The Road

This was this month's book club choice for The Book Blogging Babes. I have to admit right up front that this book was not for the faint of heart and I was faint of heart. I stuck with it for about 60 pages and then gave myself permission to quit. It took me to places I just didn't want to go. Because it was so well written I was truly transported to the author's world. Problem was I don't want to hang out in a Post Apocalyptic world. I don't think I am a Pollyanna, lots of books I read take me to uncomfortable places but this one, probably because it was so well done, was just too disturbing. If you want to read some great discussion about this book go over here. These girls were much more open-minded and insightful than I.

Sunday Update- A boring one

Prepare yourself, this is a very boring post. Because it has been a very boring week.
There has been way too much of this. (Poor kid, his favorite chair was removed per the realtor. Could he stand any closer to the television?)
Which has resulted in this:

Totally out of character for this house and housewife. I had to prove to my mother and sister it really is possible for me to achieve this. I just don't like doing it.

Oh, and this. I spent more time trying to get that shower in the corner completely spot free than I will probably spend making Joshua's Halloween costume. And it isn't nearly as cute as he will be.

All of which has resulted in this.


And a little bit of this. All that clean open floor is just too much for two boys to resist!

We have had a couple people go through. Cross your fingers and say a prayer for me. Great financial week to put your house up for sale don't you think?

In which I am rewarded!

Okay so I survived the monumental cleaning of the last two days. The house is officially listed. And what do I get for my great efforts--other than a house we hope will sell quickly and easily? Treats!
This came in my mailbox yesterday! Look how pretty! I joined in Speckled Egg's Birthday Tag book swap. It came yesterday and it is so fun!

So my reward has been to sit and look at all the pretty tags.

Oh and my kids let me sleep in until 8 this morning! You know when three kids under the age of 9 agree to let mom sleep in she must have been pretty grouchy yesterday! And Dad wasn't even home!
So I am off to the park or somewhere today. Maybe the house will stay clean and I might stay nice!

Me and my floor

Okay, so if you have been visiting me for any amount of time you know that I have a tendency to stay up late and work on projects. After a night of creating the first thing I want to do is show all my blogging friends. It is always more fun to share what you create right? So last night I was up really late. And I am really proud of what I created. Here it is:

Yep, my floor. Now you need to understand a few things. First I hate cleaning. I kept thinking while I was scrubbing "I could have a whole Halloween costume cut out by now". Second the person who even made white grout available for purchase should be shot. I don't know who thought it would be a good idea to put in white grout in a house where people are actually going to live. I had actually given up on this grout long ago, just hoping that the stained gray color would just achieve some sort of uniformity (is that a word?) and people would think it was supposed to be gray grout.
Which incidentally would have been a much smarter color choice. Somehow accidentally I discovered that this

was like magic on my gross grout! I sort of wish I had taken a before picture so you could see how amazing it is now but then I would have to be embarrassed about how yucky it was. I swear I really didn't know it could look like this!

So now I apologize for lauding the praises of my floor, but I just had to show somebody!

Dealing with Stress

Thank you so much my lovely friends! I wish I could move onto the same street as all of you! We are very excited but the fact that we did just move here 14 months ago and I feel like I just got us settled dampens the joy a bit.
So how exactly is Miss Michelle dealing with the stress in her life? Well first she ate this

Yep, the whole bag. By myself. At least it did take me a few days. These are my favorite chocolate chips in the world. They don't have them here in California. They are sold in the Thriftway grocery stores in Utah. They are green and minty and wonderful. I have been hording them since we came back from Utah this summer and now that we are moving back I felt justified in eating them. All. Myself. What can I say, I am a stress eater. You know what? It really did make me feel better!



This movie. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I don't think I have enjoyed John Cusack this much since we were both teenagers and he was in Say Anything. Heartwarming true story about a science fiction writer who adopts a little boy who thinks he is from Mars. I loved at the end when the father points out that we need to remember that all kids are sort of from another planet, trying to figure out how things work on this planet. The kid in it was so good I found myself wondering along with the father if there was any way this kid really could be from Mars! Watch it, it will make you want to hug your kids.

So don't worry about me too much, I will still be sneaking in some little tiny bits of crafting and watching a fun movie or two. Even if I have to both late at night. It is that or start taking Valium. Oh, and I may feel the need to whine about things here periodically.

Late Sunday Update-Big News!

Oh, I have the best blogging friends! Thank you so much for your nice words and concern. We have only good news, no health problems or anything like that. The shop probably have to close for a bit because....

Yep, going back home! Because that is the thing. As much as we have loved our adventure here in the Bay Area, Utah will always be home. William has the chance to transfer back and since we always planned on going back to Utah this seems like the right time. It will only get harder as these excited little chickens get bigger so off we go! NEXT month! Yes, I am going a little bit crazy! We hope to list the house this week and be in Utah by the third week in October. So I am cleaning and packing like crazy. Neither of which puts me in a very good mood. And not getting to blog as much, or craft as much, two more things that put me in a less than beautiful mood. But it will all be worth it right? So don't worry about me if I don't post as much or visit as much. I won't stop altogether, I love it too much. And I know there are folks with much bigger challenges to conquer but if you don't mind send me a postitive thought or prayer. I need all the help I can get to keep from losing my mind!

Molly and Libby

Sorry I haven't been around much the last couple of days. There are crazy things happening around here that I will hopefully be able to tell you about soon. For now I wanted to show you a couple of girls that have finally made it into the shop.

This is Molly. She is wearing my favorite toile fabric.

And this is Libby. I am really loving her color combination.

They are both in the shop. I may be closing the shop for a little while around the middle of October so if you are an early-bird thinking about Christmas already you may want to get your girls now. I am not sure when I will be able to open the shop again.
Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Halloween Brooches

I am still having fun with the diamond glaze and sculpey clay. These are my latest idea. I wanted to try making some brooches for Halloween that had sort of a vintage feel. I spent the afternoon yesterday trying to apply the rick rack and glitter to a few more that were less successful. Let's just say super glue is not a great adhesive to use with glitter. Another tip for you is that if you get super glue or diamond glaze on your fingers the only way to get it off is to sand it off. I used my emery board. See what great information you get here?

The brooches can be found in my Shop!

They are still a little bit little

When I went in to check on my kids last night just before I went to bed I found evidence that although they are getting more grown up everyday, the little kid in them is still there!

Matthew had lined up all his webkins and stuffed animals.
I guess Brittany decided to sleep with a couple of friends. Oh, the curlers are for picture day today by the way.

And Joshua was sleeping with his "nigh-nigh", the binky he should have given up long ago but which his wimpy mother still lets him get away with at night.

Sigh...

Just a pretty quilt

Not too many exciting things going on around here today. I am trying to catch up on a few neglected house chores. I thought I would show you the quilt I have been working on though. I am hoping to have it put all together soon. This idea got in my head and I just had to work on it. It was going to be one of these purses but all of a sudden there seems to be a new batch of little babies coming to my friends and family so I decided to use the patches I had already cut, add some more and make it into a quilt. I think it was a good decision because it makes me happy whenever I look at it. Always a good sign!

Sunday Update

Well yesterday no adventure was had for us. We were forced to finally spend a day catching up on some yard work. So I thought I would show you a couple of the rewards the kids earned by their willingness (haha!) to walk home from school.

First, after school Friday we made homemade doughnuts. You are impressed aren't you? Yeah, until I tell you we made them from those pop-out biscuits you buy 2 for 1$! This was a great, really bad for you treat my roommate Melanie and I made all the time in college. The only things that stood between us and a freshman 40 was the fact that we didn't have cars and had to walk everywhere and our teenage metabolisms. So you pop out the biscuits, stretch them a bit and poke a hole in the middle .Then fry them up in some hot oil.

Then drizzle a little frosting over them. My kids thought I was so cool! But they really only taste good while they are warm, once they are cold you can tell they used to be biscuits.


Then, because "They don't do ANY art in first grade" we made finger paints. You would have thought Joshua would have been all over that but no, it was the big kids.

He only would smoosh it around with a spoon.

Brittany and Matthew made loads of pictures and then used the paint again the next day. It was made of 3 cups water and a cup of cornstarch heated until it was thick and them we added food coloring. So everyone had fun on our fun Friday. Then we put them to work on Saturday!

Mamma Mia!

Okay, so I finally got to go see the most fun movie of the summer! A few of the girls from church called and asked if I wanted to go to the sing-along version at the local theater. It was so fun! I want to be Merle Streep when I grow up. Oops, too late! Oh well, she was just so fabulous. So now my two favorite Merle Streep movies would be Out of Africa and Mamma Mia. Very strange. But the lady is such a great actress, so pretty and now we find out she can sing. I mean really sing! I could have lived without a crude comment or two, and I am still not sure about Pierce Bronson, but nothing is absolutely perfect. I have to say going with a bunch of Mormon soccer moms was a blast. I'm sure the other folks there must have thought we were drunk as skunks (yep,having that much fun!). Little did they know it was bunch of non-drinking Mormons! I had forgotten how good it is for me to act like I am 17 on occasion. Of course that may have been a little more pleasant for my friends had I a been a good dancer or singer at 17 but oh well! So instead of a face-lift or botox go grab some girlfriends and go sing your head off at this fun movie. I promise you will feel much younger!

New Dolls in the Shop

I just put three new dolls in the shop. I am taking a few suggestions from my friends! This time I named the girls.
This is Madeline, although I think she prefers Maddie. I love the fabric her dress is made of so much I wish I had taken the whole bolt home the day I bought it.
And these are her little shoes like my new ones, just like my friend Carrissa suggested. By the way you should go read her post today. Her husband shares his 9-11 experience in the heart of New York that day.

This is Alice. She is a bit old-fashioned.

And this is Wendy Witch! She and I are very excited for Halloween!

So these girls can be found in the shop now. I had forgotten how fun the big dolls are to make. I have one more pink one I will list soon to. Thanks for all your lovely words and advise about my dolls!

Chicken Scratch

I am feeling sort of nostalgic and maybe a little homesick for Utah today. I know the seasons are starting to change there and it made me think of all the things changing there without me. Nieces and nephews getting bigger, little friends in theatrical production like Nutcracker, and my sweet little grandma. She is actually not changing so much right now, she is in a home with dementia, so the changes happened a few years ago. My dad's parents were a huge part of my growing up years. They lived a couple of miles away and we saw them all the time. My grandma was a fairly typical housewife of the 50's and 60's, one of my favorite time periods. She did a lot of the crafts that were popular then. Christmas tree skirts made of pieced felt, crochet, and a little handwork. I actually remember her having the proverbial glass grapes. Remember those? I sorta wish I had rescued them when her house was sold. Anyhow, when we did move her my mom found some of her handwork and knew I would appreciate it. Angry Chicken was talking about chicken scratch on some aprons the other day and it made me think of these.

My grandma made them, I never knew this sort of embroidery was called chicken scratch but I like the name. So I pulled them out the other day and tried them on. I instantly felt a bit more like June Cleaver! I even love that they have a few of my grandmother's stains on them. She really used these and it kind of felt like I had a bit of her here.

Isn't this pretty? There is a green one too, I love the details.

Three of my favorite things. Gingham, rick rack and embroidery!

So I may miss Utah, it will always be home, but at least I have my bits and pieces to keep it with me!

**Thanks for all the dolly love yesterday! I love having this blog to ask for advise on and you guys are always so nice! I am hoping to have some of those girls in the shop tomorrow.

Happy Feet!

I decided today that you know you are a blogger when you find yourself contorting your body so that you can take a picture of your own feet. It is not easy to do! But hey, I found really cute shoes today and my natural reaction is to show you all!
I found two pairs of cute shoes today at Walmart of all places. They probably won't last for years and years but that is okay because I tend to get tired of shoes after awhile.
I love these sort of Mary Jane shoes. I think they will be great with jeans this fall.

These were on clearance because they think summer is over, but not here. I will probably be able to wear these until at least Halloween.

I had to show you the new thing I tried with my dolls too. I have a hard time finding black wool felt around here so I decided to try corduroy. I appliqued all the edges so it won't fray and I think I like it. What do you think? I am hoping to have a batch of girls in the shop by the end of the week.

My Fairy Wand!

Look at my gorgeous Fairy Wand!
I joined Bella-Enchanted Fairy wand swap and my package came last week. If you are a swapper you know that occasionally you receive a package that is so over the top that you feel guilty! I mean there is no way what I sent my partner Sarah was anywhere near as amazing as what she sent me! Even the box it came in was adorable. This is the front, I think it is so pretty it is hard to tell the front from the back!

This is the back, just as pretty!
Plus she lives in the mid-west where there are all sorts of gorgeous old notions and ephemera, look what she sent! Soooo pretty! That is a hand-pieced quilted square there too! I don't know what I am going to make with it but it is going to be good!

And if all that wasn't enough she sent fun packages of Halloween paper, stickers, and little kits for my little chickens! Amazing huh!

Well, it may be for the best that I cannot find the picture I took of the wand I sent Sarah so you cannot judge for yourself. But I hope she likes it, and she should feel really good for making us all so happy. Thanks Sarah!

Sunday Update! Birthdays and Beaches!

It was a really fun week here. A couple of things Joshua learned to do:
After insisting "I paint!" he had his first attempt at water coloring. As you can see it had to be tasted although to be honest I sometimes do that myself by accident. He was pretty good too!

Josh learned to fly. "I flying!" We don't know why, but he had to wear this helmet for a whole afternoon. Guess he is a safety kid.
The party was a big success! As you can see from this action shot of Matthew the kids didn't mind that we had the homemade version of a slip and slide (I couldn't find one anywhere!)
How many kids can you fit in a wading pool?
Blowing out that Speed Racer cake.

And everyone loved catching goldfish in the pool. I am sure they were all dead by morning. Not sure how high I am on the mom's lists now...

Saturday we took off for another little adventure (no, we still aren't getting any work done on the weekends-just fun!). We went to Santa Cruz. Sort of a mini-Jersey Shore beach. I just liked the look and sound of the boardwalk in the background. Luckily the kids were so exhausted from jumping in the surf we got off without having to ride anything.

That is Brittany and Matthew practicing their version of body surfing. You hold hands and let the waves cover you. Sweet and a little scary!

Joshua spent most of the day talking to his cars and sandcastles. I wish I knew what story he was telling them!

The sandcastle that Brittany managed to save from her little brother.

Another good week! Hope yours was too!