Thoroughly Modern Housewife

How to Rag Curl Your Hair

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Fri, 11 May 2012 02:58:00 +0000

My daughter, whose hair is naturally straight as a board, loves her hair curly. So we frequently braid it before bed so she can have the curls she loves so much. Of course, braids just make the curls all crimpy, and the ends are always straight. So, its not ideal. Also she is completely afraid of a hot curling iron.

I remembered that my mom used to use rags to curl my hair when I was young, so I though I would try it out with my daughter's hair. Here's what I did...

Start with some fabric you don't mind cutting up. You can use an old sheet or pillowcase if you don't have a sewing room full of scraps.

It doesn't need to be perfect. I just snipped every couple of inches and ripped it up. :)

When you have a bunch of strips about 6-10 inches long, you're all set. :)

You'll want to start with damp hair.

Then, just wrap a section of hair around the strip of fabric....

... and tie the fabric to hold it in place.

Then grab some more hair and do it again!

Do that until all your hair is wrapped up. Then go to sleep and let your hair dry over night. Or if you are curling it for a night out, just make sure its all dry before you take it out, or it won't hold the curl.

She was very excited for the curls she was going to have at school the next day!

Unwrap the rags, and voila! A head full of lovely curls.

Kallie wanted her hair really curly, so that's what she got, but you can play around with how tight you wrap your hair, or the thickness of the fabric (thick socks instead of rags would make waves instead of curls).

She wanted the super curly hair, but I'll tell you, I thought that the waves she woke up with the next day, after they fell a little bit, were just perfect! I know I would love for my hair to look that.

There you have it, a no-heat, non-damaging, fun way to curl your hair. Let me know if you try it out, did it work for you?

-Karen

This post is linked to: Made by You Monday at Skip to My Lou and Weekend Wrap up Party at Tatortots and Jello

My "After" Kitchen and French Baguettes

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:47:00 +0000

Our Kitchen is done!

If you've seen my last post, found here, you'd see that we started repainting our kitchen. Of course, its about a week later and we finally finished moving everything back in and hanging shelves and pictures. Obviously, we didn't exactly move quickly. ;)

Well, here it is! The colors aren't really that different from what it previously was, but fresh paint really brightens up the room! The white looks clean and bright again. :)

Here's another view...

...and then, of course, Sully comes in and pulls down my hand towel. That's his signature move. :)

See that picture along the back wall? Here's a close up...

Because I don't want to leave you without a little something, here's my recipe for these french baguettes. (Also, using pictures of food you've made is a great idea for pictures for your kitchen walls)! :)

French Baguettes

To save time, I start these in a bread machine, but if you have the time and enjoy lots of kneading, they are equally tasty when mixed by hand, just change step 1. :)

Prep Time 2 Hours
Cook Time 25 Minutes

Servings 12

Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

1 cup Water
2-½ cups Bread Flour
1 Tablespoon White Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
1-½ teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
1 whole Egg Yolk
1 Tablespoon Water

Preparation Instructions

1. Place 1 cup water, bread flour, sugar, salt and yeast into bread machine pan in the order recommended by manufacturer. Select Dough Cycle, and press start.
2. When the cycle has completed, place dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in bulk. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.
3. Punch down dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll into a 16×12 inch rectangle. Cut dough in half, creating two 8×12 inch rectangles. Roll up each half of dough tightly, beginning at 12 inch side, pounding out any air bubbles as you go. Roll gently back and forth to taper end (into a baguette shape). Place 3 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Make deep diagonal slashes across loaves every 2 inches, or make one lengthwise slash on each loaf. Cover, and let rise in a warm place for 30 to 40 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Mix egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water; brush over tops of loaves.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

-Karen

This post is linked to Skip to my Lou - Made by you Monday

Before and... Well, Just Before - Kitchen Redo

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 03:22:00 +0000

We decided this past weekend would be the perfect time to paint our kitchen. This would be a before and after post about how that went, but with 3 small kids, the weekend is over and it is still a work in progress.

Now, I remember why we put the kitchen off for so long. It is not a quick job.

The white paint already in the kitchen here was probably almost as old as these cabinets themselves... and, looking closely, could barely be considered white at all.

So, to make sure we do the job right, the shelves were emptied in order to paint every inch. (So we don't have to do this again for a long time)! ;)

Turns out there was a lot of stuff piled into those cabinets, and now they are spread out throughout my house.
Maybe its time to plan a yardsale...

Luckily we had good help.

Unfortunately though, the kiddos lost interest in painting under the shelves about 2 minutes into this, and I had to fit myself underneath the cabinets to finish.
I'm definitely getting to old for those sort of jobs.

Miraculously, they did manage to get some of the paint on the walls...

Even the little one joined in, and we only had to paint over a few tiny hand prints.

So our weekend project has moved into the week. Hopefully though, we'll be able to move our things back into our kitchen soon. Although, the kids do seem to like that we've had meals like pizza and picnicked in the living room, since our kitchen is empty and all its contents are covering the dining room table.

Here's to the "After" pictures coming soon! (I hope). :)

-Karen

A Travel Game for Your Next Road Trip

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 02:47:00 +0000

Summer is coming soon... and with that, Summer vacation!

Yay! If your family is like mine though, you'll probably be hitting the road, "Family Vacation" style.

We are so lucky these days to have a DVD player in the car, its good for at least a couple of hours of quiet. In fact, I'm not quite sure how my parents got through a long car ride without one. But, of course we still need some more ways to keep the kids entertained.

When I was little I remember a car trip bingo game we had. A little magnetic game board with things like cars, trucks, power lines, hotels etc... It was really super fun for us as kids and so what would be better than making one for my own little ones.

Want to make one yourself? Grab a couple of magazines and look for pictures of things you can find along the way. Kids would also have a great time helping to look through the magazine, kind of like a search and find.

Find things like animals, cars, street signs and anything else you typically see while driving. My girls are pretty young so I just pulled a couple of big pictures, I figure a dozen would be plenty to keep them busy, but not get bored with it before they found them all.

Then lay the pictures out on a sheet of paper. I used card stock, because they have little travel desks they can keep it on, otherwise I might have used cardboard so it would be sturdier.

I was going to glue them down and put it in a plastic sleeve (the kind you put in a three ring binder), but I don't plan ahead and didn't have one. :) So, I used packing tape. I just covered the top with the tape, being sure to not leave any part untaped.

Then just get some dry erase markers, and mark away.

For one kid, its great to just see how many items they can find. If you have two kids that would both like to play, or are super competitive like my girls are, Make two similar ones, with different pictures of the same items, and see who can find them all first.

Then just wipe it away and start again! :)

Hope this brings you a little bit of peace during your next car trip! I would love to hear how your keep your kids happy during a long drive!

-Karen

Brush, Accessory, or Crayon Roll

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 23:27:00 +0000

Here's a quick project that will use up some of your scraps. Great gift idea or to keep for yourself.

Whether you are going to hold makeup brushes, crochet hooks, markers, or even a cute way to hold your screwdrivers, this is a simple enough project for even a beginning sewer.

What you need:

Three pieces of coordinating fabric, One for the inside lining, one for the pocket, and one for the outside.

One piece of ribbon to tie. This one is about 27" long

The usual sewing items: sewing machine, thread, ruler, pins

Next, cut your fabric pieces. For my roll, the floral piece is the inside lining, the polka dots is my pocket piece, and the paisley is the outside fabric.

You will want to cut your fabric 12" x 14" for the lining, 4 1/2" x 12" for the pocket, and 10 1/2" x 12" for the outside piece.

With right sides together, pin your pocket piece to your outside piece along the 12" side.

Sew these pieces together with a 1/2" seam.

Press open your seam.

Now you have two pieces, both 12" x 14" Lay them out with right sides together.

Pin the two pieces together. The next step will be to sew them together leaving an opening for turning right side out. So, here I use these pins to mark an opening along one of the long sides about 3 inches wide.

Starting at one of your pins that mark the opening, sew around the edge of the whole thing, stopping when you get to the other pin.

Clip your corners close to, but not through, your seams

Pull it right side out through the opening you left on the side.

Press flat. Now, take your ribbon and fold it in half. Take the folded half and place it in the hole you left on the side.

Fold the pocket up along the seam. Then adjust the ribbon so that it is centered along the side. Pin in place.

Top stitch close to the edge around the entire perimeter, with the pocket turned up, back stitching over the ribbon to reinforce it.

This is where you need to decide what you are going to be putting in your accessory roll. I made this one with larger pockets to hold make up brushes. I marked 2" spaces, with one 2 1/2" for a larger brush. Its usually best to start in the middle and work out. For crayons or pencils 1-1 1/2" would work great.

I used pins to mark the pockets on the top and bottom, but if you have a marking pencil or chalk and a ruler, that would work great too.

Sew from one end of the pocket to the other along your marking.

Now you're all done! Fill it with whatever you like...

...and roll it up!

Give it as a gift or keep it for yourself.

One day I will have a pretty fabric case or holder or cozy for everything in my house! :)
I hope this tutorial and I'd love to see if you made one yourself!

-Karen

This post is linked to: Skip to My Lou - Made by you monday

Personalized Gift Wrapping

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:42:00 +0000

What a weekend we had!

The weather was gorgeous, so we got lots done in our yard, and cars washed, and just lots of outside play. It went by way too fast.

To kick off the weekend, we celebrated Daddy's birthday.

Instead of buying new colorful wrapping paper, I had some white paper left over from a Christmas party project, (wrapping various boxes in white so they kids can build an igloo, so fun).

Then I gave the girls some sharpies and let them go to town. They were so excited to decorate Daddy's gifts, and it kept them occupied for long enough for me to ice the cupcakes.

I especially like this picture my oldest drew of Daddy. It really captures his rugged good looks... ;)

The girls had fun, and I think they were more excited for him to see the wrapping than the actual gifts.

I think from now on I may just stock up on solid color wrapping paper for all the kids' birthdays my girls are invited to. Makes it a little more personal, and fun!

-Karen

Repurposed Cereal and Clementine Boxes

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Have cereal boxes or clementine boxes that you no longer need, and are about to go in the recycle bin?

Why don't you reuse them yourself?

All you need is a little scrapbook paper and some mod podge.

Cute, right?! :)

I use mine in my sewing room, (Which you can see here) they are the perfect size to hold my patterns. But they would be great for any where you need a little extra storage.

The clementine boxes are great, because not only are they sturdy, but if you have something small stored in them, you can stack them and save even more space. (These hold baby food jars filled with buttons and whatnots perfectly!)

If you have empty cereal boxes, just cut them down to size and cover the sides with your favorite scrapbook paper and some mod podge as well. Great way to hold all of those papers you may have!

And there you have it! A super simple, super cute way to add a little bit of storage and make something old new again!

-Karen

Happy Easter!

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 16:44:00 +0000

Well, Easter is now over, but the plastic grass will last forever...

We had such a great Easter spending the day with family. And, I think this might be the cutest my kids have ever been. Until they got into their chocolate and jelly beans. Then they were a chocolate-faced, sticky-fingered mess.

This may be my favorite picture of all three that I've gotten, even though nobody's looking at the camera.

Seriously, this pictures makes my heart melt.

I made the girls dresses with a pattern (Simplicity 7144), So I have no tutorial. Although I did add a sash in coordinating green. It was a piece of fabric cut 7 inches and the width of the fabric. Then sewn right sides together and turned. (If you need further instructions, just message me!) :)

I am seriously going to be sad when they are older and no longer want to match or let me make their Easter Dresses.

And not to be left out, I made a bow tie for the Little Man as well. A tutorial is on its way, and as soon as it's done I will link up to it here. I think I may just make him a bow tie to wear everyday... I almost can't handle all this handsome adorableness. ;)

That was our Easter. Filled with candy, egg hunts, candy, family and a little more candy. Hope you all had a great one as well!

-Karen

Fabric Bookmark Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 21:01:00 +0000

Need a project that will use up some of your fabric scraps? Or just beginning to sew and looking for a quick simple project? Then these fabric bookmarks may be just what you're looking for.

Want to make some for yourself? Here's how...

To make one, you will need to cut 2 pieces of fabric 3 1/4 by 7 1/4, a scrap of ribbon, and a small piece of cardstock paper cut about 2" by 6"

Place your two pieces of fabric right sides together.

Sew around 3 sides with 1/2" seam allowance, leaving one short side open.

Clip corners, careful not to cut through your seams. Then turn your fabric right side out and press.

Take your piece of cardstock (about 2" x 6") and slip it inside your bookmark. The cardstock helps your bookmark keep its shape.

Now, fold the open sides in over top of the cardstock.

At this point you can topstich, sewing around all sides close to the seams to finish your bookmark.

However, I like to take a scrap of ribbon folded in half, and place it inside the open end before closing it up. That way it sticks out of the top of your book when you are holding your page.

With your ribbon in place, sew around all sides close to the seam to finish your bookmark.

There's your bookmark!

They are so cute and simple to make, and you can mix it up with so many different fabrics, and ribbon or thread.

They are great to add to a gift. In fact, they were such a quick project that I made up a bunch of them and gave them as favors at the last book club I hosted.

Plus I feel like I need to make more than one for myself, because I am forever misplacing bookmarks.

Well, there you go. Enjoy!

-Karen

Art Party Fun!

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 02:57:00 +0000

Today was the day! We celebrated my daughter's 5th birthday.

I've seen quite a few art parties bouncing around the internet, but it is such a perfect fit for my 5 year old, that I had to plan one for her!

Here's my girl in her birthday outfit, ready to party! :) (see here to read posts about her outfit).

A little pre-party twirling while waiting for her friends.

All set up and ready to go! I was so happy that she only wanted a few of her very best friends, the perfect amount of kids to keep it fun, but also totally manageable. :)

I found these great children smocks/aprons at Oriental Trading Co. as well as the cups with paper inserts for the kids to color. This was our "warm-up" activity. :) crayons and markers to color and decorate the cups and paper table runner.

Paint splatter cake! Sort of matches her birthday outfit, and was really simple, which was great because at this point, I was starting to run out of preparation time... ;)

Pinwheels for a fun splash of color! (Tutorial found here). I made extras so everyone could go home with one.

Love this smile! Everyone seems to be having fun.

Next up, the messy part!

8 x 10 art canvas so the kids can paint their own masterpiece!

Everyone seemed to have fun with this! All the paintings were so different and so colorful! I Love that its not your typical party favor.

I was really happy to see all the kids enjoy this and do such a great job.

Oh, that smile!

Seriously, amazing kids!

Even her little sister enjoyed herself. (I definitely need to frame this one)!

Before, we put the paints away, the guests put their hand prints on a canvas for the birthday girl. A reminder of her friends and the party.

After a break for lunch, it was time for cake! Little edible blank canvases for the little artists. I baked these in jumbo muffin tins, cut the tops off, and flipped them upside down.

This was what Kallie was really looking forward to, everyone she talked to the week before, she would say, "You get to decorate your own cake!!"

And they enthusiastically did!

With a little help, of course. :)

Helping my middle child. Its not often I'm on this side of my camera.

Although, she seems to be doing a great job all by her self!

Five candles on her little masterpiece, how are we at five already?!

Make a wish!

Last up, the goodie bags. All the guests took home their cups and artwork, and the supplies they used (smocks, paint brushes, palettes) as well as a pinwheel and some play dough so the fun doesn't have to end when they go home!

But, of course, they get to do one more project, and decorate the goodie bags before they go!

We had such a great time, and really, an art party plans itself. The projects keep everyone happy and busy, and it was actually the most stress free party we've had. I wish I could do the art party every year! :)

-Karen

Five Years!

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:03:00 +0000

This is my baby...

...or rather, this was my baby. Today she's 5!

Where in the world has the time gone?! Happy Birthday to my first baby, who will always be a little like that first picture to me. :)

-Karen

Twirling, Rainbows, and a Very Happy Girl

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 17:47:00 +0000

A few days ago, I posted This tutorial for my daughter's 5th birthday shirt.

And because I know you are all on pins and needles waiting to hear what kind of skirt I paired it with, ;) I will tell you. I found a great tutorial here. Its a circle skirt, so it is super twirly! Which is perfect for my birthday girl!

I made it in the same fabric as the applique, and this picture is the only still moment in at least 20 minutes of nonstop twirling and spinning!

Such a fun skirt! She just couldn't stand still while wearing it. :)

Look at that spin! I think I need to make one for myself. (Luckily the tutorial included adult size instructions).

-Karen

Updated to add, the party turned out great! Kallie was super happy and I think everyone had a good time. You can see it all here

Tutorial: Pinwheel fun and party decor

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 20:21:00 +0000

So I am still working on getting ready for my daughter's 5th birthday party. Its and art party and she is pretty persistent that all the colors of the rainbow play a big part in the decorations. So what better way to add color and fun than with some pinwheels?! :)

Here's how I made them:

First gather everything you need. I used colorful foam sheets, but construction paper or even scrapbook paper would work as well. Something with two different sides would add a nice touch. Then you need a dowel rod, some craft wire, and any sort of small beads.

You will need to cut your sheet of paper into a square. The easiest way to do that is to fold one corner down until it meets the other side, and cut off the excess.

Cut from each corner to about a half an inch from the center of your square.

You will want to poke the end of a piece of wire through the center of your square.

Then bring the same side of each corner to the center and poke the wire through, each corner should overlap.

Add a bead and wrap the wire around it.

On the back side, add another bead to keep space between the pinwheel and the stick. Wrap the remaining wire around the dowel, trying to hide the end of the wire.

Now you're all done! It may take some adjust and fiddling with the wire so that it spins freely, but your pinwheels should work great. They will certainly look great! :)

Plus when the party is over, they make a great addition to the goody bags!

I love how fun and whimsical a pinwheel is. Enjoy!

-Karen

Simple Applique How-To: A Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 04:50:00 +0000

Here's my first attempt at a tutorial. We have my oldest daughter's 5th birthday this weekend, (I can't believe she is already 5! Where does time go?!) For her party, I am making her a shirt with a 5 on it, and a matching skirt! :) Since it's my first tutorial, I thought I would start with a very simple one, an appliqued shirt. It can even be done if you don't have or want to use a sewing machine.

All you need for this project is:

A shirt, or anything else you want to add the applique too

Fabric and design you want to applique

Iron-on adhesive (I like Heat-n-Bond)

Iron

Optional: Sewing machine, coordinating thread

First, decide on the shape you want. I drew the number 5 for a template to use when cutting out the fabric.

Then cut out your pattern.

Cut out the fabric you are using to applique. I just cut a basic outline around the number 5. I'll cut the actual number out later.

Cut a piece of the adhesive approximately the same size as your fabric. Then iron the fabric to the adhesive, (follow the adhesive's instructions).

The adhesive backing makes it much easier to cut out your shapes.

Cut out your shape now. :)

Now you will peel the paper backing off of your design. This will leave the adhesive on the back of your fabric.

Decide on the placement, and iron it on. :)

At this point, you can be all done. The Iron on is made to be washable and should hold. However, I do pull out the sewing machine now and outline my appliques, just to be sure it will really last for the long haul.

Your can use the zigzag stitch on your sewing machine, or as I prefer, one that looks like this. Either works. :)

Stitch around the outline, and your all done!

There's your personalized shirt! Great for birthdays, or photos, or just for fun!

Next up, the most colorful, twirliest skirt I can make!

"Look what I did!"

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:28:00 +0000

My 3 year old just came in to show me what she did. I can't be too mad though, because she quickly said, "but it doesn't look that good. Maybe only Mommy should paint nails." Wise girl.

-Karen

My "Little Man" turned one!

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 20:21:00 +0000

This is my baby. Only, officially, he's not a baby anymore. We recently celebrated his 1st birthday.
We didn't have a large party, just family over for dinner. However, I had to make it memorable. He may not remember the party, but hopefully he can look back at the pictures and love it. I know I will!

To make my little man look dapper, I appliqued a tie and suspenders on a onesie for him. Soo cute, and so easy!

Of course, everyone needed mustaches!

They were made by sandwiching a craft stick between craft foam. Things we already had around the house, and all the kids loved playing with them, they thought they were hilarious in their mustaches. (The adults had fun with them too)!

He had his own smash cake. (Although, I must admit, its not the first time he's had cake. We ALWAYS have cakes in this house). :)

I piped some mustaches and ties for the cupcakes. I was really happy with the way they turned out.

I love how he looks so relaxed like he's chilling in his high chair. So naturally cool!

And boy did he love the cake!

He was a little upset when we took it away. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have stopped until it was gone.

I cannot believe how fast that year has gone by. He is my last baby, and not supposed to grow up so fast! If anyone learns how to slow time, please, let me know!

-Karen

Sewing Room Redo!

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 19:50:00 +0000

I really wish I had a "before" picture, but I don't... So you will have to take my word for it that this sewing room was a wreck. It also houses our laundry, and it was so cluttered that it was more sewing storage than work space. If fact, I did most of my sewing on the dining room table.

But now, I like my sewing room again. :) Its fun to be in there! Although its still a small space, and is generally overrun with mountains of laundry.

And I love seeing my fabric stash folded and put away. It's lovely not just being thrown haphazardly on a shelf.

Now to tackle my huge sewing to-do list! :)

-Karen

I'm on Etsy!

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:37:00 +0000

In an effort to keep myself from getting bored with all this free time I have, or rather a spare minute or two in the middle of the night, I have opened up a shop on Etsy! I started to make things to sell on line at the end of this past year, and I feel like it's really started to take off. You can check it out at, www.kallielilys.etsy.com

Now that I am sewing more I hope add some tutorials to this blog soon! So keep your eye out!

-Karen

Time to update!

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 02:03:00 +0000

Actually, its way past time to update... :P

While I get together a couple of new posts I have in the works, I will leave you with A quick recap of the last year or so. :)
Man, I am awesome at this whole blogging thing! ;)

Summer began with a trip to the beach, and we had a great time!

Then I made my first Wedding cake, a massive 5-tier cake that didn't fall over, so I guess it was a success. :)

My oldest started her last year of preschool! Look at her, "all grown up!"

I had two little princesses at Halloween, and spent way too much time making their costumes. :P

Christmas was great and I almost got a good picture of the kids, at least they were all looking at the camera...

My baby is growing up way too fast!

And I am another year older. It's OK though, because my wonderful children made me a wonderful cake!

Seriously, wonderful! Uh-mazing even!

"Sew" Very Easy

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Thu, 12 May 2011 01:23:00 +0000

This past weekend I hosted a Houseparty. Have you heard of Houseparty.com? Each event is sponsored by a leading brand and focuses on something cool that the sponsor wants its best fans to experience firsthand and share with their friends. I hosted a Singer Sew Very Easy Houseparty. I was sent all sorts of goodies for my guests and myself. I was too busy during the party to remember to pick up my camera, but here are some pictures before the party.

Getting the projects ready for my guests. They sent tons of fabric so everyone can make a cute little accessory roll.

Putting together gift baskets for all my guests. I was sent lots of really neat things to give away, including really cute purse and skirt patterns and lots of coupons for Joann stores.

That's the sewing machine Singer supplied for the party, its a great little machine. The Decorations were also supplied, They are Martha Stewart decorations, and really cute!
Since my guests and I all have little kids, my take on the accessory roll is a crayon roll. A cute simple project that everyone got a chance to make.

All in all, it was a really fun party! Everyone had a good time, and I hope Houseparty.com picks me to host another soon!

Welcome Sully

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Tue, 10 May 2011 18:52:00 +0000

I've got lots to say right now, but not a lot a time to write it all down at the moment. On March 16th we welcomed our 3rd baby. Sully weighed in at 9lbs 10oz, and his older sisters are completely in love. Here's a couple of photos... I'll be back soon with more. :)

Three

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:28:00 +0000

Here is a little tidbit I'd like to share. I think this is so sweet. I definitely can't take credit for it, instead I found it here

Every child teaches you something new. My first taught me patience and delight, confusion and coordination. My second taught me perseverance and depth, timing and priorities. But the third baby....

The third baby taught me that every baby is unique, that not everything comes painted in black and white, that lovely shades of gray exist in between. With two children, it is easy to label them "easy" vs. "difficult" and "creative" vs. "academic." The third baby peels away the labels, because opposites only have two sides, and suddenly there are three to cover.

The third baby taught me that not everything that went wrong with the older children was my fault, and that I could raise a child "perfectly," and he still would have frailties and shortcomings, strengths and weaknesses. I thought I'd failed the first two by putting them in day care, by not nursing long enough, by disciplining too harshly or not enough, by not knowing how to parent. The third baby taught me I could do everything "right," even by my own exacting standards, and still not have a perfect child.

The third baby taught me to treasure baby things and baby ways. With the first two, babyhood fled rapidly, hastened on its way for convenience's sake. I wanted the third babyhood to last forever. But the third baby taught me that everyone moves at his own pace and that a child develops at the perfect rate for himself. The third baby taught me to slow down, to enjoy each moment, and to live in the present; for the moments in the present move into the past so quickly with the third baby.

The third baby taught me conclusively that babies don't need lots of toys and baby gear. The third baby has all the hand-me-down baby toys any child could imagine and still prefers his teddy bear, his blanket, and his big brother and sister to any toy.

The third baby taught me flexibility. Even though everything comes in groups of four--seats in a car, chairs in a restaurant, prepacked food--the third baby taught me about creative solutions.

The third baby taught me that fair doesn't mean equal. When the third baby came, I realized I couldn't perpetually fragment myself, the members of my family, or the material goods in my house. Fair means that each one gets what he needs, in turn if necessary, not just what they want.

The third baby taught me that children aren't meant to be raised one at a time. The human animal wants and needs multiple family members around it to civilize things. The third baby taught me that a family works best as a group, not as individual members.

The third baby taught me that nothing is so inspiring as seeing kids give each other hugs, a sister reading to "her" baby, a little brother worshipping a big brother, a big brother finding the perfect gift for his baby brother.

The third baby taught me that there's always room for one more.

What has been precious about the third baby though, hasn't been what the third baby has taught me. It's what the third baby taught the first two. To nurture, nourish, and caress. To teach by example. To give in for no better reason than that your opponent is littler and weaker. To share without the promise of return. To refrain from teasing out of consideration for innocence. To accept and reciprocate adoration. To give of themselves out of love.

And oh! What the third baby learns from the first two! My third baby talked early, walked early, and learned to play Nintendo before he was two. He played schoolyard games with glee: "High five. In the middle. Down low ... you're too slow!" He knows that if he says "thank you" instead of "excuse me" when he burps, his brother and sister will fall into helpless hysterics. It is a pleasure to play Peek-A-Boo or Ring Around the Rosy with him, for his well of laughter has been primed by lots of play, and giggles erupt at the first sign of a game. He knows that his brother and sister will help him discover and grow. He has learned that any of us will pick him up when he falls, read to him when he asks, play with him when he's lonely, and show him tile wonders of the world, from hammering nails to looking for snails. He also has learned that he doesn't always get what he wants, that he can't grab or hurt, that he must talk nicely to others if he wants them to talk nicely to him, and that Mommy gives out cookies three at a time, so everyone can have one.

I once heard that people stop having children too soon. It's true. The first baby interrupts a life made for two. He forces a carseat into a two-seater, a stroller into the broom closet, a bottle of baby juice into the wine rack. Nothing fits, yet. But parents can do most of what they've always done, because the baby goes everywhere. The second baby makes parents recognize that life after children is changed unalterably. The two-seater is traded in for a station wagon, the broom closet holds tricycles and toy vacuums as well, and the wine rack has become a thing of the dimly remembered past. But the family still is feeling around, trying to find its fit. And then the parents quit, because raising two children is hard work. What they don't realize is that the first one or two give you practice. By the third baby, experience tells you that nothing is insurmountable, that problems have solutions, that children will grow past many things--and that each new baby will teach you something you've never thought of before.

I have to confess, the reason this article is on my mind is because we are now expecting our third child! It is still early, and still a "secret," but I feel safe telling everyone here, because nobody here knows me in my "real life." I am so very excited! And also terrified of a third baby, we are definitely going to be outnumbered now, and I feel like the world is made for a family of four. But I can't stop smiling about and I can't wait until I can tell everyone!

-k

Let us eat cake!

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 15:58:00 +0000

Hello again!
Seems I have been away for quite a while. It was a long winter and while I have been keeping myself very busy, this blog has fallen to the bottom of the to do pile. Hopefully now that will change. Like I've said, I have been very busy, so I will try to share with you what I've been up to...
Mostly, I've been making cakes! I love making cakes, everyone is happy to get a cake! Cakes are for celebrations!Here are just a few of the cakes I've done recently...Thanks for looking! Hopefully I will have more posts coming soon!

-k

Our Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:40:00 +0000

This year I had a 'great' idea that I was gonna make the girls costumes. Good thing I started early. What a lot of work! And, I think I have set a precedent and will have to make their halloween costumes from here on out. Because, they turned out pretty great, if I do say so myself.
My only goal was that it was kinda obvious who they were supposed to be. :)

Can you tell?

"Follow the yellow brick road"

"Are you a good witch? or a bad witch?"

Time to start planning next years costumes, I guess. :)

I ♥ Faces - Halloween Dress-Up

noreply@blogger.com (Karen) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:47:00 +0000

Lots of fun pictures this week at I ♥ Faces. My picture is not likely to win any awards for photography, but it always makes me laugh. For my daughter's first Halloween, her Uncle wanted to get her first costume. I had in mind something frilly and girly and most likely pink. He had something else in mind...

A hot dog! I can just see her thinking "But, I wanted to be a princess!" We've made up for it with lots of sparkly girly costumes since, but this one will always make me smile.

Check out more great pictures at...