One-Hip-Mom

5 Years

2012-01-29T18:01:00.000-05:00

Happy 5th Birthday to the Sweetest Gal I know!

We Bought It!

2012-01-26T12:03:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure where we'll go with it, but it's ours now!

Where to Start

2012-01-15T09:01:00.000-05:00

This past fall was one of THE busiest times EVER.
The etsy shop took off; bigger than our wildest dreams.
It kept us all busy. My Mom, Archie and myself all learned how to work together.
To fill orders and sew, sew, sew.
Our busiest day had us sewing 54 camera strap covers.
Add that to caring for 4 crazy kids, the holidays and a college class and
well, you can see how the BLOG might get neglected.

But it was a wonderful time. The kids are all doing well in school.
Silas is in middle school. He is first chair baritone, but just tried out for percussion and is awaiting word to see if he makes it. We've joined the ranks of families paying the high cost of braces.

Gavin is as jovial and happy as ever. He still makes friends easily and loves being active. His biggest hurdle at the moment is learning his times tables. We're up to 5s now!

Amelia and Tucker are both loving preschool. They are really the best of friends. It's going to be hard on Tuck when she goes off to Kindergarten in the fall. (I know, I can't believe it either)!

I am still in school to be a nurse. My next class is Anatomy and Physiology II. I have a lab on Saturday mornings (yuck) and we have to dissect a cat (double yuck), but what can you do?

I hope to be able to check in here more often and read some of my favorite blogs.
In the meantime, Merry belated Christmas!

Babble

2011-11-06T08:28:00.000-05:00

The etsy shop has been nominated to Babble's

TOP Etsy Moms of 2011.

We'd appreciate your vote.

At last glance, we were up to number EIGHT!

No Pro

2011-09-15T19:06:00.001-04:00

but when friends of the family ask me to take pictures for them ...

I can't say no.

I always forewarn to keep expectations low and

to remember that I'm no pro.

My first set of engagement pictures for a super sweet couple.

A few of my favs ...

I really need to work on getting Photoshop down.
All of these shots are unedited.

Last but NOT Least

2011-09-13T17:37:00.000-04:00

The final travel blanket for Silas.

It was finished in time,

it was not photographed in a timely manner.

Firsts

2011-09-11T22:38:00.000-04:00

These past few weeks have been full of back to school;

back to soccer; back to no free time.

All of the kids were pretty excited about going back to school.

Or for one little fella going to school for the very first time.

3rd grade ... 6th grade (middle school) ... preschool ... preschool

Waiting

2011-09-07T13:01:00.000-04:00

for the sun to shine so I can take pictures of new products.

Here's a preview ...

I also sponsored a prize for a local (NC) Photo Class.

All of the participants got discount cards to the shop.

I thought that they turned out pretty cute.

Life's A Beach

2011-09-06T09:45:00.000-04:00

The yearly beach trip was amazing.

We're one of those families that could thrive living at the beach.

The sand, the surf, the sun ... it flows through our veins.


We could NOT get this kid out of the water. Even three sharks being spotted didn't deter him.

Love those sandy fingers

One of my favorites

Sandy toes

People ask me how I get all 4 to cooperate. I bribe them. 2 words - ice. cream.

They don't all turn out quite so good.

We ran into a few "professionals" and had to wait our turn on the dunes.

They all refused to smile.

Until Daddy got involved.

then they couldn't STOP laughing

2 peas in a pod

Talking Shop

2011-08-31T16:30:00.000-04:00

The ETSY shop has really taken off as of late.

I am very thankful.

I can't keep my wheels from turning though and want to do more with it.

I was thinking of adding passport covers to the shop to go along with the

strap covers, lens luggage and point and shoot straps.

I like staying in the camera genre, but I think that I've gone as far as I can with that.

Would it be weird to add un-camera like things?

New SALE section at the shop!

And new designs added daily.

(I found some YUMMY fabric this week!)

Also use code laborday11 to save 10% through September 5th!

love.

2011-08-28T23:08:00.000-04:00

I get asked a lot if these two are twins.

They probably should have been.

Sometimes it feels like they are.

They love each other fiercely.

When one gets a snack, they always get something for the other.

It really touches my heart how much they love one another.

I can only hope that they carry that love to adulthood.

Soccer is for girls

2011-08-25T08:55:00.000-04:00

Otherwise they wouldn't make cute pink shin guards

and cleats with hearts on them.

Right?

Boy Scout Camp

2011-08-22T10:26:00.000-04:00

Silas went to boy scout camp this summer.

It was his first full week away from home.

It was a lot harder on mom,

but he had a blast.

I think that he learned a lot too.

They built a HUGE catapult and

he got to spend time with good friends

while making new ones.

Cue the music

2011-07-19T14:15:00.000-04:00

I found out long ago

It's a long way down the holiday road

Holiday road

Jack be nimble, Jack be quick

Take a ride on the West Coast kick

Holiday road

I'm not sure what inspired us to drive an additional day out West

on our yearly National Lampoon vacation, but I am glad we did.

This year's trip was almost 4,500 miles, From NC to MN and out to SD.

Some highlights ...

Lots of fun playing in the lake, catching minnows and enjoying sparklers.

There was a lot of flooding across ND.

We were pretty lucky to get across in some places.

Even trains had their share or flood related headaches.

Beautiful Buttes of ND.

Our favorite ...

bear butte

Belle Fourche, SD is the geographical center of the Nation.

And of course you couldn't miss those giant faces carved into a mountain.

Awe inspiring to say the least.

Which Weather?

2011-07-13T14:49:00.000-04:00

We just finished up with our third yearly trip to visit family in MN.

This year included a trek out to see Mt Rushmore and

drive the entire length of the state of North Dakota.

I am in love with North Dakota.

The rolling hills ... the open farmland.

It's extremely beautiful in it's simplicity.

I have a million pictures.

This first set shows the weather that we experienced while up North.

You can see HUGE thunderstorms rolling in from miles and miles away.

We've always been wild about crazy weather.

Slide -n- Slip

2011-06-28T15:01:00.000-04:00

Tucker's Turn

2011-06-01T12:53:00.000-04:00

Finished Tucker's blanket.

I really like the colors for his.

Something a little bit different.

He loves his owls.

Blanket Numero Two

2011-05-26T18:31:00.000-04:00

Gavin's blanket was next on the to-do list

mainly because I had all of his fabric in and cut.

I love the fabrics for his, but am not as happy with the layout.

Must be more diligent about placement.

Oh well, he loves it and

that's what matters most.

Tiny Dancer

2011-05-25T11:14:00.000-04:00

The Diva had her dance recital and she was super excited.

She did a great job and was very happy with her wee bouquet of flowers that Daddy gave her.

Her main squeeze. 

Taggies

2011-05-23T13:11:00.000-04:00

A few more taggie blankets for baby gifts.

A girlie one for Baby Amelia in MN

and a boy one for Baby Thor from our church.

My First Blanket

2011-05-21T18:04:00.000-04:00

Sometime a while back, I got this bright

idea to make each of the kids

their own blanket.

I searched the internets

for an easy to understand tutorial,

since this would be my first foray into

blanket crafting.

I came across this super neat

tutorial at Two Little Banshees

for a fat quarter blanket.

I highly recommend this project for folks new to sewing.

I finished Amelia's blanket first.

Stay tuned for 3 more!

(sorry for the dark pics, but it was evening)

Get Your Trike On

2011-05-18T12:33:00.000-04:00

Amelia's preschool hosts a

trike-a-thon

for a spring fundraiser every year.

This is a super neat way for the school to raise money,

the kids to be active

and the parents to not be stuck with the usual fundraising junk.

Her body language says it all here.

You can tell she's as pleased as punch!

Fortunate

2011-05-16T19:13:00.000-04:00

We are very fortunate to live close

to some really great parks and museums.

We've also been a part of a family-like

playgroup since Gavin was born.

So when you mix in good friends and good fun,

well ... the pictures kind of show it.

I am so tickled at this picture of Tucker

because this is 110% all him!

Where the Wild Things Are

2011-05-10T10:35:00.000-04:00

Over Spring Break we

took a family trip to the zoo.

This was the first time that we've been

since the babies were, well babies.

The kids loved all of the animals and for some reason the zoo was full of expecting moms or newly born babies.

The koala baby and the baboon baby were our two favorites.

The kids all loved the elephants.

Archie said that they smelled like a dairy barn.

They're called cows right?

The foliage was almost as interesting as the other wildlife.

At this zoo, they have

lorikeets that you can feed by hand.

Gavin is always able to get them to land on him.

Amelia isn't so lucky.

She waited for what seemed like hours for

a birdie to come to her.

Poor wee lamb.

It was a great day to have our wild bunch

meet the other wild things.

Waiting on an egg or eight

2011-05-07T14:52:00.000-04:00

We have 2 birdhouses in the yard that host 

the same family of birds every year.  

The little bluebird family is eagerly awaiting the arrival of

eight wee babies.  I never knew that birds laid so many eggs.

The eggs are so tiny and delicate and 

the most wonderful shade of blue.

Relay for Life

2011-05-04T12:42:00.000-04:00

Silas is walking in our town's Relay for Life.

Pretty cool for an 11 year old kid to support such a worthy cause.

If you would like to donate, this is his link:

He has a $200 goal and has raised $125.

Ruffle Top

2011-05-02T16:29:00.000-04:00

Latest bit of sewing ...

Ruffle Top!

Happy

2011-04-24T14:14:00.000-04:00

Easter

from our family to yours

Eight

2011-04-17T12:40:00.000-04:00

How can it be that 8 years have passed since this sweet baby boy came sliding into the world with his white hair and tanned skin?

When he was born, he looked like he'd been baking in a tanning bed for nine months instead of his mommy's womb.

8 years ... 8 whole years ...

Baby Gift

2011-04-14T13:43:00.000-04:00

Amelia and I are attending a baby shower on Saturday for a super sweet couple expecting a baby boy! I thought I would try my hand at a taggie blanket for the wee one.

I sweated through this one; my first round with minky, but boy is it adorable!

We Have Guests

2011-04-11T13:08:00.000-04:00

Can you tell what they are?

Living amongst our azaleas.

With numerous siblings.

Wee, tiny, baby praying mantis!

We're hoping they stick around until insect share day at preschool tomorrow.

(shh ... we have a back-up caterpillar just in case)

Fancy

2011-04-05T13:37:00.000-04:00

Some of Amelia's favorite books are tales of a little girl named Nancy.

Fancy Nancy.

So, I'm sure you can imagine my delight (and hers) at finding Fancy Nancy fabric ...

for some Fancy Nancy Pantsies!

Close up of the cuteness of shoes!

Mes Petites Mains Magazine

2011-04-04T09:10:00.000-04:00

Mes Petites Mains Magazine is an on-line craft magazine published entirely in French.

Last month, Aurélie contacted me about using the Charm Pack Tutorial from the BLOG in the magazine.

Of course I said YES!

It's out this month ... swing by and check it out.

It also some other GREAT tutorials for springy goodness.

Grumble

2011-04-01T13:35:00.001-04:00

Archie wanted the baby to get a 

"big boy haircut."

Please note that this was 

very MUCH against my better judgement.

sniff, sniff, sigh

Gift

2011-03-31T13:22:00.000-04:00

Somehow I've managed to squeeze in 

some fun sewing.

This is a gift for a sweet, 

soon-to-be one year old!

The Cherries Are a Blooming

2011-03-29T14:08:00.000-04:00

Lens Luggage

2011-03-28T11:16:00.000-04:00

New to the ETSY shop!

Lens Luggage to help protect 

your expensive lenses!

In cool matching styles.

Bernina Loves Me

2011-03-20T13:31:00.000-04:00

Erika from We All Sew contacted me last week about using my Children's Tool Belt Tutorial this week on their Free Stuff page! YEAH! I am super thrilled. Someone loves me!

My Birthday = Deal For You

2011-03-15T10:10:00.000-04:00

It's my birthday! 

Enjoy 3 days of savings with code  

BIRTHDAY16 at checkout. 

10% off your entire order!

A Strap Cover in a Giveaway

2011-03-14T09:18:00.000-04:00

Go here if you want to 
enter to win a camera strap cover 
from a diva and 3 dudes design!

spring is in the air

2011-03-08T10:03:00.000-05:00

out with the old

2011-03-02T09:30:00.000-05:00

We've had our old swing set since Silas was three. Needless to say, it was getting WAY too old and WAY too rickety so we decided to upgrade. I am proud to say that my ETSY sales paid for a brand new swing set for the babies. The big boys were big help in dismantling the old set and constructing the new set. With spring right around the corner, we've been able to enjoy it a bit already.

in only 3 years

2011-02-23T08:24:00.000-05:00

my last baby has grown from wee, squinchy newborn 

to strong, happy-go-lucky little man.

Happy 3rd Birthday Tucker Eli!

now that's what I call

2011-02-22T11:17:00.000-05:00

customer service

I am placing myself in a cone of safety.  Anything that I say can not be judged, criticized or frowned upon.

For Christmas this year, Archie really surprised me with a new iPod Touch.  We won't even talk about how sweet that thing is.  Let's talk about the customer service that apple provides.  Last Thursday, I dropped my touch.  It hit the step on the side and proceeded to grow an obscene black beard from the side of the screen.  YUCK  Archie took it to the UPS store on Friday to be boxed up and mailed to apple ... free of charge.  I received an e-mail yesterday (Monday) that they had received the Touch and they deemed it necessary to replace it with a brand new one.  Not talking about the fact that I was sweating bullets to see if they would even think about fixing it.  Never dreamed they'd send a new one.  Woke up to an e-mail this morning saying that FedEx would deliver that little darling today.  No lie, the truck rolls up at 10:00 am.  From UPS store to apple to me in all of 5 days (2 if you don't count the weekend AND the President's Day holiday)!!  Now that my friends is customer service!

Yes, I ordered a protective cover.

Let me tell you, there are a million to pick from.

With reviews that range from wouldn't wipe my bottom with it to it's so great it brings me lattes!

I went with this one ... a girl has to have stylish accessories!

on the cutting edge

2011-02-21T13:51:00.000-05:00

The past few weeks have been filled with cutting fabric.  LOTS of fabric and sewing.  The etsy shop has taken off beautifully.  It seems that I've found my niche.  I have a whole slew of new fabric coming in and I am super excited.  I also started a Facebook Page for the shop after some kindly advice from several other etsy folks.  So, join my there if you'd like! 

 A Diva and 3 Dudes Design

for the birds

2011-02-18T14:23:00.000-05:00

Amelia brought home a bird feeder that she had made at preschool.

I have never seen someone so excited to try something out.

She bugged her daddy all day, until he finally relented and they went to hang it up.

It took a long, long time, but finally a few birds found this wonderful prize and gobbled it up.

sewing

2011-02-16T13:05:00.001-05:00

I took a break from sewing mountains of camera strap covers to whip up this little cutie for Miss Amelie Grace.  

It is a SUPER cute pattern and really easy to follow.  

And named appropriately ...

the Amelia top!

Purchase your pattern here.

she

2011-02-14T14:08:00.000-05:00

she climbs up on my lap in the mornings

sleep still crusting her eyes

hair all askew from fitful sleep

she pops her thumb into her mouth

lovingly fingers her threadbare lovie

her breath gives a hint of sour morning breath; 

yet somehow sweet to me

i love you mommy

i love you too

Archie told me that he has been telling the kids for a while now that they need to make Mommy a Valentine card. Last night, while she was snuggled up to her daddy. She unpops that thumb from her mouth and says, "Daddy! I know what I'm going to make on Mommy's valentine! YOU! Because you love mommy and I want to give her something she loves." sigh ... what a sweetheart

not fun

2011-02-10T13:16:00.000-05:00

The babies and I have spent the last few weeks battling illness.

We were not made for battle.  No armor, no weapons, no anything.

So we've spent a lot of time cooped up ... sleeping and ...

watching movies and ... recuperating. 

you make me smile

2011-02-02T13:04:00.001-05:00

happy happy birthday to the sweetest, funniest 11 year-old i know

a little dab of pink in a sea of blue

2011-01-30T15:22:00.000-05:00

Happy 4th birthday to my sweet little diva.

My how time flies!

sometimes

2011-01-26T13:34:00.000-05:00

Sometimes it's very hard being a mom.

Like when your 10 year old back-talks or degrades his brother.

When the 7 year-old whines about this and that.

When the 2 babies make messes that can compare to the destruction of an F4 hurricane. You know those times.

But sometimes ... sometimes life throws you a sweet curve ball that reminds you why you do this day after day.

Don't hate me, but Tucker pretty much potty trained himself. I was dreading the day because for a long time, every time that I asked him if he wanted to use the potty, he would adamantly refuse. But the diapers ran out, he figured out what to do and hasn't looked back. Thank you for the small things!

When it Snows

2011-01-25T11:21:00.000-05:00

it Pours.

I know that many of you in the Northern states don't really see what's so great about copious amounts of snow, but when you rarely see it, it makes for a pretty big event.  We had a second round of snow that was fabulous.  A few of my favorite shots ...

Snowgirl

2011-01-12T09:06:00.000-05:00

Millie's new snowgirl outfit

and a perfect pair of shoes to match

Let it ...

2010-12-28T10:52:00.000-05:00

Snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

We enjoyed our first ever white Christmas. It was WONDERFUL!

I can't tell you how much we cherish the few snowfalls that we get here.

From Our Gingerbread Home to Yours!

2010-12-26T13:38:00.000-05:00

No pictures please ... it's not ready yet ... OK ... cheese!

A December Shower

2010-12-15T11:18:00.000-05:00

We did another bridal shower at church for a couple tying the knot on New Year's Eve.

The hot chocolate cupcakes were a hit. But the hour-long gift unwrapping was just too much for Amelia.

HOT CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Ingredients

* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup milk
* 2 cups confectioners' sugar
* 1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening
* 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons milk or water
* 1 1/4 cups mini marshmallows
* 3 candy canes

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line indents of a standard-size 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.

2. Cupcakes. In medium-size bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.

3. In large bowl, with mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy, 2 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla until fluffy, 1 minute. On low speed, beat in flour mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fill each cupcake liner two-thirds full (about 3 tablespoons of batter per liner).

4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Remove cupcakes
from pan to wire rack; let cool.

5. Topping. In medium-size bowl, with mixer on low speed, beat confectioners sugar, shortening and milk or water until smooth. Spread over cupcakes, about 2 tablespoons for each. Top each cupcake with 8 or 9 mini
marshmallows. With a serrated knife, cut wrapped candy canes into 2-inch pieces. Unwrap and tuck a piece into each cupcake.

Reindeer don't wear bows

2010-12-13T14:58:00.001-05:00

my latest non-camera strap cover project were some ruffle pants and reindeer shirt for a wee girlie's Christmas outfit. The pants pattern is from Noodles and Milk and the shirt tutorial is from here.

I was told that reindeer don't wear bows. Hmmmph!

Gavin's Take on Thanksgiving and Black Friday

2010-12-08T12:39:00.000-05:00

and ...

The Thick and Thin of It

2010-11-30T10:47:00.000-05:00

Every year, we go to the same adorable Christmas tree farm to find our special tree.

Every year, Archie and I have the same disagreement.

For me, the fatter and juicier a tree, the better.

For him, the thinner and straighter the tree, the better.

We somehow seem to compromise and pick a somewhat fat, somewhat thin tree.

This year was no exception.

And bless the warm hot chocolate and candy canes!

Quilt

2010-11-29T10:01:00.000-05:00

I have been very tempted to try a quilt. It's the one things that I've never sewn.

Chelsea from Pink Fig Designs is giving away 2 beautiful quilts and you can also download a free pattern.

Check it out!

Wow-We

2010-11-27T16:26:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that it has been over 2 weeks since I blogged. Yuck!

What have we been up to?

Amelia recovered quite well from having her tonsils removed. She didn't get that gaunt, half-dying look that Gavin got. Aside from the screams of "pain" while eating, she really didn't do half bad.

The boys and I spent a good bit of time outside so that Millie could rest.

The babies both got much needed haircuts ... and it finally started to look like fall.

We had a very yummy and happy Thanksgiving. Hope you and yours did as well!

On the Mend

2010-11-10T16:27:00.000-05:00

Amelia Grace had her tonsils out today.

She wooed the Drs and Nurses.

Scoffed at the complete lack of pink hospital accessories.

Refused to recover in a normal position (head on pillow, feet just so).

Wrapped herself a little tighter around her Daddy's heart (mine too).

She's a fighter.

She's already eaten chicken noodle soup and a chocolate popsicle.

She's slept almost all day.

I think she'll be ok.

2010-11-03T09:36:00.000-04:00

We had the Diva's very first parent teacher conference last night. It was a hoot; to say the least. Apparently Amelia has a tendency to talk too much during story time. She "helps" the teachers read the books and asks a lot of questions. This is not a bad thing. This is something that we deal with a lot at home. Heck, she can pretty much "read" Pinkalicious all by herself. Amelia is also very head strong. Hmmm ... you think? When she was being assessed by her teacher, there were several areas that she could not be gauged in because she told Miss Jennifer that "that's just silly. You know what that is." We know she knows this (her body parts), but I guess she can't be bothered with telling the teacher. What a diva.

I also caught her the other night out of bed; putting her Squinkies on a book by her night light, getting down really low to the ground and taking pictures of each one with her little 1 inch plastic purple camera. She even took the time to center each one in the view finder. I wonder where she gets THAT from?

Oh and t-minus 7 days until the BIG day.

Treats and Tricks

2010-11-01T10:47:00.000-04:00

The whole motley crew ...

Talking Tucker

2010-10-26T09:18:00.001-04:00

To say that Tucker is quirky is an understatement. He's loving, he's happy, he's sweet and he's EXTREMELY weird. Weird to the point that I wonder if something ELSE is up with him. By the time you've taught 120 something 5 year-olds and raised 3 kids, you should be able to identify if something is a little "off" with your baby.

Some examples:

He is insistent upon doing things himself and if he is not allowed to unlock the front door, put his arms in his sleeves, put the lid on the milk, climb onto the changing table, select his own silverware, open the door for anyone who is leaving, get out the toaster, etc then he pulls an all out meltdown. I know what you're thinking, he's trying to assert his independence. I've seen trying to assert your independence and this is beyond that.

If Tucker "loses" something, but knows where it is he completely freaks out. I'm talking on the verge of hyperventilating. Case in point, he dropped Amelia's Squinkie toy in a potted plant. He knew where it was, but could not get it. He wigged. One day he put one of Milli's hair clips down the air vent ... total freak fest. Terrible 2s? I don't think so.

Patience is not only a virtue when you're dealing with Tucker, it's a MUST. He wants to things on his own terms, on his own time. His brothers and sister have all learned how to deal with him. But I'm scared that when he goes to school, he won't interact well with others.

I know that something is off with him, but I can't quite put my finger on it. His Pediatrician and I will be having a LONG talk at his 3 year check up. I guess there is always something to worry about.

Fancy Pants

2010-10-24T13:57:00.000-04:00

I made Millie these adorable Halloween pants from a Noodles and Milk pattern. If you want a super cute, easy to use pattern, Noodles and Milk is your place for patterns!

Putting the Punks in Punkins

2010-10-19T15:41:00.000-04:00

A preschool trip to the pumpkin farm ...

Another Sad Feeling for My Heart

2010-10-13T08:30:00.000-04:00

Amelia is a snorer. I don't mean a dainty puff of a snore, I mean a giant roar of a snore. She must have gotten it from her Grandfather; there is no one else in our family that snores that substantially. Snoring isn't so bad unless it wakes you up through the night and prevents you from getting a good night's sleep. You wake up with dark circles under your eyes and feel bad the whole day. She also seems to have a shortness of breath when she sleeps. All of this led us down that familiar path to the ENT doctor who has deemed Amelia's tonsils SO large that they need to be removed. It seems like a minor thing, but when it's your baby being put to sleep and operated on; it is not minor at all.

I remember the hard 2 weeks we had with Gavin while he recovered and he's seemingly pretty tough. Not Millie; she's a marshmallow. Stubbed toes and minuscule scrapes call for band aids and lots of TLC. I can only imagine what healing from surgery will be like. If you are the praying type, say a small one for us in early November.

Costumes

2010-10-11T09:29:00.000-04:00

The big boys have store bought costumes this year.
Jason and a SWAT police officer ... BAH!

BUT I finished Amelia and Tucker's ...
Tinkerbell and Peter Pan!

I followed the tutorial here for Tucker's and improvised on Millie's ...

Fall Bridal Shower

2010-10-06T09:28:00.000-04:00

My cousin's daughter is getting married next month, so we hosted a fall bridal shower for her. Everything was a big hit including the mini caramel apples and mini pumpkin tarts.

I made a fireplace banner with their new last name. The pumpkin centerpiece was a huge hit.

Personalized cupcake picks with the bride's new initials.


Apple Punch

Apple Punch Recipe

(from AllRecipes.com)

1 (32 fluid ounce) bottle apple juice, chilled
1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen cranberry juice concentrate
1 cup orange juice
1 1/2 liters ginger ale
1 apple

Directions

In a large punch bowl, combine apple juice, cranberry juice concentrate and orange juice. Stir until dissolved, then slowly pour in the ginger ale.
Thinly slice the apple vertically, forming whole apple slices. Float apple slices on top of punch.

I sewed some flags in fabric that matched the fireplace banner. Veggie Bars - YUM!

Veggie Bars

2-8oz cans crescent rolls

2-8oz pkg. softened cream cheese

¼ c mayo

1 envelope Hidden Valley original salad dressing

1 med. green pepper, chopped

1-8oz pkg. shredded cheddar jack cheese

¾ c coarsely chopped broccoli

¾ c chopped mushrooms

¾ c chopped carrots

*You may also use or substitute onion, cauliflower, celery, or red pepper.

* Unroll crescent roll dough.

* Place in a lightly greased 15x10x1 in. jellyroll pan, pressing edges and perforations together to line the bottom of the pan.

* Bake at 350 for 7 mins. or until browned.

* Cool

* Combine softened cream cheese, mayo and ranch in mixing bowl.

* Beat with electric mixer on med until smooth.

* Spread evenly over crust.

*Combine veggies and shredded cheese, then sprinkle over cream cheese mixture.

* Cover and chill 8 hrs or longer.

* Cut into bars.

Mini PumpkinTarts

Mini Pumpkin Tarts

(from thriftyfun.com)

15 pack of mini phylo shells (I used Athens brand)
2/3 cup of Pumpkin from the can
1 cup Canned whipped cream (or whip your own cream).
1/3 of a box (a little over 1 oz) French vanilla pudding mix.
Pumpkin pie spice.

Take you mini phylo shells out of the freezer 15 minutes before you put pumpkin in them.
Add 2/3 cup Pumpkin and 2/3 cup whipped cream together and whisk until smooth.
Add 1 oz pudding mix to pumpkin and whisk together until smooth.
Put about a teaspoon in each phylo shell, you can also put the pumpkin in a plastic bag and cut a little bit off the corner and squeeze the contents out into the shells.
Add a little of whipped cream on top.
Sprinkle a little pumpkin pie spice on top

Mini Caramel Apples

Mini Caramel Apples

(from familyfun.com)

4-inch lollipop sticks
Melon baller
Granny Smith apples (one apple makes about 8 mini apples)

Butterscotch or peanut butter chips
Chopped nuts, nonpareils, sprinkles, shredded coconut (optional)
Small paper candy cups

First, cut the lollipop sticks in half at an angle (the pointy end will go into the apple pieces easier). With the melon baller, scoop little balls out of the apple. Each ball should have a section of apple peel. Push half of a lollipop stick into the peel of each ball. Pat the apple pieces dry.
Melt the chips according to the package directions. Dip and swirl the mini apples in the melted chips, then roll the apples in nuts, sprinkles, nonpareils, or coconut, if desired. Place the mini apples in paper candy cups to set.

Martha's tissue paper pom poms!

it wasn't ALL bad

2010-10-05T13:15:00.000-04:00

the fair ...

And then I breathed ...

2010-10-04T09:47:00.000-04:00

I've never lost a child before. Well, I've never lost a child before Saturday.

We went to the local county fair. A pretty big place. A place that I will never visit again.

He thought that I had her, I thought that he had her and I think that we just walked off and left her.

Panic set in; you don't know if what you're doing is right or wrong. You don't know where your baby is. You don't know if she is OK; if she is scared or crying or some other unspeakable thing.

Fear turns to panic; you frantically search; a 3 year old little girl in pink with long blonde hair lost among throngs of people.

You pray; you bargain; you forget to breathe.

And then you see her, on the shoulders of her Daddy, misty lines where the tears have been dried. Delivered to him safely by police officers you can never thank enough.

And then you breathe.

following our own path

2010-09-30T13:06:00.001-04:00

After dropping the diva off at preschool this morning, Tucker and I went to Gavin's school to participate in the walk-a-thon (an event to raise money for the PTO). It was a beautiful day; blue skies, wispy clouds and even a faint sign of the moon in the sky. We've had much needed rain lately, so the ground was soggy and there were plenty of puddles.

We met Miss Sourpusses' class at the back drop off loop and commenced our walking. Gavin was super excited to see us. When we see Silas at school, he drops his head and walks by like you don't know him and he doesn't know the screaming little kid yelling YAYA! YAYA! Gavin is ALWAYS happy to see us at school.

At first, we did fairly well keeping up with the other kids and staying on the path. Despite the furrowed brow and pursed lips of Miss Sourpuss, I was proud of my 2 little people.

dun dun dun

And then the walking became too tiring and too tedious for the wee one. Counting the traffic cones, scavenging for pine cones and (dear Lord, help me now) jumping puddles was just WAY too enticing. As Tucker and I lagged behind the group, I encouraged Gavin to keep up with his friends. The furrowed brow and puckered frown grew even more tight as Tucker proceeded to miscalculate the trajectory needed for one rather large puddle and landed splashing in muck and mud.

Luckily we were at the end of our walking and so I scooped my happy, wriggly baby up; kissed my wee toe-head goodbye and discreetly stuck my tongue out behind Miss Sour Pusses' back. Oh yeah and we stopped at Silas' classroom door to ~~embarrass~~ say HI to him.

She Would Laugh

2010-09-29T13:20:00.000-04:00

My great friend Aimee would laugh if she knew what I was doing today. She has somehow come to believe that I am this organized, totally with-it person; all of my ducks in a row, all of the rows neatly lined up and color coded, but I'm not. I try not to sweat the little things and I guess that makes me seem like I have everything all pulled together. I know that Archie would tell you differently; especially if we were discussing my "time management skills." Apparently that gene got washed away in the pool instead of making it into my DNA. Case in point, I see absolutely nothing wrong with trimming the baby's fingernails in the car, while waiting for Daddy to come out for church. He however thinks that this is a major insult to Father Time.

Anyway, back to Aimee. She gets tickled at me when I say things like:

ME: I spent 3 hours on a mid-term last night and stayed up until midnight.
HER: Really? I can't even imagine. When was it due?
ME: Next Monday.
HER: Laughs.

It's not that I'm THAT organized, it's that I'm the type of gal that has to get things done ASAP. I return school notes and field trip money the very next day. I make Christmas lists in August and birthday plans right after the new year. Gift or a curse? You decide.

But today? Today I can hear her laughing as I start making Halloween costumes.
Hey! It's only 32 days away you know!

Stamp

2010-09-27T12:10:00.000-04:00

Archie's birthday card that came in the mail this year ...

Pink Clompy Shoes

2010-09-25T10:31:00.000-04:00

This picture has nothing to do with the pink clompy shoes, but doesn't every Princess sleep with a fist full of crayons?

Apparently pink, plastic, clompy shoes are what define you as a princess. When Amelia has hers own, she demands to be called Princess. "I am NOT Amelia Grace, I am PRINCESS Amelia Grace!" Much to the chagrin of her brothers, she clomps around the house; her very presence demanding attention. If she doesn't get the attention that she thinks she should be getting, she clomps louder, harder and faster. The boys cannot stand it! Now, here is where every boy is different ...

Silas' approach ... "Sit down Amelia." PRINCESS AMELIA! "OK, whatever ... PRINCESS Amelia." She sits down; he promptly whips the shoes off of her feet, opens the door and chucks them outside. WHY? I guess that screaming and wailing is much better to hear than pink clompy shoes.

Gavin's approach ... "Come in here Princess Amelia, the Queen wants to see you." Leads her gently into the bedroom. "Can you dance for the queen?" She dances around the carpet in her pink, not so clompy shoes. "YEAH!! Let's leave your princess shoes here and go play playdough. Girls with Princess shoes can't play playdough." She falls for it. Clomping and screaming averted.

Tucker's approach ... He greedily follows her around the eying the pink clompy shoes. Waiting for his chance to get them. After she is finished with them, he slips them on ... ahhhh ... Princess Tucker!

An Amaizing Maze

2010-09-22T08:24:00.000-04:00

We went with our church to Rural Hill's Amazing Maize Maze and had a blast.

The maze stretches over 7 acres!

We made it through in 1 hour and 20 minutes. Not bad for carrying one baby or another through there.

The Last Days of Summer

2010-09-15T09:37:00.000-04:00

It's only ok to throw sand if it makes for an interesting picture.

Makover

2010-09-14T09:32:00.000-04:00

The go-cart got a rocking make-over a few weekends ago. I'm told that it's faster now. Does a new paint job REALLY make it go faster?

Lemonade! Get Your Fresh Squeezed Lemonade!

2010-09-13T09:31:00.000-04:00

The boys had a big idea to open a lemonade stand in our front yard. We thought, why not? Every kid should have at least one lemonade stand. They worked hard on the poster and making the lemonade. Expert marketing and salesmen. They gave half of their profits to our church. Pretty cool!

A Blink

2010-09-07T09:56:00.000-04:00

It seems like only yesterday that we welcomed our sweet baby girl home from the hospital.

And then in a blink she started her first day of preschool...

She was so excited! It's so hard letting go of a piece of your heart.

Tiny Dancer

2010-09-02T15:53:00.000-04:00

Dance like no one is watching.
Sing like no one is listening.
Love like you've never been hurt
And live like it's heaven on Earth.
~Mark Twain

Guess who started dance class this week?

LEGOS are from hell

2010-08-31T08:33:00.000-04:00

I'm convinced. I know that seems like a rash statement, but it's oh so true. In our house, both of my big boys L-O-V-E Legos. It started back when they came out with an Indiana Jones set. Silas had to have it. Santa brought it for Christmas that year and that sucker lasted all of 5 days before the pieces were scattered all over the place. Never to be assembled in one playable piece again. Then, #2 got in on the LEGO craze with a ginormous plane set. But Santa was wise to the evil Lego manufacturers now. She bought super glue to go with the jumbo jet made from over 300 minuscule pieces. I mean, what kid really wants to take the thing apart to play with it? NONE! They want it all put together and to stay that way, not to have to search under beds to find the wing (a pretty big necessity for a plane!).

The Lego elves that come in the middle of the night to disassemble several hours worth of work would be NO match to the glorious wonders of super glue. NO MATCH! But alas, even the trusty super glue only held up for a bold 12 days. sigh Why do these Lego people do this to us? WHY?

Coming right in time for Christmas this year ... LEGO Harry Potter. Why Lord? I ask you why?

how to tell if your child is an addict

2010-08-26T09:40:00.000-04:00

There are always telltale signs.

We think that our youngest may be addicted to Blues Clues. He talks about it in his sleep, tossing and turning in the night and murmuring about needing 3 clues. Clutching his stuffed Blue puppy to his chest like a mother protecting her young.

He speaks in blueese. Buhbuhbuh. He pants and wags his tail.

The mailman is fearful to approach the house, because the baby will jam his face to the window and scream MAILTIME! Poor fella even dropped his load of letters and ran one day.

He becomes highly agitated at the mention of college. If you'll remember, Steve left for college entrusting his younger brother Joe to manage the brood at home. Tucker is terrified of the word c-o-l-l-e-g-e. Obviously not taking a liking to Joe as well as Steve.

The salt and pepper shaker are expected to speak and not only that, but with French accents.

We are forced to instigate a cat and mouse game of finding three clues to determine what the child wants for dinner.

And God forbid the baby looses his handy dandy notebook!

Addicted? Nah ... in love!

School ... BAH!

2010-08-26T09:36:00.000-04:00

Meh. School started. Not a big fan of school. I miss my boys.

get your boogie on

2010-08-24T14:24:00.000-04:00

Sandy Bottoms and Toasty Toes

2010-08-23T14:22:00.000-04:00

Keeping up a"pier"ances

2010-08-22T14:19:00.000-04:00

the Apache pier ... longest pier on the east coast I'm told

a sneak peek

2010-08-21T14:26:00.001-04:00

here's a sneak peek at our Christmas cards this year ...

Bunch a Beach Bums

2010-08-20T14:13:00.002-04:00

This was the first year that I was really not ready to come home. We spent every day on the beach with beautiful weather and calm seas. The kids had so much fun building sand castles and playing in the surf. Oh how I wish we lived by the sea!

Offensive

2010-08-14T16:19:00.001-04:00

Isn't it? BAH! grumble snort rant ramble expletive

Jumping Back In

2010-08-11T15:03:00.002-04:00

We are about to jump back into the crazy part of the year. Back to school, back to soccer, back to boy scouts, back to the knitty gritty, back to the grind. I've got all of the back to school shopping under my belt and that feels pretty good.

I start back to school before the boys do. Kind of funny really. Amelia will start her first experience with big girl school this year. She'll go to a half day preschool program like the boys did. Wasn't she just born? I tried to make her a back pack, but it turned out kind of yucky, so I ordered her one too. Shopping for wee cute backpacks is kind of fun. Butterflies and flowers are a lot more my style than skulls and guitars. We do have one last fling before we have to face the music. A beach trip ... ahhhhhh! It makes me glad that we book our trip for the end of the summer instead of the beginning.

Chapel Hill and then Some

2010-08-08T09:16:00.002-04:00

I think we need to move here ...

A deep thinker no doubt

Sipping from the old well

Hoping for vanilla

Archie has a theory that everything is in essence made from corn. Boy did this swell his head ...

The Farmer's Market

2010-08-04T09:13:00.002-04:00

The cobblestone streets are super neat.

Some of the produce looked yummy enough to eat right there.

Amelia perusing her possible cookie choices.

Silas trying some (kind of) hot spice!

Nothing beats fresh ice cream!

Except maybe a triple chocolate chunk cookie.

Is that a look that says trouble or what?

Exploring Our Great State's Capital

2010-08-02T09:55:00.002-04:00

Mock Liberty Bell
(the boys wanted to know where the crack was)

See the NC state capitol building in the back?

waiting for the Museum of Natural Sciences to open

How many children does it take to fill up the footprint of a dinosaur?

in the butterfly garden

never seen a vanilla plant before

amazing architecture around the city

a helping hand

Every Little Girl Needs

2010-07-29T21:21:00.001-04:00

a nice pair of wings to wear while playing with her bulldozers and monster trucks ...

i love

2010-07-23T09:03:00.000-04:00

when little kids go to the bathroom themselves and come out with their clothes tucked inside of their undies.

the soft whisper of breath on your ear when you're giving piggy back rides.

giggles from playing siblings.

being a mom to 4 wonderful, unique, wild babies.

a nice, fresh home-grown tomato.

newborn babies; especially my own, but any will do.

a long soak in a hot bath with a good book.

holding hands through a whole movie with my sweetheart.

traveling with the family; all safe and snug together in the car.

going to bed and pulling the smallest Cameron into my arms; he'll nestle in close and we'll sleep like kings.

a fresh, hot cup of coffee (or two) and a quiet morning.

love, love, love

2010-07-22T08:54:00.003-04:00

love is all you need

need to jazz up your camera strap?

2010-07-21T10:44:00.003-04:00

We have lots of new camera strap covers in the ETSY shop!
Come by and pick out your favorite design.
Enter code buythebooks at checkout
for a 10% off reimbursement through Paypal!