I'm reinventing this blog. I am going to try to document my process of using what I have, being happy with what I have and trying to enjoy the have-tos.. the so-called "mundane" things that need to get done on a regular basis for me to stay sane. And I have a VERY low bar mind you for "have-tos" LOL

Life isn`t about finding yourself,
life is about creating yourself..
Georg Bernard Shaw

"It isn't what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about.” Dale Carnegie

Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.” Roald Dahl

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.

phooey-- it's funny that as adults we actually say this word

Phooey on any statement like "there's no good in the world"

My garbage man, of his own volition, pulled nearly into my driveway and opened up the claws and let me park my garbage can between them. He didn't have to do this. It was my fault that I, yet again, forgot that today was garbage day. It was my fault that I was running my garbage bags out in hopes that I could park the can next to a neighbors who the garbage man hadn't gotten to yet. But, as I ran out to the can, I saw that i was too late and there was no hope for me, my mistake, my lack of planning, had made it so i would have stinky garbage flowing out of my can by next week. But the garbage man decided to be merciful.. decided to be nice.. with no reward but a smile and enthusiastic thank you from me.

There is good in this world.... Thank You Mr. Trash Man

So, we started advent calendars today -- ones with fuzzy bears climbing up Christmas trees hanging ornaments, where each number hides a secret compartment that holds delightful chocolate. Delightful the chocolate definitely was, maybe a little TOO delightful. I explained to "P" that we open one flap each day til Christmas, knowing that her tendency would be as mine was, to want to open them all today. After she had tried her first morsel of goodness, she said she "just wanted to look at the bears" and then ran off to her bedroom with Tia in tow and slammed the door shut. Profuse giggling ensued. I let it go for a little while before i went to check on them (I'm getting better at the "free agency" thing) and lo and behold more then one little flap on her calendar was open. I asked her if she had eaten some of her chocolate and she responded, "there's a few left." LOL LOL... what to do-- i tried to scold, but then I realized "hey, it's her chocolate, if she wants to devour it all in one lump, that's her choice." So, Merry Christmas Peet..I hope you enjoyed your lump A LOT, enough to be happy each day as "T" opens up each of her doors and gets a chocolate. Of course, T has already had a lump... of "P's chocolate... Piper is such a sweet sister... who is also filled with LOTS of sweets

"Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.'
-- President Thomas S. Monson

"I love you"

"I yuv you too"

I love the love of a two year old.

"Mom"....."yes"..."MO-o-o-m"...."Yes"..."Mom"... (with increasing frustration) "I'm listening"....

'I love you mom"... frustration melts instantly.

I love the love of a five year old.

belly jelly rolls

80% giggles...20% bathwater swallowed during those giggles. That's what little girls are made of.

fresh and new

When a day seems to have slipped through my fingers and I find myself frazzled, annoyed and ready to eat A LOT of ice cream and run away to Barnes & Noble, a consolation (that truly does console me) is that today will be gone by tomorrow.

melanoma

My barely-two year old woke up and smiled, looked up at the ceiling in peaceful morning revery, and let her rip. She snickered and said "I toot." I laughed and rolled her onto my belly and she reached forward and poked the mole on my neck and said, "that's funny." Without provocation both of my kids have found inherent humor in the mole on my neck-- it must be a stand up comedian. And the tooting-- well, some things are universal.

Dress design for Shabby Apple dresses

This is my entry for Shabby Apple's Dare to Design contest
This image is not very good but the dress idea is this:
A bodice that is an eyelet (See eyelet picture) 100% cotton fabric with same color lining to waist and then the lining fabric from there on down with decorative snippets of eyeletting up from the skirt bottom. The sleeves are lightly longer than cap and are elasticated. The neckline is a soft manadarin collar with an extra piece of the eyelet fabric coming up from the inside. The waist is a slim belt. The length is nearly mid calf. The colors on the right indicate fabric colors -- three yummy colors an aqua, hot pink and cherry orange. The fabric colors were found in the solid cotton section of http://www.hartsfabric.com/
oh.. and there is an underskirt added for fullness and for a peeking eyelet trim oon the bottom.

yup, there it is... not a professional, but super excited about this fun contest!

Here's "Goodbye" to last week and "Hello" to this one... I am going to use this blog to write down all the things that I am grateful for... that bring me joy. So Here's to starting a new week by posting a picture of a life-size root vegetable walking around with a mustache... life doesn't get any better than that. LOL

hello

this is my first official post.
poster paper.