Everyday Randomness

Every Thursday that rolls around lately, I find myself marveling at how quickly the weeks keep going by.  I feel like I need a giant pause button!  Well, maybe I wouldn't go that far....we have cabin fever something fierce and it's taking its toll on our, um, cooperative spirits.  One in particular is pushing me to my limits.  How we pray for that dear one, oh, but it is so draining!

I thought I'd be so creative and productive and finish a couple of my lingering projects.

And then this happened when I ironed the tote bag.

Oh wait, that's what it looked like after I tried to fix the hole that the iron had made.  This was a new hole my sewing machine made.  Are you kidding????  So much for the adorable ruffles I was going to stitch to the top.  Plan B.

I think Plan B turned out pretty cute!  Thank goodness for hot glue guns!  Mine is about a million years old, and it STILL works!  I glued on some little buttons and things.  First, though, I ironed on some interfacing to the inside over that hole, and then "Wonder Undered" the fabric flowers on the outside.  I still have the pretty ruffles too, and I was about to stitch them onto a cute tank top for Isabelle when I heard "Glnk."  The needle was stuck.  I almost cried!  That was the extra shove I needed to finally bring the machine in to have it looked at since the tension has been a little haywire (I got the extended warranty, whew!).

But I won't have my sewing machine back until April 8th!  Not like I have an Easter dress or anything to finish!  Oh well.  Things could be worse.

It's funny how I used to have no fear in hanging stuff up on my walls, and if I didn't like something, oh well!  I'd just move it over, play around with it, and make it work.  Somewhere along the way, though, the fear of messing things up grabbed hold of me, and I've been a hesitant decorator ever since.  (Maybe because I know how hard it is to finally finish pairing a room with 4 kiddos underfoot!)  When I say hesitant, what I really mean is I'll just learn to love those bare, empty, freshly painted walls.

Hello stuff on the walls in the home office/music room.  I've missed you.

 

Yes, I know the spacing looks a bit off...it's part of the plan, I tell ya!  There's more to come...

On Saturday morning, I had my personal little army of Swifferers, cabinet washers, vacuumers, and bathroom cleaners.  Our house sparkled and shone!  And of course we worked our little hineys off to some loud, fun music (love those Big Time Rush fellas, ha!).  It was like a pre-mini-Spring cleaning session, sans the open windows, unfortunately.  The mercury never rose above 38 all day!

We had plans for something fun on Saturday night.

But this looks way more fun, right?  Poor Bill.  

Just so we're clear, yes, this is what I would consider "a worse."

At least there was pizza for dinner.  Yay Pizza Hut!

And yummy stuff for breakfast- the bacon was still cooking.  Turkey bacon, that is, even though Dr. Oz says that real bacon is better for you.  I can't get over all the grease!  Turkey has virtually none, much easier to deal with.  That said, today however, I got a random spatter of grease on my wrist- ouch!- and then another on my bathrobe...I'm a perpetual chef-in-a-robe, and I do my very best cleaning in my nightshirt- sorry, was that TMI?...And THEN, the cinnamon roll icing squirted out onto the front of my robe, and I sloshed orange juice all over the right sleeve!  That's what I get when I abandon the apron, I guess.

Luke doesn't seem to mind the turkey alternative.  :)

 

The message this morning at church was amazing!  Don't you love it when you know God is talking directly to you through the pastor?  It was all about listening to God's promptings, and having the faith and courage to say "YES" to Him, even when you have no idea how it will all work.  

Ethan asked if he could watch his Toby Mac DVD after we got home.  I love some of his songs, and others?  I don't love them.  Not at all.  But he's a great Christian man, and my boys look up to him, so I will gladly wear my ear muffs for their benefit, ha!

It's freezing cold again today, and sooo windy!  I can handle the cold, but the wind just plain aggravates me.  Isabelle has a new cough and an extremely runny nose, so I'm afraid to even let her out today, poor baby.  Maybe we'll take a nice, long nap instead!  I'm sure she'll be thrilled!  :)

Have a blessed Sunday!

Oh, I almost forgot....in a hasty moment of fearless wonderment, I tried on a pair of pants I've been working so hard to fit into, ie inspiration pants, and...they fit!  There's no stopping me now!!!

Snow, Sunshine, Lousy Germs, & Amazing Stars

Wow, some days are just that spectacular.  And others...are not.
Yesterday was more of the are not variety.

By 2 pm I was ready to crawl into bed and hide.  For my life.
Oh wait, I did that.  They still found me.  And bugged me.

Let me back up.  It was all my fault.  I kept one child home for preventive measures, which turned out to be a colossal waste.  Another was gagging on phlegm- sorry, there's no "pretty" way to disguise that word, is there?  It's just so...ugh!- with a low grade fever, but woke up at 6 am saying he felt great and wanted to go to school.  I was tempted, believe me.  Local parents, you are welcome.  Isabelle Kate picked up a nasty cough and is sneezing like crazy, and poor Ethan was still not well enough to tackle a day back in the trenches, so yes, all my lovelies were home.  Sick.

When Bill called to check on me in the afternoon, he graciously asked if there was anything I needed him to get from the store.  You Moms know the drill- my head is screaming, yeah, probably there are a million things you could get, but if you are even one minute late pulling into this driveway, one of us may not be alive when you get here...but I simply answered, "No, thanks."  You know, that drill.

He hurried.  He's smart.

I'd had such a nice hike with Isabelle the morning before, we opted to drag their little sorry selves out to the same spot to soak up some Vitamin D and fresh air.  I was in such a foul mood by this point I didn't even want to take my camera.  Oh yes, you heard me right, didn't even want to.

But here are some pictures of my pretty girl after our first Spring Snowfall.  I couldn't believe the snow was all gone when we went back the next day!

see all the neat sap lines for NH Maple Syrup?

tossing snowballs into the stream- so fun!!

i looked down at one point and noticed how cute her little boots were next to mine!

So today is a new day.  Everyone has left for school.  Yay!  The fresh air yesterday did put us all in better moods.  Bill and I talked more about some pretty awesome stuff.  Last night our youth group met at the local Discovery Center/Planetarium, and we saw the most amazing creations from God's hand!  I'm telling you, I can't even begin to wrap my brain around all the He has created for us, and all that we have yet to see!  Amazing!  And that's the feeling I want to keep with me today- I hope you have an amazing day too!  And I hope you'll leave a comment and say hello!  It's so neat to see who is visiting from around the world!  =)

Reflecting

I was all set to post these pictures...

...about our less-than-welcome First Day of Spring.

But

then I read this post over at my friend Mel's blog

and decided I really had nothing to complain about.

We have all the essentials we need and then some.

Please go visit and be moved to do something!

Family Time

There's nothing like warmer temps and a little sunshine to put a smile on your face and a spring in your step.  We've practically lived outside the past several days!  I'm glad, too, because the forecast is calling for 1-3 inches of the cold white stuff later today.  I know it won't stick around long, but it's still such a morale killer, ha!

These two just crack me up!  Sneaks and Luke are never very far from one another, and I think they've just discovered the big, plump robins that are back in town...and all over our yard.   :)

Enjoying a picnic on the run!
I spent almost four hours shopping {alone} the day before, and this adorable dress caught my eye, but I passed it by several times before deciding to get it...I'm so glad I did!  Isabelle looks SO cute in it!  (And it was on clearance, less than $5!!!!!)  She wore it to her little friend's birthday party Saturday morning, too, so it's already paid for itself, ha!

Bill made plans to take Jonah and Caleb out to dinner and to go shopping for baseball necessities on Friday night.  They were so excited!!!  Isabelle was a tad bit jealous, but I told her we'd do a fashion show with her new clothes from the day before.  Win Win!

But first they enjoyed some play time outside after school...don't even ask what this boy is doing.  I have no idea!

Pushing snow down the storm drains- everyone's favorite spring activity!  Bye bye snow!  This was also the very first day I let them wear shorts- that's always a big thrill for us cold-weathered folks!

Scooters and skateboards bring big smiles too!

Poor Ethan stayed home from school on Friday and was miserable all day Saturday.  We took the other kiddos to the library and for a long stroll through town, but it never feels the same when someone is missing.  Especially when that someone is sick!  He was such a trooper yesterday after church (yes, he stayed home from church too) when we headed up to a new trail to hike.  He didn't complain once, and secretly I was really hoping the fresh air and maybe "sweating it out" a little bit might help him in the long run.  I'm not so sure about that...it looks like I'll be calling Dr. Faulkner this morning, as he's picked up a nasty cough and says he can't swallow.  Don't I feel like Mother of the Year for pushing him yesterday?

It took almost an hour to get there- Blue Job Mountain over in Northwood, near Strafford and Nottingham- but the book I have says it's an easy climb with fantastic views at the top.  It was!

See how high up the tower was?  I actually have quite the predicament when I hike trails with fire towers because I know that in order to get the good views, you have to climb stairs.  Rickety stairs.  Stairs you can see through and envision yourself slipping right down through and smashing against the crags below.  The guys thought they'd be funny and start jumping and shaking the railings when I climbed up to meet them.  Oh yes, you are so, so funny, fellas!  How funny is it when I lose my lunch on you, hmmm?

We kept referencing the audio book we've been listening to since our trip to PA, and at one point, I noticed a huge cloud of smoke rising upward.  Naturally that became our "rescue fire" so the planes overhead would see us.  It was fun imagining those things together!

It wasn't fun, however, on the way home when we were stopped behind what we assumed was a car accident; it wasn't.  As we got closer, we could see that someone's house was completely consumed by flames and there were seven or more fire engines all lined up ahead of us.  It left a lump in my throat as I thought of that poor family and prayed that everyone was safe.  That must've been the smoke cloud I'd seen earlier and was playing adventure with- I had no idea it would turn out to be something tragic, and it made me feel really bad.

Oh, I forgot about Saturday night- we asked Bill's parents to watch the darlings so we could go to Tilton (to return some of the things I'd bought and didn't bother to try on, sigh) and use our big coupons again.  Ooh, the excitement, ha!  It was fun to do whatever we wanted, go as slow or fast as we wanted, and talk about stuff.  Sometimes I forget how much I like talking with Bill because we don't get the chance to say much before other people are weighing in, fighting for their time to talk too.

This pic is from our hike, not our big Saturday night out, obviously.  :)

Last night we planned to try balancing some eggs on the table, but only Caleb and Ethan got to participate.  I hate this part of parenting, it kills me.  But I dislike the reproachful behaviors more, so I'm sticking to my guns.  It doesn't make it any easier though.

We got 4 in the end!  Ethan had already given up and was watching Funny Videos, but Caleb persisted and tried so hard to balance his own.  I was rooting for him, but it didn't happen this time.  He enjoyed watching though!

And now it's time to put in more laundry, check on the sickies- oh yes, Jonah is home today too, though I don't know how sick he really is...-, call the doctor's, get to the grocery store, do some Monday cleaning, and hopefully get in another hike or walk with Isabelle.  Whew!  I'd better get moving!  Happy Monday to all!

Adorable {& Easy} Reversible Dress Tutorial

I just realized I never finished posting about turning a basic lined jumper into a two-sided wonder!  Well, wonder, maybe not.  But absolutely adorable and sweet?  Definitely!  I hope this helps those of you who emailed me with questions!

Here is Side A

And this is Side B, ha!

The pattern called for a basic lining, but it seemed like such a great opportunity to make it reversible without {much} extra work.  I would imagine you could do this with virtually any basic jumper pattern.  I added the ruffle to give it some more visual interest, ie cuteness.

First I sewed some white Ric Rac to the "green" side on the unfinished hem, positioning it to hang over the edge.  Then I matched up the raw edges of the ruffle and green side, making sure to catch the 'RR,' much like encasing piping in a pillow, for example.

It's important to note that the ruffle was folded in half, not with a turned-up hem, which allows it to be seen (and look finished) from either side.  I top-stitched close to the 'RR' to help stabilize it and keep things from "rolling"

I did the same thing with the 'RR' on the "pink" side; however, I added it to a finished hem since the ruffle is not attached to this side.  The "pink" side must be a tad longer than the "green" side in order to hide any raw edges, but you can decide just how much you want the ruffle to show underneath.

The dress and its lining are stitched together at the neck and underarm, as well as the straps.. If you want to applique or embroider something on one or both of the pieces, do that before you sew them together.  You could probably still do it after, but I bet it would present more of a challenge.  I may applique some Easter eggs or a yellow chick on one side when I make this again for Easter.  =)

Originally I tried to sew the buttons on back-to-back, but I didn't have much luck with that.  I placed the button lower on the green side since that fabric is easier to "hide" the tiny stitches from sewing on the button; the stitches on the pink side don't show at all.

 

The very last thing to do was to sew buttons holes near the underarms for the bow.  I won't do this again, though- as cute as that bow is, it's a nuisance and rarely stays tied; plus, I don't think Isabelle likes it very much, and the outfit looks just as sweet without out.  If this pattern called for the buttons in the front, I would sew on two cute bows near the top edge of the bodice (or attach them with Velcro).  Next time!  I hope you find this little tutorial helpful!   =)

You can read more about my sewing & other domestic adventures (and mishaps) by clicking on "sewing" and "projects" on the Labels sidebar. 

Happy Sewing!!!

Sharing this tutorial with~

 Hope Studios
The Creative Itch 
 At the Picket Fence

Parties Parties Parties!!!

A big hello & welcome to you if you're visiting from Kelly's Korner!

Thanks for stopping by today...you can read more about our parties if you want by clicking on the labels on the sidebar- thanks!

I know our family isn't as big as some, but it seems that in our house we're always planning for and celebrating a birthday!  Here is a look at some of our favorites over the years...

In 2009 our oldest son Ethan turned 10!  I had a harder time than I thought I would've when he reached this big double-digit milestone, but I survived, and the whole day was so much fun!  We invited a few friends from school and church to come party with us.  The boys still talk about this day!

Another thing I have to consider is...the cost, of course!  I've found lots of inexpensive, fun & festive things to do to celebrate my kid's special days.  Confetti, banners and balloons inside and out, and simple backyard games made this a day to remember!  I also love the vibrant colors for the cake and cupcakes!

 

Next up were games with everything in tens...10 flags to capture, 10 zips around the yard for the relay race, 10 balloons to keep up in the air with your partner...

first up was the pie eating contest- simple and quick and a BIG hit! 

they had to fill their partner's cup with water {10 oz of course!} from the squirt guns...FUN!

and then of course, it turned into an all-out water fight, perfect for a hot summer birthday!

I'm still giddy over the girly birthday parties I get to have now in my testosterone-dominated home!  Here are some pics of Isabelle Kate's party~

This was a Picnic-in-January party.  We cranked the heat for all these cuties, who were instructed to come in a sundress.  It was so much fun!  I gathered up the flowers I already had (and took a few trips to the good ol' dollar store for more) and displayed them all over the house and table tops- it did look quite festive for being the middle of winter!

The boys love it when we do a scavenger hunt-themed party and they have to scour the house or yard for treasures...

 

 

Or an obstacle course or pinata in the basement (we have mostly winter birthdays here)- anything that involves The Pit & hitting stuff is great in the boys' eyes, ha!

...Or something awesome like exploding mentos and Coke, ha!

 {no pics- only a YouTube video}
Oh, and sorry, I'm L-O-U-D, ha!
 I also tried to edit the time but I couldn't...it's long!!

No matter what we do, our kids' birthday parties are always filled with... 

 big craziness

  big smiles

 big messes

 and big love!

luuuuuuuve those gorgeous eyes!!!

 Here's another peek at some of our parties...hope you enjoy looking at them!!

we played Disney songs and sang along at this princess party

we did science experiments & had lots of contests at this adventurers party

we tried exotic foods at our around-the-world party, and guessed what they were

everyone in our family marches to their own beat, and so did the party-goers at this party- we made a marching band and put on a parade in between playing games and swinging at a pinata

this picture captures a true moment during one of our shindigs

the spread for one of our winter birthdays- we played pin-the-items on the snowman instead of the donkey at this party, ha!

a sweet shot of our daughter at her polka dot party

Be sure to hop over to Kelly's Korner for more great birthday party posts!!

Have a great weekend & thanks for visiting!!