Charmaine's Life

Through My Lens

2011-11-22T23:05:00.001-06:00

t's been awhile since I took pictures. Which is sad to me. I really love to take pictures. For awhile, the only pictures I took were portraits for profit. Which I don't mind, but my real passion is more artistic photography or at least candid portraiture - no stress or pressure with either of those. I just love seeing what I can capture through my lens. So when my sisters asked me to take their family portraits this year I pulled out my camera and shot some pictures of my boys. Their growth hasn't been documented in awhile. So please enjoy these - I sure enjoyed taking them.

Life Bombs

2011-09-04T22:22:00.002-05:00

A couple of months ago a friend posted about a "life bomb" that had exploded in her life. Well, ditto. I've been MIA for awhile here because I had exactly that happen. A life bomb. More like my life was the bomb. My old life and my old me exploded and little bits were scattered everywhere. Can you imagine? I'm sure some of you have been there. It sucked. It sucked big time. I can honestly say that it was the hardest damn thing I have ever done. That's how hard it was. It deserves an expletive. Well, I've been slowly putting things back together and it turns out that a lot of the old stuff is just completely gone. I'm still trying to piece together a whole picture, and I'm far from finished, but as it turns out, I kind of like this new me and this new life better.

Happy Birthday Grammy!

2011-02-26T23:19:00.003-06:00

Today is my dad's mom's birthday: Grammy. She's 22. She's been 22 for as long as I can remember. She's sort of fabulous. She's always got her hair done and makeup on. I can't remember ever seeing her without her pearly white painted finger nails. She's got a really beautiful wedding ring that my Grandaddy had custom-made for her. My mom has told me the story that Grammy wore a costume ring for years for her wedding ring and one day she lost it and was so upset about it. So for their anniversary or her birthday or some special occassion, Grandaddy got his wife a beautiful platinum and diamond ring to wear, custom-made to replicate that costume piece (that he had snuck off with to give to the jewelers to recreate). I bought a ring at a garage sale in Iowa that reminded me of it. Anyhow, I love my Grammy so much for so many reasons, but one of the biggest reasons is because I know she loves me so much. Every time I talk to her, she tells me that she loves me and my family and that she prays for us everyday. And I believe her. She's never forgotten a birthday of mine, my husband's, or my kids - even when I was younger and they were living over-seas or in South America, I would still get some sort of birthday wish. In fact, when they were living close by, she would take me shopping for my birthday. It seems like she did that all through high school even. I always felt pretty fancy going shopping up at Scottsdale Fashion Square back in the 80's and early 90's. She's really pretty musically talented too. She plays the piano beautifully and speaks French. Yes, my Grammy is just so très chic! I've been handed down a few of her things, like an old tiara (that I LOVE! It sits on my dresser), a couple silk scarves from France, and some of her crystal and silver - all of which I treasure! And even though I looked and looked, apparently my mom doesn't have any old pictures of Grammy travelling the world or anything, but just believe me, she's one hot lady!

Long Lost...

2011-02-24T17:33:00.004-06:00

I don't know how to explain why I haven't been on here. I've got a whole lot of reasons that explain it inside of my head, but because of all the recent psychology/psychoanalysis books I've been reading, I'm afraid that it would come off... weird, I guess. Anyhow, I've been doing a lot in the last 6 months and I even have some pictures to prove it. So here you go:

I found a henna kit at the local Whole Foods and tried my hand at this fun artistic outlet.

My sister in law, Antoinette, even came over and played with me.

We gabbed for hours while our husbands played Xbox.

I wore a fabulous hat to church on the Sunday before Christmas and felt super fancy. I got it at a local antique store. I seriously love this thing and I've been wondering how many times I can get away with wearing it in one year, or if it's just a once-a-year-special-occasion-like-Christmas type of a hat.

I had a wonderful Christmas Eve with my boys.

I also had a wonderful Christmas morning with my boys and the rest of the family.

I'm pretty sure the theme this year among the gifts with all my siblings was: "Who can make their receiver cry the most?" I think I won (because my receiver was pregnant). But Clarissa may have won by making the biggest number of us cry at the same time.

I also finally got a website dedicated just to my photography:

www.charmaineslifephotography.com

And you may have noticed that I changed the website for this blog. Be sure to change your feeds to:

www.charmaineslife.com

Please don't take this to mean that I am no longer Randal's wife - because I am. In fact, I am pretty sure that I am more in love with him now than I have ever been. The blogspot address will still get you here, but that may change in the coming months.

So you see, even though my web presence was lacking in the last six months, I am still here and I have still been doing many things... In fact, I've got many more pictures to post very soon.

Eating Cereal

2010-08-20T13:54:00.000-05:00

I swear it doesn't matter what this kid does, it's the dang cutest thing any kid, anywhere, has ever done.

Pox, of the Chicken Variety

2010-08-17T23:34:00.002-05:00

For the next week or two, this little guy is no longer a baby thug, but will be a chicken thug, due to the minor outbreak of Chicken Pox.

Clearly, he's distraught by all 5 of his little blisters (there's one on his elbow you can't see). I can't remember the last time I even heard of someone with Chicken Pox, but I must say, if you have to get them, this is the way to do it!

Israel and Kindergarten

2010-08-16T13:30:00.003-05:00

Israel's first day of kindergarten was last week. He is going to the same elementary school that I went to for 2nd through 5th grades... AND I went to high school with his teacher! Crazy.

The first day, he came home and everyone asked him how his day was and he told everyone, but the second day he didn't want to say what he did. I asked him if he had a good day or a bad day. He said he had a good day, but "sometimes people just don't like to talk about their day." O-kaay.

The next day was the same thing. So I went through all the questions; "Did you get in trouble today?"
"No."
"Was somebody mean to you today?"
"Nope."
"Did you have fun?"
"Yes."
"Then why won't you tell me about your day?"
"Sometimes people just don't want to."
So I started to think, maybe he just doesn't like it when everyone keeps asking him...
"What if you tell me and then I'll tell everyone else so you only have to say it all once."
"No. Sometimes people just don't like to talk about their day."
So funny, right? So I had to get more creative.
"How about you tell me and I'll keep it a secret?"
"Hmmm... OK!"

Score! So he tells me about his day every afternoon and I keep it a secret. Sorry, all I can tell you is that he's had good days so far.

Samuel's New Toy

2010-08-05T01:54:00.000-05:00

He's still single!

Get Samuel Married!

Picking Fruit

2010-07-29T01:47:00.000-05:00

My Barefoot Boys

2010-07-27T01:04:00.005-05:00

Blessings on thee, little man,

Barefoot boy, with cheek of tan!

With thy turned-up pantaloons,

And thy merry whistled tunes;

With thy red lip, redder still

Kissed by strawberries on the hill;

With the sunshine on thy face,

Through thy torn brim’s jaunty grace;

Ah! that thou couldst know thy joy,

Ere it passes, barefoot boy!

Blessings on the barefoot boys!

by John Greenleaf Whittier

My Best Good Friends

2010-07-23T12:18:00.003-05:00

Today is my little sisssy's 27th birthday! She's a freakin' rad sister. And July 6th was my BFF's 29th birthday. Here's a little confession though, I forget to call her every single year. I'm terrible. Seriously. I suck. So, I'm trying to make up for it by public apology (I'm sorry!).

Anyhow, this is a picture of all of us ready to go to the Eclpise premiere. It was awesome. So...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TWO OF MY MOSTEST FAVORITEST GIRLS IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!

Baby Shower for Triplets!

2010-07-15T14:01:00.005-05:00

Last Saturday, my mom and sisters and I threw a baby shower for one of our cousins who is pregnant with triplets. It all started with an invitation that we found with birds on it. So, I recreated it with the modifications we needed and our bird brains just wouldn't stop!

At our onesie station, we had a nest of stuffed birds that my mom made. (They're even cuter in person!)

We made bird nest clips for our hair.

My sister, Jenny, spent hours making these beautiful flower balls to match the colors. They hung above our onesie table. (In fact, they're still there! I think my mom is hoping she forgets about them.)

We had a lot of fun coming up with food to follow our bird theme.

The chicken salad didn't exactly match, but we seriously love this salad so we made an exception. I don't have an exact recipe for this, but I'll tell you everything I put in it.
Baby Shower Chicken Salad
Canned chicken
Farafelle (bowtie) pasta
chopped onions
chopped celery
grapes
apples
raisins
almonds
mayonnaise
salt and pepper
cinnamon and sugar

Our no bake cookies with Jordan Almonds as eggs made perfect little nests. They were a big hit.

The tabouli was chosen because it looks like bird seed. It was another big hit. The recipe for this one involves a box that said "Tabouli Salad" on it and some fresh vegetables. We also add some lemon juice, olive oil, and oregano. Mmmmm.... You can also get a little glimpse of the carnival glass luncheon sets we used. They were gorgeous!

And our big treat were these cakes. Words cannot describe how good they were. I got the recipe from Deborah. Since it's her special treat I won't tell you exactly how to make it but I will tell you involves fresh fruit, angelfood cake, whip cream, cream cheese, and pie filling. All of these got eaten.

For party favors, Jenny made some beautiful charms. Most of them had birds on them, but there were also flowers and designs.

Anyhow, the whole party was a huge hit and we had so much fun getting ready for it!

Fudgsicle Summer

2010-06-15T02:11:00.001-05:00

The Blonde Cousins

2010-06-12T14:01:00.002-05:00

Last night my mom had her sisters and their husbands over for a Father's Day dinner with their dad. So she ~~told me to get lost~~ suggested that me and my kids might be happier if we found someway to occupy ourselves during that time. So we went to Chantal's house for dinner. Israel calls her kids "the blonde girls." It's pretty cute. Everyone played together quite nicely and Chantal and I even got to craft a little. That's pretty much what happens every single time any of us get together for any amount of time - we find some project to work on. So enjoy the pictures and here's the link to learn to make headbands yourself! Braided headband found via Rachel @ No. 17 Cherry Tree Lane.

Katie and Israel didn't use to play well together, but they were GREAT last night!

It's hard to get him to give me a straight face.

Katie, on the other hand, is a total poser. She makes super cute faces in every single picture!

Do you think Israel looks a little like Harrison Ford in this picture? Randal thought so. Which is pretty funny, because Israel talks all day long about Dr. Jones (Indian Jones).

This Susan. And she's wearing one of the head bands we made. She's pretty cute too. I think I need a little girl. Maybe I'll just steal one of my nieces!

Arizona... Finally!

2010-06-11T00:37:00.002-05:00

So after we got the new truck and well rested, we took off from Gallup, New Mexico for the last leg of our journey. My mom and brother left with the moving van about an hour earlier than Randal and I did. Just before we drove into Heber, AZ (about 3 hours from my mom and dad's house) we got a call from my mom and brother. The SECOND Budget van had broken down. Yup, that's right, another breakdown and another day spent waiting. Five hours sitting on the side of the road, nearly 2 hours of being on hold, 1 diesel mechanic, 2 cops, and a sunburn later we were finally on our way again. And luckily, we finally made it home - AND without anymore problems!

My brother did try to work on the van himself, but even the mechanic had a hard time figuring out what needed to be done. It turned out to be a group effort and it still took them nearly an hour to get it running again.

Just outside of Payson, AZ. The mountains of northern Arizona are just beautiful! Randal and I honeymooned around here.

The Phoenix side of Payson, on the way down into The Valley of the Sun.

Friday: Stuck In Texas

2010-05-31T01:31:00.005-05:00

Friday we left Oklahoma early in the morning. After only about two hours, we were in Texas and the moving van suddenly lost power, a whole bunch of check engine type lights went on, and the van went into "limp mode" and wouldn't go over about 40mph. So we pulled over and called Budget. We sat on the side of the road for over two hours waiting on hold and waiting for Budget to find a mechanic who figure out what was wrong. Finally they told us to drive to the Hart Chevrolet Dealership in Dalhart, TX, where we waited until 6pm for Budget to make a decision. (It must be said here that people at the dealership were wonderful to us! We were stuck there for HOURS and they took GREAT care of us!) Budget ended up towing to van to Amarillo, TX where we stayed the night. The next morning they transferred all of our stuff into another van and we were on our way again by early afternoon (luckily we didn't have to do any of the unpacking, moving, or repacking of the new van!).

It was irritating, but Budget took pretty good care of us. And we had a lot of fun while we waiting on the side of the road for a decision. We found some fun train junk and had an impromptu photo shoot.

Of course, this wasn't the end of our journey. Nor was it the end of our troubles. Rest assured we did make it here though! I'll tell you all about our adventure from today (Sunday) when I've got a little more time in the next day or so. It's a good story and I've even got the sunburn to prove it!

Kansas and Oklahoma

2010-05-28T15:55:00.004-05:00

I'm pretty sure I haven't updated about our M&M situation. The reason why is because we don't know exactly what we're doing yet. We have packed up our house in Ames and we'll be spending the summer with our families in AZ (best time to be there, right?). Everything is going into storage and these next couple of months will be spent deciding what to do next. It's a stressful situation, but for now we're driving to AZ and I'm enjoying to trip.

We left Wednesday evening and made it to Kansas City before we stopped. Yesterday we drove through Kansas and most of Oklahoma. Here are some pictures of the landscape we enjoyed on the way.

Today has been a whole other story. It's been a mix of fun and terrible. Tune in tomorrow for the rest of the story!

30 Years...

2010-05-12T19:36:00.004-05:00

...this guy has been on the earth. We had a discussion last night about why we married each other. Sometimes I forget why I married him. Yeah, he gets on my nerves and I get frustrated, but he truly was the best of any guy I knew. He made me feel better than all the others, he was smarter, more faithful, more well spoken, and because I married him, my life is better than it would have been. I love you so much! Happy 30th birthday! (And Babe, it's not so bad being 30! hehe!)

I'm In Love...

2010-05-04T08:30:00.001-05:00

Isn't it pretty?

It can even be two-tiered and footed if I so desire!

(I made it myself!)

(In fact, I made two!)

A Quintessential Iowa Morning (For Me)

2010-05-01T17:09:00.002-05:00

I went up to Gilbert (the little town north of Ames) this morning and visited my favorite store here in Iowa, JB Knacker. I try not to go very often because I know I'll spend too much money whenever I go, but this morning was the annual Gilbert garage sale Saturday, so I had to! I seriously love that store and I love the owner too! Brenda recognizes me every time I come in and I've only been in a handful of times, she great to talk to, and she's got some seriously great taste in antique and vintage stuff. I am really really going to miss JB Knacker when we leave.

I wasn't really planning on stopping at any of the garage sales - we got a late start that morning and I figured all the good stuff would already be gone, but they called to me and I just couldn't resist... So I got these:

I love them! They're so pretty! Anyhow, after that, the boys and I did my #2 favorite thing to to on Saturdays during the summer in Ames:

We got hamburgers from the Brat Shack in front of Cub Foods. This place honestly has the second best burgers in all of Ames (the very best hamburger is at The Cafe, in case you were wondering). And the people who run this thing are so great too!

So I'm trying to fit in as many Iowa things I can before we leave - well, in case we leave. Nothing is 100% decided yet.

I Need A Special Occasion

2010-04-29T15:06:00.002-05:00

So I have an excuse to wear to this:

May Day!

2010-04-25T18:05:00.004-05:00

Chances are, we're going to be spending a lot of time in AZ this summer - like maybe the whole summer. My mom is pretty excited about the 4 of us invading her house. Actually, let me rephrase that, she is pretty excited I'm going to be doing her grocery shopping and cooking for the summer and that she had someone to go running with her. Yeah, I said running. I'm currently training so that I can keep up with my 52 year old mother. Sad but true. Well, it's pretty freakin' awesome for my mom.

Anyhow, even though there are a lot of things I'm excited to do this summer with my family - like lunches at Chuck E. Cheese's with the kids, splash park outings, 4th of July in my parents backyard, and ECLIPSE MIDNIGHT SHOWING (woohoo!), there is one thing that I'm just not going to make it in time for, and I'm bummed. It's my sister's Boutique in the Barn on May 1st. There are going to be so many super cute things and I'm pretty sure I am going to send my sister some money to grab some things for me. Anyhow, so if you're in AZ next weekend, go check it out for me!

Spring Has Sprung

2010-04-18T17:48:00.002-05:00

And all the boys want to do is play outside. Elijah has discovered how fun it is to slide. And Israel is just as crazy as ever. It's hard to get a cute picture of him cause he's hardly ever calm enough to get a picture, and when he is, he gets pose-y and ends up looking crazy. It's fun having a five year old now. Am I really old enough for a 5 year old? Yikes.

Some of you may be wondering about what's going on with our m&m... Well, we still don't know. We are definitely moving - we have to be out of our house by the end of May. We may end up staying here in Iowa, but our landlords wanted 60+ days notice on our renewal and we just couldn't give them that, so they gave us an ultimatum. So, no matter what we are moving. Ug. I hate moving.

Happy Birthday Israel!

2010-04-15T02:00:00.002-05:00

or Why I'm Not a Professional Cake Decorator

5 Things I Love About You:
You love to learn new things
You are such a good helper
You love your brother and enjoy making him laugh
You always tell me you love me
You still like to hold my hand

Not Again...

2010-03-15T20:38:00.003-05:00

Yes, again. I spent another Sunday in the ER. This time it was for dehydration. Poor guy was throwing up all day Sunday and couldn't keep anything down for more than a few moments. They did some blood tests, took a chest X-ray, gave him some Zofran, around 400ml of fluids, and some Ibuprofen. Well, long story short, after the pediatrician's follow up appointment today, they don't know what was wrong with him, but they said to watch him and if his fever or vomiting comes back or if his coughing gets worse then to bring him back in and that he should avoid milk and any heavy foods for a few days. Elijah did much better today though. He didn't throw up at all and his was much more animated, still not 100%, but at least not so lethargic. So, my goal for next weekend is no hospital visits! Wish me luck!

I Need a Vacation

2010-03-11T18:45:00.004-06:00

Last Sunday as I was getting ready for church, I heard a bang followed by a scream and then little footsteps running up the stairs. I came out to discover Elijah with blood pouring down his face. It freaked me out. So I grabbed him and ran after Israel to find out what happened. Randal (who was still in bed) heard my frantic cries and jumped out of bed to see what was happening. So while I was getting the story from Israel (a paper weight that was being thrown around shanked Elijah), Randal went to work comforting Elijah. But as such is my life, Randal, having gotten up too fast and being confronted by that much blood, began to feel faint. Looking back on it now, it's actually quite funny. Picture if you will, me trying to clean up Elijah and comfort Israel (who is totally freaking out), while Randal is holding Elijah and saying, "You need to take him, you need to take him right now - I think I'm going to faint. Oh no, I'm going to faint!" Well, I got Elijah in time for Randal to sit down and put his head between his knees. And I tried really hard not to giggle at him. Don't think I'm terrible for laughing at the situation though, Elijah was completely calm by this point. Israel and Randal were my top concerns by then. Anyhow, I did take Elijah to the emergency room, where an embarrassingly good-looking (and young!) doctor stitched him up. Elijah did so well through it all he actually fell asleep after the first stitch. But, of course we completely missed church.

Of course just that alone isn't enough to constitute the absolute need for a vacation. In addition to those lovely stitches, Elijah has been suffering from a cough and runny nose for the last week or so, and so today I finally took him to the doctor. Good news! He doesn't have pneumonia, bronchitis, croup, or any other repository infection, he does, however, have an ear infection. And to top it all off, when I just went downstairs, I discovered that my basement is flooded - and it's a disgusting mess too. So, please, all I ask is for a vacation, preferably someplace sunny and warm where I can just sit and read and not think about all of the work I have to do. And if it's not to much to ask, can I just leave my house and kids as they are and have someone else play homemaker and caretaker while I'm gone? Believe me, they could only go up from here.

And no, nothing that I talked about in my last post has been resolved.

How Sad...

2010-02-20T21:11:00.003-06:00

It's been a month since I've posted anything! My sister called a couple of weeks ago and asked if I was depressed.

"No..." was my confused reply.

"Well you haven't been posted on your blog as regularly."

Dang. Well, that brought about a whole lot of introspection. I guess I haven't been as happy and carefree lately. And why is that tied to how often I blog? I'm still not sure.

But the bottom line is, life is sort of up in the air right now - like when you throw an M&M up in the air to try and catch it in your mouth. We decided to throw our future up in the air. We're not quite sure where it's going yet, so we haven't adjusted the position of our mouth in hopes of catching it. I'll let you know when we do. Who knows? Maybe we'll end up being able to just stay where we are.

I guess I could be blogging about other day to day stuff, but truthfully, it's about all I can handle just anticipating that dang M&M.

It's a Winter Wonderland - Part II

2010-01-20T14:04:00.002-06:00

Ever wonder what a day of freezing rain looks like?

It's a Winter Wonderland

2010-01-19T11:09:00.002-06:00

Ever wonder what 4 days of freezing fog look like?

I think that first one is my favorite.

December In Review

2009-12-30T16:12:00.002-06:00

This sweet guy has been sick almost the entire month. And when he's not been sick, someone else was. I think I was only able to go to church once this month. Not fun.

I had two pictures published (!!!) in a calendar featuring Ames. I'm March and November 2010!

And I made my first Fancy Family Dinner. You can't see very well, but the potatoes are served in a gorgeous red sparkly pedestalled bowl and the ham and turkey was served on that black and white number you can just see the end of. Unfortunately, the picture of the complete table was blurry, so just imagine.

We also got pajamas on Christmas Eve (an old tradition) and drove around and looked at Christmas lights (a new tradition). Christmas morning came a little too early, but it was a good one. The boys have enjoyed their presents and Randal got me a tablet mouse - I've been coveting one for a few years. Actually, I was pretty impressed because he got it last month and was able to keep it a secret. I don't think he's ever been able to keep a present a secret for that long.

So December and 2009 are almost over. All that's left to do is get my house clean to usher in 2010. I'm hoping if I can get clean to ring in the New Year, it will be a good omen - or something.

Need a Laugh?

2009-12-15T15:40:00.003-06:00

My sister-in-law just sent this to me and I really needed a good laugh. I've been sick - you know the kind where your whole body hurts and all you want to do is lay in bed - so this was perfect. If you're not a Mormon or if you've never been in a singles' ward, it may not be as funny, but this is spot on if you are Mormon and have lived in a singles' ward. Enjoy!

Twilight Years from Tom on Vimeo.

Finally!

2009-12-08T15:37:00.000-06:00

Now I can do this:

All Boy

2009-12-07T15:26:00.002-06:00

All last week Israel kept asking me to count things - how many sandwiches are we going to eat? How many minutes until bed? And so on and so on. I didn't think much about it, but then I read his preschool teacher's weekly newsletter and apparently, last week was counting week. They counted the mats on the floor, the number of days in the week, and so and so on. I have to admit, making that connection made it a whole lot less strange that he asked me how many poops were in the toilet after every bathroom visit - and a whole lot more funny. What a boy.

I'm Grateful For Adoption

2009-11-22T23:41:00.004-06:00

Although I have been blessed with two pregnancies and the resulting two boys from those pregnancies, I have many family and friends who have benefited from the miracle that is adoption. I really cannot say enough good things about birth mothers who give such a precious and priceless gift. On December 12th, my sister, Jenny, is hosting a boutique with vendors from all over the state and a couple a very special vendors with all their proceeds going to Hope For Adoptive Families. Please check out the blog and consider attending.

And while you're doing that, please check out my friend Emily's family blog. She and her husband, Ben, and their sweet little boy want very much to add to their family. If you know anyone who is looking to offer a baby for adoption, please encourage them to consider the Lee family. Emily is one of the sweetest women I know. She is so talented and giving. When decorating my current house, I thought a lot about her beautiful home. And when we were packing up and moving from Chandler, she was so thoughtful to offer to watch Israel so I could pack. And her husband is my home town of Tempe, AZ. Which is pretty much the best compliment I give!

I'm Always Grateful for Photoshop

2009-11-11T22:11:00.002-06:00

And today, in addition to being grateful for Photoshop, I am also grateful for textures and layers - because they're just fun.

Today I'm Grateful For Allrecipes

2009-11-09T23:03:00.004-06:00

and curry. I really like curry - and Allrecipes. I use it a lot. And the user comments are a great resource. Tonight I made this for dinner. It was yummy. I've been trying to find the perfect curry recipe. Tonight's was Indian curry. I really want Thai curry. I've got friend at church who served a mission in Thailand. She makes good curry. I want The Spice's Chicken Yellow Curry. That is the best curry I've ever had. But it's a little too expensive to get everyday. I really want their Chicken Pad Thai too. But that's another post for another day. Anyhow, I'll try curry again in another week or so and see if I can get a more Thai-like dish.

Today I'm Grateful for BodyBugg

2009-11-08T21:37:00.001-06:00

I love this thing. And I've lost 8 pounds.

Today I'm Grateful For Google

2009-11-07T00:38:00.003-06:00

I got me one of these. It's pretty freakin' amazing. And I'm grateful for Randal. (He got it for me.)

Aww... Shoot

2009-11-06T11:07:00.002-06:00

I forgot to post last night. Yesterday I had a hard time trying to find something to be thankful for. Terrible, right? Well, I am thankful for this lady's post this morning. I love her 52 Questions series of posts.

Today I'm Grateful For These Guys

2009-11-04T23:14:00.001-06:00

Because even when they're ornery, they're still pretty dang cute.

Today I'm Grateful For:

2009-11-03T23:56:00.003-06:00

1. Roaster Chickens
Make dinner so much easier.
2. Freecycle
So many generous people and the opportunity to drive through the Iowa countryside.
3. Wade Robson
Any one else watch So You Think You Can Dance?

Gratitude

2009-11-02T23:01:00.003-06:00

Well, it's November and it's time for a few weeks of gratitude inspired posts. I had every intention of starting on the first day of the month. Oh well. Today was an excellent day to start.

You may need a little history to understand the deep appreciation I have for today. My husband - Randal - has some serious back problems. I don't think I've ever mentioned that on my blog. He has had chronic back pain for almost our whole marriage. It has gotten significantly worse over the last 2 1/2 years though. Unless you've lived with chronic pain (7+ on the pain scale on average) or lived with and taken care of someone with chronic pain you probably don't understand how much it affects every day life. Here's just a glimpse of what Randal has had to go through just this year (so far). He's had 22 doctor visits, 2 x-rays, 2 MRIs, 3 months of chiropractic therapy, 4 months of physical therapy, 4 spinal injections, and 12 different medications. And he's still in pain. Most people we associate with at work or church know about this particular burden, even if they don't know the specifics or extent. Everyone has their burden to bear, this just happens to be ours.

And here's the other stuff you need to know. Our church has this really great program called Home Teaching. Men are paired up and asked to visit in the homes of 2 or 3 specific families every month - they check up on them, see if they need anything and also give them a spiritual message. We recently got a new Home Teacher.

Before:

After:

PS - We told him we didn't need anything - he's just that wonderful!

Yellow, mellow, ripened days,

2009-10-21T14:55:00.002-05:00

Sheltered in a golden coating;

O'er the dreamy, listless haze,

White and dainty cloudlets floating;

Winking at the blushing trees,

And the sombre, furrowed fallow;

Smiling at the airy ease,

Of the southward flying swallow

Sweet and smiling are thy ways,

Beauteous, golden Autumn days.
Will Carleton
Autumn Days.

It May Be Ironic, But...

2009-10-16T12:32:00.001-05:00

I love cemeteries because they are like monumental living pieces of art - growing more beautiful with time. When I picked up my parents from the airport, I took a little more notice of the cemetery on the same street and thought to myself that I'd like to come back and spend some time there. So, when I was getting ready to take them back to the airport for their flight home, I grabbed my camera and thought, if the boys fall asleep, maybe I can take a little time. Well, they did - so I did. And now, I just want to do it again. Seriously, it's a gorgeous cemetery.

I was really loving the statues with the immortalized looks of love and compassion...

... and years of moss growth which created such beautiful textures and depth.

It was a cloudy day which just made these black and white shots perfect - not too many harsh shadows competing with the natural patina, which is gorgeous!

There were also many more mausolea (above ground tombs) than our cemetery here in Ames.

I happened upon this little head stone by accident. It had just been propped up against this tree. I don't know where it came from.

There were so many trees and hills in this cemetery. It wasn't even very big, but there was just so many tombs and headstones and monuments.

As with all cemeteries it was very peaceful and serene.

An especially endearing feature was this red brick road that twisted through part of the cemetery. As I was driving up this particular stretch of it I was struck by the beauty and charm of this winding uphill trail.

Really though, this cemetery was just so gorgeous.

Walking With My Mom Through the Cemetery

2009-10-15T00:07:00.002-05:00

I share my love and appreciation of cemeteries with my mom. Or maybe I got it from her. Yeah, pretty sure I got it from her. I remember one vacation we took as a family when I was 17. We spent 3 weeks driving from AZ to NY and back again. It seems like every city we stayed in, we went and visited the local cemetery. It was an especially appropriate thing to do on Sunday afternoons.

So, while she was here, I suggested we go to the cemetery on one of our walking outings. I did mention that my mom is a walking machine, right? We spent an hour there and walked all of the driveways through the cemetery and stopped and took pictures here and there. It was so beautiful. It was sunny, but really cold.

This giant tree was especially inspiring.

And this is the one and only angel statue in the whole cemetery - and it's hidden. It was quite the treasure to find.

My mom was especially drawn to the many heart headstones (of course).

I just love cemeteries. When I dropped my parents off at the airport, I visited another cemetery just down the street from the airport. I'll post those pictures later. That cemetery is quite possibly the most beautiful cemetery I have ever visited.

She's Aliiiive!!

2009-10-14T00:26:00.003-05:00

Yes, I'm alive! I took the last two weeks off as a vacation. Or in other words, my parents were visiting last week. So last week I was hanging out with them and the week before that I was cleaning my house so that my parents could feel secure that their grandchildren weren't living in filth.

I loved having my parents here. It was so great. One of the nice things about living so far away from my family is that when they come to visit it's all about enjoying ourselves because their visits are few and far between. And we did enjoy ourselves. Except when I agreed to walk with my mom. She's a machine. My right calf still hurts. We walked every day for an hour. And she slowed down to about half speed for me. Yeah, so I totally need to keep walking so I can keep up with her next time. Anyhow, one of the things we always do when any or all of us girls get together is a craft.

This time, my mom and I made dolls.

Yeah, she made two in the time that I made one. She's amazing. And um, they are pretty dang cute. I'm quite proud of mine.

That's mine in the front. As you can see, they are witches, but I think I have to leave it out all year long. It took too much time and it's too cute to only have out for a month.

Because That's the Kind of Mom I Am

2009-09-25T10:16:00.003-05:00

Wednesday was Elijah's birthday. It was a nice day. We had play group (which is my life line and keeps me sane) and so we brought cookies to share with everyone. Israel and I went through old toys and found some of Israel's toys that he cold give to Elijah for his birthday. For dinner we had soup. And instead of cake - which would have been too messy for Elijah anyway - we had cookies and sang Happy Birthday - Elijah enjoyed clapping and screaming along with us. And I had my camera with me for all those events and didn't take a single picture. So even though you can't see all the fun that was my son's first birthday, please know that it was a good day for him. I promise I'm a good mom. I think when my parents come in 10 days, we might celebrate again with pie and ice cream, because my family does pie instead of cake. And then I'll take pictures. Because even though I know that Elijah doesn't know the difference if we celebrate or not, someday he'll ask, "Mama, what did you do for my very first birthday? Was it something spectacular that shows just how much you love me and how important I am to our family? Did you take lot's of pictures so I can physically prove my existence is treasured?" To which I will be able to lovingly answer, "Of course, my dear."

It's That Time of the Year Again

2009-09-18T02:08:00.003-05:00

The leaves are turning colors and the high school band is out marching the streets of my neighborhood. Actually, it's mostly just the drum line. We follow their march.

They do a loop through the neighborhood and when we make it back to the high school, Israel loves to watch the whole band march through the field. I love living here.

I've Got Funny Facebook Friends Too

2009-09-16T16:08:00.002-05:00

And the Award For Worst Mother of the Year Goes to...

2009-09-13T13:00:00.001-05:00

Charmaine for her performance in Wal-Mart yesterday.

Picture, if you will... I am at Wal-Mart with my two boys, 4 year old Israel and nearly 1 year old Elijah. Elijah is buckled in the cart because I really don't need a head trauma right now and Israel is running up and down the aisles because this is Wal-Mart and I'm running low on shame. About halfway through shopping Israel tells me he has to go "poo-poo on the potty." So I take him to the back of the store and he tells me he doesn't have to go anymore. After checking and asking a couple of times, I determine he really doesn't have to go anymore and I finish shopping. As I'm standing in line, Israel starts again, "Mama, I have to go poo-poo on the potty."

To which I reply, "Ok, we're checking out right now and then I'm going to pay for our groceries and then we'll go to the bathroom. Can you hold it for a little while?"

Israel, "Ok."

Well, this happens a couple of more times and I finally point out the bathroom and tell him that it's right there and we are almost done. After I pay for the groceries we are going to run over there together and go potty. He walks up the the front and says, "That bathroom right there?"

"Yup, that's the one," I answer as I hear the cashier gasp. I turn around and discover Elijah Houdini has escaped the buckle and is standing up now. So while I'm bucking him back in, the cashier points out that Israel is running to the bathrooms. I turn around just in time to see him run into the men's room.

Great. What am I supposed to do? Please don't judge me. I just stayed with Elijah and the cart and kept my eye on the bathrooms and hoped that the cashier would be fast enough that I could get over before the inevitable happened. She wasn't. As I'm wrestling with Elijah, I hear a sweet mom voice saying, "Where's your mommy?"

Please, don't let it be me. I turn around to see my 4 year-old son standing outside the bathrooms with his pants around his ankles asking for someone to wipe his bottom. Pants around ankles. Luckily the little guy is pretty well-endowed, but I really don't want to encourage exhibitionism.

Words cannot describe how I felt though.

So I turn around to the cashier who was a very sweet older lady and seemed to understand the situation. Luckily there was no one in line behind me so I just left the cart, my purse, and my baby to run and get Israel. I took him into the women's room and wiped him and told him to wash his hands and come back out - I had to go get everything else.

It was a walk of shame going back out of the bathroom, past the mom with 3 young girls who was asking who Israel's mommy was, past the young couple sitting outside the bathrooms and past all the other random people at Super Wal-Mart on a Saturday and back to the cashier and my other son and waiting groceries.

I made it out with both sons and all my groceries, but every ounce of my pride was left behind.

Thoughts From This Week...

2009-09-11T00:19:00.004-05:00

Israel started preschool on Wednesday. I got up early to wash my hair, put on cute clothes, do my makeup, find cute accessories and even get him looking nice. And yet, I forgot my camera. And I was overdressed, but all the other parents had their cameras. I'm not sure what that says about me.

This week I organized my food storage and my desk and my office closet, took out the trash too many times to count, rearranged my dining room only to move it back, did at least 4 loads of laundry (so far), cleaned one of the bathrooms, and did more things I'm too tired to catalog, but I still haven't done my dishes.

For the last two weeks we've had our church Mommy's Group (Play Group) at different parks here in town. I've been trying to reach outside my little world and interact with other people. Not because I don't love my friends and all the moms in our play group because I do, but often I go to the park by myself, and there is a big group of moms, and I kind of wish I was a part of the group. So the last two times I've invited random other moms to join us. It's actually been a really cool experience to get to know these women. I wonder what the world would be like if everyone invited the alone people to join their groups - even if it is for only an hour or two.

Which reminds me, I've noticed that Israel is starting to notice when he's being left out. It breaks my heart. How do I teach him to be ok with it? Or teach him to include everyone?

Elijah has been walking for a month now. Except that he isn't. I know he can walk, I've seen him do it dozens of times, yet he won't consistently do it. And he's only gone a significant distance (more then 2 or 3 feet) a handful of times. Little turkey.

My air conditioner hasn't been working for the last two days. It hasn't been horrible, just uncomfortable. I've had to spend more time in the basement (where it's rarely above 72 degrees). But it was bugging me - a lot. And I figured I needed to call the landlord, but I thought I would check it one last time. So this afternoon I noticed it, someone (I'm guessing it was someone little) had switched it from cool to heat. I swear I checked to make sure the system was on at least 10 times, but never once checked to make sure it was cool rather than heat.

Anatomically Correct Legos

2009-09-09T14:18:00.004-05:00

Can you see it? I didn't notice it until Israel came up to me and said, "Look Mama, the Lego horse has a penis. It's a big, black penis." Wow, good job. And in case you are trying to figure out the hand and head - it's my hand that is holding the horse, not Israel's.

Hearts To Live By

2009-09-07T12:17:00.004-05:00

I just wanted to share with you this cute ongoing project that my mom has. Hearts. She finds them everywhere and takes pictures of them. The above picture is a heart shaped chicken nugget that I found in my Wendy's lunch one day at her house (back when I didn't have a double chin). Of course, it had to be documented. And now she has started a blog to share these with the world.

Hearts To Live By

Another Park Post

2009-09-01T15:22:00.003-05:00

This time we went to what we call the secret park. You can't see it from the street and it's right in the middle of a very hilly and wooded neighborhood. You have to drive down a very long driveway, but at the bottom, it opens up to this pretty good sized park. There are ramadas (or covered shelters for those of you from the mid-west), tennis ball courts, a playground, and a little stream and trail that walks through a some woods next to the stream. It's an oasis within an oasis. That's the only way to describe a park that feels like you're in the mountains within a town that feels like you live in a park. I love it here.

My boys at the beginning of the trail. Despite the somber faces, they really were excited and happy. They might just be getting tired of posing for photos.

This is the tree they were standing next to. It was so cool the way it curved up over the trail. I love the bark, such deep textures.

2009-08-30T22:47:00.002-05:00

This summer has been amazing. We haven't had any flooding and only a few big storms (although I would not have minded more). But most importantly, I think there has only been two days of miserable heat and humidity. It's been humid. And for my Arizona acclimation, that can be pretty miserable sometimes, but for the most part this summer has been just incredible. Last week, we went to the park a few times. In fact, on Saturday, it was - dare I say it? - cold! It did get up to 71F by the afternoon, but still, I slept with my windows open and had a dream that it was snowing in August! I LOVED IT!

See? Even Elijah loves it. Israel loves it too. He loves it so much that he won't slow down for a picture.

Anyhow, one day at the park last week, we had a little friend come and visit us and talk to us for a little while. He even caught Elijah's attention.

He just cracked me up. He even continued chattering away to us even when I called Israel over to come see him. I think he was telling us how wonderful the weather has been!

It's Back!

2009-08-29T22:41:00.001-05:00

I just got home from my Saturday night Wal-Mart run and look what they had. I was so happy, I almost cried. I'm serious.

Look Mama!

2009-08-27T23:05:00.003-05:00

"It's God's City!"
"You mean Heaven?"

"Yes, Heaven."

PS - Today is my brother's birthday! Help me find him a wife!

I'm Pretty Sure This Is a NEED...

2009-08-25T00:06:00.002-05:00

(as opposed to a want):

From my sister Jenny's Etsy Shop. I wonder if she could find me a dark haired princess and light haired Prince Charming?

flea market style

2009-08-24T02:15:00.000-05:00

I just discovered this gem via JUNK CAMP:

I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of this magazine!!

Ames Cemetery

2009-08-22T02:03:00.000-05:00

For awhile now I have been wanting to visit our town cemeteries and wander around and take some pictures. When we lived in Salt Lake City, one of our favorite things to do was to go the the cemetery on Sunday afternoons and walk around. Cemeteries are such peaceful, quiet, beautiful, spiritual places. I've been a little stressed out lately and so on a quiet evening last week, when the baby was napping and Israel was distracted, and Randal was home working, I snuck out for a few hours to walk around one of Ames' cemeteries. It was beautiful - and I brought my camera. Here are a few shots.

The dove on this very old headstone spoke to me. The white stone and incredible texture just made the bird so beautiful.

I was first drawn to the shape and contrast of textures on this headstone, but the sweet "Little Kate" top line broke my heart. I hope the mother of the Little Kate knows that I honor her and the obvious love Kate's family had for her.

I loved the finial at the top of this. Just gorgeous! And the sun was setting when I had gotten to this point, so this shot came out perfect for me.

Was It Worth It - Playing Catch-up

2009-08-20T01:42:00.004-05:00

I haven't been garage sale-ing for a weeks, but I've been to the thrift stores - in fact, during one visit I cut my finger pretty significantly. That was embarrassing and it still hurts. And I've got stuff that got put away quickly enough that it never got shared with you!

These are some random pieces of costume jewelry that I found at a garage sale. There's a few mismatched earrings and some brooches. Most will be made into rings or hair accessories.

Have I mentioned I've been thinking in collections lately?

These are my vintage cameras. I love them!!

Another collection. I know I shared my big white mirror, but I don't think I've ever mentioned the other two - maybe the brass one. Anyhow, the brass one is from a garage sale at the beginning of the summer and the porcelain one came from The Salvation Army. It's a pretty little collection.

And finally, a vintage linen table cloth - which I've been keeping my eyes open for! - and a Bath and Body Works bag (with the tags still on!), both found at The Salvation Army.

Hope you enjoyed!

Feeling Comforted

2009-08-16T21:56:00.002-05:00

I went here yesterday and even though I had never been there before, it felt so comfortable and familiar. It felt like going home.

Picture from here.

Something to Blog About

2009-08-09T23:29:00.002-05:00

The perfect end to a beautiful stormy Iowa day.

Dear Blog,

2009-08-05T11:15:00.003-05:00

Sorry I've been neglecting you. I still think about you every day and imagine the beautiful pictures and witty stories that I would share with you. But I'm just so tired. Remember when I was pregnant? Yeah, this is worse. But when I was pregnant the doctor asked me to take a skin TB test, "No big deal," she said. But then it was a big deal, because it came back positive. Ug. The chest x-ray that followed was negative though. Thank goodness. The doctor said I should still do a course of antibiotics because even though I don't have TB (thank heavens) and I'm not contagious or anything, I do have a higher likely hood of getting TB if exposed. But if I take the antibiotics then those chances are significantly lessened. Anyway, so I'm taking those antibiotics faithfully - for 9 months. Nine. Whole. Months. A side effect: fatigue. I am tired all the time.

Rest assured that I am being taken care of though. You know those cute 12 and 13 year old girls I used to teach at church? Well they came over yesterday and cleaned the boys' room, did my dishes, and organized my food storage. I love those girls. Afterward they just sat around my living room and chatted with each other for nearly an hour. I miss them already. And one of the former fellow teachers came over and brought me homemade Thai Spicy Peanut Noodles. I had it for lunch and dinner. It was so yummy!!

So blog, while I love you and think about you every day, I only have so much energy in a day and those cute boys in my life come first. But I'm halfway done and will soon have energy in abundance! I hope. We'll have a wonderful, magical winter together I think.

The First Fruits of My Labor

2009-07-31T10:52:00.000-05:00

Truthfully though, it wasn't much labor. It's true what they say about Iowa dirt! So these (however out of focus they may be) were the first three tomatoes picked from my garden. These were picked a little over a week ago. Since then we have picked what has averaged to about a tomato a day. All little cherry tomatoes, but oh man. There is nothing like warm tomatoes eaten fresh off the vine. Although Israel loves them as much as I do so I have to fight for them. I imagine pretty soon we will have more than enough for both us though. I am going to have a hundred tomatoes I think. I planted 3 plants and there are dozens of tomatoes on each plant. I need to learn how to can salsa and spaghetti sauce I think. I can't wait! I've also got a couple of cucumbers that look like they will be ready this week. No peppers or squash yet though. Although I saw lot's of peppers and squash at the Farmer's Market this week and they were pretty cheap - so that will be good enough if I don't get any. I can't imagine though.

Happy Birthday Mommy!!

2009-07-30T10:12:00.000-05:00

Today is my mom's birthday. She's 22 years older than me. By the time she was my age she had 5 kids. But I digress. It is a tradition in my family that on our birthdays everyone gets to say something they like about the birthday person. Usually we are all gathered for dinner or family night, but seeing as I am exactly 1,600 miles away (I'm not kidding either EXACTLY 1,600), I won't get to participate in person. Even my sister who lives in San Diego will get to be there in AZ for the weekend. So, I thought I would share with you some fun memories I have of my "Mommy" growing up.

First. Mommy. My mother always insisted that we call her Mommy. It was fun during my junior high and high school years. Mostly during junior high - by high school pretty much everyone was used to us. But when I was 12 and 13 I would call home and ask for "Mother" or "Mom" and whoever would answer would ask, "Who?" and continue asking and not getting our mom until we used her correct name, "Mommy." I think you can all imagine what fun that was for a 13 year old. Now it's funny - really funny - back then, not so much.

My mom has a great sense of humor. Mostly she knows how to laugh at herself and at us naughty children. When I was about 14 I had surgery on my jaw and was out of school for a month and eventually taken out to be home schooled. I remember one morning laying on my parents' floor watching a morning show with them and saying, "Bite me." Instead of getting grounded or my mouth washed out with soap, my mom told me if I said it anymore she was going to put me out with the garbage and that the garbage man was going to come and pick me up and did I know what he was going to say?! To which I replied, "Yes, he's going to say, 'Hey Charmaine! What are you doing out here?' To which I would reply, 'My parents think I have a garbage mouth, but what the hell do they know?'" Luckily, my mom laughed. Hard.

She also had a pretty sick sense of humor. This one might embarrass her too much, but it's too good a story not to tell. It's another that involved my crude teenager language. We were walking around Wal-Mart (I cannot tell you how many hilarious or embarrassing stories start with that line), and I kept saying, "When monkeys fly outta my butt!" In that super pleasant and not sarcastic at all way that teenagers talk. My mom kept telling me to stop or it might actually happen. I think you all know where this is going. The next time I said it, she stopped and got real quiet and said, "Charmaine, do hear that? Do you hear that? It's the monkeys." And then farted. Loud. And blamed it on me. Touche, Mommy.

My mom is very pretty - and she has been aging way better than me. That picture up at the top, it was taken less than a year ago when Elijah was born. She could be his mother! Anyhow, I always looked mature for my age (decolletage will do that) and she always looked young. I can't tell you how many times I heard, "Are you sisters?" "You can't be her mother!" And any variation. But my favorite is, "Your mom is so pretty. You don't look a thing like her." I'm not kidding either. It's true though. I look more like my Aunt Patsy (who is also very pretty I might add and I don't mind looking like her at all), and her daughter Dawn, looks more like my mom. Ironically, Dawn and I are only a few a months apart. Yeah, Mommy has fewer gray hairs than me also. I got my dad's genes on that one - and ironically, my Aunt Patsy's too.

My mom has always encouraged my creativity - for this I will be eternally grateful. When I was 6 years old she helped me paint my first oil painting. She even helped me enter it in the State Fair. I got a blue ribbon. It was awesome.

My Mommy is the most talented, cleanest most organized, most supportive mom there is.

Happy Birthday Mommy!

Was It Worth It: Farmhouse Vintage II

2009-07-29T12:23:00.003-05:00

I totally planned on posting this on Sunday, like usual, but Elijah is getting 4 teeth! Needless to say it's been a hard week. Anyhow, Farmhouse Vintage was open again this weekend. I seriously love this place. So I called Deborah up and asked if she wanted to go with me. After Farmhouse Vintage, it was still pretty early so we headed up to Gilbert to check out JB Knacker, a store I have been meaning to check out and now is quite possibly my favorite store ever. In fact, Brenda is having a class for making soldered charms tonight. I am still hoping that the stars align and that I am able to make it up there, but I'm thinking it's going to be a no go. Next time!!

Another quilt. This time red. I can't help it. Vintage quilts are like kryptonite to me. They sap all my power to say "NO!" I think I need to start sending them as gifts to people. Hmmm.... who has a birthday coming up?

And this pretty pretty mirror. I have three vanity mirrors now - a collection! So I am going to gather them on my guest bathroom counter. My brain has been thinking in collections lately: mirrors, vintage quils, vintage lace, typesetting pieces, vintage cameras, etc., etc.

I also got these fun things. The cards and little story booklet will be scanned and used for collages and ATCs. I really loved the illustrations in the story. I might make some tags with them.

And some more vintage hankies. I got a some white ones to give as gifts when friends get married. I thought that would be a sweet and thoughtful gift, and one that I could send in the mail easily. I think I'm going to keep that lace one in the front for myself though. It spoke to me.

Where Bloggers Create

2009-07-25T22:24:00.003-05:00

On Thursday, Karen of My Lovely Desert Cottage threw a party to show off the places where we create. Well, I'm two days late (three if you aren't up at 11:30 at night on Saturday). But I'm here!! I've seen some other blogger's creative spaces and I love them!

So, without further ado, I present a tiny bit of my creative space.

Of course, all of the actual work occurs here at my computer and my desk. If I'm working at my desk, my computer ends up looking like this, although usually I keep my screen cleaner. And when I am working on my computer, the stacks get moved to my desk.

I don't actually have a real desk though. It's a table that I painted brown to match my bedroom furniture when Randal's computer was in our bedroom (during those 3 months of medical school). If I had it my way, I would have one of those big wooden vintage monsters. I saw on at Goodwill a couple of months ago. I was seriously wanting it, but Randal won't let me anything big like that until I have a garage sale and get rid of stuff. That's probably a good idea. Anyhow, so without a desk with drawers, most stuff ends up in different bowls, jars, and tins all over my table. Like my paint brushes, vintage quills (which I found today while junking!), and vintage lace. The lace is in a really pretty milk glass urn.

I've been using Happy Tape a lot lately. That stuff is so dang fun. I have little crowns and tiaras all over the place - all over my whole house really. And those are the inkwell for the quills. Yes, I actually use them. I've had a new one that I bought before I got married that I've used on many special letters and invitations.

Another crown filled with tools - scissors, glue, pliers, a letter opener (vintage - belonged to my grandparents), tape, and exacto knife, and other odds and ends. A pretty ATC card on a silver fork easel a red glass compote and some buttons rings I need to list in Etsy shop make this shelf pretty - and make me smile. Oh and I love that vintage tin of water colors. I don't know what exactly I'm doing with it. But it's cute.

The cubby holes under the shelf are filled with ink pads, colored aluminum bowls, pictures and other random stuff. And of course, my rubber cement. I use that all the time.

If you noticed the green metal feet on the shelf in the two pictures of above - those hold up another sehlf which holds another crown bowl and this pretty glass jar filled with colorful ribbon. And behind that is the window sill which has glass jars filled with all sorts of stuff lined up on it.

The big picture. It's a little overwhelming - even to me. But the truth is, although this is where the work happens, the creativity happens all over the place: in the garden, when Israel and I split a tomato fresh off the vine, or in my lovely guest room while I'm putting away my treasures, or late at night when I'm lying in bed almost asleep and dreaming begins, or when I'm sitting on my couch Skyping with my sister while she's creating. That's a whole lot more pictures though, and a whole other post too.

Here's an Idea of What Photoshop Can Do

2009-07-20T00:53:00.005-05:00

I often get asked Photoshop questions - or how I learned to use Photoshop. While I did take a college class or two about it, one class used the Adobe Classroom in a Book for Photoshop as it's cirruculum, and the other was over ten years ago. Really and honestly, 90% of what I know how to do on Photoshop is something I've discovered on my own or that I've learned for free from blogs or online tutorials. It's seems that about once a week I discover something new that Photoshop can do (as I really don't know how to do all that much!). Seriously though, I love this program! So I thought I would give you an idea of what Photoshop can do for your pictures. Now I need to say this though - I use the full version of Photoshop, not Photoshop Elements. I know that there are a lot of things that Elements can do, but it does not have a Camera RAW editor (as far as I know), and the RAW editor is probably the coolest thing that I've discovered in the last little while. When using my SLR, I shoot exclusively in RAW format.

You'll recognize these pictures from the Photowalk, I got to thinking about them and decided that I needed to do something about the sky in a couple of them. It was really blown out and I knew that somehow Photoshop could help me. So I played around a little bit and discovered something new the RAW editor could do. This could also be a lesson about why to read the manual - I probably should have known this. Little side note, I did not use any brushes on these pictures.

Before Photoshop (SOOC=Straight Out Of Camera):

You'll notice the picture is kind of dull - in that the colors and lines aren't as crisp as they could be. And the grass is too dark, but the sky is blown out. If your camera is equipped with it, you could shoot AEB to get an HDR image - which means that you set your camera on a tripod, push a few buttons and your camera takes 3-9 pictures (depending on the settings) all in different exposures. Then you use a program (like Photoshop) to combine the images into one image. That way, your sky shows up and the detail in the shadows shows up also. But then you've got to lug around a tripod with you. I prefer to shoot in RAW format and use my RAW editor.

After Photoshop:

I used the RAW editor to bring up the lowlights and the blacks. This brought out details in the shadowed part and made my colors and lines crisper. Then I changed the exposure on the sky and the wall where the sun was shining, and the rest of the picture to get it more even and detailed. After all that, I opened it in the regular Photoshop and ran an action on it to give it some boost.

Next photo... This is the one that was really feeling unfinished. The sky was really so beautiful when I was shooting this - they clouds looked so cool and I wanted to see if any of that was still there.

Before Photoshop (SOOC):

After Photoshop:

This is the great thing about shooting RAW - I don't know how it does it; I could go look it up, but it doesn't really matter to me - all the information is there. Even though the sky looked like it had been totally overexposed, somehow, the file contained the information. I have no words to describe how wonderful this is.

Great photography blogs:
Pioneer Woman Photography
Momtog Blog
mcp actions

As for tutorials:
Google and YouTube are the only way to go here. Just search for what you want to do and add the words: "free photoshop tutorial" and you'll get tons of hits!

If you've got any other great resources out there for photography or Photoshop, please leave a comment and share!! And if you like the pictures pre-editing better, feel free to share that too.

Worldwide Photowalk: Ames, IA

2009-07-18T23:04:00.003-05:00

So this is what I got up this morning and did instead of garage sale-ing. I walked through a park, down Main Street, an alley and the street just north of Main Street here in Ames, IA as part of Scott Kelby's second annual worldwide photowalk. I loved it! I've been meaning to walk down Main Street and get some pictures and this was the perfect opportunity. I took around 500 pictures and narrowed it down to my top 21. You can find them here. The following are a small sampling of those 21. I don't know if this is my top 6 photos though. Anyhow, I need to choose one or two to submit for the contest. HELP ME!! I can't choose!

It was a great morning to be walking outside. We've had freakishly cool weather - like in the 60's and 70's and although it was overcast when we started, after only about 30 minutes the sun started coming out and the cloud were really cool.

This is down the alley behind Main Street. I love the brick. I think most of my favorite shots were from that Alley.

I love the texture and color of this one. In the set on flickr there is another shot of this that I edited for black and white, also very cool, but then we miss that great rust color.

There were a couple of buildings with ivy growing up the back - all were so interesting, but I especially liked this one for the rusty steps and the moss growing on the asphalt.

I think of my top 21 pictures, 8 are of this fountain. What can I say? I was drawn by the oxidized colors and textures.

Plus I just love the statue on top. It spoke to me.

Was It Worth It Find of the Year!

2009-07-17T23:12:00.003-05:00

I'm posting this today because tomorrow (Saturday when I'm writing this) I'm doing the Ames Photowalk and therefor, will not be doing any bargain hunting and also because I am just too excited about my super find to wait until Sunday. But...

I'm going to make you wait for the super find. First I'll show you some of the other things I got.

Like this big lot of vintage and antique lace, ric-rac (I have no idea how to spell that one), bias tape, embroidery floss, thread, and ribbon. I actually found this at my Main Street Antique Mall though. But it was a super find! All of this stuff was 40%-75% off. I got a ton of stuff for really cheap. The bag of bias tape will be sent to my sister Chantal though - cause she's the only person I know who actually knows how to use it. There are also some vintage patterns in there. I got those at an estate sale today. They aren't anything fun, but they were only 25 cents each, so I'll use them for collages and wrapping paper.

Here's a close up of the thread - some super saturated beautiful colors - all on wooden spools! How fun!

I got these at a different garage sale. It's a bag of these vintage price tags and a few milk bottle tops thrown in also. I'm pretty sure these tags are from Fareway - they look like the Fareway sheild kind of. Anyway, I'll use these for ATCs and collages and I'll send a few to my sister Jenny because she's gotten into ATCs also.

And finally... the super find! This spectacular red skirt. It's vintage. I'm pretty sure it's actually a tutu. And it was only $2. While buying it I had the following conversation with another lady shopping:

Lady: "What are you going to do with it?"
Me: "Wear it!"
Lady: "Where?" (asked a little incredulously)
Me: "Everywhere."

(And pardon the blurry picture and fat fingers - Israel took the picture and I'm pretty sure he somehow turned my long beautiful fingers into these short stubby ones. And I swear my floor was spotless in all the pictures I took.)

Another Was it Worth It Weekend

2009-07-12T23:25:00.004-05:00

I think I may have overpaid for some of this weeks items, but I did talk the seller down to just two thirds of her asking price, but she was really really overpriced for a garage sale.

Packs of cards - one is photographs of a Dutch town - all black and whites. The others are prints of what I think may have originally been watercolors of St. Augstine, Florida - "The oldest city in the United States."

Antique printing press letters. I've been seeing a lot of these around. I've decided I'm going to start collecting them and put them in a big glass jar. I can't wait! (Feel free to send me any you have and don't want!)

A vintage tin snail. I had Israel with me and he wanted a toy and this little guy was so cute, I couldn't resist. I told Israel that he was very very old and that he needed to be careful with him so he didnt' break. Israel came home and told Randal, "This is very very old, you need to be careful so it won't break." It was pretty cute. All of that was $20, talked down from $30. Overpriced for a garage sale, but I felt like it was still a pretty good deal.

At another garage sale I found this antique book. I'm a sucker for an old book. The inside is full of poems and some neat pictures.

I especially love the inside covers. It's a very pretty design.

A vintage clutch and scarf. I really love the clutch - I used it tonight for a gathering of Randal's colleagues from school. And the scarf just says "The Pink Ladies" to me. The book and these two were a total of $5. This garage sale was much better priced.

And finally this cocktail ring, which reminds me of my Grammy (my dad's mom) and my mom at the same time. Grammy because her wedding ring is similar to this. And her's has a sweet story: For years my Grammy wore a piece of costume jewelry like this one as her wedding ring - I don't think her's was quite as gaudy, but the overall design was the same. Anyhow, one day she couldn't find it and was very upset. A few days later my Grandaddy (her honey) gave her a ring to replace the one she lost - only that he had actually taken her ring to a jeweler and had it replicated in platinum and diamonds! It's a gorgeous ring and I really really love it. So when I saw this one, I had to have it!

And it reminds me of my mom because it has little heart on either side of it and my mom loves hearts and looks for them everywhere. So at only a dollar it was a super find for me and my favorite piece of the weekend!

I Love Days Like This

2009-07-09T13:36:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I got most of my house all clean! Hooray for me! (I HATE cleaning!) So I'm sitting here in my living room looking out my windows (it's a beautiful view) and enjoying my clean room and my wonderful weather. It's overcast and windy and rainy and there's lightening and thunder. I love a storm! Just thought I'd share.

"Easy Mount Scrapbook"

2009-07-06T09:45:00.000-05:00

I found this scrapbook at a garage sale. I was attracted by the magazine images and headlines. Then last week, I sat down with it and actually read through it - it's pretty funny. So enjoy...

Happy Independance Day!

2009-07-05T23:02:00.002-05:00

The Fourth of July here in Ames was a rainy rainy rainy one. And cold. It started with a pancake breakfast, but I didn't take any pictures. It was too overcast. Then there was the parade. It was pretty fun, and rainy, and chilly. But I think I would take the cold rain over heat and humidity. But, when it was finally time for fireworks, all the clouds had rolled around and it was a perfect night! Overall, it was a great holiday! Here are some pictures of us watching the parade - under umbrellas:

On a side note, Randal taught the Young Women today about developing a love for the scriptures and also studying the scriptures for you - how everyone studies differently and that you need to figure out the way to do it so you get the most out of it. It was such an amazing lesson. I really love that guy. He's so dang smart. He said that afterward he heard a couple of the older girls talking about how deep the lesson was - how different and cool. Yeah, that's my man. Just thought I'd brag about him a little.

Tags and Awards

2009-07-03T20:12:00.003-05:00

I got these back in May and I've been meaning to pass them along, but... well, there is no good reason why I haven't done it yet. So, I suppose today is as good a day as any - and better late than never!

The first is an award from Erica @ But Mommy.... Thank you very much Erica!!

The rules are:

1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

But there is no way I could narrow it down... I say, if you are reading this and want to pass it on to somebody else, then you deserve the award! Take it and pass it on! And be sure to come tell me did it, because I would love to see other lovely blogs out there. I'm totally serious too! If you pass it on, take it and post it and tell the world I gave you the award!

Next up, I was tagged by AMommyof2girlz @ A Pocket Full of Buttons.

So here are my lists:

8 of My Favorite Foods

1. Pad Thai Chicken from The Spice (Ames, IA)
2. Yellow Curry Chicken from The Spice (Ames, IA)
3. Sushi either from Fuji (Ames, IA) or The Sushi (Glendale, AZ)
4. Mexican Food - can't really narrow this down to a specific dish, but here are the best restaurants: El Azteca (Ames, IA), Casa Reynoso (Chandler, AZ), Someburros (Tempe, Chandler, Mesa, Gilbert, AZ), El Azteca (Provo, UT - that's one the right across from Provo High, right?) and Red Iguana (Salt Lake City, UT - because this is my hubbie's favorite)
5. Carmelized Onions - on just about anything
6. Cupcakes
7. Jerk Chicken Sandwich with chips and salsa and extra terriyaki sauce and no mayo from Rumbi's Island Grill (found in AZ and UT)
8. The pork salad with cilantro lime dressing from Costa Vida (found in AZ and UT)

8 Things I'm Looking Forward To
1.My husband getting done with school
2. The 4th of July celebrations tomorrow - our little city really goes all out! I love it!
3. Winter (all the bugs go to sleep!)
4. Vegetables from my garden
5. My parents coming to visit us in October
6. Elijah walking (he's just starting to walk around furniture)
7. More garage sale-ing, junking, etc.
8. My walk tonight after the boys go to sleep

8 Things I Did Yesterday

1. Went for a walk
2. A load of white laundry
3. Read blogs and email
4. Talked to my sisters and my mom
5. Watered my garden
6. Watched So You Think You Can Dance
7. Created a workout playlist on iTunes
8. Slept in
(wow, yesterday was kind of a lazy day)

8 Things I Want to do Before I Die
1. Become a yoga instructor (I need to start doing yoga again!)
2. Publish a book
3. Have a live in housekeeper
4. Have an indoor pool
5. Uh.....
I can't really think of anything. There are tons of things I would love to do and appreciate seeing, but I don't feel like I have to do them. Plus, as I'm getting older, I'm enjoying flying less and less, so although I always thought I wanted to travel to or even live overseas, I'm kind of afraid of flying - and I'm really afraid of the ocean!

8 Shows I Watch
1. SYTYCD
2. Antiques Roadshow
3. Glenn Beck (with Randal)
4. Lost
5. Heroes
6. The Office
7. House
8. Kendra

8 Ways in Which I Kill Time

1. Blog
2. Read
3. Nap
4. Garden
5. Stretch
6. Watch TV
7. Skype
8. Window shop on the Internet

8 People I Tag
1. Mindy
2. Mommy
3. Chantal
4. JennyLynn
5. Clarissa
6. Andrea H.
7. Tina J.
8. Jacque S.

Sit and Enjoy

2009-06-29T09:59:00.000-05:00

This bloggy friend inspired me...

Recently Israel has been asking me to "sit and enjoy." When we go to Wal-Mart or somewhere else with outdoor swings and seating he often asks me to "sit and enjoy" - meaning we just wants me to take a minute to sit down with him and swing or talk about the plants or other things around us.

I think God might be trying to tell me something though. The post I have linked up there is one that I had open on my screen for about a week now. I kept meaning to sit down and really spend some time reading and reflecting on it. I've been so busy though. How ironic, right? I have a weakness, I volunteer to do a lot of stuff and whenever someone asks me to do something for them, I say yes. And I enjoy doing these things. I've been given so much in my life and I know there are going to be more times when I need the kindness of others so, I like to "pay it forward" - and pay it in advance too. (Don't think I'm totally self-sacrificing, I do plenty of selfish things too.) But it's been distracting me from family - from my precious boys who are growing up too fast. I made the decision to start saying "no" more often and not feeling guilty about it (and telling myself "no" too)! I wanted to be "just a mom." So far it's been going well. I'm remembering to "sit and enjoy" these moments with my boys. Israel loves it when I sit and color with him. He just talks and talks and tells me all sorts of fun things. Elijah seems to be the happiest when we're just looking at each other. He has started touching everything. He points his little pointer finger and pokes my nose over and over again. He points to and pokes my hands and fingers, my ears and my mouth and then will just start laughing. How can anything be more important than that? It's nice to be reminded to "sit and enjoy."

Was It Worth It Weekend: Farmhouse Vintage

2009-06-28T12:50:00.002-05:00

This weekend I only went to two garage sales and one was right around the corner. It was pretty good though. The woman is an antique book dealer so she had some fun stuff. I got some (almost) antique music and a book and a really cool antique "Scrap Book" filled with vintage magazine and newspaper headlines. It's really cool. I also got some really interesting and pretty tins. But I just realized I didn't take any pictures of that stuff and I'm too tired to go do it right now.

The main point of my adventure this weekend was to go to Farmhouse Vintage. She's a vintage, antique, and primitives dealer that sets up shop in her old farmhouse a few times a year. I'd never been before I just saw the ad in the classified section of the paper. It was... I cannot think of a word worthy enough. A picture is worth a thousand words though...

I had to drive down another dirt road. It was only about half a mile though. I really loved her house. It was so cute. And on an actual farm. In fact, while I was there her husband came in and was asking for someone to move their car so he could get some big farm equipment by. I love living here. This is only about a mile outside of town.

This sweet little pink and cream quilted bear was only a dollar!

This crazy quilt was kind of expensive. It's the most I've spent on a quilt since I've been here anyway, but I just couldn't resist! I love all the embroidery and the rich colors. It was $22. I know!! The prices at this sale were so good! I can't wait until her next one in August. There is also one in October. (For my mom: October 10th - I think that's when you guys should come!)

A date? I don't know. I'm not a super smart fabric person, but I think that some of the fabric is polyester, so I don't think it could be this old. I could be mistaking wool for polyester though. I really need someone who is more knowledgeable than me to look at it. Doesn't really matter though. I love it!

Some rustic stars. I've decided that I am going to make one of the walls in my basement a place to display a collection of stars. So I've been keeping my eye out for interesting stars.

I also got this pieced blanket. It's tied, not quilted. But woman standing near me in line said it was made from old flour bags. I think. Again, I'm not a textiles person. I think I need to do some research. Anyhow. It was only $5. Not 50 cents like my last pieced blanket, but still. I love the Persian Pickle fabric and the rooster fabric and the purple and teal fabric. It's just so pretty!!!

Finally, this "stained tea towel." It has a bit of yellow discoloration in the middle of it, so it was just a quarter. I love it.

I love it all. I need to have a garage sale so I can get rid of stuff around here now and make room for all my lovely treasures!

Fried Green Tomatoes

2009-06-27T21:31:00.002-05:00

Well green tomatoes anyway...

I'm so excited!!! I love tomatoes fresh from the garden!

Look - I'm going to have at least 6 just on this plant! Hooray!

All of my plants are getting so big! I've never seen tomato plants this big. I'm serious.

Here's one of my squash plants. I love my garden!

And look, now my pepper plants have blossoms too.

A Dose of Elijah

2009-06-26T12:38:00.003-05:00

I love it when babies start to stand on their own. I think they look like little teddy bears. This stage begins my favorite part of babies!

Another cute thing Elijah has been doing - throwing his back and smiling real big. It's so funny and you get to see all the little fuzzies that get caught in his neck rolls. hehehehe. So cute!

What?!?

2009-06-23T22:15:00.003-05:00

This afternoon, Israel RAN upstairs SCREAMING. He was seriously freaking out. So I asked him what was going on. What follows is our conversation:

Israel: "There's a running thing downstairs!"

Me: "You mean a bug?"

Israel: "No, it was a running thing that went [insert boy noises while doing a running wiggling dance like motion]!"

Me: "Was a it a mouse?" (Please don't let it be a mouse!)

Israel: "No it was a wizard bug."

Me: "You mean a lizard bug?"

Israel: [in hushed tones] "No, it was a wizard bug."

Great.
A bug with super powers.
Just think of the night terrors I will have tonight. Have I mentioned how much I hate bugs? If not, this pretty much sums it up: A couple of times a year I have nightmares that are scary enough that I cry out in my sleep, or I just cry, or I scream, or I whimper, or I writhe, I have even jumped to the end of my bed before. Do I dream of people killing me or the ones I love? No. Do I dream of ghost or aliens or clowns? No. I dream of bugs. Any kind - including spiders and water bugs (crabs, lobsters, shrimp, etc.). Just writing this and thinking about it making my skin crawl.
And now I can add bugs with super powers.
Great.

And The Winner Is...

2009-06-23T16:50:00.003-05:00

Cherry Tree Lane

You deserve it my friend! Email me your address and I will send out this treasure right away! (randalswife@gmail.com) And by the way, you aren't reading this girl's blog, you should be! I'm pretty sure I would love to be her next door neighbor. It would be so fun!

And because only 3 others entered (ironically all of which are family members), I'm going to send you each a little something pretty.

Another Was It Worth It Weekend

2009-06-21T22:42:00.002-05:00

My "Was It Worth It?" question involves driving 18 miles to go to a small flea market on a farm in the middle of corn fields and then driving 30 miles back to town and past it to go to a couple of thrift stores. The flea market was at a beautiful location but were the finds worth the drives?

These are some of the flea market finds. A black wooden bowl on a pedestal...

a vintage recipe box FILLED with recipes! It was a only a dollar and is quite possibly my favorite find of the day. Some recipes are handwritten (just a couple have names on them), some are cut out from newspapers and magazine - like Woman's Day. Lot's of fun stuff!!

I love these pretty little spoons. I bought them just for that one on top.

I've decided I am going to start gathering vintage Pyrex refrigerator glass - and I'm actually going to use it!

These antique door plates are copper and iron (I think). I'm going to get some pretty doorknobs and make some coat hangers for the wall by my front door.

This quilt was found at a garage sale that I stopped at on my way to the flea market. It's not quilted, just tied. But I love the worn edges and bright colors. And at 50 cents - let me repeat that, 50 CENTS! - it was a super find!

This cake plate, cut milk glass bowl, and tea cup and saucer were found at thrift stores in Boone, IA. Has anyone else noticed that The Salvation Army is always priced better than Goodwill? I'ts pretty consistent around here. I have to say I miss Savers and Deseret Industries in Phoenix though. Anyway, back on topic...

I also found these collapsible baskets at the thrift stores. I think they are probably for collecting eggs (having never actually collected eggs I can't be sure), but I'm going to use them to collect veggies from my garden this summer!

So, was the 40+ miles of driving worth it? (I think so!)

Instead of Blogging, I've Been...

2009-06-20T22:32:00.004-05:00

Cutting out around 520 of these (give or take a couple) from cereal, frozen pizza, and cracker boxes.

Bending about 50 of these forks.

Going to the hills and woods of central Iowa.

And teaching the Young Women and leaders of my Stake...

How to make these. It was a success!! And it's done!!!

I've also been doing other stuff. Like today...

I traveled down this road 2 miles to get to a small flea market held on a farm. Come back tomorrow to see some of the fun things I got.

Was It Worth It Weekend (Giveaway!!)

2009-06-14T18:32:00.003-05:00

My "Was It Worth It" weekend began on Thursday this week. Crazy, right? But I found this one garage sale that had all these brilliant, antique and vintage things!

For example, this Smith and Corona typewriter from the 20's. 1926 I think. Not sure though. Notice there's no '1' key? Yeah, I asked someone about it, apparently you used 'l' instead. Funny. Love this thing though! I need to clean off some space on my bookshelves so I can display it properly!

And a 1964 globe and stand (found at a different garage sale for just $1!!!) and this Tom Thumb toy cash register. After cleaning it off, I noticed some paper hiding in the bottom of it. So I shook it around a little and discovered some original Tom Thumb play money!! How cute!

"Familiar Trees" a 100+ year old book in GREAT condition! There are lot's of magnificent little illustrations in it. And this sweet little hankie. Both for just $1!

And my super find... These so chic tin trays. I found these at The Salvation Army though. There were probably 20 of them or so for 99 cents each. I bought 5. Then later that night I decided I would go back the next day and buy the rest, but of course, they were gone. Bummer. But I still have 5 of them!! One of them is in my coffee table (glass top with display drawer). I've got big plans for the other ones...

One of which I want to share with you!! Let me tell you, had I gotten them all, I would have given them away to the first dozen or so people who asked, but alas, it was not meant to be! I really love these trays. I think they are just so pretty and I am sure that there is someone else out there who loves them as much as I do, so I want to share...

SO.... I'm giving away one of them randomly to one of my readers. For this giveaway, just link back to this post on your blog, twitter, Facebook, whatever. Then come back and leave a comment with the link. That's it. Comments will close this time next Sunday. I'll pick a winner and announce it on Monday (or Tuesday at the latest!). Good luck!

Ames Surprises

2009-06-13T23:54:00.002-05:00

So while I was driving around this morning, I noticed some fun things at the park and the Farmer's Market. So, I went home and got Israel.

Then we headed to the Farmer's Market where the Gilbert Tractor Club had set up shop. I love the lines and textures and colors of farm equipment!

While I was taking these pictures, a woman came up to me and asked me what I do with these pictures. I told her I just LOVE them! I love the world around me and I love my life and I love being able to capture some of the beauty I see around me! I think she thought it was weird seeing me get down on the ground to take pictures while pushing Elijah's stroller off to the side and bribing Israel to stay out of the shot. She said something like, "You don't see that everyday, a mom walking around with a stroller and a big camera, taking pictures." I wonder what she really thought? Now I feel a little insecure. Oh well. I really love the pictures though.

After the farmer's market, we headed to the park. The hospital was hosting a small fair. I think they were calling it Mary Greeley Days. (The hospital is Mary Greeley Hospital.)

There were a lot of booths and fun things to do. The fire department had brought out the trucks and the ambulance. The library brought the book mobile and there were even big bouncy toys for the kiddos!

This slide was huge! Israel really loved going down it over and over and over and over. And it was Cars themed. I'm pretty sure Israel will be asking to go the the Cars park for a month now.

There were a bunch of different performers too. When we got there a hypnotist was having fun with the crowd. And the final performers were this drum line. It made me think of my dad. He loves drums.

So yeah, Ames surprised me today. Lot's of fun things going on that I didn't even know about! Yet another reason for garage sale-ing on Saturday mornings. How else would I have found out about the fair? I guess I could have read the paper.

PS - Come back tomorrow night for a Was It Worth It Weekend Giveaway (plus all my Was It Worth It finds!).

Happy Tape

2009-06-11T23:05:00.004-05:00

A very talented lady I go to church with has begun selling this amazing Japanese washi tape or Japanese masking tape. She calls it Happy Tape. And I can attest, it does make you happy! I've become fairly obsessed with it. Perhaps not obsessed, but it's my new toy for sure.

I have to admit though, at first I thought she was a little crazy (love you Tina!!), but then her sister-in-law started posting all the fabulous things she's doing with it and I was hooked!

I've taped up little packages for swap-bot stuff.

I got this super cute stationary, but it doesn't have the usual adhesive to seal it, so enter Happy Tape!

I really love using it on ATCs. On the back, they make a good background.

On the front they make great details!

Or even a frame!

So, tell me, what would you do with it?

The Best Movie You've Never Seen

2009-06-10T10:56:00.000-05:00

Unless, of course, you grew up in my house. One of the great things about my dad is his love of old musicals and anything with good dancing - think Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. I grew up watching old Shirley Temple movies and The Music Man. Plus, I married an opera singer and college musical alumni. So we love good classic musicals in our home.

So I was pretty excited when this package arrived in the mail earlier this week. I ordered it a couple of weeks ago, but didn't hear anything. I thought maybe I messed up the order and was getting ready to go and check my bank account and email and stuff to see what was up when this package showed up.

And inside is the best movie you've never seen. The Slipper and the Rose - The Story of Cinderella. I bought the movie for my dad a couple of years ago at Tower Records for like $14 or $15 and they had two copies. I considered buying it for myself, but thought I would just get it later. Fast forward 4 years and I can't find the movie anywhere! It's out of print and copies on ebay, half.com, or Amazon are all around $100. Well, I finally found it for a reasonable price (I think it was around $25) and snagged it! Woohoo! So here's a little clip:

The dancing in the kitchen from this clip may be my favorite dance sequence. This is a long clip, my favorite part starts at about 3:20 and lasts till about 6:40.

This clip is another favorite dancing scene.

Overall, I think this movie has some of the best costuming ever and the songs are so good and so fun to sing along to. Just such a good movie!! If you find it, buy multiple copies and sell them on ebay! Or give them to your family and friends. That would be nice too.

Because I Wanted to Show My Mom

2009-06-09T10:31:00.001-05:00

But please look and comment even if you're not my mom!!

This is how the garage sale luggage and my garage sale quilts are being displayed. Although that green suitcase I found on the side of the road so I guess it doesn't qualify as a garage sale find. I really love the look of the blue luggage stacked, but I love the quilts more! So, until I come up with another way to display the quilts this is how it all looks as it sits in the corner of my pretty little guest room. So pretty.

Darn Bunnies

2009-06-08T14:39:00.003-05:00

Sure, they're all cute and fluffy with their little cotton tails, but they ate all the leaves off my pepper plants!

Only a couple little leaves survived! I hope the plants themselves can survive!

So I made a cage to keep the darn bunnies out and the leaves on my plants. I thought I didn't need to worry about them until I actually grew something, but apparently they like all parts of the plants.

I think the garden looks legit now though. He can brag to his other garden buddies that he's been through the tough times and survived.

On a happier note, one of my tomato plants has buds. That's a good thing, right?

Another Was It Worth It Weekend

2009-06-07T16:52:00.003-05:00

8 Vintage handkerchiefs. So lovely. I love the bright colors. And I couple of them have fabulous scalloped edges. I can't decide if I want to carry them around with me and use them or display them or put them in a little box in my guest room for a little surprise.

Some fun antique photography. I'm going to scan them and use them as ephemera and then put them in picture frames around my guest room. I love the ones of the children. So sweet.

I bought a grab bag that had these mail-order things in it (the apron pattern was separate). One of these days I'll get ambitious and make some aprons from that super cute pattern.

Inside of that Montgomery Ward package are these buttons that say "Fresh Water Pearls" on the bottom of the card. The buttons are very pretty and I love the packaging.

Originally I fell in love with the suitcase/carrier for this old sewing machine. But then I remembered that a friend of mine told me that the all metal sewing machines were really good and that they last forever. So because the girl I bought it from told me it still works, I figured for $3 it would be a good back-up machine and the case is just so cute! That fabric in the background is 4 1/2 yards of vintage fabric that I got for only 2 dollars!

This Pottery Barn quilt with one side silk and the other velvet was a steal at only $5!!!

This pretty luggage was one of the last things I bought. It was at the end of the day and she was ready to close up so I got them for $2.50!

I love this.

I'm In The Garden

2009-06-02T23:22:00.001-05:00

This being my first garden, I don't know much, but I have a great mentor - Leah. She gives me dirt from her pile of dark, rich Iowa dirt. It's full of earth worms. I hear that's a good thing. Yuck.

But when I found this tire, I straight away called her and asked her if I could have some more dirt and if it was too late to plant some more seeds and plants. Nope, not too late. In fact, apparently you can plant green beans all summer long.

Anyhow, so first lay down some newspaper. With the first garden, I just laid it down, but then I had a hard time planting - well digging the holes. I had to break up the paper a lot to make the holes deep enough. It was hard. So this time I ripped up the paper before I put it down. Although with the tire, the soil was deeper, so I didn't even get down to the paper. Oh well.

Then you plant your stuff. This time, I did an artichoke plant. Yum! I love me some artichoke. I also did onions and green beans.

See that dirt? Crazy.

And the first part of the garden is growing so well! My tomato plants have tripled in size! And my cucumbers and squash plants have sprouted and get a little bigger every day.

And my pepper plants have these big ol' droopy leaves. I've noticed some bunnies hopping around though. I need to get my chicken wire up so I can keep them out! No bunnies eating my veggies! I want them!

Israel enjoys it when I'm working outside. He usually comes over to help me, but he also enjoys playing on his slide or swinging in the hammock. Let's be honest, he just simply likes being outside. And so do I.

Bloomin' Beauties

2009-06-01T23:48:00.001-05:00

Look at these lovelies I discovered blooming in my backyard...

They are so pretty they just make me smile. I didn't even know the little hidden bush in the corner of the yard would do this. Then, this morning when I went out to work in my little garden I saw a few of these peaking out.

So I picked them and brought them inside. They brightened up my whole day. And I did go out and trim up the big lilac tree (bush?) in front of it and the other stuff around it. I hope I get some more blooms. I don't even know what these are called. Peonies, maybe? I should know this. Can I use the excuse that I'm from Phoenix? I'm pretty sure these aren't very common in Phoenix.

And guess what else I found behind these and the other random stuff I trimmed up? I big ole' tractor tire. So I pulled it out and filled it with some good dirt and planted an artichoke plant, some onions, and some green beans. Yeah!

Was It Worth It?

2009-05-30T18:02:00.004-05:00

Oh yeah. When Elijah woke up this morning after I had only gotten a few hours of sleep he was ready for some attention. So he and I went out. Luckily here in the midwest it's too cold for garage sales that start at 5 or 6 in the morning - unlike Phoenix - or perhaps it's just living in a small town. But pretty much all the garage sales start at 8 (or even later!), so when I'm up before 9 on a Saturday I know I can still get good stuff at the garage sales. I should tell you, we also went to the farmer's market and the grill shack in front of Cub Foods (for the best dang hamburger in all of Ames!!). So, was it worth it being up before 9 on a Saturday? It so was.

No, I don't have a daughter, but I'm projecting! Plus, I just couldn't pass up this pink cashmere outfit. And the little hat with the flowers. How sweet! And I really love the white knit coat with hood. Size 18mos. I can just imagine a sweet little girl wearing this to church. Aww...

I love this sweet little pram. At first I thought it was just a toy one meant for a little girl, but it is almost the same height as my double pram which I would guess is about 20 years newer and definitely made for real-life use. Anyhow, I love this thing though. It's pretty dirty and the fabric is faded in places. But it's got some really great whimsical details.

This detail on each side of the pram is just brilliant. I should try and do some research and see it I can find a maker. That would be cool.

I can't get the shade to stay up, but it's got gorgeous fringe trim on it. This thing really needs a good cleaning though. Once it's clean I don't know where I'll put it though - in the guest room, in my room, in the front room - where?!

These two lovely quilts were my super finds of the day garage sale-ing. Had I found nothing else today but these two quilts, I would have been happy. They are well loved and well worn, but I just love the whites and blues and yellows and pinks.

Absolutely gorgeous! I'm trying to figure out the best way to display them though. I really really really love them and want them to be seen.

This one was possibly made by a woman from Maxwell, IA. The woman who sold it to me said she thought it came from her sister-in-law's mother. Her sister-in-law was born in 1940.

After I bought the first quilt, the other lady selling her stuff at the garage sale, said she had a quilt she would sell me. She went inside and brought out this beauty.

I think she said that it was her mother's, but she might have said it was hers. I'm trying to figure out the math in my head, but the tv is on and I don't have great concentration. (It's So You Think You Can Dance on the tv.)

I also got some pictures and a giant gold picture frame - really cool. Gotta find something to put in it. Any ideas?

Flash Back Friday - Harry Potter Release Party 2005 (I think)

2009-05-29T23:13:00.004-05:00

Israel at the Harry Potter book release party in 205 - I think that one was for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Obvisously taken with my camera phone - but wasn't he cute??

Memorial Day Pics

2009-05-27T17:45:00.003-05:00

And my glorious tribute to Fioricet. Ahh, heavenly meds. Just a little over an hour after my post last night I was feeling much better, thanks to the little blue pill known as Fioricet. Anyhow, onto the pics...

Look who has two teeth now! And don't you know it, he loves to use them on his mama's fingers and anything else he can get close enough.

Randal entertaining the kids. They seemed pretty fascinated.

The cookies were a big hit with the kids. Well, let's be honest, with everyone.

Such a lovely day.

This little cutie always gives me the best faces. I think she likes the camera.

Aren't these two sweet? And who is the mom and who is the daughter? They might as well be sisters.

Elijah has started giving psuedo kisses. He seems to think it's a treat when I blow in his mouth. He gets real close and puts his whole mouth over mine. It's pretty cute.

We can't get enough of him.

What is with guitar players' hands? H-O-T, hot.

And finally, on Memorial Day I tackled the loads and loads of laundry that needed folded. I think it was 5 or 6 loads. So, I should get a prize! Hmmmm.....

It's That Time Again

2009-05-26T20:38:00.003-05:00

No, not dyeing my hair time - I just did that, remember? It's that time of the month and I am sitting here in the dark with my monitor turned down as low as I can get it because I have a splitting headache. They seem to have gotten worse lately. I used to get them only every 2 or 3 months, but now, every month, like clockwork. I'm dying here. It doesn't help that Elijah didn't have a nap today, so I was carrying him around and soothing him all day - or that Israel doesn't have preschool anymore, so he needs some extra entertainment in the afternoons. Anyhow, I was going to download some pictures and show you what a beautiful Memorial Day we had, but I remembered I am out of disk space and I need to transfer some pictures to the external hard drive and because of the headache, I don't feel like getting out of bed. So I'll just tell you about it and perhaps post the pretty pics tomorrow. And I'm pretty sure I got some really pretty pics.

So, we had a church bocce ball tournament and potluck that the men organized. And shockingly, it turned out really well! I brought some cookies on my silver 3-tiered serving dish. It was pretty and fancy - perfect for an outdoor Memorial Day potluck! Most of the women sat around in the grass, some in the sun, some in the shade and visited. Most of the men did manly competitive things, Randal sat and played his guitar like the super-hottie-rockstar that he is. The kids played in the grass and on the playground. Overall, it was perfect. The sun played a little hide and seek behind the clouds and the was just the lightest of breezes. Overall just a lovely day and I can't wait to see the pics (and share them with you!).

Today, on the opposite end of the spectrum, it has been raining - hard - even pouring at times!! I'm a little worried for my new garden. Hopefully there is enough drainage. Anyhow, today has been lovely too, just a different kind of lovely. The kind of lovely only a girl from Phoenix can truly love and appreciate.

Memorial Day BBQ

2009-05-24T11:17:00.001-05:00

If you're thinking of BBQ for Memorial Day, why not try something different and grill up some thick cut pork chops? We had these a couple of weeks ago and they were fantastic!

I made a dry rub out of rosemary that I ran through my coffee grinder (that I have only ever used for flax seed - hooray it has a new use now!), a little bit of garlic salt and seasoning salt, Mrs. Dash, and some fresh ground black pepper. It was super delish! I think next time though, I will use the rosemary, more Mrs. Dash, no garlic salt, and tiny bit of seasoning salt, the fresh ground pepper, and some parsley. These pork chops, paired with grilled asparagus (the only seasoning it needs is olive oil, kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper) are a so good, I totally forgot to take a picture until they were almost gone!

The Things I Have To Do Today...

2009-05-23T14:47:00.002-05:00

Among the general cleaning and preparing for Sunday, I also have to prepare a talk to speak in church on Sunday (rather than paid ministers who give sermons every week, members of our congregations rotate turns in speaking to the congregation, it's my turn tomorrow). I was also informed on Wednesday, that I should prepare somewhere around 15-17 minutes. YIKES! Now there are many subjects that I could talk about for that long, but mostly they include my favorite pieces of jewelry or how much I love my porch or how much I hate bugs and cleaning. Anyhow, luckily I gave a talk about 7 years ago on the same subject: Repentance and Forgiveness. Oh, and guess what? I get to go up to Girl's Camp for an afternoon and teach an arts and crafts class. We'll be making artist trading cards. So, I've been beginning to get ready for that too. Anyhow, so just bear with me... I'll have some pretty photography, delicious recipes, and fabulous projects coming your way again soon.

Wow - It's Been Awhile

2009-05-21T19:02:00.002-05:00

Like 3 whole days! Craaaazy! Well, just know that I've been super duper busy. I've been working on getting things ready for my other Etsy shop - MwaHooToo (my sister has the first MwaHoo). Doing a couple of jobs from the LuckyBlue Etsy shop - hooray! And I've been spending a lot of time outside - going for bike rides, swinging lazily on my hammock, using the BBQ (we had kabobs tonight and the steak was so incredibly tender!!), planting a garden (I can't believe that either!), and just generally enjoying myself. In fact, I say that often enough that Israel has picked up on it. While shopping at Wal-Mart for my tomato and pepper plants, Israel kept saying that he wanted to sit and enjoy the lawn furniture. So we did. Today we sat on a blanket in the front yard and enjoyed the slight breeze blowing through the trees. I can't believe how huge my tree looks from underneath with all it's leaves. I wish I could just have you all with my on my front lawn laying down and watching the leaves blow - and hearing that sound it makes. I absolutely love it. You know what else I love? Wearing skirts in the summertime. Especially when there's a slight breeze (not a massive wind like yesterday). It just makes me feel so light and pretty. Anyhow, those are my thoughts for today.