Day 16: Monday, monday

I did something pretty interesting today....unfortunately I'm too tired to write about it. So this lily pad pic will have to do!

still hanging in there with the consecutive blogging.

Day 15: sunday afternoon

Hanging out at Great grandma's house is the best!

Day 14: park, party, pizza

How cute is she!!

Day 13: exploring new surroundings

I'm so thankful for today! It was a really great day. At lunch we got fortune cookies. Chris's said, "Soon you'll have a chance for a profitable transaction." We all oohed and awed over that one. Bentley's said, "Use your charm and personality to obtain your wishes." Of course, he does that everyday. And he definitely did that today. Chickie's said, "Your imaginitive use of your skills will bring you joy." Well if that's not Chickie I don't know what is. Mine said, "You will make a fun investment involving four wheels." And now I thought I got completely jipped on my fortune. But then later that day on our was to TJ Max to look for a new door mat, we spotted an antique car show. Chickie really wanted to go. So we did. I called Chris to tell him what we were doing. He said, "AH HA! And what did your fortune say today?" It was pretty funny. I don't think I've ever gone to a car show before. Especially not voluntarilly. Then we went to our local art walk on the way home. We looked at some pretty paintings, watched some little girls preform songs from Annie, and petted two really huge, gorgeous horses. Wouldn't you know it was the only time I didn't have my camera with me today. Fabulous day. And aren't you proud of me for blogging today! I am.

Day 12: the move, day one

Thanks everyone for your comments yesterday. I did attempt to blog yesterday, but my camera cord and computer were at different houses.  So this is yesterday.  Our move went in reverse.  It was a little embarrassing, because we looked hoarders, what with stuff everywhere.  But I think it accomplished our purpose of keeping the house show-able.  So yes, we are moving into our investment home.  And it is still for sale. We are actually having a showing right now!  So we are just moving over the things that will look pretty.   
One of my local friends read my blog last night and called first thing this morning to help!  She was a total lifesaver!  She raided all the liquor stores in town for the good boxes and helped me all morning.  Her son was a major help, too.  Thanks Sara and Corbin!The weird thing is, that I found it all strangely exhilarating!  It's like rearranging your furniture, only slightly more drastic.  I usually never rearrange my furniture.  Maybe I should start.

Still, nothing like knowing that a bunch of new opportunities are about to open up!  Today was exactly what I needed.  Not just the move, but so many people being so nice and helpful.  I really needed that. My kids got to play with two different families and they had a really great day.  I went to pick them up and my friend's son was so enthralled in the Guinness book of world records.  It really cracked me up.  We ended up having a delicious dinner together. It was the perfect end to the day.

We were all pretty exhausted at the end of the day, though.  Talk to you all soon!

Day 11: dancing shoes

Here is Chris putting on his dance shoes.  We dance at our gym, which explains the tape on the floor.  We use the aerobics room.  It works pretty well, what with the free babysitting and all.  This morning Chickie was all giggles playing with the plastic washer and dryer and making another girl iron.  

Oh, and in other news:  Surprise, we are moving tomorrow!  It's completely insane, last minute and I'm losing my mind.  Things that are really no biggie are suddenly making me cry, over react, whine and complain.  Why we continue to do this to ourselves I don't know.  It's a sickness.  

In good news, we have some fun furniture makeovers that we have been trying to get done before the move.  So that will be fun to share soon.  Who cares about getting boxes and actually packing your stuff, as long as the furniture looks good. I'm glad I have my priorities straight!

Hmm, will the daily picture posting survive the move?  Not sure. Stay tuned to find out... 

Day 10: the swing of things

Can you believe this is actually Chickie?  The same girl who spent an hour earlier this year inside crying, because she didn't want to be outside where bugs are.  It's a miracle.  We are way past the days of screaming about nats.  Hallelujah!

Day 9: the eighth wonder of the world

Introducing:  Pumpkin Grape!!!

Day 8: Daddy daughter bonding

One of Chickie's favorite games to play with her dad is hairstyle.  He is such a good sport. He lets her squirt his head with water and then put all her hair bows on him.  Once, he forgot that he still had some small glittery clips on the top of his head.  He ran a quick errand to Target, I laughed so hard when he got home. I asked him if he was getting any funny looks while he was gone. He answered in the affirmative. 

And then he returns the favor.  Yes, that is a toe divider in her hair!

I'm grateful for my sweet family.

Day 7: junk/busted

I took this picture at 6 am Saturday morning. This is the only picture I took that day.  I was on my way to the garage sale. I had gotten up at 4:45 am to make sure I  was ready in time to load up the car.  This was my second load of stuff.  At about 9pm that day I was laying on the bed, Chris was going out to get us ice cream.  I was going to  post my photo then (lame as it is).  But I never woke up.  I was contemplating sneaking it in, but Mandee totally busted me.  Oh, well.

At the yard sale (which was at my neighbor's sister's house), I walked around with my new friend, 10 year old Brenna, to the other houses in the neighborhood participating in the sale.  She was totally funny, and we had a nice loooong walk.  But at the end of it, I couldn't help feeling completely disgusted with the amount of junk we all have. It really kind of creeped me out. A lot of it seems so unnecessary and I pledged myself to buying less junk.  I wonder how long that will last.  

Day 6: zoo

Day 5: crash

These plates had dreams of one day reaching Sarah Cihat's studio.  Sadly, today their dreams came crashing to an end.  Help!  The garage sale is taking over my life and my sanity!

Today I'm thankful for Ice Cream!  And a nice cool morning to run.  Oh, and sleeping in. Oh, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. 

Day 4: tacos for dinner

Only day 4 and this is what I am resorting to.  Uh, oh.  Like I said, it's garage sale prep week.  And believe me the tacos are at least better than the worms and crickets I found in a tackle box earlier today.  
Does looking at this picture make you sick after reading about worms and crickets?  I hope  not because tacos are the best.  Try this seasoning recipe. Yum

Speaking of tacos, did you know that I'm 1/2 Mexican.  Even though these tacos are not authentic...neither am I.  So that's ok.  I don't even speak Spanish, sadly.  When my mom was little the girls were in charge of tortilla making when they turned 11.  We went through our own version of tortilla boot camp growing up.  

Our mom's recipe (I'm not even kidding):

Dump some flour in a med bowl

Cup your hand and poor enough salt to fill just the middle, add it to the flour

Put three fingers in your baking powder and scoop up a little hill of baking powder.  Add to flour and mix with your hand.  Scoop out two or three little balls of shortening. Mix it up with your hand. I think we usually used one hand for mixing and kept the other hand clean.  Then poor hot water into the middle and squish it all together.    Then you roll it into balls, roll it out and cook 'em!

  

My mom makes the best tortillas ever.  Even my sister in law does a better job than me!  I am officially shamed.  Tonight's tortillas are courtesy of Ole.

  

Day 3--Photo Challenge

So now that the photo challenge is official, I started to get nervous.  What am I going to take a picture of?  I tried a new bread recipe today.  It turned out REALLY bad.  Can you tell?  Uggghhh.  I was really hoping this wouldn't have to be my picture for today.
So I went outside and took a picture of this flower.  Not bad, I guess.
Then Bentley started washing his own hair in the bathtub.  SO cute! I found my winner!
He is discovering the bubbles.
And his belly provides a little modesty.
We have surprisingly good lighting in the bathroom.
good night!

The rest of the week I will be getting ready for a garage sale. Beware!

Today I'm so thankful that Chris is home from Nashville.

Yay!  It was only two days, but that is two days too long.

Ready, Set, GO!

Does anyone want to do a photo challenge with me?  30 days of posting a picture on your blog.  In a row!
I'm kind of non-committal at this point. But I think it sounds like fun.   
And technically yesterday could count as day one.  It may be cheating, but who ever said I play fair.  
Ah, the lazy days of summer? Don't they wear you out!!  Today I'm thankful for mommy nap time.  I have no excuse, I just couldn't help myself.  

If any of you do want to play along. Let me know. We can make up the rules together.  Or just say no rule is a good one. Either way, I'm easy.

Super Dad

Happy Father's Day! To all dads who give their best to us.  I'm grateful for dads who teach us what they've learned, who provide for our needs, and who don't care to wear silly home made shirts.  I'm grateful for my two great dads, and for Chris's dad.   And for my amazing husband.  Our kids are being raised with tender loving care (and we made stickers that say "Raised with Tender Loving Care" and stuck them to their heads just to prove it!)

this post may self destruct...

So, back in November, I swore off TV.  This has been really great and we have really enjoyed having less of all that in our home.  I always get a lot more done when we swear off TV. However, on Super Tuesday, Chris brought these lovely bunny ears home...oh, right... rabbit ears.  Anyway,  I busted them out again to watch the Oscars.  And now, we've been using them for Saturday Morning cartoons, too.  That's pretty much a kids right of passage, don't you think?  Turns out Chickie is really susceptible to advertising.  She really wants those globes that water your plants for you.  And the bag organizer, and that thing that helps you lift a dryer by yourself. She NEEDS all of those things.

 I did watch one or two episodes of Dancing with the Stars.  But let's be serious nothing compares to So You Think You Can Dance.  And if the bunny ears alone aren't bad enough, I tried hooking up the VCR to record SYTYCD.  And I couldn't figure out how to do it!  Sad, I know.  At our house we are usually pretty technologically savvy.  It's Chris's doing.  And we have a Tivo, from when we used to watch TV, but we don't have service, anymore.  So it doesn't do much good.  And I've enjoyed not having TV so much, that I'm really afraid to even go there.

 As I was digging through old tapes looking for one to record on I found my old music videos.  Yup, that's right. I said music videos. No, I wasn't a pop star in Japan or anything.  I was 22 or 23 at the time.  Chris got us a video camera.  And well, I thought...what in the world do you do with a video camera.  The first thought that came to my mind was, "Make a music video!"  So I made some.  Just three at first.  There were more later, but the first one was the best.  

It was to Fleming and John's song Ugly Girl.  I was wearing red leather pants.  And a furry red collar thing.  

And as long as we are kicking it old school, technologically speaking, I took a picture of the screen.  I had super short hair then.  And it tempts me to cut my hair again.  
Just ignore the curling iron/microphone.  What do you think of my hair?  Don't worry.  I won't try to cut it myself!  I promise to leave it to the professionals.  It's SO hot right now that it's really tempting. But I don't know... I think I promised myself a while ago that I would never have short hair again.  

Back to SYTYCD. Have you been watching?  Doesn't it make you want to be stronger?  Do you stretch the whole time you are watching it?  Chris and I worked on a really fun Foxtrot yesterday! And we have been putting together a pretty great Tango routine.  But I was all about the foxtrot, because it's so peppy.  I love to dance! Especially now that I'm gaining enough control to be...uh, in control.  

So, questions, comments, concerns, about:

1. SYTYCD

2. the virtues or evils of TV and how that effects you ability to get stuff done

3.  most importantly, my hair!

another self portrait

Seriously, I'm so in love with this bag that I made for myself, I was contemplating marrying it.  But then I realized that I AM it.  It's really just Really Happy Me made over in a breezy summer bag. (I'm like the prince from Enchanted, "What's not to like?")  This is how I feel when I watch my husband eat corn on the cob. Seriously, it's the funniest thing in the world (ask Rose, she knows).  He can eat a whole cob without coming up for air!  It makes me laugh.

 I made the flower using the book I got in Asheville. I made it out of a pair of Chris's old sweats (they shrunk before their time, so the fabric was still nice).  The awesome button is from my beloved trench coat (it was the extra one).  I actually made this flower last week but it fit this project perfectly!  Doesn't it just make you want to grab your suit and head to the pool.  That's where I was headed earlier today when these pics were taken, and although you can't really see it, I'm equally in love with my fun new cover up.

And look...I'm all yellow on the inside!  Who knew?  I do love yellow.  I invented this pocket on my own. I'm so proud of myself.  It's perfect!

So does this make you wonder what you would look like if you did your self portrait in a bag?

Do you want to hear something interesting?  OK good!  In my color class at BYU one of our exercises was to draw our self portrait using only shapes and colors (abstract, get it) and then choose a class mate and do theirs.  The freaky thing was that they looked alike.  For example, the hot guy in the class drew his picture and me and another girl both picked him to draw and all three abstract drawings of that dude looked alike.  Same colors, same shapes and they were all put together in pretty much the same way.  Cool, huh!

FYI:

I got the pattern from this book.  But I added the flower and pocket myself.  I got the pattern for the flower from this book.   The only think I invented all on my own is the pocket, and  I based that off of my favorite pocket in one of my other bags.  So I kind of copied that, too.  If any of you make it let me know! I want to see pictures.

It's finished!

This ugly house is finally beautiful.  It has been a lot of work for my man! I'm very proud of you babe!  It's been a lot of work for Derek, too. And time away from his family.  But it has been fun having him around from time to time.  Way to go guys!

Here are the before-s:

a bedroom
the dining room
the kitchen? no this must have been the laundry room.  But that door way isn't there anymore.
During:  The walls literally came down!



After:


  I'm so thankful that this is over! It was actually done at about 2am Sunday morning. I was trying to post a video that Chris took of Derek sledgehammering walls...but it proved to difficult a task.  Not sure why.

what do you think?