blogging about...

I have always admired bloggers that share real aspects of life. I guess I feel a connection with them because I can relate to them personally. Here is the real life version of our house right now. Trent just took down a show and we haven't gotten around to putting the paintings in the art shed yet. There are stacks of library books that are probably over due. (I think our family's over due fees provide the majority of the library's revenue. Seriously, almost every time we go we pay $10 in fees!) My craft table is drowning under a pile of baby girl clothes I've accumulated in the last 5 months. ( I can't believe I have three weeks left!) What you don't see pictured is; the huge beyond huge pile of kids clothes that my kids either don't fit or don't wear, that I am donating to the local DI, a cluttered kitchen, a homeschooling desk covered in papers and books, and toys littering almost every room! :)  Real life for us is often messy, cluttered, and disorganized but it is also filled with art, dancing, friendship, learning, music and, LOVE!

relaxed Valentines party

 We had a few friends over for a fun little Valentines party. We made cards, decorated felt flags, ate cookies, and danced to vintage records. :) It was really laid back party. I basically sat and chatted with all the moms while the kids went at it. I loved seeing what the kids made with what I put out, they got really creative! It turned out fun, and the relaxed feel was really nice. You know, with me being eight months pregnant that was all I had energy for anyway. My sis Mer  had come into town for the weekend and helped me get things ready. She was super awesome and made the cookies because I was running behind with party prep. They were so yummy thanks Mer!!

Pin It

cookie cutter sandwiches

 

Make your Valentines Day lunch super fun with heart shaped triple layer peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. To make today's lunch feel a little more special we cut our bread into tiny hearts and made PB&Js stacked three layers high. It is so fun to do and super easy for kids to do by themselves. My kids loved the tiny sandwiches but if you want a bigger sandwich just use a bigger size cookie cutter. This is a spin off from the ham and cheese version I did back in 2008, you can she it here. :)

Pin It

recovering stools

 Lately I have been bored of our decorating in the living room and dining room and I have been thinking of ways to add a bit of fun to those spaces. Somehow our collection of antiques has grown so much that our home really needs to be balanced out with something colorful and fun to keep the space fresh and young.  We really love old timeless things that have a history or connection to the past, but we are young and fun loving and our home didn't reflect that side of us. We needed an element that says "we don't take ourselves too seriously". So in an effort to bring whimsey to our dining room I recovered our bar stools. They were dirty and boring, & needed a face lift bad!

I recovered them with vintage fabric I had purchased a year ago at a local thrift store. I love how they look in the space! They really added that missing element of fun. And I love that they look a little like toad stools.

 Here is what they looked like before  :(

 

Pin It

no sew applique shirt

A few weeks ago I made Lizzy an shirt with a girls face on it. I really love how it turned out! I did some sewing to make the eyes nose and mouth but no sewing at all to attach it to the shirt!

 It's ironed on!

 

Trent took the nice camera ( a Nikon D-80 if you're curious) with him today, to take photos for paintings, so the kid's digital camera will have to do for today.  I actually really like how the photos look with this camera. (I did have to warm them up a bit in Photoshop though.)

 I am for sure going to post about how I did it as soon as I get some quality time with the nice camera. 

Chinese Birthday Party

Last summer my daughter Lizzy had a Chinese themed Birthday party. For almost the entire year she had been in love with all things China. She pretty much knew that China would be the theme for her birthday 6 months ahead of time. 2011 was the year when everyone had small family birthdays and fairly simple decorations. We try to have low key parties every other year so the kids don't expect a huge circus of a bash every year, plus it  gives me a needed party planning break. :)

It was super simple and really fun! I purchased the takeout boxes,the fortune cookies, and the chop sticks at the dollar store. What really made the party special was when we ate the ramen noodles in the take out boxes with chop sticks! Oh and if you don't have a birthday to plan this would be a great Chinese New Year party idea.

Pin It

In love with the cowl scarf

I have been on a knitting and crocheting kick these past few weeks. I have especially been in love with making cowl scarves. I made one for my sister Mer, and I also made one for my little sister. I didn't stop there either, my daughter has one and so do I! :) I have a few available on my Etsy shop right now if you want one, and If you want one in a different color just let me know and I'll be sure and make one to order just for you!

I am planning on selling patterns as well as finished products so if you knit or crochet be sure an check back soon. In fact, I just finished a new scarf I made as a knitting pattern prototype and I really like how it turned out! It is long, really stretchy, and can be worn three ways. I'll be sure and let you know when the pattern is ready and in my Little Lola's shop. For some reason you can't tell I'm 7 1/2 months pregnant in these photos and I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing. hmm.