goodwill, which I will show you later. I stopped at the Salvation Army yesterday and there was the cutes little vintage blue suitcase/hat box or something. For some stupid reason I didn't buy it. I am going back tomorrow all the while praying that it is still there. I have plans for it for a Christmas gift for Kate.

Ooh, ooh! I also bought a set of vintage Anchor Hocking red and white salt and pepper shakers. They are so awesome and they will go great in my red kitchen that I will have, someday, sigh.

Just Call Me Herenya

2008-11-20T10:24:00.003-05:00

I found this on Angry Chicken and since we are HUGE Lord of the rings fans I just had to try it! Turns out my name in Elvish is Herenya which is pronounced Hair-ehn-yah.
Kate is Manwathiel prnounced Mahn-wah-thee-ell.
Duane's name is only listed under a different spelling which means something different than what his name means so I chose his middle name which is Mornenion pronounced More-nehn-ee-on
Elijah is Hirnaeranin pronounced Here-nie-rah-neen
Seth is Cilmeon pronounced Kill-mee-on

Try it out and let me know what your Elvish name is!

Gorgeous Giveaway

2008-11-14T10:03:00.003-05:00

The fabulous Dana at Old Red Barn Co. is giving away THREE gorgeous quilts! Can you believe it ! Three! It would be so awesome to win one! Not that I have much luck in that department but one can hope right!

Four Letters, One Important Word

2008-11-10T13:43:00.003-05:00

I have been having a really hard time this semester. Trying to balance 3 classes, subbing, family and home is proving to be difficult. Lately as the semester has been winding down and papers are due it has gotten increasingly worse. Not to mention I have been sick for the last two weeks and have not been able to get much done. But last night was bad. Duane was at practice so it was just me and the kids. I had had a sinus headache all day that I was unable to get rid of and it was getting worse by the second. It was bed time and there were toys and games to be picked up, school clothes to get ready and books to read. As I discovered that Seth didn't have any clean uniform pants in his drawer I lost it. My head was pounding and the tears were flowing. I began thinking about the paper I needed to start that night and also everything I needed to get ready for Monday because I was supposed to sub. I called Duane, who was already on his way home, sobbing. I couldn't think, talk, or move without excruciating pain in my head. I woke up this morning feeling groggy, sick, guilty over not subbing and anxious over the paper I still have not started. When I walked into the kitchen I saw this on the fridge. Amidst a myriad of magnets, spelling tests, school projects and drawings, four letters which spelled one very important word.

I think it was there yesterday, spelled out by one of the boys, but I didn't notice it, perhaps that was part of the problem. But it dawned on me that I was forgetting to do one very important thing. Pray. I mean we pray at meals and bedtime but I am forgetting to pray regularly as part of my relationship with God. I plan to leave it up there as long as the kids will allow me. Just as a daily reminder of the wisdom of children and my need for God.

Fun with Pumpkins & the Camera

2008-11-01T12:19:00.007-04:00

A couple of weeks ago the kids & I went to a local park for one of their fall festivities. The kids love this park because it has a super fun children's garden that encourages them to explore, imagine & play. They got to paint pumpkins, hide from trolls and play in the garden. Seth decided he wanted to paint his pumpkin orange. He hasn't let that pumpkin out of his sight since. He sleeps with it, plays with it, takes it to school and eats with it sitting by his side on the table.

While the kids were playing here,
I was playing with my camera and discovered a few tricks that I forgot it could do. Cool huh! This first one is my favorite! each pot is a different color but I thought the blue stood out the most.

Trick or Treek!

2008-10-31T13:05:00.007-04:00

We are not huge Halloween people. But the kids do enjoy dressing up and of course getting free candy. Since Mommy & Daddy are so mean & hardly ever buy them candy this is an especially fun treat. So here are our little monsters ready for Trick or Treating, or Trick or Treeking as Kate calls it. I usually buy there costumes but this year I am trying to do as much as I can without buying commercial stuff so we tried to make them or make due with what we had.

Elijah got a Brown's costume for Christmas last year & since they won their game last Sunday it was a given for him to be a Brown's player.

I was back & forth for weeks as to what Kate should be. I wanted her to be a Matryoshka doll but since I had a midterm & three papers due last week I really didn't think I would have the time to make it. Instead she was a Rocker Chick. I stole one of Daddy's old (and by old I mean 1980's probably wore it in High School should have been thrown out years ago OLD) Metallica T shirts and sized it down to fit her, sprayed her hair pink and with matching pink converse she was good to go!

Seth on the other hand had decided that he wanted to be WALLE several weeks ago. I kept asking Duane to bring home a box so we could get started on it & not leave it to the last minute. Well, I am sure you can guess what happened. We were putting the finishing touches on it as we were trying to get ready to go. It turned out REALLY cute though. At first he wasn't to sure about it. But after he started trick or treating & people started recognzing him he really got into it. He started walking & holding his arms like WALLE. Everytime someone would recognize who he was he would say "WALLE" in his perfect WALLE voice and then wave with his robot hand. So cute. By the end of the night we were all freezing but each little one had a bag full of candy to make it worth it.

Bonus! On the way home we passed a church that has a pumpkin patch every year. The pumpkins were FREE! Since we didn't buy any this year because last year they were stolen off our front porch I let the kids each pick a pumpkin!

UPDATE: Seth won best creative costume at a harvest party we went to Friday night!

Hob Nailin It

2008-10-29T12:50:00.006-04:00

My serger broke a couple of weeks ago. Since I have to take some time off from sewing Kate's fall wardrobe I decided to do some buying. I found these cute little vases which will enjoy a bud or two of gerbera daisies in the spring.

I did manage to get a couple of pieces sewn before my serger broke. My list is getting smaller all be it very slowly.
This cute red linen dress made from Sugar City Journal's Village Frock pattern.

These cute denim pants were made from the Favorite Little Things Little Smarty Pants pattern which I altered to make them full length pants. They turned out really cute but I should have made them a little longer.

Grosgrain Giveaway!!!!

2008-10-25T22:02:00.000-04:00

Her she goes again! This time with a whole wardrobe of mix & match reversible skirts & tops. So cute!

GROSGRAIN MINI STORE OPENING NOVEMBER 6!!!! AND BIG PREVIEW GIVEAWAY!!!!

Why I am NOT voting for Obama

2008-10-25T14:58:00.002-04:00

I am pretty much fed up with hearing about the election. I am sooo glad that it is only a week away. Anytime there is a commercial on I turn the channel or turn it off. So lately me T.V. has been spending alot more time off. Which is a good thing anyway. But because I live in Ohio I am getting bombarded with phone calls from one candidate or the other as well as for many of the local issues. On the way to school the other morning I heard an add that did not mention specific names but basically was saying that "If there is one thing this election shouldn't be about it is prejucide." (or racism I can't remember which word it used) So apparently if you are not voting for Osama I mean Obama, you are prejudice! Well then I guess I am prejudice! Nevermind the fact that the color of his skin has absolutetly NOTHING to do with why I am not voting for him.

The man has no experience, he wants to turn this country into a socialist country where the government takes money from the rich & gives it to the poor, thus creating an even larger and more pathetic group of Americans who will allow I mean depend on the government to support them. He approves of partial birth abortions, which if anyone knew what really happens during a partial birth apportion and still thinks it should be legal has no respect for humanity and no heart. He also approves of redefining marriage. God clearly states that marriage is to be between a MAN and a WOMAN and we have no business redefining that.

I have to be honest I am scared to death of the outcome of this elevtion. So many people are blinded by the smooth talking and shouts for "Change!" I can only pray that people will open their eyes and see what this man is really about and be smart enough not to vote for him.

I Can't Believe She is Giving This Away !!!!!!!

2008-10-20T21:12:00.001-04:00

Ok, I thought the last costume this amazing woman was giving away was fantastic. But this tops it by far. You absolutely have to see this.
Marie-Therese Gown GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Can you see Kate walking down the street wearing this! Watch out world here she comes!

So I've been thinking...

2008-10-16T09:50:00.003-04:00

Times are very hectic around here. I can hardly keep up with the every day household things. I have noticed lately that I don't enjoy sewing for my store anymore. I see it more of a chore, one more thing on my ginormous list of things to do. As I lay in bed last night trying to fall asleep the thought of quitting my stores crossed my mind. Just selling off what I have including some (but not all) of my fabric stash and saying goodbye for now. I do like to sew & I enjoy the satisfaction of a job completed but am getting little to no satisfaction from having to stock a store. I guess what I really want is to be able to enjoy sewing again. I think giving it up & thinning out my stash will help me feel less stressed and give me more time to spend with Kate and tending to my house. I have some items planned for Christmas so maybe after that I will take a sabbatical. I don't know. We'll see.

Shenandoah Costume GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

2008-10-11T10:41:00.000-04:00

I have been agonizing for weeks as to what I should make Kate for halloween. I found this today & I LOVE it! She would just be adorable in this costume! Then I wouldn't have to find the time to make one, Bonus! Check it out for yourself.
Shenandoah Costume GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Just plain Yummy - Store updates

2008-10-02T13:02:00.008-04:00

I love felting wool sweaters! It is so exciting to see what the sweater will look like when it is done felting. And then the joy of designing with them! I like to make each one unique in some way. I have several that I am trying to talk myself into parting with. Namely this one.

However, I do have a couple currently for sale in my shop. If I can bear to part with the above tunic it too will be in the store soon.

In my other store I have new designer kitchen towels for Halloween and the fall/Thanksgiving season.

See, I like to keep things interesting...

2008-09-30T17:20:00.003-04:00

I also like to keep my family on their toes. I see it as practice in case there is a real emergency. Today's exercise? Locking my keys in the van we are borrowing, both of them. Yes that's right. I locked both keys that belong to the van in the van today. Several cell phone calls to my mom, husband, dad, van owner and various locksmiths later we were finally able to track down an extra key. Whew, because the cheapest lock smith I could find was someone who was literally two blocks down the street from where I was and he was going to charge me $60.00! One guy I called said and I quote
Guy: "Where is your car?"
Me: "Beavercreek"
Guy: "Yeah, I don't feel like coming out there today."
Me: speechless

Some people are just too nice for words.

Feeling Crafty and Chocolaty!

2008-09-27T12:36:00.007-04:00

Today is the Chocolate Festival here in town. This is the only reason I go. To die for! And that's right folks, that's a buckeye on top of there! Could you ask for anything more?

As for the crafty part, I took the kids to see WALL E at the cheap theater yesterday. Afterward I went to Joann's & found these lovely fabrics to make fall clothes for Kate.

This one is by far my favorite. It's a linen blend in a smoky brown with turquoise stripes. The pictures don't do it justice. It was all ready on clearance for $4.00/yd & since there wasn't a full yard (only 35") I got it for the remnant price of 50% off so it was $2.00!

On the way home the van we are borrowing overheated so I had to pull over & wait in a parking lot for about 30 minutes for my dad to bring me some antifreeze. I compiled this long list of things to make for Kate out of the fabric I bought. Guess I should get busy if I want to get any of this done before spring!

As If I Don't Have Enough

2008-09-23T15:26:00.004-04:00

My sister & I went to the Fabric Shack this Saturday. I LOVE this store & thankfully it is a good 35 minuted away or I would be DEAD BROKE! At the entrance to the store stool 2 large carts piled with cuts of fabric all $2.98/yd! But you had to take the whole cut. (not a problem!) Inside there was another cart full! In the several years I have been shopping there I have never seen or heard of this sale but boy was I glad I went! I was very good though & only got a few cuts in addition to some Christmas towel fabric and Gasp! some fabric for me! Urban Chicks new line 1974. It is so fun! I plan on making a purse for myself, we'll see if I ever get around to it.
As if my splurge on Saturday was not enough when I was leaving for school Monday afternoon my mailman (who I think has a crush on me, or at least according to my husband) pulls up next to my car & holds up a box full of packages for me! One was from my cousin who was sending me something for a Christmas project but the others were, yep, you guessed it, more fabric!

Loss for Words

2008-09-20T23:48:00.004-04:00

Earlier this week we found this grotesque yet beautiful creature climbing on a tree that hurricane Ike had knocked down. We had no idea what it was since none of us had ever seen anything like it before. Seth walks over to it & says "It looks like an ichneumon wasp." I'm like what?! I for one had never heard of such a thing. I asked him how he knew that & he said he saw it in an amazing animals book once. Of course I am thinking yeah right. I'm sure that's really what it was. Well you know what. He was right! It was! What do you say to that?

An Unexpected Visitor

2008-09-17T15:20:00.003-04:00

We (and by we I mean much of southeast Ohio & parts of Indian & Illinois) had an unexpected visitor Sunday by the name of Ike. Hurricane Ike to be precise. He swept through Dayton with winds that categorized the storm as a category 1 hurricane. That's right folks a hurricane, in OHIO. Thankfully there was little to no rain but there was plenty of wind. After a good five hours of 60-80mph wind our neighborhood was left with no power and the ground looked like the trees had thrown up. Lots of debris everywhere and numerous LARGE trees blocking several roads, 3 of which were within 1/2 a block from my house.

I got to watch this tree as it fell. It was one of the most awesome things I have ever seen. I keep replaying it in slow motion in my head. We were standing about 4 houses away from it waiting for it to fall. Kate was very freaked out & spent the next hour with her hands covering her ears. When the tree fell it wasn't loud though so I am not sure why she felt the need to cover her ears. The amazing thing about all the trees falling around here, was not one tree fell on a person, house or car. You can't tell me God did not have a hand in that!

We were left without power for a mere 30 hours. My Grandparents still don't have power, 3 days later. The boys didn't have school Monday, Tuesday or today. It is only September and they have already used up 3 of there snow days! They have thoroughly enjoyed it though.

We spent the night at my parents Sunday night because they had power. By Monday evening I had decided I could not live without my bed and would sleep at my house even if we didn't have any power. The lights came back on shortly after I had made the decision to go home. It made me think though. About those who have to go days, weeks, months without power or their own bed, because of the true devastation a hurricane can leave behind. I feel blessed that things were not worse & am left praying for those who are still rebuilding after a hurricane no matter how long ago it was.

The Dish Fairy

2008-09-17T09:55:00.001-04:00

The boys don't have school again. I'll explain that in the next post. They were in the kitchen with the door shut this morning, unloading the dishwasher. I was in the dining room & over heard this conversation.

Seth: Elijah, I wish God could do the dishes!

Elijah: Yeah! He could just touch them and they would all be done!

Seth: He could do all the dishes and put them away!

Both Boys: Yeah, that would be cool!

Wouldn't it though! I for one would love to have God as my Dish Fairy!

New In the Shop

2008-09-16T15:48:00.002-04:00

I listed a few new designer towels in my shop! This one is my favorite!

Go BUCKS!

2008-09-13T15:52:00.002-04:00

Just a funny little something that happened today that I needed to share. My kids and I went to the market this morning with my parents, grandma, niece, nephews. A total of 6 kids. We were all dressed in Ohio State, but that's not the point. Somehow I managed to have all the kids to myself while my parents and grandma were in another part of the market shopping. I am sure you can imagine the scene we created, all in a line, traipsing through the market, supporting our Bucks. After the kids had seen everything we went outside & sat at a picnic table to enjoy our purchases.

Twenty minutes later, with a bunch of restless kids, we were still waiting for the rest of the adults. At this time a woman who was probably in her mid 60's came up & asked me if they were all mine. (I am surprised it took someone this long to ask as I am sure everyone was thinking it). I explained that three were mine & the other three were niece & nephews. She continued to complement me on how well behaved they were! She said she has seen us inside, all following me & just wanted to let me know how good there were. "You don't see that very much these days." She said. I kindly thanked her and waited till she was far away before I burst out laughing. If she only knew :)

Cool Cars

2008-09-12T19:27:00.004-04:00

As you may know from this post, we are without our truck. So some good friends of my parents let us use their minivan that they are not using right now. The kids & I went out there tonight to pick it up. Keep in mind my husband & I do not like minivans and have vowed never to own one. However, we are VERY, VERY grateful for their generosity. That being said Seth instigated this conversation with me on the way home.

Seth: Mom, who don't people steal minivans?

Me: Um, probably because they don't want to.

Seth: Do they only want to steal cool cars?

Me: (laughing out loud) Yes, Seth!

I Won't Forget

2008-09-11T09:04:00.003-04:00

We all know what today is. September 11. Seven years ago today our nation was attacked and 2,974 died. I remember that morning. I was 6 months pregnant with Seth. I had taken my car to the shop that morning and when my mom dropped me off at home I went to turn on the TV to watch the news. Only it wasn't the news I was expecting. I remember thinking "What movie is this? Isn't it a little early for a movie?" As I sat there trying to figure out what I was watching I saw it. The second plane. I saw it fly right into the second building as if the building was not even there. And then to hear that there were two more planes, who's heroic passengers sacrificed themselves to save thousands of people. There were alot of tears that day. Not only from me but from millions of other people around the world, and lots of questions.
We all claim that we will never forget. But I remember when they used to televise the reading of each name and dedicated the whole morning to remembering that horrific day. Today I turned on the news hoping to see such an event. But I didn't. There was a moment of silence when the first plane hit and a few more minutes of remembering, then nothing. I switched channels hoping at least one of the major channels would be showing a ceremony. Good Morning America had the above mentioned event, CBS was interviewing a family at the Pentagon and the Today Show was making dessert bars. That's right dessert bars. Oh, they mentioned the days events as if it was a small blip in the days happenings. None of the stations even broke in for the 9:03 anniversary of the second plane. I was appalled by the whole thing. Apparently the media can forget. At least when it is part of their liberal agenda to keep this nation forgetting about what we are really fighting for over in Iraq. Not to worry I will never forget and hopefully neither will millions of other Americans. God Bless you all on this sad anniversary of a truly horrific event.

Something New

2008-09-10T13:08:00.002-04:00

A new little something for my PH Etc store. Mason Jar Pin Cushions! I just love the way they look. Best of all the cushion itself is made from felted wool & then covered in a piece of fantastic fabric! Take a look. I am sure you will enjoy

Our Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

2008-09-08T08:28:00.002-04:00

Don't get me wrong. The whole day wasn't horrible. But that pretty much sums up how we felt yesterday. I'll explain why.

The day stared well enough. The usual antics of trying to get everyone ready for church were going on. The kids were soon ready & Duane & I were getting things together & working our way towards the door when I heard screaming. Terrible, Horrible tears pouring down face screaming. I looked out the front door to where the kids were & saw Kate down on all fours at the bottom of the porch stairs crying. Turns out the boys as Seth put it were "Practicing their jumping skills." Kate decided to practice hers too only she didn't land so well. Her finger was covered in blood. I took her inside to clean her up. After washing of most of the blood I noticed the tip of her finger was purple & blood was coming out both sides & the bottom of the tip of her finger. I am not sure what she cut it on but for a few minutes until she would actually let us touch it, we thought she may have sliced the tip of her finger off. It ended up looking bad enough that I felt I had to take her to urgent care, just in case it might need stitches. Duane decided I could take her & he would take the boys to church in the truck. This is the point where the day gets terrible & horrible.

We have recently had numerous break ins to our truck. So tired of having to fork out a deductible every time someone breaks in my husband keeps nothing in the truck & leaves it unlocked. Well, Saturday night not only did someone break in but they hung out. There were at least 2 of them. They leaned the seats back, hung out, smoked & left ashes on our dashboard & worst of all they ripped the steering column & dash to shreds. They were trying REALLY hard to steal it. So hard that they damaged the ignition to the point that we can't even get a key in it to start it. I actually wish they had stolen it. Then maybe they would have totaled it & we could have gotten a new(er) car out of it. Duane ended up staying home to wait for the police & no one went to church.

Kate's finger is ok. She didn't need stitches. It is just a weird cut that goes from one side of her finger tip to the other just under the surface of the skin. She does have a nice goose egg on her forehead though. The truck not so much. And someone else broke in last night! HELP! Anyone want to buy a house?