Vacation!

We just got back from a week long vacation in Florida.  My grandparents own a condo way down south.  Fortunately for us, they were having record highs which meant it was in the upper 70's-80's all week long.  The unfortunate part for us is that it takes 14 hours plus however long you stop.  After making it down there, we immediately decided to make the drive back in 2 days instead of trying to make it again in 1.

Kira took to the water like a fish and she kept laughing and saying hi to everybody the whole time she was in the pool.  She also liked putting her toes in the sand.  We spent everyday at the pool.  Aaron and Kira spent a lot of time swimming while I spent more time reading in the sun.  

We built this giant sand castle which was mainly masterminded by Aaron.  All I really did was decorate the thing.  Somebody had to help them.  

We went on a date.  I really wanted to have Greek food but we couldn't find a good Greek restaurant so we went to a restaurant that served Thai, Peruvian, and Japanese food.  We ordered a fresh spring roll as our appetizer. 

I ended up ordering ceviche which is a Peruvian dish just so I could try something new.  It came with these giant pieces of corn.  Besides the size of it, the corn wasn't anything spectacular and the main dish had so many red onions that I felt sick afterwards.   Aaron ordered Thai food and I wanted to eat his whole bowl.  

Right before we left, Aaron took Ethan and Zach to the Delorean dealership.  Today is our first whole day back and the high was only 27.  Eek.  We are freezing to say the least.    

Hard Times

I think Kira has been getting in her incisors in, possibly all four of them at the same time.  She had a fever starting in the afternoon on Tuesday, then another fever on Wednesday night and has been grumpy almost non-stop.  The only thing I can figure out is that her teeth are hurting her.

It is so hard to deal with grumpiness that lasts almost all day long.  She doesn't want any of her favorite foods, books or toys except her beloved doggie and her fingers to suck on.  We have been doing lots and lots of snuggling and that doesn't even seem to help all the time.

Yesterday morning, we found out that a friend's youngest son was critically hurt in a car accident when driving home from college for the Christmas holiday.  The the doctors told them to come as soon as possible.  In the past 36 hours or so, I've been checking my email and on facebook for updates.  The latest update was that the doctors just administered a last ditch medication in an attempt to help him breathe.

I want to be frustrated at my child for the constant fussing.  I want to mad at my husband who accidentally took the car seat to work which means that I had to stay home all day with miss fussy britches instead of getting to make Christmas cookies.  I want to be mad at God for allowing such inconveniences to happen...But then I see the updates from this young man's family and how they are responding to this hard providence with peace.

Teething will only last for a season (hopefully, only a few days or even hours), my husband will bring home the car seat in mere minutes, and mom my just brought me Christmas cookies.  What do I really have to complain about?  Seriously.

Life in December (and November)

I haven't updated my blog in forever primarily because I didn't know what to write about.  Here is going to be a quick recap of some different things that have been going on in the past month or so.

• Thanksgiving:  We actually got to have to Thanksgiving dinners.  We had Thanksgiving lunch with Aaron's extended family and then we had Thanksgiving dinner with my family and a lot of friends from church.  I think all had a good time.  Kira was extremely tired out but did mostly fine.  We also were blessed to get to attend the Thanksgiving service at church.  I love that our church takes time to worship and give praise to God before we even begin stuffing our faces. 

• Thanksgiving 2.0:  The day after Thanksgiving, I purchased a turkey for $1/lb.   I decided that this meant that we needed to have Thanksgiving 2.0 dinner.  I cooked my first turkey which was ok but turned out a little on the tough side, plus we had fresh pineapple, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing, homemade gravy, and corn spoon bread.  Aaron approved so much that he had to take this picture. 
  
• We had some exciting weather here.  First, it iced and then it snowed.  And then it continued to snow and ice for several days.  We still have a lot of the snow and it doesn't look like it will clear up this week as it is supposed to continue being cold with more snow/wintry mix expected later this week. 
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• This week we had our choir concert.  Aaron absolutely has loved being in choir this semester which thrills me.  I love seeing people enjoy the things that I enjoy.  
• Coming up: We are having our family Christmas this Sunday which means we are working like little elves to get everything made and wrapped.  We have some travel plans which I will share when we get back.  I am also dying to watch The Sound of Music live!  I'm trying to wait until tomorrow night so I can convince Aaron to watch it with  me while we wrap presents and eat homemade pizza.  

Christmas List

Wowzers!  Less than 1 month until Christmas.  As usual, I love shopping for Christmas presents early but I also have major commitment issues.  I have trouble buying gifts for people because I always wonder if I'll think up a better idea later and then have to return the first gift.  The sad thing is that I do sometimes return the first gift.
In case you happen to want to buy a gift for me, which you probably don't and I'm totally ok with that, here are some things that I want.

• Man slippers.  No fluffy, pink little bits of nuthin for me.  Man slippers are so much nicer than anything you can find in the women's department.  I always steal Aaron's pair and I think it is time to get my own.  I don't really care about brands or colors.  I just need something comfy and durable like these from Target. 
  
• I want a magazine.  Maybe World, Time, or Martha Stewarts' food magazine.  I have a love/hate relationship with magazines.  I hate how they always get cluttered everywhere with pages torn out of them but I love the idea of getting something fun in the mail at least once a month.  
• I also want a new pair of boots but I guess that I'd better just pick them out myself so I can find some that are comfortable for me.  
• I want a new bathing suit for our upcoming tropical adventures...uh, I think I'd better just buy that for myself.  After about the age of 12, it is better just to buy one's own bathing suits after an intense period of trying on everything in the store.  Just saying.  
• I always accept offerings of dark chocolate, coffee, and black teas such as English and Irish breakfast teas.  I hardly ever buy myself chocolate (maybe just once a year) but I sure love getting nice quality dark chocolate.  Christmas is my time to stock pile.  I also enjoy other offerings of interesting or gourmet foods.  

Well folks that's about it.  I'm a pretty content girl over here.  If my child ever wakes up, I'll dash out to do my Thanksgiving Day shopping before the stores get too overcrowded.  Be sure and leave a comment letting me know what is that one present that you really want for Christmas.  

15 Months With Lil' Squishy

It is hard to believe that my once-upon-a-time baby is growing up so fast.  She is getting somewhat smart and somewhat needy.  With new skills and intelligence comes greater potential for disobedience.

This is her first 18 month outfit!  I absolutely love it.  I think I found both pieces at a thrift store but they are both pretty good brands in great condition.  Nothing beats a lumberjack shirt with skinny jeans.  I want one. 

One of her favorite games is to put clothes pins into a salad dressing container.  She loves it and can play with it for a good 15-20 minutes straight some days. 

Daddy has been teaching her how to "play" the piano.  Basically it just means that he won't let her bang but encourages her to play with just one finger at a time.  

The other morning she was wearing this super cute sweater and would smile at me with every bite of breakfast that she took.  She was so cute I tried to capture it but failed at least in some part. 

This is her current favorite book.  It has a lot of animals specifically dogs and "me's" which is her name for cats.  

She is definitely communicating more and more.  She is pretty good at letting us know what she wants which is interesting because she used to only want what was right in front of her.  Now is she wants things that aren't necessarily even in the room.  The other day she was really grumpy while clutching her toys in the bath tub.  I asked her what was wrong and she immediately stopped fussing and started babbling with a serious look on her face.  When she realized I didn't have a clue what she was talking about, she started fussing all over again. 

She has also finally learned how to push herself to seated.  This is great except it can make things more complicated at night.  One night, Aaron found her attempting to sleep while sitting up in the corner of her bed.  She does know how to lay back down but I think that sometimes she just forgets what she is supposed to do especially in the middle of the night. 

So Happy Together

Not only did my Great-Grandmother's hand-sewn quilt get bound, it is now officially hanging in our room!  I love it so much!  It makes the room look completely different and sometimes when I wake in the morning, I spend a few minutes looking at the details and thinking about how beautiful it is.

It turned out to be a lot easier to bind than I thought it would be!  As a side note, we should probably get more pillows to put on our bed.  

Owl Always Think You're Cute

If you read my blog at all, you probably figured out that I've been busy sewing lots of clothes my baby...I mean my toddler.  Lets face it, she is no longer a baby.  The best things about sewing for her is that you can use lots of elastic, little amounts of fabric and they come together really quick.  She also isn't picky about what she wears.  

A couple of weeks ago, I saw this picture on my sister's pinterest. I don't have a link since it is from etsy and appears to be sold out.   

I thought the idea looked easy enough especially know that I know how to make peasant dresses.  

I grabbed the peasant dress pattern from bloomsnbugs and got started.  It took me a little while to figure out what I wanted to applique but I finally found this pattern and knew it would be perfect for fall.  

Get the pattern right here. 

The pictures were made possible by Aaron who found my camera charger, Sara who made the hat, and my child who was mostly uncooperative.  

Yes, I know the shoes and socks are weird with this outfit but they are the only shoes that fit her.  Hopefully, we will find a pair of winter boots for her soon! 

I Say Yes To This Dress

Lately, I've been inspired to sew for the wee child.  She has recently acquired one new dress and a skirt with a onesie that has been made to match.  First, here is the story behind the dress.
About two weeks before Caleb's wedding, I realized that my child did not have even one fall/winter dress.  All of her dress were really bright prints and were all getting too small.  I was given a cute dress by a friend that her daughter had outgrown.  I liked it but it was really more of a Christmas dress as it was really long, velvet, and maroon.  It was also just a smidge large for her.  I also picked up a cute little dress at T.J. Maxx with a gift card I had but it was a little on the informal side of things.  So I did some basic research on the internet and came across this:

There are lots of "peasant" dresses for sale on etsy and tons pinned on pinterest.  Since it looked fairly simple, I plunged ahead.  I ended up using this pattern and tutorial. The sleeves didn't seem to quite match up with the neck but that problem was easy to fix.  After a couple days of work (it could have gone much quicker if I did not have a child and had not made a few simple mistakes), here is what I came up with.  All of the pictures are a bit blurry since they were taken on my phone. 

She may be uncooperative, but she is sure cute. 

 I decided that the dress needed a belt to pull it all together.

And of course she needed a matching leaf hair clip.  I think this would have looked a lot cuter if I had put it on a headband, but my child simply does not tolerate headbands.  

This sort of dress is super easy to sew as it is so forgiving especially as there are no zippers or buttons. 

Hello, World!

Remember me?  I used to blog, sometimes.  Now I blog...well, about once a season.  I think the biggest reason is that I don't have much to say and when I want to write a post, I can't take any pictures since my charger is still lost.  If that charger doesn't show up before Christmas, I'm going to go out and try to buy a new one.  Sometimes a person just needs pictures in her life.
Life is good here.  Very simple though.  I've spent this week obsessively working on my quilt.

The edges are officially bound! 

I even made my own scrappy bias tape! Unfortunately, I think it was made for a full sized bed and we have a queen.  I'm thinking of doing something like this with it especially since we still don't have a headboard after over 2 years of marriage.  

It has finally warmed up here.  We had a couple weeks of cool temperatures but today's high is around 70.  We love it though it does make me nervous cause we seem to have very severe weather after a warm spell like this.  I took this picture yesterday when out for our walk.  For some reason, right before I took this picture, all I could think of was how she looked very Whearish.  This picture doesn't capture the family features that I noticed but she looked strangely like Jubilee or Ella to me.  My sister Sara made this hat for her.   

Autumn

It is officially fall here.  Today I'm working on drying basil and making pesto before all the basil is destroyed in our first frost, picking all the green peppers, sewing a baby skirt, unpacking winter clothes and of course drinking tea while reading a book.  Unfortunately, I realized just after I started to make the pesto that the only nuts I have are peanuts.  I don't want to be murdered by any Italians who might happen to try my pesto so I'm going to go try to pick up some walnuts or almonds.
My brother got married this past weekend and the last 3 days have been quite busy for us.  We've had meals out with family, guests at the house, freezing cold outdoor receptions, etc.  My poor child is plumb wore out.  I'm pretty sure that she has spent more time napping today than actually being awake.  Hopefully, we can dash out for the missing ingredient when she wakes up.
My exciting news for the month consists of the fact that I made Kira a dress for the wedding.  About two weeks before the wedding, I realized that she did not have a single fall/winter dress and that all of her super summery dresses were getting to be too short.  I looked up some tutorials online and whipped up a fairly quick dress.  I have pictures on my phone but I need to figure out how to get them to transfer over to the computer.
I wish I could think of more exciting things to write about but I guess you're stuck with this simple post cause I hear my child finally waking up.

14 Months

I no longer have a baby.  She has magically transformed into a toddler.  Seriously.  Here is what she has been up to lately:

• She loves to "put on" clothes.  This mainly involves sticking the item in question (a kitchen towel, daddy's sock, etc) either on her head or around her neck and scooting around the house.  
• She is definitely working on learning how to pull up on things.  She has yet to make it to her feet unassisted but she can get on her knees or even on one foot and one knee.  
• She still loves food and is not picky.  She still nurses but we are working on cutting back to only a few feedings per day because Mommy is getting tired of nursing.  
• She is just starting to figure out the names for things.  Her favorite people to call by name are Mommy, Daddy, and Bella.  
• Her favorite toy is her blue "da-wee" (doggie) given to her by her great-aunt.  
• When you ask her who made her, she points upwards.  
• She loves going to different babysitters' houses and has no problem with me leaving her at any place with anyone.
  
  
  Blurry phone pic since the battery charger is still lost. 

DIY Signage

Lately, I've been really bad about blogging.  It is not that I don't have ideas, I simply don't have a camera right now.  Correction: I do have a camera, I just don't have a charged battery.  I have one of those fancy schmancy cameras that comes with its own special battery and charger.  I enjoy not having to buy batteries but if you happen to lose the charger, you're in big trouble.  So this post will not include pictures of my adorable child, my freshly planted garden, my pictures hanging on the wall, or my new diy nursing infinity scarf.  Fortunately for you, I do have some pictures of a sign that I made that I have been waiting to share with you.  

My brother's fiancee asked me to make a couple of signs for the wedding.  I can't show them to you yet as I want to save them for the big day, but it did inspire me to make a sign for myself.  Two years ago, I made some signs for myself.  They looked cool, but they were a pain to make. 

The signs near the porta potties.  Trying to keep things classy. 

I first designed them on the computer then printed them on cardstock and used an exacto knife to create a stencil.  It took forever to cut the words out just right.  Then last year I saw a life saving technique on pinterest.  I tried to find it when I was planning out the latest round of wedding signs but I it is lost in cyber space.  Fortunately, I remembered the technique and now you too can give it a whirl.  

First, have your handy dandy husband cut you a piece of wood.  

Second, design what you want your sign to say on the computer.  I highly recommend downloading some free fonts.  They have so many adorable ones these days.  Print out said design. 

Third, lay out the words just the way you want them on the board and then tape them down.   Trace over the words while pressing down firmly with a pen.  

You can see how I have traced over the word and but I have yet to do the 'B'.  As you can see, I messed up on the 'A'.  Don't worry about it.  You still get to paint over it.  Nobody will see your little mistakes.  

When you take off the paper, you should be able to see the indentation of the words. All that is left to do is paint over the words very carefully in the color(s) of your choosing.  

These pictures are from the sign I made for the wedding but here is the sign I made for myself using the same technique. 

I plan to hang it on my door eventually but I can't find my wreath hanger thingy.  Humph.  It is probably with the camera charger.  Humph. 

Recipe Binder

In case you haven't heard, my brother is getting married in just a couple of short weeks.  I've helped out some with making several different decorations.  I can't wait to reveal to you one set of decorations but I'm trying to keep it a secret until after the wedding so you'll still attend.
Last weekend, we had a bridal shower for the bride, Alicia.  Here is just the present I put together for her.  Well, I guess it is just the first part of her presents as I still have one for the bachelorette party plus all the decorations I made for them.  I knew I wanted to make a gift but I wanted to be something that she could actually use.  I don't know about you, but I find a lot of recipes on the internet.  I lot of times I just take the computer into the kitchen with me when I cook but sometimes I do print it out.  I found that the best way to keep track of the printouts is to put them in a page protectors in a binder.  The pager protectors are a must as I am always splattering batter and such on them.  This inspired me to make a binder for Alicia.

First, I created a personalized monogram.  Bride-to-bes love seeing their new name or initials written out.  Seriously.  The other day I filled in for a teacher at a home school co-op for the day and it was very strange to have the students all call me Mrs. as everybody else I know just calls me Lindsey. 

Next I glued taped said monogram onto pretty scrapbook paper and stuffed it into the front of a white notebook. 

I then created labels on pretty paper for all the sections such as "Breakfast" and "Main Dishes."  I also stuck a few of my recipes that I thought the bride would like onto pretty scrapbook paper.  

Finally, I threw it into a pretty container with ingredients to make some the recipes including sun-dried tomatoes, flour, sea salt, coffee, etc.  I did end up tying a pretty ribbon around it. 

Hopefully, she enjoys the gift and finds it useful.  I suppose that even if Alicia didn't want to use the binder for recipes, she could still use the ingredients and use the binder for something else.  

Pocket Change

Take one look at our tiny 3 bedroom, 1 bath, diy-sort-of-house and you'll quickly realize that we are not rich.  We're not as poor as church mice, but we might be the church mouse's cousins.  We have a budget that works well for us and I'm usually pretty good about following it.  I don't really view this as a hardship because I am a saver by nature.  However...(da, da, dum) the problem that I have right now is how to spend my extra money.  I was recently (in the past month and a 1/2) paid for doing two random jobs one of which was quite unexpected.  I offered to let the money go into the "pay off the house" fund but Aaron said that since I had earned the money, I could keep it to spend however I wanted.  Sounds easy, right?  Let's just say that I still have money that was given to me for Christmas 2 1/2 years ago sitting in my house.
At first, I thought I would buy myself a really nice pair of sandals.  I haven't bought any new ones since I got a pair for my wedding day.  I have really high arches and I wanted a pair of luxury sandals.  Unfortunately, I have looked and looked but I can't find just the right pair.  I don't care so much about what they look like, I just want comfort.  I did find a pair that I think I'm going to buy but they don't fit into the "luxury" category and are fairly inexpensive so I'll just take it out of our "clothing" fund.
Next I decided to spend the money buying us tickets to see the musical Beauty and the Beast. Unfortunately, the show is on Sunday and we spend our Sunday worshiping, resting and not forcing other people to work for us.  So that one is out.
Next...well there isn't a next.  I have a couple of ideas but I also have commitment issues.  Maybe a nice seafood dinner when we're in Florida? Maybe stocking up on expensive, high-quality cuts of meat?  Maybe a shopping spree?  A whole closet full of craft supplies?  Fall decor?  A french horn for my french horn obsessed husband?

Hi, my name is Lindsey and I have issues spending money.  Please give me your suggestions and help me to keep this money from going stale.

Livin' in Rivercity

Oh, we got trouble!  Yup.  Right here.  Here is photographic evidence of why my house is always messy.  All this took place in the 10 minutes it took for this momma to take out a batch of muffins and get a new one in the oven.

First, she tried to help me fold the basket of clean laundry. 

I taught her that face.  So proud. 

Next she took out the hairbow so her hair could lay so attractively in front of her eyes. 

Oh, and don't forget the bag of potatoes.  Why yes, on the floor under the sink is the perfect place to store potatoes.  Oh and don't forget to mix some bath toys in with the potatoes. 

Good thing she is so cute.  I think we'll keep her.  

The Perfect Sunday Afternoon Craft

I was feeling a little down this Sunday afternoon.  I had just finished my book the night before, our invitees couldn't make it to lunch, and Aaron had a hundred things he could think of to do, but I had nothing.  I hate nothing.  Nothing is my arch-nemesis.  Ever since becoming a stay-at-home mom, I have fought against nothing. Lately, I've been doing pretty darn well in my fight...except on Sunday.
Then I remembered having seen someone pin this adorable little printable that was made to be colored.  Basically, it was just a giant coloring page for adults.
Check it out:

Ain't it purty?  You can download it here. 

So I printed it off in a jiffy and whipped out my watercolors.  I had myself a delightful time wearing my favorite sweater, drinking a delightful cup of coffee, and watercoloring.  It was so easy to make.  I'm horrible at drawing and painting but this I could do.  Ok, so mine doesn't look quite as nice as the picture but I think I should get an A for effort.  I chose to use fall colors as I have no autumnal decor.  

Stay tuned for future projects.  As of right now, I have so many fun projects to work on that I'm having to force myself to take breaks in order to wash the dishes or make dinner.  

Quilts

Little known secret: I love quilts.  It was so little known that not even Aaron knew of my love for quilts.  I will never be a real quilter.  It takes too much time and too much precision.  I do, however, have the greatest admiration for quilters.  I have been wanting to get a quilt but they are just so darn expensive especially the nicer ones.
This June, I got to visit my Grandma.  I had not seen her for about 3 years and I hadn't been to her house in probably about 4-5 years.  My Grandma has a house...well she has two houses...and an apartment.  She has one house that is nearly empty and she wants to sell, one house that she currently lives in, and she just started renting an apartment at a senior living complex that she hopes to move into as the weather gets colder.
My mom and I helped my Grandma go through bunches of stuff from her attic.  Some of it was really, really old.  There was the oddest assortment of items including old, adorable vials of perfume, watches, purses, wigs, fabric, clothes, tablecloths, antique glass dishes, a barely used serger, etc.
All at once, I stumbled upon the find of a century: A pinwheel blue and white quilt.  It was a little stained on one edge but it was so beautiful.  I excitedly asked my Grandma if I could have it (she was giving away just about everything in the attic) and she responded that I could.  It was mine!  My precious. Unfortunately, upon closer inspection, I saw my aunt's name written on a piece of paper with the quilt.  I couldn't steal a quilt from my aunt even though my Grandma was more than willing to give it to me.  Fortunately for me, I did find a box with three more quilts: One finished but stained and ripped quilt, one nearly finished, and one quilt top.  My Grandma isn't sure but she thinks that the quilts were made by my great-grandma as they were in her belongings and she was  a quilter.
I didn't care much for the quilt top and it was going to be a lot of work so I left that one.  I did take the other two though.

I had to repair several missing squares and wash it.  The stains and musty smell came out!  

This one is larger but, as you can see, it needs to be bound. I'm saving it for cooler weather.  Hopefully, I be inspired to finish the binding on it when I can actually use it as I work on it. 

Here it is on our bed just for looks.   

L to R: Grandma, Mama, Baby, and Nana.  

Finding these quilts was like finding gold!  I'm so excited to use them forever.  Hopefully they will never fall apart.