Pardon` a mi`

Please excuse me if I don't blog anything this coming week, I'll try and blog again by at least next Sunday. I have a commissioned baby project to finish by Tuesday. Mary's Birthday is Friday and I have several gifts I need to sew. Cody's side of the family reunion starts Friday (I think, could start Thursday) and I need to make a few items to be auctioned as well as baking for part of the meal/snack on Saturday as well as clean for all those who want a tour. Cody is going to be on a hike this week alone and won't be back until sometime mid-Friday. I'm sure there's more and I could go into detail but I don't want to lose my 1 4/5 fans :). I need to try to stay away from the computer but it's like an addiction for me. Hopefully I can get all the necessary things done before crunch time and I won't have to stress out, we'll see!

In the mean time I wanted to share some pictures of the kids playing in the creek yesterday. We were looking for "smoothie" rocks to make into rock animals and paint. The kids had so much fun and we found mussels, crawdads, water beetles, water skippers, and even a few nemos. Now we just need to paint all the great rocks we found. I also thought I would include one picture of the back of our house (looking at it standing in the creek anyway). Just a little eye candy for all the family members who keep promising to visit me to see my new house and haven't yet!

Two posts in one day...

Blasphemy I know but I found a project I had favorited and deleted and found again that I thought I would share so if I delete it again I have it saved on my blog at least. It's a super cute and really easy mini book that uses 1 sheet of 8 1/2 x 11" and the instructions are really clear and full of pictures. I have way to much letter size paper left and need to use as much of it as I can so I can have an excuse to buy more 12x12".
http://www.lovebugscrapbooking.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8542&sid=1da0525963e1dc8cc4a0002bfd62b0fe
I had to edit and add another album I just found that I'm going to make. It's really cute and looks easy. The instructions are great and they give you a free template for the library pockets. I'm such an enabler but it's going to be fun!

http://www.scrapfriends.us/articles/library_card_pocket_album.html

Happy Scrapping!

Question?

I was browsing two peas today and found a fun question for bloggers to blog about and since I don't really have any super intelligent wisdom to impart otherwise I thought I'd play along.

Answer this question: If I had to choose only 3 food items to eat for the rest of my life, what would they be???

1. Meatloaf- My favorite kind has hamburger, sausage, potatoes, carrots and the kitchen sink so I think I could get most of my vitamins if that was one of the three. It's also my favorite food so it has to be on the list.

2. Ice Cream- Is it cheating if I don't name a flavor? Secretly I would change flavors all the time because there are just too many great flavors to choose one but if I had to it would be pistachio pistachio. All who know me well know that I think ice cream is a great snack, breakfast, brunch, snack, lunch, snack etc...

3. Seafood Fettuccine- Light on the garlic please. Can I have a side salad and a bread stick with that please? I guess technically that's six items but it's my blog :p.

Na-cho average Nacho

I'm de-junkifying my hallway and stairs today, doing dishes, laundry, you know the usual. I am going to take the kids to the library for a mad science demonstration at 1 and I'm sure Jeremy is going to have a blast and Mary will freak out but it should fun. Mary has been freaking out at everything lately. Her big thing right now is "NO finning!". She hates when anyone spins in a circle, she says it makes her dizzy and freaks her out. She just stands there and screams. Kaci has caught on that this causes a hilarious show for her so she's learned to twirl in circles and does it right in front of Mary. I think it's pretty ingenious for a 14 month old but it's getting way to loud in here. I'm going to work on un-freaking Mary today as well.

Last night I tried a new recipe I thought I would share. It's Nachos made with waffle fries and bacon, the candy bar of meats, yummm! I gave it a 3.5 out of 5 mostly because the cheese wasn't as melty as I like but Cody really loved it. We didn't add the salsa mostly because I don't like it as well so I saved it for the side but here it is in all it's cheesy bacony glory-


Waffle Fry Nachos
1 package (22 oz.) frozen waffle fries
10 strips bacon
3 green onions, sliced
1 can (6 oz.) sliced olives, drained
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2/3 c. salsa
1 1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
sour cream
Bake fries according to package directions. While fries are baking cook bacon and crumble. Transfer cooked fries to a 10-in. ovenproof skillet. Top with the bacon, onions, olives, tomatoes, salsa (optional) and cheeses. Return to oven until cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream. Yields 6-8 appetizer servings or about 3 main dish servings.
Enjoy!

So close!

All my hobbies are sitting here just giving me the look. I pass by my craft table at least 5 times a day and just have to stare at it for a second and then flit off to do something important. I'm sure that's why my supplies have given me the cold shoulder, they are so mad they're not speaking to me :p. Ashlyn's p.j. shirts are still waiting for bottoms. I haven't had time all summer to do anything fun (well not finish anything fun anyway).
I'm going to fix that very soon though. I'm whisking my supplies off to a fun filled vacation at beautiful Wallowa Lake in 3 weeks. Grandma moved there a few months ago and has wanted all of us (girls) to do something fun together this summer. Now that summer is fading so fast and time is flying by mom and I decided on a sewing/sculpting/what-ever weekend at Grandma G.'s house without the kids. I'll probably be the only one not doing anything sculpting related but I do have a bunch of awesome fabric to make Ashlyn some back to school clothes. I miss my scrapbook getaways so I really wanted something like that only sewing so no kids-yeahhhh! (Don't worry my paper wielding buddies, I still want to have a scrapbook getaway before the bambina makes her grand appearance.)
I really want to try my hand at knitting as well. I know it sounds old and I feel like I should wad my hair in a bun, buy some bifocals, and sport some orthopedic shoes but I keep finding awesome free patterns for knitting that I really want. Anyone know how to knit and is willing to teach me by the 14th of August???

Oh what fun!

Kira, David, and Leia came for a visit on Wednesday and the girls just had a blast! They were able to see one of Jeremy's soccer games and he did an amazing job as goalie. While Jeremy was playing his game the girls got to play on the playground and they were just having the best time. Mary and Leia usually don't get along very well but now that they are more "mature" they were having so much fun playing together and throwing rocks down the slide. Kaci was having fun petting all the puppies that were there and Ashlyn was playing by herself for the most part. It's nice to see them, especially Leia since it's been months and she just keeps growing so fast.

Last night I rented 2 movies from the Movies Now kiosk at Safeway and I love it (the kiosk that is). It was so much cheaper than Blockbuster and super easy. We watched The last Mimsy and Because I said So. The last mimsy wasn't what I expected but Jeremy liked it. I like Because I said So but I have to say I didn't like Mandy Moore's acting and some "lovey" scenes were more than I wanted to see for a PG 13. I want to go back and rent more when I actually have time to watch them. I think I'm a kiosk addict :D.

Today was just the usual day, laundry and changing sheets, freezing my bulk hamburger, 2 loads of dishes, blah de blah but then Cody came home and everything is just great. He brought the mail home and I got a package I wasn't expecting until next week- some wool scraps. I paid probably way to much but I got 3 bag fulls of felted wool from Etsy and now I can't wait until I have some time next week to make something with it all. I LOVE IT! What's not to love about fuzzy sweaters torn apart and made into something really cute again. I think I'm going to applique something cute and fuzzy. And Cody had to go back to town and is bringing me some Chinese food for dinner, gotta love that. I'm lovin' me some fried rice!

My latest

I've come to realize that my projects are going to have to wait until next week to finish but I have to share them now. I'm making Ashlyn two pairs of p.j.s and these are the shirts I appliqued. I'm going to make cute frilly pants to go with them. I made Mary a weenie dog shirt to but she wanted it to chase a ball instead of frolicking through the flowers like Ashlyn's so it will be a little different. I also made a scrapbook page that I thought I would share. This one is not a copy- whoohoo! I'm really liking the red and green lately.

Can I have some cheese...

With my whine? If anything else could go wrong today please tell me, the days almost over and I'm tired of all these surprises. Yesterday our tire went flat, no big deal other than it was extremely dark in the woods and I swear there were rabid coyotes out there and I had to stand out there and help Cody while he changed it. Today Cody didn't have time to go get new tires and he has meetings all day tomorrow so I'll be without a car for a few days until he can go. I had to walk a few miles to get Jeremy to his soccer game, no big deal I need the exercise. I have and had to go to the last few soccer games alone with the kids, again- no big deal other than today Mary threw a fit and cried the entire game and Kaci was screaming and if you've ever heard her you know why that's a problem. I've been desperately trying to finish a few projects and I'm almost finished but I can't seem to find a few spare minutes to finish them no matter how hard I try.

I have company coming -Kira you know I love you- and I wasn't planning on deep cleaning the house so I could finish said projects but the perfectionist in me says I have to clean, not just pick-up but really clean well. I took a shower today specifically to shave my legs for my capri pants only to realize about 2 hours later that I forgot to shave and didn't have clean jeans so I had to try and shave post shower. Now for the kicker. I have a new hair style that requires nothing more than mouse, hairspray, and a hair dryer. My hair dryer seized up on me right before I had to leave for the soccer game so I had a head full of mouse and no way to style it. So I'm off to the store to get myself a cute little hair dryer and a ton of ice cream and hopefully tomorrow will be better. If not I'll at least have good hair and a really full belly (or really full thighs). Jeremy wanted to take my picture so I put on a happy face, he's not half bad, I think it turned out really good for a 7 yr old and a bad everything day.

Chippity chop

I finally bit the bullet and after 4 long years without bangs and growing my hair out I decided to chop it all off. Not Sinead O'Connor style but short for me- I guess I should clarify- short for Cody. I haven't really cut my hair since 2003 besides the once yearly small trim. I've been talking about cutting it for awhile but I just woke up this morning feeling the really bad urge to whack it all off. I called mom for some support so I wouldn't talk myself out of it before the salon opened and even dad gave me a word or two about getting it cut (mostly because mom told him to LOL). I actually LOVE IT! Little Mrs. Cooper did an excellent job and gave me exactly what I asked for, so nice for a change. This is just a wash and go type style so maybe I'll actually look like I fixed my hair for church tomorrow. I'm not so sure about "embracing" my wavy hair since I've spent the last 7 years and lots of dollars trying to straighten it but it's nice to know I can wear it curly if I want to and that's the way she fixed it so I might get used to it. I'm going to straighten it tomorrow though and see what I think. I asked her to save my hair so I could donate it to locks of love so now I need to mail my tail off. It actually feels really good to know that my shaggy mangy pony tail can be put to good use instead of just holding up my baseball hat. My head feels like it just had a baby it's so light back there. Did I say I love it, cause I do!

I can stitch!

I'm still learning so much as far as computers and scrapbooking combined are concerned but I finally learned how to stitch my 12 x 12" layouts together today, hooray! That's never been an issue because I used to scrap 8.5 x 11" but now that I almost always do 12 x 12" it was becoming a real problem. All I have to do is hit one stinking button- go figure. The ironic thing is that I was looking for a page I hadn't photographed yet and all I could find was a checkbook cover and an 8.5 x 11" page I did at Melissa's house last Friday. Now I really want to scrap some new pages just to try and stitch them together on the computer. Off to find some cute pictures- in the meantime here's the page I finished and the checkbook cover. I had to scan the cover because my camera is MIA so the ribbon inside really isn't crooked and I swear the browns are all the same color. Some things are better photographed.

Run girly!

It was Ashlyn's first game yesterday and there is just something so cute about watching the five year olds play. For most of the kids on Cody's team it's their first year playing so the goal is just to get them to kick the ball in the right direction, that's about it! Ashlyn also had to learn that dad is different than "coach dad". Ashlyn was really good about going the right way but the first time she was faced with opponents her and her other 2 teammates just sat there and watched them run to their goal. We were all cheering for them to run and get the ball and you could just see the light bulb moment go off when they realized "oh yeah, they are going to make a goal". It was so cute and a few kids even did hand stands on the field during the game. I just love watching this age group. I love watching Jeremy's team play for the fun of watching him actually use what he's learned so far and try his best but there's just something so cute and funny about watching the five year olds skip and sing instead of running and kicking after the ball.

Ashlyn has another game tonight and that's it for this week. Next week Jeremy is playing here and Ashlyn has an away game so I won't get to watch her play but the ornery side of me that hates traveling to that particular town is glad. It takes me all day washing uniforms and getting snacks and washing water bottles and finding cleats and shin guards and and and... so the last thing I want to do is drive 45 min in the wrong direction. Hopefully it will cool down next week, holy smokes it's hot outside when you're sitting and baking for an hour with no shade!

Some cuteness

I just love these little twerps! They keep me in stitches almost daily, between the fits anyway. Yesterday was dress-up day for Ashlyn. She came downstairs donning her princess gear and looking so cute asking me to put on her tiara. That sums her up pretty well actually. We had to go get some groceries yesterday so I got Kaci ready to go and found some sun glasses that actually matched her outfit. She looked so cute and left them on until the kids kept taking them off for her. She kept fake laughing while I was taking her picture like she was modeling, I think we're going to have our hands full with this one.

Mary and Jeremy were camera shy yesterday but I thought I would include some pictures of them that crack me up. Mary came to me a couple of weeks ago wearing a tie skirt she made all by herself. She was so proud of herself and I thought it was pretty clever for a 2 yr old. I was really impressed that it went all the way around like a little grass skirt. Jeremy loves to dress up but he's embarrassed when I want to take his picture so usually all I get is a little flash of him. His favorite thing to wear is his mask, his bathrobe, a belt, his snow boots, and a sword or weapon of some kind. Usually he's still in his jammies when he plays this so it's so funny with his little chicken legs sticking out of his p.j. shorts and then you see his big clunky boots. I love these kids!

Sunday we made big soft pretzels and can I just say delicious!!! I thought I would add another installment of Tasty Tuesday and type up the recipe for those of you who haven't asked me for it yet (you will). The picture doesn't do them justice but they are just like the ones you buy at Costco or the fair. We eat them with salt on top and cheese dip but Mom told me they are pretty good with cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on top and I'm guessing you could make a cream cheese frosting for dipping.

Jumbo Soft Pretzels 450* makes 12

4 1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. yeast

1 1/2 c. warm water

melted butter

course kosher salt

Solution:

1 Tbsp. baking soda

2 c. water

Mix until soda is dissolved

Mix water and brown sugar (I use my kitchen aide) until brown sugar is dissolved. Add yeast and mix. Let sit for 3-4 minutes. Add flour and knead for 10 min. After kneading raise for 30 min. Pinch off golf ball size pieces of dough and roll into long ropes and form a pretzel. Dip into solution and put on a well greased cookie sheet. Bake for 7-10 min. (Check at 7 minutes because they are usually done by then). Take out of oven & dip in melted butter then sprinkle with salt or cinnamon and sugar. Viola` and enjoy!

Soccer Mom

I'm a real soccer mom, I don't feel that I should be because I rarely wear women's button down shirts and khaki pants with little tennis shoes and I don't drive a mini van but the sad truth is that I am just that- a soccer mom. A suburban driving, pony tail wearing, clapping and yelling, snack packing, sweaty player hauling mom. I like to think I'm one of the younger hotter ones though! Jeremy's first real game was today and now that he's getting older he gets to play on the big field with goalies. He did extremely well. Last year he did the chicken dance during the games and made grass angels and this time he stayed focused and really enjoyed the game. I'm so proud of him! He's quite the go getter and in every picture he's the one in the yellow shirt sliding in to kick the ball, even if he did fall down several times "on accident". He kept asking me over and over "did I do good mom?", of course he did- he's the best!

On a side note I finally finished a pair of p.j.'s for Ashlyn. I made them huge so she could wear them forever and I smocked the top with elastic thread so it would grow with her to. Now I just need to make a few more but by the time I get sewing again it will probably be flannel pants weather. I did make this without a pattern though so I'm patting myself on the back. Now Mary wants some. Gotta love $1 a yard fabric, I might have enough to make all of them 2 pairs.

Unfinished business

Last night Cody felt like being extra nice and watched Kaci for me for a couple hours so I could lock myself in my "office" and scrapbook. It was nice to just sit and organize my stuff and think of nothing but finishing a few layouts. Cody had a really long day topped off with soccer practice in the 100 degree weather so he was really wiped out but he even helped me hang some lighting over my craft table so I could see better, I just love him sometimes ;o). He was supposed to put my a.c. in but he was too tired so he helped me maximize my scrap area instead. *Fingers Crossed* He said he'll put the a.c. in today. That's one of the downsides to living in a quirky house- No a.c.!

Here are some (bad) pictures of the layouts I finished last night. I started them in April so they've sat unfinished for a few months. I didn't like the direction they were heading so I left them to sit but last night I decided my unfinished pile needed whittled down, so it's a start. They aren't exactly what I wanted but if I wait for the magic layout fairy to finish the perfect page for me that I absolutely love they'll be sitting for a very long time! Now I only have about 4 dozen layouts left to go, uggghhh.

The journaling reads: You love to be outside exploring your surroundings. Given the chance, and a stick, you would stay outside for hours. It amazes me how involved you are and how much you enjoy building habitats and looking for any sign of life no matter how small. Like a true boy I can always count on finding you, stick in hand, digging a "frog pond" in the mud.

Oh, and something completely random but very tasty. My recipe for instant chunk of heaven-

Chunk of Heaven

Place in refrigerator for exactly 37 min. and 2 seconds. Make sure you are all alone (so as not to share) and peel back wrapper. Give a good sniff and enjoy the moment. Eat and repeat. Viola, instant chunk of heaven!

Hot and happy family

We had a great fourth yesterday, once we left our house. It was slow going at first but we packed everything up and spent a day at Boulder Park about an hour and a half away. We had a hamburger barbecue with frog eye salad and chips and other various junk foods and then we lit a raging fire and roasted marshmallows and had smores. It was still around 90* up in the mountains so by the time we sat around the fire I think we roasted more than the marshmallows did but it was still fun.

To cool off we took our shoes off and played in the creek. The water was super cold so it helped cool us off really quickly. We stayed up there for most of the day and then headed for home and did a very small fireworks show in our driveway that consisted mostly of sparklers and snakes. Kaci was clapping after every one and the girls thought the sparklers were fun once I convinced them that they would look like the fairy from Cinderella. Ashlyn waved hers around saying "bippity, boppity, boo". We don't have police in town anymore so it was also really fun for the kids to watch all the illegal fireworks that people were lighting right off main street. Another perk to living in the middle of town I guess. Jeremy thought it was really cool and I'm sure he has all kinds off ideas now!

Although the day really wasn't my cup of tea because I usually like to be where all the action is and I hate the woods, it was a great time and we'll do my big "bang" show next year.

My day...

My day summed up in two little painful words - ROOT CANAL.

What's olive and pink and tan all over?

Answer: The sneak peek of a new nursing cover. I absolutely Love this Amy Butler fabric but being the cheap skate that I am plus the fact that I frequently have buyers remorse I've just never committed to buying it. I talked a friend into buying enough of it to make a nursing cover for her plus extra for me to make the girls a skirt set if I I would sew one for her instead of buying one for the same price. I think it turned out well and it was so fun to sew, we'll see if she ever wants me to sew anything for her ever again though lol! Now I just need to deliver it before she has her little bambina.

Goodies all around!

Yesterday was so fun, thanks Melissa! We scored some major scrapbook bargains because the Scrapbook Station in Pendleton was closing. It was just by luck that we ended up going there anyway and it was their last day. Everything was 70-75% off and it's the newer stuff including some new idea books. The Daisy Bucket wasn't as thrilling, everything looks expensive when you've got bags full of bargains. Now I have some major organizing to do. It all looks so pretty fanned out on my new craft table (thanks Cody!!) that I don't want to put it away just yet ;0) .

I also got my replacement sewing machine part in the mail. HOORAY! To break it in I made the kids each a desperado mask. Jeremy had to have a matching plastic knife holder so I whipped that out to. I feel so happy - I can sew, I have a table full of new shiny fun stuff, and the kids are happy to. Does life get any better?? Now to put it all to good use!