Mother Earth

It's all on the up & up.

2011-08-05T15:08:00.001-05:00

How many times a week do you fill one of these carts up then go back around the store putting stuff back because you really don't need it?

Don't lie.

I am a big fan of Target's Up and Up brand.

Awesomesauce.

If there is something I need and Up and Up makes it chances are I am going to buy that over the popular, name brand.

Here are a few things that I ALWAYS buy on the Up and Up:

Advanced 7-Day whitening wraps

Hair and body baby wash
Kids sunscreen

1st aid spray

Radiant skin facial lotion
Positively smooth shave gel

Something Up and Up I bought that I will NEVER buy again:

Diapers.

Mondays.

2011-08-01T12:22:00.002-05:00

Most people look forward to Fridays. Friday is the beginning of the weekend and for most people that means relaxing, hanging out with friends, being lazy, and having a good, stress-free time.

I on the other hand do not look forward to the weekend. Weekends are hectic. Everyone is home, cooking is required 3 times a day, family activities last all day and leave me feeling drained and crabby by days end. No time to relax, no time be lazy, no peace and quiet. Its just go, go, go.

For me Mondays are my T.G.I.F. Husband goes back to work and the kids go back to school. I have time to sit down,drink my coffee, and read a book. I can clean the house and it stays that way, there is only one meal to prepare, and most importantly IT IS QUIET.

So to all my stay at home moms out there who have kids at school and husbands at work. Kick up your feet, read a book, have a mid-day cocktail, and RELAX! You deserve it.

Just a few little things...

2011-07-29T07:42:00.001-05:00

I don't like peanut butter. I also don't like bananas. Putting the two together makes me want to curl up in the fetal position and cry.

Creepy little buggers.

I love, love, love the ocean and love, love, love the beach. But the feel of ocean water and sand on my feet makes my skin crawl. Worse then nails on a chalkboard. Worse then a million spiders crawling all over me. Luckily, I have a great husband who pours clean water on me as needed. He rocks.

Those are my toes.

You cant see my face or read my thoughts but believe me.

I am totally freaking out.

The Gateway arch is the tallest man made monument in the US. It makes me sad that it is a short 20 min. drive down a highway I travel everyday of my life and I have never taken my kids to see it.

So pretty.

I need to put that on my list of things to do.

Toasted Ravioli is delicious. It amazes me that it is on nearly every restaurant menu in St. Louis and yet while traveling, I rarely ever see it. For those of you who have never heard of toasted ravioli let me break it down for you - it's a regular ravioli, breaded in italian breadcrumbs, and fried. You can have it stuffed with pretty much anything you could ever want. My favorite toasted ravioli is spinach artichoke.

yum..... I need to eat some.

Now.

Have a great weekend!

Healthier dessert.

2011-07-27T09:28:00.000-05:00

I keep seeing all these whoppie pie recipes all over and they are driving me INSANE. Yesterday, my Nook got stuck on a picture of a whoppie pie and it kept zooming in and out as if it was saying to me,
"Lo, you know you want to eat this yummy, chocolate-y, icing filled, rolled in sprinkles deliciousness."
I said back to that nook, "Yep. You bet I do! But keep walking buddy I wont cave!"

Here is my version of a healthier whoopie pie.

Ingredients:
-2 low calorie cookies. I use Dad's Original Scotch Oatmeal Cookies. 70 cals.
-1/4 C. of low fat ice cream or frozen yogurt. I like Edy's slow churn vanilla. 50 cals.
-a TBSP(or 2) of caramel sauce. 44 cal for 1 TBSP. (or 88 cal. for 2)
- 5 pecan halves crushed up. 49 cal.

How to:
Just scoop the ice cream onto the bottom cookie, add the nuts to the caramel sauce, drizzle over the ice cream, and stick the top cookie on. That's it!

213 calories per serving OR 257 calories if you added the extra caramel sauce (you know you did.)

Not too shabby!!!

Me.

2011-07-25T07:30:00.007-05:00

I have a really hard time with "me" because I still don't know how to fully define the word as it applies to myself but here I go....

About a year ago I became depressed. I was sad, crabby, irritable, I felt alone and unappreciated. It took everything I had to get out of bed everyday and face my, what I considered then, pathetic life. Days would go by and I would not change my clothes, brush my teeth, shower, or even leave the house. There were times I would go sit in my car and contemplate driving away and never looking back. I was suffering, my kids were suffering, my marriage was suffering but I did not care.

In September I fell and sprained my ankle. It was a really bad sprain that had me out of commission for nearly 5 months. In February I went to see my Orthopedic Doc and expressed my concerns about my weight gain and overall feeling crappy (crappier??) from sitting on the couch for 5 months. I told him that I was thinking of running again. I then asked him if I was clear to start and he responded by telling me that running was not an option for me. I considered that an unacceptable answer.

I left his office, went to Target, bought an ankle and a knee brace, went home, and got on the treadmill. It hurt. BAD. I was slow but I pushed on. Eventually my ankle and my knee got stronger until I was able to jog for 20 mins. without stopping.

For my birthday Ryan bought me an elliptical machine. It has been a lifesaver. I was able to get rid of my knee and ankle braces and I run 3 miles nearly everyday. I have lost 20 lbs. so far, I have energy, I have endurance, and I have strength. I have confidence and self worth. I am happier, my kids are happier, my husband is happier.

I'm not saying that running and losing weight changed me. It didn't. But it was a start. A start to achieving goals. To not listening to anyone who tells me I can't. To taking control. To learning how to achieve. All things I never believed myself capable of.

I am still depressed. I still have days where every.single.task feels like I'm trying to climb Mt. Everest. I Cry. I cry alot. But unlike my tears from before, these tears feel good because I am working. I am moving forward. I am making progress.

I like routine. I like knowing. I like control. But those are all cushions to me. Incapable of any change so I had to throw them out. It was hard. I am learning to take each day as it comes. All the differences, all the obstacles, all the challenges, all the unknown. It is scary but I do it. And everyday I am stronger because if it.

I can't honestly tell you who I am today, and chances are that I probably will not be able to answer that question a month from now. But one day I will be able to answer and answer in confidence. I cant wait for that day.

For now I am going to write. Blogging is something I like to do. It will probably be random. Light and happy at times, deep and sad at others. This will be good for me.

All photos were found on we heart it LOVE that site.

A new family member.

2011-07-22T08:30:00.003-05:00

A few months ago things got crazy around here so we decided it was time to add another family member. Because that's what all totally insane people do when life gets out of control, right???

IT'S A BOY!!!!

Meet Ringo.

He is an apricot Goldendoodle that we adopted from a rescue shelter when he was 14 weeks old and 24 lbs.

Today, Ringo is 6 months old, 48 lbs, and still growing. He is such a good dog and the girls love him to pieces.

I think he's a keeper.

As a non-lover of furry pets I have adapted to having a big, really furry dog, surprisingly well. It was a good step towards breaking free from some of my OCD tendencies. Having him around put me out of my element which was scary at first but I grew used to very quickly. He can be a pain at times, makes me mad, makes me happy, make me cry, makes me wonder WHY!?!?!, but just like any of my girls, I would not trade him for anything in the world.

The Nuggets.

2011-07-20T10:15:00.003-05:00

In our family our girls are know as nuggets. We have big nugget, little nugget, and middle nugget.

Big nugget.
Isabela aka Bela. Age 9. Loves swimming, playing outdoors, camping, bike riding, and spending the night at her friend Melanie's house. She is growing up so fast. So fast in fact, that she is only a head shorter than me and is wearing my shoes. Good for her, bad for me. Watching her blossom is truly an amazing experience. She will be starting 4th grade in a few weeks. I don't really know how I feel about that yet.

Middle nugget.
Olivia aka Livi. Age 5. Loves to sing, dance, laugh, choreograph her own plays with her vast collection of Littlest Pet Shop animals, and hang out with her BFF Abi. She is spunky and loud and sometimes obnoxious but we never love her any less. Her smile and laughter can lighten up a room and everyone who meets her falls in love. She is starting Kindergarten in a few weeks and like with Isabela, I don't know how I feel about that yet.

Little nugget.
Eliana aka Ellie. Age 2.5. Loves to run, jump, climb, make messes, get into trouble, stir the pot... typical 2 year old right? She has such a sweet little face, eyes, and smile that sometimes, just sometimes, for a split second I actually forget all the hell she raises on a daily basis. She makes me smile, she makes me laugh, she makes me scream, and makes me cry but I love her to the moon and back and would not trade her for anything in the world. She is starting her first year of Preschool in a few week and I KNOW how I feel about that. Here's a hint: I'm not sad. At.All.

Changes.

2011-07-18T15:41:00.002-05:00

It has been over a year since my last blog post and my life has changed ALOT. My kids got older and more demanding which meant less time for crafting, baking, and gardening and more time driving back and forth to various schools and activities. My personal time is very limited. Most days I can barely keep my head above water and some days I sink straight to the bottom before I have even fed everyone breakfast. I have given up most of my OCD behaviors, strict routines, and unreasonable expectations for my family and am learning to just go with the flow. Everyday is a new journey. I have no idea how it is going to start and no idea how it is going to end. I just take each day as it is and go with it. This new outlook on life has been both stressful and rewarding but good for me as a wife, as a mother, and most importantly as an individual. My new lifestyle has been a very positive experience and has allowed my family the time to get to know each other, grow together, and just live.

During the next few weeks I'm going to do some catching up and redesigning the old Mother Earth to accommodate the new, crazier, not-so-crafty Mother Earth.

Sneak peak: I am now a 20 lb. lighter(and still losing) blondie ;-)

Excess baggage.

2010-05-27T09:32:00.001-05:00

Remember family road trips with you were a kid?

Driving along with the music set to background noise, talking and laughing with your family, playing the license plate game, singing songs and sleeping if you were lucky?

All you need to pack were your clothes, toiletries, some toys, snacks, and yourself.

While packing for our road trip tomorrow I discovered a mess that we NEVER had to deal with when we were kids.

Electronics and their chargers.

Those things need their own luggage!

We have 2 cell phones, 2 Nintendo DSs, 3 iPods, and a nook. All have different chargers and all are necessities when going on vacation. I know this is the bare minimum and that most families have double what we have.

So sad that Road trips now consist of putting some ear buds in or turning up the radio to drown out the annoying noise of everyone else in the car.

Hopefully when we reach our destination we can forget about our electronic companions and spend some quality time with our beloved, irreplaceable human companions.

Help.

2010-05-26T07:43:00.003-05:00

Right now Nashville Tennessee is suffering from a terrible natural disaster.

Homes were lost,

property was destroyed.

Right now, the Gulf of Mexico is polluted with millions of gallons of oil.

Marine life and animals are dying,

natural habitats and marshlands are suffering or are ruined.

Help your country out in a time of need.

Please take a portion of your Haiti donations and help Nashville flood victims here and to the National Wildlife Federation's Oil Spill Relief Fund here

Thank you!!!

Lazy Mud Pies?

2010-05-21T10:44:00.000-05:00

Remember when you were a kid, playing outside during those long, hot summer days making mud pies?

I do.

I remember digging a hole in the ground with a spoon that I took out of the kitchen while my mom was not looking, filling a watering can up with water from the hose (then taking a drink from said hose), pouring the water into the hole, adding the dirt back in, stirring it up to make mud, then forming "pies" with my hands or a bowl or some other plastic object that I had laying around.

Ah, the good old days...

Today I saw a commercial for this

WTF!!!??? Seriously!?

PAY $40 to make something that should be made with FREE stuff and your IMAGINATION!

Have we become so lazy that we can not teach our children to use their imagination to create a freaking mud pie?

Give me break people...

Camera-less

2010-05-20T10:01:00.008-05:00

My sister has taken my camera hostage and since I dont like to do posts with no pics Im going to put up some photos of her in hopes that she will be ~~embarrassed~~ motivated enough to bring it back to me before I resort to more drastic measures.

The goof ball took these pic of herself on my camera while she was babysitting. Alex, oh Alex, you should have never done that... I am now going to have some fun at your expense.

This is Alex at the beginning of the night, you know when the kids are happy and smiling and playing nicely

This is Alex after the kids decided they have had enough of her and she's just about lost her mind

and this is Alex at the end of the night after she has gone completely mad from dealing with the insane wrath of my ~~totally crazy~~ sweet innocent little girls

Thanks Alex for watching my kids and giving me a good laugh. Now GIVE ME BACK MY CAMERA!!!!!

Sweet?

2010-05-11T08:57:00.004-05:00

I got some shots of Ellie the other day sitting up on the hill in our back yard.

She was just sitting there, contently staring at the common ground, for once in her life not getting into trouble...

then she turned around.....

No wonder she was content.

SHE HAD A PIECE OF CHOCOLATE.

I guess even when shes sitting doing nothing she is still getting into trouble.

Oh well.

Better chocolate than dirt.

cryfest 2010.

2010-05-07T13:33:00.000-05:00

I love quilting.

After the worst week ever I decided to take a break from life and work on my quilt.

It was relaxing and peaceful until......

I laid it out on the floor and noticed this

MO FO!!!!!!

If you cant tell my mistake let me point it out to you

Orange next to orange? I sewed it ass backwards! It was suppoesed to be pink/blue then orange/cream.

GAH!!!!!!

I cried a river, threw it in the bin, and haven't looked at it since.

Next time I make a quilt Im using an easier pattern.

Help a sista out....

2010-04-29T15:27:00.000-05:00

If anyone can respond to this post from Cloth Diapers written by Jen owner of Cotton Babies (bumgenius diapers) it would be great! Thanks!!!!

How much waste does a baby wearing disposable diapers really generate?

Cotton Babies has long been frustrated by the lack of information available about how each baby wearing disposable diapers impacts landfills.

We are working on a project to collect data about how much used disposable diapers weigh. The goal of this project is to estimate the approximate weight of the waste generated from a child wearing disposable diapers full time.

To participate, please have your baby wear one disposable diaper for a normal length of time (as you define it). At the next diaper change, please weigh that disposable diaper. You can submit the information about that diaper using this form:

http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2vcyg3lg8kjrgtb/start

After the data is collected and summarized, we will publish the results here on this blog for the benefit of the entire cloth diapering community. Multiple submissions per family are welcome, but please sure that each submission reflects the information for one diaper only. Thank you in advance for your participation and for telling your friends so they can help too!

Kindest regards,

Jennifer Labit, Owner
Cotton Babies, Inc.

Ants Be Gone.

2010-04-27T11:49:00.001-05:00

This is a totally random but useful post.

We get ants in our house every.single.summer. I hate them. Most of the time I can find their colony outside, stick an ant killer stake in the ground, and call it a day. Great, but it does not work when they get in my kitchen. With 3 kids eating and dropping crumbs everywhere the ants get BAD and it is so hard to get rid of them. A few weeks ago a friend taught me a way to get rid of them that is all natural and wont kill my kids.

Killer Ant Butter Balls

- 1 tsp. butter

-1/8 tsp. borax

-1/4 tsp. sugar

Mix the sugar, borax, and butter together. Roll into teeny tiny balls and stick it where ever the ants are coming in.

This is great for us because there is such a small amount of borax in the mix that if one of my kids eats it I dont have to freak out and call poison control but it is strong enough that it will knock out the colony of ants in less than a week.

Thanks Megan!!!!

Happy Earth Day.

2010-04-22T10:29:00.004-05:00

Happy Earth Day!!!

I personally think Earth Day should be everyday but I don't make up the calendar so......

Here are 5 totally realistic, simple, things you can do EVERYDAY to celebrate and RESPECT our home and keep it healthy.

1. Reduce your water usage. This is so easy it should be illegal. Just turning the water off while brushing your teeth, cutting your shower down by 2 minutes, push the energy saver button on your dishwasher.... I know you hear it everyday but so many people don't do it because they think it does not matter. It does. I guarantee it.

2. Use reusable bags. They don't have to be dorky and rock the name of your local grocery store on them. There are tons of funky cool bags out there. Like these from The Container Store and these from Pier One or just head over to Etsy and buy some one of a kind handmade ones. And don't just use them for groceries. Use them at Target or take them to the mall with you.

3.) ONLINE BILL PAY. Don't be lazy you are already on the computer. If your excuse is it takes to long to set up than set up one account everyday or even one a week. Before you know it you will be paperless.

4.)Recycle. This is a no brainer. Just do it.

5.) Use compact fluorescent bulbs. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, if every U.S. household replaced just one regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb, it would prevent 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, the equivalent of taking 7.5 million cars off the road. On top of that, for every incandescent bulb you replace with an approved compact fluorescent light bulb, you will save consumers $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb. How many lights do you have in your home? Uh huh...that's ALOT of green. Pun intended.

See simple. Its the small things that count. If we could just find enough people who cared.....

The Worst Week. Ever.

2010-04-16T19:47:00.002-05:00

This was the WORST week in the history of weeks.

SO......

Thank you Quaker for putting crack in my kids strawberries 'n cream oatmeal. They have been cracked out all week and when it is bed time they are so strung out they cant settle down.

Fabulous.

Thank you malicious teenagers for going down my quiet cul de sac and reaping havoc house by house. We all appreciated cleaning latex paint off our cars, calling our car insurance companies to report break ins, theft, and body damage, and for the one poor family who got their dining room window broken- we all feel sorry for you for having the pleasure of dealing with your home owners insurance.

Good luck.

Thank you same stupid teenagers for leaving paint on your front porch, leaving finger prints all over the empty can of paint you left on my husbands car, and for dropping your paint covered keys in the street.

Real smart.

Hope you enjoy jail.

Thank you hubby's work for loading him up test after test so that he is grouchy and cranky when he gets home hours after our kids have gone to bed for the night.

Your awesome.

Thank you teething baby for keeping me up between the hours of 2:30 and 5:30 am. I really enjoy that. Let's do it again tonight.

NOT!

Friday oh Friday, I was hoping you would be better. You were until I dropped a tray of seedlings on one of the only floors in our house that is carpeted. I wanted to get a pic of the mess but I was literally fighting Ellie off with all I had.

She wanted that dirt.

BAD.

Since there is no redo, or start over button for life, Im hoping, hoping, hoping that this coming week is better.

HAPPY WEEKEND EVERYONE!!!!

Beautiful disaster.

2010-04-13T09:04:00.002-05:00

This was my kitchen counter this morning.

You're probably thinking

"So what. My kitchen looks like that every morning."

Lets take a look at the pic again.

Beautiful disaster.

**note I cleaned up this beautiful disaster right after I took the pic. Don't want anyone to think I leave my kitchen looking like that all day.

CJKidz

2010-04-12T08:30:00.003-05:00

Check out CJKidz.

Sisters Diane (an artist) and Janet (a writer) created CJKidz as a resource for books, products, adventure, learning and fun. The site is loaded, I mean LOADED, with parenting information, tips, book suggestions and craft ideas as well as hand painted chairs and tees by Diane, fictional stories written by Janet, and TONS of other cool stuff.

I LOVE the families giving back section. We are big on Mitzvot at our house so families giving back is right up my ally. I'm also partial to all the books suggestions on going green ;)

This week CJKidz is celebrating Earth day (April 22nd) by featuring books about recycling, the environment, and going green, gardening tools, products about birds, bugs, butterflies and more!

Please support this awesome site by becoming a fan of CJKidz on Facebook here.

***edited some of the links were broken. I fixed them. sorry.

I'm doing it all for the Nook.

2010-04-08T08:27:00.000-05:00

I want one of these

BAD!

So bad that I am tearing my house apart finding fabulous ~~junk~~ stuff to sell so I can come up with at least half of the $260 it cost to buy one.

Can't you just see me laying on the beach in Gulf Shores, AL reading ALL my favorite books on my new Nook?

I can.

Why the Nook over other eReaders?

Let me tell you....

-Its from Barnes and Nobles. I heart Barnes and Nobles.

-It is compatible with the St. Louis County Library's electronic book lender. How cool, easy(and lazy) will it be to not have to request a book, wait for it, go pick it up, read it in a day, then go and drop it back off?

-You can download hundreds of older books for free. Some of my most favorite books are on that list.
-It can store up to 1500 electronic books. Have more than 1500 books? No problem! The Nook has a memory card.

- WiFi, touch screen, E ink display, adjustable text size....the list goes on and on.

I cant wait!!!!

stinkysweatyarmpits SAY WHAT!?

2010-03-30T23:24:00.000-05:00

Continuing on with my New Years Resolution I have been on the look out for a good deodorant. This has been something I have been looking for for YEARS! There was even a time where I said "screw it" and stopped shaving and let underarm nastiness invade me and there was even a time before that where I could not even pronounce the word deodorant.

Nice right?

Just another thing I have written on this blog that you could have gone your whole life not knowing about me.

Moving on....

One day while searching through 2 years worth of Rachel Ray magazines looking for a dinner recipe I stumbled upon this

Origins No Offense alcohol free deodorant

As far as natural deodorants go it is F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S. You still sweat which is not attractive BUT you don't stink.

I'll take sweat over stink any day baby.

It is a bit pricey ($12 for 2.6 oz.) but one thing I have learned through this journey is natural and organic stuff is not cheap.

Gardening.

2010-03-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

2 weeks ago I planted seeds in my little indoor greenhouse. Sounds fancy right? It's not, LOL

I decided to stray away from the norm this year and plant some different stuff. This year we will have small and large tomatoes, zucchini(after an epic fail last year I'm determined to have them grow this summer), black beans, black eyed peas, green beans, regular peas, sunflowers, marigolds, sweet peppers, red onion, swiss chard, spinach, and bell peppers. Don't these seedlings look happy?

OOPS! Forgot to upload pic. Ill get to it sometime today

In the raised beds we took out all the dead plants from last season, removed the trellis',and turned the soil. We will put the trellis' back up whenever we need them. The girls had fun taking the seeds out of the dead marigold plants.

Our strawberry plants survived the winter

I'm so excited for everything to grow!!!!!

Like mother, like daughter.

2010-03-23T10:00:00.000-05:00

My loving, caring, and do anything for me husband bought me this for my 30th birthday.

sorry for the stock photo I don't have an official pic. of mine yet.

I LOVE it but I'm scared to death of it. The manual is a novel. I'm just glad I got 6 free classes on how to use the damn thing or I might have had a panic attack just by plugging her in. So the beauty is just sitting on my dining room table waiting for me to get up the courage to actually do something besides look at her and dream about all the cool stuff I could be sewing if I wasn't so intimidated by all the buttons and stitch options.

In waiting, I have been teaching my 7 year old, Isabela, how to sew.

She loves it and is so eager for her lessons. I taught her the machine basics first. She knew how to thread the machine and needle,wind a bobbin, clean the gears, adjust tension and stitch length before I even let her start sewing. For the past few days she has been playing around with the stitching and making patterns on scrap fabric.

Her next lesson is going to be cutting fabric and following a pattern. That's going to be a hard lesson for me to teach since I make so many cutting errors and I have a hard time following a pattern myself but I let her know that :)

I cant wait until we can sit together and sew things!!!!

Out of hibernation.

2010-03-22T11:41:00.000-05:00

I'm kind of like a bear in the winter. I like to sleep a lot, be dormant for long periods of time, and I'm very grouchy when disturbed.

Since Spring started a couple days ago I decided to get out of my funk. What a better way to get out of a funk than to get outside and exercise, do some gardening, craft, and of course BLOG about it all :) I'm going to get back into the groove and start blogging at least 3 times a week.

Stay tuned!!!!

New Years Resolution Update.

2010-02-25T07:00:00.000-06:00

My new years resolution this year was to start using better and safer beauty products and I am happy to report that I have been sticking to it! It is really fun trying out new products BUT there is a downfall.

First, even when buying sample sized product it has been a VERY expensive journey. Second, I have had some BAD skin and hair days as a result of me and said products not meshing well together.

I do have 3 products that I am absolutely IN LOVE with.

Face.

I am a face wash snob. I can find issues with just about every single face wash on the market. I used Mary Kay Time Wise 3 in 1 cleanser for 6 years. I LOVED that I did not need water to use it, I LOVED LOVED that it never made my skin feel tight and dried out, and I LOVED LOVED LOVED that I sold Mary Kay and got it at a discounted price. But sadly, they changed the formula from a universal one size fits all to 2 seperate formulas, neither one of which was right for my skin, the new formulas require you to use water(BOO!), and I am no longer a Mary Kay sales lady so no discount. PLUS the product was not very green for the earth nor my skin SO moving on to better things....

Im in love with this cleanser! Yes I have to use water but I got over it after my first use. It smells like yummy oranges, it has a thick rich lather, and it does not make my skin feel tight and dry. I have noticed a huge difference in my skin too. My pores are smaller, I have very few blemishes, and my skin seems to glow after washing. I have been using since December and I dont think I will have to ever change facial cleaner again. YUMMY!!

Hair.

I have very strange hair. It is thin, but I have alot of it so it looks thick, it is not straight but its not curly either, it is kind of wavy/curly/frizzy/straight all mixed together....not very attractive and my hair goes from nice, fluffy and pretty to flat, ugly and oily in a blink of an eye. Very crappy until I found Abba pure gentle shampoo and conditioner.

The shampoo is very gentle and is really soft. It feels like you are washing with conditioner a little strange the first few uses but I got used to it. The conditioner is a leave in which I was a bit iffy about at first but it works well for me and it makes my showers faster so Im saving water. My hair is always clean and soft and it stays oil free all day long. Im so happy with this product!

So 3 new, greener, safer beauty products in 3 months is not too bad. I cant wait to find more great products!

Quilting

2010-02-11T07:52:00.000-06:00

I finally found the prefect pattern for my quilt using my Riley Blake fabrics.

Beautiful right? Right. I got it out of the McCalls Quick Quilts March 2010 magazine. I cant wait for it to be finished!

DIE NutriSystem!!!

2010-02-10T15:52:00.000-06:00

First off let me say that I dont "do" NutriSystem. My Mother-In-Law buys the package deal whenever it's on QVC, keeps about 10 things and gives the rest to me. I like the snack bars but I eat them 3 at a time, and the cereal packages have to be eaten 3 at a time also, defiantly NOT how you are supposed to eat NutriSystem food. Anyway, I made some of the pancakes this morning.

Here is how they looked:

BARF! They tasted worse than they look. I had to drown them in pure maple syrup to hide the distinct taste of cardboard. Nastiness to the max I tell ya.

As far as eating healthy goes, I think I'll toss the NutriSystem and stick to steaming veggies in this beautiful 3 tiered steamer my husband bought me.

In the making.

2010-01-26T07:43:00.000-06:00

Im making a new quilt using some fabrics from Riley Blakes Bloom and Grow collection.

I cant wait for it to be finished.

Its going to be BEAUTIFUL!!!!

Instead of blogging....

2010-01-22T08:30:00.000-06:00

I've been having fun with my kids.

Playing in the snow,

dressing up the creepy, pink, rubber horse,

Putting on make-up,

Playing dress up,

Laughing,

watching movies,

taking mid-day naps,

and just enjoying each others company.

It has been nice.

Dance and 4th Birthday.

2010-01-21T22:41:00.000-06:00

HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY OLIVIA!!!!!

Ok so her birthday was actually yesterday but I was too exhausted to blog.

She started dance classes yesterday too,

I do have to say she is a natural.

SPAM.

2010-01-13T07:37:00.000-06:00

I had to adjust my comment security a bit this morning due to a bunch of spam comments. This makes me really sad because I was trying to make it easier for my readers to comment by not having to do a word verification but, sadly, now it is there. Sorry about the inconvenience, I know it is one to me.

Quilt.

2010-01-04T10:44:00.001-06:00

A while ago I saw a button on almost every single craft blog I read for the Old Red Barn Co Quilt Along.

Back them my sewing machine and I just started our courtship. We were in the holding hands phase but there was no other physical contact beyond that. Every week I followed the quilt along as if I were actually sewing a quilt and every night after my kids were tucked in bed I sat at that machine learning everything I could about it.

Sadly our relationship soon ended. My old hand me down Singer died. I was sad but quickly replaced her with a newer, faster, and quieter Singer.

After I got accustomed to sewing on my new Singer I decided that I would give the Quilt Along a try. My mom LOVES quilts and I thought it would be the prefect Christmas gift for her. I bought fabric, re-read the quilt along posts, and made a quilt.

It was a LONG painful process but totally worth it. I do not have a quilting machine nor did I have to funds to ship my quilt off to have it professionally quilted so I "quilted" it by putting a decorative stitch down every.single.strip on the quilt. When it was done I stepped back and took a long look at my creation. It was beautiful! I was so proud of myself!

On Christmas morning I gave the quilt to my mom and she was SO happy! She loved it!!! She said she snuggles and sleeps with it all the time.

And because I like to keep it real the above photo was cropped and made pretty. Here is the unedited photo.

Our basement is being remodeled so everything is upstairs for the time being. Plus, I have 3 kids. Messes are inevitable.

New Year's Resolution, change.

2010-01-01T09:56:00.002-06:00

Im SO glad December is finally over!

Starting the day after Thanksgiving I am a mess. Stressed out, moody, irratable, I become an insomniac....... too many birthdays, too much shopping, too many visitors, then there is Hanukkah and Christmas, the list goes on and on. Most people enjoy all the festivities but it all just turns me into Ebenezer Scrooge.

Now that December is finally over I can relax and start blogging again.

Lets start with my New Years Resolution.

I live my life centered around planet Earth.
What can I do to make it a better place?
What can I do to help keep it healthy and safe for my kids?
What can I give back to her for all that she has given to me?

I have exhausted so much time and effort into mother Earth that I have never taken the time to think about or care about what I am doing to mother Lo until now.

For Christmas my mom bought me Gorgeously Green by Sophie Uliano.

Awesome book!

But as I was reading it I became disgusted with myself.

While I have I been going on and on about recycling, upcycling, composting, gardening, hot water heater coats, outlet insulators, and green household products I have failed to realize the neglect of my own body.

There are so many BAD BAD BAD chemicals in my daily beauty products that I have come to the conclusion that my body is more polluted than planet Earth and is in more trouble than all the oceans combined.

SO

for my New Years resolution I vow to change EVERYTHING about my daily beauty routines.

Out with the old in with the new.
(facial cleansers, soaps, deodorants, shampoos, conditioners, moisturizers, toothpastes, hair dye, make-up,etc.)

Being that alot of these new products will be expensive I am going to make my changes gradually. Finish one bad product and replace it with a good one. I have alreay made one change that I will share another day.

2009 was a great year and now Im looking forward to this new change and this new year.

Here's to a new year!!!!!!

unpaper towels

2009-12-07T15:16:00.007-06:00

I made a roll of unpaper towels a few weeks ago and I L-O-V-E them!!!

They were really easy to make.

Take 2 yards of flannel and 2 yards of terry cloth, cut it all into 11.5X11.5 squares, and serge the raw edges together.

Simple.

Next, put snaps on the corners of each towel and snap them all together around a paper towel holder.

That's it.

Very Eco friendly and pretty too :)

There was even enough fabric to make some smaller towels and washcloths. We use them as napkins.

Bottomless Cup.

2009-12-02T17:45:00.003-06:00

Last week I went to the movies with my sister Alex to see New Moon(again).

We sold our souls and my 1st born for a large soda with free refills

(like you need a gigantic soda with free refills during a 2 hr. 20 min. movie)

Anyway, the cashier asked if we wanted a "New Moon" collectors cup for 50 cents with our purchase.

Hell ya!

Whats 50 cents when you've already lost your soul and your 1st born?

So we see the movie, drink too much soda, and finally end up at my house.

While washing my new "New Moon' cup I read the back. Its an advertisement for Vitamin Water. It reads:

Ok, 1st off vampires dont drink vitamin water.

ever.

BUT

if drinking Vitamin Water makes a man look like this

Than every man should RUN to the nearest AMC theatre, sell thier souls and their 1st born for one of these cups, and drink viatmin water

all.day.long.

Just sayin'.......

oh and for the record. I know no men can normally look like that(even Rob) so I have to send a big THANK YOU out to Vanity Fair's photo editing crew

Giveaways at Fabulous K

2009-12-01T19:05:00.001-06:00

Kelly over at Fabulous K is having some giveaways.

Kelly is awesome and has a great sense of style.

Check out her blog and enter the giveaways!!! :)

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY ELIANA!!!!

2009-11-30T20:21:00.000-06:00

Today is my baby Ellie's 1st birthday! I cant believe she is 1 already!

How about some pics :)

Eliana Marie born Novemeber 30, 2008 at 12:16 pm via nasty emergency c-section.

(sorry no delivery photos, they were not to kind to us taking them because of the emergency situation.)

Eliana Marie November 30, 2009 happy and healthy!

We've have had a couple birthday celebrations for her already.

A couple weekends ago we had a coffee/brunch/b-day party for Ellie with my mom, her sisters, and one of my cousins. We ate Julie's make ahead brunch bake made with spinach, artichokes, and mozzarella cheese. It was DIVINE!!! For desert I made pumpkin cupcakes with maple cream cheese frosting from Smitten Kitchen.

The frosting......

OMG!

I sat on my couch eating it while I watched Twilight gearing up to see New Moon the next day.

Her second bday celebration was on Turkey Day with the In Law side. It was fun. She just had a regular Thanksgiving dinner and store bought chocolate cake with white icing.

Today, for desert, we are having pumpkin pie with graham cracker crust, and banana chocolate chip cupcakes from Cupcake Love. YUMMY!!!!

Project 320.

2009-11-25T09:07:00.005-06:00

My friend Julie sent me the best email!

She and some of her friends are hosting the most meaningful giveaways

EVER!!

The giveaway week is scheduled to run December 14th-18th with the winners announced on the 21st.

There will be 10 bundles to be won. Each entry will cost you $10. The $10 will be donated to Charity:Water

10 bundles
It will only take 50 comments a bundle

To equal $5,000.

$5,000 fully funds a well.

A well that can save 500 lives.

Change an entire village.

Forever.
(took straight from Julie's email)

I am happy to say that I will be donating some stuff(don't know what yet) to the bundles.

If you would like to donate to the bundles send me an email and I will forward you on to Julie

:)

Have a Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!!!

Recessionista.

2009-11-23T14:33:00.000-06:00

I LOVE Recessionista!!!

Heres a bit of info:

"A Recessionista is one who, despite an economic downturn, evokes the creative power and continues to look like a million bucks while only spending a few. She can endure burden and misfortune that accompany a poor economy. Refusing to go without, she searches the sales, frequents the discount stores and always leaves with her head held high and a smile across her face, knowing she found some incredible deals. In other words, she proudly follows the motto, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade."

We, at Recessionista, believe that a woman should never be forced to compromise quality or style due to a slumping economy. Likewise, we believe that a woman should never overpay.

One savvy shopper's transition to Recessionista sparked an idea - an idea now known as the Recessionista Party. Imagine an exclusive gathering with other fellow recessionistas to shop the same authentic name brands found at fancy department stores and discount stores alike. Without the costly overhead found with large stores, the prices go way down and the savings stay in your purse.

Dread shopping? Hate the malls? Well, Recessionista is your dream come true. We believe in a low-key, laid back atmosphere - with an upscale twist - and enough jaw-dropping priced merchandise to keep you coming back for more. Invite your friends, put up your feet and let us do the work by bringing the store to you.

Whatever your style or preference, we're confident you'll love Recessionista - where savvy shopping is always a party!"

Recessionista parties, online parties, weekly specials, GIVEAWAYS......

YAY!!!

Want a to win a 100% genuine Coach bag? Then head on over to Recessionista and enter.

I also have the button over on my left sidebar. :)

Roadkill Rescue Party.

2009-11-18T07:56:00.002-06:00

Its that time again!! Its the Roadkill Rescue party over at Infarrantly Creative.

Remember my medicine cabinet revamp? If not here's the before and after pics.

Before:

After:

I was not 100% pleased with the mirror over the couch. It was too small for the space but I did not have anywhere else to hang it so I just left it there.

A couple weeks after that I found another medicine cabinet in someone else's trash.
They must have been original to the houses in the neighborhood.

SO

I took the second medicine cabinet and removed the frame. I took a cork board that I already had, covered it in a pretty fabric and hot glued the frame to it.
This is how it turned out.

THEN

I had the idea to paint the mirror of the original medicine cabinet with chalkboard paint and hang them both above my daughter's desk.

BUT

I was out shopping and found some dry erase vinyl on clearance and decided to just use that instead.
This is how it turned out.

As you can see from the pink dry erase marker stains on of the bottom of the frame, this project was a hit with the kids.

Here is how they look side by side above the desk.

We LOVE them!

So there you have it.
2 old medicine cabinets found in someone's trash turned into classic looking cork and dry erase boards for my daughters to use.

Scarf Alongs.

2009-11-16T22:33:00.002-06:00

The holidays are coming up REAL fast.

Want to give handmade this year?

If so then join the fun going on right now over at Joys Hope and Cookie Mondays.

Julie is a hosting a "beginner" scarf along for all those new-to-sewing mamas out there

while Heather is hosting an "honor student" scarf along for us more experienced mamas ;)

you can find buttons for both Joy's Hope and Cookie Mondays on my

<------------

left sidebar.

Which one will I be doing?

Both!!!!

Happy sewing!!!

Just $10.

2009-11-13T08:07:00.006-06:00

Did you know that

or that

or that

Does this make you sad or angry?

Does this make you want to hop on a plane and fly to Africa and do everything you can to help those less fortunate than you?

Unfortunately, for most of us, that is unrealistic. But there is something you can do to help.

Donate just $10 and you can give someone in Africa clean drinking water for 10 full years.

100% of your donation will directly fund freshwater projects in developing nations.

Yesterday I was thankful that I could provide my kids with clean drinking water.

Today I am thankful that I can help provide it for someone else.

Thank you Julie for passing this on to me.

Halloween. Better late than never.

2009-11-12T10:06:00.003-06:00

Since my husband took possession of the camera to document his last days of work I have not been able to upload any photos for my blog and lets face it, a blog post without pics is usually B-O-R-I-N-G.

So, very belated, here are a couple pics of the girls on Halloween night.

Isabela-
she does not always smile or even look at the camera-
she is a vampire witch.

Olivia-
she poses on command then demands to see the pic right away-
she's a regular witch.

Eliana-
always cute-
she was a ladybug but hated wearing the costume
SO
I gave her a sucker and all was good in the 'hood.

And here are 2 Sienna Dresses that I made for the girls to wear to school the day before Halloween. They were a hit!! Thanks Ashley for creating such a cool recycled dress pattern!!!

Sorry there are no action shots. My kids were very uncooperative that day. Their blood was flowing with pure sugar, LOL

Vegetarian Taco Salad.

2009-11-11T08:16:00.001-06:00

I LOVE taco salad. Heres my delicious recipe for a vegetarian version.

Ingredients:
1 package of boca crumbles
1 small onion, diced
frozen corn- as much as you like
1/4 C salsa
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans
1 package of taco seasoning(or whaever spices you use to season tacos)
aztec taco salad shells

Prepare taco shells as directed on the package.

In a skillet roast your corn in a little bit of coconut oil(or whatever oil you like to use). Next, add in onion and Boca burger and cook until the Boca is browned. Add in salsa, taco seasoning, black beans, and canned tomatoes. Simmer until the mixture is warm and thick.

scoop Boca mixture into shells add some shredded lettuce and top with cheese, guacamole, and sour cream.

Enjoy!

Busy. Busy. Busy.

2009-11-10T23:13:00.000-06:00

I have been a busy bee these past few weeks trying to get my life in order so until I have something exciting to blog about.......

Hop on over to Joy's Hope and join in on the scarf along. It will be tons of fun for both beginner and experienced sewers alike. I have the button on my left sidebar. I ordered my fabric yesterday and I'm so excited to get started!!

Also have you seen this blog yet? I just won something! Don't know what it is yet because it is a surprise. Recessionista is awesome!!

Also check out So you think you're crafty?
Cool contests, cool stuff, cool ideas.

Until I have something better to say

See ya later alligator!

Handmade.

2009-11-06T14:55:00.006-06:00

Tis the season for gift giving and what better way to show someone you care than by giving a handmade gift.

On my left hand side bar I added, and will be adding, buttons for various sew alongs.

These are perfect for me because, lets face it, Im not a very creative crafter, I thrive on others ideas.

For the next several weeks I will be participating in these events and I will be doing some giveaways here with some of my favorite things.

Stay tuned!!!

Fall Trees.

2009-11-02T12:39:00.002-06:00

I took these pics the 1st day I left my house after being sick. I love when the leaves change!

And here's me today, happy, because it is actually sunny and warm.

A great break from the dark, gloomy, rainy October we had.

.

2009-10-31T12:18:00.001-05:00

distractions.

2009-10-27T11:02:00.003-05:00

While I am obsessively reading the never going to be published partial manuscript for Midnight Sun my kids are in the other room doing this to their poor rocking horse.

I guess it is better than them destroying the house. :)

Horses.

2009-10-26T19:21:00.004-05:00

Yesterday a friend from Ryan's work invited us out to ride his horses. We packed the car with a change of clothes for every type of weather and headed out. The farm was beautiful. There were so many horses! The place was clean and it felt great being there. The girls had a great time riding the horses. Isabela even got brave enough to turn around and ride backwards! Here are some pictures of our day.

There were a ton of miniature horses. They used to be show horses but they are retired now. This is the stud. He was always running!

I love how this weather vain looked against the darkening sky.

There were 2 Clydesdale there. They are my favorite horses. They are GIGANTIC but so gentle and loving.

Look at his beauty mark by his lip. So Madonna

I love their big furry feet!

This is the barn where the girls rode and where the minis were housed.

Here is a female horse that seemed to like me. She followed me everywhere.

A mama and her baby.

A horse by a lake.

Isabela.

Olivia.

Eliana.

On the Mend.

2009-10-21T13:17:00.000-05:00

I am FINALLY on the mend and feeling like myself again.

In the 7 days that I was sick I did not touch my sewing machine. Not even once.

All I did was sit on the couch and read every.single. book in the Twilight series. I'm now obsessed with vampires and werewolves. I love them. Big time.

BUT

Its time to put the books down and step back into the land of the living.

Im taking the rest of this week to clean all the germs out of my house, catch up on Mt. Laundry, and finish the pile of projects cluttering up my dining room table.

I'll be back next week! :)

Vintage Pearl giveaway.

2009-10-14T13:48:00.003-05:00

Since I'm out of commission I will blog about an awesome giveaway.

Head over to The Vintage Pearl blog.

Oogle over her beautiful kids and photography(I only wish I had 1/2 her photographing skillz),

visit her shop and drool over all the beautiful necklaces,

and enter her giveaway.

You know I entered.

Who wouldn't want one of those!?

Out of Commission.

2009-10-14T09:01:00.000-05:00

Sorry I've been out of commission this week.

We are battling a few cases of the Swine Flu in our home.

Kleenex and Cherry 7Up with antioxidants have been my best friends for the past 4 days.

Hopefully I wont need them much longer.

I will return to blogland when Im feeling better.

Until then, please keep the Germ X handy and pray that you are never this ill.

You Inspire Me Feature.

2009-10-09T09:43:00.003-05:00

If you read my blog you know that it is rare that I come up with my own ideas for projects. I am inspired everyday by some pretty amazing people.

Remember this desk?

My desk revamp was inspired by this desk, redone by Beckie over at Infarrantly Creative, and was featured in her "You inspire me!" post yesterday.

Infarrantly Creative is one of my favorite blogs for ideas and inspiration. If I would have never found Beckie's blog I would still have an ugly desk and I would be sitting at home watching t.v. on Monday nights instead of driving around looking for treasures in people trash, LOL.

Beckie is also the host of Roadkill Rescue Party. Here's the button (also located in my left sidebar).

If you have have ever turned any trash to treasure than you should join in on the fun on November 18th.

Thank you Beckie for inspiring me!!!!

sweet potatoes.

2009-10-08T21:28:00.004-05:00

I caved in and harvested my sweet potatoes the other day even though they were not showing any signs of being ready.

Some were nice and some were small.

This one looks like a stomach

Here is the full harvest.

I am making a Tofurkey, stuffing, mashed cauliflower, and sweet potatoes tomorrow night to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving.

No, I'm not Canadian but if somewhere in the world there is Thanksgiving going on you bet your sweet ass I'm eating a Thanksgiving feast with them!!!

Happy gardening!!!

and to all my Canadian friends(I only have one)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

Pumpkinland.

2009-10-06T23:10:00.002-05:00

Friday was Isabela's annual Girl Scout outing to the pumpkin patch.

Thursday it rained. Down poured actually.

All. day. long.

Than it started back up again at 9 pm.

We all feared that there was not going to be any pumpkin patch outing the next day.

Friday we wake up to clear blue skies.

Everyone was happy.

It was a sloshy, muddy, messy, good time.

camping.

2009-10-05T12:28:00.000-05:00

We went camping this weekend but decided to leave early due to the fact that it got down into the 40's at night plus the wind was blowing making it feel even colder.

Picture a very cold family of 5 huddled together shivering all night long. Yep. That was us. Needless to say we packed up and drove home the following night.

It figures that the crazy rushed-out-the-door mama forgot the extra battery to the camera so this is the only picture I got the entire time.

Looks cold doesn't it?

Makes me wish I was in Florida with my parents.

Garden Bloggers Death Day.

2009-09-30T23:11:00.002-05:00

Its that time again.
Garden Blogger's Death day hosted by Kate over at Gardening Without Skills.

Fall is coming and with nighttime temps around her in the 50's my garden is starting to die.

My Cantaloupe plants that gave me those nice(small)melons is dying.

Lets get a close up of that rotting fruit down there,

nice.

My pumpkin plants spent the entire summer covered in mildew, produced one pumpkin each, then withered and died.

My green bean plants, which have been producing more green beans than I care to eat, have not produced in a few days so I suspect they are going to start dying as well.

One of my eggplant plants is dying too. It started to make an eggplant but...

I guess it changed its mind.

I don't really care for eggplant that much anyway.

Even though death is quickly approaching there is still some life hanging around in my garden.

Like my tomato plants.

They are digging this cool weather.

I always pull them off green so that they don't split or get eaten by something else.

They just sit here on my window sill,

ripening in the sun, until they turn red.

Than my husband gives them away before I even get to taste one.

My sweet potatoes are growing

This one is small.

I think I will wait a few more weeks before I dig the rest up.

This praying mantis has been hanging around for awhile,

and I always see bumble bees,

and there are also gigantic grasshoppers in there that the girls like to catch but I don't have any pics of them.

I will conclude this post with my days harvest

(and don't laugh at the little people box. It's all I had laying around)

Happy Gardening!!!

Dear Swiffer...........

2009-09-29T23:52:00.007-05:00

Dear Swiffer,

I remember the day we 1st met. My husband brought you home for me.
He said you would simplify my life.

He was right.

You were fast, you were easy, you gave me an extra half hour to my day that I did not have before.

I lusted for you,
but after the lust died down I began to see you in a whole new way,

I began to hate you.

I thought you were wasteful, expensive, and horrible for our planet.

BUT

than I read this article and realized you were not so bad after all.

I can knit so I dont see why I cant knit you one of these.

And

I really do believe that you use less water than traditional mopping.

And

There are tons of coupons out there for your wet pads.

I'm still mad about throwing 12+ mopping pads into a landfill a week but relationships are about making sacrifices and learning to accept flaws.

So, I have decided that you can stay in my life for many many more years to come.

Thank you!

Lo

Laundry list of projects.

2009-09-28T09:25:00.002-05:00

I have a huge list of projects I want to tackle. Here's a preview.

I love this felt fairy house from 5 orange potatoes. I have a thing for fairies and fairy houses so this project is right up my alley. I think I will make mine a bit bigger and make some dolls to go along with it to give Ellie as a Christmas gift.

This outfit is drool worthy. When I saw it on Lil Blue Boo yesterday I said out loud, " No F'ing way! I just bought those pants at Target the other day!!!" I love corduroy, Ryan only wears corduroy, and since I can now confidently sew knit fabric I'm sure corduroy will be a breeze. I do have to admit that I am really thinking about going against my husband and doing the hall bath in owls like I originally planned before he shot the idea down. I think an owl would look great on a switch plate and as a wall decal (or 2 or 3).

I really want to make one of these fruit fly catchers featured on The Idea Room. Actually this may have to be done, like, today, since I always have fruit flies in my kitchen from all our nasty kitchen compost. Totally gross but I can deal with fruit flies if it means I'm reducing my carbon blueprint.

I REALLY need to make some of these smockets for the girls. I'm sick and tired of scrubbing paint out of their clothes. These smocks are simple and beautiful. They would make great Christmas gifts.

I love aprons. I REALLY REALLY love them. I need to make this Suzy Homemaker one for myself. Since I'm referred to her more often than not I think it will be appropriate.

Photos taken from www.craftster.org

I also still have this to fix up. I think I'm going to paint it a yellow that I bought for my hall bath and ended up not using because I did not like how it looked in there.

I also got this off of freecycle yesterday.

I'm going to sand it down, paint it black, and distress it a tad to go with this

I bought for $7 at the antique mall a few weeks ago.

I really love the look of this

I bought some paper and wood plaques yesterday to do a test run.

I also found 2 of these on top of one on of my kitchen cabinets.

God knows how long they have been up there. They were totally nasty. So nasty in fact, that after I scrubbed them down I threw the sponge in the trash. They are all prettied up now and I think they would work well with this project.

I think this project will be good for Ellie's room. Her room is literally a blank canvas. There is nothing in there but a hanging wall shelf hanging, a dresser, a small cabinet, a crib, and a glider. That's it. Blank. And to make it worse not one piece of the furniture is matching. Non-matching furniture is usually like nails on a chalkboard to me but some some reason, in her room, it works.

Now I'm starting to think the owls would look good in there.......

I think that's it for now.

I'll start on this laundry list as soon as I get done making these awesome Sienna dresses. I got the pattern from Little Blue Boo's Etsy shop. Ive got one pretty much done and I love it! Olivia loves it too and Isabela cant wait for hers to be done. They are Halloween related so I have to finish them before the Girl Scout field trip to the pumpkin patch on Friday.

Go Green.

2009-09-24T23:30:00.003-05:00

I got an email the other day from GoGreen.VC asking if they could list Mother Earth in their green blog directory. After checking out the site and blog I sent an email back excepting their offer.

GoGreen.VC is a great website. They have a green blog directory featuring green blogs from every state, they have a calender showing dates for things like State Fairs and gardening shows and they also have a store featuring the worm factory. It is totally gross but I want one REAL bad.

So click the links and read some blogs. Who knows you may learn a thing or 2.

Nice Melons.

2009-09-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

I picked these cantaloupe out of my garden yesterday.

They look juicy, ripe and big.

Well dont let that image fool you. Here's the real melons I picked today.

Small but they are still juicy and ripe

Ellie ate them up

YUM!!!

I've got it together.

2009-09-22T10:00:00.000-05:00

Ever have one of those days where everything is running smoothly?

Everyone is up fed, dressed, and cleaned up on time.

You make it to the bus stop early and get to preschool on time?

You come home and think to your self, "I've got it together."

Then you open the fridge to grab a Dr. Pepper and you see this

You then realize you are not as together as you though.

note: that pic was taken when Ellie was a newborn, hence the lack of food and abundance of Dr. Pepper and coffee creamers, but since I am having one of "those" days I thought it was appropriate.

Weird.

2009-09-21T00:01:00.009-05:00

Has anyone ever seen these?

They are so weird!!

The first time I saw someone wearing these I could not help but stare.

They just look so.......

weird.

I wonder how they feel on your toes?

Do they make them feel claustrophobic?

What if your toes are too short?

or too long?

I don't think I would like them.

It would be cool though if they made some that were flesh colored and painted faux toe nails in funky colors on them for girls and put faux fur on the big toe for guys.

It would make a weird shoe.......

weirder.

Herloom Party on Emma Calls Me Mama- A very old hutch.

2009-09-18T10:48:00.008-05:00

Sorry about the lack of craft post yesterday, I lost my camera. It has since been located and I will post my Thursday craft tomorrow.

Today is the Heirloom Party on Emma Calls Me Mama. I am very excited to participate today although if you would have asked me a year ago I would have ~~barfed~~ declined.

Here's the story:

We bought our house last summer. The owners were moving to Florida and, to save them the hastle and expense of shipping and storing all thier stuff, decided to add all their furniture into the sale price of our house.

It was all pretty much brand new. They left all the receipts, warranties, and manuals in named files in the office for us.

AWESOME People.

Along with all the new stuff there was something old in the dining room that they wanted to sell us. It was a GIANT hutch made by the owners great-great grandfather sometime in the late 1800's early 1900's.

They wanted $900 for it and I said NO WAY! It was ugly, it was HUGE, it smelled old, the glass was melting, it was rusting....it was not my style

at. all.

We respectfully declined their offer.

On closing day they asked if they could leave it. They were unable to sell it in such a short period of time and it was too expensive for them to ship it down to Florida. So in our dining room it stayed.

I hated it.

It creeped me out BIG time.

I took pictures of it and tried to sell it to antique dealers. I got some offers but never excepted any of them.

I am now glad that I didn't.

As time went by that huge, ugly, smelly, rusting, melting hutch has grown on me.

I started using it to store all the kids messy activities in. Crayons, markers, paints, play dough, paper...... than when I got into sewing and crafting I started filling it up with all that stuff.

It has actually worked out great.

As you can see when the doors are shut it looks like a regular hutch with my wine glasses and serving dishes

but when you open it up you have all of mine and the girls crafting stuff.

It has quickly become my most favorite piece of furniture in the entire house.

Besides the fact that it hides all of my crafting supplies away it has great detail.

It amazes me that someone was able to carve these legs without the use of a rotery saw,

and hand carve the molding at the top(the corner pieces are sitting on top, they fell of at some point),

and hand make this glass that has warped and melted over the past 100 + years,

and put these knobs on and make a key hole,

I have come to realize that this hutch was not whipped up in one day by a machine in a factory or put together in a week but a skilled craftsman using modern tools, it was hand built, over a period of time, by someone who labored and put all of their pride in making it.

So, out of respect for the man who made this hutch, I have decided to embrace and love this piece of furniture for what it is,

A
FABULOUSLY BEAUTIFUL
piece of work.

Trash to Treasure- A Medicine Cabinet Redo.

2009-09-16T11:25:00.003-05:00

Monday night while I was driving around(trash night) I picked up this medicine cabinet.

I took it home and immediately (after taking a before pic)

detached the mirror and frame and threw the cabinet part to the curb.

I really like the detail on the frame

I knew this mirror would go perfectly in my living room with my newly painted desk.

Yesterday, I spray painted the frame the same ivory color that I used on the desk

and glued the mirror back on with Gorilla Glue.

If you have never used Gorilla Glue before and plan on using it in the future PLEASE! read the directions first. I (unfortunately) did not and later found out (the hard way) that it is activated by water (my poor fingers).

So after scrubbing and scrubbing the glue off of the front of the mirror I was finally able to hang it and admire it.

Pardon the ugly brown shelf and the outdated lamps. I am going to refinish all of it eventually.

But back to the mirror, it looks good there but I defiantly need to hang some other stuff around it because it is too small for the space.

Inspired by Evelyn Fields- Reusable snack bag tutorial.

2009-09-15T09:29:00.004-05:00

I have been wanting to buy these reusable lunch bags from Evelyn Fields but ouch! are they expensive! So I decided to make my own.

I bought a snack sleeve pattern awhile back so I decided to try it out. The pattern was OK but I was not 100% satisfied with it(I did not like their sizing nor did I like the position of the Velcro and I wanted a bit more stability) so I tweaked the pattern a bit and this is what I came up with.

Supplies:

1/2 yard fabric of your choice ( I used muslin(unbleached cotton))

1/2 yard rip stop nylon(or similar nylon will work just fine)

scrap fabrics

fusible interfacing

scissors

rotary cutter and mat

Velcro ( cut in 6 in. strips)

Step 1:
trim up your fabric and cut into one long 8.5 inch wide strip.

for snack bags cut the length 9"
for sandwich bag length cut 12"

Step 2:
line right sides together and sew the tops(the 8.5" sides)

Step 3:
trim the nylon down almost to the seam and turn right side out.

Step 4:
press the seams and sew across the top again about 1/8" from the top.
***NOTE***This is a step I tweaked for stability. You don't have to do it but in my opinion it helps keep the seam trim and stable.

Step 5:
Center your 6" Velcro strips about 1/4" down from the seams and sew them on. You can either stitch them to both the nylon and the outer fabric or to just the nylon. Stitching to just the nylon gives the bag a cleaner look and hides any bunched up thread from sewing the hook strip of Velcro and it also hides no-so-straight sewing lines.

Step 6:
Sew up the sides together using a french seam.

Keeping the bag right side out, pin and sew closed with a 1/4" inseam.

Just like in step 3, trim nylon and fabric down to just above the seam. This helps keep the sides trim.

Turn inside out and sew up the sides again using a 1/4" inseam. Make sure to use a pencil or pen or something to push the corners of the bag all the way out so that they looks like this

Step 7:
Turn right side out, trim off all strings, and you are done!

If you want to add an applique like I did follow this applique tutorial over at Lil Blue Boo. Ashley has some great tutorials.

Once you have the pattern down you whip these in about 15 mins. each. Isabela uses them for her lunch every day and LOVES them. The pink cheetah print heart one is her favorite :)

Welcome to the Jungle.

2009-09-14T09:25:00.005-05:00

In our old house my girls had a beautiful room.

The walls were painted Palace Pink.

Their names were spelled out above their beds in white letters from Pottery Barn Kids.

They had matching fairy princess bedding and sleigh beds...

it was every ~~girly mom's~~ little girls dream room.

When we moved I wanted their new room to be a mirror image of the previous but my girls had other plans.

They wanted a Jungle room.....

with blue walls.......

and animal paintings.

I was sad.

One year later I finally got cracking and finished their "jungle" room.

Good thing they are still into it, LOL

Here is a tour:

The cheetah and the tree were painted by my dear friend Jimbo. His family is very artsy. They own a family business called Color Image. They are some seriously talented people.

I'm very happy to know them.

The "butterfly" above the cheetah was made by Olivia in camp using coffee filters, a popsicle stick, and colored pipe cleaners.

Ellie loves the cheetah.

She is always touching it,

And trying to climb it,

In the corner are the guard dogs, Biscuit my lovin' pup and rollover pup.

Over the window I hung the vines that Isabela brought home from her jungle themed room in camp.

Im glad they let the kids take stuff home instead of throwing it all away and Im glad that we could actually put them to use.

I even took one of Isabela's snake Webkins and wrapped it around the vines.

They totally dig that.

In the corner I took 2 bookcases that I got off of of Craigslist for $10. I stacked them, screwed a piece of ply board onto the back of the top one, and then anchored it to the wall with really long screws.

It's good thing I did that because last weekend I caught my 6 year old niece climbing up it.

Now I know it is secure.

Originally Jimbo was supposed to paint a monkey in that corner but he never got around to it so I displayed some of Isabela's monkey stuffed animals up there.

Not as good as a painted monkey but they will do.

Notice the chameleon?

Cool isn't he?

Its a stick on wall graphic from Solana Graphics Studio on ETSY.
Olivia could not get over how big it was when I put it on the wall.

It is so bright and life like.

I love it!

I tore out some pages from Isabela's Zoobooks and framed them. I Mod Podged some cheetah paper on them and I think they tuned out pretty cool.

I bought some artwork too.

I got these on clearance at Burlington Coat Factory.

and I got this red eyed tree frog artwork on clearance at Bed Bath and Beyond.

The frog is hanging over the kids closet.

I took the doors off today,

I love how it make the whole room seem bigger and more open.

I need to paint in there now, LOL.

Bored yet?

Don't worry I'm almost finished.

The girls wanted animal print bedding so I got these sets off of Overstock.com. Isabela's is the ~~leopard~~ cheetah print and Olivia's is the zebra print.

I'm really happy with the way it all turned out and the girls are in love with it!

Thanks for taking the time too look :)

Craft week!!

2009-09-11T13:13:00.003-05:00

I have been MIA this week because I have been a crafting fool!

I have went through all my bookmarks, found my favorite things, and made them.

All next week I will have a project feature for each day and a link to
the website or blog I got my inspiration from.

Stay tuned.......

What a deal!!!

2009-09-08T12:34:00.005-05:00

I'm so lucky. Ellie has an entire winter wardrobe and then some that a friend lent to us and Olivia was given bags full of clothes from a preschool friend. Poor Isabela, no one has any hand me downs for her. Darn. She has to get all new clothes.

Saturday I decided I was going to go to Kohl's to get her winter wardrobe. I had a 15% off coupon so I figured that would be the best place for me to go. Then, on Sunday, my mother-in-law called and said that her parents bought the girls some outfits, from Kohl's, that I was going to need to return because they were all adult petite large, LOL.

So yesterday I went to Kohl's and return all the WAY to big clothes and got store credit. Then I go CRAZY!! I bought stacks of clothes for Isabela and a few for Olivia since she loves clothes so much. Im standing in line for seriously an hour. The stack of clothes kept falling over onto Ellie and I was getting pissed. I think someone sensed my frustration and a woman came over and asked if I wanted to check out in jewelry. I thanked her so much and got the stink eye from the gazillion other people who were in line in front of me. Sorry folks!

So I check out and my jaw keeps dropping farther and farther down towards the floor. Not because of how much I spent but by how much I saved!!! Check this out:

Do you see that?!?!

I saved more than I spent! Now that's a deal.

So run on over to Kohls and buy your kiddos(or yourself) some new clothes :)

Dumpster Diving.

2009-09-03T22:23:00.008-05:00

I have a new found passion for turning trash into treasure. Unfortunately, with this basement remodel I don't have the money to go garage saleing every weekend nor do I have any desire to drag 3 kids around with me so I decided to become a dumper diver.

Unfortunately, I am not witty enough to actually go into a dumpster. I'm scared a raccoon or a rat is going to jump out and eat my face. Also the fact of digging through who knows what just is not very appealing to me.

That was a joke. We all know dumpster diving does not {always} involve going into a dumpster. People are too lazy to throw stuff in, they just put stuff near them, LOL.

Anyway, since I'm not jumping into any dumpsters anytime soon I decided I would try out the next best thing.

Tuesday is trash day around here so Monday night after the kids and the hubs were asleep and the house was picked up I got into my van and drove around hoping to score some good junk. I found this in someone's recycle bin:

I cant believe someone would throw out a perfectly good vase! At least they were going to recycle it.

I also found this:

If you cant tell, it's is a plant stand.

We have a lot of plants so I was just going to paint it and stick a plant in it but now I'm thinking I want to do something cool with it. The problem is I have no idea what. I lack envisioning skillz so I'm stumped.

Suggestions are always welcome and very much appreciated :)

Have a happy, safe, and fun holiday weekend everyone!!!!!

Dear Chocolate Cake...........

2009-09-03T06:00:00.002-05:00

Dear Chocolate Cake,

I love you but we need to set some ground rules. The next time we hang out please don't feel obligated to stick around. You overdo your welcome when you attach yourself to my hips or my butt or my thighs and PLEASE! stay away from my midsection. 3 kids have done enough damage there I don't need any from you either. If you love me the way I love you please be nice to me. If your not I will have no choice but to cut you out of my life completely and that, my friend, would be heartbreaking.

Your best bud,
Lo

Leftover Frittata.

2009-09-02T08:00:00.004-05:00

This happens to me all the time:

I go to the grocery store and buy all this beautiful, mouth watering produce only to get it home and never get around to cooking it before it goes bad .

Well my friends,
I have found an easy solution for that.

I call it "leftover frittata.

I take whatever I have in the fridge, mix it with eggs and bake it.

Very simple.

This is what I had this week:

some zucchini, a yellow squash, a half a red onion, some green onion, leftover fontina cheese, some mozzarella that I bought to go with the yummy(not!) basil from my garden ......

Chop all the veggies up. I like the slice mine. Just for show, chop yours however you like.

See how I opened the squash and it looks bad?

Sucks doesn't it?

Into the composter it goes.

Same thing happened with my moz. cheese. It smelled terrible!

Moving on,

Sweat the veggies out in a hot skillet with a tad of veg oil.

Next, add the eggs and cook on med low heat until it is set.

While my eggs were setting I noticed I had a ripe tomato on my window sill.

Doesn't this tomato look cool?

I almost did not pick it because it is not red like tomatoes should be but my friend Jimbo, who gave me the plant, told me they are supposed to be purplish.

Way cool.

Thanks Jimbo!!!

After adding the sliced tomato I decided to add some left over facon.

What is facon?

It is fake bacon.
Morning Star breakfast strips to be exact.

O.K.
Eggs are set.

Put in a 400 degree oven until fully cooked.
Your eggs should spring back when it is done.

Looks yummy doesnt it?

Plate up and enjoy!!!

Imagine Childhood Feature.

2009-09-01T08:00:00.007-05:00

A month or so ago the girls and I went to Castlewood State Park to take a nature walk and play in the creek. The girls wanted to start by hiking up the hill and looking over the bluffs so I said OK.

Instead of walking right back down we decided to hike around to the creek and admire the bluffs. Well we kept walking and walking and walking..... an hour up hill and an hour back down, a baby on my back and no water. I seriously thought we were lost until we finally started seeing people.

The girls were troopers and did not start complaining until we were at the end.

We finally found the creek and the girls had a blast splashing around.

I submitted some of the pics from our nature walk turned extreme hiking excursion to Imagine Childhood and they were published yesterday. Click here to have a look.

Roadkill Rescue Party!!!

2009-08-31T08:16:00.002-05:00

Today's the day! Today's the day!!!
Its the Roadkill Rescue party over at Infarrantly Creativity!!
I'm so excited to see what everyone has created out of their roadkill.

This was my roadkill.

My dining room chandelier.
Ugly right?
Right.

When we moved into our house a little over a year ago my Mother-In-Law told me she would take me to go get a new dining room chandelier. Yeah, I'm still waiting on that.

Lucky for me Lowe's had sent me a project book and in that book was this page.

I looked at it and said to myself "I have that chandelier in my dining room!!!" I tore it out and put it in my project folder.

A year later, I figure I'm never going to get that new chandelier so I took that page out of the folder and decided to revamp my old chandelier.

Here's what I did.

I sanded down all surfaces, and wiped them off.
When it was dry I sprayed the metal parts the same cream color as the desk I revamped and painted the wood part with some paint I had left over from my front entry way. I hung it back up and it looked like this:

Better, but it still did not look that great to me.
I started freaking out a little bit because I thought I ruined it and was going to have to hint to my Mother-In-Law about getting me that new one she promised.

It still needed something so I went to Lowe's and bought 5 drum shaped chandelier shades. I brought them home and put them on and they looked SO bad!

Saturday we had to go get some tile at Lowe's so I took them back and was just going to leave the chandelier the was it was. I returned them and went about my day.

It was a "by chance kind of thing" that we had to go over to Home Depot and there, in the clearance section, was 5 regular shaped chandelier shades for $1.91 each!!! I snagged them up and brought them home. I put them on and they looked perfect except they were not all the same color so I took some of the red paint that I used on the chandelier, diluted it with some water and pained the shades.

It looks so much better doesn't it?

I love how the light shines through the shades.

So then I was not happy with the way the chained looked(I'm hard to please sometimes) so I went into my closet, found an old cream colored shirt, cut some strips, sewed them together and made a chain cover. Now it looks fabulous!!

Im very happy with the way this turned out and Im really glad I took the time to do this revamp.

Now to go join in on the Roadkill Rescue party!!!!!!

Garden Bloggers Death Day.

2009-08-31T08:14:00.000-05:00

Busy day today with 2 posts. First off, its Garden Blogger's Death Day hosted by Kate at Gardening Without Skills. I was hoping I would never have to do a death day post but the time has come. We have had some death in our garden this month and it has come in the form of bugs. Beetles, caterpillars and horn worms.

The squash beetles came and ate my zucchini plants before I even knew they were there. By the time I noticed them they had evaded my plants and wiped them out of my garden in only a few short days. I was sad because I really love home grown zucchini. I was surprised the other day when I saw that one zucchini plant actually made it and was growing in between a tomato and an eggplant plant. There may still be hope of getting a homegrown zucchini this summer.

Caterpillars are eating on my cherry tomatoes and my eggplant. Look at these holes in my eggplant.

I tore this guy right out of on of those holes.(sorry for the blurry pic. My camera acts funny sometimes.)

Its sad. Very, very sad. Oh well. Caterpillars will be caterpillars

I was weaving one of my tomato plants into the trellis' and I noticed small corn looking black things.

It was poop! And not just any poop. I had seen this poop all over gardening sites and I knew right away I had horn worms. I found 2 of them and boy were they HUGE!!!

They were easily the width and length of my pinky finger. They creaped me out big time.

The girls put them in a bucket to show Ryan when he got home. We took them with us to Lowe's and let them go in a tree. I secretly hope they die. Sorry, but I do.

So that is the extent of death in my garden this month. Hopefully those stinking bugs will stay out of my garden and let me enjoy the fruits and veggies that I have worked so hard to grow.

Big day tomorrow.

2009-08-30T17:02:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow is going to be a big blog day for me.
It is

and

Geez.
They both sound horid, like Halloween posts or something but they aren't.

I'm really excited because I have something cool for both.

Stay tuned.

Drained.

2009-08-28T15:53:00.005-05:00

My kids are sick.

Runny noses, coughing, sore throats, occasionally puking......

Dimetapp, benadryl, Motrin, and a nebulizer are their best friends right now.

Its no fun and I have not had much sleep this week.

I'll do my Thursday and Friday posts over the weekend.

Until then check out this weird stuff:

Painted newspaper Boy stone

Monsters for your ears

Charles Manson Christmas Cards(seriously????)

The goofiest paper bags ever

Skull Head Girl Victorian Masquerade Ball necklace

Sleepy.

2009-08-26T11:35:00.003-05:00

It is moments like this when I don't mind Olivia getting a hold of my camera and taking over 100 pics in less than a half of an hour. In fact, I thank her. I would have never been able to capture a moment like this. Thank you Olivia.

Out With the Old. In With the New.

2009-08-25T09:15:00.000-05:00

This is my sewing machine.

We only knew each other for a few weeks before she died.

6 layers of fabric was just too much for her.

I took her to the dr and they said there was no hope so I replaced her with this.

Yes I am now advanced, LOL.

We are getting along great. She has proved herself worthy by sewing through 6 layers with no problems.

I think we are on the path to a long, beneficial relationship.

Olivia's first day of preschool.

2009-08-24T10:29:00.001-05:00

Not technically her 1st day of preschool ever but its her 1st day this year. She was really excited.

Like her skirt? I made it :)

2009-08-20T10:29:00.003-05:00

I could have sworn I was on week 12........

Anywho, aside from the squash beetles that destroyed our zucchini plants the garden is booming! I think the compost really did the trick. Look at this pumpkin!

It looks like a watermelon to me but I looked up pumpkins online and sure enough they all look like watermelons before they turn orange. You learn something new everyday.

Notice that our panty house idea is not working out so well. We are in the process of figuring out how to cradle them.

We also have an eggplant growing.

Ain't she perdy?

I'm really excited about this little girl because we LOVE eating eggplant parm. around here.

Green beans are growing,

Green peppers are growing,

TONS of tomatoes are growing,

I seriously don't know what we are going to do with all these tomotoes.

We have 3 cantaloupes growing too!!

I dug some soil up around the carrots and the sweet potatoes and those are growing well too. I cant wait to dig up those sweet potatoes. I love eating them with butter and brown sugar(probably why I cant loose this weight, LOL).

The strawberries are growing as well but Ryan says we are not supposed to pick strawberries the first season to help the plant get established. Apparently, bearing the fruit is hard on the plant. Whatever.

Here is a shot of the whole garden.

Summer Squash and Couscous Caserole.

2009-08-19T21:54:00.001-05:00

With a crazy baby on the loose sticking every thing possible in her mouth and choking on it, construction workers coming in and out of my house, kids starting school, and the self esteem shattering disappointment of gaining 5 lbs. after I have been running/walking 2 miles every freaking day for the past 5 weeks I have had very little time (and alot less enthusiasm) to cook anything new, cool, or unique. I did however try this recipe I got off of Mama Manifesto. Everyone in my family ate it up even Ellie. They even asked for seconds. I ate the leftovers today for lunch and they were divine. Click the link for the recipe, read the blog, make the casserole and tell me if you liked it or not. oh and eat a piece for me because I'm sure I will never be able to eat it again without gaining 20 more pounds :(

Happy cooking!!!

I'm ill.

2009-08-18T14:21:00.002-05:00

Not really but according to our resident physician,

I'm dying and I cant sew all week.

After seeing how the doc parties on her days off,

I think I'll be getting a second opinion.

Back to school.

2009-08-17T23:34:00.001-05:00

Today was my Bela's first day of second grade.

I was sad to see her go.

This morning she dressed herself.
She picked out a cute dress from Children's Place, a pair of pink Converse with pinker glitter stars, rainbow heart socks, a pony tail and her glasses.
Nothing matched, her glasses were bent, and her shoes were tied real crazy but I let her go.
I had to.

She's getting too big.

I now regret sending her to camp for 6 weeks and

I secretly wish Olivia would have started school before her so that I

could have some alone time with my first born.

Aren't they a sight for sore eyes in the morning, LOL.

I hate how time goes by so fast once you have kids.
It is the one time you wish would go by slower. So that you never miss a second of it.
Funny how life works out isn't it?

Etsy.

2009-08-13T00:50:00.004-05:00

I love Etsy.

I love that I can log in and buy my cousin some gifts that will help her with her new biz

Business card holder from Owlsay and personalized note cards from Debs Design

and my expecting cousin an Original Diaper Wallet for her baby shower

Diaper Wallet from Blue Turtle Collections

I love that for Christmas I can buy this for a friend who just learned to knit

Project bag from Messie Craftie

and one of these to hang on her tree as a memento of what she was into that year,

knitting ornament from Two Girls Laughing

and my cupcake obsessed sister one of these to hang on her tree.

felt cupcake from Cutie Goodie

I love that when I was learning to sew I was able to find a DIY dress kit to get me through my first project

DIY dress kit from Little Fish Big Pond

and all these great fabrics for future projects,

The Fabric Farm

Sew Good Fabric

The Fabric Bar

I'm obsessed with Savor soaps,

And my girls are obsessed with these,

Pretty. Messy. Flower. Joy's Hope

but what I am most obsessed with is the word "handmade".

I have to buy handmade.
After all I took The Handmade Pledge.

You should too.

Furniture Revamp.

2009-08-12T10:40:00.003-05:00

When we moved into our house the original owners left behind most of their furniture. It was all pretty much brand new and in fabulous condition (read no little kids around to trash it). We were grateful because the furniture that we had was a collection of "stuff" no one else wanted.

Along with all the great stuff they also left some less than desirable things as well.

Take this desk for example.

Not a terrible desk, in fact, it is in excellent working condition. It's just a bit of an eye sore. So I decided to revamp it.

While I was taking the drawers off I found this letter scrunched up in the back.

I thought it was really cute and gave me a bit of history behind the desk.

Anyway, back to the revamp.

First, I sanded off the finish, gave it a coat of primer, added a few coats of spray paint, some new hardware and voila! A totally revamped, functional, and pretty desk.

My inspiration came from Infarrantly Creative in this post. She is brilliant.

ElleBows & More Giveaway.

2009-08-11T16:23:00.007-05:00

I LOVE me some hairbows.

I'm especially in love with this one from ElleBows and More.

Wouldn't it look great on Ellie?

Want a chance to win a $20 gift certificate to ElleBows and More?

I thought so.

Head on over to lil blue boo to enter.

And while you are there surf around. Ashley's blog is FULL of drool worthy craft, sewing, and project ideas.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cupcakes.

2009-08-11T10:15:00.001-05:00

Back in January my mom, our friend Lesley, and I had a small going away party for my sister who was moving to Virginia. We had lots of food and I made a chocolate oatmeal cake. The cake was amazing. We all sat down around my coffee table with forks and ate almost at the entire thing. It was chocolaty, it was moist, it was rich.... everything you could ever want in a cake.

Fast forward 8 months. My mom was having a surprise personal shower for my Cousin who is eloping in couple weeks and asked me to make that cake again. I agreed but thought a cake would be too messy so we agreed that giant cupcakes would be the way to go. Well let me tell you my friends, those cupcakes were TO DIE FOR! Melt in your mouth amazingness.

Here's the recipe:

ingredients:
- 1 cup quick cooking oatmeal
- 1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1-1/2 cups boiling water
- 1/4 cup cocoa
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1-3/4 cups flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup flaked coconut
- 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. heavy cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine oatmeal with 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup chocolate chips. Pour boiling water over all, and let stand for 5 minutes. Then add the cocoa and mix well with a wire whisk so the chocolate and butter melt. Add 3/4 cup sugar and 1 cup brown sugar and whisk to combine. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Add eggs and 2 tsp. vanilla and beat until combined. Then add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix with a wire whisk until well blended. Immediately pour batter into prepared Jumbo muffin wrappers. I put the wrappers into a regular muffin tin and only filled them 1/2 way(about 1/4 c. batter) they rise a TON so DO NOT fill them all the way or even 3/4 the way or they will bake over.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Topping:
Combine 1/3 cup melted butter, walnuts, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, coconut, cream, and 1 tsp. vanilla in a medium bowl; mix well. When cake tests done, remove from oven and set on wire rack.
Turn oven to broil. Drop topping mixture by small spoonfuls onto cake; spread very gently to cover. Place under broiler, 4" from heat source, and broil for 2-5 minutes until topping is bubbly and light golden brown. Watch this every single second! It can burn in a blink of an eye, so keep watching! When the frosting is bubbling furiously all over and is beginning to brown in spots, remove tray from oven and sprinkle with 1 cup chocolate chips. Let stand for 10 minutes, then carefully swirl the chocolate chips into the frosting with the tip of a knife. Serve warm or cool.

Makes about 13 jumbo cupcakes or 24 regular sized cupcakes.

The Garden- Week 10- compost and the 1st harvest.

2009-08-10T11:42:00.000-05:00

I lied. I said I was going to do 2 week 9 posts but I didn't. Please forgive me.

Yesterday we emptied our composter, mixed it up, and dumped it into the garden. It's crazy how all your food and yard waste turns into soil. Hopefully it will do it's job and help my garden grow.

In other news we got our first harvest! YAY!!

A big bowl of mixed salad greens, some basil, and one little strawberry.

In picking our lettuces I learned something new. Bigger is not better, bigger is bitter. The lettuce was so spicy and bitter that we threw it right into our composter. I did some research and it said to pick your lettuces in the a.m. and when they are 2 inches tall. Glad I know that now.

The same went for the basil. N-A-S-T-Y! It did make some nice garnish for our ravs last night.

The strawberry was a big hit. We all wanted to eat it. So I took a knife and I split that teeny tiny strawberry in 4 and we all had a ~~tease~~ taste. It was tasty!

As for the rest of our crop:

Our zucchini was all killed by wicked squash beetles. By the time we got to them it was too late. They laid their eggs on the stem and the evil larva eat them, killing the plant. Little buggers!

We have 2 green peppers that are growing beautifully, a TON of tomatoes, 3 cantaloupes, and a pumpkin. Our beans are finally flowering and our eggplants are flowering as well. It is nice to see stuff growing. It makes me happy :)

I did it!!!

2009-08-07T11:08:00.002-05:00

Almost 2 years ago Ryan's grandma passed away and left me her sewing machine. I was uber excited to get it and envisioned making my kids clothes, Halloween costumes, gifts for friends, etc. Well it turned out sewing was not as easy as I thought it would be. I could not thread it right, I could not get the bobbin thread to come up, the upper thread kept bunching up underneath the plates... I was a disaster at sewing so I put the machine away with the intentions of never looking back again.

A few months ago I was going to sell the machine. It was just sitting in my basement collecting dust and I knew there was someone out there that would want it. Well Ryan axed that idea saying that I wanted the sewing machine so bad so I needed to figure out how to use it. So I dug it out of the basement, watched some You tube videos on threading and such, sat down with the machine and gave it a go. I was beside myself when I actually sewed a straight line! Woo Hoo!!

I was so excited that I went online and bought a bunch of fabrics and patterns. When they got here I was ready to go only to sit down and find that my sewing skills went from a 2 back down to -200. Again, I put the machine away. Far, far away.

A couple weeks ago I started thinking about the machine again. This time I decided to call my Mother-In-Law's friend Lisa over to help me out. On Tuesday she came over and we figured that damn machine out. As soon as she left I whipped out my you can make it DIY kit I got from an Etsy shop, Little Fish Big Pond and went to work. It took me 3 days (not full days just an hour here, 1/2 hour there while the kids were content) to complete the dress and I am so thrilled at my creation!

I have taught myself to knit, crochet, cook, and craft but I have never been as proud of myself as I am now. I taught myself how to sew and as London Tipton on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody would say "Yay Me!!!"

Olivia's art.

2009-08-05T19:45:00.001-05:00

This is what I on my family room table today.

The drawing is clearly a bird but just to be sure I asked her what she drew. She pointed to the bird.

Um....she is 3 years old!

I went online and did some research and apparently her drawing looks like a normal 3 year olds drawing. So was it just a coincidence or did she intentionally draw the bird on her clipboard?

Most likely a coincidence but as a proud mama Im going to to say it was intentional ;)

Here are the reso of the pics she drew for me.

top: potato monster. bottom left: mommy. bottom right: spider.

Cork/dry erase board makeover.

2009-08-05T00:17:00.001-05:00

My kitchen is ugly.

When we first moved in a little over a year ago I was so in love with the rest of the house that the kitchen did not bother me. Well, it bothers me now.

The painted over wallpaper is peeling off in chunks, the paint on the cabinets is rubbing off, and my ovens are dysfunctional. The bottom one does not cook evenly and is so low to the ground that the kids can easily open it and the top one cooks evenly but it is so high up that I burn my arm every time I use it. It is a lose, lose situation.

Since we are in the process of getting our basement remodeled I know it is going to be awhile before we get to do a kitchen remodel so I am doing little things to spruce up the place and make me happy.

This is my cork/dry erase board.

Ugly isn't it?

Last night I decided to pretty it up by painting the border. Doesn't it look better?

Don't mind the green on the cork board part. I thought it would look nice painted but the cork soaked up a whole bottle in 2 seconds flat so I tired to wipe it all off with a lysol wipe. That did not work out too well.

I had to think of something to cover it up.

Hows this?

Pretty fabric always makes things better but it still did not look right so I added a border of ribbons around the fabric.

There, that looks better. Now to hang it back on the wall.

Not a big project but it was nice to wake up this morning, walk into my kitchen, and see something pretty in there besides my girls.

Sorry for the crappy photos but that was the best I could do at 2 am.

The Garden. Week 9- trellises

2009-08-03T14:13:00.001-05:00

Last week went by in a blink of an eye so I did not get to do a week 8 garden post. So Im doing 2 garden posts this week. This post is about our new trellises that Ryan built. I'm really proud of all his hard work. Here's a pic of our new trellises.

My cantaloupe got a trellis too. The "trellis" is made from decorative garden trim Ryan found in someones trash. I LOVE upcycling!!

funny food.

2009-08-02T22:27:00.004-05:00

Most people are told not to play with their food. I guess these chefs didn't get the message.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!!!

Grants Farm.

2009-07-31T22:06:00.003-05:00

Anheuser-Busch has a farm

Free B-E-E-R-S.

With Ulysses S. Grant's log cabin here,

and an upcycled rifle barrel fence that was composed of 2,563 Civil War rifles there,

here is a very fluffy chicken,

there is me feeding a goat,

everywhere are scary concrete people carvings.

Anheuser- Busch had a farm and we had a very fun day!

OK I know that was a totally silly post but it reflects the totally silly fun day Ryan, the girls, and I had today.

Inspired.

2009-07-30T17:26:00.002-05:00

Today I felt inspired.

So instead of doing housework I made this

using this as my inspiration.

and these

to go along with the ones Olivia made me for Mother's Day.

The two go nicely together don't they?

and while I was still feeling inspired I decided to makes these

using this as my inspiration.

What inspires you?

Crawling.

2009-07-29T17:18:00.002-05:00

Where has the time gone?

It feels like yesterday, on the 1st snow of the season, that my sweet Eliana was born. The day I sat in bed staring at her beautiful face, nursing her, promising myself that I was going to embrace every second I have with her.

Now, 8 months later, I can honestly say that I have kept my promise. I know that she may possibly be my last child and I want to be able to look back and remember every second of her infancy.

Last night something happened.

My sweet little baby started crawling.

This is a bittersweet moment for me. I am happy that she is reaching developmental milestones but it also scares me to no end. Not because I now have to hide cords, relocate breakables, and constantly sweep the floors and vacuum the rugs. It scares me because it means she is actually growing up. It means that one day, not too long from now, she will no longer want to snuggle and nurse while we watch America's Got Talent. She will no longer smile then shyly hide her face in my armpit in the presence of a stranger. It means that she will soon be too big to take a bath in the kitchen sink. It means I have to except the fact that she will not be a baby forever.

Manly Vegetarian Food.

2009-07-28T00:19:00.004-05:00

Ryan is a champ. He eats every single crazy recipe that I serve him and he never complains no matter how girly the food is. So I decided to make him a man meal. During my jog I was running(haha) ideas through my head and came up with the idea of vegetarian "meatball" subs. I went to the store all stinky an sweaty and grabbed 2 loves of french bread, a package of Match-ground beef without the beef, some provolone cheese, and a jar of Classico marinara with plum tomatoes. Then I went home and got to work.

1st I whipped up a batch of Betsy's Balls. Betsy is an internet mommy friend of mine and everyone raves about her balls. Thanks to Match, I got to try them too and they are yummy!

Ingredients:

First, mix all the ingredients together, form into balls, and cook in the oven for 15 minutes.

Next, transferred the balls into a pan with the marinara sauce and let them simmer for another 15 minutes.

While the balls are simmering. Prepare you subs. Cut the french bread into the size you want your sub to be and line with the provolone cheese.

Put some balls and sauce into the subs, place in the oven for a few minutes to toast the bread and melt the cheese, plate them up with some homemade potato chips and serve!

Ryan really loved these and I could tell by the look on his face that he felt every bit like a carnivorous manly man. :)

Betsy's Balls- Vegetarian style.

1 package Match ground beef without the beef (Betsy makes hers with 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey)
½ C dry breadcrumbs
½ C finely shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
1/3 C finely chopped green onions( I never use these because I don't like them)
¼ C coarsely shredded carrot
¼ C coarsely shredded zucchini
¼ C chopped fresh parsley
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 large egg white
2 garlic cloves, crushed

1) Preheat oven to 400°
2) Combine all ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl; stir well.
3)form mixture into balls and place on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray.
4)Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until done.

Homemade potato chips
2 large potatoes
vegetable oil
salt
pepper

1) cut potatoes into thin slices. If you have a slicer great! but you don't need one.
2) toss them in a bowl with a generous amount of vegetable oil
3)lay the slices out on a cookie sheet in a single layer
4)sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5)bake at 400* until slices are crispy.( takes me 30 minutes or so)
6)let cool and serve