Civil War

This last weekend, we headed over to the Civil War Fort site at Boonesboro for their reenactment. We were thinking that we would pull up and their would be a festival, with food and booths and tons of people. What really happened was this: We packed the kids in the stroller, only to take them out to get in the shuttle bus. We were shuttled a mile down the river road and dropped off at the beginning of a 1/2 mile up hill hike to the site.

The hike was beautiful, despite me wearing flip-flops and Paul maneuvering the stroller.

The cannons were so cool!

And so were the cool old soldiers.

They all lined up and got ready to shoot off the cannon.

Dallin was not too happy about that!

This guy is a carpetbagger. He was fun to talk to. He is wearing a beaver skin hat and told us about mad hatters and going crazy off of the glue that they used to make the hats with.

Ellie (Kristen) was able to make a rag doll, and has since ripped it apart! A picture of that would have been a pile of rags with stuffing spilling out of the head...I will spare you the inhumanity of it all.

Go Steelers

Last Sunday, Paul and I caught the last 1:27 of the Steelers/Bears game.

It was a nail biter ending and the Steelers lost.

Dallin's teacher is a huge Steelers fan, so on Monday, I instructed him to say, "Da Bears!" to her. He wouldn't, but Paul, who had taken him to school, told on me.

Tuesday, I threw his Tenessee Titans shirt on (his only football shirt) and sent him off to school. As I was waiting for the bus to come, I got a text message from his TA: Dallin looked so cute today, make sure you take a picture of him.

The bus finally came, and down the steps came Dallin, wearing a "different" shirt a la Mrs. B:

I could not stop laughing, which in turn, made Dallin mad.
Then, I made him stand still to take a picture, which made him even more mad!

He likes to get off the bus, crawl onto the couch, wrap up in his "big green blankie" and have chocolate milk and a snack. He would not have me upset his routine!

pillow case, bed sheets, men's shirt

Rain, rain, go away!

I need to finish spray painting some day!

I am actually loving all the rain that we are getting. It has made everything green again!

But it has put all my painting on hold. My door knobs might just have to wait a while to be finished!

With "the lair" all mine (insert evil laugh), I have found more time to sew Ellie some spring time clothing, just in time for Fall. I plan things well, don't I?

pillow case dress

{rosette tutorial}

bed sheet turned ruffle sleeve top
{Sparkle Power tutorial}

bed sheet turned "fall is coming!" dress

{the sweet dress}

.....and finally, for YOUR viewing pleasure.....I got this sweet shirt at Goodwill to use for refurb purposes, but before I cut it up, Paul wore it to a YW/YM etiquette dinner at church. We were the "bad example" couple and although he was a rude date with horrible table manners, he sure looked H-O-T!

{button shirt to toddler dress}

found

i found this cleaning out my purse today

this was at my cousins wedding back in april

my purse was really messy

it was gas

Once upon a time, there was a certain someone (who is not me, but will remain anonymous, unless she would like to out her or his own self). When she was younger, she was having (I mean she or he) really bad pain in her stomach. She was lying on the floor in our living room in the fetal position and her parents were about to take her to the ER department for fear that it was her appendix Then, she passed gas and felt much better. (Ironically, a couple years ago, her husband had that same pain and really got his appendix out on Christmas Eve and was in the hospital for five days..it was so sad!...and yes, I got permission to write this and she still loves me).

Fast forward, probably 15 years later and 1700 miles away, and this persons relative of the younger sister kind, was having horrible back pain. She got on google and searched for the ailment according to her symptoms: kidney stones! it read. This was not a horrible surprise, seeing as her sisters number one and two both get the nasty little things. Super, she thought, Paul and Dallin are on a camp out and I am here with kidney stones! Then, she passed gas and felt much better.

The End

Thanks for your concern!

this it what happens....

when I don't feel good and my back hurts (google says kidney stone, I say bad gas...you asked...no, you really didn't, sorry...but I don't get kidney stones, my sisters do...either way, I hope I feel better in the morning) and Paul is working 2nd shift tonight so I can't tell, I mean ask, him to pick it all up. My kids like to leave me little presents ALL OVER THE FLOOR!
So I plop them in front of their healthy and nutritious macaroni and cheese gourmet dinner and run upstairs to hide for 10 minutes and make this super-duper cheap and cute dish towel dress (2/$2.50 dish towels from Target). Ellie was more than happy to wear and model the "piddy dess" on top of her jammies, all while sporting her very first black eye!

I made a couple mods, like the 3 inch slits on both sides at the bottom, as well as gathering the sides to give it more body.
(As far as sizing goes, Ellie is in 24 month clothes and this is big on her, thus the gathering.)

I have to say, however, that this is my favorite part of the whole thing: the ONE DOLLAR pair of leggings, also from Target. They are a size 6-12 months, but for $1 I risked buying them to see if they would fit...and they do!

They had black and purple as well--go to Target right now!
Target also has their College09 merchandise on sale...plenty of bargains to be had, my frugal friends!

if only i had lamb

i ♥ gyros

ATTN: Helen--I did it!

After one year and two months, I FINALLY finished Dallin's blanket.

I am normally a chronic non-finisher of projects, but I was determined to finish this one that I started when my in-laws were last here in July '08. They are now due to visit (WOOT WOOT!) next month, so I had to finish before Helen and Stu and 'lil baby Brady came.

Based on an idea from my friend Sara to cut up old shirts, I got most of the top fabric from my best friend, Goodwill.
This blanket was sometimes a major pain in the b-u-t-t. And my little $60 sewing machine was a trooper quilting this puppy! At one point, I had to cut the whole blanket in half just to continue quilting. It was my first time sewing on bias binding, so that is a little wonky, but I am so pleased with the outcome. Yes, I am a dork and so very proud of it.

The best part: Dallin loves it and that makes me so happy.

I told Paul, though, that if Dallin didn't like it, I would sleep with it!

Our Lair...

The obligatory disclaimer: This is Paul. Kristen is kind enough to not mind when I post occasionally. In fact, she doesn't even edit or censor me (too much).

Anyway ... In case you haven't noticed our household has come down with a serious case of the crafties. Ok, well, not so much the house as the matriarch. As of late, anything that is not exactly as she likes it gets spray painted. Now that I think about it, I am surprised she hasn't sprayed me yet!

I got home from work around 7 PM the other night. While this isn't horribly uncommon; the fact that Kristen and the kids weren't waiting at the door was. Typically, Dallin and Ellie won't even let me put away my backpack or hang up my keys before wrestling me to the ground with their hugs (I act a little put out by it, but I really look forward to it every single day).

I walked into the house. Put my backpack and keys away and tried to figure out where my family was. I walked upstairs and discovered mass hysteria-- in the form of Dallin and Ellie's rooms being merged.

Our house is a three bedroom and when Ellie was born Dallin moved from the nursery (so to speak) and into our office/library/computer/sewing/scrap booking/Spare Oom. Kristen's old stomping ground had been taken over by a three year old. At the time it really wasn't that big of a deal as we were still busy with Ellie as a newborn and our spare time was still being eaten by our old friend DVR. But in this post-newborn Ellie/DVR world we now live in, Kristen had determined that enough was enough.

By 9:00 PM we had the kid's new, shared room completed and the other room a complete wreck. It took a few more days, but the new office/library/computer/sewing/scrap booking/spare oom (anyone catch the reference?) is now complete.

The door is closed and the kids are not allowed in (although this rule has only loosely been enforced). Kristen and I have a new Lair. Okay, okay. So it is really Kristen's crafty lair, but she may let me in once in a while.

I was just going to window shop, I promise!

I know, I know. No more new projects. I dropped Dallin off at school this morning and I was going to stop in the thrift store that is down the road...just to look. If they have a big, chunky picture frame, then I would think about it, but only think. BUT THEN............ the sweet little lady at the front desk informed that a grocery bag full of WHATEVER I could fit into it was a DOLLAR. Sorry, Paul, all bets are out the window with that kind of deal!

I got everything on this table for only 5 George Washingtons, my friends! Even those of you who hate seeing the junk I buy can appreciate that, right? A can of spray paint can go a long way on some of these puppies!
30 books!

(and the ugly wood tulip? this one might get tossed....but it never hurts to cover it in metallic silver paint just to see what it would look like.)
A little TLC and this mirror will be perfect for my kitchen. This didn't really fit into a bag, but the nice lady gave it to me for a dollar!

Should I keep these black?

giveaway, oh, giveaway

CUTE Halloween sign giveaway HERE!!!!

All these adorable crafts have me itching to create something new...but I have to finished my kitchen first! It's never ending if you want to do it "the right way", as Paul says.

Nails pops to fix

Cracks to caulk

Walls to prime

Kids to keep out

hmmmm.....

dutch doors

{image}

Maybe for my birthday?

;)

Pirates for FHE

Come aboard the FHE pirate ship Duncan as we search for buried treasure.

{click pics to make big}

finish shelf - check

I found this shelf at Goodwill for $2.50.

It will find a new home in my kitchen.

Speaking of my kitchen...tomorrow, we are off to buy paint that is on sale, with a coupon.
Yeah for deals!

Go get your thrift on!

Ellie and I might just be taking a walk around the corner to Goodwill today.

Here are two easy-peasy projects:

V and Co.: little girl dress made from women's skirt

320 Sycamore: Chalkboard platters

(this is one of those said projects in the garage. maybe i will finish it today...)

1. "We are going to good Will's house? Where does good Will live?" Dallin would ask.

2. Paul put me on project freeze. I have to finish some before I go get some more. He's not mean, he's just smart and knows me really well!

3. Blogger? Why do you mess up my paragraph spacing 75% of the time?

Another giveaway!

photo by calico

Calico is having a fun giveaway! Go check it out!

This girl is so fun, eclectic and quirky. Quirky is good. My definition fo quirky is pure awesome.

Now, if other people would stop entering....;)

U is for Upside-down Apple Crisp

The air is turning cold and fresh. The humidity is no longer a bother! The windows are open and the A/C is off. I know you all are excited!

The best part of fall being around the corner....APPLES!

The original recipe is from my sister-in-law, Heather J., but I decided to half it and make it in individual prep bowls and bake for about 20-30 minutes. I love to eat the crunchy topping last, so it only made sense to turn it upside-down!

Apple Crisp

8 c apples, peeled & sliced
1c sugar
1 Tbl cinnamon
6 Tbl butter, cubed

Mix {apples, sugar, cinnamon} to coat in bowl. Place in 9 x 13 baking dish and top with cubed butter.

2 c flour
2 c oats
2 c brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c butter

Mix the dry ingredients and 1 cup melted butter to a crumble and top the apples.
Bake @ 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes.