About Me

Texas, United States
I am a stay at home Mom from Oregon who has landed in Texas.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Waiting

When I was pregnant with Natalie there was a girl in my ward that had been trying to get pregnant for a long time. She was very bitter about it, and made it so that anyone that DID get pregnant would feel so uncomfortable around her, and almost guilty for being pregnant! I vowed that if I was in that situation I would NEVER be that way.

Fast forward five years and now it's my turn on the other side. As I see woman after woman, friend after friend announce their pregnancy I have kept my smile. I am truly so happy for them, all of them, and there are MANY, so many it's crazy. But, I am truly happy for them. I know that my time will come, and that even though I wish my time would have been 6 months ago, that if I am patient, one day, we will be blessed with that little spirit that I know has been waiting to join our family.

Until then I sew, and sew and sew and sew, lots of precious baby things to share with all these expectant mothers. And maybe I squirrel away a few precious baby things for us too, just in case.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Pros and Cons

So last year when Natalie was in preschool we learned about this amazing charter school that our friends were taking their kids to. I read all about it here, and it has been called one of the best, or even THE best school in Arlington. Very good academically, and just seems to be an amazing school. The only problem is that you have to apply and then they choose who gets in by a random drawing. So unless you are crazy lucky you will end up on the waiting list. Which we did. Natalie was number 38, which when you consider the waiting list was over 125+ kids, isn't bad. I started her at her current school knowing that we MAY get that call that says an spot has opened up and would we like to transfer her.

Today I got the call. There is a spot and we have 24 hours to say if we want it, we then have to get her assessed to make sure she is up to the level of the Kindergarten classes (they don't want her TOO far behind), and then after assessment we have 48 hours to decide if we want the spot.

At first I was hesitant because I know Natalie LOVES her teachers, and has made some really good friends, in fact, so have I! You get to know the other Mommies as you stand around waiting for the kids to be let out of school. But, at the beginning of the school year I was praying for this. And so our decision quickly turned to, OF COURSE! Then I thought about what we would have to buy to send her there....uniforms.

A quick browse of the schools website showed what the dress code is. Each child must have the required clothes and they MUST come from one specific store. And OF COURSE that store charges more for a child's shirt than I even pay for my OWN clothes! AAAHH! Blouses for 13.50, jumpers for 45, slacks for 25, shorts for 33! I mean COME ON! How can they charge that much for a uniform, AND it's polyester for goodness sakes! GROSS!

*sigh*

At least we are learning the sacrifices parents have to make to give their kids a good education! And I was so excited to shop around town and really find CUTE pieces that would fit the dress code for a good price. Now I have to make myself sick spending a fortune on clothes. But, it's worth it in the end, right? Right.

I think...

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Paper boxes

One of the things we learned at Super Saturday was how to make paper boxes. I fell in instant love with them, because 1) they are easy, 2) they are free, and 3) they are cute!

I whipped some up Sunday morning for my ladies that I visit teach, stuffed them with some of my precious saved tissue paper from Anthropologie packages, a little wax paper and some cookies. Instant handmade, heartfelt gift! Don't be surprised if one day you receive some sort of gift from me wrapped in this way!



Monday, October 19, 2009

Quiet time

Brady can be a wild and crazy kid, but it always seems to really manifest itself when we are around other people. When it's just the two of us he plays or colors quietly. Often times I find him in random places around the house "reading" his books or just laying and thinking. I finally realized I needed to get some pictures of his peaceful moments.

I heard him in his room talking to himself and when I peeked he was reading from this book. The book is actually one of the first things I ever got garaging, Brady picked it out months ago, and it's still one of his very favorites.


Today when I was prepping lunch it got really quiet out in the living room and I came out to find Brady relaxing on our blanket chest/window seat thingy. Just gazing outside, I love that so so much.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Chores I hate...

...especially when I have to do them all by myself.

1. The dishes. I have been spoiled these past few years having this be Keith's major chore. I am so ready for him to get back and resume his duty!

2. Dusting. Waste. of. time. For reals, who cares if my house is dusty, I sure as heck don't!

3. Sweeping. Yes, I see you ginourmous dust bunnies lining my halls, and yes I can ignore you for days on end. So what if I scare myself at least once a day thinking that stray crayon wrapper or hairball is a giant bug waiting to eat my face off. It isn't a bug, and that's all that matters.

4. Toilets. Ew.

5. Showers/tubs. Seriously, I wish those self cleaning shower things actually worked, because I would buy one in a heartbeat. This is that chore that you could do for an hour and it STILL isn't as clean as you want it to be. I HATE tile in a shower. Grout is my worst nightmare.

6. Putting away laundry. Why is this so hard? I don't know! But it is!

There are a few chores I don't hate (vacuuming, washing and folding laundry, picking up clutter) and when you put those together my house often looks a lot cleaner than it actually is. If I only had a maid to do the rest!

Saturday, October 17, 2009

7 dollar cure.

The kids and I had an absolutely lovely morning at our church doing all sorts of wonderful crafty things. I like to call it the Mormon Mecca of Craftiness, but most LDS people know it by the name Super Saturday, and it was super. The kids were watched by some of the young women of our ward, and I got to spend 3 hours making some lovely things for our home, and learning some fun tricks I can put to use this upcoming holiday season.

Only problem was when we got home to an empty house it was such a let down! We had a major case of the "I'm boreds". So we lazed around a bit, Brady watched Star Wars (A New Hope), Natalie danced and played, and I got to work on some craftiness. After the movie was over I was honestly dreading the next few hours before I could put the kids to bed. I didn't want to cook, didn't want to clean, didn't want to do anything.

After a quick Internet search I found my saving grace for the evening. Boston Market does 2 kids meals FREE, as in FREE, if you buy an adult meal. That totally works with our budget! So we packed up, spent a total of $7.01 and came home with an absolute feast of food (thanks to the Taylors for introducing me to Boston Market and their sinful sweet potatoes). It was a very lovely night so we dragged out the folding table and some chairs, and voila! A make do picnic. I am so very glad we did it, the weather was lovely, and it really ended the day on a positive note.

I can't believe I ate the whole thing...
Afterwards some bike riding, fairy house building, book reading, sun chasing, bug swatting, happy shouting fun.
So very, very lovely.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Craftiness

Sorry for the week of no blogging, we did the big switcheroo and now my computer is in the living room, and it only took me a week to install the camera hardware. I think I may just have to post pictures of the house, because I love this new setup!

In other news I have been sewing up a storm. There are so many crafty ladies out there, and they inspire me to strengthen my own skills. I have had a lot of fun coming up with things I can make without any guidance.

First up were some handmade birthday gifts. I really wanted to be more aware of what we were gifting this year, and so far I have done an OK job of it. For these girls I made a little quiet bag of sorts, with just enough room for a little book and some drawing utensils. I hand stitched on each girls initial to make it special just for them.
I had my eye on these adorable eco-friendly notebooks in the school supplies of Target, and so when they went on clearance I snatched up a bunch of them. I splurged a bit on some really great quality eco-friendly coloring pencils and then made the bags all from material I had on hand. All in all a fun gift for under $5 a kid. Not too shabby.

I have been loving quilting, but came quickly to the realization that they are time consuming and costly. So I wanted to mess around and see what else I could make in the same vein. I think this play mat is just the thing! I added 5 loops of ribbon to hook baby toys on, and lined it with double batting so it's extra squishy for playing on.
The back material is my FAVORITE. So fun and modern.
Close up of the ribbon loops. I may actually make a ton of these and try to sell them. It's not a new concept, but all the ones I have seen in the store are polyester (blech) and the ones for sale on ETSY are crazy expensive (like $50 and up) and there is no way I would charge that. Some people want handmade stuff, but can't make it themselves, and also don't want to pay an arm and a leg for quality. Who knows if I will ever actually do it, but I sure am having fun sewing!

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Cute!

Last week our good friends babysat for us so we could go on a much needed date. Natalie was feeling a bit sour that day, so she got cheered up by a makeup session. I just had to share this picture of Kelli's handiwork. I love it, I think Nat looks so cute, and I love her expression in this pic!


Thursday, October 8, 2009

Gimme

I have been accused of asking for things a lot on this blog (ahem), but I really just love window shopping, and making wish lists! Probably one of my most favorite things to do, and with the lovely wonders of the Internet it is so much easier! Here are a few of the things I will for sure, maybe be begging for this Christmas.

Acorn cakelet pan. For the acorn and squirrel lovers in this house. I kinda think I might die if I don't get this pan!

Envirosax collection in Planet Green. My WalMart shoppers are getting tired and floppy, and since I don't shop at WalMart anymore it makes me feel silly to go into Target with them! Plus they are bulky and these come in a set with a small pouch to keep them in. No more giant black bulk of bag!

Handmade Home by Amanda Soule. I want this book so badly I have already started collecting materials to make some of the projects included in there! I am loving the idea of reusing old things and I am really trying to teach my kids the beauty of it too! Can't wait to get sewing with this one. (that's my positive wishful thinking right there)

This print just jumped out at me when I was art surfing ETSY. I love that it's just a woman and her husband selling prints to make a little extra money. And of course now I read her blog to get to know a little more about her. I am pretty sure one of these will end up in our bedroom. I am trying to put together an art wall with little sweet things (more about that AFTER Christmas), and I think this would go quite nicely!

This yellow dresser from IKEA. Obviously WAY to pricey for us right now, but oh DEAR how I love it! I am on the hunt for an old fixer upper than I can just paint this lovely shade of yellow. My craft room is begging for it, to store all my fabric and things. Plus, it's just lovely!

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Some new guilty pleasures

1. Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus. What can I say, it's catchy!

2. Pepperidge Farms 5 cheese garlic bread. di-VINE. It's in the freezer section at Target, by the frozen fruit, try some. You will NOT be sorry. I want to marry this bread, it's that good.

3. New fall prime time shows. Eastwick, Glee, Vampire Diaries, Melrose Place. How do I get sucked into these trashy shows? I don't know, but I love them!

4. Fabric, fabric and more fabric. It's a sickness really, but what am I to do? It's all so dang cute!

5. Napping, even when I don't need to! I just looooove sleep!

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

WIPs

or works in progress. Currently I have waiting to be finished:

1 baby girl quilt that needs to be tied and bound,

1 blankie for Natalie that needs to be tied and bound,

1 blankie for Brady that needs to be tied and bound,

1 quilt laid out needing to be pieced together (then tied and bound...),

1 stack of material waiting to be cut and sewn into another baby girl quilt

and

1 stack of material waiting to be cut and sewn into a playtime mat (hoping to actually finish that one tomorrow).

At least I do have some completed projects. I just finished some super cute little gifts for a few birthdays coming up, I will post pictures once they have been given to the receivers. I am just loving this sewing thing!

Monday, October 5, 2009

Bliss

My idea of a good time is getting to bed before the clock hour strikes double digits. When I was working, my off weeks were a frantic rushing around trying to get as much done as possible before the next week of work picked up again. I would rarely get to bed before 11 much less before 10!

Now that life has slowed down significantly and the kids are in bed by 7 every night (thank you long school days!!) Keith and I are able to not only have more time together, but to crash into our bed like a couple of old geezers. The only reason I am not in bed right now is because I am forcing myself to blog. I LOVE being in bed early. Yes, there are many things I should be doing, but sleeping is so much more enjoyable, right? Right!

Now if only I can get my body to realize that 9 hours of sleep is good thing, and that waking up at 5 is not acceptable, and that it is not necessary to wake up to go to the bathroom every 4 hours. For goodness sakes, what does it take to get a solid 8 hours around here?

What's your guilty pleasure? Mine is obviously sleep!

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Garaging

My new favorite thing to do is "garaging" as the kids call it, or shopping the garage sales. It started a few months back and we have great weeks and OK weeks. I have a weekend allowance of 10 bucks, and then I get to add to that if I win our weekly Bowers Bowl pot of $10 (and since I am pretty good, the last few weekends have left me with $20 to spend on good finds). Just this week I found probably the best deal so far, this little dresser for Natalie's room for only 5 bucks. I don't even need to paint it or change the nobs. All it needed was a little wipe down and it was ready to go.

So far I have collected a lovely plethora of vintage sheets (for quilt backs) and most of them came from one sale where I picked them up for 10 cents a piece, I have gotten multiple pieces of vintage Pyrex bake ware that sells for 10-15 dollars a piece on ETSY, and haven't spent more than $2 a piece. The kids have significantly increased their collection of small stuffies, never more than 50 cents a piece, and the best haul was a HUGE lot of mini Lego's (with Star Wars pieces!!) worth at least 60 dollars at Target for only $10. I actually got the Lego's this weekend, and I was both happy and sad. Happy I got such a steal, but sad because my hunting came to a close and it was only 8:30 in the morning! Haha.

Needless to say I am VERY addicted. Keith wonders how long it will take for this phase to pass, but I am having too much fun! It's all about the thrill of the hunt. I get literally giddy when I find a "treasure" that I have been searching for or hoping for. Like a vintage nut grinder for only 50 cents (woot!) or a "Texas Trike" for Brady that actually fits his long legs for less that 25% what it would have cost new.

Do any of you go garaging? Found any good deals lately? If not, I encourage you to try it out, one good find and you will be hooked!

Facebook Friday (on Saturday...aka Sunday morning)

I saw this on another blog and thought it was cute (plus it counts as a post). For those of you that don't know facebook allows you to update your "status" as many times as you want. It's just a small little blurb about what is going on in your life right then. Here are some of my memorable moments from the past week.

Shannon Deveny Bowers....

...Operation Straighten Up has just commenced at the Bowers household. This place is a disaster area! (Which is funny b/c it never actually happened...we got sidetracked with a million other things!)

...wants sushi, really bad. (and I got some!)

...LOVED the Arlington Farmer's Market. There is just something so great about meeting the people that grew (or baked) the food you bought. (Took Brady to something that will become our new Friday norm. We bought too many sweets and some beautiful produce. Very fun)

...Happy 32nd Birthday to my sister, Sarah! (miss her)

...it's the beginning of the end. (speaking of my last shift at work. Yes!)

...loves that Natalie prays for her Grandpa Wayne every time she says one.

...resisting the urge to curl up and nap till next week.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Going's on

A few weeks back I convinced Keith to come with me and the kids to the Plano Balloon Fest. It was really fun, we were a bit under prepared so we didn't make it all the way to the fireworks, but what we did see was fun, and it was worth it really to just GET OUT, and be together as a family. We will for sure go next year, and we will come bearing many more supplies (and cash) for a long afternoon and evening at the park.


Brady and I have been having lots of fun on our days together. We love when it rains. Brady has an excuse to wear his boots (not that he needs one) and I can break out my 8 dollar Doc Martens (and some argyle). He is my little buddy, and I cherish (almost) every minute of it!
I am sorry, but look at my little cutie pie all dressed for church, he looks so incredibly geeky here that I can't stand it!


Thursday, October 1, 2009

Fresh Start

I have made it my personal goal to kick start my blog again. October is a time for a fresh start, it's the beginning of a long and lovely holiday season, and it's also the beginning of a new phase in my life (no, I am not pregnant). I did quit my job though! And I am not going to lie, it took a LOT of thinking and praying, but we have decided this is the best for our family. I can't wait to be a Mom full time.

And that means, I will have time to blog again! My goal is to post every single day this month, thinking that if I force myself too, it will help me fall in love again. I hope I haven't lost all of my readers, I know my family has been (im)patiently waiting for me to start blogging again. Well, here you have it! Let's hope my future posts are a bit more inspiring than this one.

Let's also hope that I can get some pictures to load so this blog isn't so nekkid.