Stand by...

I'm running a bit behind on some things this weekend... here's why...

Ben and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary on Friday! 

Since the 5th anniversary is traditionally a gift made of wood, Ben got creative and turned an old desk we were going to throw away into a flower bed!  Now we just need to get some flowers :)

Friday evening, we went to Ihop for dinner (we like breakfast food here) and saw The Avengers (which was awesome!), and left the kids with a friend.  It was really fun to get some time just the two of us and the kids handled their first non-family babysitter really well!!  

However today has been a bit different.  At almost 7am Matthew woke up barfing.  I really don't like barfing...or watching people barf...or anything having to do with stomach contents...Poor little man.

So, I'll be staying home with him today while Ben and Abby go to church.  But, on the bright side that means I get to stay in my pajamas all day, and that's pretty great. 

We're watching Shawn the Sheep (love that show - no talking, and it's adorable) and trying to get his stomach settled.  We might play with Legos too.

They did give me a lovely handmade card this morning and made me breakfast.  So sweet!  I feel so lucky to have this little family and such a wonderful husband!  

Anyway, I'll have some sewing to share later, along with a sneak peek of what I have to giveaway for my upcoming 50th post! 

Stay tuned!

WIP Wednesday - last minute edition!

I went to sleep at 7:45 Monday night. 

I always have too many windows open in my browser and the hubs doesn't like that because it "pulls" at the internet.... (um, what?)....however, they each represent something important I need to make for a swap, or a bee, or I just need to have it open so I don't forget where it is!!  Does anyone else do this?

I also have too many tops sitting on the dryer and I need to do some basting. 

I use my iPhone for pictures so that's mostly why they usually suck.

This was my to-do pile for today.  In here are 2 bee blocks, 2 fabrics to turn into binding for my Made in Cherry quilt, and the rest of the fabrics for the Patchwork Prism QAL ready to cut.  I've already cut the purples and oranges (I got most of this pile taken care of...keep reading).

Here is the May block for Megan of City Stitches in We Bee Modern.  This was a fun one, as I haven't ever sewn with dark solids before.  Here I used Kona Charcoal and I really like it.  It's brighter in person.

I still have a few more bee blocks to make but it was great to get this one checked off.  It looked a lot more complex in the book and I was a little nervous to get started.

I also finished a long waiting WIP!  My Made in Cherry quilt is done!  I experimented with my new FMQ foot on this one and it was really fun.  I doodled all around the solid purple spots and went in wavy lines over the seams in the patchwork star.

I "finished" cutting out fabric for the Patchwork Prism QAL (I have quotes because I realized I miscut and am short a few green triangles...blah...) and laid the fabrics out.  It's a bit of a hot mess...I am pretty sure the second time I make this quilt will be much better.

 I think this will become a picnic quilt.  I've got some really nice blue fabric that I think is decorator weight.  It's heavier and I hope I'll love it more when it's done...

In other totally random news, we've discovered that my son is absolutely terrified of balloons being popped.  He freaks out big time (this was discovered at the birthday party last weekend).  Shaking, crying, screaming...it's terrible and I have no clue how to help him get over it, except by steering clear of balloons, or anything that could be popped.  Packing materials included.

I am still going to the gym and am dead tired but my biceps have grown so that's good (I've never had biceps before!).  I still look baffoon-ish in the classes I take, but it's growing on me :)

Happy (almost) Thursday!!

I'm last minute linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced!!

Happy Birthday to you!

Lady Face is two years old!!!  Yesterday was her birthday. 

That's right.  Until next Wednesday I officially have two two year olds running around the house!

I can't believe this little girl is getting so big. 

She is such a happy, dedicated, and intense soul.  I learn so much from her.  She is constantly seizing the moment, enjoying every little thing, and loves so much to make us laugh! 

She is sure of herself, she is beautiful, strong, smart, and so caring.  I'm so proud to be her mom.

She had a great birthday (there was snow on the ground in the morning!) and enjoyed every second of it! Even if she didn't quite understand the concept. 

She learned how to blow out a candle, and loved her gifts. 

I'm so so proud of her big brother too.  His birthday is next Wednesday and he's turning three.  He wasn't jealous that she was getting special treatment, he was excited for her!  All in all, I think my kids are pretty awesome.  They make me so happy.  

I got this toddler "pack-pack", as Monkey Pants calls it, from a great Etsy shop called MarineParents and I couldn't be more thrilled with it (wonderful shop, take a look!).  Lady Face loves it.  I've decided this balloon print with the girl and the bunny from Sarah Jane is her fabric.  If Lady Face was a fabric, this would be it.  Slowly, I'm collecting lovely things made of this print, and hoarding as much Sarah Jane fabric as I can get my hands on (aren't you all?!). 

Anyway, Happy Birthday darling girl. 

a little about me...

I love when bloggers I'm reading post tidbits about themselves.  That makes it more personal and friendship-y to me.  I like it.  I haven't done much of this and realize that just by looking through my posts it's not too personal. 

I apologize. 

I hope to become more relateable and personal so you can all get to know me better...and I thought this might help for the blogger who has fallen upon having me as their "person" in the Covert Robin swap get to know me better too :)

Here's some help/random things about me:

I am a dog person
I am a Mac person
I am a diet coke person
I like blue, grey, oceany, beachy, summery colors
I am a stay at home mom with 2 kids
I love Modern Family, Psych, The Golden Girls, and 30 Rock
I am the housewife version of Liz Lemon (though I am taller and don't wear glasses...)
I get bored easily and have about 6 WIP's and at least 4 quilts I have fabric pulled for and want to cut and start
I got married when I was 19 and now we have 2 kids (our son came 2 weeks before I graduated college) and will hit our 5 year anniversary in May
I want to have at least 2 more kids but we're going to wait a while until the Mr. gets a little more school checked off
I am from Palo Alto, California and would love to move back...tomorrow if possible...(James Franco went to high school with my brother and Jeremy Lin was in the class after me...my only link to famous people...haha)
I don't like peanut butter or applesauce, bring on the Nutella!
I would love to decorate my home in a shabby chic way with a touch of modern, lots of white so the color pops, and a gas stove is a must (but we're renting so...someday?)
I am very shy...that's why I like this blogging thing...In person is a little scary for me...
I don't like talking on the phone
I love cooking and baking and the Food Network
I wear flats, not heels.
I am a chocoholic...seriously...
I don't like Twilight. 
I like the Hunger Games.
I love to read and have too many books...about a third of them are children's books.
I am not a morning person
I am not photogenic, I'd rather take the pictures than be in them. 
I have never made anything with a zipper
I have never made a pillow cover....or anything more than quilts of various sizes...
I'm not into fabric with licensed characters...I LOVE Aneela Hoey, Sarah Jane, and October Afternoon
My favorite fabric collections so far are Fly a Kite, and California Girl, and I'm looking forward to my order of Flea Market Fancy!!



Hope this helps a little! I'm pretty sure my Flickr is linked on the side of my blog, as is my Pinterest if you need more visuals!   

Fingers crossed I will have things to show you tomorrow!  I'm making good progress on my husband's quilt and need to go find some flannel for the back. 

Happy weekending to you!!

I am going to copy this awesome post idea from Tanesha at Crafty Garden Mom. Love this idea and it's great since I haven't posted anything in a while (it's almost March...what?!)

Today...
Outside my window... It's 10:40pm.  Dark and very cold with remnants of the snow that came while I was asleep Friday night/Saturday morning.

I am thinking... Lady Face's birthday is only about 35 days away.  She will be 2 and I want to be in better shape by then...so March will be super fun!!! right. Just found a blog that I am really really enjoying, especially this post (about white trash cooking - soooo funny). Her posts remind me of my grandparents who were from Kentucky and my years in Virginia in college in what I considered "The South".

I am thankful for... My family.  The ones that live in the same house as me especially.  They are so good to me.  I love them tremendously.  Even the furry one. 

I am reading... Well, at the beginning of the year, every year, it's my dream goal to read a book a week.  I love to read, but lately quilting and sewing have been my go-to free time spenders...so I've only read one book so far this year.  I am reading The Dog Who Came In From The Cold by Alexander McCall Smith.  I love all of his books.  He writes about happy things and real stuff. Little victories and life things that make us all part of the same goodness. Absolutely adore it.  Life's too short to read crappy books that make you feel terrible...
 

I am wearing... um, Don't look now but I got some pj pants at T.J. Maxx and they are too short (I'm 5'10") which is what I get for buying girly pj pants and not man ones like I usually do.....but I'm wearing those, a BYU Track t-shirt, and (get ready for this one...) a blue Ralph Lauren jacket....from Costco. Almost thought I'd classed it up for a second there, right?

I am creating... a quilt that has been semi finished for months now, a quilt for my husband, and three wedding quilts.  A me that is  leaner, toned, and almost constantly sore from being shredded by Jillian Michaels...I'll let you know how it goes during March when I actually do the workouts more than once a week :)

I am hoping... that I can have more patience this week, and that comfort will find it's way to those I'm worried about.

I am hearing... Little Lady Face sing and mumble as she falls asleep, and the clicking of the Mr's football game on the Wii.  The classical station on Pandora - which is currently playing the LOTR soundtrack. 

Around the house... I need to accept the fact that I will be in a semi-constant state of doing dishes and laundry for the rest of my life.  It will never end until I do.  Shingles blew off our roof this weekend and since we're renting we came home from church to find the owners friend on the roof fixing them.  Poor guy.  It was like 25 degrees. We offered him some donuts but he said no :(

One of my favorite things... Our new leather loveseat (thanks tax return!), a hot shower, Starbucks hot chocolate mix, and the individually packaged skinless salmon fillets (yep, also Costco). And the instagram photo's I took this weekend (see below)

A few plans for the rest of the week... it's Sunday evening so the week is just beginning!  I'm hoping to do fun things with my kids, to get outside, to exercise every day, get the top done for the Mr's quilt, and get some more stuff checked off the mandatory to do list so I can work on some fun quilting projects for me.  I also want to start reading another book to the kids at nap time.  We read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to them a while ago a chapter or two a night and they loved it!  Time for another one. Oh, and to get more sleep...that'll probably help all the rest go better...

A picture (or four) to share from the weekend...

 

I am happy... Because my kids are healthy.  They are cute.  They love me.  I am happy because my Husband is pretty awesome all the time, and has made me confident that we will always be together.  It's reassuring to know that, and thinking about it makes me feel really special. I am also happy because our rental here is starting to feel like our space.  I'm starting to not be so hard on myself, and to realize that I have the next moment to do better than I did before.  Might sound lame, but that's a big one for me! And finally, I got to stay in my pajamas for 90% of the weekend and I let it happen.  It was glorious.



Bonus points if you can tell me who that little person in the hat looks like!


How was your weekend?

Sometimes I just can't quite seem to get it right.

My attitude was off today, and that's totally my fault. I let my patience run out, and my temper is short, and the kids seem to listen even less than usual, and I feel even worse of a mother than usual.

I have a good life, and good kids, a good marriage, and nothing disastrous is looming.  I even did some things today that I needed to get checked off the list: 

-I made it one week without a single drip of chocolate (and then celebrated with chocolate cream pie today...?)
-Got our car's title registered and now have official Idaho plates (brought both kids and decided never to do that again)
-There was snow on the ground this morning (melted by noon...but it was still pretty)
-Mailed out my charms for a charm square swap I'm participating in (many thanks to the lady at the post office)
-Took the kids to the indoor play place at the mall to work off their energy (didn't really work)
-Had a healthy lunch
-Did some exercises while the kids napped (very first baby step, so here's to that)
-Bundled up and kicked the football "to the moon" with Monkey Pants outside for a while (also good exercise)

It was a pretty productive Monday, I did things I wanted and needed to do. But still, I could've done much better.  I yell too much, I am too lazy, I get frustrated too easily, and I spend too much time sitting and wishing for what I want and not being courageous enough to get up and start making it happen.  I am too hard on myself, but I do think it's good to know I can do better...as long as I actually DO better, right?

Monday's can be tough...even for no good reason...

*One morning we found this plastic alligator stuck in the shades of our front window, so we took a picture of it.  It makes me smile.  The other picture is just our lovely patient "Hobbers" as the kids call him.  He is the best dog, and I frequently wish I had his patience for my children. 

monday, monday...

...I became an Idaho citizen today.  I aced the eye test, and got 4 wrong on the drivers test...and is it just me or are things getting much more "techy" around those places...the test was on a touch screen computer, with pictures! i took my driver's test in California with a PENCIL AND PAPER!  I'm pretty sure it was a scantron (and we thought those were fancy).

Anyway, we're trying to get our car registered and everything, and kind of forgot to do it until our Virginia registration ran out at the end of last month and the Mr. got pulled over and informed of the problem.  embarrassing, right?! since I've never owned a car before and moved to a different state, I'm not sure what normal procedure is, but it seems like an awful lot of hassling and getting original copies and paperwork nonsense to me...

But that was only part of our awesome Monday experience.  the other part was much scarier.  Monkey Pants did NOT take a nap (it took him exactly 6 minutes to fall asleep tonight though, so that was pretty awesome), but also, while not taking their nap, these adorable children of mine somehow managed to down their dresser, and escape unscratched. I have no idea how it happened because I was in the bathroom when I heard the BOOM, followed by a brief scared cry from Lady Face, followed by Monkey Pants exclaiming, "She broked it!  She broked it!"

I didn't know what to do! Kiss them for being fine and not decapitated or severed into pieces, or be upset that the dresser we've had for all of two months got broken (that was an organizational win for me - thanks Ikea, of course).  It was so scary, so now whenever I hear the drawers open to that dresser, I run in to check on them.  One of my biggest fears is that something like that will happen with disastrous results that is easily preventable (had I not been in the bathroom at that precise moment)!  ugh...it just kills me. 

Back to fabric though, I got two great packages in the mail today.  One from Hawthorne Threads, pretty much my favorite online fabric shop for their great selection and awesome fast shipping, the other from The Fat Quarter Shop, which has a great sale section that I frequently obsess over at nights.  If you haven't visited them before, you should do so right now.  But I'm not responsible for what happens...its super fantastic!

From the Fat Quarter Shop I got some Aneela Hoey prints of the girl on the swing from her line Sherbet Pips, and some of the others, including the scarves in two colors.  I plan on using the scarves to bind my upcoming patchwork quilt that will feature all three of her fabric lines (p.s. have you seen the Christmas line she has coming out?  It's just what I've been waiting for as far as Christmas fabrics go.  It's so cute).  The other prints here are Alexander Henry's Paris Park in pink, and a blue and grey print that I'm forgetting the name of right now (bottom right, anyone know it?).  Great deal.  I am always proud of myself when I can encourage my fabric addiction at a great price (win-win!).

From Hawthorne Threads I got some odds and ends I've been oogling for a while.  Some of the butterfly and sweet spots prints from the line Betty Butterfly by Patty Solinger,  an awesome new print from the collection Washi by Rashida Coleman Hale, the bunting print from Circus Party by Michael Miller, squirrels and trees in sorbet by David Walker's Get Together line, then some Joel Dewberry herringbone in pond (must have more! so pretty), and a fun Ikat print from Sorbet by Michael Miller (and I want the rest of those colors too!)

I have a huge WIP list that I'm hoping to make progress on this week.  Too much to even make it worth listing in this post.  I'm hoping to finish sewing together the main star of my Made In Cherry quilt, and get some Farmer's Wife blocks made (I took a break from all those super tiny pieces but I think I'm ready for it again).  I also have some pieces cut for the Oh My Stars! quilt-along that I need to get to sewing before my brain can no longer connect the pieces to the directions anymore...

It started snowing here today (finally) and I'm hoping there's enough on the ground in the morning that the monkeys can get bundled up and go mess around outside for a while!

I am a work in progress...

There are sooo many things I want to do.

So many things I want to eat, read, wear, try... I know it's impossible to check even a tiny fraction of those things off before I'm dead.  Sometimes that depresses me quite a lot, and I have to refocus, or take a hot shower and remind myself that having options is a good thing.  And, let's be honest, life isn't about making as many Nutella recipe's as I can find...as sad as that is...but when I get onto that train of thought, as I did for a little while today, thinking about how I have 52 books on my shelves at home that I either haven't read, started and never finished, or read and now can't remember at all...it feels so blah...and sad that we don't have the time to do everything we want.  It reaffirms to me the importance of spending our time wisely.  Something I am not always that great at doing.

I took a look at my list of resolutions and goals for this year and realized that I don't know if I will do half of them.  Same goes for my quilting and sewing to-do list.  I feel like I often have the best intentions, but they end up going nowhere...and that's what I think I need to work on about myself.

Following through.  And then relaxing about it if I don't get something done because...I am a tightly bound bundle of nerves...and I've got to learn how to take it easy...and "go with it" even especially when "it" doesn't go my way...

So here's a "simplified" list of the things I'm working on.  Personally and Otherwise:

1. This year I need to make exercise part of my life.  My ultimate goal would be to run a race (5k perhaps?) and feel proud of my effort at the end.  This is a loaded personal brick wall for me...perhaps I'll feel like talking about it later.
2. I want to ENJOY my children while they are young.  To me this means that I have to stop saying, "just a minute" and get on the floor and play with monster trucks, look at animal flash cards, and have fun with them while they still want to be around me. My little Lady Face has almost all of her teeth...she's no baby anymore...
3. I want to follow through on being more thoughtful.  Think about doing more things for other people, especially if they're things I wouldn't choose to do but that would make the other person happy.  And I'd like to be better at remembering birthdays but I've had 6 chances at that so far this year that have all been pretty much a fail.
4. Finish 2 wedding quilts, one for my friend who got married in August, and one for my mother-in-law who got married in April.
5. Organize my photos chronologically, have them put onto cd's and print the ones I want copies of, and put them into photo binders (I'm not much of a scrapbook-er...), or into nice frames and hang them on the wall or somewhere where I can see them.
6. Embroider something(s)
7. Make my wonderful Husband a quilt (he wants all solids, and mostly earthy brownish tones and I'm kind of resisting...but I think it would make his day if I made one for him)
8. Make myself a quilt for our bed, and a bunch more to snuggle under.  I get cold all the time, and love to pile under blankets everywhere, at all times, and especially with a book.
9. Give project 365 a shot
10. Be a better blogger (as this serves as a mini-journal for me in ways...)
11. Make my kids each a zig-zag quilt for their birthdays this year in April.

So that's that.  My "New Years Resolutions".

I've got more to show that I've been doing something this week besides sleeping all the time, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow...

Here are some of my favorite pictures from this year...so far...(and yes, I discovered Instagram.  I love it)