This n' that

Looking forward to seeing more blooms.  This one is my Pink Lady apple tree, and she's be gorgeous in a week or so!

Prettied up my gardening bench.  Now I can see my seeds and actually 

remember to plant them all this year!

Isn't this gorgeous?  The Hubs made me two of these, with three more on order. His own design, and he even hammered the copper himself!  Nothin' sexier than a handy-man with an eye for decorating!  

Worked in the garden, which just had some peas, broccoli, radishes, spinach, lettuce and cabbage added to it.  You can see the landscaping cloth where the pea-gravel path will go.  And right where the path ends, next to the gate, will be the CUTEST little enamel sink I found with plumbing so I can wash my veggies outside!

Sneak peek of the new chest going in Boo's beachy room.

The Hubs has a grandma who passed a while back, and the family has been going through her house. (which is way old and way haunted...I should show you the giant creepy babydoll that Boo brought home)  We go up there with intentions of going through stuff in the house, but naturally I was looking for quirky odds n' ends.  There is this really deep (20 ft+) creek ditch next to the house and when we looked over the edge we saw this really cool kettle sitting in the creek.  I sent the hubs after it, and also had him snag a really awesome wooden ladder that I saw.  The little lantern thingy was in the yard.  Also scored some old windows for painting on!  Seriously, why can my brain not operate like a normal person's?

So what should I do with the kettle and lantern?  I know!  Add them to my already enormous pile of things I need to re-purpose in the garage! (hehe)

Cherry Mania!

I've been MIA!  Visited my little brother, home on leave from Afghanistan, accomplished a lot of yard work, sewed like crazy, and couldn't post any or it because of my camera!  Finally figured out it was the finicky battery charger, but it was frustrating to say the least.
Every year the local spring celebration is the Cherry Festival.  I love making outfits every year for the parade, and this year I had three to make.  I shouldn't wait to the last minute- staying up till midnight for four days is too much!
I really wanted a vintage look to them, so I made peasant bodices and changed up the skirts a bit.  Btw, LOVE portabellopixie's patterns!  I used the "claire" pattern this time.
Beary's dress has a vintage napkin for an apron with pompom fringe.  Boo's has fun cherry appliques on the apron, which is made of an 800tc *gasp* pillow case 'cause I ran out of white fabric! (seriously, how does THAT happen?)  Binks was just a simple little ruffle dress.  I did try two new techniques this time, with the bias tape on Boo's apron and shirring on Binks dress!  Here are some pics! Which are low quality.  Thank you dearest Boo-who-is-two and loves to touch buttons on mama's machines. (camera included)

The "Daddy's Girl" top

When I first saw the Ashton top on Brown Paper Packages (love this blog!) I had to make it right away!  I picked up the men's shirt for $1.00 at the thrift store.  I love the colors on Beary!  The tutorial is really simple, and this top only took ONE DAY!  I say that with enthusiasm because most things around here seem to sit forever waiting to be finished.  Ahh the joys of motherhood. (even the Easter egg Rice Krispie treats didn't get finished until today...) I didn't have any FOE, so I made some simple tie straps out of extra shirt material.  If you're liking the look, I cut four straps at 2.25" x 13" and sewed with a 1/4" seam.

See the matching hair ribbons?  

I used some of the eyelet from this post.

I also stitched down the middle of the back elastic for more support. 

Beary hates when her elastic shifts any!

"Mommy please let me go inside now!  It's too cold for pictures!"  

Yah, it was only 45 degrees and windy, but the pictures are cute! 

And because Beary has requested that you all see her "Post Office" outfit... (that she insisted on wearing to the P.O. today)

And because who can resist a hottie-hubbie holding a baby and a mug of coffee at the playground (where he chased around a busy toddler)...

I'm still here!

I'm still alive!  It's been one of those weeks...sick kids, no energy, gloomy weather (SNOW?  Seriously...it's snowing right now in Oregon) trying to get ready for Easter (Happy Easter!) and attempting to finish one of the million little projects in my head!

Dealing with this (poor crabby Binks):

 She just cut her two lower teeth and has a bad cold.  Being a NICU graduate and the youngest, she's naturally spoiled rotten, so she's spent most of the last week on my lap.  That means no computer time because she tries to bite the keyboard!

Feeling like this:

If You Give a Mom a Muffin

If you give a mom a muffin,

She'll want a cup of coffee to go with it.

She'll pour herself some.

Her three-year-old will spill the coffee.

She'll wipe it up.

Wiping the floor, she'll find dirty socks.

She'll remember she has to do laundry.

When she puts the laundry in the washer,

She'll trip over boots and bump into the freezer.

Bumping into the freezer will remind her

she has to plan for supper.

She will get out a pound of hamburger.

She'll look for her cookbook

("101 Things To Do With a Pound of Hamburger").

The cookbook is setting under a pile of mail.

She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow.

She will look for her checkbook.

The check book is in her purse

that is being dumped out by her two-year-old.

She'll smell something funny.

She'll change the two-year-old's diaper.

While she is changing the diaper, the phone will ring.

Her five-year-old will answer and hang up.

She'll remember she wants to phone a friend for coffee.

Thinking of coffee will remind her

that she was going to have a cup.

And chances are... If she has a cup of coffee,

Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.


~author unknown

And enjoying every minute with this (Say it with me now: "awww"):

Clippies clippies everywhere!

I've been on a roll with the hair clippie making!  I got sick of putting boring old clips in the girls' hair so I've been cranking out clip after clip.  Here are a few I've made!

With three little girls, I think I need a lot more still!

Shutters for Boo's room

 After I saw this post on The Lettered Cottage I had to have shutters in Boo's beachy room asap.  So the next day (seriously) we drove into town to get some fence boards from Home Depot.  They were on sale for $1.50 each, and we only needed three!  Sweet deal.  The boards were really wet, which turned out to be a really good thing after we hung them.  The hubs cut the boards to length and sanded them a bit so they weren't shaggy.  I then painted on a thin coat of watered down white latex.  I wanted the grain and some of the color of the wood to show through a tiny bit so I left it at one coat.

A little glue and some brads (nailed from the back) later and we've got some rockin shutters!  We hung them on picture hooks because I don't actually want them to work. (they're in a kids room after all)

 Don't they look great?

  

After they dried on the wall a few days the boards are separating and shrinking and looking awesome!

Before

 

After

Little Lambie Lovey-face

I've been searching for something Easter-y to make the chicklets for their baskets.  I like to try and make something homemade for each major holiday, and this year I'm a bit behind. (although I guess I did make some resurrection eggs the other day...)  When I saw this post on MADE (dana always comes through for me!) I knew the little lambs were perfect for Boo.  But I wanted something truly special, so I set out to hand sew it last night while watching a movie (not such an impossible feat considering they're basically big ovals!)
So I'm sitting there almost finished with him when Boo wakes up (*sigh* sick kiddos = no sleep...) and toddles downstairs.  She took one look at him and proclaimed "Mama? Mine.  Baa! Mine."  Of course I couldn't turn her down when she's standing there with a lion's mane for hair, snot covering her face and a nasty cough every few seconds.  So Mr. Little Lambie Lovey-face has become her best friend, and I'm quite sure he brings her much comfort as he gets covered in *cringe* snot and *gag* germ-infested drool.  And now I get to find something else to make...

The Party

I had good intentions, really!  I know I promised to post the details of the party planning as they unfolded, but my camera batteries chose last week to die, so I didn't get any more pictures taken until the party!  And OH what a party it was.  I discovered my house is way too small for 30 people.  But it turned out great, everyone had fun (especially the birthday girl!) and of course all the little details came together perfectly.  So here we go:

 Hanging "polka dots"

The candy table

mmm...a favorite!

Orange-tinted caramel corn mix from Your Homebased Mom

Pink and orange rice krispies

Found these lanters at the Dollar Tree.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes!

So excited! (Shirt from Carter's, complete with orange buttons)

Painting marshmallows and popcorn with milk paint!

Crown from Dollar Tree.

She loved every minute of it!

Let's not forget the sugar-drugged sister.  I think the parents hate me (teehee).