Happy 10.25 Birthday, Ryan!

10.25 years...kind of a strange time to have a birthday party, eh?

Well, when your birthday is so close to Christmas, it's awfully hard to plan a party with school friends. Most are out of town or spending time in town with their families. So, when Ryan asked for a school friend party, we agreed to wait and have it in the spring. This past weekend, four of his friends met him at Fast Lanes for some racing, pizza, and sugar!

Both Dad and Bob were able to join us.

Mom took Emma to the mall...they both decided they'd much rather be

there than the race track.

Me and my not so little boy. Ryan and four very excited first time racers. All lined up and read to go!

Bob was SO tired! He got off work after being there for a looooonnnnngggg day and spent his evening watching the boys go crazy. Such a trooper!

Poor Ryan...he's used to driving the adult cars and pulling 22 second lap times. Since none of the other boys have their "license," he had to drive a kid cart and was driving much slower.

After the party was over, Dad and Ryan did a "real" race and pulled some pretty good times.

Ryan got a 21.9.

Take-A-Long Letter Writing Book

I've been wanting to make a small "book" that would hold cards, stamps and a pen for quite awhile. I found a pattern, tried it, and didn't like how it turned out. So, I made my own pattern and used some scraps...love it! It's got both interfacing and thin cotton batting, so it's durable enough to keep the cards from getting bent.

With six cards (it'll hold ten), a pen and stamps.

Details


Finished measurements are approx. 7" (H) and 5.25" (W) when closed.

One side could also be used for a small notebook to keep track of addresses and

who's needing to receive a card in the mail.

~~~

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Sewing for Emma

It's nice to take a break from the larger sewing projects and work on a few things that come together quickly. Emma needs some new outfits for this Spring...I thought these red and turquoise flowers work be cute! This is my first attempt at applique.

Detail stitching at the seam on the skirt.

I found this Gymboree top at a thrift store and didn't have anything to go with it. So we found some black polka-dot fabric and made a very twirly skirt. Once it warms up, we can pair it with a white t-shirt and sandals.


~~
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On organizing

{Dear Spring, please come soon. We're ready and waiting!}

We've been in the house now for a year. When we first moved in, things got put where I thought I might want them, where I thought they'd work best. It seems like I've been moving things around ever since. Some day, everything will have it's perfect place. In the meantime, I've been working on a bit of organizing. ~ My least favorite part of my "job" is planning meals for everyone. If it were just me, I'd likely choose yogurt with berries and granola for dinner. With two kids and a husband, that doesn't work so well. I finally put together five weeks of menus. So far, I haven't used a week as it's laid out, but it helps so much to have the list available to pick and choose from. If I need a recipe for what we're having, they are numbered on the menu page and the corresponding recipe with shopping list is found in the three-ring binder after the menus. My second binder is for coupons. I've always clipped coupons, but I've mostly left them at home in a basket, waiting to expire. Now, they are organized in card holders by type. I write my grocery list on a full piece of paper so I can put it in the front of the binder while I'm shopping. It's been so nice to actually use the coupons I spend the time clipping! And it's so very nice to save money.

After the coupons are full page protectors with "eating out" coupons...all in one place.

I have a lot of stamps. Many have been given to me, and some I purchased. They've been stored in stacks or tubs...never in a way that I can actually see what I have. Last month, I took some time and made a binder for my stamps. First, I went through my stamps and kept only the ones that I could see myself using. Then, I stamped every image from every set, numbered them on the page and then...

...put the same number on the stamp set case. Now I can look through my book for the set or stamp I want, and then go directly to the stamp set in the tub. If anyone needs a stamp set to borrow, give me a call!

One thing I've complained about in every house we've ever lived in has been the lack of closet space. Well, no more. Each of the kids' bedrooms have full closets, and our bedroom has two. There are three closets in the hallway. One is for the kids' games and activities, the second is for cleaning supplies, medicine, the vacuum, the kids' hamper. The third, well, it's a mess. Half of it is shelving and the other half has a rod for coats.

(This is why these doors are always shut when company comes!)

Right now, it's holding the recycling, storage tubs, the kids' play-doh, small appliances, phone books...a little of everything! It's just around the corner from the kitchen...

....which has very little cabinet space. Just after moving in, we added these two stand-alone cabinets to act as our pantry. They work, but I really don't like them. As we've been planning our painting, etc for the kitchen this spring, my thought was to have Bob build some low cabinets to go along this wall to store our canned goods, etc. Then, today, as I glanced once more inside the hall closet and promptly shut the doors, I wondered if it would work to take out the coat rod (we have many other places to keep coats and jackets) and have Bob add some more shelving to the hall closet. It's close enough to the kitchen to be convenient, and I think everything just might fit. That would also leave a wall free in the kitchen for a bit of decorating. And I think those cabinets would work perfectly elsewhere (maybe to store fabric and craft items?)

~~~

Sure wish tax season would hurry up and end so we can get crackin' on this! :)

Felted Bag

Small felted handbag ~ made from portions of two 100% wool sweaters

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Our Weekend

{Photo credits: Ryan}

It's tax season.

That means poor Bob is at work very early in the morning, seven days a week, and in bed by 8 p.m.

That also means that I'm just about a single mom for three months. When the kids were little and we were living in Portland, tax season was veeerrryyyy long. Now that they are older, it's much more manageable. Now that we live near Mom and Dad, who take every opportunity to spend time with the kids, it's even better. This past Saturday, Mom and I signed up for a class at the local quilt shop on using color in your quilts. We asked Dad if he'd spend the afternoon with them here at our house. He said no. But he did offer to bring Mom up Saturday morning and trade her for the kids. He'd take them to the 'poor farm' and then we'd head out there later and spend the night. Works for us!!

~~~

So the kids spent most of the day at the airport, working on Dad's plane, eating lunch at the restaurant there and checking out the air museum.

I think they had fun.

{This is the pilot's view in the plane. It sure seems like it would be hard to see!}

Meanwhile, Mom and I did a bit of exploring around town. We ended up going to two yarn shops, three fabric/quilting stores, tried to stop in and tell Bob hi (he was with a client), had a delicious lunch at a new restaurant, explored a huge antique store, bought the kids a little something at a children's store, and attended the class.

~~~

Yea, I think we had fun, too.

{This was SO good! We had a flank steak sandwich with balsamic onions, smoked gouda and some kind of creamy sauce, with chicken orzo soup and fruity iced tea.}

I bought a couple of fat quarters to make some coasters for downstairs...they match the

quilt that I just finished for that room.

And I found another jelly roll to play with. This one will likely become two baby blankets.

I don't have anyone in mind for them; maybe they'll be for sale?

I found a book of Hymns from 1894~love old books!

Sunday morning started with the two cooks making breakfast...

...while the lazy bones hid in the blankets and wished he was still sleeping.

A few guitar lessons,

a nice Sunday morning chat,

and a sweet Mom and Nana (who gave me my first knitting lesson).

Oh, we love our times there on the poor farm.

Thanks, Mom and Dad!