Give-Away

And the winner is...






Christie! Let me know what size shirt and ink color (raspberry pink or minty green) you'd like!

Thanks for all the book recommendations, folks. I have a good list now to keep me busy.

My First Quilt, Ya'll!

I should have it finished save the binding tomorrow! So easy!



Fabric for another project!! I'm high on sewing!

Exclamation marks!!!

102

Apparently, this is my 102nd post! Wow! That Post a Day in May really sped things up around here.




I want to do a give-away, like I see so many other blogity ladies do when they reach 100 or some other milestone. So, in anticipation of my etsy shop opening in a few weeks, I'm giving away a Dear Little One tshirt! Unfortunately, I have no photos of said give-away yet.



However, if you'd like a chance to win, just leave a comment telling me what book you're reading right now! I need some new reads!

The shirt will be a white, 100% cotton American Apparel tshirt in whatever size you specify (including toddler or infant sizes, if you'd like one for your little one), with raspberry pink (like in the photo above) or minty green ink. I'll have William pick a name out of his bucket to determine the winner.

Let me know what books I need to put on my reading list!

Edit: I will pick a winner on Monday!

I Always Knew I Was Old-Fashioned

64 As a 1930s wife, I am Superior Take the test!

I saw this on Emma's blog and it's just too hilarious. Love it!

Not sure if this means I'm an exceptional wife or if I'm dreadfully out-of-date. :D

I Am SO Over Summer

It's hot. Like, the kind of hot that makes you crazy. The kind of hot that makes you want to kill someone. And take all your clothes off. And lay on the floor moaning.




It occurred to me that for the last 8 years, since I became a working woman and not a schoolgirl, I have spent every summer in the arctic tundra of an office or other indoor working environment. Every summer for the past 8 years I've taken a sweater to work with me even though it was 106 degrees outside. Thinking about that blasting of icy air almost makes me wish I were still working in an office. Almost. ;)

So, finally, I've completed the last two scalloped-edge baby blankets. Woohoo!




Okay, the baby and I are going in the pool now to try to restore some sanity. We're both going a little nuts.

Stay cool, kids.

Ting Tings

This is way too fun.

Souvlaki. And a Pillow.

Here's a little project I did in about 30 minutes yesterday. I have had this little throw pillow for years and years but it had a horrible faux-suede cover and I almost got rid of it several times. I finally decided to do something with it. So now it has a new life in William's room as a matchy-matchy pillow. I just sewed up the two long sides and then attached blue ribbon to tie the end closed. It's totally cute! And very nice to have when feeding the babe (the Boppy doesn't really work very well in this chair).




We also tried something new for dinner last night. This is Chicken Souvlaki (Greek) from a recipe I saved from a Real Simple almost 3 years ago (I have so many "recipes to try" that it really does take years to get them). The recipe is here. My only modifications were to add some salt to the cooked chicken (it was a bit bland) and I used Trader Joe's frozen Naan instead of pita bread because, well, that's what I had. It was so good! John and a certain picky-eater I know even really liked it! I had the leftovers for lunch today and it was so yummy. A really great summer dinner.




I'll have two more baby blankets done by tomorrow with pictures to show you. Phew! And then finally I can move on to something new! (The something new will still be baby related...but at least no more blasted scalloped-edge blankets!)

Ta!

I'm Doing It!

Hopefully I'll look this good someday

I said I was going to do it... and...I am! I've started running! I'm training to run a 5K in October. I just started last night and I was SO nervous. I don't know why I get so nervous and sick just thinking about it. I just have always hated running. And even though I've succesfully trained for and run a 5K in the past, thinking about doing it again made me feel nauseous.

But, I did the first day of training last night and it was totally easy. Or, easier than expected anyway. Especially since I tried to start this program back in December and I totally failed on the first day. Granted, I was only 2 months post-partum and probably 30 pounds heavier than I am now, so it was probably too soon. But now I'm doing it!! I hope I can keep up the motivation! Especially during vacations and house guests visiting through-out the next few months. Eek.

Hold me to it please!!

Happy Father's Day

To my husband, the best possible guy I could have had a baby with. For being supportive, smart, patient, fun and funny, and willing to do whatever it takes. We know so many men who do not have good relationships with their fathers -- and John is determined to not let that happen with him and William. I'm so grateful for that. Also, I'm so grateful for John's common sense, logic and huge capacity to love and show it. He makes our family great!


William's favorite things:
Daddy doing beats for him
Daddy's funny voices
Playing peek-a-boo
Patting Daddy's face
Playing piano duets
Daddy's explanations of how the world works
Daddy singing songs
Playing with Daddy's belt and watch

For Father's Day William gave John a robe (every dad needs a robe), we went to the park, ate shrimp, and just hung out all day. It was nice. And the weather was beautiful! Thank you for being the Daddy, John. I love you!!


Also, to my own Dad. Some of my favorite memories include going with him to run the searchlight, camping, going on transmitter visits, hanging out at the radio station, listening to the story of the Shepherd and his sheep, listening to the Moody Blues and Yes and all kinds of music and the cool playhouse he built us. I love you, Dad, I hope you had a nice day!

Avoiding Doing Something Productive

Composing a masterpiece.

1) What were you doing 10 years ago?

Well, I was 16 years old, had just met John, and spent a lot of my time at the little tiny library down the street from my house talking to him online. I rode my bike there pretty much every day that summer. Haha. Back then there were no cell phones with unlimited nights and weekends or land line phone plans with no charge for long distance. Talking on the phone actually cost money. So, we talked on AIM for several hours a day. I also finally got my driver's license (just a couple months before turning 17. I'm cool.)

2) What's on your to-do list?

To-do Lists? I LOVE to-do lists! Today I need to make chocolate pie (check!), assemble a lasagna, go to Cost-Co for tp and pt, ship a Father's Day present (ooops...late!), ship a baby present, print photos for William's little photo album and go for a walk. Tonight we're having a Father's Day dinner for John's dad, as he will be out of town tomorrow. Oh yeah, and I need to wrap John's Father's Day present.

3) List 5 snacks you enjoy. (Just five?)

A Gala apple and cheddar cheese, snap peas, baby carrots with hummus, Peach Perfection Jamba Juice (why can't you buy a kid's size? 16 oz is like, way too much), Boba.

4) What would you do if you were a multi-millionaire?

Buy a house. Travel the world. Take my parents to England, Ireland, Denmark. Donate a lot of money to Central Asia Institute. Pay off everything. Help out some family. Do whatever I wanted.


5) Where have you lived?

Logan, North Logan and Hyrum UT. Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley CA.

Because It's Been Almost 3 Weeks...

...since you've seen this guy.

A Major Award

It's true! I won an award! See here on Emma's blog. Dang I feel cool! (That was especially for you, Emma. :D ) Like seriously. I never win anything. Ever.

Speaking of American accents... A few years ago John and I were in London and he was playing a show at a little club, which meant that I got to hang out with a bunch of people I didn't know (this happens frequently and if you know me, you know that I'm not good at that). But luckily these people were some really friendly British girls and a couple of guys and they managed to make me -- center of the Awkwardness Universe -- feel comfortable. However, while surrounded by all these British accents I was pretty reluctant to open my mouth. My American accent seemed so harsh and dull and like, dim-witted. Haha. I felt like such a hick! I told the girls so, and they all gasped with surprise. Apparently they thought my American accent was so cool and they wanted me to talk more and kept asking me questions. I was just like...um...ok. It was weird. Haha. I guess other people's accents are always more fascinating than your own. Though I really can't understand any attraction to an American accent at all. Blech.

So, following Emma's lead, I'm going to award my own You Make Me Laugh Awards!




Sheena
She always makes me laugh with stories about her kids and whatever is going on in her life. Also, her blog name is Sheenanigans. Get it? I crack up over that every time I see it.

Crazy Aunt Purl
The tagline on Laurie's website is “Because nothing is sexier than a divorced woman with four cats”. Right there you know her content is going to be quality. Plus, she wrote a funny book! That proves that she’s funny.

Dooce
Heather has like, the most viewed blog in the history of the world of something. Neither she nor her husband has to work outside of the home because advertising on her blog brings in enough money. Isn’t that nuts? Her blog is hilarious, though sometimes irreverent and sometimes crude. Just a warning to those of you who are of a sensitive disposition (I’m talking to myself here, too).

Christie
This girl has been my friend since we were like 14 years old. Mostly. :) She just recently started a blog and there’s always a line or two in each post that make me giggle. I love it.

What are your favorite funny blogs?

A Break

I saw this on Lisa's blog and it looked pretty fun. I'm home alone with William and have been cleaning and organizing all day. I need a break!




The concept:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

The Questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.

1. Cara - This cracked me up cause that girl is like, the exact opposite of me in every way.
2. Margarhita pizza. One of my favorite foods, certainly.
3. Sky View
4. Robin's Egg Blue. One of many.
5. Well, I had to put Robert Pattinson, didn't I?
6. Chai latte. Of course.
7. Antarctica. Of course I have lots of other places I want to go, this is just the most difficult to make happen. Which makes it a "dream" vacation more than the others.
8. Pie! What else?
9. This one is funny -- I put "brilliant" in, and apparently there is a camera of that name. Which works out pretty perfectly because in high school I wanted to be a photographer for LIFE magazine.
10. My husband.
11. I can't even remember what word I put in for this. But hello adorable cupcakes!!
12. I don't have a flickr name, but I put in what it would be if I did. Not sure why a picture of Bing Crosby came up. But sweet!

1. Cara - Car photo shoot, 2. Margarhita Pizza, 3. Yellowstone Fumaroles by Twilight, 4. In My Arbor Today, 5. Twilight: New Photo of Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan) and Robert Pattinson (Edward Cullen) On Set, 6. Sick snack., 7. Cuverville Island, Antarctica, 2005, 8. pie and ice cream!!!.jpg, 9. 6x6 Voigtländer Brillant, 10. The Two of Us, 11. rose cupcakes, 12. Bing!

I'm tagging anyone who wants to do it! It's kind of time consuming, but interesting to see what photos turn up for your search. Most of them don't make a lick of sense.

Excusez-moi.

I neglected to mention that my beautiful and talented cousin Aurora drew the little deer for my logo. I asked her "can you please draw me a deer" and she said "ok" and that's what she came up with. It impresses me to no end when people can just like, draw something. Aurora and her mother got all of the artistic genes in our family.

Also, I just stole that photo from Aurora's blog. Isn't it cute? It's of she and her fiance Charles in the rain. The whole photo is just adorable. Thank you again, so much Rora!

What in the Babies?

The recipient of this blanket and these onesies was born on Saturday. Welcome to the world, little Jagger!

'Rascal' onesie from Old Navy, not by me.

This is for baby Ava who was born a few weeks ago.



And these are for Baby H, who will be arriving any day now.



Finally, this is one of the first pieces of my Dear Little One line which will be available in my etsy store, that I hope to have up and running by the end of this month. Eek!



I think William and Ice Cream are in cahoots trying to keep me fat. William cries all night (teething) which makes it impossible to wake up at 6:30 to go work out. And Ice Cream calls my name from the freezer all evening, making it impossible not to eat it. Dang it.

Speaking of William, I'm entertaining him by letting watch (carefully screened and selected) music videos on my computer while I blog. Whatever works...

P.S. Have I mentioned that we have yet another baby friend due this year? We didn't know what kind of trend we were starting by having William. :) M&J have made the 8th baby coming this year. And there were 3 last year!