Monday, September 17, 2012

the weathers a changin and soccer is here

I am so excited to feel a change in the weather... even though it is still hot during the day, I am thoroughly enjoying the moments of coolness in the early morning and evening.

Soccer has started which brings the feeling of fall... last Saturday we spend the entire day 7:30 am to 7:30 pm at the soccer field... with four kids on four different teams and four separate picture times the whole entire day was spent at the field. 

I also volunteered to make all four soccer banners(in Lu of paying $10 each to have them professionally made) they came out pretty good, I used an old sheet and acrylic paint... a little kooky but good.
here is one, that my daughter begged me to let her help...

there have been some little creatures visiting us lately... probably because of the monsoons
 tarantula on our screen door and northern ring neck snake in the driveway!!! never a dull moment around here.

We just had 2 birthdays this week, my son Mason turned 11 and Lily turned 8... its always a crazy time for us... this week... soccer usually has just begun and then trying to fit... something in... I have always done just one big party... but now since they are getting older its getting harder... so we went to Jump Street for both of the birthdays and a small party for cake and ice cream and cake pops...and Lily got her ears pierced... fun stuff



She was so excited, but she said she never wanted to do it again...which is good, we don't want anything else pierced in the future...

have a great day!!

Monday, August 20, 2012

1940s wedding...check!

After much anticipation, the 1940s wedding, that we have been talking about and so excited to attend, was so much fun.... all 4 of my children we in the wedding, a ring bearer, an usher and 2 flower girls. The talk of the wedding was had almost every morning, on the mother of the bride and my walks at 6am. So it was fun seeing how it all cam together...beautiful location in the mountains, lots friends, beautiful bride, great bridal party dance routine, and the best part was the vintage photo booth

 the bride and her cousins,,, being silly

 my handsome 10 year old.. the ring bearer... he was so glad he got to keep the hat
 my sweet 7year old in the middle... i just love her..
 my sweet 5 year old, this is the first picture that she, didn't do her funny lip smile..
 i loved the way my dress turned out... i think its because...i actually broke out my iron...when i was altering it, and that never happens!!!!
 loved the venue!!

my handsome 12 year old.. the usher..ushering the mother of the bride
 the bride doing the revolution of dance routine...funny stuff
 bride and her daddy!
 The picnic blanket turned out great, and all the picnic goodies.. the bride said it was her favorite present!!


it was a beautiful wedding...and i wish all the happiness in the world to the bride and groom!!!

have a great day!!

Thursday, August 9, 2012

vacations, weddings, and luaus..oh my!!!

Well needless to say...I have been busy again... we had a wonderful time going out to my parents in northern Cali... and good to see some great old friends... i mean they are not old just.. ya know.. I have known most of them since Jr. high... so they are old friends( and we are getting a little old too!!)

My mom and brother threw my dad and I a big Luau... for my 40th and my dads 60th birthdays... that was fun... my brother the chef.. cooked up some good Hawaiian food...





i didn't get any good food pics, but we had some great pulled pork, teriyaki chicken, coconut rice and more... and of course lots of pina coladas, and Mai tais and pool fun.

Then we went to one of my favorite lakes in the area... Englebright Lake.  We rented a patio cruiser and took the kids and my parents and brother out for a little day trip. The lake was a little to cold for my liking... but the kids didn't mind.

18 years ago, we rented the same boat when my AZ friends came out for our wedding, and we took them out for a cruise... good times.





oh and ruby caught her first fish... she was very excited!!!!

So now its back to reality... which is so hard after a vacation... and the laundry is what really stinks!!!


We are now getting ready for a 1940s wedding coming up this weekend... all 4 of my kiddos are in the wedding... so lots of preparations... I am altering a dress, that i found for 10 buck at consignment shop, and i also found one at a thrift store for 2 buck, so i am deciding which one to where. ...

if anyone has a suggestion of which they like better let me know????

 This one was the $2 one... and it is really from the 1940s

 Here are the great shoes I am wearing, that i got at the thrift store.... I just love the thrift store!!!!

So, this polka dot dress, was not 1940s its more 1980s... so my plan is to make it more 1940s... so
i took up the hem to the knee.. and used that fabric to make little sleeves... here it is with one sleeve done.....doesn't it look better?????


I am really excited for the wedding!!! I will take lots of pics!!!

 have a great day!!!!

Monday, July 16, 2012

blackberries for breakfast

yummy...all those blackberries that my girls and I picked... we r treating ourselves to some delicious blackberry crisp for breakfast... I got the recipe from farmgirl fare, which I must say is super yummy...although, I am a little disappointed in that we already ate all of our goat milk ice cream, and so don't have any to go with our crisp... oh well its still great!!


My garden is not producing!!! I mean I keep waiting and weeding and waiting... and then finally I just noticed 1 zucchini and 1 yellow pear tomato.....I MEAN SERIOUSLY.....THAT IS NOT GOING TO FEED MY FAMILY.....HELP!!!!!!

 I just don't know what I am doing wrong!!!!!




Let me know if anyone has any secrets for a bountiful garden....please!!!


Monsoon weather has finally arrived here in the big A...we are always glad to have a break from the 100 to 110 degree temps.  We had a incredible lighting storm last nite... it was like every 3 seconds... an lit up the whole sky...awesome!!!

have a great day!!!

Friday, July 13, 2012

Making Kombucha and blackberry pickin

OMG..... I  just tried my first batch of Kombucha and......drum roll please.....IT WAS DE-LISH-OUS
I can believe it turn out SO good....I was a little nervous when my friend gave me the scoby... it did look a little creepy... she had brought it to the baseball field for me to take it home in a glass mason jar.... everyone and anyone that looked at it.... gawked and said WHAT IS THAT? some guessed... and octopus... some guessed a brain.... but no... i told them... its the mother, a scoby, a mushroom, to make a delightful fermented tea drink most of them got really grossed out...they just don't know what they are missing   (and by the way.. it costs like 3-5 dollars in the store).... and now I can make it for FREE.... yipee!!!!


 The way I made my kombucha....

So... they way i made it was so easy... i just took the scoby that my friend gave me and then in a pot one the stove boiled 4 cups of water and then turned off the heat... then took 6 tea bags, I used 3 green and 3 black and 1 cup of organic sugar,  and steeped the tea until it was room temp. and the sugar was dissolved. Then i poured the tea/sugar mixture into a gallon glass jar and then gently poured the scoby in and covered it with a paper towel and a rubber band. and let it sit in  a dark place room temp. for 10 days... ( don't use any metal or plastic, only glass, for anything ) then put the scoby with a little of  the liquid in another container, and you can reuse it to make some more.

It will form a new layer(another scoby) and you can share that one with your friends




Today we also went blackberry picking down by the creek.... i had heard there were lots of them from my boys who have been going down there and fishing... so i really needed to go get some before all the birds at them all... i am so excited to make something yummy for dessert to night.... the question is???? what to make.... cobbler, pie, topping for ice cream????? anyone have a great blackberry recipe they would like to share????


Have a great day!!!

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Right now

Right now....we are still in the thick of baseball... we have all star games every night..(which i am so proud of my sweet son who has had 2 grand slams... and a regular home run...(and i found out what a grand slam was...its not the Denny's menu item)



right now... I just found this list that i posted on face book(when i used to post things)in 2008... which  I  was surprised of how many still apply


1. I am a horrible house cleaner and a major mess maker.
2. I made a huge tee pee for my kids to play in.
3. my dream is to someday build a straw bale home.
4. i want to plant a vineyard and learn to make my own wine
5. my husband and i brew our own beer, the nut brown is the best!
6. i home school my 4 kiddos( well only 2 at the moment)
7. i am crazy about recycling, and try to get all my friends to get on board.
8. i call myself a dabbler, i like to dabble in many things (crocheting, sewing, gardening etc.)but I'm not really great at one thing

9. i once made my own cheese, it was supposed to be mozzarella, but turned into ricotta.

10. i really want to live in a yurt(while I'm building our straw bale house) which is a Mongolian tent

11. i want to learn how to raise bees and get their honey
12. i want to be a farmer.
13. i someday would like to do a house swap and go live in Europe for a year or so.

14. i have a BS in photography
15. i just finished breastfeeding my baby, life is going to be different, since it seems like i have been nursing a baby or prego for 9 years, yikes

16.my dream car is a vw bus
17. i want to get some chickens and a goat
18. I've moved back and forth from AZ to CA to many times to count
19.i am going to do a mini triathlon and I'm starting to work out tomorrow! for sure!

20. someday I'm going to have a huge garden, that actually produces some vegetables and not just weeds.

21.i love being a stay at home mommy!
22. i love going to thrift stores
23. i cant go to sleep without putting on chap stick first.
24. i love jack johnson
25. my favorite dinner is pizza and beer
.
right now... listening to my daughter read Hedge's Surprise to her younger sister...love it!

right now... anxiously waiting for my Kombucha to be ready... only 5 more days!!!!

right now....just got done playing a game of Life with the kiddos... I was a travel agent and made $100,000 a year.(why can't i do that in real life)

right now...loving this song




right now... really wishing we could go camping...up in the cooler temperatures...108 vs. 80 degrees... who wouldn't?

right now... planning a trip to Cali... to see my parents... and swim swim swim and see all my high school pals( that is if we don't make it to the state championships for all stars... if we do, that now summer vacation for us...boohoo)

 right now.... enjoying going to the creek


What are you doing right now????

..

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Things I am loving right now

1. This song by Renee and Jeremy









2. Teaching the crafts at VBS at Calvary Chapel

3. Making picnic blankets for the 3 weddings I am going to this summer, and finding cute picnic baskets and goodies to go inside as their gifts.

4.Spotify  go to it and make your own music list...FOR FREE

5. The 4 hour body by Timothy Ferriss (which I had gotten at the library, and had to return it before i had the chance to read it... so i bought it for my husband for fathers day, along with The 4 hr. Work Week( same author). And I am on day 3 of the eating regime and doing great!!!

6. getting ready to go up to the cool weather for a night or 2 to watch my 10 yo, play in his all star baseball tournament.
7. Also getting ready to watch my 7yo starr as the Secret Garden in the Secret Garden for the Missula Children's Theater... should be a great show!!!

8. And last but not least, enjoying a moment of peace and quite right this very minute, while 3 of my kids are at a friends house and one just fell asleep... wowza.....awesome!!!

Have a great day!!!If anyone would like to share there list of loves at the moment...feel free!!!

Friday, June 15, 2012

T shirt skirt... upcycled and recycled

So, I have really been wanting to make a cute summer skirt out of my bins and bins of t-shirts(for projects of course).... and what motivated me to finally do it was my sweet husband threating to throw them all away(because i have to many)... so of course... i was like.... i am making somthing out of those... you cant get rid of them....so now is the time... I really love this store on Etsy twinklewear
and would love to make those kind... but being the novice sewer that i am... i will try my best...






So i measured my waist and cut some stretchy lycra type tshirt material and that was the waist band, then I cut a piece of paper bag(from trader joes of course, that kind works the best)... for a pattern. I was doing 6 panels so I measured that it would be 6 1/2 in at the top of one panel and then went down to about 9 in at the bottom of the panel.. so i cut out 6 panels and sewed them together right sides together.. and then pinned the waist line on and sewed it on... and whaaa laaaa... it turned pretty good for my first one... many more to go... and so comfy...





have fun crafting!!!