Category: General

General · I'm loving this!

Peace, Love, Spa…

Amy6 Comments

The last two months have been nutty!  Too much and too little!  As in too much to do, too little time to do it in. (sorry about ending with a preposition….sometimes one has to let the grammar thing go just a little)  I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, however.  So I’m back! Set the pigeons loose!

My sweet baby angel girl turned eleven Saturday.  It was a big day.  We invited our two BFF’s over and themed the weekend, “Peace, Love, Spa!”.  We even made t-shirts.  Our logo was rocking, but our iron on t-shirt transfer let us down…boo….

The t-shirts were just the tip of the iceburg, however.  It was a tween dream at my house this weekend.  We had Beauty Buckets

We did an array of facial treatments including a cucumber, green tea, avocado mush that we whipped up in the blender.

We had an assortment of fascinating reading material….We’re officially current on our horoscope, fashion, teen celebrity gossip and an assortment of quizzes.

We made a sugar scrub that was delightful if I do say so myself.  I used a modified version of this recipe that I found on Pinterest.  My modifications were pretty simple.  I used colored sugar sprinkles to make the pretty colors and flavored extracts instead of essential oils.  I also used a coconut oil that wasn’t super-refined, so the girls wound up with coconut-orange-vanilla sugar body scrub.   Baby soft skin ?  You betcha!

The next morning, bright and early, we headed to the Nail Salon for mani/pedi’s.  (Mom even got a pedicure! Magic hands…that’s all I’m saying.)

Nope.  No spoiled little girls at my house.  Just soft, pampered tootsies. Zebra striped tootsies to be more specific.

Zebra striped tootsies and an ice cream cake!  Does it get any better than this?

Bookmarked · General

Sundries

Amy6 Comments

My sweet baby started 1st grade this week…sniff, sniff….So big!

During a business trip last week, I started reading the Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud.  I wasn’t sure I was blown away by the first book…But apparently I was interested, so I read the second.  By the third I knew I liked them.  But then, I have a tendency to like teenage adventure stories.  You should check them out.  It’s approach was a little different.

I‘ve been working on my sewing “do over,” and it doesn’t suck.  I’m trying to figure out a way to do a big reveal without actually having to be in the picture.  Let’s just file this under the “Coming Soon!” heading.

This one remembered she had a B.B. gun and set about to teach herself how to shoot. Have you ever seen a hot pink B.B. gun?  Is it just a Texas thing?  Anyway, she also wrote a Cinquain poem this week in class that I think is awesome:

Wit
athletic, funny
laughing, swimming, running
Totally the class clown
Whitney

 

I like the Cinquain form, it’s fun and there are a lot of variations.  I think I may have to do a Cinquain for the Weekend…. 🙂

 

 

 

General · Sewing

Progress Realized

Amy14 Comments

I may have mentioned once or twice that I’m in the middle of a “Sewing Do Over”.  And as I’m sure you all know, you can’t have a “do over” without having first attempted something and failed.  I also may have mentioned a few times that I have a tendency to “go big” and over extend myself when I’m excited about something.  If I haven’t mentioned it before, well… I do that.  I don’t just select one project and follow it to completion, I envision hundreds of projects and accumulate everything needed to accomplish them eons in advance of their likely coming to fruition.

With my first attempt at sewing, I started a few things that were never finished.  So great was my ultimate frustration level with sewing that I popped them in storage boxes and walked away.  That was roughly four years ago.  Maybe more.   A couple of weeks ago, I happened across one of these unloved, unfinished projects, and on a whim, I decided to finish it.

It was a bag designed to utilize the pre-quilted fabric you can buy at the fabric store, and inadvertently, it’s got that Vera Bradley thing going on.  I’m not necessarily in love with it, but I still think it’s cute.

As I laid out the pattern pieces that I’d cut out four years earlier, I was actually a little pleased with myself.  They were pretty terrible.  On one hand, it’s never fun to confirm that you suck at something.  On the other hand, it actually let me see that I’ve gotten a little better.  I could actually see the mistakes I made and even distinguish what I would do differently now to eliminate those mistakes.

I still had to rip out and re-do three times to get it finished.  (Sewing is an incredibly  humbling process for me.)  The lining has four pretty deep pockets-but I won’t be photographing them. The final result was not pretty…

But the bag itself is kind of pretty…pretty cute….not bad….and I learned doing it.  Which is always a good thing.

General

Vacationing

Amy2 Comments

We went on vacation, and we all fell in love.  The plan was to keep close to home, while exploring somewhere we’d never been.  So we headed to Arkansas.  I was hopeful, but I kept my expectations in check.  I hoped we’d have a good time.  I hoped the kids weren’t bored. I hoped it would be nice enough that we’d be comfortable.  I hope to find it “ok”.  Well folks, it was more than “ok”.  It was fantastic!

Petit Jean State Park is a jewel in the Arkansas Park system.  The first state park in Arkansas, many of the buildings at the park are stone structures built by the depression era Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration. This includes Mather Lodge where we stayed.  Entering the breezeway of Mather Lodge is like stepping through a frame into a picture.

The hiking was amazing.  Some hikes were easy.  Some hikes were challenging.  All of them were beautiful. It’s so wonderful to see your kids outdoors!  Scrambling across rocks and running toward their next adventure.

We hiked down to the base of Cedar Falls. Unfortunately, the state is in the middle of a brutal drought, and the water was only a trickle as it reached the edge. If you look very closely, you can see it.

The kids were undaunted and declared the water cold and wonderful.  We’ve vowed to return when we can see the falls in full glory.

We explored and went swimming and feasted on hamburgers with an appalling frequency.

It was exactly what a vacation should be.

We bickered and laughed and argued and teased and told each other “I love you” at least one hundred times each.

Memories are made of this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

General

Independence!

Amy2 Comments

We were thankful for our midweek Independence. So easy to take our freedom for granted. So difficult to imagine the realities of those who have never tasted it.

We embraced the day and gave into a couple of kiddos who couldn’t wait for night fall to pop their treasured fireworks!

 

Gardening · General

Summer-ing…

Amy11 Comments

It’s been an incredibly busy week.  We are a household in chaos.  Drama camp, Sewing camp, Vacation Bible School, two full time jobs….it’s depleted all of us.  The children are fussy, the parents are fussy, the uncut grass is tall, the laundry is piled in a chair, and takeout reigns supreme.

But this morning, I had a few minutes…

 

To look around…to enjoy things that are beautiful today…in this moment…

The morning glories have overtaken my favorite birdhouse. I love the messy opulence of it…

The illusion of the trailing vines spilling onto the ground…as opposed to their herculean effort of reaching toward the sun.

Zinnias so bright and beautiful that I had to capture them, just for a moment.

And bring them inside with a little Lantana

and Lemon Balm….heady stuff!

Just a few minutes of peace and purpose, tucked in at the end of a flurry of summering.

 

 

Bookmarked · General

Bookmarked…

Amy1 Comment

“Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it”…P.J. O’Rourke

Before I was a compulsive hobbyist, I was a compulsive reader.  At any given time, I have three or more books in progress.  It’s just how I roll.  There have been many times in my life where a book took precedence over just about everything. Have you experienced that wonderful inability to make yourself stop reading?

Today, I thought I’d share what I’m reading now…

We are all about literature for young readers at my house.  Sure, sure, it’s because we have a ten year old, but it’s also because Phil and I love adventures!

I recently watched several episodes of the BBC series Merlin, and it stimulated memories of Mary Stewart’s classic Merlin trilogy. I loved these books when I first read them, and Whitney’s looking for her next “series”, so I decided to read them again.

I just finished The Crystal Cave and started The Hollow Hills.  They’re wonderful, but not at all as I remembered.  I’m not sure that Whitney is ready for them, because you know, lots of sex and adult themes  (predictably).  Oddly, I didn’t remember that at all.  You really do get something different out of a story every time you read it.  It also might have something to do with the fact that it’s probably been 25 years or so since I read them the first time.

On the non-fiction end I’m reading on a few different subjects…

In Greg’s Garden, a Pineywood Perspective on Gardening, Nature and Family by Greg Grant is a collection of essays by a well-known Texas horticulturist. The essays are knowledgeable and folksy and it’s a great guide for “native” plant species.

The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future by Chris Guillebeau –  In preparing to write this book, Chris identified 1,500 individuals who have built businesses earning $50,000 or more from a modest investment (in many cases, $100 or less), and from that group he chose to focus on the 50 most intriguing case studies.

Sew Everything Workshop: The Complete Step-by-Step Beginner’s Guide by Diana Rupp-I’m actually taking Diana’s sewing class on Craftsy and the book was “strongly encouraged” for the class.  It’s a good well-balanced overview/tutorial for sewing, however, and has been beneficial for my sewing “do over”.

What are you reading this week?   What’s books are on your reading “wish list”?

General

Awards are Nifty!

Amy10 Comments

I’m always thankful and moderately amazed to get feedback on my ramblings. I’m still fairly new to blogging, and I’m not sure when you become cavalier about being “read” or “followed”, but I do know that I’m not there yet. I am completely susceptible to flattery.  It’s just how I roll.

I’ve been passed two very thoughtful awards this week.

Seasonsgirl forwarded the Sunshine award.  Her blog  is lovely and certainly brings sunshine to my day!

Marsha Lee at Streaming Thoughts bestowed the One Lovely Blog Award. Her blog is a wonderful blending of her thoughts on blogging and life in general.

The rules for these two awards vary, so I’d like to give both of them to a handful of blogs that are lovely and bring sunshine.

The Giraffe’s Hat-whimsical and colorful

House of 34-stylish and funny

Stir and Stitch-talented and tasty

By Number 19-crochet wizardry

Oh Sew Tempting-amazing patchwork

Chic Envelopements-radical refashioning

They’re all fabulous! Take a moment and check them out.

Now, I’m supposed to tell you guys 5 or 7 or 11 or 600 things about myself.  So hard.  I think I’ll aim for three.  I’m all about setting achievable goals 🙂

1.  I listen to NPR whenever I’m in my car.  I don’t know when it happened.  One day I listened to a wide variety of music.  The next day, I had crossed over to all talk radio all the time.  I can’t tell you what songs are top 40 and I don’t know who most of the new artists are.  This morning I busted out of my rut and listened to Def Leperd, the Pretenders and 50 Cent.

2.  I can’t tolerate reality TV.  Because of this I’m hopelessly out of the loop at the water cooler.  I didn’t even watch Dancing with the stars this season. I have, however, tuned into A&E’s Duck Dynasty twice in the last week.  Not sure what’s happening there…it’s kind of like watching a wreck.

3.  I have three favorite drinks currently:  1) Latte made at home with Cafe Bustelo, fat free milk, lightly sweetened with agave syrup 2) Dripping Springs Vodka with Fresca 3) Diet Dr. Pepper from the Sonic

What’s your favorite drink this summer?

 

 

 

General

Kreativ – ity

Amy4 Comments

Anna, a phenomenal blogger found at Oceannah on WordPress, has very graciously nominated me for the Kreativ Blogger award.  I’m so flattered!  Thank you!

The first thing I did following anna’s post was Google the award.  There are dozens of different versions of the rules out there! Most of them deal with information posted in groupings of seven, but not all of them do so I’m going to wing it.

First I’m supposed to tell you guys something interesting about myself.  Boo.  I’m terribly interesting, but I can never think of anything under pressure-so here are several random facts:

  • I’m a native Texan. I never planned to remain in rural East Texas.  I just grew up and realized I like it.  When you spend your life in a place, it becomes part of who you are.  Who knows what the future may bring, however.  I never rule out possibilities.
  • I’m the youngest of four and so is my husband.  My sister-in law told us not to get married.  Her theory was that two “youngest” children should never wed because all youngest children are spoiled and selfish and the marriage will inevitably blow up.  We’re 12 years into our marriage, and we’re still ok. Needless to say, she’s an “oldest” child.  You have to take her birth order wisdom with a grain of salt.
  • I love movies based on comic book heroes…all of them.  Spawn is on my top five favorite movies list.  His cape is cool. He was hot before they burned him. The little clown guy is gross. You have to take the bad with the good.
  • As a child I lived in an old school building.  There were chalk boards in all the classrooms, a stage, an auditorium and urinals in the bathrooms.  As one can imagine, living in this environment between the ages of 3 and 12 was awesome!  This was during the 70’s and early 80’s when roller skating (a la Xanadu) was the activity of choice.  I practically had a rink at my disposal.  It helped that my mom and dad put a jukebox, ping pong table and pool table in the old auditorium.  Our living room was set up on the stage.  Good times, people, good times….

That’s a lot-I think I’ll stop there.  Next I’m supposed to pass on the award to more Kreativ blogs.  I’m fairly new to the WordPress family, but there are several that I enjoy and admire:

  • Paper and Salt-I love the way Nicole intertwines her love of Cooking and Literature.  Delicious! Delightful!
  • House of 34-No stranger to this sort of award, Laurie is a Design DIY maven with a wicked sense of humor.
  • SCCLiving-Kimberly writes about her Star Creek Country Texas homestead and all the bounty it provides in a most endearing way.
  • Made by Patch-Trish blogs about her love of crochet, sewing and the occasional delectable recipe. Her patchwork is a whimsical treat!

I hope you enjoy this group as much as I have! Have a wonderful weekend!

Crochet · General

Thoughts of spring

Amy3 Comments

Apparently I’m unable to stop making scarves from the amazing, lovable color wheel that is Catania cotton.  We’re going to chalk this creation up to the anticipation of and appreciation for all things Easter.  Not to mention, a symbolic appreciation of the blooms of spring.  Although it looks like a watermelon to me.

I like watermelon, it just doesn’t make for a very poetic description.

And I think this scarf deserves a poetic description…So does this egg…

My sweet girl experimented with her egg-dying this year.  I love her natural, intuitive creativity

She rocked her eggs…She just rocks in general….It’s an awesome kid that can create this on a whim.

Wonder what I could do on a whim today…. Have a wonderful day, and follow your whims!