heat, poppies, pools and more!

we are going to be away for a while....

come back to see me in a few weeks.

taking the kids... leaving the husband behind...

and road tripping for a month.

I may come back bald, and with tired eyes

but,

I will have been with family.

may a happy summer trip be in your near future!

snail mail goes out!

I have been working hard the past weeks on some snail mail~ a swap that is going to North Wales. I don't know what excites me more....

the fact that it is a vintage kitchen swap or the fact that it is going to North Wales.

Mousy Brown, a blogger that I follow and have become friends with.... this is her swap idea.... and since the last craft swap I have become a lover of swaps.

I couldn't wait to do this one.

so, my package goes out today!

may my mousy friend enjoy what is to arrive in her post box.....

your anticipation is almost over!

the boot....

is on the other foot.

this is all I have to say....

4 days before school started I broke my right lower leg.

now,

4 days before school ends I severely sprain my left foot.

this had better not become a routine.

(and if you read the prior post~ you'd know that a certain little of mine has misplaced my pump for the cast..... arrgggg!)

Simple Woman's Daybook

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY- June 16th
Outside my window... grey gloom and "they say" thunder is a-comin'

I am thinking... the more swollen my foot, the slower I get.

From the learning rooms... how to entertain all day long, without school.

From the kitchen...the smell of fresh baked cookies and a chicken ready to be roasted.
I am wearing...things keeping me warm.
I am creating... the last of my snail mail secret!

I am going...to pick up Odin, and to pick up shipping boxes, to pack up the last of the kids luggage.

I am reading... (nothing yet.... but, I have a few books in the works!)

I am hoping...that my foot gets better quicker than it is..... this swelling is driving me nuts! I limp around like the hunchback of Notre Dame.

I am hearing...Phoenix- 1901. "fallin, fallin, falllin"

Around the house... a hidden cast pump, and all sorts of knicky knacks!!!!

One of my favorite things... a snuggle nap with my dog Stumpel.
A few plans for the rest of the week: pack, mail and leave!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing:

staring off and eating my honeysuckle flowers.

$13 a flat

for the best hood berries on the planet. in past posts I have stated my passion for hood berries....

last year alone I think we made a good 15 cups of strawberry jam. Really~ these berries are beautiful, sweet, and really delicate.

we were on our last jar of jam last week when the local fruit stands began to open with their limited supply of hoods. With all the rain, and lack of sunshine the berries have been more scarce this year than in years past. Not to mention hoods are in season for about 2 weeks~ when you see them, you gotta get them or you have to wait a whole 'nother year.

I hadn't been able to get out to the fields until yesterday~ but after a great weekend of warm weather and no clouds... yesterdays berries were the best of the season.

A well spent $13.....

and a family night of jam making was in order. (chef hat and all!)

sourcream apple pie

I read this yesterday and couldnt resist making it today.

I have some girlie friends coming over tonight and need to make a treat to make their hearts happy.

one little thing.

i like pies... but I dont like pie crust ( I know, I am weird like that!) so I thought, what would it be like to make it without the pie crust, and more... say... like... a crumble....

here's to a night of trying something new!

I will let you know how it turned out!

to have or have not

here is a decorative banner for the famous miles ico. The celebration is this friday~ cant wait!

but, I cant decide.... so your help is needed!

DO I RIC~RAC

or DO I NOT????

here are the other fabrics for the rest of the banners... super vintage fun!

tiny white flowers

using this tutorial... I figured out how to make these knitted flowers.

I searched high and low for one that was not crochet....

and I think these ones turned out cute.

I cant show you what I attached them to~

its part of my snail mail swap secret....

but, be patient~ in time my pretty, in time!

He is flying...

my little bug is moving on.

he "graduated" (for lack of a better word) from the Co-Op playschool we experienced this year and is getting ready to fly to the next chapter of life.

In his short life, He has had to overcome so much more than many of us have ever had to .... and there is no one more proud than his mommy who has been able to learn more from him than she has ever been able to teach him.

my heart blooms with great love for my little bug ( dressed as a butterfly!)

may your wings fly you higher than you ever imagined.

with his girl~friend Josi

Simple Woman's Daybook

Simple Woman's Daybook

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY- June 4th
Outside my window... rain, rain and even more rain.

I am thinking... I am ready.

From the learning rooms... still at potty training 2010 for B and O wants to learn how to tie shoes.

From the kitchen... BBQ for 40 T-ball families
I am wearing... linen pants, peasant top and my bathrobe ( it is almost 2 pm)
I am creating... a snail mail swap surprise!

I am going...to see O' spring fling performance.

I am reading... some knitting magazines and getting some ideas.

I am hoping...that the sun comes out soon.

I am hearing... B play airplanes and a squeaky chair.

Around the house... every room is in order and clean (except the master bedroom- where all the stuff went)

One of my favorite things... (story time) B and O have just begun to take notice in chewing gum..... they ask for it every-so-often. Both have been really great in not swallowing it ( they are 7 and 5 years old- they'd better be!). But B, who is limited with language, when he is done he says " thank you for chewing my gum, please, mommy" and that is one of my favorite things.
A few plans for the rest of the week: what I am calling "Bend~over~backwards"! explanation coming soon.

A photo I want to share with you:: my B playing guitar

some cousin goodness

O's teacher, as you all know, is having a baby.

little mr. miles ico.

well, she loves owls (remember this?)

as I was searching for a knitting project about a month ago, I came across this pattern....

now, I don't crochet... not one bit!

but my sweet amazing cousin does.

so I called her up, for some swapping goodness.

we swapped fabric remnants (which you know I have quite a bit of here!)

for the making of this cute little owl bib.

knitshanknit is her etsy shop.

and shannon rocks the world of cousins!

I have to say,

I may have a hard time letting this little owl go....

Odin's teacher is gonna love it!

the next big project

Odin, for his birthday, asked for a quilt.

He has been watching me make all these fun quilts for kids in the hospital, and for new babies that I think he is getting a little jealous.

so, I let him pick the theme,

then we shopped for the fabrics together,

and we drew up the pattern together.

here is what we came up with....

for those of you who know O, know the theme does not surprise.

DOLPHINS

and here is the pattern we designed...

heavy panting....

baby pants, that is.... they are so small, so fun, and so easy!

so lets all pant away in this "warmer" weather.

I say that because we are having some rain ( ok, not some... but a TON!).

these are my "buttonbacks" pants. The great thing about this pattern is there is elastic waist band to go with the ever expanding baby tummy, lots of Booty room for the cloth diapers, and flexibility in length. "buttonbacks" are size-less. They can be worn long to start, but as the baby grows they become capri, and then shorts.

Both my boys have had pairs of these for years ( B had a pair that he wore from 18 months till he was 4) .... that is why I love giving them as gifts.....

it just keeps on giving.

and the prints are always fun, vibrant, and cute. These pants go great with a simple white onesie.

(and yes, I still have baby on the brain!)

thanks....

the weekend came and went....

with long bike rides,

resting in the grass,

an impromptu BBQ,

and not much else.

Today I have the cutter out, papers set, and stamps already to go...

for O to do some writing and stamping when he gets home.

His thank you cards must get done, and he is making them!

outcome:: see below::