Dakota as art

Wanted to share my latest cards for a swap.

I love my dog.

Purple purse

I wanted some instant gratification so I crocheted this cute little purse from Marvelous Mini tote by Deneen then I felted it. I used 100% Peruvian Highland Wool from elann. I added a little texture thread in there but you can barely see it. The hook shown in both pictures is a size K.

Before

After


Hi to all my new friends from the crochet blog webring!

something random

From my front yard garden. Now that Scary the rat is gone, I have a new terror, I mean, um, friend. Meet my friend Hoppy.

Down under

Received these exquisite ATC's from Llewena Newell in Australia. Her postage stamp even had a koala on it and Sarah and I ooh and aahed over it as well. Thank you so much for the trade, Llewena!

Last day of summer.. for us..

Even though I hate it when ANY picture is taken of me, I feel I'm taking a huge step in my self-confidence by actually posting a picture of me with my family. It's part of an inner strength, come to grips with your weight demons, therapy kind of thing...


We finished the summer on a high note by going to Disneyland today. I'm in the back with Mike, John is in the middle with Sarah, and my mom is in the front with Paige.


I wonder who my idol was when I was two and a half? I think it's cool that Paige got to meet hers in person.... (Ariel from The Little Mermaid) We know all the words in this movie by heart. Someone little also likes to send the songs at the top of her lungs!


We listened to some awesome music in Disney's New Orleans Square and thought of all the victims of the hurricane.

School starts tomorrow!!! YEAH!!!!! I am doing a little happy dance right now...

More back-to-school stuff..

I made this beanie for Mike as part of the Back-to-School KAL and CAL. Ten year olds make such lovely and obliging models...

I finished my first felted bag. It's my version of the Scallops and Beads bag from Knit One, Felt Too. I used different yarns then asked for so the final result looks much different then the book but I am happy with it. I used Lion Brand Landscapes for body and some wool embroidery thread doubled up for the brim. The handle is an i-cord made from Landscapes. I wish I had taken a before picture. It took two hot cycles in the washing machine to get it to the right size.




Here's some shots from our trip to the Orange County Zoo.




A bear wandered right by us before he picked up his watermelon slice and took it back to his liar.


Kids in front of the train. (Tammy's kidlings and mine plus one friend)

Postcrossing

I received this wonderful card today from Vivian in Norway! Check out Postcrossing.com

Wishes

My heart goes out to all those affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Farm life

We drove down to San Juan Capistrano today to visit a mini-farm/petting zoo. Lots of hay covered fun...

This is what I would do if I won the lottery.. Raise alpacas...


and fluffy bunnies....



and horses....


and drive trains!


Everyone could come visit Steph's Farm!

Inspiration

WOW! What an exciting weekend! I spent most of Saturday with the talented Mara Thomas at the Fabulous Fiber Fest in Santa Monica. She taught the Freeform Crochet class last year that my mom and I had so much fun at. This year she concentrated on Artist Trading Cards, altered books and collage art among other things. We talked and compared notes about our "spirited" little ones. I bought some wonderful buttons and fibers (hand-dyed bits of lace and yarn) I even got the urge to paint (see Horse below).

Here's my first ATC:



Sorry my picture is not that clear. I will experiment on better capturing techniques.

Here's my card for Mara:

Water color for my Sarah.

Summer is dwindling

Finished swim lessons! Yeah! I think deep down I was afraid Paige was going to poop in the big college pool. I'm so glad we escaped that one!!! Sarah learned to dive off the diving board.

Went to the park yesterday.



Finished a baby hat for Stitches.



I am going away for the weekend BY MYSELF!! I will be going to the Fiber Fest in Santa Monica first then spending the night at a hotel! I won't know what to do with all that quiet! Maybe this will recharge my batteries...

Finished objects

I haven't posted any finished objects lately so here are some things I was working on.

Sarah's back-to-school lacey shrug jacket. Made form Bernat Coordinates (a baby yarn) in white with a K hook. Compliments of Mrs. Who's schematics at Crochetville.

Front view



Back view



Also, I made my version of a Pottery Barn-esque artwork for Paige's room. I painted the walls this pretty periwinkle blue. Found the white shelf at Target for under $10. Painted the letters from Michael's white and glued little wooden ladybugs on. Cost of paint and materials under $6. Added some ribbon and hung with decorative thumbtacks (around $4) Finished product I am impressed with myself. Pottery Barn wants anywhere from $10-$12 per letter.

Lipstick and other disasters...

We got a new computer! Our old computer literally bit the dust and died a hideous death. I'm upset though because I think I am going to lose all the music on my Ipod. They make it so very hard! You'd think that I bought the songs I should be able to do whatever I want! Not so.... Thanks Steve!

With a new computer, one must accept the fact that hours of time will be "wasted" playing with new computer and discovering all the nifty things it can do. New computer purchases should come with a nanny built in to keep an eye on busy toddlers so that new owner can play with new computer.

Case in point, I am playing with new computer. Hubby is playing with his new subscription to Xbox Live (which he got for his birthday and may lead to a large marriage upheaval). A certain toddler decides to investigate mommy's purse and extract dark brick colored lipstick. She then proceeds to hide in master bedroom and "decorate" the carpet using THE ENTIRE TUBE!!! Oblivious mommy and daddy don't even discover new decorations until toddler is "washing" her hands.

You would have thought we learned our lesson last Fall when same toddler found a jar of red food coloring and hid under the dining room table. We thought she had cut her finger off or something she was so bright red.

I guess new carpeting will be our biggest expenditure whenever our lease runs out. They make you give an extra deposit for a pet. They SHOULD make you give an extra deposit for kidlings except that's unconstitutional or something minor like that...

I guess new computer playtime must end.... must now research lipstick removing instructions.

More markers

After such a horrensdous afternoon, I was happy to come home and find a surprise from another Marker Mania buddy. CJ sent me a terrific care package with beautiful beaded markers and a guardian angel marker. She also included a sheep bookmark and some yummy baby lollipops (which the kidlings quickly devoured). Thank you much CJ! You really saved the day!




I have rearranged my galleries a little in the sidebar. Hopefully, they make sense.

John's brother, Matt, is the gorgeous model in my next photo. I made him a blanket for him to take to the dorm when he goes to Cal Poly in a month! Happy HS graduation! (a little late...)




Will finish with this photo from Sea World (where we escaped the heat to yesterday), Paige's favorite part as she describes it

" Shampooooo! "

Humiliation

You would think that the older I get the less what people thought of me would bother me. For the most part I really don't give a (you-know-what because I'm watching my cursing). But I do find it important that people (even strangers) think I am a good mother. Not a great, fantastic, super-mom kind of mother but a good one.

I met Tammy and her kidlings at a local park (which will have to remain anonymous unless someone who was there today is reading this). We had a yummy picnic of sandwiches and oatmeal raisin cookies. This park is special because it has a "little-kid" area that is enclosed and a "big-kid" area that has more daring playground equipment. It also has a public wading pool for kidlings 7 and under. We decided to let the "big kids" play at the "big kid" park while we watched Maddie and Paige in the wading pool.

Maddie did not really go in because she was feeling a little overwhelmed I think by all the other kidlings paddling around. Paige, of course, jumped right in and was soaked in a matter of seconds. Paige was constantly moving and jumping and pretending to be a lobster. Right near where I was sitting some girls started shrieking, "EEEEEWWWW! There's a piece of poo!" I was alarmed because I did not want my little one to get sick. So I tell her it's time to get out. The girls who shrieked ran off to get the manager and I struggled to get Paige out. She thought this was a game and started running away from me through the water. More moms had gathered around to collect their various kidlings and wanted to know what happened, etc. The manager then comes out, stares at the offending (very small) piece of material and yells "EVERYONE OUT!!!!". It was pretty much straight out of Caddyshack except this was a wading pool with toddlers and upset mothers. Paige stood in the middle of the pool refusing to come out. If you haven't guessed by now, Paige was the culprit of the horribly awful, very disgusting,what kind of mom lets their kid poop in the pool, pooper.

Now that the pool was empty (except for Paige), it was strangly quiet. I was now on stage (via pool) to retrieve my little stinker, remove Her Smelliness from the area, and receive many not so nice glares as I gather my screaming child in my arms and try to hurry out of there (I am now soaking wet also). You see, it has been in the high 80's - mid 90's with high humidity. Any mother with young kidlings knows the power water play has on a hot day.

I think they are going to charge me with a crime for being the one responsible for the pool closure. Or they might just throw their soiled diapers at us. So much for keeping up the good mother image...

Marked again!

This blue beauties came from Suzie in SF! Thank you so much Suzie! I love them!



We celebrated my honey's 36th birthday yesterday by baking him a cake. Mike decorated it! Yellow cake with dark chocolate frosting and M&M's. Yum! The we went out to dinner at El Torito. Going out to dinner with kidlings is always such an adventure. Paige decided to to serenade us along with everyone else in the restaurant. I feel sorry for the busboy after we left. I looked down and there was rice EVERYWHERE! Mas margaritas, por favor!

Sun shining

Poor Paige has a terrible blister on the back of her foot so I dug up her flip-flops and added some Fun fur to them. I know this is not a new idea but my older daughter loves that these "fluffy" flips-flops don't give her sores between her toes. (Maybe we are just a little wimpy when it comes to our feet)

Here is Paige modeling her fancy footwear at her swimming lessons.



And close-up (yes... I know I need a pedicure..)

I received another wonderful package today! My buddy Erin Vaughn (who I will snail mail a TY) sent me this fun package of knitting notecards, Post-Its, a neon pink pencil bag (great for notions) and some exquistie stitch markers. I couldn;t get a good close-up but they are a beautiful sparkling blue and mutli-colored glass. So generous!!!! Thank you so much! I've never had knitting notecards before! :)

I've been marked!

I am so excited! I received my first set of markers today from the Marker Mania swap.

These beauties came from Cathi in Colorado. It does feel likes it's my birthday or something... She sent these creative fruit markers as well as a snowflake and London charm. How did she know London is someplace I have always wanted to visit? I think that will be the first one I use as my little tribute to the victims of the bombings.

Now what shall I knit? Decision, decisions ......





Thank you so much Cathi! I love them! Thank you also for the extra goodies like the green notion bag and perfect pink box ( I know the picture makes it look red but it really is the most beautiful shade of magenta). I love these from The Container Store. You really brightened my day!

Stitches from the Heart

I always get so rejuvenated when I go to my mom's Stitches meetings. (No, these are not Stitch & Bitch) but meetings for volunteers who make things for Stitches from the Heart. My mom loves this charity so much she decided to run little (well, now not so little) meetings at her house once a month for poeple to gather, share ideas and patterns, get inspired, etc.

There are so many different types of women at the meeting and I wish I had more time to talk to everyone. They primarily make baby items which are then donated. Some of the talent is remarkable! There was a lady named Bebe there who has had a stroke and crochets with sight in only one eye. Her work was beautiful!

I painted Paige's bedroom this wonderful pale periwinkle blue. It makes her eyes sparkle. All of her furnishings are white andI have created my version of a Pottery Barn kid's room. :)

It's frickin' hot!!!!

I have been trying much harder to cut down on the cursing. Can't you tell? Frickin' is my replacement for the F word because I cannot bring myself to say "fudge" or "fudgin'". Just doesn't have the same impact I want! I know it's a terrible habit especially for a mother of three but come on now, my dad was a Navy Seal and he cursed even when he was happy! I know more curse words than my hubby, I think..... (not that I am proud of that)

Anyway, we (with my best buddy, Tamara, and her kidlings) escaped to Seal Beach today. It was lovely, wind was blowing quite a bit but that kept us from sweating!



Sarah and Emilee



Maddie and Paige (they are only one week apart in age) . Maddie knows there is nothing better than eating watermelon at the beach!

Are these glasses funny or what?




Wanted to also post an update on my One Small Thing project:



This is taking me longer than expected because it is so FRICKIN' hot!!!

Nature centers are fun

Since I have been playing with the kids so much this summer I have had little time to work on projects. I did start assembling squares for my One Small Thing blanket. (Progress report tomorrow) .

I got some really nice comments from my Marker Mania buddies! Emily, Renee, Minnie, and Erin. So glad they liked them and that everything arrived safely!

My mom had never been to our local Nature Center so we took a little field trip. We needed to let the lizard go even though he was very helpful in ridding our house of flies.




It was a beautiful day!




I got the kidlings to stand still for a minute. Mike's good buddy Grant (far left) was with us.





We took a rest by this pond to have a snack.



A VERY BRAVE squirrel decided to join us and eat our cookies that fell on the ground. It was quite funny to see all of us standing on the benches afraid of the squirrel.



All in all a good day....

Leaving the IKEA Costa Mesa store after buying cookies jars for Togo's. I couldn't resist this because they were skipping.... Note: Wish I was as tan as Sarah.

Am I wierd?

This morning when I woke I had no idea so many interesting events would occur.

Few of my family members (including myself) are early risers so today was a little tough because the kitten, Daisy, was due to be dropped off at the vet to be spayed (or neutered, I never remember boy or girl terms) and we had to get her there by 9 am. Anyway, I went out into the garage to get her carrier and Dakota, the dog, was making some crazy noises and beckoning towards the garage fridge. I look up (half asleep, I mind you) and I see a little rodent face peeking out between the garage ceiling and wall. I couldn't believe what I was seeing since a wildly acting dog SHOULD scare any kind of small creature away. The rodent (whom I have named Scary) peeks at me at least three more times. I feel like maybe we are playing "Chicken". THEN, as if in a final challenge, Scary decides to come out of its hiding place just to show me how big of a rat he/she is. Scary walked calmy along one rafter, hoped down onto a pipe and starting traversing over the pipe that runs over our laundry area, very close to where I was standing. I don't know where Scary went next because I ran hysterically out of the garage convinced I was being attacked by a monster rat at 8 am. Dakota was useless BTW.

My husband has convinced me he will take care of Scary, but I am striking against doing laundry until such problem is finally resolved.

After we dropped off little Daisy (who gave me some very nasty kitty looks as they took her away), I decided I was in need of caffeine. I headed back to Starbucks prepared for a substantial wait through the drive-thru. I pulled up at 8:30 on an overcast morning and THERE WERE NO CARS! I was the only one in line! It was a little unnerving since that had NEVER happened before to me in the four years it has been in our neighborhood.

John decided to take a break today (since he has worked so many doubles) and took the kidlings to run errands. Ah, freedom!! What do I do? I go to the post office, drug store, fun things like that! It is nice to do errands sans kidlings sometimes. I can let my mind wander.

I did stop at a big Joann's because I had a coupon and again, no kids. I was in the way back checking out cotton yarn and this cute young girl comes out of the ladies room with a very sad face. She walks by me yelling," Mom, there's a FROG in the bathroom!" I peek my head into the bathroom since I am standing right there and sure enough there is a creature, but not a frog. It was a little lizard with it's tail missing (I can understand the frog confusion). The employees were not exactly thrilled to have this creature so they gladly gave me a box to take it away. I went and got a Creature Carrier and decided maybe we could observe him for a couple days before letting him go. Not your typical fabric store find!


I learned from the internet, he is a Western Fence Lizard. Very common. Sorry my picture is so bad but he has the coolest blue waddle thingy under his head.


Here is what I got at Joann's. Cool new colors of Lily cotton. plus a lizard named "The Lizard"


Am I wierd that I want to kill a rat, fix a cat and save a lizard all on the same day?

Sunday afternoons

I finished some squares for my One Small Thing project and I am still deciding if I like them. I have definitely been in the mood to make granny squares to I feel a little creative as far as the piecing and colors go.

Usually, Sunday afternoons are suppossed to be leisurely, restful types of days where everyone plays quietly, reads books and doesn't scream at each other. I guess only in my dreams. Today was productive in that I took down Paige's bunkbed, and put up her new white headboard and footboard. I am planning on painting her room avery pale periwinkle blue. I think it will look nice with all the white furniture.

I reviewed my partners for the Marker Mania. All I can say is WOW! I looked at everyone's blogs and they are so amazing! I greatly admire their talents. I hope my markers will suffice.... I don't want to say who I have in case it is supposed to be a secret!

One Small Thing

Well, I was looking for inspiration and I got it today reading Ro's idea called One Small Thing . I decided I am craving to work with some fabulous bright and cheery colors, so I decided to make a cheery blanket for a child in a hospital. I am very blessed that my children are healthy and they love their "blankies" so why not make some more. I know many more generous crafters will sign up as well. Ro put it so well in her description of crafting for charity.

My kidlings will not stop bickering (this is really the first summer of this) and it is driving me CRAZY!! Sometimes I think my hormones are raging and I keep getting these mild headaches. Everytime I talk to someone it the same answer, "Well, you ARE a mother of three!" I guess I was asleep the day they said that more than 2 children means you will be a mess. Maybe it has something to do with the odd number, I don't know. Maybe it's their ages (10, 7, and 2) that makes them incapable of leaving each other alone. It's the classic "Mooooooooom(trying to emphasis the whine) , she's touching me!!!!!" I think I'm going to invent some Mommy earplugs.

Happy Independence Day!

Hope the holiday is fun for everyone! I am going a little crazy with the kidlings since they will not stop bickering and John has worked like a 5 doubles in a row. It's only the first week of July and my creative brain for summer activities is dwindling. There are only so many things a 10 year old boy and a 2 year old girl will like to do together. Sarah (7) likes to do everything so she is really not a factor. Maybe our neighborhood will light up with fireworks and that will bring some excitement to our day....

Here's Dakota

Here are some pictures I took while messing around with the digital camera. Our kitten, Daisy and our dog, Doakta