Superfluous

2012-05-31T10:42:00.001-05:00

After our birthday bonanza a few weeks ago, I have had no desire to blog. Sometimes I just don't feel like I have anything to say. I do plan on totally giving my blog a make-over soon. So I can't wait to unveil the new look!

In the mean time, this is what I have been up to...

I scored the mother load of craft supplies at a church garage sale! Calico heaven!!!

grapes & blueberries, cucumber sticks in hummus, and whole grain pasta with peas and homemade pesto from Grandpa & Grandma Brian & Betty

We're working on eating more solids and less bottle. But no one tells you how difficult it is to transition from all meals in a bottle to all solids and milk in a cup! E wants his bottle and yet, I don't want him to have funky teeth when he gets older. Do I just go cold turkey and never give him a bottle again? He's great with a sippy cup and straws, but he still enjoys his cuddle time with Momma and a bottle. Oh and he doesn't actually call me Momma... he says MOM. Just mom. I love it!

To beat the heat on a 90+ degree day, we got out the kiddie pool. It was a splashing success!

Cousins: Piya, Levi, Drew, Everett, Evan & Isla.

My cousin and his wife had their baby girl Isla baptized a few weekends ago. Afterwards we got all the cousin kiddos together and snapped some pics.

On a side note, both my husband and I only have one sibling. I have one brother and so does my husband. My brother Buddy has Down's Syndrome and will not be having children. My husband's brother Peter lives in Taiwan with his wife. And although they don't have children yet, even when they do we're not sure how often we will see them.
It's really important for me for Everett to have cousins. I have the best cousins, I mean my cousin Kelly is totally one of my BFFs! So although he may not have first cousins yet, he will always have my cousin's children and I hope they become great pals!

Dawson's Creek is on Netflix and I'm reliving my teenage angst... with a big vocabulary! Capeside lives!

Whitney Farms Organic Plant Food

2012-05-24T01:23:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Whitney Farms for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I was really excited for this opportunity to work with Whitney Farms®! I come from a long line of avid gardeners and gardening is one of my favorite past times! I love growing flowers and vegetables, and all winter long I look forward to planting my seeds. Now that I have a little one I really want to focus on using more organic veggies and fertilizers. The thought of using organic soil & organic plant food made me feel better about what I was growing for my family.

When I heard about Whitney Farms Organic Plant Food I was so excited. I really like the idea of using an Organic fertilizer on my plants, especially my vegetables. This product to me, is better than the conventional fertilizers because they contain low to no dust, no manure odor, and they contain beneficial mircrobes. Plus it has the benefit of being 100% natural plant food! Yay!!
I have all my seeds picked out and ready to be planted. And I'm really looking forward to planting using Whitney Farms® Organic Plant Food.

And hopefully one day my garden looks like this...

Source: Garden World

For my readers I have a $3 coupon for Whitney Farms® Organic Plant Food that I hope you will use to grow your dream garden! Have fun!

Just click on Whitney Farms® to sign up to receive your coupon.

Cards & Museums

2012-05-15T13:31:00.002-05:00

card from Bill Main Etsy

Yesterday was my husband's birthday! Happy Birthday!! I got him this card because he is always asking me to watch Predator with him. I got this card off of Etsy from Bill Main. Do you know who his wife is? It's the fabulous Christina of Sweet Lavender Bake Shoppe! The same chica who made the lightning bolts and name plaque on Everett's birthday cake! Hello talented duo!

Today E and I went to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts with a bunch of other moms from my MOPS group, and Kelly, Kyle & P who decided to crash the party. I hadn't been there in years, so it was fun to walk around and re-explore the museum. E did great job looking around at all the art, only one tiny melt down when it was time for lunch. I do look forward to the day when I can take him and he will truly appreciate the artwork. My aunt Sandy introduced me to art & museums when I was a little girl and since then I've been hooked. I've had the extreme fortune of going to art museums all over the country and the world! I hope E and any future children I have, love art as much as I do!

photo courtesy of kelly

P: I think my favorite piece was the Renoir.

E: If I'm being totally honest, I would have to say my favorites were the Picasso's.

Mother...

2012-05-12T18:31:00.001-05:00

I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day!

Mother's Day is such a great day but it can also be a hard day for so many women. I've had so many friends struggle with infertility or others waiting years for an adoption to go through. I know there is pain as each Mother's Day passes and there is no child in their arms. I've also have friends lose children, and the pain they carry each Mother's Day without their sweet child with them. Or there are women out there who long for a child, but are not in a relationship or in the right one. It's hard to spend year after year hoping that maybe someday soon, they too could have a family. I fell into the latter camp. Growing up, I had always assumed I would be married young and a handful of children to follow. But year after year, and relationship after relationship went by and the longing for a child just grew deeper. There were days (years) when I just started to think it maybe wan't going to happen. I just knew I was meant to be a mom. I would pray and pray about it, hoping that God would bring a man into my life who wanted to also have a family. Finally that prayer was answered. And last year on Mother's Day I got the best present of all...

This little guy...

Thank you Tim & Everett for making me a mommy! I love you both so much!!!

One Year of Awesome!

2012-05-08T09:03:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday Everett!!!

I can't believe it's already been one year since you came into our lives! You made me a mother on Mother's Day and you changed my life forever! We love you so much and are so excited to celebrate a lifetime of birthdays with you!!! Happy Birthday Bubba!

Today Everett and I are just going to have a fun day together and then we'll have some more fun when daddy gets home. There is a dinner and playtime at the Library tonight so I think we'll go there later. But mostly there will be lots of hugs and kisses and doting on our ONE YEAR OLD... so crazy to say that!

I made a little photo video of Everett's first year. The first time I played it, I balled my eyes out. It's so amazing how much he has grown... and touched our lives!

Birthday Boy!

2012-05-07T10:04:00.000-05:00

Everett's birthday party was an epic success! We invited both sides of our family over to celebrate with us. The weather people were predicting massive amounts of rain on Sunday, but it didn't rain! It was a perfect day. Our house is pretty small, so having 30+ people cooped up inside was not my idea of a good time.
I busted out the triple crockpot (amazing!) and had meatballs, chicken wings & bbq wienies. The theme was Greek Mythology, so I also made hummus dip & Greek yogurt dip.
I made cupcakes and a healthy cake for Everett's smash cake. I had no idea how his cake would taste with very little sugar, no dairy & no eggs. But it was a delicious Applesauce recipe and I'll share it with you in another post.
We also had another cake and it was pretty awesome! Like I mentioned before i had my sweet blog friend Christina make a custom order of her edible decorations. She made a name plaque in Greek font & lightning bolts. Check out her blog and her shop! Sweet Lavender Bake Shoppe is amazing!!!!

We brought Everett out onto the driveway so he could dig into his cake, without the mess in the house. Hence the fact that you can see our garbage cans in the photos. (ugh)
I don't know if he really liked the cake, because he was having more fun smooshing the whip cream between his fingers!!

I can't believe my baby boy is going to be one tomorrow! And I'll be back to post a video and his final monthly photo. My mom asked me if I was going to continue to take photos of him each month. But at this point if I can get him to sit still for a second, it's a miracle! He is always on the move!

Birthday Party Madness!

2012-05-04T09:39:00.002-05:00

Happy Friday Friends!!!

Party Party Party Party Party Party

As you can see I am in full PARTY mode! This Sunday we are celebrating Everett's first birthday! (his actual birthday is on Tuesday) I have been pretty busy getting together this DIY party, that I've had no time to blog... or visit my bloggy friends! I miss you all!

I'm making all the decorations and the food for the party, so I have been strategically planning my days out, so come Sunday I'm not running around like Chicken Little with her head cut off!

I can't wait to show you all I've done for E's special day. The party's theme is Greek Mythology! We thought about either a Superhero party or Greek Mythology. My husband knows EVERYTHING about both! I mean you ask him something about superhero comic books and he can tell you anything you want to know. (And yes he was at the Midnight showing of The Avengers last night). But he also loves Greek Mythology and I find it pretty fascinating too, so we decided to go with that. Not to mention that we thought about naming Everett... Zeus! But I thought that might be a bit extreme.

So we have a really fun party planned with lots of fun food and treats. I'm making cupcakes and sugar cookies. And I'm also making a sugar free Smash cake for E. I know, I know, I may be depriving him of his right to eat sugar on his birthday. But I figure he'll have a lifetime to develop a sweet tooth, so I want to hold off for a just a little birth longer.

Next week I'll be reporting back on all the fun, food & decor for the party!

I'll leave you with a little teaser...

I had my awesome blog friend Christina over at Sweet Lavender Bake Shoppe do a custom order of edible cake decorations at her Etsy Store. She blew me away with her creativity!!! I'll be writing more about the cake decorations in another post. But I am most excited about these more than anything!

I just had a breakfast date with my favorite soon to be one year old. Just him and I chilling

at BK having apples and hash browns. Those are such sweet moments! Is it possible to freeze time? I wish!

Happy Friday and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Direction?

2012-04-26T11:30:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking a lot about my lil' ol' blog lately. This June will be 5 years of blogging! 5 YEARS!!!!
When I first started this blog is was to document my busy crazy fun single life. And in that time, I bought a house, met my husband, got married, then had a baby. Oofta! (yes we really do say that in MN!)
Back in 2007 I had no idea what a blog was or where I wanted my blog to go. And really, I don't think many people did back then. I often wonder if I had started blogging and putting myself out there, where my blog would be? But I just wanted to document all the fun I was having and I had no plans on going big or making money.
My first readers where a handful of friends & family and I loved all their comments and love towards my blog.
Did you know that my blog address used to be Puke Vs. Meow?!!! I'm totally not even kidding. And if you are reading this and remember that, you are awesome! Puke vs. Meow was just a silly little inside joke that I won't even go into.
People that don't blog don't really get it, but I really enjoying blogging! It's a fun way to share what is going on in my life and what I am up to. Even if just a few people are reading, I don't mind, It's just a nice expression of who I am.
But I find now that I am a stay at home mom, I've kind of lost direction with this blog. For me it's not about growing my blog, although I always love new readers. And it's also not about making money, but it's fun to get a few $$ for what I do. It's really about having fun and writing and sharing what is going on in my life.
So I need a direction for my blog. I've been thinking about narrowing it down to a few things I really enjoy and blogging about those things.

Crafting\DIY Projects. I love creating and turning junk into awesome stuff! It's so fun to share the fun things I've made and hopefully inspire others to make their own projects.
Cooking\Baking. If I wasn't a SAHM I would love to run a Bakery. I love cooking and baking. I used to blog once a week with a group of bloggers called Tuesday with Dorie. Every week I would bake some really yummy (and not so yummy) stuff along with some really awesome other bloggers. I miss posting the food I make.
Mommy Stuff.. Since I am now a full time mommy, I really want to write about that... I am by no means an expert (not even close) but I just want to write some things on my heart.

So I am thinking I am going to blog three times a week about those three things. That way I'll have some direction and I can hold myself accountable to get the piles of projects and recipes done that I have been meaning to tackle. And I can also write from the heart, which I used to do a lot of, but not so much anymore. I just want to keep it real.

Alright... I've gone on too long. It's time to continue my party plans for a certain little boy who is turning ONE in week & a half! WHAT? Where has the time gone?!?!?!?!?

Monday Monday!

2012-04-23T07:21:00.000-05:00

Good Monday Morning Friends!!
I have been really lame about blogging lately, but I just haven't been feeling it. But I do have some fun blog posts up my sleeve for this week. Including some embarrassing photos I promised awhile back. whoo hoo!

But I leave you now with a video shared over at Design Mom. Do you read her blog? If not, you probably should head over there and check it out. She said this video was emotional and oh boy! was she right!! I love the Olympics so much. And this video combines the Olympics with the daily life of mothers and their children. Now that I am a mom, this video was a double whammy for me. Olympics + Motherhood = Waterworks!

Have a wonderful day!!

To travel or not to travel...

2012-04-20T07:14:00.000-05:00

Well Hello there!

This past week has just been one of those weeks where I wanted to cuddle my baby and not blog... or do much of anything else. I had a great time in Michigan last weekend, hanging out with my gal pals. But for some reason when I come back from a trip, I don't like to join the rest of the world for awhile. As I've grown older, I've turned into a homebody. And I get lonely for home when I'm away. When I was a kid and then all the way through college, I LOVED to go away! To camp, to Grandma & Grandpa's house, trips, adventures, world traveling, YES PLEASE! No homesickness for me!

But now, as much as I still like to see new places, or visit old friends, I like being home more. Sleeping in my own bed, having my own routine, and not living out of a suitcase (which BTW, mine still isn't unpacked and put away!)
Now don't get me wrong, I still think mommy time away is good. And maybe it's just hard because I only have one child and he is still a baby and very dependent on me. I'm also still pretty newly married, so I like being with my husband. (not to say I won't like being with him 10 years from now!! :) And so of course I miss him too.
I don't know... just some thoughts. Maybe marriage & motherhood has turned me into a homebody. But I love it and wouldn't trade it for anything.

It's like in the book of Ecclesiastes,

There is a time for Everything,

and a Season for every activity

under the sun.

Have you found your travelling habits changed as you get older? Is this just me?

Prep for Spring's Busy Event Season

2012-04-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Walgreens for underwriting this post. I was paid as a member of the Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all mine. Visit http://www.discoverbeautywithin.com/.

Ahh Spring! I so look forward to it after a long winter! Once Spring comes it seems like there is always a flurry of activities that pop up, and of course you want to look your best for them. Looking fresh for Spring doesn't have to break the bank either. Here are a few of my favorite beauty items that I picked up from Walgreens.

Lotion

After a long winter my skin is always so dry and cracked. Using lotion instantly helps my skin hydrate and look instantly healthier. I love to use Jergen's Ultra Healing Lotion. It really penetrates deep down and gives my skin a nice soft glow.

Eyeliner

I would highly recommend using an eyeliner in a fun color. Use it with a neutral eye shadow to give your eyes a pop of color. My favorite right now is Cover Girl's Smoothers Eyeliner in Violet.

Mascara

If I had to pick one beauty item that makes you instantly look "made up" without wearing a lot of make-up, it would be mascara. Mascara opens your eyes, helping you look awake and pretty. I particularly love a mascara that helps my eyelashes look a mile long. And my personal favorite is L'OREAL's Voluminous Mascara in Black.

Lip Gloss

There are so many pretty lip glosses out there that give your lips a pretty hint of color. And lip gloss is a simple way to add color to your face, especially if you aren't a fan of blush or eye shadow. I can't live without lip gloss and I have so many favorites. But I picked up Incolor by Jordana's Lip Shine in Watermelon Punch at Walgreens, and it's definitely my new favorite. A hint of color without too much stickiness!

Nail Polish

During the winter I tend to wear darker nail polish colors. But once Spring hits, I like to wear lighter colors on my nails. Right now there are so many fun pastel nail polish colors out there right now. I am loving Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear Nail Color in Mint Sorbet. It's pretty awesome!

Those are just a few of my favorite ways to look ready for spring's busy event season. And thanks to Walgreens, you can look great without spending a lot of cash!

I would love to know what beauty items you can't live without? Do you change up your beauty regiment with the changing seasons?

Easter Recap

2012-04-11T21:04:00.000-05:00

I'm really losing my mind. I totally thought I blogged about our Easter weekend... but I guess I forgot!

Last Easter I was 9 months pregnant, uncomfortable and ready to burst! So it was nice to not be heavy with child and actually watch my baby enjoy his first Easter.

Saturday we went to a family Easter party with lots of little cousin kiddos. It was fun to have all the kids together. (Although we missed you Una!) We had a great brunch and a fun Easter Egg hunt set up by cousin Kelly.

"They get Popsicles and I get a Celery stick? Whatevs mom!"

Too much Toddler Excitement!

Egg Hunter Extraordinaire

Sunday we got up early (when don't we get up early) and Everett got to look through his Easter Basket. Probably the only year I can get away with organic baby food, a Bible & water bottle.

We had our family over and it was a really nice day hanging out with the ones we love. On a day we are most thankful & grateful for a risen savior who brings us hope & peace!

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter! (even if this is a few days late!)

...

This Friday my friend Cindy & I are heading to Michigan to visit our pal Shannon. We've all been friends since high school. And Shannon & I have been friends since the 4th grade! It will be a quick trip and I'll be back home Sunday evening. This is the first time I'll be leaving Everett, so I know I will miss him so much, but I know he is in capable hands with his daddy. Next week I'll be posting all about our weekend, and I hope you do come back because I will be posting some very old and embarrising photos of the three of us from high school! eeek!!

Sabrina, Cindy & Shannon
Conjoined Triplets @ a Jason Mraz concert!

11 Month Easter Greeting

2012-04-08T00:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter!!!

Ruffles!

2012-04-05T06:53:00.000-05:00

I have a confession... Although I know how to sew fairly decently, I don't like to sew. I get impatient and don't always take my time. Sewing calls for neat and strait lines, with very little room for error.
Which reminds me of the episode of the Cosby Show, where Denise insists on making a "designer" shirt for Theo. Hilarious!
Start it at minute 4:58 :)

Although I've never messed up as bad as Denise, I have had some mishaps myself. So much to my surprise, when I learned how to make ruffles, I was in lazy sewing paradise. I don't know why it took me so long to learn how to make ruffles, there is a very easy way to do it and it's basically setting your tension to the highest setting and away I went.
I've seen a million ruffle totes all over Pinterest and I really wanted to make one. So I went over the top crazy and made this ruffle color bomb!

It's a little intense and the ruffles are messy, but now I know how to make ruffles! And life just got a bit more interesting with that knowledge!

Linked Up At:

Happy Hour Projects, House of Hepworths, Pincushion Creations, The Shabby Nest, Five Days, 5 Ways, Love Notes by Lauryn, Bubbly Nature Creations, Anything Goes @ Bacon Time, Tatertots and Jello, 52 Mantels, It's Overflowing, Itsy Bitsy Paper Blog, My 1929 Charmer Blog, Knick of Time, Very Merry Vintage Style, Taking a Time Out Thursday, Centsational Girl, Crafty, Scrappy, Happy, My Romantic Home, six sisters' stuff, Design Dazzle,Skip to My Lou, Not Just a Housewife, Primitive & Proper

Burlap & Stencil Chair

2012-04-01T14:49:00.001-05:00

Whenever I see a sad, ugly chair at a garage sale or thrift store, I scoop it up. I love a good underdog story and I'm determined with a little TLC to make these chair shine!

This chair had great bones, but just needed a fresh coat of paint and a serious fabric upgrade. It's not heinous, but it kind of screams Grandma's House.

I pulled off the old fabric and covered the chair with burlap. Then I made a stencil and added one of my favorite numbers. Very simple and I loved how it turned out.

Linked Up At:

Happy Hour Projects, House of Hepworths, Pincushion Creations, The Shabby Nest, Five Days, 5 Ways, Love Notes by Lauryn, Bubbly Nature Creations, Anything Goes @ Bacon Time, Tatertots and Jello, 52 Mantels, It's Overflowing, Itsy Bitsy Paper Blog, My 1929 Charmer Blog, Knick of Time, Very Merry Vintage Style, Taking a Time Out Thursday, Centsational Girl, Crafty, Scrappy, Happy, My Romantic Home, six sisters' stuff, Design Dazzle, Skip to My Lou, Not Just a Housewife, Primitive & Proper

Happy to be Featured!

2012-03-30T10:12:00.000-05:00

I was recently contacted by Homes.com asking if I wouldn't mind having my Spring Decor featured along with other blogger's spring decor. Of course I said YES!!

Feel free to stop by, take a look and vote for your favorite! If you voted for me that would be awesome, but let me tell you that the competition if fierce!! We don't win anything, just bragging rights. But it's just fun when someone takes notice of something you create. YAY!
Check it out at Homes.com

Checking In...

2012-03-29T16:00:00.000-05:00

Hey-O did ya miss me? I have just been maxin' & relaxin' this week with the family. Sometimes you just need a break from the blog world.
We really have been enjoying this time, hanging out and just laying low. I was so excited to see Hunger Games and it did not dissapoint!! Did you see it? What did you think?
I also have been cooking up a storm and making freezer meals for the future, along with some yummy cinnamon rolls via The Pioneer Woman. (Although I cut waaay down on all the butter & sugar she says to use (yikes) I made a huge batch of Enchiladas. Some for us and some for a friend who just had a baby. I stopped by to drop them off and her baby is so stinkin' cute. But I forget how tiny newborns are! Which is amazing that almost 11 months ago someone let us leave the hospital and bring home something that little for us to care for day and night!?! crazy!
Babies are everywhere! My blogger friend Valerie just had a sweet baby boy stop by and say congrats at Bohemian Season. (It's a super great blog too!)
Well I better get back to family time... and netflix instant streaming... and a bunch of magazines that came in the mail...

I am going to leave you with some lovely kitchens I found on Pinterest. Oh the things I could create in these kitchens... sigh.

Elle Decor

House & Home

Better Homes & Gardens

Jennifer Rizzo

We were on a break!!!!

2012-03-23T08:57:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday friends!!! (Did you get my blog title reference? Even after all these years I still use Friends quotes. Do you?)

We are just hours away from my husband being on Spring Break!!!!! We don't have anything too exciting planned, but it will just be nice to have him home for a week. However there will be a few things we are planning on doing...

I will be making a couple of recipes from my favorite Magazine

We are going down to Winona, MN (birthplace of this Actress) to visit the in-laws.

And we plan on seeing Hunger Games as many times as we can!

I want to send you off with this video. My mom sent this to me. Hula Hooping is her new favorite past time and she claims it's the best work out ever!
I apologize if you never want to read my blog or be my friend after watching this video.

Happy Weekend!

Entryway Makeover

2012-03-20T07:55:00.000-05:00

When we moved into this house, this was the entryway...

And after a coat of paint and some things I found around the house, we had this...

Table: Thrifted
Chair: Thrifted
Lamp Base: Thrifted
Lamp Shade: Target
Rug: Target
Bowl: Marshalls
Candle: Target
Eiffel Tower: Paris! :)
Pillow: Etsy DiyPillows (which I just found out their shop is closing)
Mirror: Garage Sale
Books: Andrew Wyeth (my favorite artist)
Paint Color: There is a fun story about how we came up with the color.

One day we were eating Cape Cod's Salt & Vinegar chips

and I looked at the blue on the bag, and said, That would be such a pretty wall color!

So we brought the chip bag to Home Depot and they made us up a gallon.

Linked Up At:
Happy Hour Projects, House of Hepworths, Pincushion Creations, The Shabby Nest, Five Days, 5 Ways, Love Notes by Lauryn, Bubbly Nature Creations, Anything Goes @ Bacon Time, Tatertots and Jello, 52 Mantels, It's Overflowing, Itsy Bitsy Paper Blog, My 1929 Charmer Blog, Knick of Time, Very Merry Vintage Style, Taking a Time Out Thursday, Centsational Girl, Crafty, Scrappy, Happy, My Romantic Home

Leprechaun Mischief!

2012-03-19T13:37:00.001-05:00

St. Patrick's Day started more like April Fool's Day for me!!! I had a whole fun day planned of Green Cinnamon Rolls, Shamrock Cookies, wearing O' the Green and fun fun fun!! But instead I went to get the mail, turned around, tripped over my husband's HUGE shoe in the middle floor (where did that come from?? darn Leprechaun!)... and face planted into the floor!!! Down she goes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OUCH! Thank God I wasn't holding the baby, that would have been BAD! But it hurt like the dickens and my husband came running and tried to pick me up, but I wasn't ready to be picked up and i just wanted to lay on the floor in my agony and tears. But I started laughing at the same time because I envisioned myself falling and my husband pulling at me to get me off the floor. And that was super funny!
He kept saying, Why are you Laughing???
But really I was in pain. Thankfully I didn't break anything. My arm and my leg took the brunt of it though and I have some nice bruises.

source

Needless to say, I spent a chunk of the day on the couch. I did get around to making cinnamon rolls, but my brother was over and he said Green cinnamon rolls sounded gross. So we just had regular ones and they were YUMMY!

That's all I got.
I hope your St. Patty's day was green and not black & blue!

SPRING SPRING SPRING!!

2012-03-14T19:39:00.002-05:00

We are having the most amazing weather here! 70 degrees all week long!!!! Maybe in other parts of the country that is normal, but here in MN that doesn't usually happen until May! We've been on a lot of walks and a visit to the lake. Granted there is still ice on the lake, but it's still lovely nonetheless. I know Spring isn't until next week and we have St. Patrick's day to celebrate first, I couldn't help but do some Spring decorating. I found the frames at a thrift store. They were U.G.L.Y.!!! But with some paint, they look totally transformed! So NEVER underestimate some old junky frames and paint! Hello transformation!!!!

I had fun editing these photos with PicMonkey. It's very similar to Picnik, so I'm glad I found another fun photo editing site after Picnik goes buh-bye. I suppose I could finally learn how to use photoshop, but I like to keep it real (and easy). I used a feature called Yester-color to give it an old fashioned vintage look to these photos.

But I also like the other camera effects too...

HDR

Boost

Cross Process

Basic editing

Have you started decorating for Spring\Easter? Is it too early?

Linked up at:
Happy Hour Projects, House of Hepworths, Pincushion Creations, The Shabby Nest, Five Days, 5 Ways, Love Notes by Lauryn, Bubbly Nature Creations, Anything Goes @ Bacon Time, Tatertots and Jello, 52 Mantels, It's Overflowing, Itsy Bitsy Paper Blog, My 1929 Charmer Blog, Knick of Time, Very Merry Vintage Style, Taking a Time Out Thursday, Centsational Girl, Crafty, Scrappy, Happy, My Romantic Home, Dear Lillie, Jennifer Rizzo

A Weekend for Waffles n' Stuff

2012-03-11T05:37:00.000-05:00

This weekend I decided to make waffles. I saw a recipe for Pumpkin Waffles at Whatever Blog and decided it was time to bust the ol' waffle maker out. Do you call it a waffle maker or a waffle iron?? Regardless of what you call them, the waffles were super yummy!!!

My coveted Anthropologie measuring spoons my husband gave to me for my birthday last year!

Delish Blackberry Syrup!

My favorite thrift store dinner plates.

I have a thing for collecting dinner plates at thrift stores. If I see a set I like, I snatch it up and add it to my collection. That way if one gets broken it's no biggie! I recently found these polka-dot plates at the Goodwill. They are just so fun and cheery! I walked past them about 5 times before putting them in my cart. I'm really glad I did!

I really love going to thrift stores, it's seriously one of my most favorite past times. I was in a thrift store yesterday and as I was walking outside, my dad pulled up in his car and was there to do some thrifting himself! It was awesome because we totally did not plan this, nor did he know I was there! This is not the first time something like this has happened. We're just cool like that.

The weather here is gorgeous! And you know Spring is right around the corner and that makes me so happy! Longer and warmer days are my style. (I am so not a winter girl... and yet I choose to live in MN????) Well I guess the Spring, Summer and Fall make it worth it to live in this beautiful state!

Hope you're all having a splendid weekend!

Friday Fun Facts

2012-03-09T08:07:00.000-06:00

It's Friday and I'm going to share a bit about myself...

I was voted Most Likely To Make a Fashion Statement in High School. Which is really funny, because after having a baby I feel sooo frumpy all the time.
I majored in Literature and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). I have a minor in Theology. I still contemplate going to seminary to study theology.
I took three years off of school between my sophomore and junior year. I just had no idea of what I wanted to do in school and didn't want to waste time or money.
I lived in New Hampshire for a year, working at a Christian counseling and residential care facility. But it was more like a big farm, where we helped young adults get back on their feet, through work, mentoring, and the love of Jesus. It was not a cult or commune. :) But it was one of the toughest, most challenging and life changing years of my life.
In New Hampshire I worked in the kitchen and canning room (we harvested a ton of crops). Not only did I learn a lot about cooking & baking in large quantities but I can Can & Preserve food with the best of them!
If I could open up a shop it would be a bakery. I love baking! And I think it would be so fun to have a cute little bakery. One that also made homemade soups and sandwiches, with comfy chairs, great music and crafts made by locals for sale.
I have a huge sweet tooth.
I went to jewelry making college for a year. I always wanted to do it, and I learned so much. Soldering, ring sizing, design, gemology, and stone setting. Sadly, it just wasn't for me, but I'm glad I tried it.
I taught English in China for a summer at a middle school.
I helped build houses and teach bible classes to children in Trinidad. Friendliest people on earth! I dream about going back.
I back-packed through Europe after I graduated from college. Spain, Italy, France, and Amazing!
Thai food is my favorite food. And it has to be scorching hot spicy!
When I met my husband we were both working at a middle school. I worked in the Library Media Center and he was an 8th grade math teacher. I had a secret crush on him for awhile before we started dating. My friends all called him code name "T.C." ... Teacher Crush!
We had a very fast courtship when we did start dating. Our first date was November 2009, we got engaged May 2010, then married August 2010 and exactly 9 months to the day of our wedding we had our sweet baby boy!
I love being a stay at home mom. It's better than anything I could have imagined.
Despite all that I've done before I got married and had a baby, I am definitely a homebody and would rather chill at home with my boys than travel anywhere in the world.
is my favorite number.

Happy Friday! Hope you have a great weekend!

10 Months!

2012-03-08T10:08:00.000-06:00

10 Months!

Long gone are the days of trying to get E to lay on his back and take a picture. This is the best I could get from the big guy. I can't believe in 2 short months he will be a year old! I already have a really fun themed birthday party in the works. It's going to be a party the gods will envy. (this is a hint BTW) I can't wait!!! But at the same time, I am not in a hurry for E to turn a year old. Day by day he is less like a baby and more like a little boy. sigh.
I had a total cheese ball momma moment the other day at our ECFE baby class. I was just watching Ev play and he was such a big boy, playing on all the equipment and being so active. When he was sitting at the snack table in a little chair and eating his cheerios like a big boy, I literally had to fight back tears. Some days just fly by in a blur, so it's nice when you can stop and take it all in. I am a blessed mommy!

Handmade Paper Tape

2012-03-02T19:26:00.002-06:00

I love washi tape!! I'm starting to collect quite a few rolls of my own. They are so pretty and fun to use for craft projects, letters, and gifts. One day I saw this tutorial at Just Something I Made Blog for handmade paper tape and I was so excited!!!

So here is my tutorial version of paper tape...

Collect a variety of vintage old spools. These ones were actually from my Grandmother's sewing box. But you can find them at thrift store and probably ebay. Or else you can just use an empty ones you have on hand.
I bought a box of 3M Positionable Mounting Adhesive from Amazon. It is about $46 a box, so it's not cheap. Luckily, I had some Amazon credit so that was a big help. But you get a ton of it and you can use it for other project too. This stuff is super sticky so watch where you put your fingers!
Find scrapbook paper or any decorative paper you like. I had a ton of scrapbook paper that I loved with pretty patterns, So I cut it into long strips with a paper cutter.

Once you have the strips you want to use, roll out your adhesive tape. Carefully lay the strips onto the sticky side of the tape and lay the strips end to end.

Once you have your strips laid out, use the smoothing tool that comes with the tape. Smooth it down completely because this will really help the adhesive backing to stick to your paper. (This is especially important for when you are rolling it up on the spool.)
Since there will be breaks in the tape from where your paper strips meet. You could use contact paper and cover your strips. I did not do this step, but it is a suggestion if you would like a more cohesive paper tape.
Take an X-Acto cutter and a ruler and slowly cut out the strips you want to use for your tape. (Remember to us a cutting mat underneath). You will be cutting all the way through to the other side of the tape. You will want the protective backing on the back of your tape, so don't pull that off.

Cut a small bit of the protective backing off the tape, so you can stick it to your spool.
SLOWLY!!! Roll your tape onto your spool. If you notice the white backing starting to bubble or pucker, just smooth it out as best you can as you roll it. (When you go to use the tape you end up pulling it off and throwing it away anyway, but keep it as smooth as possible on your spool)
When you get to the end, I secured mine with some Scotch Magic Tape, but in the other tutorial she used a wire to hold the tape on the spool.

And there you have it, your very own collection of handmade paper tape!! Very easy and the possibilities are endless!!

Linked up at these rad places:

Five Days...5 Ways, Tatertots and Jello, House of Hepworths, The 36th Avenue, Crafty, Scrappy, Happy, The Shabby Nest, My Romantic Home, Finding Fabulous, Bubbly Nature Creations, Tip Junkie