Throw-back Thursday!

I am a very sentimental soul! I am the person in our family who always wanted all my grandmothers' old stuff. So when my childhood friend The Motherboard started Throw-back Thursday on her blog I thought it was great and that I would steal her idea. So welcome to my first Throw-back Thursday! As I was looking through my old pictures I was thinking about the wonderful friends I have had through the years. I have been really lucky, so many of the friends I made in elementary school are my dear friends still. The wacky thing about that is no kid thinks to herself, "I had better choose good friends because I could have them for life". How silly, but for me it is true.



This is me with my friend Kim and The Motherboard on the steps on our first day of kindergarten. Do you see my little hands? See how they are reaching out to grab my little friends hands? I think that is the story of my friendship right there. Once Michelle gets her hands on you she does not let go!





There will probably be lots of birthday pictures on Throw-back Thursday. It seems to be one time my mom could be counted on to pull out the camera. My birthday is at the end of October so the Wear-your-costume theme is a recurring one. Our very own adorable Tif from Loveboxes is there in the front row. Isn't she the cutest little ballerina? I am wearing the kimono my Uncle Ron brought back from Japan for me. My sister is the little one in yellow, not sure what she is supposed to be. Oh yeah, that costume had bunny ears but I guess she didn't like them! I am still good friends with four of the girls, plus my sister of course, in this picture?

Then we all grew up, well we thought we were anyway. There are four of these same girls from the kindergarten picture and the birthday picture that are in this one. (Motherboard on the far right with her arm on my shoulder, and Tif on the far left in her signature hot pink!) Lots of big hair in this one! We are all at a youth conference at BYU. My friend Circe is mysteriously missing from these. She has a hysterical blog you should visit. But where is her picture growing up? I don't know, she was there! I swear we have been friends since we shared potato chips in 3rd grade! I was tempted to post a picture of a bunch of these girls last summer at the going away party they had for me but I was afraid I might finally jeopardize that friendship if I did it without permission! But when I see them this summer I will get one and warn them I am posting it!

Blogging has saved me during our move last year. It has made it possible to keep these friends, reconnect with some I had lost touch with and talk to them almost daily if I want. I have a couple of my close friends who have them now and I just am so grateful. Then there are the new blog-land friends I have made that have just been so much fun. So I guess the point of this silly Throw-back Thursday post is that I am so grateful for the friends who have gotten me to this point and the ones I keep making. And if you and I are friends, sorry you are stuck with me now!

The Luckiest Girl!

Who is the luckiest girl you know? It is meeeeeee!!!! So of you are aware that a couple of weekends ago there was a swashbuckler soiree in blogland. It was lots of fun to run around and see every one's contribution to the seafaring life. As part of my exploits that day I entered Christine's give-away. If you are not familiar with Christine's work you need to get over there right now! She makes the most amazing dolls. It actually seems rather inaccurate to call them dolls, they are truly works of art. Anyway, she created the most amazing post that day featuring gorgeous mermaid dolls and a glowing pirate ship. You can and should see it here. So, she was giving away one of these amazing mermaid dolls so of course I entered, I mean you can always dream right? And would you believe I won!!!!!! You should have heard the shrieking around here! I had to call my friend Tif because I just had to tell someone who would understand how amazing it all was.





Well, she came today! I have to tell you that as amazing as Christine's pictures are they still don't do her justice! Mine aren't anywhere near as good as hers so go check out her pirate post to see some really amazing pictures.



Look at her sparkly hair and gorgeous hair-do!




We love her so much! Brittany and I had a great unveiling ceremony as we practically performed surgery to get her out of her wrappings. She is sitting in this pretty spot in the living room where I can enjoy her most but where kids don't go very often. I am not sure it will be her permanent home. She is just making me sooooo happy today! Thank you so much Christine!

New Girls and a new light studio!

I finally finished the two dolls I have been working on. It is so funny to me how I use basically the same pattern every time and yet they turn out so different.



This is Annabelle



This is Heather

They are both outfitted and in the shop! It is so silly, but I think I like their ity-bity flowers they like to wear in their hair and their stripey stockings the very best! Why don't we wear stripey stocking more in real life? They are so fun!



I have been working on making my own little light studio ever since I saw Adri working on hers. She gave me some good tips and I am happy with my results I think. I took the photos of these dolls with it. The best part was I was able to take them at 11:00 at night when I get no interruptions! I may add some different fabric, I don't know if I can take white all the time but I am thinking they may work better on etsy this way.



Here is my fancy new studio. I think I will probably try and make a large one. Best of all it was really cheap to make!

My favorite Mother's Day Dessert

I know Mother's Day is over, mine was lovely I hope yours was too, but I thought I would share our traditional Mother's Day dessert that we had yesterday. I didn't realize it was a tradition until it was almost Saturday night and William asked what I wanted for dinner. All of a sudden I realized we just had to have some version of strawberry shortcake. My mom loves strawberries so we almost always have some kind of dessert with strawberries. I think this is the version we have most often.

Yummy isn't it?

So these are the basic ingredients. Strawberries are on sale in most areas this time of year so it is a good time to make it. Brittany made the angel food cake mix. We make ours cupcake liners. I just love the perfect size and so do my kids. I mixed up the danish dessert. I don't now how popular this is with the rest of the world but we love it. You can usually find it on the top shelf near the jello. Matthew helped cut up the strawberries and stir them into the danish dessert. Then when we were ready to consume it all we just sliced the little angel food cakes in half, added a couple of scoops of ice cream, a layer of strawberries and a dollop of cool whip on top. Super yummy! I'm sure this counts as a serving of fruit right? Oh well, I consider Mother's Day a freebie day!

**There will hopefully be some new pictures of dolls in the shop tomorrow!

Lovely Mother's Day!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Mother's Day! I know Mother's Day can be hard in a paradoxical way, I remember several miserable Mother's Days when I wanted to be a mother but wasn't yet, and I know other things happen in life that can make this less than a great day. But I hope none of this is the case for any of my lovely blogging friends!

I am having a lovely day so far, granted we aren't too far in yet but it shows all the signs of being a good one. It is a good day for thinking about motherhood for me. I have always wanted to be a mom. From the time I was little. When I graduated from college I was at a total loss as to what to pursue. The only job I really wanted was to be a mom and it wasn't quite time for that yet. I have had a really great time being a mom. It has been a lot harder job, that isn't necessarily getting easier, than I had ever thought, but it really is the best job there is.

Of course learning from the best really helped. How do people who don't have wonderful, involved, loving moms become good moms? I really don't know, I would never be able to tackle raising these kids if I hadn't had this fabulous example. I always knew I was one of mom's two most favorite girls. From the time I was little until now. I think that may be one key my mom had to enjoying us even when we were teenagers. She just loved doing things with us and we knew it. (Aren't we the cutest in this picture? Did I know how to accessorize or what?)

It is really fun this year, both of my big kids are big enough to really participate and have made me all these goodies. Along with flowers from the dad. Isn't that what we are all hoping for on Mother's Day? A little recognition that this is a pretty hard job? And it is always nice to know that our families think we are doing an okay job of it too!

And when I look at these cute faces, even the one Joshua is making, I am so very, very grateful that I get to wear that title "Mom"!

Happy Saturday!

We are having really a very nice Saturday today!




First there was some of this:



I really felt good to have all of us outside "working" on the yard.



Of course this was Joshua's contribution!



Then we got all the patio furniture washed and arranged. I feel like I have two outside rooms now.



This is were we will probably be eating when we have William's sister's family visit this summer, our kitchen table is too small. The other patio turned out really pretty but I will have to photograph it when there isn't a roto-tiller in the way!



And now the kids are doing this:



Yep, I think this means spring may be gone and summer is starting!

Oh Happy, Happy Day!

That is what I felt like singing yesterday when I discovered this website yesterday! Probably about two years ago I discovered Kimberly Hodges through my friend Tif. She love bright colors as those of you who visit her may know so this happy, bright artist is really her cup of tea. You see her things being marketed by Hallmark now and scrapbook paper companies. But I love her prints! Just love to look at them all and get inspired. She used to have a website where you could do that but it sort of vanished a while back and I really missed it. I emailed her and aske would it be coming back and she said she had been so buried with different demands for so long she had sort of decided to take a breather but the website would eventually be back. So every few months I google her just to check. And yesterday when I did I found her new site! This is very exciting for me because just looking at her pretty things makes me want to get out my paints and mess around. And when I mess around with paint it tends to make me a nicer person. This is good timing too because I am a bit burnt out on sew dolls and need to switch to something else for a bit. My sweet boy Matthew told me this morning he was wanting a painting lesson so guess what we are going to be doing! So if you are having a dreary day go on over and look around, I promise it will make you smile!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today is Brittany's last day of her extra-curricular "gifted" program. They have been studying different countries around the world and to finish up today everybody was supposed to bring something American. We chose chocolate chip cookies. Did you know they are an American invention? I wasn't sure but Wikipedia confirmed they are. Created when Ruth Wakefield was making sugar cookies one day and the vibration of her mixer shook some bars of chocolate down into her mixer. Mrs. Wakefield believed the dough was ruined and was about to discard it when a visitor suggested she bake them anyway, not wanting to waste the dough! Or so the story goes!
Well, we love chocolate chip cookies!



Here is Brittany mixing up a batch with Mr. Joshua's help, he is a very eager helper!



And here are her finished cookies, she rolled each one . Her busy mother usually just drops them right off the spoon!



These cookies were made with my mom's recipe. I think it did originate on a Nestle chocolate chip bag. I think I have posted it before but just in case you feel like some cookies today here it is:
1 C shortening

1 C brown sugar

1 C white sugar

Combine sugars and shortening.

Add 3 eggs and 1 t. vanilla

Add 3 C flour, 1t. baking soda and 1 t. salt.

Add Chocolate chips, we like a whole bag. Bake at 375 for about 7-8 minutes.We like 'em a little doughy!

Adorable Mother's Day Cards

If you want a fabulous Mother's Day card go on over and see my wonderful friend Vanessa. She has four beautiful cards you can print up for your favorite moms (and yourself!) for free! Go go over here! Have fun, I'm going to!

We have a winner

Here is Miss Brittany drawing the name...



And the winner, in case you don't have a magnifying glass is Motherboard!! I am so excited, she is a friend I grew up with that found me here in blogland after we had lost each other for years. It will be fun to send her some treats, she is an awesome mom!

Are you looking for something good onTV?

Well if you are, this is a great choice! My mom called to tell me about it Sunday so I flipped it on. I loved it! Of course Judi Dench is in it so it is pretty had to go wrong as far as I am concerned. I was unfamiliar with the book it is taken from or the subject matter but most of the time if people are wearing corsets and talking with British accents I am willing to forgive a lot. But there was nothing to forgive, it was wonderful. Although there is an almost too well acted scene where a child dies and I really, really hate that. I know it happened all the time back then, but that just makes it worse. The best news of all, if you missed it Sunday you can watch it online for free here and then still catch next weeks episode. Or you can watch them all online as they become available each week. I am going to watch it again this afternoon, it was that good!

Oh, and don't forget to comment on yesterday's post to enter my giveaway we will draw out for tonight!

I Love Mothers!

Mother's Day this week! So much fun. I am going to have a hard time not being with mine this Mother's Day. I haven't missed one since the year we were on our honeymoon in Hawaii over Mother's Day. I think she forgave me that one, and if not I was too far gone in LaLa land to notice! Anyhow, because so many of the wonderful girls who visit me are mothers, and even if you aren't you have one, I decided to have a little give-away! I know, it is almost too late to get it there so I will draw a winner from this post on tomorrow night so I can make the post Wednesday. I think it should still make it that way. And if it doesn't, my mother would say it isn't over until you get your last present!
So here is my offering:



Some of my spring cards I had so much fun making, including that one with the mother and children. I think it is perfect for Mother's Day. And the first little nesting mama I made. She was the first one so she is a little different than I make them now, definitely an original. And lastly a new spring pin. I worked on these last night while watching masterpiece theater(more about that tomorrow!). I have had them in my head for awhile and had to get them out. They are my little felt flowers I make but this time there is a pin on the back so you can pin them on a jacket or bag.



Here is my new spring purse I bought on clearance from Target with one pinned on it.


There is a slightly different version in the shop.



So leave me a comment on this post before Wednesday morning and maybe you will win! Because I love all mothers and as my funny mother would say, "Every kid should have one!"

Sunday Review!

Well, here is some of what happened with the family this weekend really. William and I finally got a babysitter yesterday and took off for some grown-up time. There was a Wine Country festival in our town yesterday so we went to check it out. Kind of a funny event for two people who have never tasted the stuff, but there were lots of craft and food booths and such.


A lot of wine tasting going on here!
This is the cool mosaic/mural that is downtown.
Then we went over to Pleasanton for some late lunch, it was waaaay to crowded in the Wine festival. Do you see that orange car parked at the curb? That car was a BIG deal to William, a Lamborghini apparently.
Here is a close up, for my dad. And we were at a stop sign so don't feel too bad for me, looking like a dork taking pictures of cars!


William was being such a good sport, we went and checked out an antique mall I have wanted to see inside since we moved here. There was some fun stuff. This crazy quilt made me want to try something like this. Maybe one day I will do this with some of my kids old clothes.



If my children hadn't stolen my waist, I would love this swimsuit! Isn't it just the greatest?

And we can't wrap up the week without a cute kid picture so here is Joshua, showing you just how much a tootsie pop can be enjoyed. In the bathtub of course!

So what are you giving your mom?

The big day is just one week away people! Yep, Mother's Day is almost here. So here are a few of my suggestions (this means if you are a mother in my life you should probably come back and visit later or risk knowing what you are getting early!)
My childhood friend Tiff, at Loveboxes has so many perfect boxes for Mother's Day the hardest part is chosing which one. They are perfect for putting a pair of earrings in or just looking pretty on a dresser top. Tif packages things up so prettily you may really want to consider her extra gift wrap, you won't be sorry! There is just enought time left if you hurry to get it in time! Oh, and she is having a giveaway on her blog so be sure and enter, you might win yourself a Mother's Day treat!

Okay, this seems weird but it is wonderful! I bought this as a treat for myself this week after reading about it on Tammy's blog
That's right, it is like a cheese grater for your feet. I can hear you goign eeeeewwww! but I am telling you it is great! My feet haven't looked this good since my last professional pedicure and that has been a long time ago. I got it at Target, in the little area they have for "seen on tv" stuff. $10! Fabulous! I threw in a french manicure set for another $3, I really know how to live don't I?

One of my favorite artists, Miss Vanessa has the most amazing prints if you are looking for something to hang on Mom's wall. I have a couple and they are so beautiful you will love them!
She has amazing paper dress girls in her shop too!
Another of my artist/blog friend Jenn, has adorable note cards right now. I love everything she does, look around her shop and see what else you like!

These are some of my favorite ideas! But you better think about it this weekend and get them ordered Monday, first thing so there will be time to get them before the big day!

So Excited!

I am so excited! Julie from onthedotcreations featured me on her blog today! This is so exciting to me, I love validation from people who don't even know me! She features some sellers from etsy every Friday who use polka dots in their work and I was part of the group! So go on over, she has a darling blog, and see what you think!

I finished another doll using the new pattern too. She is not sure whether she is ready for motherhood. I gave her a baby because of Mother's Day approaching put me in the mood, but I am not sure, she may need to remain a party girl awhile longer. What do you think? Baby or no baby? Funny, I wasn't sure I liked her all that much until I put the flower in her hair last night and now I really like her!
She is in the shop now.
And so it this little nesting mama!

Peace Like a River

I am finally getting back on track after our week of the flu plague and that includes finishing the book club book Peace Like a River by Leif Enger. I love having this book club with my blogging friends! Especially since I am a bit of a book snob and tend to get disgusted with my ward book club, they only read things you can get at Deseret Book. That is great sometimes but then the librarian's daughter comes out and I just wish I could show them some other great books.

Anyway, I digress. Peace Like a River. Can you tell I just like even saying the title? This book made me think about and realize some things I don't always spend time thinking about these days. Like the fact that I realize a lot of my book choices lately have been simply for entertainment purposes. Nothing wrong with that I think, but a substantial book like this one, full of symbolism and beautiful prose makes me remember that I really did use to like to study literature and dig deeper. To be honest when I started this book, in my "entertain me" frame of mind, I wasn't so much in love with it. I kept getting hung up on little things; like would someone please give that poor boy a puffer, surely they had some asthma treatment better than boiling water in 1960! And where did the name Swede come from? Short for something? Nickname? You can see I am truly confessing my shallowness here. But then I sort of settled in and especially after talking to Tif, whose review is much better than this one will be, I started to appreciate it a little better.

I don't think you often find books today that draw symbolism like this one does. Once I started thinking of it in the way I did books in college it was really interesting to think of Jeremiah as a prophet/savior figure. Poor Davy as that person we all could become I think if we let our more evil tendencies guide us. Rueben as a lovely, eloquent witness. Even the transformation of Roxanna, made me think how much lovelier we all become when we have the chance to serve others and be loved. Oh, I could go on, the poor FBI man, the awful Walzer, Sara they all could represent something more than just another character.

This is not a happy, entertaining book. It wasn't meant to be I think. But it is beautiful. The writing is just lovely. So once I adjusted my thinking to a more studious manner, something which I am sure it is obvious right now I don't do too often, I did really enjoy this book. I may even read it again so I can pay better attention to all that symbolism. But it probably won't be for awhile because the storyline was a little hard for me to take.

Now, back to reading the children's book Brittany recommended to me. I would hate to hurt myself with all this deep thinking!

If you want to read really good reviews check out Tif's post here, she has links to the others who read it. Next month is Glass Castle. Read with us?!

My Favorite childhood toys

Scrappy Jessi is having such a fun blogland party today! She is letting us all go waltzing down memory lane, one of my most favorite things to do, and remember our favorite childhood toys.

Rocking, and singing and talkin' on the phone! Isn't my Dad cuteIt is still being used today after being recovered several times!

See, Josh loves it and actually Matthew has his big 5 year old bum in it this very minute!?
I had the best Grandpa ever and he made me some of the toys that are the biggest part of my childhood memories. Here we have the home of all the toys, the biggest toy box ever!
This was the center of so many hours of playing for my sister and I. Grandpa made the kitchen with little turning knobs, painted on burners, a little ceramic sink and an oven and cupboards with little shelves. It really was a labor of love for a man who had three sons and was happy to get to make little girls things I think. It is still in use in my mom's playroom and my kids love it too.

Oh, the world of Barbies!

I cannot tell you the hours and hours and hours my sister and I spent playing Barbies! Hands down our favorite toy was everything Barbie. One year for Christmas my parents and grandparents spent a huge amount of time putting together all the itty bitty parts that competed the Barbie doll Dream House! I can't believe I couldn't find a picture of the year we got it for Christmas.
But as you can see it still lives in my parents basement. Keep in mind I am pretty old, and so is the Barbie doll Dream House, but we loved it sooooo we still can't part with it.
The next year my sister got the motor home, I played with her and the Barbies to an embarrassingly old age! Wow, looking at my sister sitting on my cute Dad's lap, doesn't she look like my Brittany with the Barbie house, and both in braids! And Mom was there too, she was just of course taking the pictures. That is why we moms sometimes don't exist in the scrapbooks, we are always taking the pictures!
So that is my little jaunt down memory lane, those days don't really seem so far away!