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Oh My Heck! I lost my wallet all day yesterday and was FREAKING OUT. My whole world was in there. (My husband kindly pointed out to me in the middle of my freak out that my whole world is here *points to kids and himself*). Yes, Dear. Thank you. But my whole world that I function in was in that wallet.
I spent hours trying to look and deal with this.We searched the interior of my car 5 times each. My dear friend, Heidi, went back to the beach we were at and looked there. I canceled credit cards and bank cards, and was heading out
of the house with kids in tow to replace my license when I look over at my passenger side mirror. On the outside of the car was- yup, it was my wallet!
Someone must have wedged it in there, and I drove around all day like that.
Crazy.
I am amazed and extremely relieved.
Thanks to all of my kind friends that helped me look.
Now I just have to wait for all of those new cards to come in the mail.
Today the heat has cooled down to about 90 degrees, but at it’s peak yesterday (105) I decided to take my girls someplace air conditioned that we love.
The Library.
We enjoyed a riveting Story Time and then
picked out our 20 or so books, books on tape, and DVDs to take home
to entertain us.
Last night before bed, I read Earl the Squirrel by Don Freeman to my little one. Beautifully illustrated, sweet little story. After thinking about it for a whole night, today she asked me “Why do bulls get angry when they see red?”.
This is amongst the many questions I cannot answer. I suppose somewhere down deep I always assumed that when I became a parent, I would automatically get all of the answers. Like joining a special club or finally getting the key to the book of knowledge.
Enter: The Internet. Oh I cannot even express how much I LOVE THE INTERNET.
I told her I would look it up and tell her tomorrow. So I did. I found out through Answers.com that Bulls are colorblind. It is the motion that makes them charge.
So from this little trip (initially to avoid the heat) to the library, we have all come away a little bit more knowledgeable, and much much cooler.
Images from our 104 degree days.
I thought 85 was bad. This is just HOT. Our lawn agrees with me.
Corn. Fast. Good.
Both my daughters begged for haircuts. I was happy to do it.
Lots of nakedness…for the girls.
That is all I can handle today. I will blog again when my brain is functioning at it’s normal speed. Hope you all are keeping to the shade.
It is about 85 degrees here today, which doesn’t happen often. I feel like I am melting. I have absolutely no energy. Has anyone ever spontaneously burst into flame from 85 degree weather?
Oh goodness. I know many of you have been putting up with temperatures way above this, but here in the Pacific Northwest, we have mild temps almost all year round (although the pendulum is swinging wider and wider every season- but that is for another complaining post) and we are totally not used to it. Being born and raised in NJ, I have suffered through my fair share of unbearable summers, but when we decided to jump in the car and keep on driving until we hit Washington 12 years ago, we ditched the air conditioners and haven’t looked back! We like mild. It is good.
Anyhow, with higher temperatures, my brain seems to be foggier and I cannot even think of sewing, but I wanted to do something. So I changed the fabric in those embroidery hoop picture frames See Here.
I took that beautiful bird fabric and just inserted it into the hoops.
Done.
I feel creative without breaking a sweat.
Now where’s my ice pack?
I hope you all are staying Cooooool.
This has been one busy July. It seems like every day we have something to do. Along with play dates and outings and errands, we have many many Birthdays this month.
I felt I needed a new project to celebrate this fact (and something to give to all of those celebrating Birthdays).
Look at what I found!
The Perfect Box Pouch Tutorial
I love the internet. I really do. I cannot remember a time when it didn’t exist (and I’m not that young). It makes making things so much easier. It connects people with other people who can show them how-to’s with the click of a button, any time of day- or night (which is when I often find myself looking for new ideas).
My older daughter has a Birthday to go to this weekend for a boy from her class. He is such a dear friend to her, and they get along so well. I wanted to make something for him. The only problem is that I have NO idea what young boys like
to receive as gifts. Clueless. So when I found this tutorial, I jumped on it. It makes a great pencil/ treasure pouch. With it, I also made him a library bag. Something to carry his books. He and my daughter both volunteer there to read to younger kids, so I thought it was a good idea.
Here it is, zipper and all. I am so proud.
One Birthday taken care of- only 10 more to go!
Yesterday, my husband noticed a little tiny bird in a plant right outside our front door. So very beautiful. Brand new to this world and learning to fly.
There is something magical about new life, and so very exciting.
Our girls were beside themselves with joy.
On the same note, friends across the globe just welcomed a new life
to this world as well. I made a little something for their brand new baby girl. (I hope they don’t read this Blog!)
I made this quilt with the most fabulous fabric. It has birds on it. Hmmmm. I see a pattern here (Pun really intended). I must have birds on the brain (Bird Brain.- I’m on a roll). I seem to have subconsciously linked our new friend with our new bird friend.
Both so sweet.
Welcome to the World, Babies! We hope you enjoy the ride!
Our guests have gone. We had a great time with them and will miss them just as much. While they were here, we stopped (of course) at a yard sale. This one was slightly different in that they weren’t really selling much, Just GIVING it away. Now that is my kind of Yard Sale!
I found this little Lazy Susan (or Lazy Michelle-for me). I had no idea what I would do with it, I just knew I needed something with “Lazy” in the title.
Today, inspiration hit me like a ton of rotating platters. My older daughter’s desk is a bit of a mess. She loves to create, and IT. IS. MESSY.
So I decided to turn this strange find into an organizer for her art supplies.
I am not quite finished yet, but isn’t it pretty? Amazing what a couple of coats of paint can do (and lots of dots!).
Next I plan to glue small containers to each tier so that she can fit her smaller supplies on it too.
I will post more soon!
Day three of our friends’ visit here, we took a grand journey to the Olympic Mountains. It was lovely. It is one of my favorite places to go. The air is cleaner and my thoughts seem to be clearer. You can see eye to eye with the tips of the mountains. It is the view of winged creatures and clouds. I feel like we stepped into The Sound of Music.
*Cue soundtrack in my head*
We all had a wonderful time.
We have a very dear friend and her daughter visiting us this week. Lots of activities planned, but the best thing of all to do is just relax and catch up. We went to the beach near our house (through a wooded trail) and did just that. So nice.
We found an Eagle, sitting so peacefully atop a tree.
We went on a Slug Hunt and found 100 slugs. No lie! We actually counted.
After a scrumptious dinner, I made some of these very tasty Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies found at Gluten Free Girl. Awesome Blog.
I am looking forward to more days spent like this one.
I have never embroidered anything in my life (without my sewing machine doing it for me). But yesterday I found this site with a great idea for using the hoops (I totally forget which site it was, though- Sorry). So we were out at a local garage sale and I happened to find three beautiful embroidery hoops, just begging me to do this project with!
Wall Hangings using fabric (in this case great pillowcases). You just cut the fabric and fit it in the hoops. Instant wall decoration.
I can’t wait to see them on my wall!
Most mornings start for us at 6:30 when a certain little someone comes in to wake us up. To delay my feet hitting the cold morning floor, I distract her with drawing pictures on her back. Today after I was done, she put her arms inside her shirt and turned the shirt around so she could “see” what I drew. I marveled at how she saw everything I drew on it, and how we needed to add a belly button. Then after she was done, we had to erase it all before she could turn her shirt around again.
Similarly, her sister has been using her imagination to create this tree house sanctuary of sorts, on top of our swing set in the backyard. When she is up there, nothing else exists and she is safe from her sister (temporarily). She sits up there and reads and reads. It comes complete with sitting pillow (a sweater she tied around it), and a library (books she draped on the bar below), and ,of course, a sign stuck on to ward off unfriendly visitors. To me, it all looks extremely uncomfortable and exposed, but then again, maybe I need to use my imagination a little bit more.
We just got back from a Whale Watching tour in Anacortes Washington.
IT WAS COLD.
I mean, it is July, right? We had fleece and jackets on and were still cold. Crazy weather. We did get to see some Minke Whales and lots of Seals and Eagles, though.
Apparently, never too cold for those guys!
5 hours on a freezing cold boat brings us a bit closer together.
After returning home, I had an itch to sew something fun. Contrary to what the weather says, it IS Summer, and I decided to sew accordingly. My older daughter has wanted bloomers or gotchies (as an Aunt of mine referred to them as)
for ages now. I finally made them.I used those vintage pillowcases I bought from the Rotary Auction a few weeks ago.
She just LOVES posing like this.
It was nice to get away, but we are all very happy to be home.
When we bought this house 5 years ago, we inherited 2 cherry trees along with 5 apple trees. None of them produced much, at first. I suppose they really like us now, because this year cherries are EVERYWHERE!
It is the most we have ever gotten from our two little trees. The girls have been obsessed (see this post ). They have been picking every day.
Today they asked their Papa to pick with them. Wow is he good.
Serious picking here. Got out the ladder and fashioned himself a “picking stick”.
They are so proud. Carson counted them. 125 total cherries from our cherry tree!
Of course, yesterday we actually traded for some delicious Ranier cherries. Now we are swimming in them!
De-li-cious!
So with a sprained knee comes lots of time to sit. UGH. That is something I am NOT good at. At all. My children share this affliction (as do most) and there-in lies my challenge.
I have come up with a few ideas to keep them busy without over taxing myself.
Painting in the Tub. Such fun for them and easy clean up for me!
Just strip ‘em down and let ‘em go. Then hose everything down.
Painting rocks at the table while I “supervise” from the couch.
Firework Poppers. These I had to help out with, but are a great craft for the Fourth of July. They use the old toilet paper rolls, and you can fill them with anything you want.
I found them Here.
I hope everyone has a very SAFE and Happy Independence Day Celebration!
We will be at the Farmer’s Market tomorrow with Bagels!! See you there.
Last night I accidentally bashed my knee into the corner of the wall. After 5 hours in the emergency room, I find out that it is sprained. OOOOOOWWWWWW.
They gave me crutches to walk with, but since I have many many allergies (too many to list here), I was getting a rash from the rubber on the handles on my hands. So what did I do?? I came up with a crafty solution, of course!
I hobbled over to my sewing machine, where I knew I could only sit for a short while at, and sewed quickly.
I made Crutch Cozies!
Much better!
