window screen shopping

Of course the first thing I did after we found out my growing bean is a boy, was find some time to do some online window shopping! Keith and I were able to look together one night, and that makes it even better. We found a bedding set we both love, and then I went a bit wild from there. Here are some cute things that are inspiring me for this baby boy!

Here is the bedding we like. It's a little muted on the colors, so I don't know if we will get this, but we both love the idea of the little woodland creatures. Plus of course, it's semi-unisex...just in case! ;)

And I have had these clothing dividers in my favorites on Etsy for ages and ages. They are so clever, and especially adorable! Such a smart way to keep tabs on what you have and what you need!

And I am so in love with these prints from Lee ArtHaus. I love almost every single one, these are just a few of the many I have my eye on. Wouldn't these add such a bright whimsical touch to a nursery? And they are cool enough to grow with him, at least for a little bit!

And maybe a little something something for mama! I love these "chomping necklaces" specially made for teething babies. So cute! I know a few Mamas now that would benefit from these...hmm...very good Christmas ideas. :)

sweet November rain

I have been hit with the Holiday spirit! Seriously, I don't know why it has taken me so long to realize that November is for sure my favorite month ever! All the anticipation of the holidays, but none of the rush. Today was rainy and cold and blustery and thundery and perfect. I drank hot chocolate, read my book, snuggled in bed, and dreamed of holiday crafts to come. I know you are due a catch up post (so many MANY things happened here in the last few months!) but I just had to share some of the fun inspiration that I found surfing the nets.

I can't wait to get started!

I want to make a thankful tree on our kitchen wall (along the lines of this, but more ME). I have so much cute fall-ish paper I can't wait to cut into it!

Something beautiful to hang on our nekkid living room wall like this! (found here) so so pretty! I don't have ANY Thanksgiving decorations, so this might be a great way to start.

And I am definitely gonna hit up the hardware store so I can make one of these lovely banners! (tutorial found here, posted by this lovely lady. Both are some of my favorite blogs these days). Alas it won't let me upload the picture, but follow the link, it's adorable!

What is inspiring you this November? I just LOVE the holidays!

Mini bedroom makeover

For the longest time Keith and I have neglected our poor bedroom. We had a white down comforter bought at least 4 years ago on black Friday, mismatched pillow cases and nothing on the big wall above the bed (there is a mostly before pic in this post, but the bed is in a different location). I have been wanting to remedy this for a long time, but short of buying a whole new bedroom set I was stumped, and since a new bedroom set is not in the works for us just yet...I was stuck with what I had! Which was bugging me! So I have been on the constant thrifty hunt for something just right for us, look wise and budget wise.

On a recent trip to Joanns with a friend we spotted these HUGE cardboard letters, and an idea was formed. On that same trip I found the perfect scrapbook paper in all of my favorite decorating colors, and a date was set to get to mod podging...one crafty afternoon later and voila! Some personalized wall art, made by me! I love the sconce things too. I got those AGES ago at wal mart and recently spray painted them cream. Much better than the original black.

Please ignore our teeny tiny pillows...I am too cheap to buy the big King ones, and another reason I never do is because I am holding out hope that we will get a smaller bed sooner rather than later!


The bedding was another great find! $27 for a King comforter, 2 shams and a bed skirt (thank you Ross! Love that store...)! Woo hoo! And I love the color, it's the perfect shade of aqua. We already had brown sheets, and then I used some of my Kohl's cash from school clothes shopping to get a frilly white sham and a super soft brown throw pillow. I would love to have a headboard, and actually I would love to have a queen bed, but for now, I love it! It looks like a real grown up bed, haha, and not so ho hum.

Now if only we didn't have so much clutter in our bedroom....hmmm...I smell another project in the works!

How to: keep your kids entertained

1. Pull all of the desks and tiny chairs from around the house, remove Mama's desk, and place strategically in the craft area to create a school, filled with coloring books and paper and crayons and markers galore.

2. Be sure to set up an art table complete with paper, glue, scissors and pencils, let them go to town.

3. And the teachers desk (for "learning time").

4. Leave the other half of the front room for sewing and messiness (wow! that is really messy, it's organized chaos I promise) and laundry.

5. Get to work (and play!)

Everyone is happy with this set up and we are all together beating the heat under the fans. Plus it's so fun to see the kids playing school, when I remember loving that game so much as a child!

Oh dear.

I love to bake. Love. But since I started weight watchers I haven't really had the chance, because if I bake something I eat at least half the pan. Keith is more an ice cream guy, and of course I try to limit my kids servings (if only I was that diligent for myself!). A friend of mine is hosting a craft night tonight and told everyone to bring a dessert. Yes! That means I had the opportunity to peruse through my favorited recipes and pick the most decadent one, because I can take it to the party, have my five one small piece, and let everyone else eat it too!

I settled on these Fudge Revel Bars from Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen website (I can waste hours on that site!). The blog showcased a plethora of bars and brownies last week and I about died looking at my computer screen. These ones SCREAMED eat me, and the ingredients are very simple!

They are cooking right now, and I am pretty sure I gained about 5 lbs just from making them. I am thinking I may have to take any leftovers to our neighbors to keep the temptation out of my house!

Weekend (thrifted) spoils

I was FINALLY able to get some garaging done! Our weekends have been so jam packed that it just hasn't happened this summer for me. Saturday after WW I called the house to see if anyone was awake, and since they were all still sleeping I headed out! I found some great treasures! It was definitely meant to be!


My spoils. All of this stuff for 18 bucks, which is way more than I normally spend, but one woman was selling out her house because she has to move into a care home, and there was no way I was gonna haggle her!

Acorn candle container, brand new ($1), bath and body works white candle holder plate (10cents), 2 brand new boxes of jar lids (25 cents for both!), hand crocheted collar and doily ($3-from the little old lady. Way more than I would normally pay, but it was for a good cause!), amazing pink jump rope (75 cents), 2 dorky yet fun CD's...both Simpson sisters (25 cents each), white jar lid..for which I have the perfect fruity glass jar(10 cents).

brand new recipe tin filled with recipes from Sandra Lee ($2), Lady and Sons dessert book ($1!!), bag of pony beads ($1)

AMAZING E.O. Brody Co. milk glass vase ($1). This was a STEAL! And I am thrilled about it!

And my favorite purchases, by far, three gorgeous vintage sheets. The blue ones are a set, twin I think and the pink is just a flat. I have never seen the pink pattern before and for that reason I was willing to pay the old lady $2.50 a piece. It will make for some great crafting...now I just have to be brave enough to cut into it!

I absolutely love garaging, it's such a thrill when you find a steal or something great for your home. And I have no shoppers remorse when I buy second hand!

P.S. If you haven't entered yet, be sure to head over to the Etsy Fort Worth blog to enter my giveaway! Only 10 people so far, so your chances of winning are HUGE! Anyone can enter, so feel free to spread the word!

I am linking up the the Thrifty Linky Party at Southern Hospitality. Click over to see other's great finds!

Welcome Home Onesies

I made a few new things for the shop last night, and I am so excited about them! I remember when my babies were wee little things that I LOVED having something that actually fit them. Back then I didn't sew, so the only things I had for those first few weeks (well, days really...they sure grew fast!) were the tiny clothes from the store. Nothing special, cute, but not special.

So I picked out the smallest of my thrifted onesie stash and got to sewing. I call these my welcome home onesies, because they are small enough to bring baby home from the hospital in something handmade and cute!

Let me know what you think! Find them in the shop here. I love that the long sleeved ones have the built in hand mitts, it's the little details that are important! Don't want baby scratching her face!

Whatcha dooooin?

1. I pretty much LOVED Alice and Wonderland, we just watched it tonight. Took us forever to get to see it, but it was lovely! The costumes were divine! And the Red Queen was probably my favorite. Helena Bonham Carter has some major crazy talent. My kids would be too frightened, but I may need to own it, if just to admire the clothes every now and again.

2. Girls camp..check. Scout camp...check. Dance camp...check! Camps all done and accounted for and now on with our regularly scheduled summer programing! I see in my future lots of laying around and crafting and reading and watching TV, but we are making a To Do list so that we don't waste away the whole summer without doing some of the really fun things I have in mind.

3. I have decided I HATE custom orders. Bleh. I like to sew when the material....um, speaks to me. Which sounds weird, but if I love what I am working with, it's much more pleasant. I have a few custom pieces I am working on, and after that. Nope! Unless I really, REALLY like you!

4. I have decided that I LOVE spray painting things. LOVE. I was afraid at first, but once I found primer it became very unscary. My first thing was the yellow fruit basket I used at the craft fair, then the other day I found a cute silver owl trivet. I was hoping to polish it up, but when that didn't work, out came the spray paint. It's very cute, though I don't like it yellow...may have to buy some aqua paint. Shucks.

5. I have been somewhat quiet about Weight Watchers, because I had a few slow weeks, then camping and such, but I am still proud to say that I have lost 15 lbs thus far. And even with my horrible eating the last 2 weeks, I straightened out my act towards then end and come weigh in I had only gained .2 lbs...which is practically zero! If I stick to the plan I lose weight, if I don't...I don't! It's as simple as that! I am happy with my 15 and on my way to another 15!

...Oh, and I ADORED Toy Story 3. The first one was so incredible, the second one was delightful as well, but the third one was perfect! The perfect way to wrap up the trilogy. They couldn't have done it any better. The ending was amazing, I was laughing and crying and just having a grand old time! The kids loved it too ;)

Off to live some more life! Hopefully this time with pictures. I need to dust off the old camera and document this crazy summer!

I made that!!

Check out my most favorite blog! Her daughter "Baby Sister" has a super duper cute bib on...made by me! I love Ashley's blog, her way of life, her views on raising children, and her pictures! Add this one to your list of blogs to read (not reader, because Google doesn't pick her  up...weird) and you will not be dissapointed. I love her so much she has her own button on my toolbar! ;)

Ashley Ann Photograhy

what I have been working on

A friend of mine had a baby recently and she is the kind of person that is just deserving of so much! I bought some cute fabric for her and planned on making her a swaddler and an activity mat, but then I couldn't stop sewing and threw together as many things as I could with the leftover fabric. The result was a pretty spectacular layette! At least in my opinion!

Some chenille backed, personalized burpy rags. I am definitely gonna add some burpy rags to the shop. They are so practical!

A bow tie bib, of course!

A summer swaddler (and she sent me a picture of baby in it, and it's so cute, and they work!). I just got a bunch of new fabric, and will be adding more to the shop next week. I am so excited about these blankets!

And of course, my go to baby shower gift, and activity mat. I really love this jungle animal fabric, and the brown hides so many stains. I just made 2 more mats for my Monday update and I am really excited about them, really bold and bright colors as opposed to pastels. Very different!

These last things are for Natalie's school fundraiser. They host an auction every year which brings in most of the extra money needed to make up for a small budget. I had some extra minky and whipped together a super soft cuddle blanket and some matching ruffle burpy rags. I had a hard time parting with these, but I hope they bring in a lot at the auction! I really have to make some of these girly burpy rags for the shop (and all of my friends with baby girls!) they are just too cute! (sorry the pictures are sideways!)

P.S. Sorry for all the shameless linkage, but a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do!

Also linking up to everything etsy! And V&Co's linky party :)

baby steps

Today Brady and I took a walk to the Post Office rather than drive. I am so proud of us! He rode his little trike and was definitely feeling tired near the end, but he did it! It's been hard to really push myself to get outside, I am very used to being inside. All the time. But it's nice to feel some sunshine on my pasty skin, though I could live without the sweating, haha!

Of course as soon as we got home Brady begged to watch...you guessed it, a Phineas and Ferb. How can I resist him when he curls up on the couch like this? So sweet.

what we are watching and watching and watching....

Behold! The Phineas and Ferb (inator)!! Ok, seriously, if you like funny, clean, humor then you will LOVE this show. We can't get enough. It has everything, repeat gags, same basic plotline each episode (2 young boys making crazy inventions and filling their summer days with fun), the fact that the boys love their big sister (even though she pretty much lives to "bust" them and tries and fails each episode), witty one liners, crazy random cartoon stunts, seriously everything you could ever want in a cartoon! We watch at least one episode a day...
Here is a funny clip I found on youtube. Just know that Keith does a perfect Dr. Doofenshmirtz, and pretty much anything is funnier if you add {inator} to the end. Think....grilled cheese-inator, clean your mouth-inator, no more arguing-inator! Haha...maybe just to us!



I know this is a super random post, but I just had to document this, because it seriously takes up a part of every single one of our days. Not to mention the fact that I am pretty much constantly singing any number of the songs from the show in my head.

And this is long, but it's our favorite episode of late. Hilarious.

Day One

Yesterday was quite a day! I woke up knowing I wanted to do something fun, and decided that since the kids ask at least once a week, that we would finally head up to the Wiggly Play Center in Frisco. We haven't been there in awhile and they do love when we get to make the trip. This time was so nice because they are both old enough to use all the stuff there, and to really go and play on their own. So it was nice because I got some much needed reading time!

After tiring them out there, we had to stop by IKEA for lunch and a bit of shopping, you can't drive all the way to Frisco and not go to IKEA. It helps that I keep a wish list of IKEA things at all times, just in case we ever make it up there. It was our lucky day because kids lunches just happened to be free! Gotta love free lunch! The kids also decided that they finally wanted to try out Smaland (the in store children's play area), so we browsed around the upstairs (the kids love to look at the "houses") and then when I went downstairs to pick up my stuff I put them in Smaland for an hour! It's so nice to actually shop at IKEA without having to keep track of the kids. I could look at whatever I wanted, as long as I was back to get them in under an hour. It was nice to finally get a few things I had been saving for. Including some curtains for Brady, and some picture frames for an art project I have in mind. Of course the material (the white/green/black combo) I have been coveting was sold out. And now I am wondering what project I could make with a little of this material, I just love those colors together! I guess that means we will have to go back up there again sometime soon.

After IKEA we headed home to rest until Daddy came home. I was sure our day was done, but I had forgotten family home evening! And I got a wild hair and decided it was a perfect night to make some quick sugar cookies. Whew! I am glad we did, because the kids love getting to use the sprinkles, but dang! What a day. It is a lot of fun to run run run sometimes, but you can bet that we are just hanging around the house today, hanging some curtains, and making some art!

Mind reader.

I took a Home Goods "Stylescope" quiz tonight, just for fun, and it was like they read my mind. Seriously, it was freaky! The style I got was Country Classic. The description is as follows:

You have a naturally refined sensibility with an appreciation for tradition and history. You value beauty, craftsmanship, and family heirlooms, but you like to open things up with pretty, easy-going pieces like painted wood or distressed furniture, lovely florals and other patterns, and bunches of fresh flowers that give your home a breezy, relaxed feeling. You love unique finds, have a thrifty, creative side, and can make these things work together.

You value comfort. Your home is a warm and open friendly place, and you feel happiest when everyone is cared for and relaxed in your space. Elements like pillows, throws, overstuffed furniture, and good lighting set the mood. You may also enjoy layering different fabrics or mixing patterns to create a cozy effect.

Seriously, that is me. It's like she knows me! What is your StyleScope? Take the quiz, it's fun!

Baby Sitter

Today I left the kids with a honest to goodness babysitter for the first time. I was a bit hesitant, but I have heard only wonderful things about the girl that came over so I wasn't scared at all about that. It was more a fear of how my kids would be for her. I shouldn't have worried at all, because they had a blast. They did playdoh, played duck duck goose and Mother May I, and made me some cute cards.

When I got home and was making a snack for the monkeys I made a discovery. The following text-versation (in exact form) came quickly after.

S: Ha! That girl did our dishes!

K: What?????!!!!! I will commence the adoption proceedings.

S: She washed the dirty ones...BY HAND!!!

K: Ok kidnapping is much faster


Seriously, where has she been all my life? I hope she doesn't have any big summer plans, haha, because she just made one more satisfied customer.

Oh, and on the way home from dropping her off the kids asked if we could do that again tomorrow.

Shannon is...

...trying to stay calm, but failing miserably. Seriously, I am so excited about the upcoming trip it's like I had 4 cups of coffee (or at least what I imagine I would be like if I ever did that, haha).

...working on a "To Do" list for my 3 weeks off. I don't want it to fly by and not have accomplished anything. In fact, maybe I will post it here so I have to hold myself accountable.

...drinking a ginormous Diet DP so that I can try and skip my regular nap. Maybe that is causing my jitters...

...feeling a little sunburned.

...procrastinating starting the laundry. Why does it torture me so? I swear that basket is magic. I wash every single piece of dirty laundry, and by the time I go to bed the basket is full again.

...also starting her list of Must See places when we go to Portland. Among them VooDoo Donuts (I have GOT to try a maple bacon donut), Pix Patisserie (to try some of the French Macarons that Black Apple's Emily often raves about), and the Portland Children's museum (much larger than when I was a kid, but still a childhood memory I want to pass on to my own kiddos). I really hope we can do these things, but we shall see!

...getting excited for a new sewing project I am starting up. Keep your eyes peeled for a blogiversary giveaway coming up! (See now that I mentioned it, I HAVE to do it!)

...wondering if anyone still reads this? *tap tap* Anyone out there?

Brilliant

I probably saw this somewhere, so I won't even try to take credit for it. But with a few thumbtacks, some extra ribbon, and some clothespins I made a fun place to display the kids artwork. This will save me from making millions of holes in the wall, and it is now much easier to rotate out art as the season and kids styles change.

I absolutely love how it brightens up that part of the house.

Another First

And then it started to pour!

Sweet Treat

The easiest fruit pizza you will ever make, and so good!

Dough:
2 C. flour
1 C. softened margarine
1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C. minced nuts (optional)

Mix together until a soft dough forms, press into half size cookie sheet or 13x9 pan. If you use a larger full size cookie sheet double the dough. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, just until browned. Let cool.

Topping:
1 8oz. cream cheese, softened
1 8oz. cool whip
1 C. powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese and sugar till smooth, beat in cool whip on low speed. Spread over cooked and cooled crust.
Top with your favorite fruit, or whatever you have on hand. We have used kiwi, canned mandarins, berries, bananas, peaches, etc. Yum!