Macy Made

How Do You Boo?

2011-10-20T16:14:00.000-04:00

I love my Halloween decorations, they're glittery, fun colors and a little on the tacky side maybe. This year I got a few new things, and made a few new things and then added lots of ribbon everywhere. It is fairly inexpensive and really adds a lot, in fact I think the theme of all these pictures is cheap. I added quite a few new things this year, but I only spent $10!!! Here's what I like to do, what do you put up for Halloween?

I already had everything in this picture except for the black crow that I picked up at the Dollar Tree, I just added a strand of ribbon and colored some rice with orange food coloring, the black fabric underneath was leftover from last years Halloween costumes and its sparkly!
The garland was made with paper from my stash that I stitched together on the sewing machine. The small black pumpkin I got last year at Michael's on clearance and I picked up the BIG orange pumpkin this year at Target in the Dollar Spot for only $2.50!!!

This banner was intended to go above my entertainment center but got way too big for that. I used a bunch of die cuts I got at Michael's. I got an enormous pack for on $4. I still have lots left for crafting next year!

This is the built-in in the kitchen. The chipboard sign I picked up last year, unpainted from Hobbly Lobby, I think I paid $.30 for it. I added some scraps of fabric from my stash and a few bits of ribbon. That is candy corn in the wall sconces and little "flags" tied with ribbon onto twigs, from my yard.

This is probably my favorite spot. I made the garland a few years ago, and then I just added ribbon to everything else.

This fun sign came from the Dollar Tree- I've seriously found so much good stuff there. All I needed to do was add some ribbon and a little glitter spray (which doesn't show in the pictures, but really looks great in person)

And, this cute picture was taken earlier in the month when the weather was amazing! While Viv was at school, Sophie and Nathan decided they wanted to take a nap outside so they rigged up this little set-up and stayed snuggled up for almost 30 mintes. Definitely not a nap, but I'm not complaining!

Swap til you Drop

2011-10-12T17:48:00.000-04:00

My freezer is FULL right now. I have so much food, but the best part is that food is literally ready to eat! I organized a freezer meal swap last week and I'm now stocked with 4 meals for the month that are ready to go. I used one already last week when the hubs and I went out for dinner and so the babysitter just had to pop it in the oven. I also made an extra batch of my own meal to store in the freezer. If you're thinking about hosting a swap, do it! Here is how I organized mine:

1. I decided a group of 4 would work out well, so I contacted some of my friends who have similar sized families and eating habits, (ie. we're not gourmet chefs, but we all appreciate a good home-cooked meal)

2. We picked a date and time and about a week before the swap we all tried to let eachother know what we would be making.

3. Make your food and freeze it the day before. This will make the swap much easier and also helps in transporting the food home if there's no chance of it spilling. Also, labeling your food and heating instructions would be a great bonus.

4. SWAP! I would try to bring a cooler or a box to transport your food home.

This was seriously so great! I ended up with a gallon of chili, meatball subs, HOMEMADE calzones (Jenny totally outdid us all!), and a great looking lasagna. I've already eatn the subs, which were amazing, and the calzones are scheduled for this weekend while I'm out of town so there's a nutrituos meal already for the hubs to feed the kiddos.

Give Said the LIttle Stream

2011-10-05T08:13:00.002-04:00

I saw this on someone's blog and I thought it sounded like a fun idea. If you would like to play along send me a comment.

Rules:

1. I will make a little something for the first 3 people that comment on this post. It will be a surprise and may arrive at any time in the next 365 days (yes, a year).

2. To sign up to receive a gift from me you must play along too. Share the giving love on your blog by promising to send a handmade goodie to the first three people that comment on your blog post.

3. You must have a blog.

4. After commenting on my post, you have to post this (or similar) on your blog to spread the love.

Leave me your email address and I will contact you.

Invincible

2011-09-08T08:07:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a good day! It made me feel like Super Woman!

All major disasters in the household were averted, I finished a quilt that had been pieced and basted for at least 3 months, I made chili, a carrot cake and helped my sister finish a dress, I did dishes- twice. Whew, I'm exhausted. I think I'll take today off ;)

Big Girls Don't Cry

2011-08-17T18:59:00.000-04:00

I made this shirt for Viv's first day of kindergarten and it was pretty easy- I think I'll make one for Sophie and post the tutorial. And, luckily for me, Viv was a big girl and didn't cry. Her mom on the other hand was a big old cry baby and cried the whole 2 blocks home from the school after dropping her off. She had a great day and says she loves her teacher and that getting chocolate milk at lunch is really cool! Oh, and in classic Viv fashion, she says her favorite thing about her teacher is that "she looked fantastic". What a girl!

Day 1 of new dinners = VICTORY!

2011-08-09T12:25:00.000-04:00

UN-STUFFED PEPPER SKILLET , from one oe my favorite cooking blogs was a huge success. Oh, and did I mention it's dirt cheap to make? That's quite possibly my favorite part. This one is getting added to the recipe file for sure!

Augustus 411

2011-08-08T17:58:00.000-04:00

Just the highlights! Brent unexpectedly switched jobs, which also meant he had some time in between, two weeks of vacation time saved up from the old job to be exact, so after we hung out around home for 4 days we decided on a whim to head out to Utah to visit family. It was fun, but so tiring and the thought of making that drive again makes me want to puke!
We were home about 10 days and then we headed to SW Michigan for a week at the lake with the Staller clan. We had lots and lots of fun, and now I'm exhausted!
I have SIX!!!! new recipes I'm trying this week; I got all of my groceries today and Un-Stuffed Pepper Casserole is in the oven right now. Hopefully I'll be better about this blog stuff and can let you all know how it turns out!

Like pulling teeth . . .

2011-06-20T17:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, I know I go way to long between postings- but I've been busy peeps! Here's a glimpse of what I've been up to:

Took Viv and Sophie to a Tin Caps game for Isaac's B-day. It was Star Wars night, hence the hair and outfits. The fireworks afterwards were great!

Mom's friend Debbie bought this large floral print at MOOD (I swoon) to use as a tablecloth. Sadly, her table is a bit larger, so she needed a border added on. It was a great learning experience for me. I learned to properly miter corners on a border and do great mitered corners on the hem edge. This came in especially useful when I made the 8 matching napkins (tutorial on my next post I think!)

Another little bit for Debbie. She picked up this great Batik in the Carribean, so I bought some green and red florals to finish it out and cover some pillows too!

The family keeps me busy!

Viv's first piano recital- she did such a good job!

Sophie busted her lip open at the Burger King playland. She was a trooper and only cried for about 30 seconds before she was ready to go play again. Unfortunately we had to leave to get her some stitches!

Family Dinner. Viv set and decorated the table. She said it was a restaurant. She's so cute like that!

Viv's missing an extra tooth on top because her mommy has butterfingers. I dropped a can of mousse out of the bathroom cupboard and it fell right on her front tooth. Luckily Ryan drove into his office and Brent met him there and he pulled the tooth. Crazy times!

Sophie's stitches healing nicely. She's thinking about giving that frog a kiss!

Nathan is NOT thinking about kissing the frog!

I think she's gonna do it!

Brent is a real softie and brought this kitten home that he found wandering on the side of the highway. Its very cute and is named Sprinkles, but it needs a different home. Me and animals don't mix!

Big Reveal and a New Recipe!

2011-05-31T15:47:00.002-04:00

Here's the after shot! This is probably the worst photo ever taken, but that's all I have right now. I'm really happy with how the makeover went- if you want to see the before, check out my previous post. It really does look better in person, I think the photo magnifies my amateur spray-painting status. The hubby says to let him do it next time. I think I will!

And, a yummy new recipe. I've made about four versions of this dish over the last couple of months, and I think I've perfected it. I started out with two different recipes, smooshed them together and voila! I'm not really into Thai food, but this kept getting better the more I tweaked it, so its probably barely Thai food anymore, but we all love it! I like to make all the ingredients early in the day and then about 20 min. before we eat I start the rice, warm up the sauce and then throw the chicken on the grill. Recipe after the photos.

Grilled Thai Peanut Curry Chicken &and Rice
Marinade for Chicken:
2 Tbsp. Sesame Oil
1 garlic clove minced
1/2 c. Peanut Butter
1/4 c. Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp. Rice Wine Vinegar
Warm Water to thin sauce- I used between 1/4-1/2 cup

*Place all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until smooth. It will be pretty thick at this point. Slowly add water to thin the sauce down. It should be the consistency of heavy whipping cream. Reserve about 1/2 c. marinade and pour remaining over 2 large chicken breasts that have been cut into cubes. Let marinate for an hour (or more), and then place on skewers and grill until done. Continue basting with the reserved marinade while grilling.

**NOTE: The last time I made this I got lazy and just mixed up some sesame oil, vinegar and soy sauce and used that for the marinade and it was just at yummy!

Sauce for Rice
1 c. mild salsa
1/4 c. Peanut Butter
2 Tbsp. Orange Juice
2 Tbsp. Honey
1 tsp. Soy sauce
1-2 Tbsp. Curry Sauce - or more if you like. Play around with it a bit

*Process in blender or food processor and then place in a small pan and warm thoroughly. Don't let it boil- peanut butter should not boil!

**NOTE: The last time I made this I was lazy and didn't feel like dirtying my food processor and just heated everything up. It tasted JUST as good, although it didn't look quite as pretty!

*Put it all together! Spoon a bit of rice on your plate, top with sauce, chicken, chopped cilantro and julienned red pepper. You could forgo the pepper, but please don't skip the cilantro- it is essential!

I'm linked up here:

Tis the Season

2011-05-23T22:09:00.002-04:00

Garage Sale season is in full swing! Just about every weekend there are at least 3 or four communities hosting garage sales. It's fantastic- I go to one area and usually hit about 20 garage sales (give or take a few)! That's amazing, and I've gotten some AMAZING deals. Like the Robeez shoes. Granted, there's no bun in my oven, but could I pass up $1.50 for cute Robeez? I don't think so!

I linked up here

And this little gem- which will be painted black by the end of this week (fingers crossed) was only $5!

I got a couple of things for my display areas and added a little spray paint and they're now much cuter- $2 for the brass thing and $.25 (what a deal!!!) for the pitcher thing. Seriously, the brass was making my eyes burn. It was so funny, the old lady I bought that from told me it had been on her mantle for almost thirty years!!! My hubby used engine paint on it, and it worked brilliantly. Just think- its made to cover and stick to something that is dirty and greasy, so you know its going to stick to garage sale junk too! I used Valspar Brilliant Silver on the pitcher.

This last one isn't a garage sale find, but I did get it at the dollar store. Sorry I don't have a before pic, but it started out as a plain old glass vase. I spray painted the interior first thinking that it would look REALLY shiny- almost like a mirrored surface. Well, I was wrong. The paint (Valspar Brilliant Silver spray paint), doesn't look shiny through glass, it looks dull. So, I gave it a really light coat on the exterior so that it looks shiny in some places and dull in others. It gave it a really great look!

I linked up here:

For the Birds

2011-05-10T11:48:00.001-04:00

Do you know the song "His Eye is on the Sparrow"? It's a great song- I've always really loved. it. I'm not even sure when I first heard it, but I love the message and decided to make a hanging for my hallway. Feel free to print out one for yourself. You can download it HERE, and when you go to print, under "Page Scaling" choose "Fit to printable area." This is made to fit nicely in an 8x10 frame. Enjoy!

I'm alse participating in TCB Tuesday Link-up party, go check it out!

Hoppy Easter (cheesey, I know)

2011-04-30T16:26:00.000-04:00

Sophie helping to sweep the living room- making everything look good for the Easter Bunny.

Vivian in her "Easter shirt, that she insisted on sleeping in. What a silly girl!

Nathan LOVES his chocolate bunny :)

The Silly picture. Unfortunately, that's the only kind of picture we got of all three kids together this year. Oh well. I think it represents our lives fairly accurately.

I made the girls' dresses using THIS free pattern from Burda style. I had a couple of friends make some too. Its a really easy pattern, and the thing I like most about it is the attention to interior detail. It is constructed so that there are no raw edges visible inside. The bodice is lined too- which I always think is a nice touch. One minor note, I had to add a button closure to back. Maybe my kids have really big heads, but these puppies were not going on without it!

12,000 Hits!!! (and a giveaway)

2011-04-10T20:59:00.001-04:00

A few months ago, my count hitter stopped working. I was so bummed because I had just passed the 10,000 mark and I had to start over at zero. Today I was looking at my lowly little blog and noticed I've had 12,000 hits! Wow, that's humbling that people want to read about my mostly boring life. It also makes me feel bad for not posting more often. I planned to do a post this weekend, but I've been spending a lot of time cleaning up puke and snuggling sick kiddies. Now though 12,000. I know, how many times am I going to say this? But, I'm seriously so excited. I think a giveaway is in order! I've got a copy of Weekend Sewing that is in (almost) perfect condition. My kids tore the book jacket a bit, but I feel like a giveaway.

Here's all you have to do:

1. Follow the blog
2. Leave a comment telling me about your favorite post that I've done
3. A post you'd like to see in the future

I'll announce the winner next Monday (4/25). Happy Winning!

Design Bug

2011-03-29T13:09:00.000-04:00

I've been looking around for something to hang in my hallway, and I just couldn't find what I was looking for, so I decided to make my own. I used to do a little bit of graphic design on the side, but had never done anything for myself. Not sure why- this was fun! I used kuler to come up with a color scheme- that was FUN! and then worked in Photoshop. It was fun to create something, it has been too long since I've done anything. I was looking at my fabric stash today and got a little excited to make some things with fabric I had forgotten I had. If you want a copy for yourself to print at home, click HERE

Monday Love

2011-03-28T13:08:00.000-04:00

I've not been very industrious since our return from vacation, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to showcase some things that I love, and lately I've been loving whales!

I love this print from jennasuedesign

I think my next baby girl quilt might have to be purple whales! This is a Hawthorne Threads Hootie and the Blowfish Cuddle print.

How about this from Pottery Barn kids? They always get it right!

Can we talk whales without mentioning how much I loved Lisa Frank? I don't think so!

Whale softie + selvages = LOVE! Check it ou at the selvage blog.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE?

What have I been up to?

2011-03-18T15:28:00.000-04:00

This week? A whole lot of nothing, except recovering from our amazing vacation! This was the first vacation away from the kids for Brent and myself, and it was incredible, even though I got sick towards the end. Check out the vacation blog here http://www.brentmacyvietnam.blogspot.com/

Budgeting

2011-02-18T14:33:00.000-05:00

I struggle with budgeting anything, but time and money are definitely the worst for me. I'm a huge procrastinator, and I'm certainly not opposed to a money budget, but it's stressful for me. Well, as it turns out, I'm sick of paying the car pmt. every month, we just acquired a bit more debt to build the garage, and as far as time goes, sometimes I feel like I'm stretched too thin. SO, Brent and I made a budget. The great part about budgeting as a couple, is that I only have to be in charge of the $ I spend, so I have three seperate budgets: groceries, gas, and personal. I'm on week three of the $60/week budget for groceries (food, paper stuff, diapers, everything!!!) and no problems. Back in the day, when we were really poor I did $40. I don't know if I'll try that again, but $50 seems like a good goal. Ther personal budget is harder :( I don't ever spend a lot of money on any one thing, but I do love a deal (anything under 50% off is NOT a good deal- trust me!), so it was really hard to pass up $2 shirts at Old Navy the other day. I was telling a friend about my grocery budget, and she didn't know how I could do it. It's not really that hard, here are the basics:

1. Cut down on cereal. At the CHEAPEST, cereal is about $1.89/box. Think about how many boxes you need. It takes up a lot of the budget. Oatmeal and eggs are cheap!!! Also, the batch of pancakes I made this morning cost me about $.20 Seriously.
2. Cut down on meat. As it turns out, you almost never need as much as a recipe calls for. Especially ground beef, you can usually use about 50-75% of what the recipe calls for, and you'll never notice the difference.
3. Shop at a bakery outlet. I get almost all of my really delicious, 100% whole wheat bread for $.65. The same stuff in stores is around $3, and I don't know about you, but we eat a lot of bread! Find one now!
4. Eat soup. I have about 5 soups that I make on a semi-regular basis. They're cheap AND easy. My favorites are: Roasted Red Pepper, Tomato Basil, Beef Vegetable, Chili, and Chicken Tortilla. The most expensive of these costs about $6 to make and can EASILY feed us for two suppers and a lunch. Not too shabby.
5. Aldi. If you don't have one near you, I'm so sad! I don't buy everything there, but I do buy most of my basics. $.50 canned veggies, $1.29 flour, $1.50/bag cheese, $2 butter, etc. I can sometimes find these items cheaper if they're on sale elsewhere, but the prices at Aldi are always the same- cheap!
6. Research/Make a menu I don't coupon anymore b/c I found myself buying things we don't need or want (a lot of coupons are for processed foods), but I occasionally run across some coupons for cheese or salad. I do however always look at my local grocery ads and plan my menu around what is on sale. SO, if chicken is on sale, we're not having chili.
7. Bulk Food Store. We go to a place in Shipshewana called E&S Sales, and I buy all of my spices there for dirt cheap. I also bought a 5 lb. bag of cocoa for about $6 and 1/2 lb. cinnamon for $2. That is not a typo.

Here's my favorite budget friendly soup-Chicken Tortilla. Price breakdowns and all!

1 lb. chicken breast, raw and cut into cubes- $2 (I won't pay more than $2/lb for it)
2 Tbsp. olive oil in bottom of crockpot- $.05???
1/2 onion, diced- $.25
2 cloves garlic, minced- $.10
1 tsp. cumin- $.05?
1/2 tsp. chili powder- $.05
2 can black beans, rinsed - $1 (I always get mine at Aldi for $.50/can)
2 cans dices tomatoes with green chiles- $1
1/2 bag frozen corn- $.50 ( I always buy the Birdseye super-sweet when its on sale for $1)
4 c. water
4 chicken buillon cubes- $.20

TOTAL: $5.20
Stick it in the crockpot on high for 3-4 hours. I know I said earlier this was $6, that's because I like to splurge on a little cilantro ($.50/bunch) and some corn chips crumbled on top ($1/bag, but you won't use the whole bag . . .I hope :) Enjoy!!!

I hate titling posts

2011-02-11T17:08:00.000-05:00

I have plans to blog at least weekly. Really, I do; but life happens! Not like a really glamorous and exotic life. More like kids get sick, supper has to be made, the house needs cleaned and a few errands to run. Regardless of the fact that things aren't glamorous in these parts- they are exciting! Last week we got a ton of snow and Brent worked from home a couple of days. The snow was so deep in some spots that it required two passes of the snow blower. We're so thankful to have that!

Sophie got her ears pierced. She loves them and is pretty good about letting me clean her ears.

A few friends came over this week to make some Valentine's Day decorations. It was great to get together, especially since we got snowed out last week. It was a bit of a mess for a little bit, but was refreshing to be with friends :)

I finally figured out why Nathan calls horses, cows. I thought he just wasn't gettting it. As it turns out, he's calling them cowboys. Cute stuff. Oh, and he's gotten CRAZY about wearing shoes or boots all the time. Well, putting them on, taking them off and chasing me down to put them back on again, but you get the idea. Obviously, pants are optional.

We just found out about fainting goats. They're really, and really funny. For a good laugh, check out this video:

Vivian got kissed by a boy- and she didn't like it!!! She actually got pretty mad about the whole thing and told me it was "DEE-SGUSTING!!!!!" Agreed ;)

January Update

2011-01-22T23:12:00.001-05:00

Winter is here- for reals. Yesterday, the high was 10. Yikes! This is our first dose of super-cold weather, and I'm not loving it. Last week (when it wasn't so cold), Brent took the girls outside to go sledding and build a snowman. I stayed warm inside.

Here's my little buddy on his 2nd birthday. He's so cute!!! Nathan calls almost all animals puppies; he does an AWESOME horse sound, he love cars, and seems to have a healthy dose of "punk" running through his veins ;) Nathan is also the "coolest" person at our house, it is a real treat for the girls to get him up in the morning and get him up from his nap. Oh, and he melts my heart with a hug and kiss!

As promised, Roasted Red Pepper Soup

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 c. chopped onion, diced

1 tsp. Thyme

1 box Chicken Broth

1 jar roasted red peppers

1 large potatoe, peeled and diced

1 c. whipping cream or half and half

Heat your oil in a large saucepan. Add minced garlic and cook for about 30 sec. Add onion and cook until tender. Add thyme and cook an additional minute. Add all remaining ingredients, except cream and cover. Cook until potatoes are thoroughly cooked, about 20 min. Use a blender to puree soup and then return to heat- do not boil. Add cream right before serving. YUM-O!

Look at my cute girls drinking their hot chocolate at their princess table mats!

This is my latest quilt that is going to my dear friend Rachel who just welcomed a sweet little girl into the world! This one is machine pieced and hand quilted. I know, who does hand quilting???? Well, I have to say I really enjoyed working on it. The work was nice and calming in the evenings, and I will definitely do it again.

It's a New Year, but not a new me

2011-01-07T20:15:00.000-05:00

That's right, no new me. Which means I will probably continue to post on a regular 2 month basis. Regardless, here we go. I think I'll work backwards. 1.Tomorrow I am going to take down the Christmas tree- really.
2. I just finished reading Wuthering Heights. Um, I thought it was supposed to be a romance- and what is UP with people writing books featuring totally unsympathetic main characters. Weird.
3. I made ridiculously yummy roasted pepper soup. I mish-mashed about 3 recipes, and I think I'll give it another try tomorrow and hopefully document it for all of blog-land.
4. The kids are OBSESSED with Star Wars. Even Nathan. He runs around the room trying to sing the theme music. It is ridiculously cute.
5. Speaking of cute- check out my kids!

6. Christmas was great. The kids were all so excited about everything, and grateful- even for socks. I really do have great kids who are appreciative of everything they got. Brent got a new surround sound system (courtesy of Nathan's meddling), I got a new cd player for the kitchen, and we're finally parking in the garage! Also, got the Pioneer Woman cookbook. I'm sure we'll all pack on a few pounds before the end of 2011. Good news for Brent, bad news for me!
7. Sophie's bumps and bruises have all healed up nicely. Her smile is almost completely evened out and I can see her scar is beginning to fade.

Bad with the Follow-Through

2010-11-17T22:52:00.000-05:00

You know how in basketball, when you make (or try to make) a shot, if you don't have a good follow-thru it doesn't ever seem to go in. That's me. I have no follow through. Seriously, TONS of stuff that I don't finish or procrastinate on, and sadly, my little piece of blog-land is one of them. So, here's the quick run-down:

I did a coule of craft shows this fall- one was a total bust and the other was not so bad. While I was at one I met a girl named Lois who sells for Thirty-One, and I was hooked. The stuff was SO cute! I've done a few shows, made a little extra cash, and its fun and easy for me. I'm still sewing, but this replaces my sewing "job" (aka, supplying the etsy shop and craft fairs), which means I'm back to sewing for fun. Yay! I havent's wanted to look at my sewing machine for weeks, but now I'm itching to start some Christmas projects :)

The other big news at the house was that Sophie was hit by a car a few weeks ago. We are VERY blessed and extremeley lucky that nothing too serious happened. Sophie ran into the street when we were visiting my cousin and was hit. It was very scary, the EMS came, we went to the hospital. Her chin was split wide open and it appeared that her jaw was broken. The EMT was about 90% sure that was the case. Brent was waiting for us at the ambulance bay and noticed right away that there was something "off" with her mouth. LOTS, and lots of prayers were said in those first few minutes for our little girl and I know they helped heal her. After she went for her CT scan, when she came back, her jaw looked back to normal. She had no broken bones, no internal bleeding, her jaw was fine, and not even a concussion, which is a miracle considering she had tire tread on her face. She ended up with some stitches in her chin and her neck. We did an overnight stay at the hospital to be observed and got to come home the next day. What a miracle! The only thing now, is that her lower lip isn't moving correctly. We're very hopeful that it will heal on its own, but for now I'm happy to see her crooked smile! Sophie won't even walk to the car now without holding my hand. I'm sad she had to learn that lesson this way, but grateful that it seems to be sticking with her so that we won't EVER have to do that again.

Update Smupdate

2010-09-08T13:43:00.000-04:00

Things have been busy! Brent continues to plug away at the garage project. I've been doing a lot of sewing in preparation for the upcoming shows, plus I've done some alterations for some girls participating in a wedding this weekend, I've been doing lots of hair recently too. Also, we did this last week:

We LOVE Cedar Point, but had been unable to go for almost 6 years! The Mr. and I spent last Wednesday there and had a blast! See that HUGE coaster at the front? The Millenium Force is seriously the best coaster I've ever been on. And yes, it is HUGE!

We've also been working on hammering out an itinerary for our 10 year anniversary trip.

Yep, we're headed to Vietnam in March. I can't even begin to tell you how excited we are!

Also, I'm in a pickle. My sister is hosting a prom for grown-ups in two weeks. I have purchased the fabric to make a dress, and now I don't want to do it. Boo!

If Wishes were fishes . . .

2010-08-16T10:11:00.000-04:00

CraftGossip is having a totally awesome giveaway- win an Etsy wishlist up to $100!!!! Seriously too fun for words. Here's my wishlist

Super cute Halloween Tags $4!!! from CraftyChic

Set of Halloween Banners from The Spoiled Wall $12

Peacock Fascinator from Pegasusmaiden $16

Cute Christmas Gift Tags from Mad4Plaid $5

Beautiful Pattern from Bernioles $5

Awesome Laundry Soap from Shifflett Studios $8

Super Cute apron from Paisley Pockets $28

3 yd. Amy Butler Full Moon in Cherry from Brodyandma $23.25

HOT HOT HOT

2010-08-12T10:36:00.000-04:00

The weather here in IN has been unbearable. Really. I'm a PROUD card-carrying Hoosier, but even I've had enough of the heat and humidity and have been whistful for the 100+ heat and skin-cracking dryness of the West. It's been too hot to do much of anything outside; even the girls only last about 30 min. before they've had enough, so we've been indoors a lot. Too much! Maybe we'll make it to the splash pad again this week.

Yes, the kids are cute. It's kind of ridiculous ;-)

This is my Little Midgee on her 3rd Birthday! She's growing up fast and just keeps getting cuter!

I've been making LOTS of skirts. This is a favorite for sure. Finally got the pattern for it in the shop, and I got a start on the shows I'm doing this fall. Hopefully no repeats of the last two years where I spend an entire week tethered to the sewing machine. I promise I'll be good this time! I already have 75% of my stuff cut out and ready to sew. That is a huge help. Now I can just pull something out and sew it up and it's done in about 45 min. tops. Loving it!!!

I'm getting a garage!!! Words cannot express my joy over this one. We've lived here almost 4 years with no garage. I think parking in my garage will be the height of luxury. Things were on hold for a bit when the excavator found a human-looking bone. We had to get it examined by the Anthropology lab at the local college to see if it was human. Turns out it is a pig femur, which can be swapped out for a human femur . . .so if ever you're in need of an extra femur, keep the Augustus' in mind!

A Flurry of Fairies!

2010-07-28T14:58:00.000-04:00

As promised, a small post on Vivian's fairy themed party. This was her first party that wasn't just family, and she was really excited to have a "girls" party. I thought it was so cute when I asked her who she wanted to invite that she included her friend's little sister and also put "Aunt Natalie" on the guest list! I could have gone totally over the top, but reigned myself in and that was a good idea. Even a "low-key" party ended up being a lot of work. On top of doing all the party stuff, there was still a house to be cleaned and diapers to be changed! I am proud to say, I stuck to my $25 budget and still had pennies to spare! Anyway, here's the rundown:

Fairy Wands! These were super easy and made a really cute centerpiece in a vase. I bought these 3/$1 at the Dollar Tree and then put some glitter glue on them and used a thumb-tack in the tops to attatch a few pieces of randomly cut ribbon. These were a big hit and I would definitely do them again!

Makeup! All of the girls got fairy makeup in their color of choice and then topped off with a heavy dose of glitter. Electric Blue was my most requested color, which was surprising. I was ready to put pink on 7 girls! Oh, and of course, all the girls got wings. I managed to find these at a fantastic price, $1.50/pair at http://www.haloheaven.com/

We started out coloring pictures of fairies; this was a great activity because not everyone arrived at the same time. I set the talbe and the side table using some vintage sheets and tablecloths from my collection. You can't see it terribly well, but in the center of the talbe is a birdcage that I decorated with some fabric flowers and then placed a fairy figurine inside with some glitter. The girls LOVED that!

We played a game next; Pin the Wings on the fairy. It was a lot of fun and the girls certainly giggled a lot. I just drew the back of a fairy on a piece of posterboard and then cut out a pair of fairy wings and put some tape on the back. Super easy! Nobody even cared that my fairy was lopsided and ill proportioned ;)

Next it was bubble time. Best $1 I've ever spent. Seriously. We also painted flower sun catchers, but I didn't get any good pictures of that. I found a package of 12 at Michael's for $4 and used my 40% off coupon. It was a bit messy, so be sure you have a plastic tablecloth that you can just throw away, but it was lots of fun.

Time for cupcakes and icecream! Nothing complicated here either. I had some sprinkles on hand and some pink glitter-gel. I found a template for cupcake wrappers and traced some pink and lavendar scrapbook paper I had on hand. They were cute and definitely not perfect!

We brought out the Birthday Girl's cupcake on a silver candle holder I had. She thought that was really cool!

Month in Review

2010-07-10T23:16:00.006-04:00

I can hardly believe it has been an entire month since I blogged. I've not done anything crafty, but I have of course purchased some new fabric. I was fortunate to run across a shop that still had some Sandi Henderson "Meadowsweet" in stock and couldn't pass it up. So, without further delay, here is the month in pictures:

We spent the first days of our vacation (after a very long drive) in Estes Park, CO to visit the National Park. It was kinda cold and rainy, we couldn't see the tops of the mountains and saw one small patch of blue sky in the 3 days we were there and met up with the rest of the Augustus clan, so of course we had lots of fun! It was kind of ridiculously beautiful and odd for June. You can see there is still a little bit of snow on the banks of the lake. I think we were at about 10,000 ft. here. We wanted to drive all the way through the park, but they closed the road due to snow (about 10 in.) and low visibility.

When we got to Utah we got to meet a new cousin! Whitley and Brent's little guy Grant. He is super cute and of course, the girls loved it. They thought he was soooooo adorable. They're right :)
> We went to our (and by our and mean mine & the kids) first rodeo. It was fun, although I didn't really care for the calf-roping. It was just a little rough. I did however thorougly enjoy the Mutton Busting and the cow milking. Very entertaining.

After we got home we celebrated Vivian's 5th birthday with a girls only fairy party. I think I'll make a whole post about that later . . .
The next weekend I got to have lots of fun doing makeup for a wedding. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE doing bridal makeup, and this bride was super cute and fun! And last, but not least I'm so excited, in September my sister is hosting a prom for adults! I'm really excited and have been mulling over what to wear. I think I will probably wear mostly black, because it's me. I have however been watching the shows from Paris Couture week and got some major inspiration. I LOVE the silhouette of the first dress, and the second dress, the jaw dropping hand painted silk pansy, is a Dior. Of course, I will never own one, and I don't know that I really have the desire. I think instead I will attempt making a Dior "inspired" dress. I'll keep you posted!

And, we have a winner!!!!

2010-06-08T22:09:00.001-04:00

I used random.org (I was going to post the graphic, but my computer is being dumb- so whatever!) and comment #71 is the winner!

Jacky {The Sweetest Petunia} said...
Okay, that is beyond adorable! I'm Jacky, and I'd love to win. ;)

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

2010-05-31T15:57:00.005-04:00

A bag full of goodies!

I grabbed my favorite purse from the "stash" and decided it was time to give it away (since nobody wanted to buy it ;-) Nothing says summer like the combination of black and white, and who doesn't love pink??? I'm filling it with a checkbook cover, a travel tissue cover, a hair clip, pin and pin cushion. Maybe I'll add more . . . Anway, on the the good stuff- how to enter! There are three ways to win; please leave a seperate comment for each entry:

1st Entry: Leave a comment with your name and email address

2nd Entry: Become a follower of my blog. Please leave your name and email. (ex. "Macy macymade at gmail dot com I'm a follower")

3rd Entry: Blog about this giveaway. Please be sure to include a link to your post.

Giveaway is open for entries until midnight June 7th!

BONUS!!!!!!
If there are more than 300 comments the winner will also get a copy of "Weekend Sewing" by Heather Ross!!!!

Some Good Pictures

2010-05-30T00:31:00.003-04:00

I'm so pleased with how this dress turned out. As mentioned in a previous post, I used Butterick 4732 for the dress. I added the pick-ups and the wrap-around bodice. The bodice was a little tricky and definitely required fitting on the model- lots of pinning. The pick-ups were a breeze though! They were a fun addition and I would definitely do them again. The bolero is from Simplicity 2400. I was concerened that it would have a really "home made" look to it, but it looked great. I think that's because it was a good pattern, not really that it had anything to do with my meager sewing skills. All in all, this was a good sewing experience for me and I would do it again in a heartbeat!

The Hills are Alive, and so am I

2010-05-20T16:57:00.003-04:00

While I muse over what to make for a giveaway (I'm leaning towards another purse giveaway, but this time stuffed full of goodies!), I painted a wall in my kitchen. I only have one coat done, and it resembles the color of wet concrete. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. I'll get back to you on that one.
In the meantime, I watched "The Sound of Music" this morning with my kids. It was BETTER than I remember, and my kids loved it! My oldest is almost 5, and I thought it might be too much for them, or not hold their interest. Boy was I wrong! Right after we finished it, they asked to watch again. Maybe tomorrow. It's been years since I've seen the movie, and it was interesting to see it with "grown-up" eyes. First of all, when I was 10 I don't remember the Capt. being sooooo dreamy. Also, the Baroness had an AWESOME wardrobe!
Speaking of great clothes . . .

Bummer

2010-05-11T10:00:00.003-04:00

I'm bummed! My hit counter at the bottom of the page stopped working so I had to re-set it. I was getting close to the 10,000 mark and was planning to do a give-away. So, I guess the giveaway will have to come early! Any suggestions??? I'm thinking doing another purse giveaway, maybe some pillowcase dresses for little girls, a bunch of accessories? So many choices

It's a Dress!

2010-05-07T10:29:00.001-04:00

I'm done with the final fitting! Here is a pic before I finished the hem and got the straps sewn in- but you get the basic idea. It was a lot of fun to make and I'm excited to try something again soon!

I wish I didn't have to title posts

2010-04-28T14:59:00.003-04:00

Spring is definitely here and I've felt really productive. I made a pie and brownies on Monday and yesterday I mowed the yard for the 3rd time this year. I'm still hopeful that we'll get a garden in, but that remains to be seen. We have planted a small flower garden and mulched the flower beds so things are coming along nicely. I've also been de-cluttering. It feels nice and I've also managed to make a little bit of money at a garage sale, so that is always nice. Here are a few of the things I've been up to: I made these little pin cushions for the facebook give-away I participated in. They were fast and easy. My favorite kind of project.

I finally got around to getting some new hair. I look a little surly because I honestly don't enjoy having my picture taken, but I do love the hair!

I finally cracked open my copy of "Sublime Stitching" by Jenny Hart. I've loved drooling over all the cute embroidery stuff I've seen lately and decided to recycle one of Brent's old dress shirts and embroider the girl's initials. I think I'll cut out the pieces and make them each little pillows for the birthdays this summer.

This is my garage sale project. It is a cupboard door I got that was painted plain white. I printed off the text and used tracing paper to transfer the image on to the wood then spent a good hour with a tiny brush and painted. Next I used a little sand paper and went over the letters to weather it a little; brushed on some glaze and called it done!

And this is the big project lately. I've been working on the hand quilting of this for a couple of months. It sounds tedious and laborious, but it is really enjoyable. I don't stress over having perfect stitches and find it a very relaxing evening activity.

Blog LOVE

2010-04-18T19:21:00.005-04:00

I am addicted to craft blogs! I have roughly 100 blogs that I view at least once a month, and some of them daily- they're just that good! I thought I'd share some of my favorite things I've seen recently- Could these turtles from Girl. Inspired. be any cuter? I seriously must make these.
This pillow from Sew4Home is sooo cheery- another one for the to-do list!

Check out these beautiful pillowcases from YouGoGirl. Perfect gifts for a graduate or bridal shower!

I LOVE this artwork from Pottery Barn. I do not love the price. Lucky for me Susie Harris has instructions for me to make my own :)

I Must Be Crazy!

2010-04-08T11:22:00.003-04:00

I'm making this dress, Butterick 4732. Not for me, but as a favor- so it is already more fun sewing, but I'm super intimidated by this. I'm adding a gathered kind of wrap-around at the waist, pick-ups in the skirt and sewing a bolero as well, so I guess it won't exactly look like this dress when I'm done, but it's a starting point. I'm fairly new to following patterns and garment sewing. I've made a few skirts with moderate success and my mom's dress for my sister's wedding a few years ago, but those were all cotton. Mostly, I'm intimidated by the fabric- it is almost identical in color to the dress shown here, and really beautiful, so I don't want to screw it up. Oh, and did I mention I'm on a tight deadline here? I have 10 days to finish this bad boy. Wish me luck!

Michael Buble!

2010-03-30T16:51:00.003-04:00

Last Wednesday, my mom, sister and I went to see Michael Buble in Cincinnati. It was AMAZING! I've been to a fair number of concerts, and this was the best by a long shot. I'm currently eyeing some super pricey 12th row floor tickets to go see him in Indy this summer. If you ever get the chance to see him- do it! You won't regret it!

LONG Time Coming

2010-03-18T23:07:00.003-04:00

I haven't posted in two months; what's that all about? I've been busy! Three kids keep me on my toes, plust I've actually been making things again! Most things I haven't photographed, so that will have to be done soon. I've made a quilt top, done a sweater re-fashion, and FINALLY got around to making these cute little shoes. I also made this purse for my mom's birthday. It's a really cute pattern and was easy to make. Mom picked out the fabrics and I really like how it turned out.

I made this purse for myself today. I LOVE IT! The minute I saw this fabric I knew just what to do with it. This is my own pattern and I hope to have everything finalized for a new tutorial within the week.

On the family front, the kids are loving the warm weather and spending LOTS of time playing outside. If Nathan would ever decide to walk, he could play outside as well, but for now he just crawls around. He's been crawling for nearly 7 months! Sophie has started potty training and I'm so grateful for that. Today was a really good day for her, only 1 accident and she even told me twice that she needed to go potty! She's getting to be such a big girl and really isn't my little baby anymore. She still likes to cuddle though, so that is very sweet. Vivian is learning all sorts of new things and always, always is talking. The other day she told me "A castle is a habitat for a princess". Yes, I suppose it is :)

Flower Girls

2010-01-31T15:08:00.003-05:00

This is one of the new clips I made for the girls. I saw these in the Valentine's aisle at Hobby Lobby and knew they would be great for their hair. I love felt stuff, and these were just really beautiful. They also come in white and pink, which I think I'll have to go back and get!
Just a little hot glue on a barrette and instant cuteness! Plus, they look good with the girls' new dresses. This is a pattern that I'm working on to put in the shop. This was the trial run and I think I worked out most of the kinks. They were easy to construct and comfy for the girls, so it's a win/win! I loved this picture of the two of them. Sophie's hair doesn't look too bad!

My Baby is Growing Up!

2010-01-19T14:30:00.004-05:00

Do you see how cute this little guy is?! He turned 1 on Saturday and I can't believe how quickly the year has gone by. He's been such a blessing in our lives; he's sweet beyond comparison and we all love him to bits and pieces. Especially these two girls! They love having a little brother, and I can't blame them :-)

Whatev

2010-01-14T10:14:00.001-05:00

This is what happens when you're making plans to take a family picture. Your 2 1/2 year old will sneak off with your scissors while you're making her chocolate chip cookies and cut off her cute little girl bangs.

What happened to the time?

2010-01-06T16:41:00.002-05:00

My time has been fleeting! The holidays were super busy, and lots of fun for us. The girls really got into the spirit of things and enjoyed the advent calendar, as well as shopping for gifts. Nathan, of course, doesn't really get it, but he's still so cute! We got him a little dump truck for Christmas and he pushes it all around the house and is as happy as a clam in a shell. Vivian got Jessie doll from Toy Story 2 and she is so sweet with it. Always telling me Jessie is her best friend and singing "When She Loved Me' from the movie. Sophie got a Tinkerbell doll, and it's so fitting. Vivian is always saying that Sophie is a little pixie, and its kind of true! I've not been doing much crafting lately, or sewing. I finished up the last of my items for gifts on Christmas Eve. I am such a procrastinator. I total I made 2 dresses, 6 pairs of PJ pants, converted 2 t-shirts to long sleeve shirts, made 1 vinyl floating frame, and painted a large picture for my mom's bathroom. Painting was scary! I haven't touched a paintbrush for about 8 years and I stood, looking at that canvas for about 45 minutes before I touched it. I was so intimidated, but luckily it is kind of like riding a bike and it starts coming back to you! I'll try to get some pictures up.

Cute kids and birds in the house

2009-12-09T18:33:00.005-05:00

It's a flock of birds! Aren't they beautiful? I did the design myself and wonderful Jill did the vinyl cutting. I spent about an hour getting it all in place, but it truly is the perfect touch to the room. I wish the pictures were better:(

And here are my cute kids. Feel free to ooooh, aaaah and drool!

It's Christmas!

2009-12-04T18:38:00.002-05:00

I love Christmas time, and things have been especially fun this year with the girls. They're really into all the fun holiday stuff this year and we've been having a good time doing the activities from the Advent Calendar. I've had a few people ask about it, so I thought I'd post a few pictures. It was SUPER easy and cheap to make. I used a piece of metal that I already had, paper from my stash and some sticky-back magnets. I used this box tutorial, placed a magnet on the back and a piece of paper inside with a fun holiday activity to do every day. They're all EASY and cheap. Did I mention I like cheap? Seriously, today we wrote a letter to Santa and yesterday it was have hot chocolate. Tomorrow's is have a picnic by the Christmas Tree.

Speaking of tree's, here she is. No star, because I can't find one I like and we're about 150 ornaments shy of the usual tree, but I opted to leave off all of the glass bulbs. They're so pretty, but I do hate sweeping them up, so they just had to go. And this picture is priceless. Yes, we're classy people who don't make their children wear clothes at home and Sophie got a hold of mine and Brent's stockings and decided to wear them. I love it!

I Hope I win!!!!!!

2009-12-04T11:54:00.002-05:00

Today's Mama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.
1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year? towels, microplane, full length mirror, jewelry, nail polish
2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received? a quilt
3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle? clothes, or a painting
4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child? When I was 9 I got a pink belt that had a silver buckle. It had a kind of "western" look to it. I loved it! I also got some boots with white fringe that year that were awesome!
5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year? Jessie doll, Tinkerbell, Barbies- can you tell we have girls????
6. What is your favorite holiday food? Do I have to pick just one? No! Chow-Mein Chunkies, Carmels, Shrimp Cocktail, Aunt Betty's Cheeseball
7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays? PJ Pants for some of my neices and nephews, and some hair bows
8. What is your favorite holiday movie? Elf
9. Favorite holiday song? White Christmas
10. Favorite holiday pastime? Eating!!!!!

Like Putting On Mascara

2009-11-13T14:11:00.004-05:00

I bought this dress at Target on the clearance rack for $6.24. A total steal, and it looks good on, its comfy, AND it is a dress I can still breastfeed in. Seriously, its been almost a year since I've worn a dress because of that very problem. Anyway, I really do like it, but it just didn't feel quite like "me". So, a couple of hours, some broken jewelry, scrap fabric and a few glue sticks later, the much improved version. I've seen a ga-jillion and one tutorials for fabric roses and I don't think I did mine exactly like any of them, I just took a strip of fabric, glued one end down to a piece of felt, and then started twisting and glueing. Voila! Like I said, it was good before, but now its better . . .like when you put on mascara!

Crazy Days & Holly Days

2009-11-08T17:49:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I did the Holly Days Show at Deer Ridge Elem. It was a good, LONG day. Of course, I didn't sleep well the night before and was up at the crack of dawn. Of course, that did mean I wasn't rushed in the morning to get around, which was nice. I didn't get a lot of shopping done, but I saw a few things that were TO DIE for! Lilyluluu Designs is charming and sweet, and just everything you would want for your little girl. She make full on clothing and it is not only beautiful, but well made. Do you like her banner??? I designed it for her! Also came across Emma & Cait. I'm a sucker for vintage jewelry and I am in love with what they have done. And then here are some pics of my booth. It looks kinda crazy and I detest flash photography, but what else was I going to do? It was a busy day with lots of foot traffic and I'm already going over what I'll do different next year. My sister Vanessa was kind enough to come and sit for the day with me and I had lots of friends stop by and visit. Also, chatted with a lot of wonderful people from the crafting community and was inspired by all the eye candy.

Now I'll be taking a well earned break, but just Monday :( Wish I could play all week, but I have to color people's hair, clean my house and rescue my sewing room from total disaster.

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T15:14:00.003-05:00

Amidst all the mountains of sewing and stuff I have to get ready for next weekend, I managed to eek out a couple of costumes . . .but none for my bubba :( He just decided to be "cute" for Halloween. No costume required! Vivian wanted to be a fairy Princess. Well, she had a crown and wings, but by the time we got pictures taken, they were long gone. She did however look very cute!

Sophie was Tinkerbell. We thought it was fitting since Viv is always saying she's a "little pixie". Sophie also had wings that were gone by this time!

On Friday Brent and I went to a party at Ryan and Vanessa's new place. It was lots of fun. We're trying to pop a balloon here using no hands. It was hilarious. As you can see, my face is green, I was a witch and Brent dessed up as Edward from Twilight. I put glittery makeup on him, but it didn't photograph very well.

These are the girlies carving their pumpkins. Brent was in charge of this and did a good job, although Sophie isn't wearing pants and her shirt is on backwards . . .

Busy Busy

2009-10-07T10:43:00.004-04:00

Things have been busy around here. Last Friday a bunch of the women at church got together for a craft night that I organized. It was tons of fun and ALMOST went off without a hitch. Just a few 'hiccups". We made some super cute hair bows, Christmas gift tags, washer necklaces, clothespin magnets, advent calendars and a few other super cute things. I've also started getting ready for the Holly Days show in November. I promised myself that this year I would be at least 50% done by Oct. 1. I am not, which means I have to try and sneak in every possible minute of sewing time that I can. Brent has been busy working on the porch roof, which has leaked since we moved in. It is, as with everything else, a bigger project than he originally anticipated, so it is taking longer to finish, and all of this rainy weather isn't helping much. I went to visit Ben & Jocelyn in Louisville at the end of Sept. and also took a couple days to visit my cousin Adriane in Nashville. It was a fun and relaxing trip and was just Nathan and me. It was nice to spend some quality alone time with my little buddy. He was a great traveling companion, so content to ride in the car. He's getting cuter every day and he's crawling now! My "squirrely girlies" are as much fun and TROUBLE as ever, but they make me laugh. Vivian has such a vivid imagination, and Sophie is just so excited about everything.

I NEVER win anything, but . . .

2009-09-07T09:31:00.002-04:00

I won an AMAZING giveaway! A YEAR of dresses for my girls!!!! Yes, every month I'll get a new dress of my choosing for the entire year. Thank you so much cafehandmade.com

and of course, the generous ladies at pickyourpocketstudio.com

What's been up???

2009-09-05T21:55:00.003-04:00

My 2 yr. old has outsmarted ma and all the people who make thoe child-proff locks- so that pretty much sums up what I've been doing the last couple of weeks. Soap all over floor, food color on the couch, toddlers on the counters and in the cupboards!!! I think you get my drift. :) Fortunately I have a wonderful husband who never gives me grief for taking some "me" time in the evenings at the sewing machine, and I've managed to crank out a couple of projects. First is the purse for my give a way. I had hoped to have it done in a week, but life happens and 2 weeks is really good in my book! It willbe in the mail on Tuesday and I'll be sad to see it go. I LOVE BLACK & WHITE!
I also got this dress finished. It is from the Amy Butler "Little Stitches" book. I thought it looked easy and simple. It wasn't really, but I muddled through and am thrilled with the results. There is always a learning curve when you try a new pattern and I anticipate the next dress will go much easier. This dress is for my friend Lisa who is having a baby in just a few days.
Other than that, I thing there have been lots of the usual. Kids saying funny stuff, doing naughty things and being really adorable. Nathan is on the verge of crawling and he melts my heart when he smiles! Sophie is definitely in the terrible 2's, but she's funny and loving and still a cuddler, which I love. Vivian is growing up so fast! She built a lever to launch Barbies in the yard, is learning to write her name and I'm trying to teach her "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey . . .much better than "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" don't you think???

Giveaway Winner!!!

2009-08-23T00:32:00.003-04:00

60 comments!!! I used random.org to pick my winner- #29 Tara said:

I love light pink with chocolate brown. Or black and white.

Hopefully the week goes well and I'll be finished with Tara's new bag by Friday . . .we'll see what the fates have in store.

Sew Cute Shop Amy Butler Birdie Sling GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-08-20T10:01:00.000-04:00

Sew Cute Shop Amy Butler Birdie Sling GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Delayed Reaction . . .

2009-08-12T11:32:00.008-04:00

I'm behind on posting some projects . . .that's just the name of the game around here. Well, this is what I spend the majority of my time doing. Often I feel, as my dear friend Rachel put it, like a jungle gym! This picture was taken on a particularly nice and easy evening after supper. Brent and I walked down to the school to let the kids play at the playground. It was a great evening, like 75 in the middle of July, a light breeze; it really could not have been more perfect!

Finally, I got a picture of the dress I made Vivian for her birthday, and in true "me" fashion, it wasn't finished on time. However, it was finished in time for her to wear it to church the following Sunday. She looks so sweet in it, I wish that I had a picture of her in it. Add that to the "to do" list. I had a good time making this; all of the fabric was thrifted, and the straps were free! The bottom is from a tablecloth I bought for $.50, the apron is half of a silk scarf I paid $.25, and the top you might recognize as being the same fabric I used on mom's mother's day purse, which I bought for $1. The best part? I have enough left over to make Sophie a matching dress!I picked up "Last Minute Patchwork Gifts" a couple of months ago and finally got around to making this little guy for my cousin. She had a new baby just a few weeks ago and hopefully they'll get in some good cuddle time!Oh, and my first jewelry-making attempt. I adore bracelets, and I like big ones, so that's what I made. There's a matching necklace as well, but I'm not much of a necklace person, so I'm giving it to mom, just have to make a few adjustments first. This was really fun to make and I have to thank my mother-in-law. She's introduced me to making jewelry, and now I think I'm hooked. Oh, and don't be too jealous, but the beads were picked up at a garage sale for $1!!!!AND, I finally got rid of that mop on my head and got a real haircut. I love having short hair, but now I need some color change. I'm toying with the idea of bleaching the whole thing and being platinum again. Ideas anyone??? Lastly, don't forget to enter the giveaway in my post below!!!

4,500!!!!

2009-08-09T23:06:00.006-04:00

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!!! SEE ABOVE FOR WINNER.

UNBELIEVABLE!!! I've had just over 4,500 visits to my little corner of the world since the beginning of July! I must celebrate with a give-a-way! To be considered, all you have to do is leave a comment with your favorite color, or color combination and then I'll make you a purse, kind of like THIS and matching checkbook cover . . .and maybe even throw in a little something extra- all in your favorite color combo! I'll leave entries open for 2 weeks, so refer your friends to my site too. I'd love to have more visitors!!!

**BE SURE I KNOW HOW TO CONTACT YOU!!!

Staller Campout- First Edition

2009-07-31T16:31:00.005-04:00

We had a great time last week camping. Well, MOST of us had a great time. We got to our campsite early Tuesday morning, set up and then went for a well deserved swim! Here's a pic of the girls on the drive. All Vivian could talk about for days leading up was going camping and sleeping in the tent.

Day two was rain, rain, and then some more rain. Everyone, except Mom and Dad ended up with a little water in their tent. Ours stayed completely dry, except for my shoulder! It was WET when we got up. We spent most of the day in a pavillion. We had pancakes for breakfast and then built a fire later. It could have been worse.

Day three was much better. All of our stuff finally dried out and we spent the day enjoying the outdoors. Kids went fishing, and on boat rides. Brent caught and the ATE a crawfish . . .gross. Then for supper we went to Berne for Swiss Days. Natalie and Dad tried out a "new look" that got LOTS of looks, and a few giggles! The kids had lots of fun dancing to the polka band "Joe Fox and the Bavarian Showtime Band". They were pretty good!

Day Four was spent at the pool. We all got a little sun- I got a little too much and burned my legs. That evening we had our skit performances and awards ceremony and everyone got to walk the red carpet.

Sometimes great things just happen, and sometimes they don't.

2009-07-20T13:08:00.004-04:00

Like this picture! I was outside taking some pictures of Nathan and was able to sneak this cute photo of Viv. She's hard to photograph now because she does the CHEESE smile, that's not so much a smile, and more of a grimace showing all of her teeth at once. Not too cute. This pic was so cute that I thought I'd try to snap a few of Sophie as well. She would have none of it and just kept saying "I don't like it". Here are two of my "favorites. Aimee- does this face look familiar???

And, then here's the boy that we took all the trouble of getting the camera out for. I can't believe he's 6 months old already. He's a sweet boy! He babbles, laughs for the girls, rolls over and has even started pushing himself on to his knees. I'm NOT ready for that! He is such a good baby though, content and sweet!

Best Husband EVER!!!

2009-06-30T11:23:00.003-04:00

Guess who took that awesome pic? That's right! My amazing hubby. And can you guess where we were??? I have the greatest husband ever! He didn't mind my screaming at the concert and even danced (well, rocked back and forth) to the songs with me. We got home sooooo late, but it was so worth it! Love ya babe!!!!

New Curtains & Checkbook Covers

2009-06-22T15:54:00.006-04:00

The sewing machine and I have been getting back together. I've missed that cheap piece of plastic that gives me fits!!! Having a baby PLUS two other kids makes you busy and so there hasn't been much going on lately- until now. I made new curtains. They're done, but not really. All of the edges are finished (which is more than I can say for the other curtains I've made in the house) but I've found a cute print to go on the bottom, and then they'll be DONE. Also made Mom some new pillow covers. No pics yet, but maybe I'll drag the camera over to her place some day this week to snap off a few. I've also got checkbook covers going on. I've got 30 of them cut, and a few sewn up. I got rid of my ugly plastic one about 6 months ago when I made one for myself and figured it was high time to get some in the shop. I'm almost done with Viv's birthday dress. Its still in progress, but I'm so thrilled that it is all from garage sale fare! I picked up a tablecloth (that has become the skirt of the dress), a silk-ish scarf (became an apron for the skirt), and some gorgeous printed fabric for the top (same fabric I used for mom's purse) and it all cost less than $2!!! Now, I just need to see if I have buttons already . . .

Pillowcase Dress Tutorial

2009-06-10T17:15:00.008-04:00

TUTORIAL NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE IN MY ETSY SHOP
When I first wanted to make a pillowcase dress I started looking all over the internet for tutorials. Some were good, a few were "eh", but I never really found one that provided me with instructions for a FINISHED garment (ie. no annoying raw edges) that had a professional look. Since then, I have made close to 150 dresses and learned a thing or two about the construction, which honestly, is so easy and straightforward. I am doing things quite a bit differently than when I started; I've simplified and streamlined! I LOVE these dresses; they're simple, don't require a "pattern", just some simple instructions, and take under 1 yd. of fabric to make- depending on the size. Of course, if you're looking to just buy a dress instead of making one, just stop by the SHOP.

Have you seen it?

2009-06-02T23:18:00.001-04:00

Um, yeah, can November get here sooner?

After forever and a day . . .

2009-05-12T10:45:00.003-04:00

Finally got some new stuff in the shop! Actually, its not all new, but has been sitting in my armoire waiting for a quiet enough day with good light that I can take some pictures and put them up . . .

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-09T22:16:00.004-04:00

Motherhood is not for the faint-hearted. Frogs, skinned knees, and the insults of teenage girls are not meant for the wimpy.-- Danielle Steel
I don't enjoy wrapping presents, so here it is! Call me if you want me to drop it by before church . . .

Happy Mother's Day to all. I have a great mom, and here are a few things you might not know about her:

*She never stays mad. That's a good thing for a mom, because there are lots of things to get mad about.

*She sings really well. Okay, so if you know my mom, you probably know that. We give her a hard time sometimes because she sings kinda loud, but so do I :)

*She makes the best pie. Peach, rhubarb, sugar cream, pumpkin, chocolate, etc. Her crusts are soooo good. Mine are good, but hers are always better.

*I am in awe of how well organized she is.

*She's no wallflower. Seriously, I made that purse just for her and that's not a purse for a shrinking violet.

*My mom can accessorize like nobody's business.

*Some the best advice my mom has given me:

-Pull back your hair and put on some lipstick

-Don't overwork your pie crust

-Don't wear shorts unless you have REALLY good legs

-Short hair can be really feminine

I love you Mom! Have a great day.

Grandma meets Nathan

2009-05-01T22:58:00.001-04:00

DSC_0098
Originally uploaded by macyaugustus

We went to visit my grandma last week and Nathan got to meet Grandma Staller for the first time. I wish that we could have made it there sooner, but between the trip to Utah and some of the crazy weeks following our return it just didn't happen. It was a gorgeous day and I loved being there. Grandma lives way out in the country and her house is up on a small hill, so you can see all around. It is so peaceful and quiet. I don't think I saw a single car drive by the entire time we were there. I love my Grandma so much, and here are just a few of the reasons why:

1. She loves shoes, and expressed specific regret that they don't make orthopedic shoes in red. She once told me that when she was younger that she had been eyeing a pair of red shoes and had made plans to purchase them. Her mother informed her that only a certain kind of girl wears red shoes. I remember my granmda wearing red shoes; I currently own 2 pairs and Vivian has a pair that are red AND sparkly. Must be in the genes!

2. She's really smart. Grandma is a retired English teacher and she still stays really busy reading and writing. Amazing. Also, I've seen some of the crossword puzzles that she has finished and they're mind boggling.

3. She makes the best gravy in the world. I make gravy, my mom makes gravy, and I've eaten a lot of gravy. None of it is as good as Grandma's. I've watched her make it, and I still can't figure it all out. My most recent theory is that it contains drugs, OR that she "understands" salt better than I do.

4. Grandma reminds me of dad. The older I get I see more of my dad in her, and I love my dad.

5. She thought enough of herself to find a really wonderful man to marry who must have had a high opinion of her as well. My grandpa LOVED my grandma, and even though I was still really young when he passed away I could tell.

Grandma doesn't have the internet, so I doubt she'll read it, but maybe I'll print it out and send it out . . .

It's DONE, DONE, DONE & ,I LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT!!!

2009-04-18T12:44:00.003-04:00

Yes, I finally finished Nathan's quilt. It was done 3 months to the day after his birthday. Never mind you that the entire top has been sewn together since a week or so after Christmas . . .but you all understand, right? This might be my favorite quilt that I've made so far. For one thing, the "pattern" was uncomplicated, ie. there was no pattern. I just cut some strips of random widths and stitched them up, used some corn blend batting (I know . .corn???), did a decent job of quilting it on my little machine and then did the binding. I think I like it so much because it looks EXACTLY how I envisioned it would when I went shopping for the fabric. I wouldn't say that rarely happens, because it NEVER happens for me. I'm excited for little Nathan to use it and I hope he doesn't spit up on it too much.

Easter Fun

2009-04-13T19:07:00.003-04:00

So, the sad kind of thing about Easter (and other holidays) with a new baby is that they don't really get to do much. No coloring eggs, no hunting for eggs, and no stuffing their little faces full of chocolate. My girls however- not a problem! I wish I had better pictures of their outfits, but that just didn't happen in the craziness of the day. Sophie's dress has been made for a few months now, but she has only worn it once, and Saturday night I was lamenting to myself about being a "bad mom" and not having anything special for Vivian to wear, so I went into my stash and grabbed the last of that wonderful Amy Butler Lotus fabric that I've had such a hard time cutting and made Vivian a super cute skirt and then a little applique for her top. It turned out cuter than I had hoped! Check out that pose! We watch Top Model, and Miss Tyra would say that is a FIERCE broken doll.

Little Sophie's dress. You can't see the bottom, but it is trimmed in the same orange polka dots.

Decorating eggs was messy business. I think we'll do stickers next year :)
The girls on Sunday morning. It didn't take long before they were in all the candy. And do you see those bunnies? They're the poseable ones! I had to get them as soon as I saw them. I totally remember having something similar when I was younger. All in all, it was a really good day. Church was wonderful as always and then we got together at mom and dad's for dinner. Whitley and Brent are here visiting for a while and our good friends Rachel and Matt joined us for dinner too; along with their adorable little boys.

Finally got around to doing something!

2009-04-01T11:01:00.005-04:00

Since Nathan came along and added to the craziness, I haven't had many opportunites to make stuff and craft some of my junk, which I've missed. I have however found a new hobby that I really enjoy . . .Knitting. Did you know you can learn to knit on the internet??? I learned from watching some YouTUBE videos. Weird huh? I'm not really good yet, but I like it and I have a goal to make the kiddies cardigans for Christmas. I better get started on those now!!!

Here's a peak at some of the goodies I got at some fabulous quilt shops in Utah. Seriously, if you're in the area, drop by Broadbent's in Lehi. It had a to die for selection and the cheapest Heather Bailey fabric I've ever seen. Only $8.50/yd! I wish they sold online :(

Here's a project that I started about a month ago. It was originally a 4x4 grid, but the bottom row was too low and my sweet little kiddies just couldn't resist pulling them off the wall. So we removed the temptation. I had been struggling for almost a year to find something to put on this wall. I'm really pleased and the colors are just perfect. The kind of aqua color is the same as my accent wall.

I've also had the pleasure to work with a fabulous Etsy artist and took some pictures of the goods she makes. Colleen is a first-class lady and makes some SERIOUSLY cute stuff, check it out and make sure to check out her shop!

The hats are cute and soft, and that baby coccoon for Nathan is fabulous! Thanks Colleen!!!

Where does the time go?

2009-03-25T11:03:00.003-04:00

The other week on the way to church we were priveledged to see this in the backseat staring at us. Creepy, huh? Vivian insisted on wearing these glasses (they're NOT mine; I'm not sure where she got them), and keeping her hood up so that her hair didn't get messed up.

We cut her hair the next week, just before we left on our trip to Utah and it turned out so cute! We ended up cutting off about 8 inches. Here are some before and afters:

On the 10th we flew to Utah to visit family. We blessed Nathan while we were there and did a bunch of other fun stuff. It was great to be with family! We tried to get all of the kids in a picture after Nathan's blessing, but it didn't work. These two look great though! Tyson was so sweet! The kids had a great time playing together, and Vivian figured out what it's like not to be the biggest one in the house . . .she also developed a newfound love of tattling :(

We spent a couple of evenings at Whitley and Brent's and Viv, Nathan and I had a sleepover there. . . no pics yet. Whitley has those! We got a few things to decorate their little place and recovered her kitchen chairs. They looked great! This is the ONE picture we managed to snap of Aimee. She was so great for letting us stay at her house and making us some YUMMY food!

Brent's mom, Laraine, and Nathan. Grandma's LOVE babies!

Brent's dad John, meeting Nathan.

Ben and Jocelyn's cuties, Jake and Zach.

A fun time at the aquarium. Look twice, that's not Sophie, its her little look-a-like cousin Kaylee!

Stacey and Michael

The guys spent a few days working on Trent and Aimee's deck. Hope its done now!

During the Rock Band party, maybe a highlight of the trip. It was seriously fun! Chris did a HORRIBLE job as the lead singer and failed out. Tyson got 100% on the next round, and he doesn't read that well yet. Yikes!

I love Bejeweled . . . can you tell?

2009-03-03T09:49:00.004-05:00

Check out that top score! I obviously love bejeweled more than . . . dishes, sweeping, etc. Things haven't really slowed down at all, and I doubt they will for YEARS to come. Sophie has been sick for the last couple days. It's sad, but also she's so cuddly that I like it just a little bit. However, yesterday I spent about 30 minutes cleaning carpet. Have you ever watched a toddler come down the stairs? Well, mine scoots down on her bum, and yesterday while she was upstairs playing with Vivian she pooped in her diaper, took it off and came down the stairs. It was gross, but luckily my carpet cleaner did the job and there are no signs left behind. Nathan is growing so fast, he is already too big for most of his newborn clothes and the 0-3 month stuff is starting to fit him better. WARNING: If your babies are not good sleepers stop reading! Nathan is down for about 6 hours each night. Its really great that I'm getting back into my normal sleep habits and definitely makes the day easier when I've had a good night of sleep. We're heading out to Utah on Friday and will be there until the 16th. We're excited to see family and friends! This is Viv and Sophie's favorite thing lately . . . unload the cupboard and make a mess in my family room . . .

New Arrival

2009-02-03T18:42:00.002-05:00

Things have been busy taking care of this little guy, plus his 2 sisters. Nathan Gage was born on Jan. 16th and he's sweet! The girls love him lots and like to give him hugs and kisses. Sophie especially!

Long Week . . .Suprisingly Good

2009-01-09T16:28:00.002-05:00

So, this week Brent has been on late shift, which means he doesn't get home until 8. It sucks and I hate it every 6 weeks or so that it rolls around. It is generally a horrible week where it seems like the girls are much harder than usual to control . . . especially Vivian. This week has been really good though; its a blessing too! Vivian has not had ANY meltdowns at home, she's been generally well behaved and I have not lost my patience with her at all. I definitely needed to have a good week, as I'm 9 months pregnant and taking forever to recover from being sick, and I would count this one as great! The girls have been so sweet and funny! Sophie started making a new face when she wants something, here it is:

Vivian has been really funny, as always. This morning she informed me that Christmas isn't over, its back because its snowing. Then, she has named a toy "Kella", which has started a trend. There are now dolls named, Hella and Tella, and I was informed yesterday that "Mella" was asleep. The girls are lots of fun and I'm glad that I get to be home with them!

Where did the time go???

2009-01-04T20:16:00.003-05:00

I love this picture of the girls!

Well, Christmas and the new year have come and gone and I'm wondering where all the time went. A week before Christmas we had an ice storm and were without power for 2 days. Luckily we didn't have much stuff in the freezer to throw out and we had a warm place to stay.

Christmas was great and the girls had so much fun. They got a play vanity which is a big hit. They love to watch themselves in the mirror. Just today Vivian was giving herself kisses on it and then Sophie came over to copy her. Too cute! Here are a few pictures from the big day!

Well, my New Year's resolutions are to have this baby before Feb., finish the quilt I started cutting out yesterday BEFORE I have the baby (we'll see how that one goes), and be better about reading my scriptures every day.

Long time . . .no post

2008-12-09T11:45:00.003-05:00

I can't believe Christmas is almost here. I'm loving getting my decorations out this year and putting up the tree. The last time I was pregnant during the Holidays was with Sophie and I was sick, and just not in the mood. We didn't even put lights on our tree, which was pretty much the only decoration. What a sad year! Not this year. I have a whole bunch of new ornaments and Brent did a FABULOUS job of putting 700 lights on our tree so that it looks great!

While I don't have the total amount of decorations I would like to have, it is enough. I've already been to 1 ornament exchange this year, and have 3 Christmas parties to go to, so things will be sufficiently busy. Not to mention the fact that I still have gifts to buy, make and send, as well as all the candy and cookies, but those are on the schedule for next week. I do have a few crafts that I have made, but no pics yet . . .maybe tomorrow. Thanksgiving was great; lots of great food and it's always good to spend time with family. Ben and Jocelyn were here for a few days before Thanksgiving and their new babies are so sweet! Heidi is holding Jacob and Vivian is hodling Zachary. My own baby is quickly approaching, I'm 35 weeks and starting to feel it. Tired and such, but for the most part, things are really great. This has been a surprisingly easy and quick pregnancy so far, which is good for me. Here are a few of my favorite pics of the girls from the last month or so . . . .

Vivian got all dressed up and even put on her own makeup (I'll try to post the video of that sometime) to watch Dancing with the Stars. We don't usually watch it, but she really likes it and thinks she has to look all fancy to watch. We even painted her nails and let her wear jewelry that night and she wanted to dance with Brent. It was SO cute, she told me "I'm dancing with my handsome daddy". I wish I had gotten that on tape!

This picture just makes me smile. Sophie is getting all of her teeth, and putting them to good use! She can really pack away the food, although we're not sure where it all goes! She's barely over 20 lbs. now, but she's getting all grown up now. Sometimes it makes me sad, but she gives hugs now, and kisses, and its super cute!This is another picture that just makes me laugh. This is Vivian's "sad face". We see this a lot. Usually when we turn off the tv, or explain that she can't have chocolate for supper. . .Sophie has discovered all of the kitchen drawers and the rotary beaters are one of her favorite things.

2008-11-12T16:41:00.002-05:00

So, what do you do when you've just spent the last month practically chained to your sewing machine stitching up stuff that you hope other people will want to buy? Take a nap? Nope. You go to a few fabric stores and start beefing up your stash again!

Aren't they pretty. I just can't resist fabric. The second picture is all for a quilt for our new baby boy coming in January (I hope!), who will be named either Nathan or Gage (we think). the other stuff is just for fun, or for selling . . .time will tell. Also, did you know, its just a little over a week until Twilight? I don't think I'll be making the 12:01 am showing; I think I might opt for a Saturday matinee with a few friends. Sounds a bit more relaxing, right? And just for fun, check out my cuties! Vivian got AWFULLY dressed up to ride her bike up and down the sidewalk! And Sophie is showing off her long eyelashes. Yes, I'm jealous!

Whew!

2008-11-10T17:15:00.003-05:00

Well, the Holly Days Craft Show is over and I'm glad. It was a LONG day (I woke up at 3 am - thank you pregnancy- and then after the show had to get ready for Stake Conference). I didn't sell TONS, but I made a nice little chunk of change and it was fun. I loved my table setup and wish I would have taken a picture of it, but I didn't. Anyway, now I have to put all the stuff that didn't sell in my Etsy shop, so that should continue to keep me busy. In the meantime, here are my cuties modeling some of the goods I had at the show:

Wicked Witches, Ruby Slippers and Pumpkins

2008-11-03T13:19:00.003-05:00

I'm having problems with this post, it cut the pictures off, but if you click on them then you can see the entire picture.

Happy Halloween!!!

2008-10-31T15:51:00.001-04:00

My creation
Originally uploaded by macyaugustus

It has been a good holiday. We got the girls dressed up last night for the ward trunk or treat which gave Viv just the right amount of candy. I'll get some pics of them later.

NKOTB4EVA

2008-10-29T10:15:00.002-04:00

Alright, so the New Kids on the Block concert was AWESOME! Natalie and I had so much fun. We thought we'd have no voice the next morning, but we did, so that's a good thing. The girl sitting next to Natalie got sick though and threw up at the end of the concert. It smelled nasty and got on Natty's shoe, pants, purse, etc. GROSS! Why didn't she just leave???? The girls sitting behind us were big Donny fans, so whenever he was up on the big screen or singing they would go nuts. I never liked Donny; we always thought he was kinda dirty and nasty and it turns out, things haven't changed much. Although he has stopped wearing pants so ripped up that we're all in danger of seeing stuff we don't want to, so for that, I'm grateful. We had awesome seats and when they came to sing at the piano we were like 30 or 40 feet away, which was awesome! It was the best. Thanks for going with me Nat!

Countdown

2008-10-15T13:12:00.003-04:00

37 days . . .Can you wait?????

And in just 9 days I'll be seeing this:

My boys still have it . . . I should be sewing right now.

2 New Nephews and More Busy

2008-10-07T12:13:00.003-04:00

Well, things have been uneventful, but busy. I finished the quilts for Ben and Jocelyn's babies, who are SOOOO cute! Not the quilts, the babies, although the quilts aren't bad either. I was even able to squeeze out some burp cloths from the extra fabric! I went to the Vera Bradley outlet sale this last week with Natalie and got the cutest umbrella, for dirt cheap. Just the way I like it. I also started work on my first craft show. It is Nov. 8, which means I honestly should have started work a long time ago. I got my first round of dresses done, which means I only have 40 more to make . . . yikes! Plus countless headbands and pins. I'll be busy busy. Also, here are a few pics from the Johnny Appleseed Festival and some other fun stuff we've been up to.

I told you it was Autumn!

2008-09-18T21:30:00.004-04:00

Well, it is official: fall is here. I got out a few of the decorations and I'm getting rid of the rest, because they don't feel like "me" anymore. This will require getting some new ones (sad, I know!) and making some new ones, which I have a few pictures of. I put a flower garland on the dining room light and am really loving the way it looks, and I've assembled a few garlands. I have another one with glittery letters that spell "spooky", but I was an idiot and assembled it with the ribbon in the middle, instead of the top, so the letters all flop over, which means I have to rip it apart and re-glue it here one of these days. I even got some mums out on the porch and I'm pretty sure I'll be raking leaves next week. Have I mentioned that I LOVE this time of year?! I'm making some pumpkin bars this weekend, and if everything goes as planned, some apple dumplings too! Oh, and I'm going to the Johnny Appleseed Festival, which I'm so excited about and the Fall Fest is going on here in town this weekend, so hopefully there will be lots of good pictures . . . and food!!!

Done and on to something new

2008-09-15T10:06:00.003-04:00

I finally finished Whitley's quilt for her wedding gift. It only took me a month longer than I had planned, so that's good I guess. I've had the top pieced together since early July, but I just hate quilting and binding, plus this one was so big it was very cumbersome to work with on my little machine. I'm glad it is done and I'm really pleased with the results; I ended up with only 2 puckers on the back, which is like a miracle for me. The other bonus for finishing it is that I get to start a new project. Ben and Jocelyn's boys will be here in a matter of weeks, so I better get cracking on this little pile of fabric!

Enjoy this little bit of cuteness! Sophie is making her "kissy" face.

The days are changing . . .

2008-09-10T12:15:00.002-04:00

My creation
Originally uploaded by macyaugustus

Fall is my favorite time of year, and I can tell that it's just around the corner. The light has changed, if you hadn't already noticed, and the trees are starting to show the slightest hint of change. Last night the air was cool and crisp and it felt so wonderful. I took the girls for a long walk today and it was so refreshing to feel WONDERFUL in the sunshine. It wasn't too hot, and there was a nice breeze, and it was just perfect. I made some apple dumplings last week and I'm making some more today. That might be my FAVORITE part about autumn . . .apples! I think I might even make my own applesauce and can it this year . . .how Martha!

Last minute stuff

2008-09-04T07:43:00.002-04:00

I have so much to blog about, but I'll post the pertinent info now, minus pictures . . .

WE'RE HAVING A BOY!!!!!!!!

Randomness

2008-08-28T23:05:00.002-04:00

So, I was inspired by reading some great blogs and decided to share a few things about myself that some or most of you may not know, or quite frankly, even care about, but here they are:

1. I LOATHE un-threading my sewing machine to wind my bobbin. I NEED a bobbin winder that runs independently of my machine.

2. Just about the only thing that REALLY irritates me is when people are late.

3. I love, love, love shrimp cocktail. We've been to the Bellagio Buffet in Vegas and I eat my money's worth just in shrimp. Here, let me show you the math:
1 shrimp cocktail (6 shrimps)= $8 (that's a cheap one too)
Bellagio Buffet = $26
Last time I went I ate roughly 30 shrimp = 5 shrimp cocktails = $40
$26-$40 = $14 savings
SAVING MONEY BY SPENDING MONEY. THE BEST FORM OF MATH.

4. I wear black almost every day. I feel uncomfortable wearing very much color.

5. I didn't start wearing flip-flops until I was 25. They were a necessity of pregnancy and now I really like them.

6. I secretly (and now publicly I suppose) want a Blythe doll to dress up. They are seriously the coolest dolls ever and when Vivian and Sophie stop ruining things, I'll get one for them. Blyth would kick the American Girl doll's trash.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2008-08-20T15:28:00.002-04:00

Well, as you can see, Whitley got married. I didn't get her quilt finished; the day I had put aside to finish things up I got sick, and then the next day we had to head up to Chicago, so it still sits at my sewing machine. Hopefully things get finished up this week. The wedding and both receptions were really nice, there was a lot of good food and it was good to see people that I don't see that often.

Next on my list is 2 quilts for Ben and Jocelyn's little boys, which will be here in a matter of weeks, so I better get cracking! I already know what I want to do, now I just need to buy the fabric and do it. Buying fabric will be the fun part!

Vivian and Sophie have been keeping me super busy. It seems that in the past 2 weeks Sophie has really grown up. She says "eyes" and talks and just seems more like a toddler and less like my little baby every day. Sometimes it makes me sad, but I love watching the girls grow up!

Just a little update

2008-08-04T17:53:00.002-04:00

Just a few things, first of all, I finished Breaking Dawn at 1 am. It was awesome. I wasn't sure about some of the things, and there are at least 2 things that bugged me, but they're minor and trivial. Second of all, BRENT has his latest blog entry featured on the Consumerist.com and it was the top story.

Midnight release parties and such

2008-07-31T13:41:00.002-04:00

I am currently 1 day, 10 hours, 18 minutes and 43 seconds away from owning this:

Yes, I am obsessed, but that's okay. Brent likes to make fun of me for reading my "vampire" books and swears that if he were reading something similar I would make fun of him and call him a geek. He is right. In the meantime, if you haven't already, check out the new trailer for Twilight.

#3 is on the way

2008-07-24T10:00:00.003-04:00

Well, baby #3 is on it's way here. We're expecting in Januray and are pretty excited. I think Brent is really hoping for a boy this time, but only time will tell (actually about 5 weeks!) Things have been really crazy around here, we've had Brent's family here all last week and we went to the lake, got sunburns, went to Chicago, Shipshewana and hung around a bunch. It was lots of fun to have all of the cousins together and its been nice to have Brent's mom stay an extra week so she gets to spend some more time with the girls. Sophie had her 1st birthday while everyone was here and also started walking and got her first tooth! All exciting stuff.

10 years . . .yikes

2008-07-09T17:14:00.003-04:00

So, I just got the invite for my 10 year high school reunion. I don't really know if I want to go. It's just like back in high school, what if nobody talks to me? What if everyone thinks I look weird? You'd think I don't care, but just ask my husband and he'll tell you I do. Sometimes I obsess about my appearance if I think I might see somebody I haven't seen for a while. Anyway . . . .10 years makes me feel kind of old.

Nothing much, just a little bit of everything

2008-06-17T23:27:00.002-04:00

Well, things are pretty much the same as always around here. I've been doing some more hair recently and I have a HUGE wedding job coming up, so that's pretty exciting. I'm watching the Celtics school the Lakers right now . . .so that's pretty satisfying.
On Sunday we celebrated Father's Day at my parent's house. I got my dad knee pads and I think he was actually glad. It's probably the first time I have ever gotten him the "right" thing. We got Brent a weedwhacker. It's a good gift for him, and me too :) Brent is the BEST dad in the entire world, and I'm not exaggerating. He always takes time to play with the girls and do the yucky stuff too. When Vivian was still a baby, he was the one who got up with her in the night to change and feed her. What a great guy, huh? He's the BEST!!!!!! We love you!!!!
I went to book club tonight and we reviewed "The Bee Keeper's Apprentice". I didn't read the book, but it sounds like I should. I meant to. It was on my kitchen island for 2 weeks, I just never got around to even opening it. That's the way things go though sometimes. I really love book club; it's been a great addition to my life. I feel like it is the one really grown up activity that I participate in. There aren't kids (usually, althought I toted Viv along this evening) and lots of really stimulating and thought provoking conversation. If college had been this stimulating for me, I might have actually finished . . .but maybe not.

I GOT MY TICKETS!!!!

2008-06-09T10:50:00.002-04:00

Yay! Oct. 24th Natalie and I will be at the New Kids on the Block concert! AWESOME

Mmmmmm, Pie!

2008-05-30T21:07:00.002-04:00

Okay, so I love pie. This should be no surprise. We ate a lot of pie growing up. I assume that is because my dad also loves pie and my mom is awesome at making it. I remember that when we lived in the country when I was younger, we had a huge stove and mom would make 4 pies at a time in it. That is amazing! Anyway, my 2nd favorite pie is Rhubarb Cream- nothing beats fresh peach pie. It's so yummy and fairly foolproof and pie is NOT hard to make. I used to be intimidated by it, but not anymore. Here's the recipe I used and some pictures.

2 Crusts (this is from the OLD Betty Crocker cookbook, and is my favorite)

2 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

3/4 c. vegetable shortening

5 Tbsp. COLD water

* First, you combine your flour and salt, then CUT in the shortening. If you don't have pastry blender, I'm sorry. Two butter knives will work in a pinch, just pull them back and forth across eachother, it's kind of the opposite of tossing a salad. Cut in the shortening until you have a rough crumb texture.

* Next, add your water. If you live in a drier climate, you will probably need more water. When I lived in Utah I would sometimes use up to 7 Tbsp. water. Stir everything together with a fork. You can only get so far with the fork, and then you will need to get your hands in to finish the rest. Be careful with the dough, you don't want to over-work it. Once everything has come together, you're done and can divide your dough. (I'm saving my other half for a sugar cream pie on Sunday).

* Next, roll it out so that it is slightly larger than your pie dish, place it in and crimp your edges. There are a multitude of ways to accomplish this, but I like a basic thumb and forefinger crimp.

There, you have a crust! Now, let's fill it!

2 1/2 c. Rhubarb

1 1/4 c. sugar

1/3 c. PLUS 1 Tbsp. flour

1 c. whipping cream

Mix and pour into your pie shell. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 min. and then at 350 degrees for 30 min. Cool and enjoy!

The best Dad ever!

2008-05-15T17:30:00.004-04:00

Okay, I LOVE this picture. The girls obviously have Daddy wrapped around their little fingers!
I've been pretty busy lately just working on things. I have my living room to get in order, and let's just say, it is not in order. So . . .I keep the door closed, waiting for an evening at home when Brent isn't busy to work on it. Vivian is wearing one of my newest projects. I made her a dress the other morning and she loved it. She wore it for two days in a row, and when I informed her this morning that she could not wear it again, she had a major meltdown, so I made her another one to wear today. Then I made another one for her to wear tomorrow. Sounds very productive of me, but I must admit, they require very little skill and time, so it is just perfect for me! I've also started another purse, but this time I did it without a pattern (admittedly, not the smartest move) so now I'm stuck about 2/3 of the way done really wondering what to do next. I'll post pictures of that. I've also been doing some more hair recently, which I always love. It's the one thing I don't have a problem saying I am really good at. The hair I do looks good, even close up. Most of the other things I make look best from about 15 feet away, so that you don't see all the "wonky" stuff!

Twilight Trailer

2008-05-15T16:02:00.001-04:00

Unbelievable!

2008-05-10T23:51:00.002-04:00

I was in Chicago for my anniversary this weekend while tickets to the New Kids concert went on sale. They went on sale Sat. morning at 10 am. I planned on buying my tickets when I got home Saturday evening.

It is sold out :(

Dreams Really Do Come True!

2008-05-08T21:50:00.003-04:00

So, I finally get to live out one of my dreams from when I was like 10! That's totally exciting right?!!!! Natalie and I are getting tickets to the Oct. 4th show in Chicago. Anyone else wanna go with us?

Twilight Trailer

2008-05-05T23:59:00.002-04:00

Okay, so my sister Vanessa JUST sent me this link for the Twilight movie trailer . . .check it out:

http://www.myspace.com/trailerpark

I am changed

2008-05-02T22:36:00.003-04:00

So, Brent says what I am now is an "audiophile". I'm not even sure that's a real word. Anyway, as some of you may know, I drive a minivan. It is a total mom-mobile, but its basically great. We drive it to church and I go shopping with the girls and its fantastic. Lots of room, decent gas mileage . . . .but crappy sound. Usually this isn't something I notice much because I'm a nerd and I listen to talk radio and the sound quality of AM radio isn't much of a concern. However, today I switched cars with Brent and went shopping by myself while the girls we being watched by mom and my sister, therefore, I had no use for the mini-van . . .or so I thought. Anway, Brent's system in his car is out of control. I put in some DMB, because the weather is warm, and nothing says summer like my "Crash" cd. Anyway, it sounded great and I was loving it. Well, half-way through the day, I needed the van, so I switched cars with Brent, got in my trusty van and popped in some Collective Soul. This is me:

I was sad. All I could think about was how much better this would sound in Brent's car. These kind of thoughts would never have crossed my mind before I met Brent. He introduced me to big, awesome speakers and mind numbing sound. I'm almost considering giving up my back seat for a big speaker. It would be pretty sweet . . .though I doubt the girls would enjoy it much having their eardrums blown out . . . . Do you think Air Supply sounds good at ear popping loudness?

I love being a mom!

2008-04-28T18:34:00.004-04:00

My girls are so much fun. Sophie just started babbling this last week, and it is so cute! I love listening to her in the car when we're out driving; and Vivian just makes me laugh! She's such a drama queen! This last week she said "Mommy, look at me", so I look at her and she starts rubbing her hands together, then she told me "Okay mommy, I'm going to put your wake-up on". (She calls makeup, wake-up . . .so cute!!!). Anyway, she proceeded to put the fake makeup on me with her little hands. She does eyemakeup, blush and lipstick! She's such a girl! And, I absolutely LOVE it when she sings "I am A Child of God". She knows all the words and sings it right before she says her prayer every night.

Boyfriends and Girlfriends

2008-04-16T23:24:00.002-04:00

So, the other day I was reading someone's blog, and I wish I could remember whose it was now because it was really funny, but anyway, the thing was that she has a movie boyfriend, music boyfriend, TV boyfriend, etc. Anyway, I was telling Brent about it and I asked him who HIS "girlfriends" could be. Disturbing- I know, but really funny when we started talking about it. Here's the breakdown for Brent:

Music GF: Fergie , Brent SWEARS she's hot (Yikes, I just don't think she's very cute) or Christina Aguilera. I guess this explains why Brent never says anything about my makeup purchasing habit.

TV: Heather Locklear, on Spin City or Jennifer Garner on Alias

Movie: Catherine Zeta Jones . . .in anything

My list was MUCH more difficult to make, mostly because I don't find that many people very attractive

Music: Micheal Buble- He's just cute, plus I couldn't choose Josh Groban because I don't think he's that tall, plus, I can't compete with that hair.

TV: This is a tough one, I couldn't decide between Patrick Dempsey and Michael Vartan. I think I have to give Michael the benefit of the doubt. He's about 1 inch taller, and plus again, I wouldn't have the hair to compete with.

Movie: Hugh Jackman in Kate & Leopold

Isn't it cute that we could still be the same TV couple that we are in real life? I'm so glad to be done with the whole boyfriend thing . . .I was never any good at finding boyfriends. Plus, I totally don't ever want to have to date again. Plus, boyfriends would never do the great things that husbands do, like change baby diapers, rub your feet without expecting even a kiss, do the dishes, remodel your house! Husbands are awesome, and mine is the best, plus he's REALLY hot!