You've got mail!

I had the best surprise yesterday! About a week ago Amanda Jean from Crazy Mom Quilts let me know that I had won her recent giveaway for a purse. Well, it arrived yesterday and it is fabulous!! It is the perfect size; big, but not too big and SO cute! I promptly transferred all my things into it! Thanks Amanda Jean!! I love it!! (I also love the quilt my bff made me......not only do I curl up with it pretty much every evening, it is also a frequent back drop for my pictures!! Thanks again Janelle!!)

























I did find my sewing machine cord. It had been packed up with my old sewing machine. I now have 2 cords so this never happens again! I am REALLY glad to have the use of my machine back and have been sewing as fast as I can........I am still not going to be done on time. Oh well, people are willing to wait for a quilt right?? Besides the on going quilt projects, I have also been working on some little gifts. Sew, Mama, Sew! had fun gift ideas complete with tutorials everyday in November. I have been using these ideas, and they are fun! I made myself and some friends these patchwork scarves (they are fleece on the back and oh so warm!)
Don't you love the headless photo?? LOL Then I have been making these fabulous crayon rolls for all the little people in our lives......I'm thinking about making one for me! :)

Have you seen me???

My sewing machine cord is gone. Yes, I am freaking out. This is my holiday crafting season! I am in the middle of making 8 sets of gnomes and 2 quilts. Plus, I still need to start 1 more quilt, 4 sets of pajama pants, a couple of skirts, and possibly some aprons and purses. I need that cord! I suppose this means that I will have to give up the ambition of making little Mr. and Mrs. Santa gnomes for everyone at Thanksgiving. :( *sigh* I will consider this fate and reevaluate my holiday sewing. I do still want to give mainly homemade gifts.......I wonder how long it would take Sears to send me a replacement cord??

Getaway and a Makeover!

I am spoiled! Not always, but in the past week, I have been spoiled rotten!! I could get used to this. I need to start working on becoming independently wealthy so I can keep this up. :)

I had a wonderful weekend away. It was so fun to have such a large block of time to myself. It was spent laughing, crafting, and most importantly in the company of great friends. I was able to get some good sewing in, and made (with help) 2 beautiful Christmas dresses for the girls. The girls love them, and Aurora declared them to be "even more beautiful than the Santa dress at Costco" LOL Good thing! I worked hard on those dresses, there is no way I would buy another one. The dresses fit perfectly, and I just need to hem them.
I also got up the courage to start on the quilt kit I bought for myself on my birthday. It is such a fun quilt. I am excited to finish it up......I just need to buy some more thread.
Now, last, but not least. I have the sweetest husband in the entire world. He has been telling me all week that he had a surprise for me. If you know me very well, you know I hate surprises. Okay, that is not exactly true. I love to be surprised if I don't know it is coming, but waiting for a surprise is torture for me. So this has been driving me CRAZY! So today Jeremy gets home from work and tells the girls we can go for a bike ride and then they will take me to my surprise. So out the door we go, me with no make up and my hair in a pony tail (ie my uniform). We get to the end of the block and Jeremy stops in front of this amazing salon. Then he says "Surprise! You have an appointment for a make over!" It was SO fun! They cut, colored, and styled my hair and did my make up. I felt like a movie star. Eve didn't recognize me....heck, I barely recognized me!! So here I am, new and improved! :)

Oh Canada!

I am off to visit our northern neighbors. YAY!!! I even have a passport now. Yup, I am officially grown up, and it only took my 29 years to get here! ;) I am beyond excited. This is a just me trip......no kids!!! Did you hear that??? NO KIDS!!! The last time I spent a night without kids was in May 2004. That is a long time. That being said, I have never left my little Evie over night before. She is my little sidekick, and as excited as I am, I am a bit nervous to leave her for 5 days. She'll be okay and not permanently scarred, right??? She is very excited about her sleep overs at both Grandma's and Uncle Jeff's, and the weekend with daddy will be full of fun stuff. Honestly, I am not sure what I am more worried about, her missing me too much and being upset, or her not missing me at all.......nah, she already told me she would miss me! (and Aurora assured me she would miss me the mostest)

You'll miss me too right??? LOL As if I update often enough for you to even notice a 5 day absence! This weekend will be full of crafting and all sorts of other fun, so I plan on coming back with plenty of things to blog about. See you soon!!

I forgot my Blogiversary!

I was having this blog epiphany a few minutes ago. In the midst of that epiphany, I realized that I missed my blogiversary! Sorry blog! I am apparently the neglectful husband in this relationship. (at present you can blame Stephenie Meyer! She has me simply obsessed!) Above is my obligatory "I'm sorry" flower offering. Um, about the poor photography......It's the thought that counts......right??? As of October 19th I have been blogging for a year now. I know that my readership is pathetically low (good thing, pressure just makes me ramble on aimlessly......oops, I guess I do that anyway!) but thanks for sticking with me. It is fun, and my most successful attempt at regular journaling. Now about that epiphany.......

I was just reading another blog and came across Blogging Without Obligation. I love this. I feel guilty about neglecting my blog WAY too often. It usually just keeps me away longer. So no more! I will not feel guilty about reading vampire books (over and over again) instead of knitting, sewing, and blogging (I will, however, continue to feel guilty about neglecting the laundry! LOL) I will go on my merry way and update when I want to......oh how freeing! I love it!

Tagged!!

Okay, so I was just reading one of these on another friends blog, when I remembered I had promised Natalie I would do this too.....better late than never.....right???

My Husband

(Seriously! The man is ridiculously handsome!)

What is his name? Jeremy
How long have you been together? We met almost 8 years ago, and have seldom been apart since
How long did you date? 2 1/2 years
How old is he? 35!! Wow.....that looks old! (It's okay baby, we both know you still look younger than I do!)
Who eats more? Jeremy does
Who said I love you first? I did.....by a long shot, but what can I say persistence pays off!
Who is taller? Jeremy (tall dark and handsome!)
Who sings better? I do, though Jeremy's singing is WAY more entertaining!
Who is smarter? Yeah, I'm not ready to concede this one, but Jeremy is a very intelligent man, so I am going to have to say it is a tie!
Whose temper is worse? Mine is......unless he is watching the news or a football game! LOL
Who does the laundry? We both do, but I have more clothes and therefore he does more out of sheer desperation! (I hate laundry!)
Who does the dishes? Both again.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Jeremy.....always
Who pays the bills? Jeremy does. We used to split it up when I was working, but now it is all him! LOL
Who mows the lawn? Jeremy does.....but I would. I really like mowing the grass
Who cooks dinner? Me. (or on the weekend the fabulous chefs at our favorite restaurants!)
Who drives when you are together? Usually Jeremy
Who is more stubborn? I am. Jeremy is a very patient man.
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? We agree to disagree.....enough said! ;)
Whose parents do you see the most? Mine. They live closer.
Who kissed who first? Jeremy kissed me first. It was amazing.......*sigh* He can still take my breath away.
Who asked who out? Jeremy asked me out......I would have never dared. Have you seen the picture above??? He is seriously HOT!
Who proposed? Long story....really there never was a proposal. I am still a bit miffed! (if he ever asks for advice for a anniversary present suggest a proper proposal!)
Who is more sensitive? I am.
Who has more friends? I do, but his insane schedule doesn't really encourage a social life.
Who wears the pants in the family? I think we both do. We communicate really well, and are often on the same page anyway.

So I am supposed to tag more people....but I will go on the honor system instead.

Knitting Season

Wow, September flew by! All of the sudden it is crisp and cool.....perfect knitting weather! YAY! When I learned to knit last year about this time, I was addicted. I couldn't imagine a day going by that didn't include knitting, but once spring and summer came, I wanted to put down my needles and do other things. That has passed! There is just something so comforting about knitting in cool weather. I have a few WIPs that I need to finish up, and I am making hats for the girls. Then I think I might just try to tackle a sweater for me! Maybe........seaming still makes me nervous........ :)

Now on to a couple of completed projects.

Do you remember the doll I made Eve for her birthday?? Mia was Eve's favorite thing. She took her everywhere......that was until a visit to Kohls one day in June. I searched the store for and hour. I am not sure who cried more, me or Eve. Well, I made some dolls for a friend and I decided it was time to make another Mia . The Olive pattern gets easier every time I do it, which is good, because the first time was a PITA! So here is Mia with her new friends, Livy and Kitty. I finished Mia in the middle of the night, and decided to put her in bed with Eve. When she woke up there was a squeal from her bedroom and she ran into me saying "Mommy! Mia came home!!"


This fun package was for a secret mom swap I do every month. The girl I had sews quite a bit, so I kept is simple. I did a draw string bag with some note cards and a little pin cushion that matched. I also included a box of chocolates, because, well, who doesn't need chocolate?? I hope she likes it!

Disneyland!

We had a great time in Disneyland. It was completely exhausting, but it really was a magical place for the girls, and watching that was priceless. Here are a few highlights. I hope you enjoy!!

This sums it up!

Do you have those weeks were nothing seems to go right?? That was this week! Tuesday a storm blew down our back fence. That is really inconvenient when you have dogs. Want to know what is even less convenient??? Going to Home Depot to check out fencing only to leave the store and find out that your car won't start! ARGH!!!! Good thing we are headed for Disneyland in 3 days (and good thing the trip is paid for.....it may have been canceled after this week!) I have so much to do to get ready for our trip, that I don't think i will get back here before we go. I will update with pics when we get home. I *might* even sneak in some knitting on the plane...so have a great weekend and enjoy the next week. If I find a quiet moment (HA! In a hotel room with 2 kids hyped up on sugar!) I may even update from sunny California!

Checking In

Crafty pursuits have been few and far between this month. I am part of a month long Breastfeeding awareness campaign, and it is taking up all of my extra time. I am having a blast, and am continually amazed at the incredible women I am meeting everyday. So here's a big shout out to all you breastfeeding moms! What a great sisterhood to share! Oh, and YES!!! I am STILL breastfeeding.....and proud of it! :)

I like posts with pictures so I will show you a couple of projects I did at the beginning of the summer. One of my oldest friends just had a baby (I think! I should call her!!) and I made her a cowboy quilt for her baby shower.

I had so much fun with the fabric, that when I found out a close friend from high school was getting married I made her an apron out of some of the same materials. I love the cute western feel of these. I might have to explore this genre more!

I'm back with a New Look

Surprised to see me??? No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. I was in a blogging rut, and decided to take an unannounced break. Sorry!!! I thought maybe sprucing things up a bit might help me feel inspired. (Now to get me a new look! It has been far to long since I have visited the salon!)

I am in complete disbelief that the summer is almost over! It has been a fun few months filled with family, friends, birthdays, and of course many crafty pursuits. I will try to post a few of the projects I have been working on. It will be good material for the days when I have finished nothing, and still want to post! For now I will give you my most recent. You may remember the fun quilted purse I did for Mother's Day (if not, I think that the pics were in the last post) well, I love that bag. It is a great "night on the town" purse, but it isn't ideal for everyday mom use. Moms need a big more storage space! I still have a little one in diapers, so I need some room, but I don't need the major diaper bag anymore. This purse is my answer. (and it is one cute answer if I do say so myself!) It has a similar shape to the quilted bag, but I added sections to the sides and bottom for added depth. I also made it reversible just for fun. What do you think???

Blogging Slacker!

Okay, so I have been a major blogging slacker. I have been trying to pay a bit more attention to the family and that means less computer time. I do need to schedule in regular blogging though. I will try to be better I promise.

Hum, it has been a month. There has to be stuff to tell you!! Let me think. We are pretty boring, so I think our only eventful things were the brown tooth and Race for the Cure. I'll start with the brown tooth.

Do your kids listen to you? Mine don't! About a month ago Aurora was jumping on the living room couches. I asked her to stop, but I was making dinner and had raw chicken all over my hands. Just as I finished washing my hands Aurora's pants caught on the arm of the couch sending her face first into the hard wood floors. Long story short 2 weeks later I noticed her tooth turning dark. I have been very traumatized, but my sweet beautiful daughter has not been affected at all. I noticed the tooth turning dark on a Friday afternoon and on Monday when she went back to school she ran up to her teacher and said:

"Miss Amy, Do you like my butterfly capri pants??"
"Yes, they are very pretty!"
"What about my brown tooth??"

I am learning to be less vain and yes, I know it is just a baby tooth! Anyway, without further ado, here is my sweet little girl in all her brown tooth glory!

Our other big event was that we did the Race for the Cure as a family. Jeremy's mom and grandma both died of breast cancer so this is something that is close to our hearts. I pray daily that there will be a cure before my daughters hit their 30's. I was so proud of my babies and their "In Memory Of" tags. We did the 5k walk and Aurora walked a good portion. She and Eve also took turns on daddy's shoulders. Next year I hope to run the 5k!








































So, dentist appointments and 5ks aside I have been very productive this month. I have been sewing up a storm and I even got a new sewing machine for Mother's Day. I have been slacking a bit on my knitting, but I will catch up soon. I did make one purse (I forgot to take pics), I have a few projects nearly completed and a few more that have to be done asap. So look for more knitting soon. For now, you will see the sewing! I went on a bit of a frenzy! The first things I did were some really sweet three tiered skirts inspired by this tutorial. Then I made pillow case dresses from this site. I also made matching head bands from a freebie pattern on Heather Bailey's site.









































After I finished those I realized that Mother's Day was coming up and I needed gifts. I found a great quilted purse pattern and made two of these purses.












































They turned out so cute that I had to make one for me. I love them! They are a bit small so when I have some time I think I am going to modify them a bit. In my ideal world even smallish purses will hold my pouch sling, a diaper and a small wipes case in addition to my wallet, keys, and cell phone. Is that really too much to ask for???

Doing the quilted bag gave me the courage to try out a quilt. I have a friend that is due any day and a group of us wanted to send her some homemade gifts. Since I was already behind in my knitting and didn't really have time for a knitted gift I decided to do a quilt. I learned a lot, but I think it turned out very cute!
Well, that is my month. Whew! Sorry about the LONG picture heavy post. I would have split it up, but let's be realistic, that just wouldn't happen! I will do better!! I have quite a few WIP's that have due dates in the next few weeks, so I will try to post some pics as those are finished up. See you all later!!

Quick Annoucement for Mom's!

Okay, I have do have some actual events to blog about, but I'll try to get to that later today. First I want to alert you to a Mother's Day contest. I have a link the 5 Minutes for Mom giveaway in my side bar. Check them out. They have great prizes for all the lovely deserving moms I know!!

Good luck!! Oh, and remember if you don't enter, you can't win. Even if you never win anything enter......you just never know. Trust me on this one!!

NEVER answer the phone.......

in the middle of a diaper change.














Look for our next exciting blog post: A step by step tutorial on getting zinc diaper cream out of brand new chocolate brown sheets.

Disneyland maybe??

Okay, so I haven't told any Aurora stories lately. That kid cracks me up daily. She is so funny and creative. I think one of the down falls of a creative mind is scary dreams. She has only had a few, and truthfully I think the thought of them is worse than the actual dreams, but she prays ever night (yes, I know it is shocking, but my kids do pray) that she won't have scary dreams. The other night she added a new twist. The is what she said "Heavenly Father, thank you for my good day. Thank you I could go to school and thank you for my mom and dad and sister. Please help that I don't have scary dreams......but fun dreams are okay, like Disneyland maybe?" I had to leave the room so I didn't upset her with my laughing! We haven't been to Disneyland, but we do watch Charlie and Lola everyday on the Disney Channel. I knew we were in trouble when she came to me one day and said "Mom, did you know there is a place we can go and visit all our Playhouse Disney friends??" Oh that kid!!

So I promised pictures of Eve's birthday. I also want to show you pictures of the sweater I did for Eve. The collar didn't turn out as nice as I wanted, but after my 3rd attempt I decided it was good enough. I sure looks cute on though!! I am also going to show you a pic of the new kitty doll, Shanna. I love that the girls promptly name all the new creations.

A new obsession!

Okay, so now all I want to do is make little stuffed toys and knit them up things to wear!! LOL I forgot to show you all the little sweater I made for Mia. It also fits the kitty I made tonight, but I still need to finish up the face, so you will have to wait to see her. I did however finish the cutest bunny in the whole world. Want to see???? I got the pattern here. You have to check Hillary out. She is amazing! I have all of her patterns now and will be making them regularly. I can't wait to get started on the space girls for Aurora and Eve! For now, here is the bunny:


































Seriously cute right?? (only answer if you agree! I am just looking for praise here!) I gave this little bunny and her reversible dress to my mom. I am still thinking about making her a little male companion......we will see. I also promised more dresses so she has seasonal options. Now I just need to figure out how to make Pilgrim and Santa dresses for her. :) Don't worry, I haven't given up knitting. I just needed a breather after finishing the sweater I did for Eve's birthday. Yes, it is finished, I just haven't snapped any pictures yet. I will do that soon. I should also post the picture I took at Eve's party. Yes, just one.....well okay, there were three, but they are all of her and the cake. How do people run a party and take pictures??? I am not that talented! I will post those pics in a day or so. For now, I am tired, it is the wee hours of the morning and I am going to sneak a few hours of sleep in before I need to get on with my Sunday.

Say hello to Mia!

Thursday is Eve's 2nd birthday. I cannot believe my baby is already 2 years old. My, how the time has flown. I wanted to get her something special so I found a really sweet 9 inch Waldorf doll that looks like the little sister to Aurora's doll Rena. For some reason I put off buying it, and when I went to purchase it a couple of weeks ago no longer available. I was heart broken. We decided on some other gifts, but just haven't been satisfied. So last night I decided to go ahead and make a doll for Eve. I have been eyeing these dolls for months. I finally bought the pattern a few weeks ago, but last night I decided to brave my temperamental sewing machine and give it a shot. She's got lots of "character", but for my first attempt I am rather pleased! What do you think?


Now to finish Eve's sweater.....and maybe even a felted crown???? How fast do you think I can knit? :)