Dodging Raindrops

{this moment}

2012-02-10T17:33:00.000-08:00

I went to the Northwest Flower and Garden Show in Seattle earlier this week. I need to write more about it and post more photos. For now, here is a photo of my friends who accompanied me - which made the show much more fun to attend.I'm sorry it is such a bad photo. It was the only one that turned out. Check out that huge tree!

I had a great time. I might even go to the show 2 days next year. There is that much to see!

{this moment}

2012-02-03T16:44:00.000-08:00

taken last Friday

A beautiful morning view of Puget Sound, from the train,

as we travelled north to Vancouver, BC, for a very short getaway.

Be Mine Banner

2012-01-25T07:34:00.000-08:00

Is there a new holiday coming up? Time for some crafting, I say. During last week's snow days, I got a lot of things made. The first is a word banner. Very simple and fast to make.
Materials list:

- red glitter ribbon (Christmas leftovers)

- chipboard pennant banner (pre-made) - Paper Accents - purchased at Ben Franklin Crafts

- red chipboard letter stickers - from my stash

- red polka dot patterned paper - manufacturer: Pebbles Inc. purchased at Ben Franklin Crafts

- script "I love you" patterned paper - purchased at Jo-Ann Crafts

- circle scalloped punch - Marvy Uchida

Instructions:

1. trace the pennant shape onto the back of the polka dot paper, cut out.

2. glue down the patterned paper on the chipboard, trim if necessary.

3. punch out scalloped circles, glue on top of the red paper.

4. glue the chipboard letters onto the scalloped circles.

5. string the ribbon through the chipboard, hang and enjoy!

I'll be linking up to the following:

One Thousand Gifts - #130 to #142

2012-01-23T19:03:00.000-08:00

Boy do I need to do this today! My morning was a bit ugly. :(

More gifts:

my sons singing loudly and enthusiastically at the Christmas Eve service. Such a sweet memory.

snow that stayed a week!

surviving being a one car family (while my husband's car was waiting for repairs) for over a week - so thankful for my hubby's flexible workplace.

the incredible beauty of snow on the trees.

keeping up with my new project - taking a photo a day and posting to my 365 blog.

a reliable car mechanic who properly diagnosed my husband's car's problem.

family worship at home when church was cancelled.

four wheel drive on my car so we could easily get around in the snow.

taking my boys sledding

watching Downton Abbey

a return to regular routines today.

my parents' good news about a space open at a new apartment complex that provides meals.

my new stove arrived today - my first ever brand new kitchen appliance!

Book Review: Read for the Heart

2012-01-21T08:58:00.000-08:00

I can't remember how I heard about this book but I love reading well written annotated book lists (for children's books or adult books), especially those written by well-read people with the same Christian worldview as mine. Sarah Clarkson is the adult daughter of Sally Clarkson whose book Mission of Motherhood

was very inspiring and encouraging to me. Her blog is great too. Sarah Clarkson was homeschooled and her childhood was rich with good literature. I enjoyed her descriptions of the books as well as her infectious enthusiasm for reading. She makes a strong case for the importance of reading to young children, something I'm very passionate about.

I would recommend this book to any parent who wants to find good quality books for reading to their child or for children to read alone. It starts with picture books and continues on up to books for teens. I plan to read this book again when my kids are a bit older since many of the recommendations are for tween/teen books.

I found this book at my library, through an inter-library loan.

Note: this post contains affliate links to Amazon. If you purchase a book through my link, I get a very small percentage.

Snow Days

2012-01-19T21:00:00.000-08:00

We just had Snow Day #4 day here. Pretty abnormal weather for the Pacific Northwest. On Sunday church was cancelled. Monday was Martin Luther King Day which was already a school holiday. On Tuesday and Wednesday school was cancelled. Today school was cancelled again and J has been working from home most days. One of my children likes the time off school and one of them hates it. If you know my kids, you know which one that is. :) I just heard that school is cancelled again tomorrow. Sigh.

I prefer to stay inside and watch the snow fall while drinking tea and crafting or reading a book but my kids have enjoyed sledding and playing outside. On Sunday my hubby built a snow wall at the end of the driveway and I drove our car through it. When I figure out how, I'll post a video of that. He also built an amazing igloo. No mere snowmen for my overachieving hubby! :)

I like the snow and don't mind driving in it since I have 4 wheel drive. J has used our Jeep to push some people who having trouble with inclines - one time it was some ladies from California. Today we took a friend to the grocery store so she could stock up on milk for her family of seven. If you don't have 4 wheel drive it is a good idea to just stay home.

Today I took the boys to a nearby hill for some sledding.It was pretty cold (28 degrees) so I didn't last long. I've lost my cold tolerance since leaving Ottawa 12 years ago. The hill was pretty full with other people escaping their house for some sledding. The bottom of the hill was a little too exciting - there was a creek!

This morning I enjoyed taking some snow photos in an empty parking lot.

I'll miss the beautiful snow and ice scenes when it melts away.

{this moment}

2012-01-13T17:26:00.000-08:00

I think tonight's sunset is the most beautiful one that I've seen

in the 12 years that I've lived in the Seattle area.

One Thousand Gifts #121 to #129

2012-01-09T18:03:00.000-08:00

(getting back into the habit of giving thanks which fell away during the holidays)

121. King FM at Christmas time - I loved hearing so many choral pieces
122. my boys watching the movie of The Nutcracker ballet
123. a Christmas full of blessings

124. a talented surgeon who did surgery on my husband's ear to remove a cyst.
125. another year in which I can give thanks to God!

126. extra time spent with my hubby as he recovered from surgery

127. reassurance from my son's doctor that his persistent cough is nothing to be concerned about.
128. paperwhites blooming in my kitchen window
129. this morning as I grudgingly drove my children to school, I saw the Olympic Mountains illuminated by brilliant sunshine. I realized that I wouldn't have seen that view if I had stayed at home. Thanks for that kick in the behind, God! :)

Books to read in 2012

2012-01-04T20:22:00.000-08:00

I have a HUGE list of books I'd like to read but in order to narrow it down and prioritize, here's a short list of what I hope to read in 2012.

Non-Fiction
1. Knowing God by J.I. Packer. There is a free download of the audiobook available at Christian Audio.
2. The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. This is a follow up to Metaxas' biography of Bonhoeffer.
3. John A: The Man Who Made Us (The Life and Times of John A. Macdonald) by Richard Gwyn. If you didn't already know, I'm Canadian and I'd like to know more about Canadian history. Macdonald was Canada's first Prime Minister.
4. 102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers by Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn.
5. 50 People Every Christian Should Know: Learning from Spiritual Giants of the Faith by Warren Wiersbe
6. a biography of Hitler. I've read so many books about WW II in the last two years that I'd like to learn a bit more about him.

Fiction:
1. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - dystopian novel.
2. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo - I've started listening to the audiobook on my "commute."
3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. This book has been on my TBR list for too many years. Set during WW II in Germany.
4. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel - historical fiction about the time of Henry VIII
5. The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins - a classic British detective novel
6. Blanche on the Lam by Barbara Neely. An African American maid solves mysteries.
7. Dreams of Joy by Lisa See - the author of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.

I read 42 books in 2011. I hope to read over 40 books in 2012.

Resolutions and Goals

2012-01-02T19:37:00.000-08:00

Ah, a new year. Time to make some resolutions. What are your goals, plans for 2012?

I have three. First, I'm taking on the 365 project. It is taking one photograph every day for a year. I started a new blog for the photo of the day: Sheila Takes Photos. Yes, 2012 is a Leap Year, so technically it is the 366 project.

My second goal is to finish reading through the New Testament. I started this back in October and I've done well. That is, until I got to Revelation. :) I stopped at chapter 8 or so but I'm starting the plan over again. My plan is found here along with some other good Bible reading plans.

My third resolution/goal is to exercise more. I go to a gym regularly but just not often enough. I'm going to try a Zumba class and see if that shakes off the boredom. I also need to load up my MP3 player with some new music to keep me going on the treadmill.

What are your goals for 2012?

A few Christmas photos

2011-12-31T20:16:00.000-08:00

Me, wearing my Christmas crown, in the perfect colour!

We always do Christmas crackers which is a British tradition from
my husband's family. More info here.

My cuties and their present from Daddy. Or was it Daddy's present? :)
Snap Circuits.

C and his big present - the police headquarters

A and his big present - his first electric train set.
My surprise gift from my hubby was a laptop. Here's a roaring fire (thanks to Netflix!)

Our kid-decorated tree. This was a big step for me (letting go).
I think next year we'll have two trees so I can have a "decor" tree. ;)
Christmas Dinner. Part of our table was empty.
We missed you Grandma & Grandpa!

Books Read in 2011 with some mini reviews

2011-12-30T21:01:00.000-08:00

"Woman Reading" by Mary Cassatt

image source

I read a total of 42 books in 2011. Twice as many as the year before! I use GoodReads to keep track of my reading. If you're wondering, I'm a die hard paper and ink reader. No Kindle for me, thanks. This was the year of the super long book for me. I read three books with than 400 pages!

My #1 read for the year was
Bonhoeffer:Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas. 592 pages.

My favourite book to read and re-read (and recommend to others) was
One Thousand Gifts:A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp.

My favourite novels were Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and The Rules of Civility by Amor Towles. The character of Katey Kontent (from The Rules of Civility) was someone you really wanted to have as a friend. I kept wishing a movie would be made about Major Pettigrew, maybe played by James Cromwell?

My favourite memoir was UnPlanned by Abby Johnson.

My favourite book of classic fiction was The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. This book has a whopping 672 pages but it kept my attention throughout. This book is one of the first detective mysteries ever written.

This past year, I read quite a few books set during WWII, both fiction and non-fiction:

- Unbroken:A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand- an amazing book. 473 pages. I highly recommend it! Louis Zamperini is a true hero. I don't want to spoil this book so I won't write any more.

- The Paris Wife by Paula McClain - this book was such a letdown. I actually wish I hadn't bothered with it. It tells the story of Ernest Hemingway's first wife and their life in Paris during the Jazz Age. There was no-one likeable in the book.

- Daring Young Men: The Heroism and Triumph of The Berlin Airlift by Richard Reeves

- The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
- Nella Last's War: The Second World War Diaries....- This was a diary of a real woman. It has been made into a movie but I haven't seen it. I en-joyed this look into the day to day life of an average woman in London, dealing with rations, air raids, and a very nonsupportive husband.

- Henrietta's War:News from the Home Front 1939-1942 (fiction) The problem with this book is that I read it AFTER I had read many serious books about this time frame. This book had a cheerful comic tone which seemed almost sacreligious after reading a non-fictional book about a woman's sacrifices during the war (Nella Last's War) and after reading about someone in prison and eventually killed by Hitler (Bonhoeffer).

- Lost in Shangri-La: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of WW II by Mitchell Zuchoff. A disappointing book. Yes, it told a unique story in an exotic locale but I thought the book could have used some editing. There was way too much focus on the one female character and the last half of the book dragged.

Memoirs and biographies were another popular genre, although I seemed to read quite a few that disappointed me.

- Bossypants by Tina Fey. It was funny but not side-splitting as I expected. I've been told that listening to the audiobook is better than reading it. I love seeing her book next to the Dick Cheney one on my list of books recently read. Quite the juxtaposition, don't you think? :)

- Home: A Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews. This book was a disappointment. Too much name dropping and fawning over other actors/singers.

- Confessions by St. Augustine - I didn't finish this. It was a tough read. Maybe I need a better translation? I just picked up the cheap one at Barnes & Noble.

- In My Time by Dick Cheney
- Decision Points by George W. Bush

- Shattered Dream: My Life as a Polygamist's Wife by Irene Spencer. This is the second book I've read about women escaping Morman fundamentalism (polygamy). Escape by Carolyn Jessup was more dramatic but this book revealed more about day to day life in that world.

- An Education by Lynn Barber. I liked the movie (especially the soundtrack) but the book wasn't great. She wasn't a sympathetic character.

- Saved by Her Enemy: An Iraqi woman's journey from the heart of war to the heartland of America by Don Teague and Rafraf Barrak. Recommended. This book left me wanting to read more accounts from the point of view of journalists or soldiers in Iraq. If anyone has a suggestion of a book that isn't profanity laced or too grim, I'm interested.

- Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhonda Janzen. Funny.

- Nomad by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. I preferred her first book Infidel. In Nomad she wrote about her atheism quite a bit.

- A Sixpence in Her Shoe by Phyllis McGinley. A fun look at housekeeping in the 1930s, 40s and 50s.

Fiction:

- I read several books from the Chronicles of Fairacre series by Miss Read (Village School, Village Diary, Storm in the Village). These are "cosy" reads about a small English village and focus on the school.

- Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner. Chick lit but the subject matter (surrogacy) is one that could be discussed at a book club due to its moral and ethical implications
- Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner

- The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party - another installment in the #1 Ladies Detective Agency series

- Mr. Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

- The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton

- Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz. Ivy league admissions.

- Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton - a depressing book.

- The Pursuit of Love & Love in a Cold Climate by Nancy Mitford. I saw the mini-series and decided to pick up the book. It was just OK.
- Rules of Civility by Amor Towles. I just read this gem a few days ago and it is still mulling around in my head.

Some other books that doesn't fit well into the other categories:

- Ten Big Lies about America by Michael Medved.

- Righteous Indignation: Excuse Me While I Save the World! by Andrew Breitbart
- Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold by C.S. Lewis.

In another post, I'll tell you about some of the books I want to read in 2012.

Family Photo & Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T21:34:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas cards are going out super late this year. If you haven't received it yet, it is coming, I promise. :) If you want to be surprised, then avert your eyes.

photo location: Molbak's

photo credit: Christopher Lorton

{this moment}

2011-12-23T21:13:00.000-08:00

They love their Daddy!

Downtown Seattle.

J had gone to pay for more parking time and when he returned
this was the reaction. :)

Handel's Messiah

2011-12-22T21:07:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, my husband and I went to hear Handel's Messiah performed by the Seattle Symphony. I have done several sing-along Messiahs. We hadn't been to a professional performance since before we were married!

Some interesting facts about Messiah:

- Upon hearing the "Hallelujah Chorus" movement of "Messiah", King George II of England was reputedly so overcome with emotion that he spontaneously rose to his feet. When the king stands, everyone stands, so the audience immediately rose also. The tradition of standing for the chorus is still observed today in most live performances of "Messiah."

- In 1741, Handel set to work composing on August 22 in his little house in London. He grew absorbed in the work that he rarely left his room, hardly stopping to eat. Within six days part one was complete. In nine days more he had finished part two, and in another six, part three. The orchestration was completed in another two days. In all 260 pages of manuscript were filled in the remarkable short time of 24 days.

Check out the new tie and jacket. :)

One Thousand Gifts - #103 - #120

2011-12-20T10:21:00.000-08:00

hearing the story of the Crippled Lamb for the first time
my 6 year old's school Christmas concert
our babysitter Erika
free peppermint mocha
jeans on sale
beautiful Molbaks at Christmas time
sunshine in December
yummy treats at a Christmas open house at our pastor's house
my hubby got a bonus from work!
my 8 year old's school Christmas concert
the news that a Christian family with 4 kids is moving into our street
tired feet after helping with a teacher appreciation lunch
singing with the worship team
a generous PT (physical therapist) who doesn't mind me bringing my coughing son along
cuddling up with my coughing son and watching a movie together
finding a parking spot at a popular mall, quickly, in December!
going to hear Handel's Messiah at Benaroya Hall with my handsome hubby
my boys tangoing in the kitchen

{this moment}

2011-12-16T09:56:00.000-08:00

my son and his teacher, after the Christmas musical

White and Silver Paper Doily Wreath

2011-12-14T14:06:00.000-08:00

I finally finished this wreath. It's been sitting on my counter, unfinished, for a few weeks making my husband nervous in all its whiteness. It was right near where my kids pour their drinks. Talk about living on the edge!

My inspiration came from this wreath at Diamond in the Stuff's blog. Where did I find it? Pinterest, of course!!

Instructions and sources:
1. Using a styrofoam wreath, wrap with wide satin ribbon.
2. Attach a wide ribbon for hanging before gluing the cones down. I did this at the end (after the cones were glued down) and it was tricky. :)
3. Make lots of cones out of doilies. Instructions here. Secure them with hot glue. Don't burn yourself! You will need approximately 60 doilies if you want to replicate my wreath.
3. Glue the cones to the wreath using hot glue. I did 2 layers of cones.
4. Select something for the centre. I used a doily die cut from Martha Stewart's craft line. This is very similar. I glittered the edges. On top of that I glued a small silver doily. On top of that I glued a snowflake sticker (Jolee's boutique). Glue your centre into the middle of the wreath.
6. Hang and admire. :)

I'm linking up with A Crafty Soiree at Yesterday on Tuesday, Chic and Crafty at Frugal Girls and Sew-Crafty Tuesday at Ruby Jean and

{this moment}

2011-12-09T17:32:00.001-08:00

So proud of my son at his Christmas concert "Baby Jesus We Love You."

One Thousand Gifts #86 to #102

2011-12-05T19:42:00.000-08:00

tree farms
a sunny day for picking out a Christmas tree
free hot chocolate at the tree farm
modern dentistry
kind dental hygienists
Ann's blog with so many great resources and links
the beauty of fog
O Holy Night playing at Starbucks - what a message for those truly listening!
a lost and then found leather glove
a headlight that was out but when I took it in for service, it came back on!
scarves
Christmas carols
my children enthusiastically singing Christmas carols in the car - a cappella and a little off tune
my latte was free at the drive-thru Starbucks today - for no apparent reason!

last week we had the chance to see hundreds of salmon spawning up close at Goldstream Park
the smiles on my boys' faces as they ran from the incoming tide in Victoria

{this moment}

2011-12-02T21:03:00.000-08:00

wave chasing in Victoria

One Thousand Gifts - #69 to #85

2011-11-28T19:19:00.000-08:00

godly teachers at my children's school
parent teacher conferences
a week off from school
no snow (last year snow prevented us from travelling at Thanksgiving)
unbelievably beautiful cloud formations that I saw last week
safe travel to visit my parents

parents that are healthy in mind and body despite their age (hi Mom!)
visiting a fantastic bookstore, again.
a date night with my hubby
my children didn't use any electronic devices on both 3 hour ferry rides
a hotel with a fitness room and pool
a very quick interaction with border officials now that we have our green cards
the return of gingerbread lattes at Starbucks
our guinea pigs survived in our absence even without "pet sitting"
returning to regular routines, even laundry and dishes and grocery shopping
a quiet WalMart on a Monday morning

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T05:52:00.000-08:00

Over the river and through the woods to Grandfather's house we go! My family and I are headed out to visit family up north. :)

Paper flowers & a blue wall

2011-11-16T16:47:00.000-08:00

Hubby and I painted one wall of the living room a robin's egg blue. That was a few months ago. I've had a blank wall ever since. I don't want to put anything up until we finally have a mantle. (we have a fireplace and no mantle on this wall). I saw these paper flowers and decided they would be the perfect thing to liven up the empty wall.Isn't it interesting how the blue looks different in the 2 photos taken at the same time? Anyway, Destiny's blog has great instructions on making the paper bag flowers. I added a book page flower in the centre. Here's a close up. I used a paper punch to cut out the flower from a book. Then I folded it up to give it more of a 3-D effect. I glued a flat-backed pearl in the centre (found at Michael's). This is a VERY frugal craft. The only cost was the pearls since I already had a lot of brown lunch bags.

I'm linking up with Chic & Crafty at The Frugal Girls and A Crafty Soiree at Yesterday on Tuesday.

Veteran's Day and Remembrance Day

2011-11-11T09:36:00.000-08:00

image source: Canadian War Museum

I wrote a post about Veteran's Day and Remembrance Day last year and it was pretty good. :) Since I'm lazy, I'm reposting it.

One Thousand Gifts - #57 to 68

2011-11-08T15:51:00.000-08:00

57. listening to my 8 year old read animal stories to his brother and me, making the drive to school more fun!
58. the beautiful and numerous colours that hydrangeas turn in the fall.59. dahlias from my garden on my windowsill in November!
60. Trunk or Treat at a nearby church
61. being Mary Poppins for a day (see my Halloween post)
62. after long last, finding a toothpick holder for my kitchen, yes it is the little things that bring a smile!
63. finally reading One Thousand Gifts - the book!
64. pumpkin bread/muffins made from Trader Joe's mix
65. flannel sheets
66. the gift of an extra hour due to time change
67. clothes - even though washing, sorting, ironing (occasionally), hanging, and purging is a lot of work.
68. a cloudy, overcast, dreary day that turns sunny in the afternoon.

{this moment}

2011-11-04T12:03:00.000-07:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
My son taking on various identities.

Fall decor

2011-11-02T14:49:00.000-07:00

I know that some people (especially stores) are getting ready for Christmas (now that Halloween is over) but I still want to enjoy fall and Thanksgiving, OK? I realized that I haven't posted about a fall sign that I made last year! I have a little shelf by the front door and I change the things on it for each season or holiday.

The letters came from JoAnn's and are paper mache. They are about $2 each and sometimes go on sale. I painted the letters brown first then I glued scrapbook paper on the fronts and then I put a coat of Mod Podge on top. I added some ribbons to a few, a faux sunflower, some silk leaves, and a few buttons.The wheat bouquet I found at Goodwill. I added the satin ribbon.
I found the Thanksgiving couple at local craft fair.

I'm linking up with Chic & Crafty at The Thrifty Girls.

Halloween Recap

2011-11-01T20:19:00.000-07:00

My 8 year old son declared that he is too old for "cute" costumes and thus, wanted to be a skeleton this year. The head that came with this costume is truly scary so I was glad he didn't want to wear it.My younger son didn't have anything specific in mind so when I found a giraffe costume at the thrift store for a steal, he said he would happily wear it. This year is probably the last year either of my children will be an animal for Halloween. Sniff, sniff!
Here is my costume:
I found a photo of someone dressed as Mary Poppins on Pinterest and I began my quest. The black jacket, black skirt, white blouse, "sensible" shoes, umbrella, magic purse, and hat were ALL found at thrift stores! The red bow was taken from a cheap headband.

We went to a "trunk or treat" this year at a large church close to our house. I was very impressed with all the decorated cars and trucks.They also had a bouncy house, mini golf, carnival games, and hot dogs and other food to purchase. A great outreach to the local community.

At one point in the evening, I was sitting down on a bench in a hallway and a lot of people went by. It was fun seeing people walk by, look at me, and then say "are you...." or "Mary Poppins?" Fun!

One Thousand Gifts - #44 - #56

2011-10-26T07:30:00.000-07:00

(if you are new to One Thousand Gifts, please visit Ann Voskamp's blog)

44. having coffee with a new friend in the middle of the day!
45. reading a book at the beach in the sunshine in October
46. gorgeous fall colours
47. quick access to health care specialists (something we did NOT have when we lived in Canada)
48. a very fun morning spent at Ruffles and Rust with a friend.
49. I finally went shopping with my friend Andrea. :)
50. perfect weather for planting daffodil bulbs
51. participating in another Beth Moore bible study
52. my new favourite TV show - Pan Am
53. an increase in visitors to my blog and kind comments about my paper creations.
54. the thrill of seeing my crafts "pinned" to Pinterest!
55. starting to read through the New Testament in a year even if I stumble occasionally and have to "catch up."
56. my husband's improved health after a rough spot (minor)

Autumn banner

2011-10-25T18:45:00.000-07:00

I love banners. Here's my latest, with instructions.
1. The base for the garland (a scalloped circle) is a die cut from a scrapbook store that is no longer in business. :(
I had a few of these chipboard pieces in my collection but not enough for a whole banner so..... I traced it onto CEREAL BOX CARDBOARD for the rest! How's that for thrifty???

2. the patterned paper (glued on top of the chipboard/cardboard) is from Basic Grey. The info on the paper is "mellow, cultured." Sounds like me. Ha ha!

3. using a Marvy Uchida scalloped oval punch, punch out book pages. I have to sneak in another book page since book page crafts is my theme this month. :) So far, I have made 2 wreaths using book pages.

4. using a smaller scalloped oval punch (also from Marvy), punch out cardstock. Glue the layers down. I like double-sided tape for this.

5. I used chipboard stickers for the letters.

6. punch 2 small holes in each shape, near the top.

7. set an eyelet on each hole - I used small copper ones that I found at Michael's.

8. thread some matching ribbon through the holes. The ribbon is probably from Ben Franklin.

9. Hang and enjoy!

I'm linking to Chic and Crafty at The Frugal Girls and A Crafty Soiree at Yesterday on Tuesday.

Ruffles and Rust - Fall 2011

2011-10-22T17:10:00.000-07:00

Sigh. What a feast for the eyes! I'm back from Ruffles & Rust - a vintage market held at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe, WA. I'm regretting not inviting more friends (such as Anna H) but I am so happy that Andrea was able to join me this morning. She was a great shopping companion!! :) The show was MUCH bigger than the last one (in the Spring). I took a few photos but it was tough balancing shopping bags and a camera plus navigating the crowds. I literally could have spent all day there, drooling on all the beautiful "junk!" I kinda wish I bought the blue pillow (in the above photo) with the white background near the back. Booth: JohnBob Cool Junk

I like the lace trim wrapped votive candles (2nd shelf from top) in this photo.

This was one of the weirder sights at the show:I guess it could be a Halloween display?

Back to the pretty stuff.This tiny grand piano was so cute:
There were a lot of pumpkins. Decoupaged pumpkins:book page pumpkins:

and velvet pumpkins: Since I love to make banners, I had to take a photo of this one.Here is the loot I took home with me:Left to right: turquoise glass thingy, maps (Canada & World) on top of a silver cake plate (painted white), a little white chair, an embellished bottle, a vintage apron, and a silver platter. At the back is an ornate rectangular mirror. Here's a closer look:Of course, I'll be painting it Heirloom White. :)

Here's a close up of the embellished bottle:

A final note: Esther, you really should come to the Spring show! It will likely be in February.

Update: Here's a link to some photos MUCH better than mine taken by Isabel of Maison Douce who sells beautiful stuff!

I made another wreath

2011-10-15T16:15:00.000-07:00

using book pages. This one took me a LOT longer than the last one. :) I've been working on this sucker for probably 10 days. My neck and hands are not happy with me. My kids kept asking me "when are you going to be done with that?" I asked myself the same question a few times. I get a little obsessive when I create something. Add in a dose of unhealthy perfectionism (I wonder where my kids get that trait from?) and a project takes me FOREVER! :)

OK, here's the big reveal.
Here's a closer look.
Materials:
- book pages - if you want a two toned look you will need one newer book and one older. Hardcover books have better pages, IMHO.
- styrofoam wreath form - 12 inches.
- hot glue gun and a supply of glue
- circle punches (optional) to make the circles
- ribbon - mine is a 1 1/2 inch jute ribbon

Instructions:
1. cut strips from the book pages and wrap them around the wreath form (this will hide any gaps between the rosettes) and glue down.
2. cut circles out of your book pages - you can do all one size (much quicker) or be slightly insane and make a variety of sizes like I did. :)
3. make the circles into rosettes - a good tutorial here.
4. hot glue the rosettes onto the wreath form
5. loop a ribbon around the wreath, hot glue
6. make a bow and hot glue it onto the loop. Martha has an easy tutorial for making a ribbon bow.
7. hang and enjoy.

I'm linking to Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
and

All About Me A-Z

2011-10-08T08:01:00.000-07:00

My friend Bethany had this on her blog and I thought I'd answer it too.

Age: Oh, this starts out badly! :) I'll tell you at the end OK?

Bed Size: Queen.

Chore that you hate: Hmmmm, which one to choose? :)
I hate cleaning, except for washing dishes. Now, before you think too badly of me, you need to know that repetitive hand motions are a big no-no for me. I have chronic tendinitis of the wrist and elbow. Wiping counters is painful for me!

Dogs: I don't like 'em. I'm also allergic, very.

Essential start to your day: Black tea with a little milk and sugar.

Favourite colour: pink but I wear green and turquoise quite a bit.

Gold or silver: I actually like antique gold.

Height: 5'5"

Instruments I play: I played the piano about a hundred years ago.
I wasn't very good since I didn't practice enough.

Job Title: Mommy, taxi driver for my kids (I drive at least 40 miles a day)

Kids: Two boys. A is 8 and C is 6.

Live: north of Seattle

Mother's name: Eunice

Nicknames: I don't have any.

Overnight hospital stays: Twice, for giving birth.

Pet peeves: small children riding in the front seat - so unsafe!
smoking, bad language around children.

Quote from a movie: I'm with Bethany on this one.
"Life is pain your highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something."

Righty or lefty: right-handed

Siblings: none

Time you wake up: 6:30 in the summer because of the light. 7:00 most other days.

University attended: I have a bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Calgary.

Vegetable you hate: brussel sprouts

What make you run late: my children on school days, doing my hair on Sundays.

X-Rays you've had: many on my neck. I was rear-ended several times.

Yummy food you make: Moroccan meatloaf

Zoo animal favourite: I like the peacock.

Oh, were you waiting for my age? Ha ha! Let's just say I'm over 40. :)

Warming a house

2011-10-05T19:01:00.000-07:00

Some friends of ours from church just moved into a house in our neighbourhood. When I *finally* got my act together I brought them this.
Contents?
- a bag of tulips
- a handmade card
- some loaves of pumpkin bread (I used the mix from Trader Joe's) wrapped in wax paper and tied up with baker's twine (to make it pretty).
- the basket is from Michael's

I decided to blog about it to share the idea.

A funny (sort of) story. I made some apple bread for our friends earlier this week but my youngest couldn't handle the temptation sitting on top of the stove and he ate some before I could package it up.

Fallish Wreath

2011-10-01T18:55:00.000-07:00

I love the change of seasons. I'm excited for the new opportunities each season brings. Especially the change to redecorate or at least change up some of my "flare" around the house. This wreath isn't the traditional fall wreath but I love it.
I found the inspiration for the wreath at the Flower Patch Farm Girl's website. Now, I want you to know that the book (that I took pages out of) for this project was a stinker. Trust me, I read some of it. No great loss. :)

Materials:
- grapevine wreath that I found at Goodwill
- book pages
- polka dot scrapbook paper from Michael's
- buttons
- a 2 1/2 inch heart paper punch (also from Michael's)
- my hot glue gun.

Here's a close up:
The instructions are pretty simple:
1. punch out heart shapes (5 per flower)
2. fold in half
3. staple hearts together to form a flower
4. hot glue a button in the centre of the flower to cover the staples
5. hot glue the flowers onto the wreath.

Video /TV Recommendations for kids

2011-09-19T20:01:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: This post is primarily for my friend Colette but everyone is welcome to my opinions. :) It is a challenge finding wholesome movies and TV shows for kids. Here are some that my boys have enjoyed recently. All of these movies or TV shows we have taken out of our library or received through Netflix. They are listed in alphabetical order.

The Absent Minded Professor

My boys have seen almost all of the Air Bud/Buddies movies. There are some bad attitudes at times but nothing too serious.

The Apple Dumpling Gang

Benji - such a sweet story

If you kids like animal movies then they might like our favourites:
- Milo and Otis
- Babe
- Charlotte's Web

My boys have listened to almost all of the Narnia books on audio (and read a few of the books) so they have enjoyed The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

The Magic School Bus videos could even be used for homeschool science. :)

Muppet Treasure Island

Robin Hood (Disney)

Schoolhouse Rock

Shaun the Sheep (TV show) - hilarious without being frenetic. There are a lot of DVDs available of this show (at least at my library).

Swiss Family Robinson

Treasure Island - essential for boys

Wallace and Grommit similar to Shaun the Sheep

The Wind in the Willows (1996)

-----------------------------------------------------
Current TV shows that we record for the kids to watch:

- PBS - Wild Kratts - animals, animals, animals

- PBS - Martha Speaks - vocabulary

- PBS - The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That (they watched this for a while but got tired of it.)

- Imagination Movers - this show is on Disney Jr. so you need cable to see it. Lots of fun music and it teaches problem solving.

My kids used to watch Auto Be Good (on a Christian TV channel) but they're a bit old for it now. It teaches character development which is great, though.

God Rocks Bibletoons is a very good show. The CDs are fun to listen to as well. They teach Bible memorization.

-------------------
Movies that we have purchased

What's in the Bible - made by Phil Vischer creator of Veggie Tales. Hilarious and solid teaching about the Old Testament. The series goes up to #5 so far.

I hope I've given you some new ideas. :)

One Thousand Gifts - #25 to 43

2011-09-16T17:12:00.000-07:00

It has been too long since I posted these.

25. the music of Fernando Ortega
26. my youngest son's enthusiasm and pride when he dug up his first ever potato
27. our family vacation to northern Idaho
28. eight years of motherhood
29. seeing old friends at a memorial
30. financial resources to send my children to a Christian school
31. my tomatoes slowly ripening every day
32. child free time during weekdays (2 kids in school all day)
33. wild blackberries
34. Pinterest :)
35. sunshine
36. a lazy day spent with just my oldest son who was home sick from school
37. discovering funny looking seed pods at the park
38. delicious pear bread - recipe source
39. thrift stores
40. remembering the great summer we had
41. my oldest son's new teacher's enthusiasm and focus on praise in the classroom
42. sweet peas still in bloom
43. very exciting happy news that came in the mail today

Back to School 2011

2011-09-15T20:46:00.000-07:00

This year (on the first week of school) the weather *was* unusually warm so it was a little bit strange sending the boys to school when the high temps *were* in the mid 80s. This week we're back to more fall-like weather. Here are my cuties:
This year for the first time, I have my weekdays free from 9 am until 2:45 pm. Bizarre, eh? Now don't start bugging me to go back to work, OK? I want one year of freedom and then maybe I'll think about that work thing. Maybe part time but doing who-knows-what?

I'm still adjusting to being alone for so much of the day. I'll eventually be in a Beth Moore Bible study and I hope to have coffee/lunch with friends that I need to catch up with. Call me/e mail me if that applies to you. :) I'll also be volunteering in my sons' classrooms quite frequently.

One more photo. That's Big Papa Bear that C is holding. The kids were instructed to bring a teddy bear to school on the first day. They're doing a unit on bears. C seems to be adjusting fine to 1st grade. His teacher is the same one that big brother had for 1st grade.

{this moment}

2011-09-09T21:55:00.000-07:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Inspired by Soule Mama.

Backyard Treasure Hunt/Obstacle Course Birthday Party

2011-09-07T20:05:00.000-07:00

(Catching up since I'm behind in my blogging.) My oldest son wanted a tree climbing party (for his 8th) but that idea was negotiated and morphed into a treasure hunt/obstacle course designed my talented hubby. Here is his description.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Treasure Hunt Adventure started with the boys being split into 3 teams, of 2s or 3s. The hunt was divided into 6 tasks, each of which involved trying to find a small treasure box which contained the next clue, and maybe some pretend booty, and in some cases some real treasure (aka coin money).

The first task was to shoot a treasure box off a 2-by-4 beam about 7 feet off the ground. They were given their choice of weapons from the armory (aka, gun bucket). There were two styles of nerf gun, and an old-fashioned elastic band gun, all of which were tested ahead of time to ensure they could do the job. The nerf guns were the first choice, of course.The boys naturally had some trouble with their aim at first, but within about 5 minutes each team was able to knock a treasurebox down and gain access to the clue inside: a Treasure Map!The map was a deliberately simple map of the backyard with a circled 'x'. The only instructions were: "X marks the spot!". The first team to open the map got into the correct area quite quickly but then scoured the ground slowly instead of searching a larger area quickly for any obvious signs of buried treasure. The actual target was a 1' by 1' by 1' hole with three small wooden treasure boxes at the bottom, buried with fresh sand from Lowe's. An 'X' made from two sticks was placed on top to make it even more obvious. The leading team eventually needed a little help to get them to the right spot, but then they went fast to work. Some digging tools were provided nearby in a bag if they wanted to be industrious and look around (which they didn't).

By this point the second team had opened their (same) treasure map. The birthday boy immediately determined the whereabouts (having watched Daddy set things up!) and ran around to join the dig. The first digging team gave the other teams help by unearthing most of the sand, evening things out time wise. The clue inside the buried treasurebox said: "Look to the trees". The idea here was that they would each have to climb a (pine) tree to get a treasurebox from about 20 feet up. Unfortunately a freak gust of wind 30 minutes earlier had knocked down two of the boxes, and so the first team was able simply to grab a box off the ground. The other box was nowhere to be found. So the birthday boy did the only tree climbing of the day, and shared his find with the 3rd place team.

This clue read: "You will need 4 letters from the Birthday Boy's last name and a special number!" The next box was hoisted up a tree by a rope over a pulley,and locked in place at the bottom via a combination lock going through 2 loops in the rope. The lock was one of those word combo locks you can get from Lowe's and make up your own code. The leading team asked for our last name spelled out and went to working trying some combinations. Another boy guessed the "special number" was the birthday boy's new age. Daddy helped by confirming that they were on the right track and getting the letters lined up just right (the lock is very fussy and you can easily have the right code entered but not have it open because of being off by a few millimeters). This freed the rope and they started to lower this larger treasure box to great excitement.

Once down and opened, the new clue read: "Your next clue is hanging up. You must knock it down!" Three treasure boxes were suspended by fishing line from the gazebo roof. The exact method of access was left to the boys' industry. They could stand on something to reach it, or wack it with a stick, or whatever else they could come up with. Boys being boys, once someone found a long stick, that was clearly the consensus solution! One metal box came open easily spilling coins from the sky, and a clue. The boys raced after the money furiously. The second box fell pretty easily upon being hit. The last one decided it didn't want to go anywhere, so Daddy had to provide some assistance to even things out. The last clue: "Your key is in a plastic egg at the bottom of a black tube!" The treasure box was easily accessible next to the tube, but it was wrapped in 8 feet of metal chain, bound with a padlock. The key to the lock was in the egg. The tube was too long and too narrow for them to reach in and get the egg. This was a little physics brain teaser for them. I wanted to let them work on it on their own to see what they could come up with before giving them any clues. They were not allowed to turn the tube. After they pondered a while I told them to look around at some available objects/tools. There was a hammer nearby which they jumped to first. That was accidental, but it's never a bad idea to consider smashing something! I told them to try something else though. I pointed out the garden hose. At that point one of A's sharper friends figured it out: fill the tube with water so the egg floats to the top, and then just grab it. The look on his face when I nodded at him was priceless!

They went to work, but unfortunately at this point everyone was crowded around waiting for this egg to rise to the top so they could grab it. It was mayhem. The thing was the egg just sank back down if everyone grabbed at it at once. Eventually they realized that the only way ANYONE would get the egg was if they let just one person take it gently.

Thanks so much to my amazing hubby for organizing the game. Maybe a new side business??

I didn't make a cake this year. I was scrambling to prepare for the party since we arrived back from vacation 2 days previous! Plus, my tendinitis makes it a very bad idea to create fun icing designs, even though I enjoy doing it. I bought a cake from Costco which was delicious.

This is what you get when you ask an 8 year old boy to smile for a photo. :) I still can't believe my son is eight years old and that I've been a mother that long!

{this moment}

2011-09-02T09:18:00.001-07:00

Idaho vacation - part 2

2011-08-29T21:49:00.000-07:00

Sandpoint has a HUGE beach so we spent lots of time there. It was fun watching kids we didn't know make friends with my boys both at the beach and at the pool in Spokane.

One of the highlights of our trip was putting our inflatable boat to very good use. For fishing:
And for just relaxing in the calm shallow water outside our condo:
We returned to Silverwood Theme Park (we went last summer) and spent a full day there. I used my little camera for the first part of the day (mistake) and therefore some pics aren't that great. Like this one of A and I on the ferris wheel. Bumper cars: Our favourite part of Silverwood is the lazy river in the water park (Boulder Beach).The lines for the waterslides were pretty crazy so we stuck with the wave pool, the lazy river, and the splash zone area. At the end of the day, we had a delicious meal (really!) at this restaurant at the park - The High Moon Saloon. This "saloon" lets little guys in. Another fun thing the boys did was go-karts at Triple Play, closer to Couer d'Alene, Idaho:It was hard to come home. Here's a photo taken in the morning just below our condo:
Here are some more photos of beautiful Bayview.

Idaho vacation - part 1

2011-08-28T20:45:00.000-07:00

What a busy week it has been. Remind me next year not to schedule a birthday party and returning from vacation on the same week, OK? We went back to northern Idaho for our vacation this year. We found a condo to rent on Lake Pend Orielle, south of Sandpoint in the little town of Bayview. See all those towels? That's where we stayed. It was a walk-up building so we had the added bonus of getting more exercise. :) This was our first time doing a vacation rental. It was a good way to save some money on meals and have more space. We made breakfast and lunches ourselves but went out for supper. Our first night of vacation was spent in Spokane. We got a room at the Doubletree for $55 dollars! We loooooove Priceline. :) We were treated to freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, sumptious beds, and a great outdoor pool. We took some time to explore Spokane a bit. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast in a restored antique rail car at Frank's Diner. Recommended! While the boys played in the pool with my hubby, I explored Manito Park on the south hill area. It has a huge rose garden as well as many other beautiful spots. In Sandpoint, Idaho, we returned to a fun place we found last year called The Dive. It is family friendly and they have affordable food and drink prices plus you get to play various games for free:
- air hockey
- pool
- video games
and the highlight..... a mechanical bull! Only C was brave enough to try it.
They have lots of different intensity levels including one suited for kids. He's going down!
Here are a few more photos from our rented condo.C enjoying the kid sized recliner. I enjoyed all the brand new appliances in the kitchen. We went on a fairly short hike on our first full day in Idaho. We went to Round Lake State Park but I forgot my camera! Oh, the horror! ;) It was about 3 miles hike around the lake with some inclines and most of it was shaded (important since every day it was 82 degrees or hotter). After the hike, my hubby rented a canoe and he and the boys went out on the lake. I *attempted* to stay mostly dry while floating on a inflatable mattress at the beach area. Here's a tip - you really do get what you pay for with those things! I didn't stay dry.

Spokane's Manito Park

2011-08-27T08:07:00.000-07:00

Just a quick photo to share from my visit to Manito Park in Spokane (last week).
I believe this rose is called Charles Aznavour. I'm linking up with Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound.

{this moment}

2011-08-26T12:20:00.000-07:00

Summer pennant banner

2011-08-16T21:10:00.000-07:00

I know that summer is winding down. Shhhh, don't tell my husband. :) He doesn't like to hear that. :) Friends of ours (in another part of the country) have already gone back to school! I wanted to share this banner that I made a few weeks ago when our summer weather finally arrived.

Boy, my windows are dirty! Sorry about that.

The paper has images of lemonade stands, watermelon, kites, and lemons. I love to make seasonal banners which I hang above the sliding door to our backyard.

Here are some instructions if you'd like to make one, maybe for fall? :)
1. The banner itself is made with precut chipboard shapes.
2. I glued scrapbook paper on top of the shapes.
3. For the letters, I found a font that I liked (Cherry Cream Soda) and I printed it out on lightweight white cardstock to use as templates. I then traced the letters onto blue cardstock and cut them out.
4. I added some stickers and some fun shapes like a lemonade stand and a tree. The scrapbook paper and stickers are made by C-Thru Ruler from the Little Yellow Bicycle line - Sweet Summertime.
5. Yellow satin ribbon to string it together.

I bought almost of the supplies from Ben Franklin Crafts store. I love that place! They have a store in Monroe and one in Redmond as well.

I'm linking up with Crafty Soiree at Yesterday on Tuesday.

One Thousand Gifts - #10 to 24

2011-08-08T23:28:00.000-07:00

(adding to my 1000 gifts list)

10. access to 2 fantastic libraries in my area
11. my husband's job which allows me to stay home with my boys
12. summer and a break from routine
13. sunny days

14. our trip to Wenatchee and Leavenworth

view from the hotel window in Wenatchee

15. although I'm sad that my boys are no longer little, their current stage includes growing independence
16. getting together with school friends to visit a newly renovated public pool
17. our vacation is booked!
18. sugar snap peas from my garden
19. taking our new dinghy out onto Green Lake
20. Lego
21. watching the Blue Angels
22. discovering a new park
23. Eric Metaxas' biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer which I'm currently reading
24. my sons picking berries happily

One Thousand Gifts - a beginning

2011-08-02T20:58:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I'm about a year behind on this trend. I'm going to start posting things I'm grateful for. I realize that I'm lacking in the thankfulness department. I'm prone to complaining, jealousy, etc. I haven't read Ann's book (yet) but I know that gratitude helps my outlook!

I'm grateful for:

1. My salvation
2. My husband.

3. My children.

4. My godly heritage.

5. My parents.
6. My father-in-law.
7. Living in a free country with freedom of speech.
8. Having a yard to plant flowers and grow vegetables.
9. Picking blueberries with my boys and friends from church.
10. Fresh, delicious carrots from my garden.

A few photos from my garden on a rainy day.

2011-07-25T16:48:00.000-07:00

Birthday Rose (purchased with birthday $$)

Dahlia - survived the winter - yeah!

Lavatera with a bee visitor.

Guest Blogger: My hubby!

2011-07-15T12:23:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my husband took our boys on their first ever camping trip so today I'm turning over my blog to him.
---------------------------
I finally took the boys camping. We went to Beckler River Campground, just north of Skykomish. It was our first time there. The first evening we just setup our tent and got situated. The river was rushing making a wonderful background noise for sleeping. It was actually a good thing our site wasn't right next to the river as I originally had wanted. The boys were very excited just to be camping and to feel like they were in the woods.

The main activity was a hike on Saturday. And what a hike it was!

The hike was about 2,000 feet elevation over 3.5 miles, up to a beautiful mountain lake (Lake Serene, it's called). They walked for 3 hours to get to the top, leaving at 8AM and reaching the lake at 11AM. We had lunch at the top and returned for an almost 6 hour adventure. We almost turned back a few times on the way up. The middle section was an extremely challenging series of switchbacks and (log) stairs, at quite a steep grade. A was unstoppable. That boy is a mountain goat, and has determination to spare. He never complained and never tired on the way up.

I think C really learned a life lesson about pushing yourself past what you think is your limit to accomplish something. There were no other kids his age on the trail. Some other adults who saw the boys were very impressed. I carried C on my shoulders for as much as I could of the steep part, but eventually my heart wasn't going to put up with that any more. He's 45 lbs! Imagine hiking up stairs for the better part of an hour with 45 lbs on your shoulders. We (C and I) had to stop frequently to rest. He wanted to turn back on several occasions as it seemed like the switchbacks would never end.

Eventually we asked a couple of young men who were returning if we should turn back or carry on and they insisted that we should. They even gave us some water (we had not brought enough), and informed us that we basically had completed the most brutal section. So we took their advice, and found out they were right. The rest was straighter and less steep (though the surface was extremely rocky). C did all this in sandals, and I in a rather poor choice of shoes.

We made it to the top.

We saw one man at the top who had passed us on the way up, when he had said: "See you at the top". Once there he seemed surprised to see us and said: "I didn't actually expect to see you up here!" Some other adult hikers who had found the way up a challenge expressed admiration for the boys' achievement. Someone we encountered a couple of days later who had done the alternate to Bridal Veil Falls with similarly aged children said she'd been told not to do Lake Serene.

The way back was of course a lot easier, but it was still 2.5 hours of walking over rough terrain. C actually led the way on the trip down at first, but eventually both boys wanted to be carried, so I let them take turns on my shoulders. A is a heavy boy now. Imagine how that felt on my feet at that point. But he had earned it.

The final stretch home to the trailhead still felt like a challenge in its own right. We had run out of water with about a mile still to go. C was very thirsty, but he soldiered on with little complaining. The temperature was mild and we were shaded pretty much the whole time, so that was not an issue.

I asked myself as we were finishing: if I had known how hard that was going to be before starting it, would I have done it? I'm not sure the answer!

I asked the boys the same question in the evening in the tent before going to sleep. A didn't hesitate to say "yes", and I believe him. I think that boy was made to hike.

C also said yes. Then he said: "I never want to stop impressing my Daddy."

A good day.

Immediately after the hike we went into the village of Index and bought cold drinks and ice cream from the general store, and then hung out on the Snohomish River river bank. The boys were able to find plenty to do. In the evening we cooked up hot dogs and s'mores over a fire, played catch, and the boys had more fun in the woods and by the river.

It was all about the candy

2011-07-06T17:03:00.000-07:00

My boys with their hat/bag held out hoping to catch candy at the 4th of July parade. They did. Plenty. Now, what to do with it all? They had a lot of fun sorting it into lunch bags. I may just throw it all out when they are away camping with J. :)

Treasures found thrifting!

2011-06-27T12:57:00.000-07:00

I went to the annual Craven Farms (Snohomish) Tailgate Antique sale on Saturday morning. This is my 2nd year attending. Photos of the treasures I found last year are here. The prices at this event are generally excellent. I was so excited to find this beauty for 5 dollars! Yes! I think a trip to Flower World is in order, to fill it up with flowers/plants. :)

I also found a map of Paris, 4 doilies (I've started a collection), a magazine/paper holder that I'll repaint, and a china plate.

I'm happy that garage sale season has begun but my pet peeve is wasting time finding parking for a sale only to find out that the seller has only junk.

I'm linking up with Thrifty Treasures at Southern Hospitality and Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays at Coastal Charm.

Summer Activities - 2011 Edition

2011-06-23T10:05:00.000-07:00

Summer is in full swing around here, even if the weather isn't exactly playing along. My boys have been out of school for almost 2 weeks!

Inspired by The Crafting Chicks, I created 3 jars of ideas. One has rainy day ideas (blue paper), one had sunny day ideas (yellow paper), and the third is places to go (orange paper). The summer jars are a big hit with my boys! They even wrote out some of their own ideas.

Here is a sample of the rainy day list, which is the longest. :)
- write a letter to a friend
- write in summer journal (I bought each of them a composition book)
- summer reading. We signed up at the local library. There are so many programs available including Half Price Books.
- make muffins or cookies with Mommy
- play a board game
- look through photo albums
- do a science experiment. I found some great books at the library.
- find 5 toys to give away
- practice math skills (note to self: get a math workbook or two)

Here are our sunny day list. This list is the shortest because my boys don't need much help coming up with ideas on those days.
- play street hockey
- sidewalk chalk
- bubbles
- paint rocks
- hide & seek
- dig up weeds with Mommy (hmmm, maybe today?)
- wash the car
- slip n' slide- "water slide" - garden hose directed down the slide (our slide isn't bolted down so we can move it around)
- street soccer

The "places to go" list includes parks, beaches, mini golf, and the Zoo. For rainy day outings, there is the following:
- Science center
- Children's musuem
- Lego store at Bellevue Square
- rollerskating
- Zoo (inside stuff)
- McDonald's play area (yes, they still like that).
- Creation Station
- Amphibian Center in Edmonds - call first before you go - limited hours.
- Lowe's Build and Grow (some Saturday mornings)

Today, we're going to the play area at McDonald's and I'm bringing a book to read. :)

6 already???

2011-06-21T20:58:00.000-07:00

My baby turned six in May. OK, I said it. He also graduated from Kindergarten earlier this month. Sigh. Life is moving way too fast! Thankfully, I still get some cuddles once in awhile. :)

So with many busy Saturdays we weren't able to have a birthday party until this past weekend. I made a Lego cake that took 3 times longer to frost than I expected and the first cake I made fell apart when I turned it over. I ended up arriving late to the party! I also didn't take as many photos as I wanted but it is so difficult to be the hostess AND photographer. C had a great time and so did his guests. That's the main thing, right? I was exhausted at the end of the day. I think I fell asleep at 7:30 pm that night!

On with the photos. First, the cake.Not my best but it does look like Lego. The bumps are marshmallows cut in half. The icing was homemade and yummy!

Here's the birthday boy on his throne. He's going through his serious-in-photos stage.
And here are the friends (and big brother).

The party was held at a childrens museum so the guests got to run around and play after we had cake and opened presents. (We also had a little game - guess how many Lego in a glass jar.) The Wedgits were popular.
My mom is now reading my blog for the first time since I started blogging (back in 2006, I think). Hi Mom!!!

Sorticulture?

2011-06-12T19:05:00.000-07:00

The name of this festival cracks me up - Sorticulture. We went today.
It was free and not too crowded. There was a great playground so the boys preferred to spend most of their time there. Thanks, J, for staying with them while I explored the garden art. :)

I want to try this some day - a garden bed using an old bed.This was my favourite display - miniature gardens - so creative!(These are Barbies if it wasn't clear.)

Summer activity #1

2011-06-10T17:30:00.000-07:00

School's out for summer! It is a good thing and a challenge. The challenge is keeping my kids active and avoiding hearing that dreaded "I'm bored!" I'm compiling a list of things we want to do, things to keep their brains occupied (to avoid the summer slide in math), and places to visit that are fairly close by. Of course, we'll go on a family vacation and attend a vacation Bible school. There may also be swim lessons but what about the rest of the time? Well, a mom has to get creative, especially since day camps are expensive!

Activity #1 - Painting Rocks

My youngest did this yesterday since he was already out of school and looking for things to do.

Cost? Free! Well, if you don't count the paint, that is. Washing the rocks can also be part of the fun. I've included a painting tip in my photo. Use a cheap ice cube tray (think dollar store) for holding paint.

Kindergarten Graduation

2011-06-06T21:46:00.000-07:00

This is a very short blog post due to busy week.

I had to share this photo from Kindergarten graduation which was last Friday.
Every child received an award and said what they want to be when they grow up.
My son's award? The Isaac Newton Award for Science. :)
What does he want to be? An artist.

My great find!

2011-05-16T22:00:00.000-07:00

I was going to write a post about my amazing find at the thrift store today but then I decided to write about my ultimate find.... my husband J.

Today is my 13th Anniversary! J and I were married in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on May 16, 1998. I love my husband. He is brilliant, funny, a fantastic father, and a great support to me.

This is him playing with our boys and a friend, taken a few years ago. I'm so glad that God brought our lives together. In fact, our wedding bands have this inscription - Deus Nos Iunxit - which is Latin for "God has joined us together."

I don't have our wedding photos in digital format but here is one to share.

What's happening in my garden?

2011-05-15T18:42:00.000-07:00

Well, in a word, planting.

I went to two plant sales a few weeks ago. One was the Alderwood Garden Club's sale and the other was at Lynnwood High School (part of their horticulture program). I love getting plants for 99 cents and $1.99 each!

My youngest son has joined me in the garden. He helped me plant potatoes.
Vegetables planted in my raised bed (made by my father in law)
- sugar snap peas
- carrots

Flower seeds planted:
- sweet peas
- snapdragons
- zinnias
- cosmos
- sunflowers

What's blooming? Its mainly tulips right now.
These tulips (mixed with the white ones) are almost black in colour:

I created my own window box. I found inspiration here. Mine contains ivy, bacopa, petunia and a white geranium. Can you guess the theme?

I love my succulent box:
I recommend succulents for any gardener even a beginner or someone with a "brown thumb." They hardly need any soil and are very easy to grow plus they don't require much maintenance. You can put them in just about any container.

Amber's Photos

2011-05-06T09:42:00.001-07:00

A few days ago my boys and I had our photos taken by the talented Amber of Tres Birds Photography. You can see us here.

Canada's Election

2011-05-02T22:12:00.000-07:00

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper

I don't usually discuss politics on my blog but today Canada held an election and my friend Paula asked me to explain the Canadian political parties so I'll do my best. I worked in Canadian politics for six years, including 3 years on Parliament Hill (where the government of Canada is located).

I'll *try* to keep this short since my 4 loyal readers don't come here for politics. :)

Tonight there was a big, big change to the Canadian political landscape. The Conservative Party led by Stephen Harper won 166 seats (as of 10:30 pm PST) out of the 308 in the Parliament which means they will form a majority government. Last time around the Conservatives had a minority government.This means more stability and less elections. A minitory government can be defeated by a non-confidence vote in the House of Commons. The Liberal leader, Michael Ignatieff, caused this most recent election by such a vote on March 25, 2011. Canada has had 4 national elections in the last 7 years.

The Liberal party, which governed Canada from 1993 until 2006 went from 77 seats down to 34 seats and third place. The Liberals have either been the government or the Official Opposition for most of the last century.

The New Democratic Party, the socialist party, was a big winner, especially in the province of Quebec. The NDP went from 37 seats to 103 (59 of those in Quebec).

To understand Canada, you have to know about Quebec and the drive for sovereignty. There are a lot of Quebecers who want to separate from Canada and become a country. The party that promotes Quebec sovereignty is the Bloc Quebecois. When I worked in Ottawa in the 1990s, the separatists, who want to split Canada up, were the Official Opposition in the House of Commons! The BQ went from having 47 seats in Parliament down to 4 seats! For the first time in 20 years, a majority of the seats in Quebec were won by a federalist party (the New Democrats). This is good for Canada as a whole.

I would like to see the BQ party dissolve. Canada has too many political parties. For many years the conservative vote was split between the Progressive Conservatives and the Reform Party. In 2003, these parties merged and became the Conservative Party of Canada. The liberal/left-wing vote in Canada is split three ways between the Liberals, the NDP, and the Green Party. I don't think Canada will ever have just two political parties like the US but a few less parties would make for a better parliament.

Voter turnout was around 58%.

Well, if you want to read more about the Canadian election, I highly recommend Mark Steyn's column.

Great Wolf Lodge and Springtime in Seattle

2011-04-28T23:04:00.000-07:00

April has been such a jam-packed month. This is only a fraction of what our family's been up to this month. Over Spring Break we went to Great Wolf Lodge. Unfortunately, everyone else in the PNW was there at the same time so it was pretty crazy. Lining up just to check *in* to a hotel is LAME and puts you in a bad mood! The room we stayed in had a "kid cabin" which the boys loved. A got to sleep on the top bunk for the first time. The artwork is cute. The boys enjoyed the water area, especially the wave pool, and doing the treasure hunt. Hubby and I wished that they were braver and had gone on more slides. I kind of made my youngest go on River Canyon Run with me. Bad mommy! It was pretty fast but completely safe and I held him the whole time! I found a video of a family on it.

One of my favourite spots in the Seattle area, especially in the early Spring, is the Arboretum aka the UW Botanic Gardens. This place is huge! Such a great place to walk.My favourite trees - magnolias - weren't in full bloom when we went (April 17th) but it was still beautiful. My boys are a little bored there (no playground) but my hubby told them they could play spies and spy on me. Shaking the tree to make it snow is another fun activity.My son is such a sweetie. He "picked" this flower for me. :)

Boys of Summer? Make that Winter!

2011-04-06T21:38:00.000-07:00

I'm officially a baseball mom! My oldest son is on a sports team for the first time ever. Practices started a few weeks ago. We haven't exactly had good baseball weather. Cold, rain, and even snow today! The first game was Saturday, April 2nd. All four members of our family went. My youngest son wasn't too enthused. He thought the game would be at a stadium with bleachers, popcorn, an announcer, and a scoreboard. This pretty much sums up his feelings: Poor guy! He was happier in the car. :) It was about 44 degrees, if I remember correctly.
The players "dugout":Here's my slugger at the bat. (I blurred out the name of the league for privacy.)
It was so cold that some players had a huddle to keep warm!My son made contact with the ball several times, played shortstop, and enjoyed himself despite the cold. I'm so proud of him!

Here's my hubby's report on the game:
The (my son's team name) managed to dig out of an early 5-0 deficit to the (other team) with a series of infield hits in the second and third innings. In the end the (other team's) greater experience paid off with an 11-10 win. The (my son's team name) still have some work to do on their ground game and especially in chasing down the ball.

A Victorian Birthday

2011-04-03T19:20:00.000-07:00

For my birthday this year, I did something very different. I traveled by myself to Victoria. My parents live there and I hadn't seen them since Christmas. My brave hubby took on the boys for 3 days. It was a much needed break for me. No driving and no cooking!

Mom and I went to the Mecca for tea lovers - Afternoon Tea at the Fairmont Empress. The waitress said to us, "Welcome to Tea," which sounded to me like - there is no other! The food is wonderful and the tea is hot, black (if you prefer) and served up right! It is pretty spendy but once every 3 years or so is worth it.
I was finally able to see The King's Speech. Kind of strange to take my parents to an R rated movie. :)I enjoyed a long walk by the Strait of Juan De Fuca (aka the open ocean) with Mom followed by some shopping in Oak Bay and James Village.I stayed at Marketa's Bed and Breakfast. My hubby and I have been staying at this B&B for over 10 years! I recommend it to visitors to Victoria. The breakfast is fantastic and I love the character of the 1912 house which has been renovated to include hot tubs in many of the rooms. My sweet hubby surprised me by sending flowers to my room!

Please excuse the dirt under my fingernails

2011-03-24T16:04:00.000-07:00

I've been gardening! Woohoo! The beginning of the season is so exciting. So much optimism, so much naïveté. :)

Here is what I've planted so far. I have to do a lot of weeding, unfortunately.Work before play!

Lily of the Valley

Bleeding Heart - I planted 2 tubers

I also put a few of these

Ranunculus

in my flower bed. They are "tender" perennials, which means I'll have to dig them up in the fall because they won't over-winter. No problem. I think they are worth it.

Note: I did not take any of these photos myself. I think I want a macro lens for my birthday (this Saturday). That's what you need to take really amazing flower photos. Sweetie???

Spring might be coming after all!

2011-03-16T16:51:00.000-07:00

Yes, spring might actually be coming to Seattle. Here are some signs:

1. My crocuses are blooming!

2. Baseball practice started yesterday. Yes, I've joined the ranks of those who shuttle their kids back and from extra-curricular activities. My oldest son is now on a baseball team for the first time in his life! I'm thankful I didn't have to stay at the field for the entire practice because it was 44 degrees, rainy, and windy. Brrr! My youngest and I warmed up at the library.

A practicing his catching.

3. My boys played outside in the backyard today because (for the first time in AGES) it wasn't raining!

Button headband

2011-03-09T21:40:00.000-08:00

Ever since I saw the idea for a button headband, I've been mildly obsessed. I have a huge button collection (this is only some of them)
and a headband is a perfect way to use them.

I've made 3 headbands so far - white, brown, and turquoise.
My hair isn't really that red, it's the flash and the artificial lights. :)

Instructions for the headband? Pretty simple.
1. buy a few elastic headbands. Dollar Tree has a collection that includes a wide one that is perfect for this project. I like the thinner ones made by Goody (show below). They come packaged in three (I believe) for about $3.00. Don't quote me on that, though. I got mine at WalMart.
2. gather up the buttons. Make sure you have enough for the headband. You don't need to cover the entire headband.
3. Use thicker craft/button thread for best results. I matched the thread to the buttons.
4. Sew. This craft is perfect for doing while watching a movie or TV.

Note: you can sew the buttons very close together since the headband stretches quite a bit. If you aren't bothered by gaps between the buttons, don't worry about this.

I'm linking up with a Crafty Soiree at Yesterday on Tuesday and Chic and Crafty.

A Taste of Spring at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show!

2011-03-03T20:19:00.000-08:00

It had been a rough week. First, my oldest son was sick, then my younger son started coughing, then it snowed and snowed, school was canceled, twice, it was very, very cold (for these parts). We were supposed to get away for a short family vacation but sickness kept us home. I spent several days stuck at home for various reasons. You get the picture. So, what does a woman do? She packs up her son (home from school with a cough) and says, guess where we're going? The garden show!

It was very kid friendly. Kids were even admitted free! They had a scavenger hunt in the display gardens. A piggy bank was hidden and you wrote down where you found it and once you had found all twenty, you would receive a prize. I didn't tell my son about the prize. We spent 90 minutes at the show ( a long time for a 5 year old) and we found 12 of the pigs. I need to send the organizers a note about that little problem.
My favourite display garden (from a gardening and style perspective) was the one done by Christianson's Nursery which is located in Mount Vernon.
My favourite display garden for kid appeal was this Wind in the Willows one.

There was even a little rowboat for C to sit in and watch a little of the Wind in the Willows DVD.
Here is a display with a wolf theme. This is the pigs' brick house.The Alice in Wonderland was the most crowded area. Here's the Queen of Hearts.This is display (using a shipping container as a shed) was created by a 17 year old girl!
I was *amazed* by the displays. Did you know they have 72 hours to set everything up? I would love to see the work that goes on to bring in all those trees and plants!This one was the most jaw-dropping. It looked like the Woodland Park Zoo! There was even a "Sasquatch" hiding by a tree. Can you see him there? If I had more time and my son wasn't with me I would have made notes and taken more flower photos. One cool idea was a path made of walnut shells.
I enjoyed our outing but next year.... I'm going to spend the whole day there. There was so much more to see, especially the vendor area. I did see a booth with some beautiful wreaths.Who's going with me next year?? :)

If you need a laugh, and don't we all......

2011-02-24T21:03:00.000-08:00

Good quote

2011-02-21T19:20:00.000-08:00

I've been home almost all day, enjoying some kid-free time. Thanks, Hubby! I've been purging, sorting, organizing, and cleaning. The recycle bin is overflowing with paper and that is a very good thing.

I was going through a home design book and found this:

"The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance,
the wise man grows it under his feet."
-Proverb

I'm also thinking about gardening since peas can be planted on or after President's Day in my region. I hope this year's weather is better than last year's!

Ruffles and Rust

2011-02-19T19:42:00.000-08:00

I was so looking forward to another Ruffles and Rust show. I went to the first one back in October and blogged about it, too. This time around, I ~~corrupted~~ persuaded a newbie to join me. Yippee! We spent over 2 hours wandering the many booths. The only sad thing that happened is that I saw a beauty of a chair (slipcovered, pink, roses) for an amazing price and I was about to inquire about buying it and another woman had just purchased it! Talk about competitive buying! I should've arrived sooner, I guess. My friend Rene managed to find a similiar chair in colours that matched her decor perfectly so I was happy for her. I was on that chair like white on rice! :)

Here's a little show and tell of what I bought (minus a large framed print I was too lazy to photograph). L to R (clockwise): A birdcage (that I will paint white), a framed print (for $2 !!!), a photo album, a cute metal wall pocket, a vintage Easter card, a wheelbarrow, some vintage fabric and some watch faces that I plan to make into magnets or necklaces.

Another blogger's experience (very well written) is here.

When he should be going to bed...

2011-02-12T22:03:00.000-08:00

this is what my inventor son does. He makes a robot out of cardboard boxes, duck tape, small tin cans (the arms), and a toilet paper roll (the neck). This robot has several faces depending on his mood - shocked, mad, unsure, and happy.
His room may be a disaster- filled with boxes of all shapes and sizes but I think he'll do well in life. I'm also glad he isn't glued to a DS or an XBox. :)

Free music from Amazon!

2011-02-08T13:01:00.000-08:00

Get $2 in free mp3 credits at Amazon with code VDAYMP3S

Enter your code HERE (make sure you are signed into your Amazon account) and then you just go choose your songs and they should be free.

Handmade Classroom Valentines

2011-02-06T20:45:00.000-08:00

I like to send my kids to school with *handmade* Valentines. It's a thing with me. I ~~hate~~ strongly dislike mass produced cartoon character ones. Sorry to all those who buy 'em. I know they're fast and cheap but where is the individuality or creativity? I like to think that homemade valentines *might* be kept a little longer. OK, lie to me, alright? :)

My youngest son loves mice, so this is what he'll be taking to Kindergarten next week.A few more, though. He has 21 classmates.I tweaked an idea I found here.
Supplies needed:
- white cardstock
- 6 mm pom poms
- small circle punch (to make the ears)
- small googly eyes
- rick rack

I used the die cut machine at a craft store (Ben Franklin's) to make the heart shape. The ears start out as small circles and are pleated and then glued down.

Inside each mouse is a label that says "Happy Valentine's Day from ...."I ordered them for super cheap at VistaPrint. My son has a relatively long name so writing it out 21 times isn't fun!

My older son is sending owl valentines based on this inspiration from Family Fun magazine.

I'm linking up with Crafty Soiree at Yesterday on Tuesday.

Sad anniversary

2011-01-22T20:38:00.000-08:00

Today marks the 38th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade. Did you know that since 1973, 50 million unborn children have been aborted? That is an entire generation.

Do you know that the "Roe" in the original case who fought for the right to abortion is now an advocate for life? Her name is Norma McCorvey and she started a pro-life ministry called Roe No More.
More of her story can be read here.

In the United States alone, one unborn baby is aborted every 23 seconds. That is hard to believe, but sadly true.

"The greatest destroyer of peace is abortion because if a mother can kill her own child, what is left for me to kill you and you to kill me? There is nothing between." - Mother Theresa

Reading, watching....

2011-01-20T16:39:00.000-08:00

Man, I hate January! Well, let me rephrase that. I hate January in the Seattle area! It is so dark and dreary! Today it was cold (36 degrees or so) and rainy and overcast all day long. I don't have a photo to share because I can't muster up the motivation to document just how bad it is. I wish I could just hide under the covers but I have to drive my kids to and from school so I stare at greyness for a lot of my day. Negative, eh? :)

OK, now that I've gotten that off my chest, here's a peek at what I've else I've been doing. I'm reading a fascinating book.I'm enjoying this look at life inside the White House as GWB faces difficult decision including selecting a cabinet, restricting stem cell research, and of course, America's response to 9/11. I realize that I love reading a good autobiography. A completely different autobiography that I've also been reading is Confessions by St. Augustine.It is a difficult read, I confess. Ha ha! I read a review that said Augustine wrote in a circular fashion. That explains my difficulty! I'm a linear thinker, for sure. Maybe I need a guide or a commentary. Have any of you read Confessions?

I've been enjoying Masterpiece Theatre on PBS on Sunday nights - something I actually look forward to in January! This year's show is Downton Abbey and it is a period piece (my favourite!). The best line so far was from Maggie Smith, who plays an aristocrat forced to interact with a middle class family. "What is a weekend?" she asks! You can learn more and also watch it online.

Puzzle blocks - a tutorial

2011-01-11T17:10:00.000-08:00

I'm back! Happy 2011! Today I have a craft to share. Back in December, I found these blocks at a flea market (2nd Saturdayz, if you are curious).

I enjoyed them and so did my kids. They are just challenging enough to keep me amused. :)

I *was* going to make my own version using some vintage Christmas cards but then I decided it would be more fun to use images that could be enjoyed all year 'round. I wanted to use Richard Scarry illustrations but I can't bear to cut up any of my (rather large) collection. I did find this fun book for 25 cents at the thrift store.Now, here are the supplies you need to make your own puzzle blocks:
- an old book or greeting cards or photos or scrapbook paper or...
- Mod Podge - I used the matte finish (abbreviation: MP)
- wooden blocks - I used 1 1/2 inch blocks *see note*
- scissors, pencil
- ruler
- patience!

Note: The blocks might not line up perfectly so the image won't be completely flat. If this bugs you, you might need to pick another craft. ;) I bought my blocks at Ben Franklin craft store in Monroe.

1. Sand the blocks (if necessary) to eliminate any rough edges.
2. Decide on the images you will be using. You need 6.
3. Roughly draw around the blocks (pushed together) while they are on top of the image you want to use - use a pencil
4. Cut the images out.
5. Trace each block individually (they can vary slightly in size) using a pencil.
6. Cut out the square.
7. Put MP on the back of the image and then place on the block. Smooth any air bubbles away. Finish one image at a time.
8. After you have glued down the images on all 6 sides, put a coat of MP over the images. I recommend doing one side at a time.

Here are my completed puzzle blocks:
This would be a fun gift for a child. You can also use photos and give these to family members.

Let me know if you have any questions.

I'm linking up to Hookin' Up with House of Hepworths and a Crafty Soiree at Yesterday on Tuesday and Fun for Kids Friday.

Wrapping up Christmas

2010-12-31T11:20:00.000-08:00

This was the best gift of Christmas 2010. Meet Shadow, my youngest son's now constant companion.
I thought it would be fun to have a stuffed cat to chase C's rodents around. The funny thing is that Squeeky (the mouse) has been lost for a week or so. Did he know a cat was coming?

My boys were funny this year. They didn't stay in their jammies on Christmas morning. They got dressed right away so I don't have the traditional photos I wanted (of opening presents, posing by the presents, etc.)

I did manage to get one by the tree (with cheesy grins), taken at bedtime.
We had *such* a bushy tree this year! I actually had to prune it. A lot. We got it from Farmer Brown's Tree Farm in Arlington, if you are interested.
Another fantastic (because of the price) gift we gave the boys was a cardboard pirate ship, life size, well, kid-sized. I found an amazing deal and it was $5.00 including shipping. It arrived on December 24th.
My boys use it as a fort. It will be great to take outside in the Spring.

A family photo taken by Rene:
We always do Christmas crackers in our family. It is a British custom that my husband's family has as a tradition. This year we forgot but remembered on Boxing Day. Here are my parents in their crowns. My dad and A playing air hockey (the table was an early present that we found on Craigslist).
Here we are saying goodbye to my parents as they flew back home.
Now, I need to go back to bed. I've caught some nasty bug. Bronchitis? The flu? I'm not sure. I have a deep cough, a constant headache, and I feel achey. Thankfully, I'm the only one who is sick right now and my hubby is off work today. I have to get better for Monday since the kids go back to school and I'm back to my "job" as driver.

Happy New Year!

Creative and beautiful photos!

2010-12-28T22:57:00.000-08:00

Christmas goodies

2010-12-25T13:02:00.000-08:00

I did some last minute baking on Christmas Eve. Well, it wasn't actually baking since I made "no bake" treats! These are sooooo easy.

These treats have wheat germ in them! Now, that *has* to make up for the chocolate, right? ;)

Mud Balls
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup wheat germ

Heat the peanut butter and honey over low heat until melted. Add the remaining ingredients. When cool enough to handle, roll into oohey gooey mud balls. Try not to eat too many!

I found this recipe on a lovely blog a few years ago but I can't remember which one. If it is yours, please accept my thanks and apology for not giving credit.

Pinata???

2010-12-22T09:31:00.000-08:00

I luv glitter houses, especially glitter churches. This year I was on the hunt for the ultimate one. I found it at an unusual place - Yankee Candle. This beauty was in the window and I had to have it! :) So, I talked to hubby, found a great coupon, and voila! I had an early Christmas present! So, I put it on top of our old school TV - you know the kind that you can actually put thing on top of?
Well, what did my seven year old boy think of it? He said "it looks like a pinata!!" Bashing up my precious church? Oh, the horror!!

Ah, boys.

Christmas crayons - a handmade gift

2010-12-15T19:46:00.000-08:00

Need an idea for a last minute gift for classmates?

My son's Kindergarten class has stockings hung up for every child and we parents were asked to bring a small item for each one. Now, even if I bought something at the dollar store, with 22 classmates, that would set me back 22 dollars! Um, no. :) So.... I brainstormed a bit, read some blogs, and I remembered that I made recycled crayons in heart shapes for my son's classmates earlier this year. Now, I confess that I get most of my good ideas from other people and these Christmas crayons are inspired by Sew Totally Smitten. She has a terrific tutorial so I'll just direct you there.

Recycled Crayons in Christmas shapes - I added a fun little poem (click on the photo to make it larger) so the kids wouldn't accidentally eat them!
Now I realize this post isn't exactly timely. Our school has its last day on Friday and I finished these up last weekend. It does take time and time's awastin! You can just file this away for next year or use it for a birthday party favor idea, OK? :) One tip: if you are making as many crayons as I did - you will need way more crayons that you think you need. :)

Another word to the wise: crayons melting in the oven smell pretty nasty.

I think it is in the genes.

2010-12-10T19:52:00.000-08:00

Check out the Christmas ornament my youngest son made, completely unsolicited and on his own. He backed it with a small popsicle stick for sturdiness. I have a well-stocked craft cabinet. :)

Homemade glitter garland

2010-12-09T19:00:00.000-08:00

I looooooove banners/garlands!

I have this spring banner
(boughten, not made) that I've kept up all year (in my room) because I love it so much. It was starting to annoy my family, so I decided to use it as inspiration to make my own, more seasonally appropriate banner. I found glittery letters at WalMart (of all places!), which were packaged as decorations for Christmas stockings, and that got me started.

Here is a tutorial. Sorry, limited photos.

Materials needed (if you want to make a similiar garland)
- WalMart glitter letters (warning: they will shed glitter. This may bother you, it may not! I have a story about this so keep reading!)
- patterned paper with a Christmas theme
- cardboard
- a good strong glue (I used Tombow Mono Aqua Liquid Glue)
- 1/8 inch hole punch (I used my CropaDile)
- 1/8 inch gold eyelets
- large jump rings - these can be hard to find. I'm sure a bead store would have a good selection. I found mine at JoAnn Fabrics.
- 2 kinds of ribbon. I used a cream organza ribbon and a red glittery ribbon.
- scissors with fine tips
- patience

Instructions:
1. Copy the letters on scrapbook paper, cut them out and then backed them on cardboard to make them stiff.
2. Glue the patterned letter on top of the glitter letter, slightly offset.3. Punch two very small holes in the tops, then attach eyelets for more sturdiness.4. Insert large jump rings to attach the letters to the ribbon. Hang up in your home or if you are really lucky - on your mantle!! My banner is hung above the entrance to my kitchen.

That dangling "A" bothers me a lot but I'm trying to relax about it! :)

Now, if you have one of those fancy die cut machines (Cricut, Silhouette, etc) this garland will be a snap to make (and a lot easier on the hands and wrists!). Hey Santa, I've been good!!! ;)

One funny story related to this craft: I was making this banner on my dining room table and my son was asked to get working his homework. He normally likes to do his homework at the same table but he protested (and wanted to work somewhere else) because the glitter was getting a little too close to his section! He is *such* a boy!

I'm linking to the Christmas Craft Link Party at Centsational Girl!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T20:30:00.000-08:00

Here is my little Indian boy at his Kindergarten's Thanksgiving party last week. He's about to say grace for the yummy snacks. :)

One of his recent class assignments was to decorate an "Albuquerque" turkey. The kids were given a paper turkey which they needed to disguise (in any way they choose) so it wouldn't be eaten for Thanksgiving. My son loves mice, so his, of course, is a mouse! :) I have to admit that I helped in the making of this project.

A lot. :)Here are some done by his classmates.I think it was a fantastic project for Kindergarteners and even older kids would enjoy it. My 2nd grader enjoyed seeing all the turkeys up on the wall near his classroom.

I found this cute pilgrim couple at a local craft fair. I love handmade decorations!
We are very thankful to have friends who invited us to join them for Thanksgiving. We don't have any family close by and the price of travelling to visit my parents is pretty high due to the rising costs of the ferries (my parents live on an island).

Today, I'm thankful for many other things. Here's a short, very random list:
1. My husband has a job that he enjoys and he is compensated fairly.
2. My children are doing well in school (we just had report cards and parent teacher interviews).
3. I am healthy and happy.
4. We didn't lose power in the recent snowstorm.
5. There are so many interesting and inspiring blogs to read out there. Check out my sidebars!

I want to win a Silhouette!

2010-11-22T20:00:00.000-08:00

You know those nifty die cut machines that cut stuff out of paper for you? The Silhouette Craft Cutter is the ultimate because you don't need to spend big bucks on cartridges. You just need fonts! There are so many cool project using this machine, including home decor, scrapbooking, card making, etc.

Thrifty Decor Chick is giving one away - click here for the details. Pick me, pick me! :)

Keep your hands away from my children!

2010-11-15T22:42:00.000-08:00

photo credit: Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images

I'm on the "no fly" list. I put myself on it today. I'm not going to be flying anywhere until the TSA's (Transportation Security Administration) policies change. I was planning on visiting some family friends during Spring Break but no more. I'm not going to subject my children to s#xual assault. Yes, I know those are strong words. Supposedly travelers have a choice - go through the Advanced Imaging Technology machines (which emit high levels of radiation and the naked images amount to child p*rnography), get "patted down" or, if you refuse the enhanced pat down, get escorted out of the airport and risk fines, arrest, etc. I have a hard time believing this is happening in the freedom-loving USA.

Read the story of a mommy blogger who traveled through the Tulsa airport on November 12th and was touched without warning or explanation and is now charging the TSA agent with s*xual assault.

Did you hear about the three year old girl who was terrorized and screamed "don't touch me" as the TSA agent groped her and her mother restrained her? How is that protecting our children? What message does that sent to a child? Will she trust her mother 100% after that?

Whenever my boys' pediatrician examines either boy's private area, he gives the same talk,"This is your private area. The only people who can touch you here are your mom or your dad or your doctor and its only OK for me to touch you because your mom is here." My job as a mother is (among other things) to protect the innocence of my children. I'm not letting any stranger see naked photos of my children OR touch their genitals. I also don't want my children to see me get groped by a stranger. It doesn't matter if they are wearing a TSA badge.

"Those who would give up Essential Liberty
to purchase a little Temporary Safety,
deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
- Benjamin Franklin

A day to remember and be thankful

2010-11-11T10:20:00.000-08:00

Today is Remembrance Day in Canada and Veteran's Day in the US.

In Canada (and the UK) we wear red poppies on our lapels to honour those who fought to give us freedom. Why a poppy? Well, they grow in Flanders (southern Belgium and north-west France) the site of WWI battles and burials. The poem "In Flanders Field" is recited today all across Canada at Remembrance Day ceremonies. It was written by a Canadian doctor.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

...Lt. Col. John Macrae

Why is Remembrance Day on November 11th? The armistice (end of fighting) agreement between Germany and the Allies took effect at the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918. A moment of silence is observed at 11 am. I wonder if I could get my kids to agree to that this morning? (They have the day off from school.)

Canada's national newspaper has a sobering graphic on the front page today. Each dot represents one of the 107,156 Canadians killed in both World Wars, the Korean War, peacekeeping operations, and the conflict in Afghanistan. Read more: http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/11/11/we-remember/#ixzz14zsjDozq

Who knew reading my blog could be educational? :)

Reading, listening to ....

2010-11-05T16:35:00.000-07:00

Do you ever finish a book and feel a little sad that it is over? I did when I finished Katherine by Anya Seton. It is historical fiction and a romance but don't let that scare you. It is set in 14th Century England and even includes Wycliffe and Geoffrey Chaucer, who were contemporaries of the Duke of Lancaster and Katherine Swynford - the main characters. It is *very* well written and not trashy like Philippa Gregory's stuff* (she only wrote the introduction to the book. It's a bit confusing on the Amazon page.) I'm waiting to get more of Seyton's books from the library. I'm not watching much TV these days so I need exciting books to read. :)

My boys are hooked on Adventures in Odyssey. We've been borrowing the CDs from the library and they are listening to them ALL THE TIME! I recommend them for children ages 7 and up (even though my youngest is 5.) The topics are a bit mature (such as drug use) even though there is a clear moral lesson in each episode. I think it's great that my boys listen to these CDs more than anything else.

Here is some music that I've been enjoying.

First, The Lower Lights - hymn revival band.

Listen to more of their music here. Does anyone remember the song Sunshine in my Soul? That's a fond memory from my Baptist background.

A new song from Brooke Fraser that is soooo cheery!
What have you been reading? Listening to?

*I don't recommend any Phillipa Gregory books. They are gratuitous and don't leave anything to the imagination.

Happy Trick or Treaters

2010-11-01T09:26:00.001-07:00

My oldest son (on the left) was a "road trip." He had matchbox cars stuck all over him. I found the idea on the Family Fun website. It claims to be a last minute costume but it wasn't. I was sewing on velcro right up until last night. My youngest was an astronaut. We went trick or treating with friends in a nearby neighbourhood.

Here's my costume
In case it isn't clear, I'm supposed to be Heidi from Switzerland. :) I put it together using Value Village (for the black top and skirt), an antique store (for the apron) and WalMart (for the wig.) Very frugal!

I guess all that outdoor activity was too much for my little astronaut. He's home sick today. :(

Fall Flowers

2010-10-29T11:07:00.000-07:00

All good things have to come to an end, right? Even my dahlias which have been blooming since August! I'm so grateful for them especially since where I grew up we never had flowers into October. I picked these on Tuesday, October 26th. Here's my last delphinium of the season, as well.I'm linking up with My Romantic Home's Show and Tell Friday.

Ruffles and Rust (a vintage market to inspire)

2010-10-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

I've been looking forward to this show
since July! My hubby called it Bednobs and Broomsticks. :) Even though I wasn't feeling all that great on Saturday morning, there was NO WAY I was going to miss it. My hubby said that he thought I'd crawl over broken glass to get there. OK, that is a little extreme. :) At least he knows what I like!

Unfortunately, I didn't get a friend to go with me, again. Oh well, I kinda like shopping alone but it would've been fun to have someone with me to share my excitement. I did run into some "old" friends of mine - Tiffany and Colleen - from "down south." :)

I *really* wanted to take this home with me but it was over my budget. :(
This was an interesting repurposing/craft idea - decoupaged (using vintage paper) metal cookie sheets as magnet boards. Click on the photo for a closer look.
Another interesting idea was this decoupaged (with vintage book pages) framed mirror:
I loved this display of vintage sheet music (Hayley's Cottage):
Fun Junk had tables full of stuff to dig through.
At this booth I found some antique roses postcards (photo below).

I love glittery stuff, especially Christmas decorations like this church from Glitter & Ivy's booth.

There were over 50 vendors but these were my favourites:
- greatfindz (Dawn)
- My Sweet Savannah (Melaine)
- The Vintage Nest (Tamara)
- Unexpected Necessities - a new to me vendor
- Joyworks
- Garden Party & Luluz
- JohnBob Cool Junk - they have the best displays.

Show & Tell Time - fun stuff that I bought:1. an antique kitchen scale - $10 (these usually go for much more!)
2. authentic, no-filler autumn potpourri from Garden Party
3. cute antique white frame
4. paper birdcage (I collect them)
5. chippy & rusty cast iron stand (with pumpkin on top!) - from My Sweet Savannah
6. photo card (purple rose)
7. floral paper covered Bible - free from Joyworks!
8. antique floral postcards
9. mini paper roses from Unexpected Necessities which deserve a close up:
Aren't they adorable?

I found some more great photos of the show at the blog Create Beauty. Enjoy!

It's never too late for a party

2010-10-22T20:00:00.000-07:00

My oldest son's birthday is in late August. Not the best time for planning birthday parties. Lots of people on vacation and who to invite? His class from the previous year? Plus, this year, his birthday was the day before the first day of school. Kinda busy, no? I have planned and executed 11, count 'em 11 birthday parties!! Can you say burnt out? :) So, I wimped out and didn't have a party for him. He was OK with that. For a while. But then hee started asking, when is my party going to be? OK, ok. Can it be small? Please?

We had a *very* small party for him last weekend. (If you're counting, that's almost two months after his birthday.) Three friends were invited. Two were able to come. I made cupcakes and decorated them to look like a mini golf course since A loves to play mini golf.

(I found printable cupcake flags here and the cupcake inspiration here.)

The main activity was playing hockey outside which warmed the hearts of his Canadian parents. It turns out that my youngest is a tough goalie!
Silly string was sprayed.
Some gifts were opened. Pizza was eaten.

Pictures were taken.
A good time was had by all and I didn't completely wear myself out in the process!

Picking pumpkins and apples

2010-10-15T12:43:00.000-07:00

So, I'm back. You missed me, right? :) I have a working hard drive now so I can share photos again.

The boys recently had a day off from school so, as we did last year, we went an orchard to pick apples. This year I didn't go to the same orchard. Instead we drove to Sedro Woolley. Yes, that is a crazy name for a town. I wonder where the name came from? Anyway, at the orchard we were given free range to try as many apples as we liked. I appreciated how friendly and welcoming the farm was. A big shout out to Jones Creek Farms! There were so many varieties of apples. Many that I hadn't heard of before. One thing that surprised me was the number of apples on the ground. What happens to these apples? I hope they're made into cider or something.
Here is one of my happy apple pickers and tasters.We ended up picking 14 pounds which sounds like a lot but wasn't overwhelming. Yes, we made a pie. I should say my hubby made a pie with the boys' help. How sweet, eh?

We also made our yearly pilgrimage to the pumpkin patch. This year I decided to take the boys to Craven Farm (in Snohomish) after school in the afternoon so we could avoid the crowds. It was a good strategy. We practically had the place to ourselves. The only drawback was the traffic going home since it was 4:30 pm by then.

I love family traditions!

DIY sticker shock

2010-09-27T13:22:00.000-07:00

So, I've been painting and improving stuff that I find at Goodwill. That's my current hobby/obsession.

I was painting a big ornate framed mirror (I wish I could show you a picture but I still have a sick computer) on the weekend and, whoops, I broke the mirror. I was very sad. Hubby wasn't even here to cheer me up.

Oh well, I though later (after some chocolate, that is.) The mirror had a "black spot" so it wasn't perfect and I'll just go to a glass place and get a replacement.

Today I went to a glass store. I brought in my big 'ol frame and asked for a quote for a beveled mirror. I was quoted 75 dollars. SEVENTY FIVE DOLLARS? For just a mirror without a frame? Sigh. I tried not to think about the fact that I dropped something worth almost that much.

So... I'm settling for a non-beveled mirror. For $25 dollars. Sigh. So much for frugal redecorating.
I *love* the frame, so I guess it it worth it.

The moral of this story? If you are painting a Goodwill/thrift store find, take the mirror out of the frame before you start moving it around! And those framed mirrors you find? If they are in good shape, grab 'em!

Maybe someone can learn from my expensive mistake and my free but valuable advice. :)

Blogging without photos

2010-09-22T19:42:00.000-07:00

Sigh. I still don't have my "real" computer. The power supply is toast so I'm using an old laptop with my monitor. All this to say, I can't share any photos right now. I do have some, believe me. So, instead of whining about this situation (well *after* whining a lot), I'm going to blog anyway.

What's on my mind? Fall! Today is the official first day so I can go for it as far as decorating, crafts, plans, etc.

1. I like non-traditional fall decorating. Too much orange makes me feel a little ill. Chelsea's idea for making black & white pumpkins (using dollar store materials) is so cool!

2. White pumpkins. I love them. The problem is the price and scarcity. So, what does any self-respecting crafter do? Spray paint some regular ones! Here are some instructions.

3. Going to Molbak's for their fall play has become one of our family's traditions. This year it is Rumpelstiltskin (I had to look that one up!). Almost every Saturday in October, you can go see a very funny family play (for free!) and grab some yummy snacks, too. Bring your camera since they always have a photo spot set up.

Now, to really get me in the fall mood, I need some apple cider from Trader Joe's. Hear that TJs?? It's time!

Messy Beautiful

2010-09-14T19:59:00.000-07:00

I love this blog post - go read it! It will change your perspective.
Thanks, Andrea, for the alert.

(I would include a photo of my own messy beautiful but I'm having computer problems right now. I'm grateful, though, to have a hard-working hubby who will soon have it fixed.)

Back to School!

2010-09-02T21:44:00.000-07:00

September 1st was the first day back to school for both of my boys. My youngest started kindergarten and my oldest started 2nd grade, both going to the same school for the first time!

This photo was taken today:
No, my boys don't just decide to wear the same outfit, they're wearing their uniforms. :) And those are "the guys" that C is holding.

We had orientation day on the 31st which is the day to find the classrooms, meet the teachers and bring in supplies. My youngest wasn't all that interested in posing.
My youngest had some trouble saying goodbye to Mommy and Daddy on the first day, although we think he was "putting it on" a bit. :)
He did great saying goodbye today.

Here is my oldest on the first day of school:

(note to self - get a photo of A with his teacher)

Now, if only there was a school bus, everything would be perfect. ;)

Happy and sad today

2010-08-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

First, the happy. It is my son's 7th birthday today! Seven years ago I struggled through a difficult delivery to be rewarded with this cutie:

I am so proud of my oldest boy. He is creative, smart, funny, sweet, kind to his little brother and loves Jesus. He starts school on Wednesday and will be in 2nd Grade. Sigh. Where did the time go?
I love you, Alexander!!

Today is also the day that my dear friend and sometimes mentor, Barbara Proctor, left this earth. Sadly, she had only been married to her sweetheart Phil for 6 months and all of that time was spent battling cancer.
I still can't believe she is gone and I won't see her again (this side of Heaven). Thankfully her family arrived in time to say goodbye.

Here are the lines of a favourite hymn of hers.

Be still, my soul:
the hour is hastening on
When we shall be
forever with the Lord.
When disappointment,
...grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot,
love's purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul:
when change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed
we shall meet Him at last.

If you are inclined to pray, could I ask you to pray for her husband Phil and her four adult children and multiple grandchildren? It is a huge loss for them.