Shabby Apple Boysenberry Pie Apron Guest Giveaway

Just wanted to link to this fabulous apron giveaway at Grosgrain blog:

Shabby Apple Boysenberry Pie Apron Guest Giveaway

I just wanna say how grateful i am for having family--lots of family-- around. I love having cousins for my kids to play with and sister-in-laws to share with and brother-in-laws to laugh with. I feel very blessed.

Nothing to Say

I really have nothing to say-- So, this is a "Nothing to say" post.. Isn't that what we do as adults a lot of the time anyways-- say stuff for the sake of avoiding awkard silences. .....................................................................................................................................................................
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like that one. Well, just wanted to let the Cyberworld know that we have had some exciting things this Spring-- lots of lettuce, turnips greens, growing radishes, growing beets, teeny sprigs of Carrot tops and bunches of Chard in my garden.... An inherited dresser we're going to paint hot pink for the girls room.....Fantasticly dreamy ideas for the girls' room that we're going to paint this summer or in the cool of the fall when my nesting instincts kick in... Oh speaking of that, the most exciting news, we are due in November with a little burrito...
So, I guess even when I have nothing to say, I have something to say.... It truly is a Neverending Story--- I just wish I had a pimply backed dragon to fly through the streets of my town on.

packing lunches

I am thinking about kindergarten... My oldest registers for school next week. AAH! I am still not ready for her to go... but I have the summer to prepare. I am thinking lunches.... So here is a brainstorm of lunch bits and bobs to have for her. (FYI- She is lactose-intolerant)
Main:
Samwiches (no, that is not a typo-- my mom says it the same way)
Leftovers from dinner
--chili w/ cornbread
-- taco Salad
--homemade cod fish sticks
--roasted veg
--tomato soup
--pasta marinara
Home canned soups (once I learn how to home can soups :))
Tuna Salad (tuna & Mayo mixed in w/ lettuce --my grandma always had
a bowl of this in her fridge)
Beans and Rice with a tortilla
Pancakes or French Toast Sticks with syrup or jam or fruit sauce

Sides
Fresh Fruit
Home canned fruit -- pears or peaches
Carrot Sticks with homemade fry sauce
Cucumbers in rice wine vinegar
Coleslaw
Salad
Fruit Salad
homemade fruit rollups

Dessert
Fortune Cookies (Get big bag and replace fortunes)
Almond milk pudding/tapioca/rice
muffins
rice krispy treat

that's it for now

Whip Cream Dreams

So.... I have successfully made a washcloth and am starting another-- i never thought I would want to sit still long enough to knit-- in my days of boundless energy. And now, as a mom, I am thoroughly grateful for any opportunity to sit long enough to knit.... which is rare because there is something around the house that always needs to be done. I limit the need to clean to the upstairs, since we only ever go downstairs to do laundry (it is the band room/ storage... with a laundry room tucked in between microphones)... but even that is rarely clean. Howeever, I'm making progress, and thusly so is my knitting.
Another dream of mine, besides sitting and knitting... is sewing. I love designing clothes and wish my dear husband had enough time to sew all my dreams come true (he is an amazing tailior). I am not as sewing inclined, but I'd like to be. The following link is to the site "Grosgrain" and her refashion frocks completely inspire me. She takes thrift store finds that have great fabric but not so great styles and she transforms them into amazing outfits.... And on top of that GIVES THEM AWAY!!! What a wonderful, inspiring lady.
http://grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com/

Big gaps

The holidays were fantastic. The annual niece/nephew sleepover with 17 kids at my house was a blast as always. I love the vibrancy of kids. I love that my girls love rainbows and ponies and hot pink and tiny treasures of paper and crayon bits stuffed into tiny purses. I love their simplicity-- if I'm upset Piper will say "Calm down mom and breathe" To her it's simple -- she gets upset and then when she's done she leaves the upset behind. Somewhere between where she's at and where I'm at leaving the upset behind got harder. But I'm getting better at it. Slowly.
There is only one more week in January. The snow has been melty, slushy this week and I have never loved slush more. I'll take spring anytime I can get it.
I'm starting to knit, again. My amazing knitter of a mother who comes from an amzing knitter of a mother has taught me patiently to knit I'd say about twenty times. And this year it is finally starting to click... not my abilities mind you, but my desires. I nearly have a whole washcloth done. I figure by the time my girls are in high school I'll be able to knit them lovely sweater dresses. But for now, I'm sticking with washcloths.,,, At least until I can make it so they have straight edges without any big gaps in the middle.