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!

New Little Mothers for Mother's Day!
These little nesting mothers are in the shop!

Pretty Things!

Thank you so much you lovely girls for all the happy anniversary wishes, it made the day even more fun. It was a fun day, funny how after you have been sick just feeling good makes it a fun day. We are going to take the day Saturday and go into the city too.
William gave me the prettiest plant too! It is a bougainvilliea and they are everywhere in Hawaii. It was my favorite plant there when went there on our honeymoon so it was a great choice for an anniversary present. Hopefully it will grown on my big gray wall in the back yard so I can see it out my window!

I want to post my pretties from the Enchanted swap I did last week too. Our lovely hostess, Sarah was my partner because she was so nice to let me join late.
Look at my treasures! I just loved it all! There were crown shaped sugar cookies and heart shaped chocolates but I ate them too fast for pictures.
Brittany and I both had to try on the crown and the wand
Here is Miss Brittany working some magic too!

I kept Miss Brittany home yesterday to make sure she was really over the flu, she has a hard time shaking these things. We actually had a great time watching Enchanted together without the boys and I almost finished some more nesting dolls that will be in the shop later today. I shouldn't have so much fun keeping her out of school, but it was fun to have her all to myself, I just might have to do it again sometime!

Happy Anniversary!

Wow, what a weekend! I had decided to make my Sunday post a rundown of our weeks activities but this week is really not worth remembering! Whew, lets just say A LOT of laundry has been done around here. So I am really behind on what I had planned to post. I particitpated in Tif's book club, but haven't quite finished the book let alone done a review. And I received a wonderful swap package Friday, really the high point of the weekend, second of course to hubby's return home.

But today is my 15 year wedding anniversary so I am going to get all sappy instead because hey, it is my blog after all! That number, 15 is just amazing, it makes me feel so old! I mean how many young mothers have been married 15 years, I think that would have to be an oxymoron right? Hope I still qualify. But I suppose that is a good commentary on our marriage. I mean time flies when you are having fun right?

So bear with me while I get sappy about my William. I am so lucky to have this guy! Something I proved once again last night after my week of single parenthood, yucky kids, sick me and followed up nicely by the super-grump of a wife. And he was still nice to me! So he still loves me, or he is really afraid of me by now! Just kidding, he is really good at always making me feel like I am just as cute as I was on our wedding day.
See we really were children, so I can't be all that old right? Poor guy, this blog is usually so full of pictures of the kids and my silly crafts that his handsome face hardly ever graces it! Aren't I lucky, he is still just as handsome, probably more so actually. Why are guys so lucky that way?
In our religion, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we believe that when you are married in our holy temple you and your family are sealed together and will be together after this life. I am so glad because I really don't want to spend any time in these life or the next without William around. We were married in the Salt Lake Temple, that gorgeous building behind us. You can see a great little tour over on Tif's blog today. Wasn't that nice of her to go visit since I couldn't go myself? She has some gorgeous pictures, it is a beautiful, peaceful place.
We had our reception at the Lion House, Brigham Young's old house in downtown Salt Lake. It was a perfect day, the perfect beginning to our lives together. We really did marry young, realtive to a lot of the world I guess. We were 21 and 20, but the fun part of that is I feel like we sort of finished growing up together. We have accomplished so many things together that I am so happy with and I am so glad I have always had my best friend with me through it all, and always will have!

Thanks for putting up with this little post, sometimes a little public declaration is a good thing right? Thanks too for all the well wishes throughout our survival of the plague. We will be back to our regularly scheduled blogging tomorrow!

This is today!

Any questions?
You guessed it, another one has fallen. Hopefully Brittany will not be known as the kid who threw up in 3rd grade. Let's just hope it stops with her!
I did finish my miniature dolly late last night.

I am rather pleased with her although I think I will stick to more regular sized dolls. Miniatures are hard!

Thank you so much for the kind words for my mother and her child dolls, they have gone to a great home across the ocean! I will probably work on another, I seem unable to stop! Working on some nesting moms for Mother's Day too.

At least amidst all the sick kids I had the fun of watching my Thursday night shows! Loved seeing Ugly Betty and Greys Anatomy again! And Hurray! The dad comes home tonight, although he is rather afraid to come into our germ ridden house!

New Doll!


Well, we survived the day of great yuckiness yesterday and have had a much better one today. Thanks for all the flu empathy, I knew I could count on you guys! I did manage to finish the mother and child doll I have been working on for the last week or two. I wasn't sure if she looked too much like she was going to a party but when I added the baby I decided I like her. She is in the shop!

Why Oh Why?!

Could someone please explain to me why someone always seems to get the stomach flu when Dad is gone? I truly don't understand the uncany consistency! So we are at Matthew field trip to Chevy's today and Mr. Joshua lost his cookies. I suppose it wasn't a total shock, he wasn't feeling great yesterday but I thought he was feeling okay today. He ate more for breakfast but I guess he was just starving. Now I am sure we helped make the field trip more memorable. I hope Chevy's doesn't reconsider its field trip policy because of us. So now we are home and he is plugged into Clifford. Didn't you just know that my great productive streak couldn't last? Oh well, it was great while it lasted! Here are a couple of projects that probably won't be getting finished today.
I cut out a bunch of new nesting dolls. I am going to add a few new colors to the originals.
This is a doll I am working on for a miniatures swap I am doing. She will only be 6" tall when she is done. She is going to have puffy sleeves and a very full skirt out of the same fabric. I can't decide what to do with her hair. Long like Alice in Wonderland, braids, or pony tails. Or should I try shorter curly hair? I am looking for opinions here. And what color should it be?

Well I am off to get more Clorox wipe out and disinfect Joshua again! Hope you have a more lovely scented day than we are having around here!

Cards! Cards! and more Cards!

Yesterday's project was to make a bunch of cards and a large portion of making stuff like this is getting to show you guys. I had organized plans for a change, so I was able to get 50 cards done! I know, I'm impressed too!
Here is all fifty!
Now the reason I was able to make so many is because a large portion of them were made from prints of pictures I have taken of flowers. I am thinking a selection of these may go to the moms for Mother's Day. These are a few of my favorites.
The other kind of card I made was something I have been wanting to do for awhile, I have seen combinations of fabric and stitching on cards and wanted to try it. I had one of my better ideas too when I thought to make color copies of my favorite snatches from some vintage children's books so I didn't sacrifice my originals. These were really easy too and I like how they are different from cards I have made using scrapbook methods. I am thinking I might include one of these with my shop orders

Now I need some help girls! My fifteen(wow, I cannot believe that!) year anniversary is Monday and I am totally at a lose as to what to do! Anybody got any great ideas? I would be thrilled for any you have! Thanks!