faux Pottery Barn

I bought Kate his Pottery Barn Easter bucket in our pre-Sawyer days and I wanted one for Sawyer to match. So I decided to turn to my pile of scraps and see what I could make. The finished project isn't perfect but it will work for a yearly egg hunt.

Don't you just love this boy's cheese?

And I couldn't not post that last one. His face made me laugh.
We can't wait to smoosh this baskets into our luggage and take them to Tucson with us!

Christmas and warm rain

When I saw this wreath on this blog, I knew I had to make it! So I gathered the supplies and turned on the Christmas music and wreathed it up! I really like how it turned out...so much so that it is already hanging on my front door despite the fact that it isn't really Christmas yet. All the shopping centers are doing it, why can't I? (And I have to say, it is hard to take a picture of your door when you live on the second floor so that is all I could get.)
Sawyer woke up from his nap right before it was hung on the door. Can you tell?

While we were outside admiring our new beautiful door, I couldn't help but admire Sawyer's bedhead. Think it is about time for this boy to get a haircut? I still haven't decided!

Kate is always begging to play outside, so I told them they could play for a little bit and they went outside and pretended to plant things. Kate is really obsessed with planting things. It started to rain, but it was a very light drizzle and still very warm so I let them play. I couldn't help but think how funny it was that I was decorating for Christmas while watching my kids play barefoot outside in the rain.

With such nice weather, though, we can't complain!

fun pumpkins

Hey, you guys should totally check out these pumpkins from my favorite blog to stalk! They are completely adorable! Anyone want to sew some up with me?

dolly diapers

I found the blog makeitandloveit.blogspot.com and have basically been obsessed with it. I spent forever going through all her old projects and found so many that I wanted to try! I told Kate about these diapers and she's been talking about it non-stop. ("Mommy, why have you not made La La some diapers yet?") Needless to say, she is going to be surprised by projects in the future. No more telling her in advance.
But the nagging was worth it because she loves them. And I love watching her love them.
But poor La La...she has been pooping nonstop all day long...

Scrapbook night!!

So when I came back from Tucson I thought it would be fun to have a monthly scrapbooking night so I could try and catch up....(I am so far behind!)....and to just have fun!

Tonight was the first event and it was great! Melissa and I had a FUN and crafty night!

Thats right, it was just me and Melissa! WHERE WAS EVERYONE?!?!

Waiting for Tucson....

I had a hard time getting Kate to sit still and smile at the same time when I was taking this picture. For a long time now Kate has been saying she wants to go to Grammie's house and I would say "in November." Now its November and she's all confused. So I had to make a chain and I told her when they were gone we would go to Grammie's house. I love that she's understanding the concept. We've been pulling a link of the chain every night before she goes to bed and it gets us both really excited. The other day I was talking to Ryan on the phone and she said "I want to tell Dada about my chain." Then I heard her say, "when my chain is all gone we'll go to Tucson in November!"

Only 8 more days!

owl

I finally put the finishing touches on my owl, just in time for autumn decorating. my mantel is my attempt to feel like fall when it still feels like summer outside. I'm pretty sure I've forgotten what fall feels like after all this time living in constant warmth and sunniness! so enjoy your fall leaves if you're in a place that has them!

rag doll

Did anyone else love reading Little House on the Prairie? I read and loved lots of moving west, 1800's, pioneer, fictional books in my younger years. Last night I was watching the olympics and started sewing this cute little doll that I saw on my internet friend Rachelle's blog and she got it from Martha Stewart. (I love the variations Rachelle put on it!) Anyways, back to Little House on the Prairie, as I played with it last night and was sewing until 1am, I was remembering reading about pioneer moms staying up to handmake their children's birthday and christmas presents. I always thought that was the coolest thing ever and I was imagining myself like that...well, without the olympics on the tv, of course. This morning when Kate came to wake me up from my sewing all night grogginess, I told her there was a new doll for her on the couch. I had a lot of pride as I watched her run in to show me. She was so excited! Handmade things are the best and I'm glad she likes it!

rainy day hat

Today is dark and rainy and since our swimming playgroup is cancelled, we're having a lazy day inside again. I'm hoping that means I can get to work on some of the projects that are sitting around halfway finished. I've been working on this hat for a little while and finally finished it. Kate was really excited about it and I love how it turned out!

mommy bracelet

I saw these online and thought it would be really fun to make them while jen is here! I LOVE how it turned out!

we also made mom a grammie bracelet:

and, of course, here are more pictures of the cousin twins. this time they are in matching outfits from anut jenny and uncle bill:

adoreable!! thanks guys!

but its kinda hard to get pictures of both of these little guys in a good mood

new sewing machine!!

a little while ago I was heartbroken when I made a user error and broke my sewing/embroidery machine that ryan gave me 2 christmases ago!! so sad! I started looking into new ones and I wanted one a little better than the one I had and I found the one of my dreams!! it was a pretty good deal too because it was refurbished and in really good condition!! ryan now thinks I broke mine on purpose (which isn't true....but I'm not saying I regret it now!!)

now I just need something to embroider!!

matching aprons

isn't it funny how I'm so busy and stressed and feel overwhelmed with how much I need to do....when most of it I don't even "need" to do! this weekend I decided to make matching aprons for kate and me. its a little big but I figure she'll grow into it. when it was done I was so sad because she screamed whenever I tried to put it on her! I thought maybe if I hurried and finished mine that she would want to match....not so much. the only thing that gets her halfway excited is if I show her how cool the pocket is.

she loves the pocket

my dilemma

(unfortunately for you guys, my whole life right now is sewing this quilt so thats the only thing you get to hear about....unless you want to hear about the big fit kate threw today when mom wouldn't let her "type" on the computer as she was trying to order something or the speghetti I made for dinner!)

(and sorry, I was having trouble getting a good picture of it with my zoomy camera)

so today I finished sewing the top and I went to the quilting store to get some advice on where to go from there. if you look at the cute pattern, it has a double ruffle that makes it SO cute!! but...it poses a few problems....

#1 - she doesn't give directions on the ruffles, so I would be going off the semi-clear directions from the quilt store lady

#2 - it looks and sounds really complicated and I'm a little scared to try it

#3 - with both ruffles and the backing made from the same cute fabric that the rest of the quilt is made of, it would take 15 more yards of fabric....and at $8 a yard, I should have just bought a pottery barn kids quilt and saved the trouble!!


sigh. so what I will probably end up doing is putting a border around it and then just binding it normally. I think it will still be super cute....and that will be a lot easier. so now I'll have to take a break while I wait for the fabric to come in the mail (they don't have any now at my quilting store)

but in happier news, look at the cute baby ticker I have on my blog!! (although, the baby isn't quite "cute" yet!!) thanks hilary, I LOVE it!

more progress...

today, between conference sessions, I was able to trim all my squares down to size. then tonight I layed them all out on the ground and put them in the ordered I wanted them. its amazing how many steps this thing takes!!

I wish I had more progress to show, but next time it should be a whole quilt top!

(cross your fingers!)

football and quilting

thats what my saturday consisted of today!

(oh yes, and general conference, which was excellent and I'm excited for tomorrow!)

WAHOO!!

for ou beating the longhorns today in the red river shoot out! makes me proud to be a sooner!!

WAHOO!!

for usc getting BEAT by the worst team in the pac-10 (which probably makes arizona the worst team in the pac-10 now!!) wahoo!!! GO STANFORD!!

and WAHOO!!

for 42 quilt squares with the scrappies all cut out, sewed together, and ironed! I am LOVING all the fabrics and can't wait to see how it all comes together!!

WAHOO!! for october saturdays!! not only is there college football, but it was 82 degrees outside today! beautiful!

kate's big bed quilt!

okay, so its not so much a *quilt* as it is a bunch of cute fabric, but just look at that potential! I ordered it on ebay and I'm so excited to get started. its not enough to do the whole thing, so I need to go do some matching! here is the pattern for the quilt! it makes me so happy just looking at it!! hopefully I feel the same after I start sewing!

candle party!

today I went over to my friend kelley's house for a candle party! she had been to one and brought some to work to show, and it made me really excited to make some of my own. they are soy based candles so they are safe to burn around children because they burn clean. they don't give off that black soot and fumes and stuff. since kelley was the host she got to choose the scents and colors and she did a great job. I got an apple one for the kitchen and a lily melon one for upstairs. you can buy jars there, but I brought my own bowls and filled them. aren't they cute?!? you can basically fill anything that holds water, so the possibilities are endless! she's having another party in august and I'll have to brainstorm before then!

wedding preparations

no no, its not dani! we're doing a reception for the young women as an activity as a kind of "temple prep" night. we're having a wedding cake and decorations and a photographer and maybe even a chocolate fountain. I was in charge of the invitations and I was really excited because I went to joanns to get some ribbon for the time consuming, lots of work one I had envisioned and I found these in the wedding aisle...50 for $9!! we only have 25 girls, but it was a steal of a deal and much easier!

it says :

the young women's presidency is pleased to announce

the future marriage of

(young woman's name)

a daughter of her Heavenly Father

to

her future husband

a righteous son of God

for time and all eternity in the Holy Temple

you are invited to step into your future

and atten a reception to be held in your honor

(time, place, etc)

I'll let you know how the actual night turns out!

my last thing I wanted to get done...

my final sewing project I had planned to do yesterday I just finished up after work today. (the picture isn't great because kate is showing signs of a runny nose and she was about to go to bed.) daddy had dressed kate up so cute in her pink skirt and the pink headband I had planned was going to match perfectly so I whipped it up. piece of cake and so cute!! thanks for the idea miriam!!!

there aren't enough hours in the day

memorial day was a lot of fun. we had a bbq and swam for a really long time and kate loved it. but having a party day kind of stressed me out. here is my thinking: monday and tuesday are my work at home days. I do laundry and clean and shop and all those things that I need to get done (and then also scrapbook and sew and things I like to do too) before I go to real work on wednesday and thursday. so after a day of fun in the sun, all I had was tuesday to get everything done that I wanted.

so I did the cleaning and then laundry but I also got a few of my extras done:

I copy-catted my sister in law and put ribbon on my camera strap to jazz it up. I was really excited about how it turned out.

unfortunately I can't use my nice camera to take a picture of my nice camera so I had to use my little camera and it took me about 20 tries to get this even presentable picture. did that make sense?!

someone in our ward had a baby so I made this blanket for her. its kind of like the ones that kate loves except hers are done with a serger. it would have been SO much easier with a serger....someday!

I also had time to blow some bubbles with kate. it is so funny to see what she does that is a total copy of me that I don't even realize I do until she copies me. for example, apparently when I take the bubble stick out of the bubbles I make this face:

and then I blow. she does a really cute blow sound. yesterday when we were outside we passed the table where the bubbles are and she started making the blow sound. can that count as her first word?

and now I have to go to work. blogging was the only thing I didn't feel like i had time to do yesterday but I squeezed it in this morning. mark that off my list!