Some photos

Just thought Id share some photos from our weekend. I took SO many, but I really like these.  My neice is so cute, and she's always making a fishy face or sticking her tongue out. Her mom says she doesn't smile  for cameras, I think she must like me, cause I caught a few smiles. I want to get her big brother too, but he's a cool pre-teen who is always looking like the camera is an inconveneince, but I will, whether he likes it or not!! He's just too handsome not to take a picture of!!


P#2 putting make-up on my neice. She really loved it. I heard she's calling P#2 sissy.. I love it!! Thats what we call her.

I love how you can see that My neices cousin must be saying something P#3 doesn't like and he's letting him know. It's so typical, and three 2 yr olds together, there was LOTS of baby fights, and hissy fits.

He's just so stinkin adorable

See?  She is hilarious!!!

P#2 loving the tire swing, and looking pretty doing it!

Again, stinkin adorable!

YES!!! A smile!! Isn't she beautiful?

My cool big guy, hes pretty handsome, I must say!

P#3 loved all the yummy cupcakes

I love this shot, everyones looking at P#1, maybe waiting for an answer? But he's totally paying attention to the basketball game going on.

A beautiful shabby apron

This is the finished apron I made for my sister for her bridal shower. Its going to be cooking themed, and she loves antiques and all things shabby, so I went with that. I think she'll love it, and I might have to make another for myself! Their going to play a game where she wears the apron and has a bunch of utensils pinned on it and everyone has to try and remember what was on it.I SO wish I could be there:(

i heart faces- dramatic b&w

This week's theme on i heart faces is dramatic b&w. This photo is of  P1 & P2 on our recent hike. Paige really wanted to show her brother something cool. What you can't tell is that big brother was not too happy that his little sister wanted to hold his hand.:)

Head over to i heart faces to see more stunning b&w photos



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What to do...?

We will be losing P1 & P2 for the whole week. They are going to stay at Gramdma and Papa's for the week of spring break. So the hubs and I are trying  to figure out what to do with P3. While I'm looking forward to not packing lunches, having some quiet, and hopefully not cleaning a bazillion times a day, it's nice to have them around, they make me laugh and entertain the little guy. But I think they need a break from him and probably us as well.

So lets hope for long naps this week ( so I can get through my want-to-sew list)

Enough time to watch him sleep ( I could do this for ever, he's so peaceful)

And an abundance of sunshine, for playing outside, and picking spring flowers

We are still wondering what to do this weekend. Our weekends usually consist of parks or drives that involve something kid oriented. But P3 is still small enough to where he can't back talk us if we want to do something more adult-y. Maybe like a movie and dinner date? Going to a small town and antique browsing? Hmmm.....

What are your plans this week?

Smarty Pants~ And one proud Mama

Yesterday was the kids spring conference. First we went to P#2 and her teacher had nothing but good things to say about her. She said she is smart and has made great improvments on her confidence. She clearly enjoys school and respects her family. That part made me happy. I guess we are all she talks about, mostly her older brother though .I love the relationship those two have.I was always close to my sisters and felt bad that my girl wouldn't have that, but clearly its not the case, her and her brother are best friends. Her teacher knows a whole lot about how I run the house too. P#2 is always telling her about her chores, her bedtime, and even what we eat for dinner.  She learned to count to 100, add numbers up to 20, but her teacher thinks she can go further. She knows all of her sight words, and is progressing on reading. I'm very proud of my little girl for being such a good student!

P#1's conference was so eye opening. His teacher had lots to say. The only thing he needs to work on is, instead of ignoring the kids who aren't doing their work, to ask them to pay attention. I guess he has that kind of pull with his peers. And I always knew he was smart, you know like when your second grader asks to read Harry Potter, and you ask isn't that alittle above your reading level, and he says, well maybe, but I want to try. Ok then. But his teacher says he is SUPER smart. He asked what I felt about him going to a school for gifted kids. I was shocked! I felt kinda like a bad parent, how did I not know how inteligent he is? I almost started to cry, I was that proud. He says its not an easy process. This school is difficult to get into, but thinks he can do it. Right now he is reading on a Jr. high level, and the school district doesn't let the teachers teach or test past the next grade, which is 3rd. Same with math, he's on a 4th grade math level, but again, they can't teach it. His teacher thinks he will be held back in school, and unable to reach his pottential if he stays in his school. So his teacher is nominating him, then it has to go through a few hands before the principle of the other school evaluates it, then they test him, and if he passes, he will go next year. I'm nervous for him.

 And he's a bit embarassed I'm making a fuss over it. 

i heart faces- focusing on angles

I love this photo for many reasons. Mostly because you can see all the cute little wrinkles on his adorable little feet. I heart faces is focusing on angles this week, go here to see lots more cool ones!

Weekend in review

My husband and kids tool me to Walla Walla for my birthday. I love this little town and all its charm. They also have some super yummy pizza that I wanted:)

This was on our drive

Candy Store

the kids loved it!!

We walked in the streets

Enjoyed the sunshine

Ate some Mediterranean Pizza

Love my guys

Walked the Whitman National Monument

Well, some of us bear crawled

Walked to the monument

Enjoyed the view

Original wagon on the Oregon Trail

Settlement of Marcus Whitman

We also climbed trees

Then we were carried home

How was your weekend? Did you do anything fun?

Aprons & a tutorial.

I was asked to make aprons for the prize gifts at my sisters bridal shower. I knew I couldn't do anything fancy, cause fancy means $$ and I dont have a whole lot. So I decided on tea towels. I have a whole bunch in my stash from when I was making tea aprons awhile back. I have made SO many of the full tea towel aprons it's ridiculous!  But I wanted them all to be different so here is what I came up with:

And I made a Tutorial for the full one. It's a great project for beginers, and if you dont have all the supplies to make it it only costs about 5$ to buy the stuff, and takes about 15 minutes. Maybe 30, but I've made so many so it takes me about 15! And It's fun! I've made them for just about everybody I know, and even sold a few!

What you need:

1 tea towel any color

2 fat quarters in coordinating prints

3 yards of 1 inch grossgrain ribbon

Matching thread

Sewing machine

Any embelishments you might want to add

Start by folding your towel in half down the center long ways. Press.Then Open.

From the WRONG side, Take the top 2 corners and bring the points in to the center fold, being sure that your corners are the same length on both sides, you can make these longer if your taller or shorter if your short! Press.

Then open the sides back up and cut off the corners 1 1/2 inch from the pressed mark.

 Take your first piece of fabric and cut 8 inches by whatever the across length is of your towel is. You want it hang over the sides, just make sure it's longer than your towel. I didn't give exact measurements since the top can be customized to size:). Press the top and bottom seam of the fabric in 1/4 inch. Pin to the RIGHT side of the apron as shown below. Sew a staight stitch along the top and bottom.

 Turn your towel back over and cut off excess faric at the same spot you cut from the towel.

Press the outer edge of the part you just cut in 1/4 inch. Then fold where you first pressed and sew down the outside edge.This creates a cassing for your ribbon.

It should look like this:

(Sew where the pins are)

Now for your bottom pocket.

Cut a piece from your 2nd fabric measuring 8" by the width of the towel adding 1/4 inch seam allowance. Fold and press in ALL the sides.

 I added a ribbon to the top of the pocket, if you are not going to do this then just ignore it:). Sew JUST the top part of the pocket. If your adding a ribbon, just hold it under the piece so some is sticking out and sew it with your seam. Does that make sense?

Now pin your pocket on the bottom of the towel and sew around the 3 sides leaving the top open. Be sure have the top part you already sewed at the TOP!!!!  I've sewed it backwards before!!

Now mark you spot where you want to create the pockets and sew the a straight stitches down the center of the pocket. Being sure to backstitch at the top and bottom.

Then finally take your ribbon, start at the bottom of one side of the cassing go up to the top then to the other cassing and go down. You can sew these in place but I like that they can move cause some people are smaller or larger and it can be completely adjustable. Burn the edge of your ribbon so it doesn't fray.

And Your Done!!!! Now go wear your apron and bake some cupcakes!!

You can even wrap it up all cute and give as a gift!