Sew Crafty Saturday: October

print on my holiday pinterest board.

their 1st Halloweens.

couldn't part with this 12 month baby tee, so it became decor

1 of 2 new buntings

Target memory game I found on clearance after Halloween last year, stitched it together with a needle and thread.

boo-tiful ghost of iris' foot from last crafty playdate. print from pinterest.

love our seasonal typewriter

letters from pinterest. 3 grey honeycomb balls on clearance from Target's wedding section

October is here and Halloween is fast approaching. I say "fast approaching" because I'm making part of the girls costumes this year. Iris wants to be a pink bunny, with a pink tutu. Since when do bunnies wear tutus? And out of no where, Lilly says she wants to be a peacock. I'm a little excited because it's been quite awhile since I made them anything, and they asked me to make their costumes which means they don't think I'm a nerd yet. 
They are so excited for another holiday, that we took out the Halloween tubs last week and started decorating. The girls love to get involved and did a great job helping this year.
I had a few hours last Tuesday when everyone was getting along and happy, so I had a chance to whip up a few new buntings with some old fabric I found in a tub of decorations. It was so fun to hear my sewing machine run. After some time, all three kiddos showed up in my room. Iris and Hendricks rode the exercise bike, Lilly read, and they let me sew until I was done. It was a small miracle, I tell you!
The year before last, I hosted a small crafty, preschool playdate for Halloween. It was so much fun and the littles were super cute! Realizing that Iris is going into kindergarten next year, I really want to do it again before it's too late... Whoohoo. Let Octoberfest begin!

Wee Ones Wednesday: Our Little Daisy

**Caution: This is not the post I intended on writing when I sat down at the computer...

We have a daisy in our house! This is so special to me because my sister and I never got to do extracurricular activities when we were growing up. The first time we bought Lilly ballet slippers for dance class, I cried. I was so happy for her. Our children will never know what it means to come from a "broken home," staying at Day Care until closing time. They have no idea how hard other kids' lives can be, and how truly blessed they are. Their parents love each other. They know Jesus loves them. Their grandparents love them. Their bellies are full and their schools are awesome. In relation to the world, they are spoiled. And you know what? I'm OK with that. It means we are doing a good job. They will learn soon enough about this harsh world. For now, I will cherish my  innocently ungrateful kids. Their eyes will be opened soon enough. Dan and will make sure that our kids do not become ungrateful adults. They will give back. They will do good. You can count on it!

Sew Crafty Saturday: Whew!

Where did September go, or even summer for that matter? Work has been very hectic, days filled with crying, running, goofy kindergarteners, and meetings galore. Home is not much calmer, and I don't see anything slowing down in the near future.
Crafting and being creative has definitely been put on the back burner, but is not forgotten. I still have grand plans of finishing Henry's baby scrapbook, binding the giant quilt I worked on this summer, and sewing new kitchen curtains. Fabric and supplies have been purchased, only to sit and wait for me to have a moment to get to them.
Yet, when I have a free moment, I choose playing with my littles, hang out with my handsome hubby, or read a good book. I've been doing a lot of reading lately, and it's been wonderful!
I am proud to announce that I am caught up on all three of my babies' birthday books. They bring me such joy to look through and I used free Shutterfly coupons for every one of them, paying only shipping cost. Whoohoo! I also completed our 2012 giant photo scrapbook, using Shutterfly. It is awesome, and I'm now only 9 months behind on our 2013 album!

Sew Crafty Saturday: Hot Days

 

 

It has been soooo hot here that being outside is practically unbearable. Because of this, we have had to be creative to beat the boredom inside. We have made oobleck or quicksand (cornstarch and water), homemade play dough, and crafted our hearts out. The oobleck is an old school standby. Iris played with it for well over an hour. Just be sure to dispose of it outside. You never want to put the mixture down the drain.
The homemade play dough was way easier than I thought. The consistency is amazing, and I even found myself playing with it. I would honestly never buy playdo again. We made a pink batch and a blue batch, and mixed half of these to have some purple too. We've played with both more than once, so I'm pretty impressed.
Play dough recipe:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup salt
1 cup water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 teaspoons white vinegar
food coloring
Mix all the ingredients together in a saucepan and stir constantly over medium heat until it clumps together. Let it cool and have fun. It should keep fresh for a month.

Wee-Ones Wednesday: "Preschool Is Awesome!"

Iris has been waiting and waiting for her school to start. The rest of us went back in mid August, and these last 3 weeks have felt like an eternity to her. Yesterday, was her big day. She wore a pretty dress, posed happily with the chalkboard, and practically flew to school. Some close friends live on our street and attend the same preschool, so we were able to walk together. We were quite an adorable parade, I must say! When Iris got home, she told me, "Preschool is awesome," showed me the little book she made, and asked me if she got a special treat like Lilly did. To which I replied, "Of course you did, sweet girl." Of course.

Misc. Monday: Favorite Things Party

I am in a book club that meets once a month, and I absolutely love it! We eat yummy snacks, talk about our crazy families, drink wine, and even discuss the book we have all read for a little bit! I've always been an avid reader, and having friends who share this passion, are willing to trade books and make recommendations is a real treat. 
Our friendships have grown to be so much more than books, we've gotten together for many play dates, and tonight we are having a "favorite things" party. I've heard about them for awhile, and am so excited to be attending one. The idea is to bring 5 of your favorite things, and go home with 5 different faves. I gave my favorite things a lot of thought. I found a sweet printable on Pinterest (you can find it on my printable board). I filled a box with not one, but a few of my favorite thing, and even tied the box up with string (gotta love the Sound of Music reference). Here is the tag I put inside each box. It was so much fun putting them together. I can't wait for tonight!

          a few of my favorite things:

           1. Bit 1. bit o’ honey = so yummy

           2. Dr. Pepper lip balm, been using since I was 12

           3. Avett Brothers “I and Love and You” = awesome

           4. Book plates from Anthropologie, so pretty

           5. Sprinkles makes everything better

           6. Flower broach makes sweaters sweeter

           7. $1 must be used @ McDonald’s drive thru for 1

            soft serve cone when you’re ALONE! (my fave secret)

           8. La Croix grapefruit = favorite nonalcoholic drink

                    ENJOY!!!!