Naturally Optimistic

No go

2012-01-27T12:10:00.002-06:00

No go with the job I had two interviews with this month. I woud've really liked it (I think). I would've been working in the arts (albeit in a administrative format). I would've had an office. *sigh* C'est la vie. On to the next. So far 6 rejections in 2 months. 5 more applications pending. Needless to say I've started to take friends & family up on the offer to look over my resume & cover letter. Starting to feel like a failure. That is inevitable, I think. No matter how positive one can be. *sigh*

Also rejected by SXSW yesterday. Within 2 weeks of their announce date which means once again we were *close* but not quite good enough. *sigh*

Owlies

2012-01-24T16:31:00.000-06:00

I have been meaning to make some "Owlies" (my self-named stuffed owl toys) (okay, so that's what I'm calling them in my head. I'm too lazy to do a google search to see if someone is already calling them out that out there).

Anyway - I LOVE owls & since August's room's theme is "Owls" I always have my eye on them. Owl ornaments, owl pillows, owl lovies, you get the idea. There are oodles of owls all over Pinterest & Etsy which is fantastic.

But I wanted to make my own. So that maybe I could use up some upholstery fabric & some wool I felted & sell them. In my Etsy shop. Who knows, but why not, right? The supplies are staring me in the face & I'm not exactly gainfully employed at this point (except by a couple of tiny employers who only pay in hugs & kisses, which I gladly accept, but they do not pay the mortgage, sadly).

So, I drew a "pattern" (really, I chuckle when I say that) & cut it out & voila! My first Owlie was born. August shouts with glee 'OWL!' every time he sees it & I have to admit, he's pretty cute. He cost me...well, nothing to make. Not true. I used about 1/20th of a bag of poly fill (for $5.99) so there was that. All the other fabric, embroidery floss & buttons were in my stash. Either from years of being there (in which I negate their expense) or from samples given to me by Michelle's Mom. So there you go.

I hope to make a bunch of these in the coming weeks & get the in my Etsy shop. Let me know what you think!

Boyfriend Scarf

2012-01-17T08:51:00.001-06:00

At long last! The "Boyfriend Scarf" which I made for Steve for Christmas 2010, is finished! I think I actually finished it last Feb or March but it took me until last night to weave in the ends. How lame is that?? The pattern is from Chicks with Sticks . It's a very cool book that I've had on loan from a friend longer than I should admit. The yarn is delicious & would knit up really fast on big needles, but the point of the scarf is to be super warm so it's only done on size 5's (maybe 6's? I can't remember, it's been a while!). It's a simple basket weave pattern which I love.

Hopefully it'll keep Steve warm! It's been a long time coming!

Day 8

2012-01-13T08:16:00.000-06:00

Day 8 and I'm actually starting to *like* green tea. Crazy. I tried adding a TEENY tiny bit of Truvia to it (no WAY could I use a whole packet - blech!) and it made it just the little bit of sweetness that I needed (plus I"m drinking a berry blend tea).

I've eaten A LOT of eggs. A lot of chicken breast & turkey breast & a LOT of salads. Whew. I am anxious to move on to some other foods, but I'm doing okay, I guess. I still long for carbs. A big crunchy, chewy roll would be fantastic!

I'm down 3lbs. Which is cool. I was hoping for 5 like the book says will *probably* happen, but I'll take 3. We'll see what happens the next week.

Oh, I've also hit my 10,000 steps a day goal every day since Sunday this week. My goal is to hit it all week long. Somedays that's pretty tough! If I had time to take a walk (sans kids) every day I could do it no problem! Ah well....

Happy Friday!

2nd Interview

2012-01-11T13:53:00.003-06:00

Just found out I got a 2nd interview for the job I went in for yesterday! Cool. However, I'm still not sure if we can make it all work out on the salary they're paying. I guess we'll cross that bridge when & if we get to it! Thanks for the good vibes, everyone!

3 of 17

2012-01-08T16:58:00.001-06:00

So I'm doing the 17-Day Diet. It's high protein, tons of vegetables & no carbs (bad carbs). Ugh. I have never done a diet before but I wanted to do something to jump start my body & get me eating healthier. It means I drink a cup of hot water with half a lemon squeezed into it first thing in the morning, I'm drinking 2-3 cups of green tea a day (which i dislike), TONS of water, exercise & SO many veggies. I haven't had a diet coke since THURSDAY which is a world record for me. I'm not going to lie. I miss it. I want to be sitting right now with a plate of crackers & a crisp cold diet coke. I'm hungry. It hasn't hit me yet that I'm "full." I hope it comes soon.

I've tried kefir - both the store kind & homemade kind that my friend made. I like it. It's almost a super food so that's cool. I made a smoothie this morning for breakfast with frozen strawberries, kefir & agave nectar. I'm not going to lie. I coveted my kids frozen waffles.

But I haven't cheated, not really. I think the kefir that I bought has some sugar added, but not much & I've only had a bit of it. I don't eat oils or dressings on my salad so I figure it cancels each other out (sort of).

So 17 days of this and then 17 days of more OPTIONS which is going to seem like a vacation! I cannot wait. If I can stand to eat so much eggs & chicken breasts in the first 17 days, the 2nd cycle will seem like a dream!

This first cycle is to accelerate your weight loss. My ultimate goal is 20lbs. That seems like a lot, maybe, for me, but maybe not. That would put me at a REALLY acceptable BMI for my height unlike the borderline unacceptable number it's at now.

I took a walk/hike alone today. ALONE! Hallelujah! Oh the freedom to just walk & take photos & do it at my own pace with no one (other than myself) needing to pee or to be carried or fed a snack (again other than me - ha!). It was nice.

So, wish we luck. Hopefully I'll be living trimmer & healthier & I'll get used to it & feel awesome & then tout it to everyone I know! :)

We'll see...

Job Interview

2012-01-05T16:38:00.003-06:00

Ahhhhh! At long last I have a job interview! My unemployment runs out in 2 weeks (!!) and I'm desperately on the search for a job. I would so much rather stay home with my kiddos, but we can't seem to figure out a way to do that on Steve's income.

So, in the meantime, wish me luck! This is a job I applied for because it actually interested me. (so many have not). It probably doesn't pay *enough* but I guess it's more than nothing, so that's a start!!

Rolo Turtles

2011-12-23T09:23:00.001-06:00

A simply delicious holiday treat. In case you want to make some last minute yummy niblets, say for Santa, check these out!

(there are many iterations on the internet right now, they're so simple to make & yummy...this is how I made mine).

Take a bag of pretzels (I've used tiny twists or the little checkboard ones). Lay pretzels on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Unwrap Rolos & set one on top of each pretzel. Bake in oven at 250* for 3-4 minutes. Upon taking the pretzel/rolos out of the oven, smoosh a pecan on the top of each one. Refrigerate or pop in the freezer for a few minutes so they set up/cool.

EAT! Yum!

*for those who don't like nuts, I also have made a Rolo/pretzel sandwich which is also quite tasty!

Tinkerbell Prep

2011-12-16T21:14:00.001-06:00

Dahlia is off with Grandma & Grandpa R this evening in their hotel as we prepare for her 'Tinkerbell' Party tomorrow. By "prepare" I mean sitting here having a glass of wine & reading blogs. I have been working all day - cleaning the house, making goodies (not that you can really TELL), the presents are wrapped, the toys are mostly picked up. *sigh* I mostly want to be relaxing while watching an episode of The X-Files but I feel guilty when there's so much to do. Ah, I work better in the daylight. Maybe I should just go to bed.

Look forward to Tinkerbell party pics tomorrow! I hope it'll be a fun day!

(ps - by "party" I mean Grandparents & one aunt, uncle & 3 cousins...we haven't ventured into the land of "friend parties" yet!!). Maybe for the big "5!"

Happy Birthday, Dear Dahlia!

2011-12-14T17:21:00.002-06:00

My baby is 4! How is that even possible?

She began her life like this and this - what a trip to have everything documented so that I can revisit it! What a crazy 4 years it has been.

My sweet peanut is becoming such her own whole PERSON. She is very independent - wanting to do (or at least try doing) everything herself. She is 100% into Princesses and anything PINK. She could play Princess (with her little dolls) for hours upon hours a day. Which is great, but she wants ME to also play the whole time, which gets tiresome, at best. I try to remember these times are fleeting, but some days it's rough!

She is an 'artiste' through & through. I am so happy about that! She is so happy when she's coloring, drawing, CREATING - it's pretty awesome. And I think she's quite talented. Her drawings are awesome. Her people, rainbows, spiders, trees, whatever melt my heart. It's hard to throw her creations away (and we are really running out of space!). She loves to play with my craft supplies - whether it's yarn (when she's "sewing"), markers, stamps, collage making materials, paints, glitter - you name it, she is ready to try. We have so much fun making things together.

She is also so good with her brother (most of the time). When she's not frustrated with him for 'stealing her toys' she is really good about "showing" him how to do things. And most of the time he is receptive. She tells him she will teach him, because she is the big sister & big sisters are good at doing that.

She goes to school one day a week, which is usually a challenge. She says she "misses" me but I know she has a good time once I leave. She's so quiet & such a good listener & follower of directions when she's there. She has learned so much in the last year there - her scissor skills are superb & writing her name is unbelievable!

She still enjoys 'hiking' with us & playing in the creek. We have had so many fun hours of throwing rocks, sticks & toy boats into the water to see where they will end up. She also likes to "fish" when she's down there. Any stick will do.

I love watching her imagination take flight. She doesn't need fancy toys - she just uses whatever is handy to become the bed, the lamp, the Christmas tree, the car the whatever (for her Princesses & friends). A cardboard box house has been played in & loved now for months & months between the two of them.

She could watch a movie every day - but I can't say I blame her, so could I. She loves listening to the "Disney" channel I created on Pandora & has started singing along to songs from Mary Poppins & The Sound of Music which squeezes my heart even more. We have dance parties in the kitchen to whatever is on & we don't miss "Dash's Dance Party" in between shows on PBS.

She is the light of my life. I love her more than I knew was possible.

Can't wait to see what delights the next year will bring!

RIP Beavis

2011-12-13T13:20:00.002-06:00

Beavis - May 1995 - December 11, 2011

Beavis - taken about a week before his death.

My heart is heavy this week as I had to say good bye to one of my long-time friends and constant companions. Beavis (Bociefus, aka "Tan Man") ended his journey with us on Sunday afternoon. After going downhill quickly in the past few months, there was nothing we could do for him. It was excruciating. He started really deteriorating quickly on Friday (he was already down to about 5lbs from his normal 12) and we were pretty sure the end was near...but he hung on. He wanted to be with us, he seemed to still like being petted, but by Saturday afternoon he pretty much stopped doing too much. It became hard for him to walk, his eyes began to look glazed, his spunk was definitely gone.

Early December 2011

Saturday night he could no longer walk. He tried. In fact he went into the back room on his own power & we were sure that was it. But it wasn't. It was heartbreaking. We didn't know what to do. We couldn't take him into the ER vet to put him to sleep because there was no one to come to our house to watch our kids, and while we *could* have each gone individually, that would've been way too hard.

Sunday morning he was still with us, but not moving. He only laid. He refused any food or water. I sat with him for hours stroking his fur & telling him how much I love him & how I'll miss him. He was in a clothes basket & I took him outside in the fresh air & sunshine for a bit...he seemed to enjoy sniffing, but after that he found it harder to get comfortable in the laundry basket.

Early afternoon came & we started trying to find someone to come over to babysit so we could take him in. It was so sad. Finally Steve's brother Paul agreed to come over & sit with the kiddos while we made the saddest journey ever.

I don't really want to talk about the actual "event" - it wasn't out of the ordinary, in fact I guess it went remarkably fast, but the whole experience was so gut-wrenching & traumatic that I don't really want to think about it.

Early December 2011

I keep "seeing" Beavis out of the corner of my eye - in the "meatloaf" position in the basement, curled up on our bed...but it's not him. He's gone. I'm a sad Mama.

Dahlia's doing okay - she says she misses Beavis, but I don't think she gets it. She knows he went to heaven (but is flabbergasted about how he got there) but today asked if we were going to get to see him again. ("Not for a loooooong time, honey.). August, of course, is 100% clueless. He never did learn how to say "Beavis" - only Juno or "Nunooooo!).

Juno is sad. All day yesterday she wanted love & affection - something she's rarely asked for in her 2 years. She enjoyed being petted & loved up. I think she probably knew long before we did that Beavis was leaving. Cats just know these things. (and wow does she need to go on a diet! holy cats!0

So, rest in peace, my friend. You were with me my entire adult life - through the good, the bad & the ugly. Lived with me in at least 9 residences (!), moved across the country with me, enjoyed your "Hollywood years," had many friends (Mufasa, Winky, Iko) along the way....you lived a good, happy, long life & I will miss you.

My Little Angel

2011-12-04T20:34:00.001-06:00

Today marked Dahlia's "stage" debut. I must admit, I took a photo of her name in the program. The first of many I'm sure (I hope?). She was an Angel in the Christmas program at our church. And oh - my - goodness, she was edible she was so cute & sweet - if I do say so myself.

The Littlest Angel

She has been really good at the music for weeks now. We have a CD of the songs & I'm about ready to bash my head in from listening to the simplistic, repetitive tunes & lyrics, but she eats it up. She walks around the house talking about laying the baby in the manager & the stars sparkling & shining.

Yesterday she had rehearsal & although she was bored to tears (well, bored enough to lean, sit, yawn, play with her tongue, etc) she did great.

This morning, however, I was worried. She threw a MAJOR fit before going out the door about being "scared" and not wanting to sing, not liking to sing (yeah, right) and she didn't want to go. I suspect it was more a case of "I still want to play with some new toys I got for my birthday yesterday" than anything else. Eventually we got in the car & made it.

I could seriously eat her alive.

Oh my sweet petite angel. Just like a little doll (side note: do NOT refer to her as "little angel" because CLEARLY she is BIG. Much BIGGER than her brother & she takes great offense to being called little...funny, I seem to remember having the EXACT same attitude!). While they were warming up in costume this morning, my heart nearly exploded from the cuteness factor.

My sister-&-brother-in-law & nephew Allison, Josh & Anders; Carolyn & Roger, Grandma Trudy & Auntie Joan were all in attendance this morning to cheer her on. She gave us slight glances & waves; she sang EVERY single word & did about 65% of the motions. She was simply divine (if I do say so myself). It was amazing to watch her up there. Something that at some point every parent likely feels.

With cousin Anders.

She did great & I am so proud of my ~~little~~ Angel. We celebrated afterward with cookies & punch & lots of running around in the church. I'm sure I will enjoy the video for years to come.

30.a The Sound of Music

2011-11-30T16:21:00.001-06:00

I'm very excited to be taking Dahlia to her first ever live stage show tonight! The Sound of Music! I know (okay, I hope) that she will love it! I know (pretty much) that she will fall asleep because I expect nothing less than a 3 hour production. I hope it creates lasting memories for her of the first time she saw live theater. I hope it entrances & inspires her. I cannot wait!

30. The End

2011-11-30T08:04:00.001-06:00

I was hoping to end the NaBloPoMo with an entry exclaiming that we were going to Sundance in January with THE LIFE OF RILEY.

Well, we're not.

:-(

Stupid dream. I hate getting sucked into hope every time I submit...but considering the notify date is next Monday, that little glimmer of hope kept popping up. Until their automated email-bot sent me my rejection at 4:11am this morning.

29. November Pinterest Challenge

2011-11-29T19:27:00.001-06:00

This month's Pinterest Challenge was to recreate the piece of artwork featured on this blog. That entry was an attempt to re-create a piece of artwork found at Cost Plus World Market. I liked both of them & when I saw it on Pinterest the colors really caught my eye & I thought - yeah, hey. I could do that. And since I mostly think of doing things with paper, cloth, recycled whatever, I thought this would be fun. And then Michelle (my Pinterest buddy) challenged me to it and voila!

Started off with the tree branches. I used a paint pen - but couldn't find brown. This is actually a metallic gold. I wasn't too sure at first but I really liked how it turned out. Of course when all is said & finished I think from afar a brown would look better as the gold sort of washes out.

I also prepped a canvas for Dahlia & my mother-in-law, Carolyn. (If you don't remember, Carolyn is recovering from a devastating brain hemmorhage that happened back in June). I thought it might be fun to do some kind of "art therapy" - well, not technically of course, but something that would be *different,* to get her brain to work in a new way, to use her arms & fingers, to think artistically (sort of) and something that Dahlia could work on too. This was a great project for that!

In the end I am quite pleased with how this turned out. And it only cost me about $13 (the canvases are 16x20 and I bought a 2 pack and got a 2 pack free - yes! paints were 89 cents each; brushes were 89 cents for a pack of them -I bought two; paint pen was about $2 or so. Not too shabby!

Here is my finished product....which I may end up hanging on the living room wall!

This one is Carolyn & Dahlia's (I did the stems & added a few leaves). Carolyn mostly did blue, & I love that because blue is a color which means hope.

December is a terribly busy month! Hopefully I am up for another challenge!

28. Memory Failure

2011-11-28T21:20:00.001-06:00

Why can't I remember to post something during the day when my brain works better & I supposedly have more time for thinking?

Gah...sometimes NaBloPoMo kicks my butt.

27. Home Again

2011-11-27T16:25:00.001-06:00

Ahhhh....in the words of Dahlia "doesn't it feel soooo good to be home?" She immediately began playing with her toys that she missed while we were gone (although Grandma & Grandpa had PLENTY of toys that kept her busy!). It was a great weekend. Got to see (some of) my family, got to do some sewing, got to relax. Ate WAY too much. Enjoyed listening to my folks talk about their Puerto Rico days last night. It was good.

Now back to the routine! (oh and getting ready for Christmas!)

26. Mah-nah-ma-nah

2011-11-26T20:18:00.001-06:00

Doo dooo do do doot

Yeah! We saw the Muppet Movie today - hooray! I loved it but it feel a wee bit short of the mark I was expecting. Probably only because everyone who had seen it RAVED about it, and that's what usually happens. My Mom & I took Dahlia. Her second movie in a theater. She loved it! I loved seeing LA & Hollywood - the "Muppet Studios" is actually the Jim Henson lot that I spent a fair amount of time on when I lived out there (friends worked there). I lived mere blocks from the "Muppet theater" (in reality the El Capitan conveniently owned by Disney - who now owns the Muppets).

It was great to see "the old gang" getting back together again. I wish the Muppet Show could make a weekly return. What a great series that was. Amazing. When they tried to bring back a show in the late 90's it failed, but I think that was because it was on Friday night & they weren't given their due. I'd love to see it try to return to the small screen. Wonderful variety, wholesome family entertainment!

Anyway - I won't spoil anything, but if you dig the Muppets you should check out this movie. I can't wait to show Dahlia the other Muppet movies I have just waiting at home on DVD. I think The Muppet Christmas Carol will be next!

25. Stuffed

2011-11-25T22:38:00.000-06:00

Just a relaxing day in Austin. Food, food, more food. Two kids who weren't feeling great - one who started throwing up & um, exploding elsewhere; one who was generally crabby & wouldn't nap. A lot of bodily fluids happening. But I did manage to get a lot of sewing done. My Mom's new machine ROCKS and thankfully she doesn't read this on a regular basis because I might try to smuggle it out with me when we leave. She won't mind....right? (yeah, right).

An evening spent with my Grandma & Aunt. More Zip-pee-dee-doo-dah, more "shows" put on my Snow White/Rapunzel girl. It's been a good change from the routine.

24. Zip-ee-de-do-da

2011-11-24T19:28:00.001-06:00

Ahhh, Thanksgiving. Another feast is under my belt. Literally & figuratlively. What a beautiful day to drive to Austin. 60 degrees outside & sunshine. Wonderful driving conditions. Traffic was okay. But the best - seeing the kiddos play with Grandma & Grandpa. Seeing Dahlia put on her "shows" for all of us (Great-Grandma too!). Eating such deliciousness. Drinking a glass of wine. And watching the Zip-ee-dee-doo-dah singalong video. I must say it's pretty darn nice.

Happy Thanksgiving all! I hope you are all having a wonderful day filled with many blessings!

23. Cork Art

2011-11-23T14:42:00.001-06:00

We tried another project I found on Pinterest with the kids the other day. I have oodles of corks (for crafting purposes, oh it's a shame when I have to drink some wine JUST so I can get some corks...I jest...). Unfortunately I didn't have brown paint, so I had to mix some with mixed reviews (ha!) but I think it worked out okay. Even August got into the action!

Like Sarah's potato stamping, I was hoping this would last a WHOLE lot longer than it did. Ah well. Ya win some, ya lose some....

22. Better Late...

2011-11-22T22:32:00.001-06:00

...than never.Something better to wrote tomorrow. I'm sure!

21. Breakfast at Tiffany's

2011-11-21T16:06:00.001-06:00

Steve & I are going to a private screening of the film 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' tonight. It's part of a package that his aunt 'won' at a silent auction. (I hate the word "won" in association with buying something....that's like "winning" nominations - blech). Anyway- it should be fun. It's a free evening - except if we want to eat or drink anything. Oh and the babysitter. So yeah, it'll actually be rather expensive to see a free movie. Oh well. Maybe we'll get to have a conversation or something. That'd be nice. And priceless.

In other news, I took my sewing machine in today. Gah. 2 weeks til it's ready. Of course.

20. So Close...

2011-11-20T16:56:00.001-06:00

Today Steve was really jazzed about making dinner. Stop the presses! I was so excited. He wanted to make something with a creamy sauce. Sign me up! Visions of dinner that I didn't cook danced in my head.

But then we discovered we didn't have any chicken. Or any meat, really. Except tuna and neither one of us was feeling that.

I did unearth some meatballs - so we're having Swedish meatballs which will be great. But I will be cooking them & mashing the potatoes, etc.

*sigh*

So close and yet so far....

19. Saturday

2011-11-19T21:50:00.001-06:00

Nothing too exciting to report today - much like man of my days! It was really fun to just have August this morning (Dahlia had a sleepover at Grandma & Grandpa's house last night while we had our CRAZY rocking party- that last part I typed with sarcasm). He is a much calmer, mellower boy (mostly) when his big sis isn't around. it's fun to watch him explore & play with whatever toy he wants. He loves to bring us things (toys, shoes, random pantry items) and doesn't get distracted like he often does when Dahlia is around. He is much more content. I think that's because she' just not bugging him!

We just ran errands today, putzed around the house. I was desperately tired as August was up for a couple solid hours in the night, but of course neither one really napped. ARGH. So frustrating.

Just unwinding now with a silly movie on Netflix, a glass of wine & some knitting. I am very exciting & glamourous....I know....

18. Party

2011-11-18T18:13:00.001-06:00

I just want to have a lot of friends over. Cook for them. Booze them up a bit. Play some games, enjoy conversation. Is that so much to ask?

I guess so.

My guest list for tonight was 17. Total coming (hopefully): 2.

17. So Bad

2011-11-17T15:25:00.001-06:00

Gosh I have been doing so poorly at this NaBloPoMo thing. Blah. I mean, yeah, I've technically posted every day but they have been lame. There is just so much going on right now that I can't even take time to sit down and compose a decent sentence in my head.

So many (bad) things that I can't even write about. So much heart break & devastation to come in the near future. So many questions unanswered. Things we never have had to ponder we are pondering. And while most of them are not super-directly related to us, they do hit pretty close to home. Things happening that make you grateful for what you have while all the time wondering how tenuous can things in life actually be (answer: very). Wondering how & why things have gotten to be how they are. If there are any solutions? What will things look like a year from now?

It's overwhelming at the least.

And then there are stupid financial things that we're dealing with. Too many bills. Not enough money. Wondering how I"m going to find a job that pays enough to put two kids in daycare + gives us enough left over to make it to the end of the month. Wondering if me working nights is feasible or if both Steve & I would both immediately go insane. Wishing that I could win the lotto (sadly, I guess you have to play!). Wishing I could come up with some way to work from home so the daycare thing isn't an issue PLUS I could still escape for an evening or two now & then. OH and my stupid car was broken, and that was expensive...and it's further broken & needs to be fixed. Argh. And my fillings need to be replaced. And I haven't gotten new glasses since 2001. Blah blah blah....

Lots of stuff on my mind.

But I am determined to be cheerful this holiday season. I'm looking for ways that we can celebrate & enjoy without spending a lot of money. Steve & I are going to "give" ourselves a new cabinet that we've been wanting with the money we saved from selling things. I'm trying to come up with creative & not totally lame gifts for others - utilizing what I have & my skills to do so (don't worry folks, my gifts aren't all coming from the House of Carrie). I want to sing Christmas carols with my kids & set up the Nativity scene with Dahlia; I want to bake cookies & take them to our neighbors; I want to sled down the hill at the end of our block & come in with rosy cheeks & introduce August to hot (warm) chocolate. I want to have TIME for Steve & I to relax with each other now & then...even if it's just for a couple of hours on the couch for a "date."

As the past 6 months have well demonstrated, things could always be worse. Truly. Things are bad, but things could get worse...so take what you have, scoop it up, love it, squeeze it & be grateful everyday. That's what I'm trying to do.

16. Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-16T22:31:00.001-06:00

15. As if

2011-11-15T23:39:00.001-06:00

Not to ruin my streak, I am posting before midnight. Will write more tomorrow. Blah

14. Money Saving Tips

2011-11-14T13:13:00.001-06:00

I sure wish that someone would write an article about simple money saving tips that are not the obvious! Or at least not the things that I already do -

* Give up your designer coffee - check, don't drink coffee anyway...
* Pack a lunch for work - I almost always did this; Steve does this daily
* Meal plan - do it
* Cut your cable - already done
* Limit your "going out" or "out to eat" expenses - we do this
* Eat vegetarian dinner options once or twice a week - do it
* Go to the library instead of buying books/music/movies - yeah, we do this too...

You get the idea. I would really like some tips that would actually help me. I'm down to iPhones, home internet (not giving THAT up), Netflix (streaming only) & I'm trying to sell things that are laying around the house that we don't use &/or take up space....I also am bartering/trading these items for other things that other people may have/make....you get the idea.

So what about me? How can I save this household more money?!?

13. Kerchooo

2011-11-13T21:13:00.001-06:00

What the heck. I've been sneezing ALL. DAY. LONG. It doesn't feel like a cold. It feels like allergies. Isn't everything frozen yet? If this is another cold I am going to be seriously TICKED OFF.

12. Argh

2011-11-12T16:30:00.001-06:00

Not having a wonderful day. Annoyed at many things - I broke my sewing machine...well, I think I just 'put it back together' incorrectly & I have a lot of projects I'd like to be working on; I cannot find my wallet which I think August removed from my purse back on Wednesday (lovely); I cannot find my sewing machine manual; I need a bunch of car repairs - some of which because a certain someone who I live with (not to name names) happened to run over one of our little patio tables with it the other night & now I have no capacity to retain windshield wiper fluid. Oh and I need to have my fillings replaced. Wheeeeeee!

** To top it off, our babysitter that we had lined up for tonight so that we could just go out & get a burger & a drink in peace, cancelled about 45 minutes before we were supposed to pick her up. This set Dahlia OFF - she was sad & mad & "frustrated" & "angry" that she wasn't going to get to play with our babysitter. I felt bad for her. She had been asking when we were going to pick her up from about 2pm on! :( So we took the kids with us which was fine...but not exactly the same experience...*sigh*

11. Glow Bath

2011-11-11T12:21:00.001-06:00

No, it's not a nuclear bath - it's a bath with glow sticks! Yet another idea from Play at Home Mom. Since the evenings now come SO quickly and it's dark dark dark so much of the time, why not spice up bath time a little bit by throwing some glow sticks in? It was pretty dang cool, if I do say so myself. I kind of want to take a bath like that! I left the light off (except for a nightlight) & the kids LOVED it! Something we will likely do again during these long winter nights.

Sarah had given me these glow sticks in a box of stuff for the kids when she moved to Scotland- I think we put them to good use! Thanks, Sarah!

10. 10 November

2011-11-10T15:53:00.001-06:00

The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is always on my mind on a day like today. Hard to even believe that in the not too distant past (1975), a large (729 ft) ship SANK on a LAKE. All 29 aboard lost their lives. The theories out there about "what happened" are abundant. I've seen the lake angry in November, I'm pretty sure THAT'S what happened (but the alien theories are intriguing)(maybe I've been watching too much X-Files....).

Today is gray. Cold. Calm. Nothing like that day 36 years ago.

Time to play some Gordon Lightfoot.

9. Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-09T15:55:00.001-06:00

It's been a glorious autumn.

8. Testing 1, 2, 3....

2011-11-08T08:44:00.001-06:00

Finally! I was able to update my photos from Sunday (Blogger was/is being weird). Here's a shot from my solo hike back up to the parking lot. Peaceful. Ahhhh. The sun was just peeking out a little bit (right before it set- ah daylight savings time!).

7. Gooseberry Falls

2011-11-07T12:27:00.001-06:00

Daddy, Dahlia & August at the main falls- August was trying to get away!

Yesterday started off iffy. I was feeling really lousy from my cold. Our house is a disaster- I can barely keep up with the laundry & dishes, let alone tackle anything else. The toys are every where (we have yet to buy a storage cabinet with our rummage sale money); the kids were being crazy monkeys. Steve & I were getting really crabby with each other. It could've turned out poorly (to say the least).

Mama &Dahlia at the Upper Falls

August exploring the rocky shore.

We tossed around the idea of driving up the shore; then we nixed that...then talked about going to Park Point (me - not enough energy for hiking in the sand); Brighton Beach (but we had just gone there last week); nothing - stay home work on projects & cleaning (blah). Finally we decided to go ahead & drive up the shore. Thank goodness we did!It seems to be the only place where & when both kids will nap at the same time & Steve & I can actually have a conversation. It was a dull & dreary day, but the temps were warm so it didn't seem to matter.We went to Gooseberry Falls State Park. August's first visit! (I think...). I hadn't been there since April when the waters were RUSHING. This time things were flowing, but quite low. Also there were virtually NO PEOPLE. In the summer this place is CRAWLING with visitors. It was fun to have the place to ourselves to explore. Dahlia didn't want to go. At. All. But once we got there she finally 'warmed up' and had so much fun. August thought it was great to run around too. I was happy that we were all out in the fresh air & relaxed!

Sun finally hitting the shoreline

Lovely & Calm Gooseberry River

Dahlia was pretending to be "Alice in Wonderland" in the tall grass.

Beautiful grassy picnic area.

We hiked a bit, we had a 'picnic' in the CCC picnic shelter - which was great because it was wide open, enclosed & the kids were free to just RUN! Yay! Plus we were out of the wind. Bonus. I even hiked back to the main parking lot - BY MYSELF which was just incredible. No people. Sun peeking through. Shimmers on the river. QUIET. I wasn't carrying a heavy pack or dragging a kid with me...it was really really great. No bugs either! Sometimes I think it's just important for us to remember to get out of the routine. To take the extra effort to put together a spontaneous day at the park, even if at first we don't FEEL like it. This day went from being on the road to crapsville to quite pleasant. I'm glad we did it.

6. Sick

2011-11-06T20:58:00.000-06:00

Day ?? of this stupid cold. I'm crabby & tired. But we managed to spend the day up at Gooseberry Falls State Park. It was really nice & I have some great photos, but right now I'm going to bed.Good night.

5. Window Art

2011-11-05T17:28:00.002-05:00

Taking a cue from Play at Home Mom, we did an art project in October. It was a gift for Steve for his birthday. Dahlia loved it! I guided her (trying to let her run the show when it's appropriate more lately). I showed her how to dump out the glue & spread it around. She was in charge of picking the gems & adding them...in whatever fashion she liked. For the 2nd one we did, I brought out some beads that I had stashed away. She LOVED those. "Her" creation (not the one she's giving away) consists mostly of beads. It actually looks pretty cool. I did have to prompt her a bit with the glue - the 2nd one we tried to do just sections of glue at a time so that it would dry before it was 'be-gemmed.'

August wasn't really into it, although he did add a couple all on his own. He did, however, absolutely LOVE playing with the glass beads. I was right there to make sure he didn't eat any of them. I think he loved the smooth texture & I gave him a metal bucket to dump them into & out of - that kept him occupied for probably 20 minutes! Speaking of which, I should get those out again!

This was a really fun project. I spent $2 on frames, $2 on gems & $6 or so on glue - obviously I have gems & glue left over! The dollar store rocks for these types of projects! I have yet to figure out how to hang them up. PAHM suggests using suction cups, but I think Dahlia's creation might be a bit heavy for that. They do look cool in the window (although if we do it again, I would like to get the "clear" drying Elmer's instead of the white school glue.).Oh - And Steve loved his birthday present!

4. More Etsy

2011-11-04T16:56:00.000-05:00

A couple more items listed in my Etsy shop:

3. November Pinterest Challenge

2011-11-03T08:11:00.000-05:00

Last month, my cousin-in-law Michelle & I participated in our own little 2nd Monthly PInterest Challenge. My challenge was to make as many cloth napkins as I could. Varied styles. Hers was to create a pumpkin wreath:

She kicked ass. She did hers so fast & it turned out so cute. She added the sign "Unless you're selling Thin Mints, no soliciting." It turned out great.Well, I only managed to make 4 napkins. Lame. SUPER lame. I did cut two more but I got distracted by making necklaces & card wallets for my Etsy Shop!. Ah well, it'll be an ongoing process for me & I'll make them here & there when I can. On to the next challenge! We haven't picked them yet, but it'll be another fun month of crafting, I'm sure!

2. My Halloween Cuties

2011-11-02T11:34:00.003-05:00

A little Halloween fun at Dahlia's school last week. Snow White & the Little Pumpkin were a hit! Dahlia is mostly excited about being able to wear the Snow White dress EVERY DAY NOW that Halloween is over. *sigh*

1. November

2011-11-01T14:20:00.001-05:00

It's hard to believe that it's November already. I feel like it should at least still be September - where the heck did October go?We had a busy Halloween yesterday (pics to follow) - it is Steve's birthday so we're always trying to celebrate that, carve pumpkins, get the kids ready for trick-or-treating, show the kids off to grandparents, eat supper, celebrate birthday, gifts, etc. Whew. It's a lot. Too much. We went to Steve's Dad's house for a little Halloween/Birthday celebration on Sunday so we wouldn't have to go there with the kids yesterday. That worked out pretty good. Then yesterday up to his Mom's. His Mom is at home now but unable to eat or drink anything! She is fed through a tube (directly into her stomach) but you feel a bit weird having any sort of food or drink around her. She wants it SO BADLY (the problem is anything she consumes by mouth is aspirated into her lungs - *sigh*). We got up there, I had to make dinner (with everything we brought), frost cupcakes, wrangle monkeys, go trick-or-treating, get the cupcakes/ice cream ready (all while not making FOOD or DRINK a big deal). It was stressful! The kids were pretty good. August walked for a lot of the trick-or-treating. He didn't quite understand holding his bag (he'd just let it fall on the ground) or putting candy in it (he'd try to give it back) but he was getting into going up to each door. Dahlia was a charmer as usual. Everyone up in Carolyn's neighborhood seemed to really enjoy seeing them. August would try to go INTO people's houses - no fear there, kid! Yikes! We were the last trick-or-treaters out up there as we didn't get out the door with everyone til 7pm. Yuck. I am going to plan differently for next year. Sheesh. So what does November hold in store for us? Well....? The usual, I guess. Trying to survive the days with kids that are wound up & not enough room for them to burn off their energy inside. Thank goodness for the Children's Museum! I think we'll be there (& the library) a lot this winter). I have some "Crafterhours" evenings with friends planned. A new book for our book club. Making lots of inventory for CraftyCarrster. Making, buying, wrapping Christmas gifts. Planning Dahlia's birthday party. Getting ready for Thanksgiving & Christmas. It'll be busy. It'll go fast. In a month I'll be wondering what in the heck happened to November!

NaBloPoMo 2011

2011-10-29T11:32:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again - blogging every day in November.I love a challenge.

It's On!(You can join in here. Blogroll is open til Nov 5 - sign up now! Join the madness!)

Crafty Carrster

2011-10-22T16:09:00.001-05:00

I finally did it! I launched my Etsy shop! CraftyCarrsterI hope to fill it with more necklaces, card wallets, bags, napkins, magnets, greeting cards, etc in the coming weeks/months/years.I *hope* to sell a few things & make a *little* money. For fun things like - getting new tires & getting my fillings replaced.Wheeee!So- if you see something you like, buy it! Or tell your friends! Or just "favorite" me...that would make me feel good.

Rice Bin

2011-10-17T16:11:00.000-05:00

Well, due to my recent obsession with Play At Home Mom, I've been trying to be more creative about the activities I do with the kids. We really don't spend any money on new toys. I'm mostly okay with this, but sometimes I feel bad...sometimes I get bored. And I know if I get bored, it's quite likely that they get bored too. We get toys as gifts - from Grandparents, Aunts & Uncles, and my awesome friend Sam who works for Mattel (her 'shipments' get metered out through the years). But one thing I feel totally okay with is 'making' our own toys. So that's what we have been doing!

One rubbermaid bin that was empty in the garage.2 large(ish) bags of white rice from Cub (plus one refill bag purchased today) about $3.75 a piece - I buy the cheapest rice for this!!Whatever scoops, empty plastic containers, spoons, various utensils, etc. I have awesome retro metal bowls which work great because they make a very interesting sound.

Oh and I keep the vacuum cleaner handy, but try not to stress out about it. If I am getting the rice bin out, I have to expect to vacuum. So be it.

The kids LOVE it. These photos are only of August...I set up the "invitation" for him while Dahlia was at pre-school a couple weeks ago. I thought he would love it since he loves the rice table at ECFE so much. And he did! He loved exploring it. Still does. The kids can sit in this thing for 30-45 minutes & play - together...usually nicely! It is awesome. The best $8.00 I've ever spent!!

I can't wait to try other things in the "sensory" bin - I have lots of ideas....Oh! And I think the gross motor skills of August climbing in & out of the pool are great for him too.

Pinterest Challenge - October 2011

2011-10-07T10:03:00.000-05:00

So Michelle & I are going at it again with the 2nd monthly Pinterest Challenge!Last month I made this and Michelle made some Mason jar tea light lanterns. Cool!This month I've been challenged to make as many cloth napkins in a variety as I can. And I've picked a pumpkin'd wreath for her to DIY (I didn't realize her pin was from Williams-Sonoma - it looks totally craftable!).If anyone else wants to play along - let me know & we'll get started!Happy Pinning & Happy Crafting!

Play At Home Mom (PAHM)

2011-10-04T22:18:00.000-05:00

This is my new favorite MOM website. I love it. I am full of fun, creative, cheap, educational ideas - can't wait to try some of them out!Thanks, Michelle for directing me to it!

Family Fall Fun Day

2011-10-03T16:23:00.001-05:00

Steve & I decided it was a day for family fun. We knew that Saturday would be cooler & Sunday more lovely - so we picked Sunday (also, I still had that stupid garage sale going on on Saturday)...initially we wanted to drive up the North Shore to drink in the beautiful colors. But we ended up opting for a shorter drive. Out 'west' to the Munger Trail & the Ely's Peak area of Duluth. It was so lovely.

However, it wasn't that *fun* of a day.We are cursed with trying to get out of the house these days. It seems to take for EVER. There's the cleaning up after breakfast, the dressing of the monkey-children. There's packing lunches, snacks, milk, water. There's the OH MY GOD YOU GAVE ME THE WRONG SOCKS tantrums to deal with. There's hooking up the bike rack and loading on the bikes & trailer. It takes all dang morning. But finally we left. Late. I wanted to leave at 10, we left at 1. So be it.

So while driving out to the Munger Trail, both kids fell asleep. Awesome. Nothing like trying to wrangle sleepy monkeys from their car seats & into the bike trailer. So we drove for a bit. Toured through Morgan Park, out to Gary, up and around here & there wherever we could go just to give them a little bit of a nap. Finally we headed up the end of Skyline. By that time August was awake & Dahlia was almost awake. We stopped along the ski trail there & decided to get out. Of course Dahlia immediately had to go potty (yay! We threw in the potty chair for just such this instance - go us!). And then she was hungry. And quite frankly so was I. We hiked a bit & set out our picnic. It was so beautiful. Brilliant blue skies, lovely leaves of yellow, oranges & reds. The picnic was fun. And since we were on a ski trail, August could run around and explore & we didn't have to worry about him running off a cliff or onto a street. Bliss! We even saw horses! A group on a trail ride rode past & that was a big hit.

After that we went on to the trailhead of the Munger (off Beck's Road). Loaded the kids into the trailer (August loves that...sarcasm implied) and took off. We went down the trail first and it was so nice. The trail was busy but not too bad and we were going down hill - just how I like it! But then the skirmishes started. August has been pretty darn ornery lately. All the time. So in that enclosed space where Dahlia is constantly "helping" him, he gets REALLY crabby. Sheesh. It made the bike ride a little stressful. Because then he started screaming. Screaming like he was that 4 month old with terrible reflux. He was so worked up. And giving crackers, milk, treats - whatever - didn't help. So, after only a short bike ride we headed back to the car.

Initially I wanted to end our Family Fun Day with a trip to Portland Malt Shoppe. But by the end of all this running around, that was out of the question. Luckily the kids survived a bit longer so I could run in the grocery store and buy some milk & ice cream. Whew!To top off our Fun Day activities I had absolutely TERRIBLE allergies. All day long. I think I sneezed about 1000 times. My eyes were so puffy & itchy. My nose so runny & read. My skin around my nose in pain from all the blowing & kleenex use. It wasn't that fun after all.Oh well, at least we spent our day outside and that part was very fabulous indeed.

Pinterest Challenge - September 2011

2011-10-01T16:28:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I was really stuck creatively. I knew what was causing it but I just couldn't seem to get past it. I felt like I had a dam of debris building up in my inner psyche that wouldn't let anything else get by it. Oh boy was it annoying. And not just annoying but also sort of debilitating. I couldn't finish my film. I mean, the film is done, but I was re-working the beginning and just felt like my brain was empty. I could hardly even TRY anything with the edit so it was really frustrating. Add to that that my only working *moments* were when HOPEFULLY both kids were napping (or at least somewhat occupied, Dahlia...) so I could get my thoughts together to even start. And a lot of days that just didn't happen. Plus I was up against a deadline.

During this time, I did quite a lot of browsing on Pinterest. Drooling over all sorts of really cool, crafty, artistic creations. Dreaming of what I should decorate my house with. Wishing, quite frankly, that I had more money to make some of the things a reality. Longing for a sun-filled workshop that was ALL MINE (the sign should read: Mommy's Special Workshop - No Kids or Husbands Allowed!) and the time and energy to actually finish something. I finally started to feel this pull. The pull to create, to make. This Post came out of this time. But although I was starting to have my creativity stirred by other things, I simply couldn't DO them because the film was hanging over my head.But then one night - I was probably complaining about being 'stuck' on Facebook and my, let's call her my cousin-in-law, Michelle, said - okay - here's a challenge (lord knows, I can't turn down a challenge!). We each will pick one thing from each other's Pinterest that we have to make in the month of September. I will pick for you, you pick for me. And Voila! We did it. And suddenly I had a different deadline. A fun deadline. I crafty deadline. It seemed to work. She picked for me the magazine bowl which I've been wanting to make for a long time, well, since Memorial Day weekend, anyway, because I think they look really cool. And boy do I have a lot of magazines. I picked for her some mason jar candle lanterns. Lucky for me I had started tearing apart a magazine (therapeutic in it's own way) earlier so I was able to jump right in. I think I had also made the base of a bowl. But now I had the "permission" to finish it! And I did. I ended up taking it to Stitch & Bitch one week so that I could get it done. And it's done!

Granted, the bowl has been finished for 2 weeks now, but I JUST got around to applying the varnish today, um, like 10 minutes ago. But hey - I'm all about setting & reaching goals this autumn so yay me!I have fantasies of a (super-successful!) Etsy shop in which I sell things like the likes of my magazine bowl. Because as cool as I think it is, I'm not sure what I'll do with it. I did learn a few things along the way... I should always put newspaper down when I'm working on something on the kitchen table; I should be a little more careful with hot glue - one because my bowl is a little messier than I would like it to be, and two because my fingers got lots of burns on them during this project. Something beautiful can be made out of something really simple that most people toss aside (I knew this one already...). I really like being challenged & having deadlines.

So there you have it - the Pinterest Challenge! I think it should live on - any takers?Oh and I DID finish the movie. Finally all the crap in my head pushed aside & it was like a magical flood gate of thoughts, ideas, creativity - storming through. I fixed a few things, I tried a few things, I figured a few things out. I stood my ground. I let my producing partner add/tweak a few more things & we made the Sundance deadline (well, late deadline anyway...). So, Thanks Michelle for helping clear the way! I'd love to take you out for a glass of wine sometime! If only Denver wasn't so far from Duluth!

Success!

2011-09-30T16:04:00.001-05:00

I did it! I just completed my first one-month challenge! I wrote at least 750 words in my "journal" (online at 750words.com) every day for the month of September! It wasn't too tough but there were a few days I forgot & remembered after I was already in bed. Good thing I'm a fast typist! A silly little goal for myself that I actually accomplished. Not sure WHAT exactly it accomplished, but at least I did something I set out to do!

August

2011-09-28T11:07:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted much about August's progress & am feeling like such a bad-Mama for that...so I thought I'd update a few things.

August is a MOVING MACHINE. If he is restrained, he is unhappy. He wants to be walking, running, climbing, crawling, whatever - all. the. time. It is exhausting. I am longing for our old backyard which was all grassy & fenced in! I would love to just let him run, but we don't have much space! I took him to the library today for story time and he just ran & ran in the open room. He loved it. Also - climbing on chairs. Good grief, this one will be the death of me (oh and he just now WALKED down the backstairs to the backdoor. Ay yi yi. Need to be more vigilant about shutting that door!

He now says "no" quite well (& frequently). His other words are Mama, Daddy, "Dahlia," hot, uh-oh, he can sort of bark for a dog... Not a ton of words, yet, but he babbles all the time. I think Dahlia was saying a LOT of words by this point, BUT she wasn't walking or climbing stairs, so...I guess it evens out.

His absolute favorite thing is TRUCKS. If we drive by any sort of construction site he gets so excited. Cranes, backhoes, bulldozers, cement trucks, buses, motorcycles. This kid loves it all! He loves to push around his cars & trucks at home & make motor noises - so cute.

He's started coloring a little bit, is much more interested in books these days (which I'm thrilled about) particularly if they have trucks in them!

He has a kewpie doll look with a curl on the top of his head & two curls on the sides of his head; a goofy giggle & smile but MY GOD is he ornery lately. I hope that he is getting some teeth & that he will be charming boy again soon. He is growing up so fast.

I love my little guy. I love watching him start to conquer the world.

Dahlia

2011-09-27T16:11:00.001-05:00

Yesterday in the car as we were driving, Dahlia said "S-T-O-P Stop!" I was so proud of her! She spelled! Eeek! The other day she pointed out "B-O-O" in a book & read it. It's so cool and yet she's growing up SO fast. Eeek.

On our walk yesterday we drove by a back hoe/bulldozer (which August thought was the coolest thing EVER). She then informed me that she wants to be the following when she grows up: 1) A Cowgirl; 2) a Ballerina; 3) a Truck Worker (ie: construction worker); & 4) a Mama.... all noble pursuits, eh? I love kids.

Today as she was supposed to be napping, she wasn't. She was playing & not even playing quietly, but I didn't care. At least she was in her room & I had a few moments to myself. She started yelling for me after about an hour "MOMMY!" (after not sleeping at all) "I took a WONDERFUL nap! I am done napping now! I'm reading to come downstairs. You don't have to worry about me being crabby tonight!"

That kid cracks me up

Harvest Fest + Lakewalk Fest + Kites - oh my!

2011-09-14T12:40:00.003-05:00

Michelle & I enjoyed a beautiful day last Saturday & took the kids to Bayfront Park/The Lakewalk for multiple festivities. It was such a fun (free!) day. We got a free kite for Dahlia courtesy of the Kiwanis, we got our passports stamped at various tables along the lakewalk & turned them in for free ice cream (Dahlia's having the fireman sign her book below). I bought a pound and a half of red potatoes & a green pepper for $1.90. We danced the Maypole. We got sun-tinted pink, walked thousands of steps. Dahlia painted Lake Superior rocks & "went fishing." (we were too tired to check out the zoo animals at Fitgers, go for a hayride or get our photo taken -next year!). What a great family friendly (cheap!) day. Can't wait til next year.

Overheard

2011-09-07T09:59:00.001-05:00

while driving back from the Zoo yesterday...

"When I grow up I'm going to be a Cowboy....no, FIRST, I'm going to be a Mama....

No, I'm going to be a COW MAMA!"

Create.

2011-09-02T12:36:00.001-05:00

(stolen from my today's 750words.com entry)

All I want to do is make. Make things. Create. Construct. I cannot stop myself from exploring new ideas & new things to make. I could make these things as gifts. I could make them to sell. But I have to make. Make make make. I'm pretty sure it drives my husband absolutely crazy as I have more supplies than I really know what to do with. Sometimes I think I should really get down to brass tacks & decide what I REALLY want to specialize in. Is it knitting/crocheting? Is it sewing? Is it paper crafts? Is it jewelry? What is it? Because I love to do all of these things. So I keep exploring. I keep making. I keep ending up with great ideas that sometimes don't turn out all that great. In fact, sometimes I end up with all the supplies for a certain project & then I end up just chucking it all after years & years because I've lost interest, come to my senses, had a baby & have no time, etc.

When I lived in LA I got into making soaps & candles. I'm sure my family was OVERJOYED to get yet another homemade body scrub, bubble bath, bath salts or candle from me. I spent lots of time & money concocting glycerin soaps with essential oils & rose petals. I invested in different molds & old pans to melt things in. I did the same with candles. Candles are fun. I stained a few rented apartment countertops with the various dyes (usually crayons). But it did not sustain. I never had the room. I never got 'good enough' to keep going with such projects. So I moved on. Of course that was after I moved a huge box of supplies (including a large flat piece of (very heavy) 'clear' wax for candle making).

After returning to Duluth I got more into scrapbooking & cardmaking. Of course my sister is the star scrapbooker in our family & I can't even hope to keep up with her. I don't have the preciseness or the attention span. I'm not a perfectionist & I hate that. i have tried to change things, but I can't seem to follow through. So I do a little here & there. I love scrapbooks & everything that goes along with it - paper - especially paper. I sort of have paper addiction. I couldn't ever have "too much" paper (again, my husband likely disagrees with me on this point). And cards. I love making cards. I love using stamps, embellishments, for a while I was into quilling (rolled paper). I love mail - getting & sending - so this is a perfect hobby for me. I love things that are handmade. That people had to put (even 15 minutes!) time into making. And quite frankly the 'hand made' cards they sell at Target are so expensive - and really not that difficult to copy. I hope people appreciate the hand made cards. I love making them. I just wish I had more time to make a bunch so I wasn't always in a pinch to make a nice card.

For a while I thought I would make scrabble tile pendant necklaces, but I had trouble with the epoxy sitting just right (apparently I have no attention span & get bored or frustrated & give up too quickly). Now I'm making bottle cap necklaces which I adore. I'm not sure if they'll sell or not, but my GOAL is to actually get some items up on Etsy & make a go of it. Anything would help at this point.

I love to knit. I am almost done with August's baby blanket. It's big & cozy & I hope he loves it. At least some day. It took Dahlia a while to come around to hers (it's not as soft as I would like it to be) but she does use it at daycare which makes me happy. I am done with my felted bag but I'd like to line it. Of course there were no instructions on that so I have to sort of just figure it out. Hmmmm. I finished Steve's scarf - he's ready for winter! I have a few baby wash cloths in inventory - so I'm almost ready to start a new knitting project - yay! I have some beautiful yarn from Three Irish Girls that I would like to put to good use. Maybe I should return to trying to make socks? I'm not sure if I could get into it again or not but I still think it'd be fun.

I'm also a HUGE hoarder of magazines. I love them. I love going through them & tearing out images that appeal to me in an instant. I love the textures, the lighting, the fashion, the artistry, the nature, the simplicity, the vintage-ness. I have oodles of National Geographics that I inherited years ago from my mother-in-law which I just cannot part with. I have used them for everything from making my own envelopes, making up-cycled personalized journals, these bottle cap necklaces & of course cards. I simply cannot get rid of them! They are gold to me, I know it - somewhere. And the Martha Stewart Living magazines are just filled with so many beautiful & inspiring images. I am pretty good about going through them & tearing out my inspiring pages shortly after receiving the mags, but oh...I could drool over them for hours. When Sarah moved to Scotland, I took her bag of mags - Glamour & such. I usually don't buy these but they have been so much fun to tear apart & use for various adventures in crafting. I'm also making a "magazine bowl" which I think will be really cool if I can ever finish the darn thing.

So you see I'm a girl who likes to dabble in many things. I cannot get enough of trying new things (I didn't even touch on sewing yet! Oh the things I want to sew! quilts & dresses for Dahlia & bags & table runners and and and....). I love searching the internet & being inspired. Pinterest has made me so full of motivation & creativity that sometimes it's almost overwhelming. I don't know though if I should try to focus my creativity into ONE area & actually perfect something or if I should continue to spread my interests far & wide & keep doing a little bit of everything (albeit not very well).

This is my quandry. My constant quandry. A friend of mine once said, "why would you give up doing all the things that you love? It is what makes you, you." I have carried that with me for years. Why would I? Do I need to? I don't know.

Block Party

2011-08-31T10:27:00.004-05:00

Steve & I have wanted to have a block party since moving into our house 3 years ago. Of course we can never managed to get the living room picked up, let alone get a neighborhood party planned. So while talking about the idea with our neighbor Sally about a month ago, she said that she & her husband Jim have also wanted to have a party. And thus the 1st annual neighborhood party was born.

We wanted to have it in the street between our two houses, but the cops will only allow that on National Night Out & we missed that by about a month. (maybe next year?) So we decided to have it sort of in our front yard/sidewalk, with room for t-ball & bocce in their front yard across the street.

We started setting up yesterday afternoon & hoped that the rain would hold off. We had tables & fun table cloths; a ring toss game & a Clifford bean bag toss game (both borrowed from my friend Melissa). We had fresh veggies & herbs for the taking from Sally's ridiculously awesome garden. We grilled hotdogs & ate brownies & met our neighbors!

It was really great. We had people from our street & the street below & then some in between. We had a couple of the college kids show up from the end of the block, which I thought was fantastic. We had families - with kids (yay!!) & single guys show up. It turned out to be really cool.

Dahlia met a friend. I am over the moon! A Girl! Who lives in the neighborhood! With really cool parents! She is 4 & showed up wearing a "ballet dress" & ballet slippers & I knew they would hit it off. and BOY did they. They immediately started playing. It was awesome.

We had a SURPRISE guest! We're all standing in the front lawn when CRASH - a GIGANTIC, FAT, RIDICULOUS RACCOON FELL OUT OF OUR ROOF! Yes! That's right. It was in the eaves of our dormer & the dang thing busted out the soffet & fell OUT! Wonderful. Just what we need is a slovenly raccoon living in our roof. Excellent. He pulled himself back in (great!) & didn't make any more appearances...a call to an animal control business will be on my calendar this week. Ugh.

The party went til 7:30 & it started to sprinkle just about then so everyone scattered rather quickly - which was okay with me because I was pooped (& that hot dog I ate was NOT sitting too well).

I'm so glad that we had a chance to meet & chat with our neighbors. It will be so cool now to stroll down the street & actually feel like we can chat because we've MET. There are a few that were no shows, but hopefully this will be an ongoing tradition & we can bring more people to the party next year!

And Dahlia said to me this morning..."I have a great idea! What if....I could have a PLAYDATE!" She's so excited. So am I.

Gifts

2011-08-24T16:38:00.005-05:00

I love gifts. Giving them, thinking about them, theme-ing them, making them, finding them...& I love getting them too! I have already received some awesome presents for my birthday (which is tomorrow) so I thought I'd share them...fun fun fun!

From my Mom & Dad - a cooler bag which will be SO incredibly awesome for going to the park, the beach, etc FILLED with picnic goodies - snacks, plates, plastic forks & spoons, napkins, a cool little food container which holds chips/veggies & dip. It's awesome. I love it. And a gift card from JC Pennys which I already spent. Some body lotion, hand soap & hand sanitizer from Bath & Body Works from my cousin, Lindsay. Awesome. And a handmade casserole taker from my incredibly talented aunt, Ronnelle. I love love love the fabric!

My sister & I always try to "theme" our gifts - her gift to me this year was "Recycle" themed - a couple of notebooks, a calendar, some card making/scrapbooking embellishments, a dry erase board & (not pictured) an awesome bottle cap necklace & Craft & Conserve bag from JoAnns - LOVE IT! Michelle made me a wine cozy & got me some special treats... "Mother's Little Helpers!" Ha! (lemon drops - yum)...and a delicious & fitting bottle of vino!

Thank you so much for the fabulous gifts! Dahlia is looking forward to my birthday tomorrow as she's REALLY excited because I said we could go to McDonald's. We haven't been there in ages & she's ready to "climb the big tree" (in the play area). I hope she's not too disappointed that we're not having a "Dora" cake tomorrow night (she picked out a Dora theme for me months ago! ha!)

Hayward - in a few photos

2011-08-22T09:34:00.004-05:00

My sister, my cousin & I all have August birthdays & it's been a tradition since childhood to sort of celebrate them together. When we were little this meant going to Como Park with the fam for a picnic, or having a birthday 'party' while all camping together - but as we've gotten older it means Girls' Weekend. Leaving the 6 kids between us (all 4 or under) behind, meeting up somewhere fun, playing games, doing puzzles, drinking wine, eating good food, and most importantly, sleeping. My Mom & Aunt are always ridiculous spot-on with gifts & it's just an awesome time.

I leave you with a few photos of our weekend.

As you can see we're party animals. My cousin & aunt did go kayaking on Saturday afternoon. I was tempted to join them, but decided the peace & quiet of the cabin, my book, knitting & puzzle-doing with my sister was too much to pass up. It was very relaxing. The weekend went FAR too fast.

Hayward

2011-08-19T09:50:00.002-05:00

Guess the update on Madeline Island will have to wait as today I'm off to Hayward with my Mom, Sister, Aunt & Cousin. Our annual birthday-girls' weekend-get together! I'm looking forward to two nights of SLEEP. I'm such a party animal.

Madeline Island

2011-08-18T09:22:00.006-05:00

A few photos to tide you over before my full account...

Visit

2011-08-12T11:57:00.003-05:00

Had a lovely visit with Peder & Sarah yesterday. It's difficult when there's 4 kids under age 4 running amok, but they understand how to hold a conversation with on ear/eye on the subject, & the other watching for the toddler who is obsessed with running over to the tallest, steepest slide at the park. I long for days with lengthy conversations that are uninterrupted because dang, I think of SO MANY THINGS I wanted to talk about/ask them after the fact but my brain, while is pretty good at multi-tasking, isn't THAT good.

It was fun though to see our kids play 'together.' For the most part. The boys are still very much in their own world & Dahlia's speed is a little less than Relia's but thankfully they all got along! It's so nice to see old friends & be able to hang out as if no time had passed.

Oh & after talking to Peder, I wrote again at 750words. I had crapped out of the monthly challenge last week (I blame the fancy tea party) but I got back in the saddle & wrote, & it felt good. THANKS Peder!

Balloon Art

2011-08-08T15:07:00.001-05:00

And now for something completely different....check out this awesome site where the artist/designer uses balloons for amazing creations including some pretty incredible haute couture! Wow!

Tea Party Success

2011-08-05T13:17:00.006-05:00

Well, that was fun!

Dahlia & I threw a "fancy tea party" (ala "Fancy Nancy") for Trudy & Maud this afternoon. It turned out really sweet. I was thinking of not doing it this week as I was totally unprepared but since Maud leaves on Sunday, I thought it would be fun to have her too, so we just said - screw it! And threw it together!

Dahlia decorated butterfly placemats & also our cups for lemonade (or milk if you think lemonade is the devil). We hung up the Princess (fancy!) bunting from her birthday party & put fresh flowers on the table. We did not have any tea.

Our menu consisted of apple streudel bites, quiche Lorraine, strawberries/bananas/blueberries & cream puffs! Yum. Dahlia licked all of the cream out of her puffs. Not very ladylike but who can blame her! I was so proud of her. She acted like a little lady & contributed to the conversation (so dang cute) & was as animated (& totally random) as ever.

It was a nice little tea party - fun to do something different with some really wonderful ladies. AND Grandma Trudy took Dahlia with her when she left - whohoo! Suddenly an unexpected afternoon of (almost) freedom! What to do, what to do! (nap? read? work on some sort of project? clean?)

Tonight we're going out for dinner with Bertil, Maud, Trudy & Roger and nO KIDS! I'm very excited about eating an entire meal in one sitting, not having to get up to go to the bathroom once (let alone 8-9 times), not stooping to pick anything up off the floor. I cannot wait!

Fancy Tea Party

2011-08-05T09:00:00.002-05:00

Today Dahlia & I are hosting a "Fancy Tea Party." My step-mother-in-law (Dahlia's Grandma Trudy) & our Swedish cousin Maude will be attending. I'm making a quiche & we've decorated the front porch & some placemats. I plan on wearing a tiara - why wouldn't I? We'll have lemonade, but likely no tea because I don't think anyone here drinks it! ha!

Looking forward to it. Hope I get everything done in time!

Photos to come soon!

Thwarted!

2011-08-03T10:29:00.001-05:00

Got my desk cleared off (miracle!)
Got my lap top, external hard drive & video camera connected so I can FINALLY dump the video from our camera (since AUGUST IS WALKING now!)
Can't get the video camera to show up on the computer = can't do ANYTHING.

Argh.

Writing

2011-08-02T15:50:00.001-05:00

I'm attempting to complete the August Challenge over at 750words. I haven't written over there for AGES (even though I get a friendly reminder every day to to so!)...but I thought I would try to spew out some of my thoughts on the computer as I'm not very good at doing it in my journal. I'll likely not be able to complete the month & then be on the wall of shame, but it's good to have goals right? I think the stats & the metadata collected are fantastic & so very interesting. I'd like to see how things look after I write for several days in a row.

Daily Dose...

2011-07-27T08:58:00.001-05:00

A new update....let me know if you want/need access.

Quick Update

2011-07-26T22:06:00.005-05:00

I ran into Gina today & she was wondering how my MIL is doing - so I thought I should update (Hi Gina! Boy that show at the library was WAY TOO LONG for my kiddos - sheesh!). Anyhooo....

Carolyn is making tremendous progress! She's out of the ICU & is actually moving 'down' a level of care tomorrow to another room. Yay! She is off the ventilator, off the feeding tube, & off something else, which I can't remember.

Yesterday I took the kids & she was very alert, responsive, smiled a lot & even said a few words. They're hard to understand because she still has the trach in, but some of them I could make out. Both kids sat on the bed with her (one at a time) & she had the best reactions/responses that the nurse said she's seen yet! I think I need to take them more often (it's sad but true, but it is a PITA taking both kids to the hospital by myself. Luckily Grandpa Roger was there to help out).

She does OT & PT at least once a day & they're really talking about getting her ready to move to the rehab facility. It's probably a couple of weeks off but those are such encouraging words! 4 weeks ago we really didn't know if she would recover at all...and so far she has done amazingly well!

We still *don't know* what the outcome will be - we know that the recovery road is a long & tough one & that we all have to have patience & lots of love. I'm so happy to know that she's still with us - in more ways than one & am so looking forward to her recovery!

She has a Caring Bridge site if anyone wants it - I try to post updates there when I have them. It always warms the heart when we see people are checking in & leaving messages. I'm sure Carolyn will enjoy getting those messages someday too!

Thanks for all your well wishes & prayers, I do believe they work!

In the Pursuit of Trivia

2011-07-25T09:07:00.004-05:00

A couple weeks ago (yes, I'm terribly far behind in updates) a group of my good high school friends got together to play Trivial Pursuit. Ah yes, the nerdiness of my life continues as this is probably the most fun I could ever have at a bar.

I missed the "family" portion of the day, due to having to attend a funeral, BUT, was able to make it for the adult festivities.

Peder, Sarah, Laurie, Holly, Meigan & Jackie were all there (a couple of spouses/SO's too) to enjoy the classic 1984 (right?) version of the game. Many questions/answers had to be read/given with that caveat - "...in 1984" but it was a blast.

The only one we were missing was Kate. But I know it can be a long trek to Minneapolis - especially when you're sick! We missed you Kate!!

Laurie, her husband Pete & I were on the same team, which at first the others were opposed to. Laurie & I used to play TP every day after school while consuming massive amounts of diet coke & oreos. Ah high school! We didn't win, but we did pull a few random answers out of our...well, you know & it was so fun. Sadly, Laurie's daughter had gotten into the cards a few years earlier so they were no longer in numerical order (yes, Laurie & I also put all the cards into numerical order, something that still appeals to the Virgo in me).

I believe Peder, Sarah & Meigan won - well, we didn't actually *finish* the game, but we were close.

I wish that I lived closer because I would love to organize a monthly TP game. What a wonderful way to spend time with friends. By the end of the night, it was so dim in there (that's what I'm blaming it on, NOT age), it was hard for us to tell the colors - particularly orange & pink. Luckily for the flashlights on smart phones we were able to make it through!

Oh and if you don't know TOPPER was the big winner for the evening. I believe it was some TV show in the 50's involving some sort of whiskey bearing St. Bernard. Yeah, none of us had heard of it either but it kept making appearances in our game!

Homemade: Dishwasher Detergent

2011-07-21T08:25:00.003-05:00

While continuing my kick of homemade, less chemical, more natural, cheaper cleaning alternatives, I came across a recipe for dishwasher detergent on Pinterest. While I didn't love that this recipe used a citric drink mix, I searched and found another that used straight up citric acid instead. The recipe (& an awesome DIY natural site) is here.

The Recipe:

1 C. Borax
1 C. Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (Sodium Carbonate)
1/2 C. Citric Acid
1/2 C. Kosher salt

You can use white vinegar as the rinse agent.

So far so good! We've had pretty good luck with this concoction. The glasses aren't as clear as I'd like them to be, so I think next time I'll add a little more citric acid. I also haven't used the vinegar yet as I've never used a rinsing agent, but I think I will from now on.

We mixed up the batch - enough to fill a 1 gallon ice cream tub. I think we'll have enough for a LOOOONG time. You only need to use 1 Tbsp per load.

The washing soda, borax (both great for homemade laundry soap) can be found in the laundry aisle at a grocery store (Cub had them), the kosher salt in the baking aisle & the citric acid was found at a local liquor store that sells brewing supplies. The cost for the citric was $4.50/lb. You can also buy it online at places like Amazon.

All in all, I guess this costs about $.05 a load! Sold!

Anyone else concocting their own homemade recipes?

This Week's Meal Plan!

2011-07-18T09:55:00.004-05:00

Yay - trying to get back in the groove. Have GOT to be healthier & more organized...

Here goes:

What's Carrie Cooking

Fiesta Chicken
Hummus & Veggies
Honey-Fried Walleye
Chicken with Sweet Potatoes & Cauliflower

So Many Updates, So Little Time!

2011-07-18T09:15:00.002-05:00

I have lots of fun things to blog about - an awesome Trivial Pursuit night with old friends, a week in Austin with my parents including Teddy Bear picnics, puppet shows, HEAT, kiddie pools, good food, puzzles & wine; my class reunion, coming home again...but right now a quick update about Carolyn.

We stopped to see her at the hospital last night. It has been 3 weeks ago today (!) that she had her hemorrhage. She is doing AMAZING. The doctor yesterday said that her progress is "tremendous." He was very upbeat about her recovery. She is now out of ICU & is off the ventilator. She has her eyes open & can make eye contact, hold hands, 'react' in general. She's still not speaking as the trach makes it virtually impossible for her to do so but she has mouthed words. These are amazing signs!! She is doing occupational & physical therapy already & will likely soon move into the rehab facility at Miller-Dwan.

We still don't know the extent of the damage that was done, but compared to what we were hearing a week ago, the prognosis is about a million times better.

Thank you everyone for your good wishes & prayers, I really do believe it all helps!

Distractions

2011-06-30T13:53:00.003-05:00

Because I am in need of some serious distractions (not really anything new to report, btw), I have become addicted to the website Pinterest in a very short amount of time. It's like having an online "design board" or "idea board." You can create categories & 'pin' different photos, ideas, books, projects, things you love, etc...It's so fun to look through the things that people have pinned (& you can "re-pin" them). I am so inspired to make several things RIGHT NOW which is not at all practical...but like I said a very good distraction.

If you're interested - check it out!

48 Hours

2011-06-29T16:18:00.004-05:00

So we've just passed the 48 hour mark after Carolyn's brain injury. Not much new to report. She is still in critical condition. They take her off the sedation every few hours or so to do some assessments & today 2 of the 3 tests have been very encouraging. She's able to follow commands (ie: wiggle your toes). These are very positive signs as it shows brain functionality, cognitive ability, etc.

I have to be some optimistic about this. I simply cannot imagine her NOT recovering. The logical side of me knows that that MAY happen, but right now I have to cling to hope.

(photo from Easter 2011)

I set up a CaringBridge site for her.

Please keep those prayers coming!

Carolyn

2011-06-28T00:22:00.002-05:00

My Mother-in-Law Carolyn had a massive brain hemorrhage today. We don't know a lot yet, but it is "dire" in the words of the doctors. She had a lot of bleeding & a long surgery. She was still sedated & they want to keep her calm so that things can heal a bit. They're looking for "movement' right now - ie: pupils dialating, helping the ventilator with breaths, etc to determine what the extent of the damage is to her brain.

Obviously our family is heartbroken. She is a rock & pillar to many & this news is very devastating. All I can think about is Dahlia - she & Dahlia are very close & trying to explain all this to her breaks my heart even more.

Please keep her in your thoughts & prayers. I do believe that all of them & other assorted good vibes from the universe, warm fuzzies, positive energy - whatever - WORKS. I will update when I know more.

Midsummer Festival!

2011-06-27T13:05:00.005-05:00

We had a wonderful weekend at the Mesaba Co-Op Park celebrating Juhannus or Midsummer. It's a place & a festival we'd never heard of before a few weeks ago when twice in the same day it was mentioned to us. Once to me by friends & once to Steve by our neighbor (who happens to be on the board & very involved). Turns out they all know each other quite well. Crazy.

I'll spare you the details about the park (you can read a bit more about it here) & just say that it's unique to say the least. A bit like summer camp for adults as GTR said (she was there with her family too - first time she'd be there!) There were activities for young & old; potlucks & meals served in the mess hall; great music for dancing; open stage, yoga, sustainability workshops, fairy house building & the most enormous bonfire I have ever seen. We brought food & we also ate at the mess hall (we weren't quite sure what to expect). How easy though to not REALLY have to prepare any food (or clean up at a campsite?). We pitched our tents near our friends & it was just really a lot of fun. The first night after setting up we sort of just hung out at the site & explored a bit. Steve took Dahlia swimming. We went to hear the music & August quite literally STOLE the show with his dancing moves. Everyone was so into him. He was, I will admit, ridiculously adorable. He really can dance! I got lots of extra steps that evening on my FitBit due to trying to keep up with him & Dahlia. After the band was done, one of the musicians came up to Steve & told him that watching him out there dancing was the pinnacle of his performing career & brought tears to his eyes! He remembers his own kids dancing like that & he was really overcome! Wow. The sleeping that night was abysmal. Terrible. Gah. The kids didn't go to bed all that well, & they certainly didn't sleep all that well. When I went in the tent around 10 or so (?) August had moved right to the door & was asleep on the floor. Dahlia was sideways on the air mattress. The sweet girl had brought his blanket to him & covered him up as he had crawled to the door. Very nice. But then I have to navigate those two. ugh. It was awful. I didn't sleep very well at all. And it was light by about 4am - the BIRDS were crazy loud. And we were relatively close to the Hibbing airport so all (early) morning there were planes & helicopters we could hear. What the heck? I almost considered driving home that day & picking Steve up the next day - but we hung in there (and it got much better).

The kids & I went off to make fairy houses. It was pretty fun. I could get into doing more of that. :) Dahlia also spent a lot of time with the other kids. There were 2 babysitters who watched the little ones. They had some activities planned & it gave the adults time to relax or do other things. In short - IT ROCKED. Dahlia loved it too. There were lots of little friends for her to play with.

I could not for the LIFE of me get August to take a nap. He was so crabby. We finally decided that since we needed ice anyway, we'd take a drive to see if he'd fall asleep. Well, they BOTH fell asleep - it was great. We drove up to Hibbing over to Chisholm & back to the park. Oh with a stop at McDonald's for some ice cream (Dahlia woke up).

That afternoon Steve took August on a little hike, Dahlia played with the kids & did the treasure hunt, & I had about 30 minutes to sit in the hammock. yay! Next up was the MayPole - which ROCKED. It was so cool. I'd never participated in one before & it was very very cool.

Supper was a traditional Finnish meal (which, eh...was not my favorite - however the lamb stew was great). More music & dancing followed that. We hung out at the campsite after that & put the kids to bed (SO MUCH BETTER than the night before). We skipped out on the 2nd part of the dance but did go down to see them pull a bonfire on a raft out to the lake (cool) & then the GIGANTIC bonfire. You could feel the heat from that a long ways away.

I went to bed after that. Sleep was about a hundred times better that night. Thank goodness.

Sunday we did more playing & packing up. It's always a bit sad when a weekend like that comes to an end but I was ready to go home too. Camping with 2 little ones is very difficult!

We managed to sneak in a quick paddle before hitting the road. The kids (& I) slept all the way home! Last night was early baths, early dinner & early bed night!

It was a weekend full of great weather, new friends & LOTS of bug bites. Ah well, summer in Minnesota.

Unplugged

2011-06-24T09:14:00.001-05:00

Well, internet, it has finally arrived.

Our first camping foray as a family of four. I'm excited (but man I hate packing).

I will be out of the wired-world for a few days to return with many happy stories, lasting memories, new friends & oodles of photos.

Maybe a little sunshine on my cheeks & a few mosquito bites too.

Have a great weekend!

WIP's (Works in Progress)

2011-06-23T08:56:00.003-05:00

Project: Sling Bag
Start Date: Fall 2009 (?)
Status: Incomplete

Using the awesome "Shrek" inspired yarn which I've had since I did a knitting swap back in the fall of 2006 (!), I decided to make this bag for myself. Something I've yet to do! And of course I have yet to finish! I need to finish knitting the strap (not pictured), felt bag & strap, line & make decorative flowers. Ha. At this rate I should be done by 2016.

Project: Boyfriend (Husband) Scarf
Start Date: November 2010
Intended Completion Date: Christmas 2010
Status: ALMOST completed
Whatever made me think I could start such a thick scarf on such small needles in November & be done in December. I guess I AM an optimist. I gave this to Steve for Christmas anyway - on needles - & have worked on it pretty much exclusively at Stitch & Bitch for the past 5 months. I finished a few weeks ago! Whohoo! But I still need to weave in the ends...by NEXT Christmas it will be done for sure....

Project: Vintage Baby Blanket
Start Date: January 2010
Intended Completion Date: Before August turned 1 (fail)
Status: 75% completed
Remember this one? I had such high hopes. This was really fun to knit. All the bright colors, the multiple block patterns which kept things interesting. It was an easy project to take along places because you could just work one color. This pattern taught me how to "read" a visual pattern. I wish it was done. All I have left to do is finish stitching the blocks together & crochet around the edge...except I don't know how to crochet so...there's that. Ah well. My goal now is by August Age 2. Wish me luck!

Anyone else dealing with a stack of WIP's?

Summer Solstice 2011

2011-06-22T09:35:00.007-05:00

Things sometimes don't turn out how you want them to. And sometimes that's okay. It's not the usual, just different. Our Solstice Celebration at least happened this year, so I think we came out on the 'win' side of things.

Carolyn came over to watch the kids - fed them, played, got them ready for bed, which in and of itself is cause for celebration. Grandpa Roger even came over for a little bit upon Dahlia's request.

Steve & I headed out for happy hour. We ended up going to the bar at the Radisson (Bowery Brothers, I think its called) because I simply HAD to have the Cauliflower Fritters. The last time we went there, they were OUT (!) and that was a huge disappointment. They did not let me down. Yum.
Then off to the theater where we 'checked in' using our FourSquare apps on our phones to each score a free popcorn. That coupled with the wine we sneaked in made for a cheap night of refreshments. (Shhhh, don't tell).
We saw MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, which I absolutely loved. I adore Owen Wilson & he did not disappoint. Such a fun film - makes me want to go to Europe, makes me want to catch up on my literature, reinforces my favorite time period of (theater) history which was 1920's Paris (the film deals more with writers, but it all ties together...they all hung out together). The Cole Porter music took me back to the summer of '93 when I did Stock in Ohio, the dialogue was funny, clever & the scenery was lovely. *sigh* I need to go to more movies. They make me so happy.

Afterward we strolled briefly on the Lakewalk. We were determined to make it to the lakeshore (sort of). It was cold, rainy & windy but we did it anyway, damnit! The waves were big, there were no people out, & we definitely didn't get to enjoy sunshine til 9pm. Oh well. Maybe next year.
I did thoroughly enjoy my date night with my husband. We were home by about 9:30 & devoured a frozen pizza we picked up on the way (because as much as I love them, the Cauliflower Fritters don't make too filling of a meal).

All in all, a different, but not bad, way to have a Solstice.

Okay, Mother Nature, now please TURN UP THE HEAT!

Summer Solstice!

2011-06-21T09:29:00.003-05:00

Today is the Solstice...I believe at 5:16pm or something. Exactly.

But it's not very summery.

With highs only in the 40's & 50's (WHAT?) & rain & wind, it's pretty hard to be in the spirit of the season. On our longest day of the year when it *should* be light until 11pm (well, light-ish), we won't be able to enjoy it because it'll be cloudy & dark. Hmph.

AND we had a babysitter lined up for tonight - had her in place for probably over a month...but I sort of dropped the ball & didn't talk to her until last night & now she's not available. Argh.

Well, we're going to make the best of it. Steve & I are going out anyway! Carolyn's going to come down to watch the kids, we're going to have happy hour & then possibly go to a movie. I'd love to be hiking out West on the SHT, but it's just not going to happen this year. Ah well, next year?

Luckily we took a little family hike to the creek after supper last night.

On a roll...

2011-06-20T08:18:00.002-05:00

Wisconsin themed postcards going out today.

Real posts...coming soon.

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T11:35:00.003-05:00

Project Postcard: #60

2011-06-18T11:51:00.004-05:00

I'm still sending postcards and today have hit #60! Whohooo!

The latest batch includes beauties from Cutty's campground in Des Moines, IA; some lovely lady divers from Korea; Cypress Gardens from my visit there in 1979 (!) and a totally random Model A (I think?) that I believe lived for a short time on the set of Riley. We took it down because, what the heck?

Fear not...I am far from running out so if you haven't gotten one lately, it's likely that you will get one soon. IF I have your address, of course....

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!

2011-06-17T21:49:00.001-05:00

After SEVEN years...I've changed the look of my blog.

1. How can it be that I've been keeping up with a project for 7 YEARS? Yay for me! I'm kind of proud of myself.

2. How could it have taken me SEVEN YEARS!?

3. I've enlisted some help (you know who you are) but haven't gotten around to actually figuring anything out- hopefully soon (July 9?)...I'm just playing with templates right now that ACTUALLY work for the first time in months.

4. This is actually how I spend a Friday night. I'm still standing at the computer in the kitchen. I am officially lame.

5. I'm actually not sure more than 1 or 2 of you still actually READ the blog so if you do - leave me some comment love for crying out loud!

6. Good night (see item #4. Officially lame.)

Daily Dose of Dahlia & All About August

2011-06-17T19:08:00.001-05:00

A few updates...finally...over here....

*email me if you want access & you don't have it.

Homemade: Laundry Soap

2011-06-15T14:57:00.003-05:00

My friend Lindsay posted this recipe for laundry soap a while back. It coincided perfectly with a scary presentation we had at ECFE about chemicals in all of our products & how toxic the environment is. So, I thought now is the time to break my addiction to TIDE (oh how I love thee!!). Plus its ridiculously cheap to make. And that fits into my budget right now.

Here's the recipe:

1 bar Fels-Naptha soap (found in the laundry soap section)
1 c. Arm & Hammer WASHING Soda (Not baking soda!! Also found in the cleaner/laundry section)
1/2 c. Borax (same section)
5 gallon bucket
Clean, empty laundry detergent container
Essential Oils (optional)

1.Grate the bar of soap and throw it in a saucepan with 4 c. water over med-high heat. Stir until all the soap is melted.
2. Fill the 5 gallon bucket half full with hot water.
3. Add the melted soap/water, washing soda and borax to the 5 gallon bucket.
4. Fill the bucket the rest of the way up with water. Give it a whirl, cover and let it sit overnight to thicken.

The next morning fill your empty laundry detergent container half full with the soap mixture. Fill it the rest of the way up with water. Add 10-15 drops of essential oil if you so desire.

And there you have it, homemade laundry detergent! 10 gallons worth once it's all said and done. Make sure to shake it before each use as it kind of gels up. In our HE machine we use ~ 1/4 c per load [which is to about line #2 in an old Tide cap).

I haven't put any essential oils in ours as I'm a pretty big fan of scent free EVERYTHING. But Steve likes a little scent on his laundry so I may make a bottle of scented to use when we want/desire.

This makes a TON of laundry soap. I mean, a lot. And we do a lot of laundry so this should keep us going for quite some time. My friend Sarah & I half-way figured out how many loads - 500-ish? Probably more. We got sick of doing math at some point & gave up.

Next up - homemade shower cleaner & dishwasher detergent!

Riley!

2011-06-14T15:56:00.003-05:00

So I had a screening of my film last night - and it was fun! We had a couple of "sold out" shows - and by 'sold out' I mean that our RSVP list for each was full a couple of days before the event. We were taking donations so it wasn't like people were purchasing tickets, but it was good to get an idea of how many people would show. We have been VERY disappointed in the past.

I overbooked the theater so luckily we had a few cancellations yesterday - whew! I think everyone who wanted to get in to the 7:15 show did. No one was turned away. We were full for the early show & about 80% for the 2nd show - I'll take it!

It was FUN to watch the film with an audience. FRESH EYES. Eyes that are not related to me by blood or marriage. Eyes that were not simply pre-biased because of our friendships (although lots of those too!). One of my biggest fears going into last night was that people would be disappointed. We worked hard to make this a beautiful, lovely, film and when you put yourself out there, there's always a chance that you will be hurt. Luckily to this point those who did not like have kept their mouths shut. At least to me. And the general FaceBook world.

We've always called RILEY a "romantic comedy" but about 6 months ago Jason & I felt that the film was no longer funny. We'd stripped away so much in the edit that basically it was more romance + drama...with a little comedy. Well, I think we were wrong. I think we had just seen the film WAY TOO MANY TIMES to even remember because the audiences LAUGHED! And they laughed in the right places, and this put a big smile on my face.

The whole process of making RILEY was one of the toughest things I've ever done in my life. It was not all that pleasant. I felt bad...a lot. I felt frustrated, angry and helpless a lot. I felt useless. Spineless. I have learned...a lot. About myself. And so last night when I had an epiphany during the first screening - it was pretty darn cool. I'm NOT a bad director, I'm simply an inexperienced one. I'm not LAZY, I'm overbooked. My ideas are not ridiculous, in fact, they are often spot on. I need to be more confident. I need to stick to my guns. I COULD do this again. I WOULD have a different crew (not entirely...but definitely specifically).

Bubbling with excitement about this new thought (before this I pretty much considered my film career over), I had a really nice conversation with our insanely talented director of photography. I really like working with him. He knows all the technical stuff that I do not, he is mellow, he is nice, he takes really beautiful pictures, and he owns his own camera package. And I really like working with him. He likes working with me too...

You never know....

Survival

2011-06-10T22:20:00.003-05:00

My Aunt Charlotte (my Dad's oldest sister) was in a pretty bad rollover car accident yesterday morning. She was driving back to California after a visit to MN for her Granddaughter's & nephew's (my first-cousin-once-removed & my cousin) graduation & to spend time wiht family. On the way home, near Sioux Falls, SD she fell asleep at the wheel, over-corrected & then rolled.

Very very lucky she survived.

She has numerous injuries, including- broken ankles, leg(s?), broken ribs, broken collar bone, dislocated shoulder, numerous lacerations, skin on one hand nearly gone....more, but I just don't know quite what.

It could be worse, there have been no signs of brain injury, but holy cow, this will take a while to recover from.

Please send your prayers her way. Thanks

Sold Out!

2011-06-08T10:57:00.004-05:00

Our 7:15pm screening is SOLD OUT - whohoo! And by "sold out" I mean the RSVP list is filled. That's not to say that many people who RSVP never turn up, but hopefully enough other people will come & fill those slots. It's a small theater, but who cares! People will see the film! Yeah!

Still spots available at 9:15...so if you want to come & take a sneak peek - let me know!

Weekend by Numbers

2011-06-06T09:30:00.002-05:00

1 - Box of Cheerios dumped all over the floor

3 - Number of nieces/nephews turning 4 this weekend

300+ - miles driven to attend the fabulous Triplets' Birthday Party (& back)

1 - radio interview given

32 - Impatiens planted

2 - margaritas consumed

7 - skinned knees, toes, bumped heads

20,385 - steps taken (post about my awesome new pedometer coming soon!)

1 - very fun weekend

...of Frogs & Princesses

2011-06-04T23:05:00.003-05:00

My incredibly talented & creative sister pulled off a lovely "Princess & Frog" themed birthday party for the triplets today. They will be FOUR on Tuesday. What? How can this be...anyway, I digress...
Not only were there lavender frosted red velvet Princess cupcakes & bug eyed frog cupcakes, there was a platter filled with fantastic green fruits & another with green-only veggies (what a great idea!). There were cake pops (need to make these!) and "Frog's Eye" salad.

Green & Lavender balloons & decorations everywhere. The goodie bags were similarly fantastically themed (little frogs, crowns, wands, princess fruit snacks, etc). It was great!

Dahlia & August had a great time celebrating the birthday with their cousins! Now hopefully we can all get a good night's sleep!!

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-06-03T09:35:00.004-05:00

Curly Slide = Pure Joy

Cousins

Family

Bonfire Discussions (& more family)

First S'mores

Mr. Beautiful Blue Eyes

*Other words used to describe the weekend: playground, rocks, ticks, graduation, photographs, mosquitoes, rain & did I mention family?

The Life of Riley - Trailer!

2011-06-01T21:57:00.001-05:00

So we have a screening of THE LIFE OF RILEY, well a "sneak peek" as it were, coming up on Monday, June 13th. If you're in town, please come. I would love love love to see you. I'm very proud of this piece & am looking forward to showing it to the world. If you're not in town, please consider coming too. That would blow my mind!

Self Portrait

2011-05-25T09:19:00.003-05:00

By Dahlia. (the one on the left. Steve drew the 'base' for the one on the right & Dahlia made it looks "more like Daddy." The yellow spot above her head is the sun, the gray spot is a cloud.)

Transportation Night

2011-05-24T19:31:00.005-05:00

Last night was the annual "Transportation Night" for ECFE. A night when any kind of vehicle that can, shows up in a church parking lot for all sorts of young kids to crawl all over, into, etc. There was a firetruck (HUGE hit), a police car, an RV, a garbage truck, a canoe (on wheels!), a tow truck, a MN Power bucket truck, a zamboni, the Hazmat truck, a school bus (also - HUGE HIT!). There were supposed to be more but due to the tornadoes in N. Mpls, a lot of the vehicles were out of the area. It didn't matter. Except for the fact that we were promised ponies which were a no-show (& I was stupid enough to mention it to get Dahlia out the door), the night was a success!

Dahlia's self-proclaimed favorite was the canoe. I'm so shocked....

My One Year Old

2011-05-23T16:11:00.006-05:00

August had his one-year well check-up today. He was in no mood for it.

I think mostly because it was at 11:15 and he's usually ready for a nap by 11. Ugh. He was antsy and squirmy; didn't want his milk, didn't not want his milk; didn't want to be held, didn't want to sit in the stroller, DID want to crawl around on the floor everywhere.

Big Sis was there to help and tried to keep him entertained with books, princesses and apple slices (begrudgingly on that last one).

And my boy is good - weighing in at 17lbs 15oz (1st percentile!) - and boy getting his weight was a struggle. He was in NO MOOD at ALL to be on that scale! Fun!! At least he didn't pee on me. He's 28 1/2" tall (7th percentile). He's still a peanut but he's proportional which is a good thing. She heard a slight heart murmur but she said it was "innocent." I asked about the pooping thing (oh yeah, so every time he poops, he screams. It's terribly sad and awful. I'm trying to 'soften' it up for him, but he's miserable, poor kid. I just don't want it to affect him later when he starts holding it in instead of going...ay yi yi) and she said to keep doing what we're doing (miralax every other day) but she's also going to ask the pedia-gastroentrologist (ha! you get the idea, right?) what he thinks & if she should be 'scoped' (gah!).

All in all my kid's doing good. He survived his vaccinations and his lead test (ugh, I hate that test too, poor kid) and has been VERY very crabby all day.

Mostly, I'm glad that he's a healthy, happy (usually) kid.

Gardening & Bubbles

2011-05-21T09:39:00.004-05:00

It was so beautiful yesterday.
We spent a couple hours out in the front yard, soaking up the sun & weeding the flower beds.The kids loved it. August 'shared' his new gardening tools with his sister & they both dug in the dirt (& um, one of them ate some dirt....)

It was also a fun day for bubbles as the wind picked up in the afternoon. Again August shared his new birthday bubbles with his big sister & they flew all over the yard, across the street, into the sky.It was a glorious, beautiful day.
I am so looking forward to more like it.
Sadly today is overcast & rain is threatening so...our plans of planting flowers may have to be on hold.
Mostly I'm excited that this summer both kids will be old enough to really enjoy being outside.
And because August is so close to walking, his poor little knees won't take such a beating.
Regardless, this summer promises to hold more fun that last summer - the summer of no sleep & a colicky baby. Bring it on!!

Oh and we have to get more bubbles. Even after repeated "please be careful" comments to Dahlia she managed to tip them over & spill them on the sidewalk. Which brought many tears and "I'm so sorry's" Poor kid. But dang, those were "good" bubbles. There is a little left...we'll save them for another sunny day!

Spring

2011-05-20T11:06:00.003-05:00

Finally a few nice days of spring-like weather in a row. I'm in heaven. I've been taking the kids for walks each day, getting outside as much as possible. And I'm having oh so much fun with the new camera.

Feet

2011-05-19T16:46:00.003-05:00