Craft Hope: February

I'm checking "two pillowcase tank tops" off my February to-do list.  These are going to Carmen (13) and Olivia(14) at the Pan de Vida shelter in Mexico via Jade's Craft Hope

(And even though I wasn't participating in erin's yellow week, here is some anyway:)

It was hard not knowing how to make these without the girls' sizes, so I used my own middle school in-house model for measurements.  She looks like a twig here, but she is really pretty averaged sized.  The casing on the front and back has elastic in it, so there is some stretch to it as well.   I basically

I love how these turned out and keep thinking I need some for myself for this summer with a cute pair of knee length shorts and sneaks.  After the baby, I mean.  Right now I'd have a hard time getting The Girls in one of those tops, let alone my belly.  Hee.

Feeling kicks these days.  Lots of 'em.  And the ultrasound went well, so all is good...

Happy weekend, friends.

Valentine's Day Goodies.

{alternate title: Because timely recaps don't happen here.}

Fidget embraced the Making part of Valentine's day this year.  I dragged out a bunch of supplies from my stash of paper and whatnots and we went to town.

Doilies?  Check.  Stickers?  Check.  Rubber stamp hearts? Check.  Sparkly pom-poms? Check.  (Why do I have those?)  Bakers twine? Check.  I also printed out her name and cut it out so she could just glue her 'signature' on each Valentine. 

Teachers got theirs wrapped around a box of Starbucks chocolates.

Friends got little bags of cookies and gummy lifesavers.  Fidge was adamant about making cookies for her class this year.  Hubs helped her decorate them.

Think they got enough sugar on each cookie?  These make my teeth hurt, just looking at them.

I also came across these little cutters at Target last week (2.99!) and used them to make some X's and O's out of the remaining dough once I had enough ginormous hearts for her class.  I can see whole batches of these next year.  

I love Target.  I'd give it a valentine if I could.

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And then there is this:

Good heavens, is this a beauty.  A baby blanket (rather gender neutral, I think) picked up thrifting last week. Or the week before? I can't remember.  Anyway, I just love the colors in this one.  It's like the person who made this knew what I needed in that nursery that hasn't happened yet.  Hooray.

I have more photos and things to post, I promise.  It's the getting-to-it part that is hard.  I have been sneaking breaks to check in on all of you, but haven't allowed myself time to comment.  The job thingy is kind of crazy-busy this week.  That's just how it goes sometimes. 

xoxo (in cookies, if you like)

hey

I'm here.  Just really busy.  Work stuff, project stuff, family stuff, and good stuff. 

And totally, completely looking forward to planting some pansies on my deck before too long. 

They are just so darned optimistic.

A block. Some more Florida photos. And delivery.

I'm not doing so well with turning my Twelve Square blocks in on time.  So far they have all been about 10 days late.  However, they are getting done, so I feel pretty good about that.  This latest one is for Leslie:

The fabrics she sent were all summery and fresh, and I immediately thought 'bubbles' and circle appliques... but it looks like the other squares she got were more traditional cuts of blocks and stripes and so forth, so I hope this square doesn't completely throw off the completed quilt. 

The circles are hand-turned and slip-stitched, so no stitches are visible.

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This photo just cracks me up. Do I look scared?  Surprised?  Nervous?  Probably all three. It was taken on our second full day with my folks, when my mom and I went antiquing.  This is the HALF Grouper sandwich.  It was bigger than my head.  And no, I didn't eat all the bread; I ended up eating the innards with a fork.  Tasty though.  (That is an awful word, innards.  Sorry about that.)

These do count as Florida pics.  I know the seaside stuff is better, but -- really -- look at me.  I'm in a long sleeved shirt.  I also had a sweater hanging from the back of my chair. The sky had a grayish cast all but the one day we went to the beach, so this is it.  I'm pretty sure an umbrella was involved, too.

Mmmmm.  Baklava.  I love any place with outdoor seating, especially with a view.   It's so charming and casual.  I feel like I'm on a movie set or something when I eat outdoors, sipping my coffee, watching the world go by.  But we didn't, and no one else did either that day.  It was just too chilly and damp.  Better luck next year, I'm sure.

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And, delivery! 

No, I didn't go into labor.  We're only 21 weeks along now, and our sonogram looked great the other day.  Doc says momma and baby are just fine.  Whew!

But I amexpecting the delivery of some furniture today.  That 1960's and 70's-ish creamy white and gold girls bedroom set from the Sears/Montgomery Wards/JCPenney Catalogs that I stared at longingly as a girl?  I found a four-poster bedframe, dresser+mirror and desk+hutch (and secret compartment sliding door-- bonus!) the other day for a steal at a used furniture place.  It's solid; the drawers are pristine and slide smoothly.  They even knocked off 20% percent for cash and because I'm really, really nice.  *grin*  I can't wait until it's here so I can clean it up and get going on Fidget's Big Girl Room. 

{ Local girls?  This place also carries a really good inventory (usually) of mid-century stuff, too.  Dining tables, bedroom sets, hutches, side tables.  There is one Danish modern hutch that is particularly wonderful.  It's been there for a while, I bet you could get a good deal.  Let me know if you want the inside scoop. }

So yesterday we had to make way in Fidget's room for her new stuff.  This is always a huge project, and included cleaning out closets and drawers and everything.  But doesn't it feel great to have a trunkload for Goodwill?  As soon as it stops raining today I'm going to scoot out and purge the back of my wagon.

Happy Wednesday!  xoxo

A dose of sunshine does you good.

I think I mentioned before that our trip to Florida last week wasn't as warm as it was last year. But it was still better than the 20 degree weather we had left behind, so we were ok with it.

On Saturday, while hubs and my dad went off to golf, my mom and I took the girls to Honeymoon Island for a picnic.  The sky was clear and the water, all sparkly.

And even though it wasn't warm enough for swimsuits and tank tops, we took our flip flops off and squeezed our toes in the sand.

Someone was optimistic about the swimming.  They brought beach towels, and they weren't for sitting on the sand.  We also spied Green Bay ballcaps, so we're thinking they considered a breezy 55 downright tropical.

The girls couldn't resist the perfectly dampened sand not too far from our picnic blankets.  And I gushed with love watching my babies playing together.  Seriously.  I am pretty sure the hormones have nothing to do with it.  I got all sentimental. 

They were making what midwestern girls make best. 

A snowman.

Miss America 2009

Ok, so you all know the deal, right?

A handful of housewives get together in evening dresses and watch The Pageant.  Thriftstore dresses.  Too much makeup.  Over the top jewels.  Heels.  Lots and lots of hairspray.  Fancy food and drinks.  Tons of laughter.

You can't say I didn't warn you.

Also, I am STILL waiting (AHEM) on photos from others from that night, but I wanted to keep this blog post timely, so you'll have to do with the 13 decent shots that ended up on my camera:

I am, what, 18 weeks? here, drinking bubbly cider and finally filling out the top portion of a dress.   The goal is to be tacky and over the top, and this year I didn't get There, because I was challenged in the fitting department, what with the growing belly and all.  I figured being with child at a pageant was tacky enough.  (Dress, $4.50.)  The big Ol' golden necklace gave it some flair though.

Now, for my sister.

This was the 3rd dress she tried on and we could go no further.  It was so awful and perfect at the same time.  It's a Gunne Sax, probably circa 1980, and it has bows everywhere.  She isn't wearing the HUGE sash at the waist in this photo, which is a shame.  It is about 5 inches wide and flounces over her rear.  To know Kim is to also know that this is SO NOT her, which was even better.  (Is it anyone?)  And we made ringlets.  We couldn't decide whether it was more Scarlett O'hara or Little Bo Peep.  Or a really bad Footloose prom dress.  Anyway, it was golden.   (Dress, $3.50)  She also isn't wearing her pageant sash yet, because this is pre-party.  She was Miss Cellaneous.

For the rest of the party pics, here is a link to the private photos on flickr.  I will expire the link in a few days, but not before you all get your fill.  Enjoy.

and we're back...

Florida was fun.  We stayed at my parents' new home and saw more of their community.  Can't say I blame them for wanting to live in a place that does not require snow boots and ice scrapers.  It was a short visit, but we packed a lot of things into our days and made the best of it.  I'll post tidbits this week.

The weather wasn't quite as warm as it was last year when we went, and they are still recovering from severe frosts just a week ago.  So, oddly enough, their yards and landscape looked a lot like ours at home.  That also meant no dazzling array of sunshine-and-color flooded photos this go-round (see some of last year's here), but that's ok.  I know we'll be back soon.  Plus, we were in flip-flops for 4 days.  I am not complaining!

And now we are back to reality.  Nothing says 'Welcome Home' like as-yet-unpacked suitcases, unmade beds, and a basket of clean laundry to fold (tossed into the dryer just before we left), does it?   We got in around 10:40 last night and I'm still trying to find my bearings.I just don't have the energy to tackle it today, so we may be in for an extended homecoming. 

We did have a teensy breakthrough this morning though.  Somebody woke up dry.

That someone is turning 3 in four weeks.  How is that possible? 

(I can't believe I'm going to post a picture of our toity/princess seat combo.  It's quite the throne.  Har har.)