tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15939064445100060422024-02-07T14:40:52.068-08:00A Trip to *HollandRuth H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13260851009105528014noreply@blogger.comBlogger252125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593906444510006042.post-75808943721753839862011-07-22T12:38:00.000-07:002011-07-22T12:51:05.430-07:00Move in Progress....Recently, I made the decision to move this blog from Blogger to a self-hosted WordPress site. What in the world does that mean, and why should you care?<br />
<br />
Well, really, you don't have to care. It just means I'm going to be using different software to publish this blog, and my blog URL (that's it's address) is going to change slightly. It also means that, during the process, things might be a little wonky on BOTH blogs, due to the risks of, well, the risks of me doing my own reprogramming. Hopefully, most of the bugs will get worked out quickly, but in the meantime, I hope you'll pardon the dust during my remodel!<br />
<br />
Why am I making the switch? Mainly because I've really enjoyed using WordPress publishing tools when I write for sites like <a href="http://thecsiproject.com/">The CSI Project</a> and <a href="http://www.infarrantlycreative.net/">Infarrantly Creative</a>. I like the way WordPress handles their media uploads, among other things. Another reason for the switch was for the added customization that I can get when I publish with WordPress. I would like A Trip to *Holland to showcase the web publishing skills I've developed, so I want my own site to look as sharp as possible. WordPress simply offers more freedom to do that.<br />
<br />
Hopefully, I'll be able to take all of you nice people who follow A Trip to *Holland along with me. Just in case, here is my new address:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #45818e; font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="http://www.atriptoholland.net/">www.atriptoholland.net</a></b></span></div>Ruth H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13260851009105528014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593906444510006042.post-27966736975153244302011-07-21T04:30:00.000-07:002011-07-21T04:30:00.807-07:00The Fun to Come....Things are in the works on this ole' blog of mine. I'm gearing up for a total blog redesign and the move to a self-hosted site. (In non-geeky language, that means it won't say "blogspot" after atriptoholland when you visit this website.)<br />
<br />
Let me tell you what I've learned. Redesigning a blog and moving it is not easy. No siree. It should be handled by professionals.<br />
<br />
Do you know how much professionals cost?<br />
<br />
No? I didn't either, until I'd spent two days alternately sweating and crying and learning programming language and telling my children to, "Keep watching movies! Go ahead, watch as many movies as you want! Just don't bother mommy while she's trying build a website." After two days of that, I decided I should find out how much it would cost to hire a professional.<br />
<br />
Too much! Too much for me, that is. After all, I'm blogging for free, here. And I'm supposed to be a do-it -herself, thrifty kind of blogger, aren't I? Hello, I <a href="http://atriptoholland.blogspot.com/2010/08/details-on-goodwill-makeover.html">spray painted a lamp</a>!<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><img height="604" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiewGOWETHDn55nlMXInJDLrhj46kq1XVrKdqN2kKWVTMnI5i_ERcGG062txrijQ6ebZEOiGxz-X4gL-sPvo8hHBa5l4QZ4kYRFX0ASTEN866LntL0SfdFmUqbvq3tYPfJ6o0CZuX-c7Fs/s640/gw_makeover_lamp.jpg" width="640" /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And <i>that</i> didn't turn out too badly, did it? So, I took a deep breath, and I've been taking it one day and one code error and one style sheet at a time. And today I actually think I began to figure out what I'm doing. And instead of sitting at the computer all day, I cleaned house and took my children swimming. Maybe--just maybe--in a few days or months or years (this is me, remember?) this blog will have a whole new look. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Any maybe--just maybe--by the time I get to that point, I'll be a professional and someone can hire <i>me</i> to redesign their website. Because, from what I can tell, that job pays pretty well.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Wish me luck!</div>Ruth H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13260851009105528014noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593906444510006042.post-4924540118705880842011-07-18T04:30:00.000-07:002011-07-18T04:30:01.717-07:00I Wasn't Born in the JungleThis is one of my two big brothers, Bill.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV37JdY0f4niicrNIXuZ6irKZ6D4a8JdKK-1kwLeLpOE7j1LlwpN1c5BPi5H4ALWLT8gtaKoeFpfIdMoqRaptj9susMhRiNdrguBu9ybkE2hWmTsbkTLdYzdbvtW-CG88TEkshg7syAt-x/s1600/cousins_picnic+032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV37JdY0f4niicrNIXuZ6irKZ6D4a8JdKK-1kwLeLpOE7j1LlwpN1c5BPi5H4ALWLT8gtaKoeFpfIdMoqRaptj9susMhRiNdrguBu9ybkE2hWmTsbkTLdYzdbvtW-CG88TEkshg7syAt-x/s640/cousins_picnic+032.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Bill was seven years old when I displaced him as the youngest member of our family. Despite our age difference, and the fact that he teased me mercilessly, I loved spending time with Bill. Still do.<br />
<br />
Some of my earliest memories of my brother Bill took place on a family vacation, when I was just a little squirt of 2 or 3 years. My grandparents were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, and took all their posterity on a cross-country road trip. While I remember very little of any of the sightseeing we did along the way, I do remember sleeping in a pop-up trailer, near my brother, Bill. <br />
<br />
This seemingly insignificant detail was made memorable by Bill's whispered revelations of our family's past, before we fell asleep each night in that pop-up trailer. After all, he told me marvelous bits of family history previously unknown to me. Until Bill told me all about it, I had no idea that--prior to my birth--our family had lived in the jungle. <br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Yes, the jungle. Bill told me each night of that vacation, in great detail, about all of the adventures he and my other siblings had in the jungle. They'd lived in a large treehouse, had two large and very faithful dogs, along with an assortment of jungle animals that were easily tamed. (Monkeys, elephants, ostriches, zebras, etc.)<br />
<br />
I think there was a good chance that Bill had seen <i>Swiss Family Robinson</i> not long before we left on vacation. But, while liberally peppering his stories with Swiss Family similarities (yes, pirates did attack), Bill threw in his own dashes of creativity. For instance, the tale of how our sister Lorene was nearly squeezed to death in her sleep by a boa constrictor. Or the story about how our older brother wrestled a panther that was about to eat one of our mother's freshly baked pineapple pies. He even explained matter of factly what, exactly, the family was doing there in the jungle: our father was teaching the jungle tribes geometry, and our mother took in sewing for sailors. <br />
<br />
Each night, Bill would end his thrilling tales of life in the jungle with the same refrain: "And that's what happened when we lived in the jungle, before you were born."<br />
<br />
I sincerely believed that our family <i>had</i> lived in the jungle. Life in the jungle seemed so much more exciting than it was in the small farming community where the family returned to shortly before my birth. I was desperately disappointed that I had been forced by birth order alone to miss out on all the fun of the jungle. I daydreamed about Bill's stories of jungle life so often that I'm not sure where Bill's end and my own begin. Finally, sometime after my eighth birthday, I asked my dad if he would ever go back to teach the jungle natives geometry again. Only then did I discover that my family's past wasn't quite so swashbuckling a picture as the one Bill had painted for me. <br />
<br />
The story that I grew up thinking my family had left behind a jungle adventure shortly before my birth is now a chapter in our family lore. It's joined the ranks of other family favorites that are retold and enjoyed at family gatherings--with a fresh and growing audience of nieces and nephews to laugh and exclaim over each one. We love our family stories. <br />
<br />
Perhaps that's why my children and their cousins are currently fascinated by these videos. Family legends retold by a new generation are hilariously reenacted by the adults of the family in the Kid History series. Over the top wacky, anyone who loves a good family story--especially as interpreted by the grandkids--will get a kick out of them. Enjoy our two current favorites:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dVlaZfLlWQc" width="560"></iframe><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9yy7AP7Dh6w" width="560"></iframe>Ruth H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13260851009105528014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593906444510006042.post-84244440367164933992011-07-16T04:32:00.000-07:002011-07-16T07:40:17.242-07:00Surprise Roadtrip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh_NXgnAu9XRktZ6h9_SLxGGrij3YhHZv7qd5wFqjGOkGmq2VFaHA5ErE8L9Nl2im-xSIGX5hK0yHvS_Yj2X1heRzN4Z_SmHV_ABRT6ljt2HShcZik14SpwpZLhsaIR9yG8ijJRuddsbkH/s1600/Summer_2011_collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh_NXgnAu9XRktZ6h9_SLxGGrij3YhHZv7qd5wFqjGOkGmq2VFaHA5ErE8L9Nl2im-xSIGX5hK0yHvS_Yj2X1heRzN4Z_SmHV_ABRT6ljt2HShcZik14SpwpZLhsaIR9yG8ijJRuddsbkH/s640/Summer_2011_collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>I've mentioned before that I love to travel with my family. Roadtrips tend to be our most frequent form of travel. (You can read about a couple of them <a href="http://atriptoholland.blogspot.com/2010/10/meet-me-in-st-louis-details.html">here</a> and <a href="http://atriptoholland.blogspot.com/2011/04/budget-travel-details-on-trip-to.html">here</a>.) Even as newlyweds, the Bionic Man and I used to jump in the car and see how far we could get before it was time to turn around and head back to school.<br />
<br />
Since we've had children, the Bionic Man and I don't get into spontaneous roadtrips like we used to. Generally, we spend months preparing for our roadtrips: researching routes and destinations, planning stops and activities, putting together detailed itineraries, making reservations. Often, we depart for vacation with a thick binder that maps out all the details of our trip.<br />
<br />
Our 2011 summer trips weren't going to be any different. We'd been planning a family trip to see our Connecticut friends and East coast sites for weeks. And Bionic Man had been prepping daily for a special backpacking adventure in Utah's Uintah mountain wilderness. <br />
<br />
All that changed when we got the news that Bionic Man's grandmother had passed away. We made a last-minute decision to change all our vacation plans for the summer. Within 48 hours we were packed and on the road. <br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Whew! Can you believe that? That type of spontaneity is wildly uncharacteristic for us. I have to say that these three kids are largely responsible for getting us ready. They were such good helpers!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxZST1QehQVuv5JZTOlUICrxjXLzUSpZ_E-ki3I9SXWhjx12fLKWD379rm4_t14WwO9pg_MmdIGISdDhodoxUjCKCWM-Zh6ch5iuZh_xLf6B1ZdFFmUffC3IWuaDT5PK9ApiM-h4DxoBD/s1600/July_roadtrip_A+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxZST1QehQVuv5JZTOlUICrxjXLzUSpZ_E-ki3I9SXWhjx12fLKWD379rm4_t14WwO9pg_MmdIGISdDhodoxUjCKCWM-Zh6ch5iuZh_xLf6B1ZdFFmUffC3IWuaDT5PK9ApiM-h4DxoBD/s640/July_roadtrip_A+001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>That picture was taken on the first day of the three-day journey out to Utah. See how happy everyone is? That's because riding in the car is relaxing, compared to the way we flew around getting ready to leave. (By the way, you can't see Hunter the Dog, but he came too. He's our best traveler, because he never ever asks how much longer 'til we get there.)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLWRI2jmmQ_haI3qg5BzzyP-Hf-hf8AtghWo7zovvY93YrmZu5QuBfAXfIx2Q9MLfswV6Ol_HM114f23oXt0pc6qlP9KMoF1q6p9FKjR5dEoxkJPPj4xWllnx4buVSQ6zItbP3Rfwlp18/s1600/July_roadtrip_A+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLWRI2jmmQ_haI3qg5BzzyP-Hf-hf8AtghWo7zovvY93YrmZu5QuBfAXfIx2Q9MLfswV6Ol_HM114f23oXt0pc6qlP9KMoF1q6p9FKjR5dEoxkJPPj4xWllnx4buVSQ6zItbP3Rfwlp18/s640/July_roadtrip_A+022.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>This is the third summer in a row that we've made a <a href="http://atriptoholland.blogspot.com/2010/09/what-i-did-on-my-summer-vacation-part-1.html">trip to Utah by car</a> to visit our families. We just love our faithful <a href="http://atriptoholland.blogspot.com/2010/05/minivan-mama.html">Swagger Wagon</a>. (The fact that we've done this before helped with the spontaneity issue.)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmq-JgBGWICMnuJHV7Bs1_l_A9nFQ9NAPkizjt38vttSEL1fg3vC9t2KHqGOvs3UeFH9K2siH3XUFesGUlFNLqwcBaULMTcaCMc5orpXgodu8lG8P_DpwgYJZhVcNdT5Ye2AehQnQohCZ/s1600/July_roadtrip_A+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmq-JgBGWICMnuJHV7Bs1_l_A9nFQ9NAPkizjt38vttSEL1fg3vC9t2KHqGOvs3UeFH9K2siH3XUFesGUlFNLqwcBaULMTcaCMc5orpXgodu8lG8P_DpwgYJZhVcNdT5Ye2AehQnQohCZ/s640/July_roadtrip_A+004.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>I took that picture somewhere in the middle of Kansas. No offense to my Kansas-dwelling friends, but your state is a bear to drive through. It was scorching hot, gusting wind, and humid (how is that possible, with wind?) the entire day. After we'd crossed the border into Colorado, I solemnly swore to the Bionic Man that if he ever drove me across Kansas again, it had better be in a moving truck headed WEST. Needless to say, we did <i>not </i>drive through Kansans on the way home.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2FEvrZ1en8rxBJZ0m0h8l0_ASeOnMg70ZeTT5h0Cr2EGOisn4MwvB6I9nJNvAEwNymCEHLZCf80JcN6-_NHbCJnQ7ms48kDCU_1XF58pUSk1TaHbKoXyp2Y5-S7fi5NASlryhVQ6KRfh/s1600/July_roadtrip_A+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2FEvrZ1en8rxBJZ0m0h8l0_ASeOnMg70ZeTT5h0Cr2EGOisn4MwvB6I9nJNvAEwNymCEHLZCf80JcN6-_NHbCJnQ7ms48kDCU_1XF58pUSk1TaHbKoXyp2Y5-S7fi5NASlryhVQ6KRfh/s640/July_roadtrip_A+005.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>So, we were super-duper excited to get the mountains in our sights as we approached Denver. Having not seen any REAL mountains for almost a year, my camera is full of pictures just like that one.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgwyb_gmxr1-gqws-F12bIyYVoRnLjNSG-eHRgOWbeCrMIKer2hq_e2ZDutWWEkULRcbiOMV7lxiRQcFSw9W4BMEyGkzLbRN11H-cWMaqT1__mCG9OqQMD0QH2T90cRWfCacN4VORzCCj/s1600/July_roadtrip_A+021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIgwyb_gmxr1-gqws-F12bIyYVoRnLjNSG-eHRgOWbeCrMIKer2hq_e2ZDutWWEkULRcbiOMV7lxiRQcFSw9W4BMEyGkzLbRN11H-cWMaqT1__mCG9OqQMD0QH2T90cRWfCacN4VORzCCj/s640/July_roadtrip_A+021.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Here we are on Day 3 of the roadtrip. Everyone's enthusiasm for the adventure had diminished. We were all tired of driving. And Kansas. And granola bars. Seeing vistas like this one in the mountains outside of Denver helped a little.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzphnIt3ZMCBDgxbSrKTOJXAl7r_1qMAXKSjIJSkLt1keh8-USmrUchFFS768YP_BWiNyJM7a1DxEuQ4j-U1koQCvwgjC5sFqUABUCRHpEB_oTpo4LY5Ivdy5EUX3D9gNGA5wce4V5tA7/s1600/July_roadtrip_A+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzphnIt3ZMCBDgxbSrKTOJXAl7r_1qMAXKSjIJSkLt1keh8-USmrUchFFS768YP_BWiNyJM7a1DxEuQ4j-U1koQCvwgjC5sFqUABUCRHpEB_oTpo4LY5Ivdy5EUX3D9gNGA5wce4V5tA7/s640/July_roadtrip_A+015.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>We love the mountains. And we loved spending time with our families.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSsKLvqC-ZvJb73FAiD8aCSj7fsfZ8nbRNJGnOZDbRfX1-VsgkSUP7MjMa3jeq3FKwwFHpjCffL504rErlKPh65Kn9-RIwVytqRbxeEm5VF-JtmY7kr3m2P_aS4Any3LL_vuD6CnC6qLBK/s1600/daybreak_cousins+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSsKLvqC-ZvJb73FAiD8aCSj7fsfZ8nbRNJGnOZDbRfX1-VsgkSUP7MjMa3jeq3FKwwFHpjCffL504rErlKPh65Kn9-RIwVytqRbxeEm5VF-JtmY7kr3m2P_aS4Any3LL_vuD6CnC6qLBK/s640/daybreak_cousins+005.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Stay tuned for more of our roadtrippin' adventures to come!Ruth H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13260851009105528014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593906444510006042.post-83204960690791057352011-07-15T07:53:00.000-07:002011-07-19T06:13:06.934-07:00Birthday BreakfastToday is an important day at our house. We're celebrating Lily's birthday! (You can read more about Lily and her birthdays <a href="http://atriptoholland.blogspot.com/2010/07/birthday-cake.html">here</a>, <a href="http://atriptoholland.blogspot.com/2010/02/love-400-extra-ordinary-days.html">here</a>, and <a href="http://atriptoholland.blogspot.com/2010/12/shes-with-me.html">here</a>.) Lily's birthday celebration is traditionally planned by her siblings, Endeaver, Justone, and Superkid. This year, they wanted to have a special breakfast, and requested a very yummy treat.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1e_i-Ea8IamHUd6QCsmlad_dAvXsEnx2NmzMp_w5y2PdUMu6skMPcQmhlMw48GJtw3alLlQiYIIvEwqk1TwDnXtCksNCk9fLM2FKOjbcq44O4bVxe9P2pPj8uP7GBDNfKmHI_r3zD2Ob5/s1600/choco_crepes_collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1e_i-Ea8IamHUd6QCsmlad_dAvXsEnx2NmzMp_w5y2PdUMu6skMPcQmhlMw48GJtw3alLlQiYIIvEwqk1TwDnXtCksNCk9fLM2FKOjbcq44O4bVxe9P2pPj8uP7GBDNfKmHI_r3zD2Ob5/s640/choco_crepes_collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>I made these chocolate crepes for the first time last week, when we were visiting my sister. They were such a hit that we all wanted to have them again. What better day than today? (Recipes are after the pictures, below.)<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBUe04vUiqTFHauA7W3ODg3YqQNx8ziYz5IlgXIwc4zPDACLa-ZKo93sXIW1PtrtBJbkM0yuex9eNXIC4QRf4TqPSz5BLmdRGzdbwdJ2QxrHFTQx0bFi7gTlbYy9PnGuBeoAtBMqw4w6Ig/s1600/choco_crepes_cooking_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBUe04vUiqTFHauA7W3ODg3YqQNx8ziYz5IlgXIwc4zPDACLa-ZKo93sXIW1PtrtBJbkM0yuex9eNXIC4QRf4TqPSz5BLmdRGzdbwdJ2QxrHFTQx0bFi7gTlbYy9PnGuBeoAtBMqw4w6Ig/s640/choco_crepes_cooking_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I've learned that crepes are easier to make on an electric griddle, rather than a small frying pan.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEx9PM7wBS6iBNahRstKKTxe539l85Ns0VUlnUhUq6WZ7w1lu2nQEbY42YDrNYFqC7kmyB9zDBpIFN-ilK6Po7xfJJf6BNfyYcEJya1VgDHK-P4GabiXtFZNvf8ab0A0jZDbgxM9CUcpbj/s1600/choco_crepes_plain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEx9PM7wBS6iBNahRstKKTxe539l85Ns0VUlnUhUq6WZ7w1lu2nQEbY42YDrNYFqC7kmyB9zDBpIFN-ilK6Po7xfJJf6BNfyYcEJya1VgDHK-P4GabiXtFZNvf8ab0A0jZDbgxM9CUcpbj/s640/choco_crepes_plain.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">You can make more of them at a time, and they are easier to flip. I get a nice circle by pouring the crepe batter onto my griddle with a 1/3 cup measure, and gently guiding the batter into a circle with the bottom of the measuring cup. The wonderful thing about crepes is they don't need to be perfect to be tasty.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_ec3Za4yYUkNNY_4Q5oHJ4ghZWFUsyGL1mt8SCn2pkWqv5oaS6OxVTRSNgugbKJZZWMvgCCF3MCFWhjD1g86o_AZa5rD2bCH5TnYQPowLPwPPaTNhCIUR4hUv0ijxn0qGH3i7x5CMyaE/s1600/choco_crepes_plate_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_ec3Za4yYUkNNY_4Q5oHJ4ghZWFUsyGL1mt8SCn2pkWqv5oaS6OxVTRSNgugbKJZZWMvgCCF3MCFWhjD1g86o_AZa5rD2bCH5TnYQPowLPwPPaTNhCIUR4hUv0ijxn0qGH3i7x5CMyaE/s640/choco_crepes_plate_b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Once the crepes are on our plate, we drizzle on some high-quality chocolate syrup (we used Sander's Swiss Dark Fudge)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuu70D1UtX3wta-nN3GgRZKbg87pbv5EYbatyNHnxTbz2N35XN88HtkzfZ4mx6Bn2ZYK0DIz6uLhSJfRd4f3ek1pEk57EdIbX-7dMwFxX4xanVviSq7EZkqY3lVEhDOoxq3O0EcB4cFgnK/s1600/choco_crepes_csyrup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuu70D1UtX3wta-nN3GgRZKbg87pbv5EYbatyNHnxTbz2N35XN88HtkzfZ4mx6Bn2ZYK0DIz6uLhSJfRd4f3ek1pEk57EdIbX-7dMwFxX4xanVviSq7EZkqY3lVEhDOoxq3O0EcB4cFgnK/s640/choco_crepes_csyrup.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">add a few berries</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCLguI4cIJgFK6E9MW7jsqkEYSdd1tE3N8u7kFCv5Ll_S2yKVm_u0vt444XsI__JxzWn0ge7sjMn8i7-xQbKMt7awQRuWLNkxHz92WzmkjNGINJyKn2Y21kn3_MDDnsdhbW9gd7hr4tVR/s1600/choco_crepes_sberry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCLguI4cIJgFK6E9MW7jsqkEYSdd1tE3N8u7kFCv5Ll_S2yKVm_u0vt444XsI__JxzWn0ge7sjMn8i7-xQbKMt7awQRuWLNkxHz92WzmkjNGINJyKn2Y21kn3_MDDnsdhbW9gd7hr4tVR/s640/choco_crepes_sberry.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">and lots of heavy whipping cream.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3J7rjm_yZh_0WJFmlRbQqiinIimQwVzlemkZ7ePHt7qb9poIq-lDN7VnyfFebL3H_jh6zC9aU1P2EmN5vfppCTYEFvYTDJT0yaXnJsV1_254xEsOJnNtnFouv4zmyoSyfzJvKMmz6J4L-/s1600/choco_crepes_sberry_cr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3J7rjm_yZh_0WJFmlRbQqiinIimQwVzlemkZ7ePHt7qb9poIq-lDN7VnyfFebL3H_jh6zC9aU1P2EmN5vfppCTYEFvYTDJT0yaXnJsV1_254xEsOJnNtnFouv4zmyoSyfzJvKMmz6J4L-/s640/choco_crepes_sberry_cr.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Then we roll them up </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4gyK2UQrIUzDeGX0u4Z1Wz4onCh8ZIpLvW2eHjtzhVNvqi7t3bP_sM-cOg8uBSwXymGI7cB2afV3TfgDekBmUI1WblmISLlNkYims9rIrCX5ebvS4TBotWbg4XLxxwGRQ5-vUsf6peSce/s1600/choco_crepes_wcream_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4gyK2UQrIUzDeGX0u4Z1Wz4onCh8ZIpLvW2eHjtzhVNvqi7t3bP_sM-cOg8uBSwXymGI7cB2afV3TfgDekBmUI1WblmISLlNkYims9rIrCX5ebvS4TBotWbg4XLxxwGRQ5-vUsf6peSce/s640/choco_crepes_wcream_2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">and drizzle on <i>more</i> syrup and top that with <i>more</i> berries. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf55WKfvV1lB6Rmjw7IMHjW8bBSqDQDi-b0HxBoAbv-hJSbu3X_we5tRWYi18sTKNE1aoceC6TRmeZGRlBMHxFo78wbr_lgsp3L0wc9eCw0NHMJoSa3daQ_gymivCaXsidFIMfIet5Nrdu/s1600/choco_crepes_sberry_syrup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf55WKfvV1lB6Rmjw7IMHjW8bBSqDQDi-b0HxBoAbv-hJSbu3X_we5tRWYi18sTKNE1aoceC6TRmeZGRlBMHxFo78wbr_lgsp3L0wc9eCw0NHMJoSa3daQ_gymivCaXsidFIMfIet5Nrdu/s640/choco_crepes_sberry_syrup.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">So good. But do you know what is even better than chocolate syrup on these luscious crepes? </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Buttermilk syrup.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPuuvEvYogKdOhGndSnfbm-OQ875BnSPVmCCyrSq39mKBSpih_-Gelv8ti_1UQDoDEE-0eimndPXsuscx-nKTELVM4rY1KMCZjkAzko3DPMYHSKMJNc8mn1kGfeO5IwarRl6wpHHcaaOiQ/s1600/choco_crepes_bsyrup_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="566" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPuuvEvYogKdOhGndSnfbm-OQ875BnSPVmCCyrSq39mKBSpih_-Gelv8ti_1UQDoDEE-0eimndPXsuscx-nKTELVM4rY1KMCZjkAzko3DPMYHSKMJNc8mn1kGfeO5IwarRl6wpHHcaaOiQ/s640/choco_crepes_bsyrup_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Trust me when I say that you have not truly lived if you haven't tasted buttermilk syrup. It is divine. It will change your life. (And your waistline, if tasted too frequently.) And it really is a cinch to make.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1DubdxFhAx6Z67kjnD-OYulkKiJwMKcipiqJW38OZZf2_9jZjrQ7I44yfmbobGm-a43ZoDXcuoHZz7vl2v9kuD1wDa1cdOily2wvO2zgf-KU29Pkg8Tm1VZ5lm82gs6HlAGuI8AsMTD_/s1600/choco_crepes_bsyrup_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1DubdxFhAx6Z67kjnD-OYulkKiJwMKcipiqJW38OZZf2_9jZjrQ7I44yfmbobGm-a43ZoDXcuoHZz7vl2v9kuD1wDa1cdOily2wvO2zgf-KU29Pkg8Tm1VZ5lm82gs6HlAGuI8AsMTD_/s640/choco_crepes_bsyrup_2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Try it on chocolate crepes with raspberries.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieSqPCBVMivcvZvcmLCGQ1nGRm9aihs60NG6STlr8wSIQ0_t_xUzor6arbeeY8A041TzNuUKh_GpYk9lQPkMQV2n6JoxlornqDw-F-Bp_AXBcYkFG6mDB5iJQvVaOA8DHjTXayuo5x3F1R/s1600/choco_crepes_rberry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieSqPCBVMivcvZvcmLCGQ1nGRm9aihs60NG6STlr8wSIQ0_t_xUzor6arbeeY8A041TzNuUKh_GpYk9lQPkMQV2n6JoxlornqDw-F-Bp_AXBcYkFG6mDB5iJQvVaOA8DHjTXayuo5x3F1R/s640/choco_crepes_rberry.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">And cream. (Many thanks to my food stylist, Endeavor.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrh0eHUYETSRCXGj6WaXUO1MQlc-sk-Kr-hp5z-e1rD1oHOZIkFUwIpsKkluViO3WrItxy8oNleBDQu0tQGw0g9K6tZBbat-qcH6wNpwdfhG17m9WazZYGfzlHWxTLdUFRt_LsmNIJWPmX/s1600/choco_crepes_wcream_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrh0eHUYETSRCXGj6WaXUO1MQlc-sk-Kr-hp5z-e1rD1oHOZIkFUwIpsKkluViO3WrItxy8oNleBDQu0tQGw0g9K6tZBbat-qcH6wNpwdfhG17m9WazZYGfzlHWxTLdUFRt_LsmNIJWPmX/s640/choco_crepes_wcream_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Roll the berries and cream up in those crepes and drizzle buttermilk syrup all over them. Try to avoid pouring the buttermilk syrup straight into your mouth.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCBNp-ucljEuFyPV2QmCHvx-2F5HddpRMA-jJb1lRYzsaUBHlTBn6QnDwbOiGtJWo-huoR67qPlZcjMCHN68aIj3hyphenhyphenIF_U94Q4VWikiQclE_F9Xr2QK0Rwn4uWsn728zDZFOs23x4evpS/s1600/choco_crepes_b_syrup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCBNp-ucljEuFyPV2QmCHvx-2F5HddpRMA-jJb1lRYzsaUBHlTBn6QnDwbOiGtJWo-huoR67qPlZcjMCHN68aIj3hyphenhyphenIF_U94Q4VWikiQclE_F9Xr2QK0Rwn4uWsn728zDZFOs23x4evpS/s640/choco_crepes_b_syrup.jpg" width="518" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Top them with more raspberries. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbNtshHIC9TD4sOnCa4g0R1vI0UJyzr6dKVqyGqlVqtEjORNrYZqOkI5aVxwMa32NvcSXFRhIZSeGojL3-MkIWyKyJwBqKelzKxhyJFma8W7kmbtNu3q7m4pRny9qxGgYCOhaxdWF6Bf3u/s1600/choco_crepes_rb_syrup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbNtshHIC9TD4sOnCa4g0R1vI0UJyzr6dKVqyGqlVqtEjORNrYZqOkI5aVxwMa32NvcSXFRhIZSeGojL3-MkIWyKyJwBqKelzKxhyJFma8W7kmbtNu3q7m4pRny9qxGgYCOhaxdWF6Bf3u/s640/choco_crepes_rb_syrup.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Eat them and be transported directly to food heaven. They are that good.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Here are the recipes, just in case you'd like to make a visit to food heaven sometime soon. Enjoy!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw2NFofgwmMokOqaIkHjrLhQ80qwf7y5VoAv4EhQqJs3lD7Sc_qLAczhNtX2LQf9xQfMm9kVylAnpmGTsuGfBx_BXtZuDGa5fjYz8ChgkmPsBpp833Ptt19smbPe6EAj2UQq19bNfwgbkO/s1600/choco_crepes_recipe_1_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw2NFofgwmMokOqaIkHjrLhQ80qwf7y5VoAv4EhQqJs3lD7Sc_qLAczhNtX2LQf9xQfMm9kVylAnpmGTsuGfBx_BXtZuDGa5fjYz8ChgkmPsBpp833Ptt19smbPe6EAj2UQq19bNfwgbkO/s640/choco_crepes_recipe_1_lg.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAX_3b3t_TPT7xA5LqFXEB2rWYcjcgncPTaOBTm_XU4NsTapQziEUUODQRdJ-Lo4qcLgBaScYNPq5JoX1o_ew5u7RVi1IFiS_ZY3a-0h01XCOMYsyeW33w9at2bRsCGu_Dz5k51riDm4Lj/s1600/choco_crepes_bsyrup_recipe_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAX_3b3t_TPT7xA5LqFXEB2rWYcjcgncPTaOBTm_XU4NsTapQziEUUODQRdJ-Lo4qcLgBaScYNPq5JoX1o_ew5u7RVi1IFiS_ZY3a-0h01XCOMYsyeW33w9at2bRsCGu_Dz5k51riDm4Lj/s640/choco_crepes_bsyrup_recipe_lg.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>In honor of Lily's birthday, here is one of our <b><a href="http://atriptoholland.blogspot.com/p/lily.html">favorite family videos</a></b>.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>(Google readers can <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpcMqmhN7P8">click here</a> to view.)</i></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I'm linking this post to the following:</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://www.sugarbeecrafts.com/2011/07/take-look-tuesday_18.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SugarBee-CraftEdition+%28Sugar+Bee+-+Craft+Edition%29">Sugar Bee Crafts Take-a-Look Tuesday</a></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://www.whipperberry.com/2011/07/who-i-am-jamielyn-from-i-heart-naptime.html">Whipperberry's Friday Flair</a></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/2011/07/weekend-wrap-up-party-and-lily-bird.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FOivM+%28Tatertots+and+Jello%29">Tatertots and Jello Weekend Wrap-up</a></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://www.iheartnaptime.net/2011/07/sundae-scoop-link-party-9.html">Sundae Scoop at I {Heart} Naptime</a></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://www.bystephanielynn.com/2011/07/sunday-showcase-party-with-rachaels.html">Sunday Showcase at Under the Table and Dreaming</a></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://thecsiproject.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Visit thecsiproject.com" class="aligncenter" src="http://thecsiproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/thecsiproject.com-logo-150.png" /></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<center><a href="http://runwithglitter.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i1187.photobucket.com/albums/z382/runningwithglitter/RunningButton.jpg" /></a></center></div>Ruth H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13260851009105528014noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593906444510006042.post-19843501320254054422011-07-14T04:30:00.000-07:002011-07-14T10:25:09.055-07:00The Sandbox<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCTisj7tkZ1Jmc-y7VSwvOr0C6C3sdgfoPR2fat5QWXweGKd9kOxGGfWnjQlAYmNKXOE5jacVDC7zkMthCkgvQ6f8E-kxzOccRfUMhZ-X-BmmfHgNdkevvtavxdOpObjW3hAONGSFxRlk8/s1600/June_sand+028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCTisj7tkZ1Jmc-y7VSwvOr0C6C3sdgfoPR2fat5QWXweGKd9kOxGGfWnjQlAYmNKXOE5jacVDC7zkMthCkgvQ6f8E-kxzOccRfUMhZ-X-BmmfHgNdkevvtavxdOpObjW3hAONGSFxRlk8/s640/June_sand+028.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The final installation of the Bionic Man's work of playscape art was completed earlier this summer. The long-awaited sandbox is now part of the children's play area. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrfYQJxsaeNonXmoR3CvVZ17ZYPexCkIA6XdIdmX6SQv2roRK76yQzdXQlb-Bq84i7RIvANFMB6Q6OepJ8yt26gs98_ABx8NZPWkZUK9XtzOZJ_WchYEEs3B5NDY4D33tWGTuOaJjgCg72/s1600/June_sand+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrfYQJxsaeNonXmoR3CvVZ17ZYPexCkIA6XdIdmX6SQv2roRK76yQzdXQlb-Bq84i7RIvANFMB6Q6OepJ8yt26gs98_ABx8NZPWkZUK9XtzOZJ_WchYEEs3B5NDY4D33tWGTuOaJjgCg72/s640/June_sand+007.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>This is no ordinary sandbox. For starters, it is part of the Bionic Man's playscape design. Remember the <a href="http://atriptoholland.blogspot.com/2009/10/bionic-man-handyman-extraordinaire.html">playscape</a>?<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheX_jdvBuRGtSH4KQrTL2CEJNaRkc6YoJP4sJ-K5OBd4Id4TGJQBZ0VrhCp6FBTAmuFFB4k48MPiZK2vAD7cR7J1gseAUfozwGgcHX06EOtKPhZZaBYbWPhogaO6lJv4j8JVZ3GbJFKPuI/s1600/playscape.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheX_jdvBuRGtSH4KQrTL2CEJNaRkc6YoJP4sJ-K5OBd4Id4TGJQBZ0VrhCp6FBTAmuFFB4k48MPiZK2vAD7cR7J1gseAUfozwGgcHX06EOtKPhZZaBYbWPhogaO6lJv4j8JVZ3GbJFKPuI/s640/playscape.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>When Bionic Man designed this playscape, he did so with his own childhood in mind. What's more fun than sand? Sand and water. So, Bionic Man not only put sand in the box, he designed a pumping and drainage system to handle water. Lots of water.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigylbPKguF0GXafVhrTOAjuS7Je8QS6LBdk4c5DZ0WRcUzkVTVrDa-xkBndkPdKHKJJlhVYPX7alZ2OsUiFhpWVS2fat7lLMXbFlVpMRy_Fi9EaaFAA_JDa1TivJ_yhWoTI06lQbMtKQ1a/s1600/June_sand+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigylbPKguF0GXafVhrTOAjuS7Je8QS6LBdk4c5DZ0WRcUzkVTVrDa-xkBndkPdKHKJJlhVYPX7alZ2OsUiFhpWVS2fat7lLMXbFlVpMRy_Fi9EaaFAA_JDa1TivJ_yhWoTI06lQbMtKQ1a/s640/June_sand+014.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Children of all ages love it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2NwtW8891hEz0YQzCPqojDiru0RSIf24zkj1mxwS5D-8ra7YzlwTyVAtGhu9gjAZMmOvRbR3zNC4_Dwhz9pDISNzg5c3q0RKllfXCmksXcRq8F9HUxPx-Irl5kbtOiqRRR-n8EIDaRe0/s1600/June_sand+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG2NwtW8891hEz0YQzCPqojDiru0RSIf24zkj1mxwS5D-8ra7YzlwTyVAtGhu9gjAZMmOvRbR3zNC4_Dwhz9pDISNzg5c3q0RKllfXCmksXcRq8F9HUxPx-Irl5kbtOiqRRR-n8EIDaRe0/s640/June_sand+004.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I think the imaginative play that goes on in the sandbox is worth all the time Bionic Man spent designing it. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjC2rLGcLLWPx-HjRYnMMxE1aBHJmh2gFPja9m0QS4ptcvd87bdANtyKUq6_4KMuec7g1z8iUhM8KlUrWaOEZyeID4WQQ9a7O96XUd-CxRsWKlGkvC6NuVdRSczeDny1FA0wjBhuSi7WT/s1600/June_sand+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjC2rLGcLLWPx-HjRYnMMxE1aBHJmh2gFPja9m0QS4ptcvd87bdANtyKUq6_4KMuec7g1z8iUhM8KlUrWaOEZyeID4WQQ9a7O96XUd-CxRsWKlGkvC6NuVdRSczeDny1FA0wjBhuSi7WT/s640/June_sand+011.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1JgL0IOgPIYoG3wo0oty8FlQkSr6-LAtTn0P50ui63EQNNpRTaguiWAOoWySf9a_DYw9SvryD-vGVdeuidu7mCONC9x83Ir3dvS1XsW5rfX6D-GqAj-gbm_R1pZkJZ21arVBn9-IUDEIc/s1600/June_sand+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1JgL0IOgPIYoG3wo0oty8FlQkSr6-LAtTn0P50ui63EQNNpRTaguiWAOoWySf9a_DYw9SvryD-vGVdeuidu7mCONC9x83Ir3dvS1XsW5rfX6D-GqAj-gbm_R1pZkJZ21arVBn9-IUDEIc/s640/June_sand+020.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBzavQII14WU9s0vMdtOi4rR1_uxQO1t_PpMVcOlwUCpDlfcefPaMatCa75CIdKKgCC-f50niKNVgYg3iIssb81aVfPSMEkOUgfZ0nwbn3T_ImfTu6q2mstssa7_H25ussFVtQ90j0eAJl/s1600/June_sand+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBzavQII14WU9s0vMdtOi4rR1_uxQO1t_PpMVcOlwUCpDlfcefPaMatCa75CIdKKgCC-f50niKNVgYg3iIssb81aVfPSMEkOUgfZ0nwbn3T_ImfTu6q2mstssa7_H25ussFVtQ90j0eAJl/s640/June_sand+023.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
It's a little messy, but how many really, truly fun activities AREN'T a little messy?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCP_iQ-OF06Lz1wIsf9yzPGx0SAB2cnucgmvP5L3YhN9qHuEdZZhtT4cvGa3cPwTjnPC51sOPlv5UtDPUamUaQTn_MivZ9QPjYy6eeVAQlDSVZqga-C_9ZQh9rTgPvn6TDhujtFEtKTqe/s1600/June_sand+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCP_iQ-OF06Lz1wIsf9yzPGx0SAB2cnucgmvP5L3YhN9qHuEdZZhtT4cvGa3cPwTjnPC51sOPlv5UtDPUamUaQTn_MivZ9QPjYy6eeVAQlDSVZqga-C_9ZQh9rTgPvn6TDhujtFEtKTqe/s640/June_sand+017.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Poppy and Grandma had a great time witnessing the grand opening of the sandbox when they visited.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wT-OXp6CtPnw-iIPB81tNcxw9-zVI_YortcL8m6Qea9X1AAkga3ownjhtlRVVrb4hkn3MfgmgEfyGCRhYGz3UPrraj8-Lm8aUEib1QKffOEcJOui7zdLqn0Fzfed5PEQsLmFHjEvysPZ/s1600/June_sand+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wT-OXp6CtPnw-iIPB81tNcxw9-zVI_YortcL8m6Qea9X1AAkga3ownjhtlRVVrb4hkn3MfgmgEfyGCRhYGz3UPrraj8-Lm8aUEib1QKffOEcJOui7zdLqn0Fzfed5PEQsLmFHjEvysPZ/s640/June_sand+009.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0odQGidHU-F8_AtXPFH-dkCYEEe1-IkiNwQMBPz3XLFzvtqyObGXFKS_3jL9vBSvWWTMmHc_3DjxF0ICJXbPxVNuibMIuidg2CCP5QavWZfVgeBK2bwxKShlpQmRp7hbAzSb8sLvZqI7w/s1600/June_sand+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0odQGidHU-F8_AtXPFH-dkCYEEe1-IkiNwQMBPz3XLFzvtqyObGXFKS_3jL9vBSvWWTMmHc_3DjxF0ICJXbPxVNuibMIuidg2CCP5QavWZfVgeBK2bwxKShlpQmRp7hbAzSb8sLvZqI7w/s640/June_sand+008.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Ruth H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13260851009105528014noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593906444510006042.post-78360468753918803052011-07-13T13:17:00.000-07:002011-07-13T13:17:48.566-07:00Lazy Summer?I'm back! Back to blogging, that is. This summer has been full of surprises (mostly good) and opportunities. I'll have to tell you all about it over the next few days. Here's a picture preview:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh_NXgnAu9XRktZ6h9_SLxGGrij3YhHZv7qd5wFqjGOkGmq2VFaHA5ErE8L9Nl2im-xSIGX5hK0yHvS_Yj2X1heRzN4Z_SmHV_ABRT6ljt2HShcZik14SpwpZLhsaIR9yG8ijJRuddsbkH/s1600/Summer_2011_collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh_NXgnAu9XRktZ6h9_SLxGGrij3YhHZv7qd5wFqjGOkGmq2VFaHA5ErE8L9Nl2im-xSIGX5hK0yHvS_Yj2X1heRzN4Z_SmHV_ABRT6ljt2HShcZik14SpwpZLhsaIR9yG8ijJRuddsbkH/s640/Summer_2011_collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>I have a couple of good excuses for neglecting my blog. First of all, school's out. That means my kids are home during the day. Guess what? I love that. And I've tried to stay off the computer as much as possible during our few days of summer vacation. <br />
<br />
Second excuse? My writing jobs. If I'm going to spend time on the computer this summer, I might as well get paid for it. So, the paid blogging gets priority. Sorry. By the way, did I tell you I have a new gig? This July, I started writing for <a href="http://www.infarrantlycreative.net/">Infarrantly Creative</a>. I'm writing the weekly Five Ways column. (Check out my latest, <a href="http://www.infarrantlycreative.net/2011/07/5-ways-to-decorate-terra-cotta-pots.html">here</a>.) I'm still writing for <a href="http://thecsiproject.com/">The CSI Project</a>, and my task list has grown there. Admittedly, free-lance writing was easier and more fun when my children were at school. Lately, it seems I'm putting in some late nights after they've gone to bed. Oh well, we only have one Summer of 2011 to enjoy together.Ruth H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13260851009105528014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593906444510006042.post-24222614783457606142011-06-24T02:30:00.000-07:002011-07-14T10:26:25.396-07:00Bragging RightsHave you heard of the <a href="http://wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/86774?ogn=website&order=recency&view_entries=1">"Own Your Look" Prom Dress Contest </a>sponsored by <a href="http://www.joann.com/joann/home/home.jsp?topnavlink=true">JoAnn Fabrics</a>? The 2011 contest was open to teens who made their own formal attire. Requirements included an original dress design and coordinating accessory created with fabric and products from JoAnn Fabrics. This contest isn't something to sneeze at: the first place winner receives a $50,000 prize--something any college-bound teen can appreciate. You can view all the entries into the contest <a href="http://www.joann.com/joann/common/content_noleftnav.jsp?catName=promContest">here</a>. <br />
<br />
I'm excited to announce that one of my sweet nieces, Rachelle, entered her Senior Prom dress into the competition. I couldn't be more impressed with the beautiful dress and matching headband that she made.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWSnedIzPyjkpevYVOxThNjNZyS2M2iFEA3qH_JVCpQySetkRRmI-ut_3hLT8UfONBeLx9Cmx_4SaqexmHlkMT1c1y9nxyKTnLhbcFsX8xXJjS_o_gJljS1KU4Ll_TpOrvFa8lrg2_84Dk/s1600/Rachelle_edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWSnedIzPyjkpevYVOxThNjNZyS2M2iFEA3qH_JVCpQySetkRRmI-ut_3hLT8UfONBeLx9Cmx_4SaqexmHlkMT1c1y9nxyKTnLhbcFsX8xXJjS_o_gJljS1KU4Ll_TpOrvFa8lrg2_84Dk/s640/Rachelle_edit.jpg" width="530" /></a></div><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Isn't she a gorgeous girl? Check out the incredible details on this dress:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Do10G1YrJzi3HO2ICFOd__-CJvmCrrbD-NRSZHhDMEqJwi4PZTofufqhAi1EDm0C3UmtyEz2UaQHi8GtvELZl8bluD-z5aw3V2J_AArq5DMDrDRI7u294TWEQ51vMIHRBMgBCQZ4gqWq/s1600/Rachelle_back_edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Do10G1YrJzi3HO2ICFOd__-CJvmCrrbD-NRSZHhDMEqJwi4PZTofufqhAi1EDm0C3UmtyEz2UaQHi8GtvELZl8bluD-z5aw3V2J_AArq5DMDrDRI7u294TWEQ51vMIHRBMgBCQZ4gqWq/s640/Rachelle_back_edit.jpg" width="436" /></a></div><br />
I have to compliment Rachelle on how well she fitted this dress. It fits and drapes just beautifully--no small feat for any seamstress, no matter how experienced. Congratulations, Rachelle, on a job well done! (You can view Rachelle's entry page in the contest <a href="http://wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/86774/voteable_entries/23711912?ogn=website&order=recency&view_entries=1">here</a>.)<br />
<br />
I'm not going to say much about Rachelle's competition, because I think anyone who is brave enough to sew their own prom dress deserves admiration. I <i>will</i> say that my daughters and I spent an entire afternoon being shocked, awed, and stunned speechless by more than a few of the other dresses. (Where were the mothers of those girls?) Many of the dresses are truly lovely. But some, sadly enough, are just downright entertaining. I laughed so hard over some of the names of the dresses that I cried! (I think combining the words "eggplant" and "elegance" is a real stretch of the imagination.) Even if you aren't a seamstress, it is pure fun to <a href="http://wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/86774/voteable_entries?ogn=website&view_entries=1">browse the contest entries</a>.<br />
<br />
Rachelle and her big sister, Hannah, were my very first nieces. I was so excited when they were born! One of my favorite things when I was a teenager was stopping at their house to play with my nieces on the way home from high school. I remember them coming to watch me get ready for my formal dances, and being excited about my "princess" dresses. My nieces have grown into two very lovely young women, and I am so proud of them. Hannah is going into her second year of college as an elementary education major, and Rachelle is heading off to college in the fall. Both of them have set such fine examples for my own girls to follow, and their inner beauty truly shines.<br />
<br />
Hannah and Rachelle's mother--my sister, Lynne'--has been sewing dresses for them since they were little girls. When they went to high school, she really stepped up her game to sew gorgeous, modest formals for them (far classier than anything they could have found at a dress shop). Clearly, Lynne' has taught Rachelle a thing or two. My girls love seeing the closet full of pretty dresses at their Aunt Lynne's house. I love that those pretty dresses don't sacrifice modesty for style--they are elegant and completely appropriate.<br />
<br />
Enjoy viewing the contest, and wish Rachelle well. We hope you win big, Rachelle! You deserve it!Ruth H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13260851009105528014noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593906444510006042.post-39953601660390737182011-06-05T14:23:00.000-07:002011-06-22T03:38:59.923-07:00Girls' Bedroom Switcheroo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaqD-3hM6ARN6tEE9SzhorwIU15AwH-h-E9GkOIL_R8njQ4x5NZPY038nkBxcWgGOJ0kU1q50x3cshpnIPBD8rQXiw1mI_X4GEd76tBnnQN6YUc59lC11Ive9PHLkwl2ZBiuDhXiomY68/s1600/bedroom_after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaqD-3hM6ARN6tEE9SzhorwIU15AwH-h-E9GkOIL_R8njQ4x5NZPY038nkBxcWgGOJ0kU1q50x3cshpnIPBD8rQXiw1mI_X4GEd76tBnnQN6YUc59lC11Ive9PHLkwl2ZBiuDhXiomY68/s640/bedroom_after.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Last week, my girls and I worked really hard to get their bedroom cleaned, organized, rearranged, and de-cluttered. It was a really, really big job.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Our girls share an abnormally large bedroom space, which is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing, because there is plenty of room for them to store their belongings and play. A curse, because there is plenty of room for them to store their belongings and play. Trust me, two walk-in closets is too many in any given bedroom. (If you think it is hard to keep one child's closet clean and organized, try keeping two enormous closets clean and organized.) Um....just realized I've written about this problem before--go <a href="http://atriptoholland.blogspot.com/2010/04/girls-bedroom-redo-inspirations.html">here</a> if you really want all the nitty-gritty details.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Probably due to the fact that this bedroom is more frequently in chaos than in pretty-for-pictures mode, I have few pictures of it. In fact, the only ones I found in my files were taken several years ago (<a href="http://atriptoholland.blogspot.com/2010/07/birthday-cake.html">Lily</a> is in them!), but are a fairly accurate depiction of the typical disarray. Here you go: <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXnsB2Qr0JYfh6NoiPmVRUT-MNMC3S8X7VgwuQhYUvFGmiHDtiCOGrVm0PmZG8Q8ANqPIpUpGAK9q5WRNfugOEhdLfQIQyUebNV04x4JYqBAWMt8FZyHzmx3L0reevnBMbbkKYxnrli0T/s1600/bed_before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXnsB2Qr0JYfh6NoiPmVRUT-MNMC3S8X7VgwuQhYUvFGmiHDtiCOGrVm0PmZG8Q8ANqPIpUpGAK9q5WRNfugOEhdLfQIQyUebNV04x4JYqBAWMt8FZyHzmx3L0reevnBMbbkKYxnrli0T/s640/bed_before.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8oA4k_QsvR39O-vKI99TIHye-vL4AhKK7VfIk5ShTytxPf-pnOsnFNJWhnrqSxXYOKenTfUybTRA1yEBgYOvFFt_KLUPwZmrp9kUjGygIx1q-0-JzVAXUhz4GPIan13Idr1U7_8thN0KY/s1600/bed_before_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8oA4k_QsvR39O-vKI99TIHye-vL4AhKK7VfIk5ShTytxPf-pnOsnFNJWhnrqSxXYOKenTfUybTRA1yEBgYOvFFt_KLUPwZmrp9kUjGygIx1q-0-JzVAXUhz4GPIan13Idr1U7_8thN0KY/s640/bed_before_2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Lately, we've had some conflict between the sisters over the care and keeping of said bedroom space. (Imagine that--sisters arguing?!?!?!) They have both demanded their own room. That's not in the cards for my girls, so I decided on an alternative plan: dividing the room in half. No, I didn't throw down a chalkline, but I did help the girls rearrange their belongings so that they would each have half the room with the accompanying closet. Maybe in the future, we can install some type of shelving/room divider.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Before I show you the pictures, I have to offer you a disclaimer: the pepto-bismol pink walls were already there when we bought the house. My girls <i>loved</i> those pink walls five years ago, but they are definitely over them....as am I. It's going to take a lot of work to strip that wallpaper border and cover the pink with pale blue, but that's what we're hoping to do in a few months.<br />
<br />
Here's the "panoramic" tour....<br />
<br />
.....beginning with the bedroom entrance. (I wasn't kidding about Pepto Bismol, was I?)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK51lk7uN9BFM5MgzOzbMuAYlXuwC-aCbWLSx2Q-KwlimZog9rhcHjzfxKaNaE-KrZT7M8gCjym54FjPxY6_IRDIM6KyhEW1YPQTglGxDb7GUHOUrkgR8zT9l0QJdRju3Dk4t8NLRauvq_/s1600/Early_Summer+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK51lk7uN9BFM5MgzOzbMuAYlXuwC-aCbWLSx2Q-KwlimZog9rhcHjzfxKaNaE-KrZT7M8gCjym54FjPxY6_IRDIM6KyhEW1YPQTglGxDb7GUHOUrkgR8zT9l0QJdRju3Dk4t8NLRauvq_/s640/Early_Summer+013.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The wall of closets....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxRSubCSWOfiy1xzQvvXlUnUm5Pm3wd3b86ELrfOAr0gg3zbZPK4JiMkqApvmU2we_x0kQSqTolXuOyLDrvY1Wa4CzZlS2lqGvOlqY55uYfyhLoGpjRaWgme5vz37CffB4Y5KJbFEvKfCd/s1600/Early_Summer+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxRSubCSWOfiy1xzQvvXlUnUm5Pm3wd3b86ELrfOAr0gg3zbZPK4JiMkqApvmU2we_x0kQSqTolXuOyLDrvY1Wa4CzZlS2lqGvOlqY55uYfyhLoGpjRaWgme5vz37CffB4Y5KJbFEvKfCd/s640/Early_Summer+002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">An explanation about those cords you see snaking into the closets. Both closets were built without any lighting--or easy access to electricity--whatsoever. We have been very creative with lamps and extension cords. Seriously, the Bionic Man and I are convinced that the former owners of this home suffered from some sort of light sensitivity (vampires, maybe?), since we have <i>quadrupled</i> the number of installed lights in this house.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Endeavor's reading nook....(she has a tall bookshelf just inside that closet.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3f0AuPZ9Actj0FnQ0FFPvlRv-lRRRycDPXCUMAAOBFznYy0i5BIXgc9EQBAyyR09EOBUHVYzpYRqsQNVAro7jqNaPtEhu-OQGZzrmhdZC9b1ydnSSYbHHI3CDVgKWTr6YUbPwvibune5l/s1600/Early_Summer+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3f0AuPZ9Actj0FnQ0FFPvlRv-lRRRycDPXCUMAAOBFznYy0i5BIXgc9EQBAyyR09EOBUHVYzpYRqsQNVAro7jqNaPtEhu-OQGZzrmhdZC9b1ydnSSYbHHI3CDVgKWTr6YUbPwvibune5l/s640/Early_Summer+004.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(Here's the bookshelf in the closet....)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtNaAsPdOaDevdqRS4MAiAvGxPlyMuG_dnIeKPWY2rCrSB_7rIvew4TiNecd6GCV-VlwZyvbrnLEome7OU7vkvvnQzGp1s_qa337OSkxW_jylNzozYbvdAd5QvV2MNtCZJb7HiimwWVPzT/s1600/Early_Summer+055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtNaAsPdOaDevdqRS4MAiAvGxPlyMuG_dnIeKPWY2rCrSB_7rIvew4TiNecd6GCV-VlwZyvbrnLEome7OU7vkvvnQzGp1s_qa337OSkxW_jylNzozYbvdAd5QvV2MNtCZJb7HiimwWVPzT/s640/Early_Summer+055.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4M8j-h9hiXzp9myAMHljydzF6n7aS_KcucyamMufNPYCcz34m2GNy9JBjGgsFqJB_X039V3zq_P_GWGIH7Egl7F-jFCtWhBQB7EgO7CVNwoxkXYU48lyTtvdFaVzxE8QU-5XAP_yulUNy/s1600/Early_Summer+057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4M8j-h9hiXzp9myAMHljydzF6n7aS_KcucyamMufNPYCcz34m2GNy9JBjGgsFqJB_X039V3zq_P_GWGIH7Egl7F-jFCtWhBQB7EgO7CVNwoxkXYU48lyTtvdFaVzxE8QU-5XAP_yulUNy/s640/Early_Summer+057.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Endeavor's bed.....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaKmDk6Xa02OPRbQmVgJzI0lirvZmB2hZdz2nwZAqEpk-ahic0eg3YrsotJLHklgcj87hvT68draIkcdG1m7AtCrDdEk0TdZNLk18YAPYZtwEafKJt-bNYHuNohI39whSmBVePTg0m_ARh/s1600/Early_Summer+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaKmDk6Xa02OPRbQmVgJzI0lirvZmB2hZdz2nwZAqEpk-ahic0eg3YrsotJLHklgcj87hvT68draIkcdG1m7AtCrDdEk0TdZNLk18YAPYZtwEafKJt-bNYHuNohI39whSmBVePTg0m_ARh/s640/Early_Summer+009.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqweAZ1cLvTx-0lZl8iR0OOWj7yMZ8U9DkRpkYqt23eVxQ2R-7g_hSVooLg3-DMxl2hsrg3UdhaQDYkjz5xpfR3aVxZQu-U7NKUVNlmjihPvfZFFRIwuhooGH_iRVio7IM6oFBJFkBr-f/s1600/Early_Summer+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqweAZ1cLvTx-0lZl8iR0OOWj7yMZ8U9DkRpkYqt23eVxQ2R-7g_hSVooLg3-DMxl2hsrg3UdhaQDYkjz5xpfR3aVxZQu-U7NKUVNlmjihPvfZFFRIwuhooGH_iRVio7IM6oFBJFkBr-f/s640/Early_Summer+011.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The back wall of the room, with Superkid's cottage bookshelf....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIDRjpu1QXyF2ej6zJGtEpivcMFHAO4uO7p5sftE5jgj7hs3MX6MmD4nOmUip2RPh-3_iOYi3W87UUJt1Uk2p1nma_WcfxJrbIYneZ0zpU8c80gR-m8qDY4AMURFWNIFW9UvD4dMBVji9/s1600/Early_Summer+043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgIDRjpu1QXyF2ej6zJGtEpivcMFHAO4uO7p5sftE5jgj7hs3MX6MmD4nOmUip2RPh-3_iOYi3W87UUJt1Uk2p1nma_WcfxJrbIYneZ0zpU8c80gR-m8qDY4AMURFWNIFW9UvD4dMBVji9/s640/Early_Summer+043.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGe6zIKGjci_503HXVU2gp3-cXf-iLU2rHS75h7PpHw7trJ2aVfwyV8VYKxjqUisWhxFq8gbaBPj-v0OFgfyUME8ZJzUZb_DvEey2GZmQ_j9LAId99z3Afn4o1QvlfKcKaARzVe6soBzCT/s1600/Early_Summer+035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGe6zIKGjci_503HXVU2gp3-cXf-iLU2rHS75h7PpHw7trJ2aVfwyV8VYKxjqUisWhxFq8gbaBPj-v0OFgfyUME8ZJzUZb_DvEey2GZmQ_j9LAId99z3Afn4o1QvlfKcKaARzVe6soBzCT/s640/Early_Summer+035.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">.....and Superkid's amazing cottage bed on the wall opposite of Endeavor's bed....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnClZ-BeV74kGjwMDPSvGR30UFYGIzyuSx61wlaObGG-Ufrihl2HZIxv-52RGhR1HRWZbrH70-GJzLyJ7abLiDc5bLcXCpDH6Nw_qtv8XEsr7G2ATK49V4fULq7EDuGa-3fr-0GvgL_OIn/s1600/Early_Summer+034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnClZ-BeV74kGjwMDPSvGR30UFYGIzyuSx61wlaObGG-Ufrihl2HZIxv-52RGhR1HRWZbrH70-GJzLyJ7abLiDc5bLcXCpDH6Nw_qtv8XEsr7G2ATK49V4fULq7EDuGa-3fr-0GvgL_OIn/s640/Early_Summer+034.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here are a couple of different views from inside the bedroom....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qwGYHOPbfaOzHvQ6wkuSyuRHPcVOwLdE81OMKPZ84GHPGF_osD7lWZW7GHcDxLYigUYBakZ1h_F91oXxBV58WtJIt4Z7DjDzw7HDN5wYEbtlbqrTDxAbrJpbio_Hu35pUG3Ob0yQnlcj/s1600/Early_Summer+044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qwGYHOPbfaOzHvQ6wkuSyuRHPcVOwLdE81OMKPZ84GHPGF_osD7lWZW7GHcDxLYigUYBakZ1h_F91oXxBV58WtJIt4Z7DjDzw7HDN5wYEbtlbqrTDxAbrJpbio_Hu35pUG3Ob0yQnlcj/s640/Early_Summer+044.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglxg8WKRjVrrOfJkHFFsnq1ZxIKIjQM3MTTLtIADJ9zE4oNGehUH7wGLHIro4Rzo-Qw3L0bM6Idypj1yqSxv_0rd0FOm6kueKvbYzlMN223yA-CQX0OeZm9DDt62aglSCGFQUiXLC5btN/s1600/Early_Summer+047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglxg8WKRjVrrOfJkHFFsnq1ZxIKIjQM3MTTLtIADJ9zE4oNGehUH7wGLHIro4Rzo-Qw3L0bM6Idypj1yqSxv_0rd0FOm6kueKvbYzlMN223yA-CQX0OeZm9DDt62aglSCGFQUiXLC5btN/s640/Early_Summer+047.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJaNWTTobfGDw0rNIoePR7gUE-Dgn6AdkInJHn5YOIszrosCXvGStUFBX0HdOBPVu8pSsmPXtUx20IDOa8otrDNyuxs6gAsNI8iEVcs4-C8fHHBIQfRbFvFXUH2GmTb7bf-MS2uiOa1RI/s1600/Early_Summer+053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJaNWTTobfGDw0rNIoePR7gUE-Dgn6AdkInJHn5YOIszrosCXvGStUFBX0HdOBPVu8pSsmPXtUx20IDOa8otrDNyuxs6gAsNI8iEVcs4-C8fHHBIQfRbFvFXUH2GmTb7bf-MS2uiOa1RI/s640/Early_Summer+053.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaKmDk6Xa02OPRbQmVgJzI0lirvZmB2hZdz2nwZAqEpk-ahic0eg3YrsotJLHklgcj87hvT68draIkcdG1m7AtCrDdEk0TdZNLk18YAPYZtwEafKJt-bNYHuNohI39whSmBVePTg0m_ARh/s1600/Early_Summer+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaKmDk6Xa02OPRbQmVgJzI0lirvZmB2hZdz2nwZAqEpk-ahic0eg3YrsotJLHklgcj87hvT68draIkcdG1m7AtCrDdEk0TdZNLk18YAPYZtwEafKJt-bNYHuNohI39whSmBVePTg0m_ARh/s640/Early_Summer+009.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Are you dying to know about Superkid's bed? Our cottage bed was built by the ever-amazing Bionic Man for both girls, soon after we moved into our home. He found plans for the bed online, <a href="http://www.playhousedesigns.com/">here</a>, ordered them, and built it himself. We hired an artist to paint the murals--which was much less than we imagined it would be, and turned out much, much better than if we had DIY'ed it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLYAtHu_4t8f11RWjv8R4uCCbCqlJU3GakiGQDoKAsj6wqSQ9oQyz4gfDPN7bfbOGkiZMYG4ZGFfuyHu374_KvY1m6BG4GVoK3YwmKbhPFI8MT8av4n8gQQaOl9UhX3w5CQ19yjXeoqfMh/s1600/Early_Summer+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLYAtHu_4t8f11RWjv8R4uCCbCqlJU3GakiGQDoKAsj6wqSQ9oQyz4gfDPN7bfbOGkiZMYG4ZGFfuyHu374_KvY1m6BG4GVoK3YwmKbhPFI8MT8av4n8gQQaOl9UhX3w5CQ19yjXeoqfMh/s640/Early_Summer+022.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Originally, Superkid slept on a double bed that fit nicely on the lower level, and Endeavor slept in the second story bunk. But that all changed when we rearranged the room. Superkid now has the cottage bed, and Endeavor gets her own space that is (in her viewpoint) more age-appropriate. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Excuse the poor lighting, but here is what it looks like up inside the cottage.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCbU7OFPQzrQvKo6btO4s1L8Xjtr8dTfURa5CH_pI-47j5kPmdWsNGf_u9AHJ2ur_C6S15olVJENLKeWQ-uPYaucE1UPInrY3XIpOaOmmdRKoquw3js_j0Qox3LiqgOy5uAxGo4e-puL4/s1600/Early_Summer+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxCbU7OFPQzrQvKo6btO4s1L8Xjtr8dTfURa5CH_pI-47j5kPmdWsNGf_u9AHJ2ur_C6S15olVJENLKeWQ-uPYaucE1UPInrY3XIpOaOmmdRKoquw3js_j0Qox3LiqgOy5uAxGo4e-puL4/s640/Early_Summer+016.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSszYiPeje6gWR0vJiar14bM3QnAzjnRC7T0hF7VYjJnyQbpPfxreb_gSTLk3_rWcHmRlWIxKSAM3UWPSJqBwvoHbZu11eeMKzJfpuTTkIW-U3N0rmli8JoHH3wdzDu215l0aDr0riw4nN/s1600/Early_Summer+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSszYiPeje6gWR0vJiar14bM3QnAzjnRC7T0hF7VYjJnyQbpPfxreb_gSTLk3_rWcHmRlWIxKSAM3UWPSJqBwvoHbZu11eeMKzJfpuTTkIW-U3N0rmli8JoHH3wdzDu215l0aDr0riw4nN/s640/Early_Summer+018.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">And a look at underneath the cottage, where we created a little office/craft space for Superkid.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmTw2lgtGXSeZ9ONiYiNvKwvdj0_NxyTVZI6OqvDNFGViAY_1ltLwWt6xU4ZWG8f7HiGIlaZS9yxwDP7OYKTW4Ls7hDR-ZMP_x6nnOCsrGHQlMGk6Wxx7AJrmpE5YS3BJOmqGj9YywFex/s1600/Early_Summer+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmTw2lgtGXSeZ9ONiYiNvKwvdj0_NxyTVZI6OqvDNFGViAY_1ltLwWt6xU4ZWG8f7HiGIlaZS9yxwDP7OYKTW4Ls7hDR-ZMP_x6nnOCsrGHQlMGk6Wxx7AJrmpE5YS3BJOmqGj9YywFex/s640/Early_Summer+023.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The curtain wasn't part of the original bed, but when I decided to give Superkid "office space", I felt like I needed something to quickly hide that space, if necessary. Bedsides, what child doesn't enjoy their own little spot to hide away? I had the fabric in my stash (vintage, from <a href="http://atriptoholland.blogspot.com/2010/09/how-to-have-family-reunion.html">Grandma Kitchen's collection</a>), and all it took was a couple of quick seams and an inexpensive tension rod to create that pretty little nook.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdT527en-CjV4pu8mrmR_fixjPLpJ8Na8RBHmLoL-jCZPbuCDtb4OFv-NTN1Lc4VIgB21nyoaMVleXSPx45oF122aeUEo2wIjAdMXwjhFglrOOjc2vboXCwc9yDpXY52OXGn52cP2uCEHD/s1600/Early_Summer+025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdT527en-CjV4pu8mrmR_fixjPLpJ8Na8RBHmLoL-jCZPbuCDtb4OFv-NTN1Lc4VIgB21nyoaMVleXSPx45oF122aeUEo2wIjAdMXwjhFglrOOjc2vboXCwc9yDpXY52OXGn52cP2uCEHD/s640/Early_Summer+025.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-xWDstD9LhqI4MU1YaS7kRhexKPZ2JiTAoSMW5tYYbHzmtdI9hDzPtz0Rl-vqmw3yrcbfW0WQNpjc_ZKHVW_5e9Jlbi-I7lp76UuZI-UMnDPLTnASnj82ISdSf47Nez8MRLJhzkRy6CT/s1600/Early_Summer+027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-xWDstD9LhqI4MU1YaS7kRhexKPZ2JiTAoSMW5tYYbHzmtdI9hDzPtz0Rl-vqmw3yrcbfW0WQNpjc_ZKHVW_5e9Jlbi-I7lp76UuZI-UMnDPLTnASnj82ISdSf47Nez8MRLJhzkRy6CT/s640/Early_Summer+027.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Gu9lwsP4LLfBT06k1aEk_Dd0aQOjcPHyzHnuIXr6t32Wfks_93JcljCSk6oyohIlUvmEzk7wOgwnxzIzEySxxtwiTM5LlBkG7Jm5xMhZpY9iiS6xKBmKH_khc6nhROwAONX-nHu2gf_T/s1600/Early_Summer+030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Gu9lwsP4LLfBT06k1aEk_Dd0aQOjcPHyzHnuIXr6t32Wfks_93JcljCSk6oyohIlUvmEzk7wOgwnxzIzEySxxtwiTM5LlBkG7Jm5xMhZpY9iiS6xKBmKH_khc6nhROwAONX-nHu2gf_T/s640/Early_Summer+030.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here's a look at the side of the bed, with access to the bunk.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0iPnJrGGVhkfNgsFoXW_-Zmq_YxV3AOUQhfv9WGGr8a5HycZELB8O-wHaW3vCkTFLRp4_QZ2zH8UagJzDfWzr74tiJUBjHwS1bvgBBx0O3PnbeV52VaouPSd0x8tZnOSP2EU8TEB_Oi19/s1600/Early_Summer+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0iPnJrGGVhkfNgsFoXW_-Zmq_YxV3AOUQhfv9WGGr8a5HycZELB8O-wHaW3vCkTFLRp4_QZ2zH8UagJzDfWzr74tiJUBjHwS1bvgBBx0O3PnbeV52VaouPSd0x8tZnOSP2EU8TEB_Oi19/s640/Early_Summer+014.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We love the details that the artist added. Stuffed animals get stored in that lowest cubby.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBKU_NXLz7pK04O17v375g91Ys9QNyU1h7E3UGFqfglXPLwYWXy_U9l6pnheH9Rgl8TY__volOv40ChPyZ9zLfQQfRB1FrFZZdMy09YOdRyYLiYgfdJo4u8Ep7YtRnHV8wBNCHqKliZ3b/s1600/Early_Summer+044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMBKU_NXLz7pK04O17v375g91Ys9QNyU1h7E3UGFqfglXPLwYWXy_U9l6pnheH9Rgl8TY__volOv40ChPyZ9zLfQQfRB1FrFZZdMy09YOdRyYLiYgfdJo4u8Ep7YtRnHV8wBNCHqKliZ3b/s640/Early_Summer+044.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The "shingled" roof is actually made of strips of faux wood panelling. That Bionic Man is a genius.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Endeavor's space is a little more grown up. The little vignette she has created on her bedside table offers a glimpse at the direction the room is going to take when the walls are painted. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSnqyhGmC9f7XKZBz6H_oH2poXcmx_Vj33ufK_nYSVqyzws477eR7cObm7KDUOJfFc4wxSXOEgD1eCdRMaZOHDhNToPntjJr4i_SEp1x1FAlj-PpHAtvkmovocEvl_knT_sY9i73WVlNAI/s1600/Early_Summer+042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSnqyhGmC9f7XKZBz6H_oH2poXcmx_Vj33ufK_nYSVqyzws477eR7cObm7KDUOJfFc4wxSXOEgD1eCdRMaZOHDhNToPntjJr4i_SEp1x1FAlj-PpHAtvkmovocEvl_knT_sY9i73WVlNAI/s640/Early_Summer+042.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTybvVEzVfZ8szXdeNEjRIRo6bKaBxUEB9LP0YYZqjndY85DhMqCkPliSYx_pWAtHQr2ISyyHqfO0jmQcs4p3mSPR6Wt4Cr5erZbMua9_HbhBmFMdpUqPCPTLO0pZoB6BXM86xX91Dvsy9/s1600/Early_Summer+041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTybvVEzVfZ8szXdeNEjRIRo6bKaBxUEB9LP0YYZqjndY85DhMqCkPliSYx_pWAtHQr2ISyyHqfO0jmQcs4p3mSPR6Wt4Cr5erZbMua9_HbhBmFMdpUqPCPTLO0pZoB6BXM86xX91Dvsy9/s640/Early_Summer+041.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
My girls are sooooo excited about their new bedroom arrangement. I'm excited that I don't have to cringe every time I walk past their room, and that I didn't have to referee any fights over who was responsible for making the mess while they cleaned their room on Saturday. Guess what? It's been a week since our big cleaning project, and the room remains immaculate. Score!<br />
<br />
Now, I have to tackle sooooo many more spaces before my parents arrive for a visit, this week. The rest of my house looks like a bomb went off in it over the weekend. Wish me luck!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQsuEVa9Of2JwBdrgccVAXsDxTPA-ovNyqReKy0HE0AQY8Rq3ReTiwUAbfjFfdMdcraRZewGdw1jXe2TKwwDAXT_IBqb1PHUNSH0X7qMN39TZ1yxeWZqMNT-DoF_EPyqhQmYHhVIBtQS-P/s1600/cottage_bed_collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQsuEVa9Of2JwBdrgccVAXsDxTPA-ovNyqReKy0HE0AQY8Rq3ReTiwUAbfjFfdMdcraRZewGdw1jXe2TKwwDAXT_IBqb1PHUNSH0X7qMN39TZ1yxeWZqMNT-DoF_EPyqhQmYHhVIBtQS-P/s640/cottage_bed_collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I'm linking this post to:</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Tatertots and Jello <a href="http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/2011/06/weekend-wrap-up-party-and-lily-gene.html">Weekend Wrap-up Party</a></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Sunday Scoop at I<a href="http://www.iheartnaptime.net/"> {Heart} Naptime</a></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Sunday Showcase at <a href="http://www.bystephanielynn.com/2011/06/sunday-showcase-party-with-pfaltzgraff.html">Under the Table and Dreaming</a></span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.sugarbeecrafts.com/2011/06/take-look-tuesday.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SugarBee-CraftEdition+%28Sugar+Bee+-+Craft+Edition%29">Sugar Bee Crafts </a>Take-a-Look-Tuesday</span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://www.whipperberry.com/2011/06/friday-flair-charmingly-chic-boutique.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Whipperberry+%28WhipperBerry%29">Whipperberry's Friday Flair</a></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://organizeyourstuffnow.com/wordpress/?p=21856&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OrganizeAndDecorateEverything+%28Organize+and+Decorate+Everything%29">Organize and Decorate Everything</a></i></span></div>Ruth H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13260851009105528014noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593906444510006042.post-42144080777931862562011-06-04T09:04:00.000-07:002011-06-04T09:04:47.661-07:00Something Special Saturday - Garage Sale Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66sBc2uK0MFxXiEcIuYnMvVo5J7dIbpYtzCaIN8hH6ft3JRKc93d1NfnjNUbcarOl-xNM-qVMzKwW2pnC8fAJzKMZPLlKsyCW5zQBpFtX-b8HAfaJt7wsiNyOKIPnXWzlpLdto1piiHg/s1600/cupcake_text_saturday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66sBc2uK0MFxXiEcIuYnMvVo5J7dIbpYtzCaIN8hH6ft3JRKc93d1NfnjNUbcarOl-xNM-qVMzKwW2pnC8fAJzKMZPLlKsyCW5zQBpFtX-b8HAfaJt7wsiNyOKIPnXWzlpLdto1piiHg/s400/cupcake_text_saturday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The kids and I hosted a garage sale this weekend. Friday was very slow, but the weather was delightful. Partly cloudy, not too hot. Today we've done pretty good business, but it is miserably hot and humid.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We set up our garage sale at the last minute, after we saw the large signs posted at our subdivision entrance announcing a neighborhood yard sale. Not sure why they don't give us any warning about these things....but it was a good excuse to quickly clear some things out of our house. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If I'd had a little more notice, I might have been able to use some of the handy tips I found for having really successful garage sales. Maybe you can use them sometime, instead.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.yardsalequeen.com/yardsale.htm">The Yard Sale Quee</a>n offers a full page of tips for throwing a great yard sale. She's got some great ideas for advertising and signs. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Nester offers additional tips for both yard sale buyers and sellers over at her <a href="http://www.thenester.com/2011/03/how-to-yard-sale.html">Nesting Place</a>. She recommends a good, cleansing yard sale for ridding the house of unwanted clutter. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Melissa at <a href="http://granvillehouse.blogspot.com/2010/04/yard-sale-101.html">320 Sycamore</a> shares her yard sale wisdom (especially for buyers) in her Yard Sale 101 section.</div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's a peek at our garage sale..... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCReQ5h4f6aGt4M6v4r_h5F1OmCNM-yud2s6slnTYDb0_cCSE4bHmAvYZKTDAQW7ZcetntIRdALMao-qvFbofTmySDo7GuqX1aWK8BnVZGwGIeiM5U2PBPSFfluaqwxxjYqCP1bVAuFC4/s1600/Early_Summer+089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCReQ5h4f6aGt4M6v4r_h5F1OmCNM-yud2s6slnTYDb0_cCSE4bHmAvYZKTDAQW7ZcetntIRdALMao-qvFbofTmySDo7GuqX1aWK8BnVZGwGIeiM5U2PBPSFfluaqwxxjYqCP1bVAuFC4/s640/Early_Summer+089.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjg3SMITz9Kh-xH1vOcgwtRM2Znspc3aLshJI7XaOoA7IiZtuzoPur-CE2jWEnb9LWouBHj4PVfaohl8SK3PIN2bDscBumEaiyuf1d2teLvrZOPMj-sMB5Rhb3Oso7B23-f8VmuqXalk/s1600/Early_Summer+085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjg3SMITz9Kh-xH1vOcgwtRM2Znspc3aLshJI7XaOoA7IiZtuzoPur-CE2jWEnb9LWouBHj4PVfaohl8SK3PIN2bDscBumEaiyuf1d2teLvrZOPMj-sMB5Rhb3Oso7B23-f8VmuqXalk/s640/Early_Summer+085.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The kids get to keep the money from toys and things they decided to give up for the garage sale. We price marked most items with colored stickers--one color for each child--then took the stickers and kept them on a sheet of paper so that we'll know how to divvy up the money, later. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtT3reEeoGu-bV3AurzeZqe1Mw3ILBIA7tum1ZQ9BkN53Py4eu6wvPl_GamMUf-sxCYg9mmo96G5NHSX5WSCV0lP8qgbw8UF1TjrlsmPlxndKYsDZVx-ZWYCIYd1Qhbz9QJRB_7z2RDug/s1600/Early_Summer+063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtT3reEeoGu-bV3AurzeZqe1Mw3ILBIA7tum1ZQ9BkN53Py4eu6wvPl_GamMUf-sxCYg9mmo96G5NHSX5WSCV0lP8qgbw8UF1TjrlsmPlxndKYsDZVx-ZWYCIYd1Qhbz9QJRB_7z2RDug/s640/Early_Summer+063.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxRn9Eau2cWs7y7RsejumbbumQROIrCGOqtCvM3toncTaYJX0m877I88Ecy1AuleEIPHv8HjP4LaHniqbcQbiBo0lYHA-Nrwx6WmW6Wqg0z7IZCteKXk_MfVKO9JFavoYkZVrtRC2-Ww/s1600/Early_Summer+070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxRn9Eau2cWs7y7RsejumbbumQROIrCGOqtCvM3toncTaYJX0m877I88Ecy1AuleEIPHv8HjP4LaHniqbcQbiBo0lYHA-Nrwx6WmW6Wqg0z7IZCteKXk_MfVKO9JFavoYkZVrtRC2-Ww/s640/Early_Summer+070.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr-3yBZmk2dwZ72SkY7ZEgrd-YpWSdDyodF6wD0FH8l8EsGs9qiizHK3eqE2KbzJUCYGoeLPInoyEnrYSReac5A-LGokw8nQKxUwsxmgG9t3NGC35RdT8yETdYQ1_BNR4UvgqALX59e_Q/s1600/Early_Summer+073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr-3yBZmk2dwZ72SkY7ZEgrd-YpWSdDyodF6wD0FH8l8EsGs9qiizHK3eqE2KbzJUCYGoeLPInoyEnrYSReac5A-LGokw8nQKxUwsxmgG9t3NGC35RdT8yETdYQ1_BNR4UvgqALX59e_Q/s640/Early_Summer+073.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Endeavor has been running a successful fundraising effort on the side of our garage sale. Proceeds from lemonade, popsicles, baked goods, and hair accessories are going to support a good cause: serving dinner at Riley Hospital's Ronald McDonald House.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3MIyUfWl8hTVWsPNVjGh6yhw8x_5blJrnOI6aqBycp-uC3oTX-WwDnLXeSiIgAdbF2j4iYZHukVmdrwA3uOiqyUm3rdSXST656cR8NCVG94v0TsfvI-5Ef6sjFSX68I7TP-plqB0L0JU/s1600/Early_Summer+075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3MIyUfWl8hTVWsPNVjGh6yhw8x_5blJrnOI6aqBycp-uC3oTX-WwDnLXeSiIgAdbF2j4iYZHukVmdrwA3uOiqyUm3rdSXST656cR8NCVG94v0TsfvI-5Ef6sjFSX68I7TP-plqB0L0JU/s640/Early_Summer+075.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXI7O9uL4OtPXSsB-FyjXA3FoxqWPe0Iv67ut3lMeqktgHnFtsr4AMOx9qZeAbE8hs0UiR9njQ8JCtzz1DiWVZh0hmCqtToC_xuC9_c79mP088qc3EKUjqwY-F3Bk5nfSDb1FExIWuUfE/s1600/Early_Summer+076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXI7O9uL4OtPXSsB-FyjXA3FoxqWPe0Iv67ut3lMeqktgHnFtsr4AMOx9qZeAbE8hs0UiR9njQ8JCtzz1DiWVZh0hmCqtToC_xuC9_c79mP088qc3EKUjqwY-F3Bk5nfSDb1FExIWuUfE/s640/Early_Summer+076.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
We used paper CD covers to package the cookies. They were perfect!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ2kCMtdOiKd7NIpeRdGzaLE7nySY87rObTKcI2oKWNbCvLR7pPjEdWClfPACJTaWtdM3gN655pZAblYmEgA_oAjk5KnE7_LZse6QuOkfSvWF3b04jSmkFhBKoEIRvI_MAGYb1Pwv2Xcc/s1600/Early_Summer+077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ2kCMtdOiKd7NIpeRdGzaLE7nySY87rObTKcI2oKWNbCvLR7pPjEdWClfPACJTaWtdM3gN655pZAblYmEgA_oAjk5KnE7_LZse6QuOkfSvWF3b04jSmkFhBKoEIRvI_MAGYb1Pwv2Xcc/s640/Early_Summer+077.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My children are feeling quite pleased by the fact that, not only did they make some money, but now there are a few less toys to pick up around the house. Way to go, kids!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Do you have any garage sale tips to share?</div>Ruth H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13260851009105528014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593906444510006042.post-64811118131873564372011-06-01T09:01:00.000-07:002011-06-01T19:11:04.335-07:00First Week of SummerIt's the first week of summer, and Bionic Man has already had to go out of town twice. That does not bode well, me thinks.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9VbQYXHBP7y_81_HLjrr_jCIE_ZeFO0s7e-KcY5f8Cj92LEgCTh7Vqe5osg_S_s8HVWNbawzT5Nzg-HC5TsAHSP-9hMZoOzrj1yscFl1IT6xyWs0cZ3WMxFW9kCGwiI6eQJiptwnH-7Y/s1600/melonlemonade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9VbQYXHBP7y_81_HLjrr_jCIE_ZeFO0s7e-KcY5f8Cj92LEgCTh7Vqe5osg_S_s8HVWNbawzT5Nzg-HC5TsAHSP-9hMZoOzrj1yscFl1IT6xyWs0cZ3WMxFW9kCGwiI6eQJiptwnH-7Y/s400/melonlemonade.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The good news is, over the last three days, the children and I have been <i>extremely</i> productive. I'm totally taking advantage of their enthusiasm at being home for the summer, and working them like slaves in the salt mines. It's such a change from school routines that they haven't complained yet. Obviously, I have no time for blogging this week because I have to capitalize on enthusiasm like that while I can.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Here's what we've done so far:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>mowed the entire lawn. Our yard is huge. I volunteered to take on all lawn mowing duties this summer, as a form of exercise. Pushing a huge mower all over a huge lawn in the blazing sun has to burn some calories, right? It also makes me feel mighty proud when I see the lawn all nicely groomed and looking good when I'm done. </li>
<li>Weeded most of the flower beds in the backyard. (WHAT was I thinking five years ago when I approved the creation of all of those beds?) It's definitely a chore I was glad to have the children helping with. They are getting pretty good at weeding.</li>
<li>Planted a salsa garden.</li>
<li>Planted hundreds of zinnia and sunflower seeds, in hopes that we'll have lots of flowers to cut later in the summer.</li>
<li>Planted 48 dwarf marigold plants around the edges of the salsa garden and zinnia beds.</li>
<li>Deep cleaned the girls' room. Three garbage bags full of.....stuff....were filled and taken to the trash, and I haven't even finished the closets. </li>
<li>Rearranged the girls' room. Endeavor and I figured out a way to divide the large room equally in half, and both girls are pleased with the new arrangement. I have a feeling it is going to be easier for them to keep it clean, because all possibility of arguing over what belongs to whom has been eliminated.</li>
<li>Started pulling stuff out to the garage for the neighborhood yard sale this weekend. (Which I just found out about yesterday, grrrrrr.) I'm a little overwhelmed.</li>
</ul><div>Wish me luck! I've got a lot to do to get ready for the yard sale. How's your summer going, so far?</div>Ruth H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13260851009105528014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593906444510006042.post-84670909786551456182011-05-27T22:42:00.000-07:002011-05-27T22:42:21.546-07:00Something Special Saturday - 5/28/11<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66sBc2uK0MFxXiEcIuYnMvVo5J7dIbpYtzCaIN8hH6ft3JRKc93d1NfnjNUbcarOl-xNM-qVMzKwW2pnC8fAJzKMZPLlKsyCW5zQBpFtX-b8HAfaJt7wsiNyOKIPnXWzlpLdto1piiHg/s1600/cupcake_text_saturday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66sBc2uK0MFxXiEcIuYnMvVo5J7dIbpYtzCaIN8hH6ft3JRKc93d1NfnjNUbcarOl-xNM-qVMzKwW2pnC8fAJzKMZPLlKsyCW5zQBpFtX-b8HAfaJt7wsiNyOKIPnXWzlpLdto1piiHg/s400/cupcake_text_saturday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>YAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY! SCHOOL IS OUT!<br />
<br />
In two more months, I might not say that with quite so much enthusiasm, but it sure is how I feel today! As much as I appreciate the wonderful opportunities my children enjoy from our excellent local schools, I do a happy little dance at the thought of having them home to stay for a few months. I love the simpler days of summer and the way it seems to free up our schedule.<br />
<br />
That being said....I like to have a <i>little</i> structure to our days. Flexible structure, but I like having a few ideas of what we're going to do each day. This year, I have visions of craft projects to go along with the books we'll be reading. I've been pinning lots of ideas on my <a href="http://pinterest.com/ruth_h/">Pinterest </a>boards. I'll be honest, I've selected the crafts before the books. But hey---I'm an English major. I'm all about finding layers of meaning in literature, right? I bet I can find a layer or two in <i>any </i>book that goes along with the following fun art activities.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Painting with wax on rock</b> from <a href="http://www.5orangepotatoes.com/blog/2011/03/04/hot-rocks-painting-with-wax-on-rocks/">5 Orange Potatoes</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhthNMfVjSjrLLloelPGzrIMvTnl96pEBfFOMnNazvjhmiCetX3bIddys9ac3_I6ZUyg567EnvIIk6HDqrtt4CnZ7Vm9TnzDxbMZClgPYxOciooLw07xghj59f6zDEKuN8K4VaQxAvXdFM/s1600/hot_rocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhthNMfVjSjrLLloelPGzrIMvTnl96pEBfFOMnNazvjhmiCetX3bIddys9ac3_I6ZUyg567EnvIIk6HDqrtt4CnZ7Vm9TnzDxbMZClgPYxOciooLw07xghj59f6zDEKuN8K4VaQxAvXdFM/s640/hot_rocks.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Paint with marbles</b> from <a href="http://www.themotherhuddle.com/12-ideas-to-keep-the-kids-busy-on-a-snowy-day/">The Mother Huddle</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMcBalWO2s-HgBKivZBFwGtufe0tblgnTp3lfenKQIMSOmKqH49hzxmlhs-POpBrz9_IFcdlkp65OXMKwjCM_1I083jHgDCetbnCc-gq7t48ix2t60e1U6OdNZYyUcy4jI_chyphenhyphen6eWE-WU/s1600/marble_paint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMcBalWO2s-HgBKivZBFwGtufe0tblgnTp3lfenKQIMSOmKqH49hzxmlhs-POpBrz9_IFcdlkp65OXMKwjCM_1I083jHgDCetbnCc-gq7t48ix2t60e1U6OdNZYyUcy4jI_chyphenhyphen6eWE-WU/s640/marble_paint.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Butterfly punch art</b> from <a href="http://megduerksen.typepad.com/whatever/2011/05/butterflies.html">Whatever</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiepk0vaI4Vp0RW4xCxny0_eOzEwX8R25ihVUvAblTCQwNeGUD-1hSOgX1DmFhnTdpq-RsUJbIVjcR9IO8PyeBZwaHxy3l_Xd-MLMdzu9Dda9w1xLBOxMdYS6K8B8yOiMtp7yn-vPpLsU/s1600/butterflies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiepk0vaI4Vp0RW4xCxny0_eOzEwX8R25ihVUvAblTCQwNeGUD-1hSOgX1DmFhnTdpq-RsUJbIVjcR9IO8PyeBZwaHxy3l_Xd-MLMdzu9Dda9w1xLBOxMdYS6K8B8yOiMtp7yn-vPpLsU/s640/butterflies.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Also from <a href="http://megduerksen.typepad.com/whatever/2011/04/giant-squids.html">Whatever</a>, <b>giant squids</b>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDj301sx8GLxJir5Er7r3JbwoHNd_Wk5yW0mW6QumLA8mUmzH0K4iOMiLZ3l94tq4L1PrZCL9VtH-LhP6FVtiFC9l6Fao0cxNLDhoGkFCSFxvbzlMVgITZMV0Mo7EcHTjtjQUpwxC7DLo/s1600/squids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDj301sx8GLxJir5Er7r3JbwoHNd_Wk5yW0mW6QumLA8mUmzH0K4iOMiLZ3l94tq4L1PrZCL9VtH-LhP6FVtiFC9l6Fao0cxNLDhoGkFCSFxvbzlMVgITZMV0Mo7EcHTjtjQUpwxC7DLo/s640/squids.jpg" width="494" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Rainbow shaving cream</b> from <a href="http://meetthedubiens.blogspot.com/2011/03/rainbow-shaving-cream-bath-paint.html">Meet the Dubiens</a>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCftCVnljcC3zEZAMahMDavZbDjsohtDrpltUlvg2CRfUimOhUJzkKiO4a9vlMqa6KM1JyICIN70eQU0PQvhnyPZlK6VKg_qI8PJ8zMO-ksxQ5XzusxZmgBWjgChohAAPHj9lStiTZqfY/s1600/cream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCftCVnljcC3zEZAMahMDavZbDjsohtDrpltUlvg2CRfUimOhUJzkKiO4a9vlMqa6KM1JyICIN70eQU0PQvhnyPZlK6VKg_qI8PJ8zMO-ksxQ5XzusxZmgBWjgChohAAPHj9lStiTZqfY/s400/cream.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Kraft paper on a rainy day</b> from <a href="http://tokketok.com/blog/?p=2610">Tokketok</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNaBQwZRl1uHck7xcOek5w7hXkXiFTbygC_VQV0GwGmIP76mnNXo8KgmoVPJP4WcRjYAqlfvc03Li9TRILvPEJZCIAwuEDga8lvVNLAVGnMn61yJeQSy2lKNFcZmUeWMIEBjpBqTliusA/s1600/paper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNaBQwZRl1uHck7xcOek5w7hXkXiFTbygC_VQV0GwGmIP76mnNXo8KgmoVPJP4WcRjYAqlfvc03Li9TRILvPEJZCIAwuEDga8lvVNLAVGnMn61yJeQSy2lKNFcZmUeWMIEBjpBqTliusA/s640/paper.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Outdoor color match</b> from <a href="http://www.frugalfamilyfunblog.com/2011/05/outdoor-color-match.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+FrugalFamilyFunBlog+%28Frugal+Family+Fun+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Reader">Frugal Family Fun Blog</a>. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://www.frugalfamilyfunblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/outdoorcolormatch1.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Hope you enjoy your three-day weekend!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Ruth H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13260851009105528014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593906444510006042.post-83191630077484988382011-05-19T02:27:00.000-07:002011-05-28T10:22:58.912-07:00A Pretty Apron<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">This week I'm republishing a popular post from last spring in honor of <a href="http://thecsiproject.com/">The CSI Project's Refashions {Upcycled Clothing} Challenge</a>. </div><div style="color: #e06666;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0yimTWUIxL94S_lxAHpZZ6ZWetaUS3Itxi40Qr6PfuTMzk4BwVvSOdtfBXkaQ_KR-pIwhVA5EPwsjKWMOoyw9kd_KoQZlY8EISblK3eQhlr3ftukNACjcwScjGsrdSY8_ZTHqXm_C-p8/s1600/dress2apron_text.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="523" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0yimTWUIxL94S_lxAHpZZ6ZWetaUS3Itxi40Qr6PfuTMzk4BwVvSOdtfBXkaQ_KR-pIwhVA5EPwsjKWMOoyw9kd_KoQZlY8EISblK3eQhlr3ftukNACjcwScjGsrdSY8_ZTHqXm_C-p8/s640/dress2apron_text.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div></div>Once upon a time, I dropped by Goodwill to check out the glass aisle. I was in the mood for making <a href="http://atriptoholland.blogspot.com/2010/01/apothecary-jar-cloche-tutorials.html">more apothecary jars</a>--and possibly some cake stands, too--for my sewing room. On the way to the glass aisle, I passed the Wall of Dresses. I rarely ever give the Wall of Dresses anything more than a passing glance. Usually that passing glance lands upon someone's old bridesmaid dress, and I have a quiet giggle.<br />
<br />
This time, however, was different. My passing glance paused upon these two dresses.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJkZ01u5ICf9jwKcP_zad_C1Up-CvRvp2QBeRtAiCNEgkVQOUvfsQyLnRcKHsYklnVG5HEXOtpGGgnbz7vYdCHu2KCEzlN4pgHyIDDeIcm5OoK_TpFyN9U9Tyf0TAR-DpOploWBDh4xE/s1600/dress2apron_before1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJkZ01u5ICf9jwKcP_zad_C1Up-CvRvp2QBeRtAiCNEgkVQOUvfsQyLnRcKHsYklnVG5HEXOtpGGgnbz7vYdCHu2KCEzlN4pgHyIDDeIcm5OoK_TpFyN9U9Tyf0TAR-DpOploWBDh4xE/s640/dress2apron_before1.jpg" width="595" /></a></div> It was the fabric that did it. The fabric and that ruffle on the brown one.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITuuVdOVwmVVDZ31S6aqLaLCttoBL4iiBFCggYfUv5lRS4V9-cUoTgNbbXZgifAi1HVo8UyPEhIwNQq9pcEZox9AymscfQ0VaupM5r_FqaFaADl2NWvaXlZ4FxOagUkBWvzR-3Zh4_Mo/s1600/dress2apron_before_orton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgITuuVdOVwmVVDZ31S6aqLaLCttoBL4iiBFCggYfUv5lRS4V9-cUoTgNbbXZgifAi1HVo8UyPEhIwNQq9pcEZox9AymscfQ0VaupM5r_FqaFaADl2NWvaXlZ4FxOagUkBWvzR-3Zh4_Mo/s640/dress2apron_before_orton.jpg" width="299" /></a></div>Sadly, this pretty embroidered number wasn't reaching her full potential as a dress. I mean, look: she still had her price tag attached. She'd never been worn.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-o9lo9PyH6OX47l_Nseag8uTEJbosP7ooTK4Nt_h8RR7ey-geOi7M8gZnfrluYp3FUhrf-YrBp3QyFAcacLPBgszjg69RxXuS7OA3o5Erp7t2jf-QZbJU5Cn9_lbWwe0adqeyA7Wu1SE/s1600/dress2apron+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-o9lo9PyH6OX47l_Nseag8uTEJbosP7ooTK4Nt_h8RR7ey-geOi7M8gZnfrluYp3FUhrf-YrBp3QyFAcacLPBgszjg69RxXuS7OA3o5Erp7t2jf-QZbJU5Cn9_lbWwe0adqeyA7Wu1SE/s640/dress2apron+014.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The price tag is marked $58.00. I paid $4.99. Score!</span></i> </div><br />
I started with the pretty pastel dress. First, I used my seam ripper to take the two halves of the dress apart and pull off the zipper. It was late at night....when my creativity was at it's height....can you tell from the pictures?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFbna_munsBczOiUk0xLD2SAiyQfclx8QZL9COXh5-yAr-Gf4Wsk-LXAQ0PgsT4leOkJUPjRCgHRiE68_ASAf27UvWB7u27YZW74vUA4Zn4NkwlhonZE24Kib03IW2PdXjQv_sKfLGmc/s1600/dress2apron+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUFbna_munsBczOiUk0xLD2SAiyQfclx8QZL9COXh5-yAr-Gf4Wsk-LXAQ0PgsT4leOkJUPjRCgHRiE68_ASAf27UvWB7u27YZW74vUA4Zn4NkwlhonZE24Kib03IW2PdXjQv_sKfLGmc/s640/dress2apron+008.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>It was waaaaaay easier to take apart than it should have been. Just think what would have happened if I hadn't come along and purchased this dress--someone could have bought this dress, zipped herself into it, worn it to her cousin's wedding, and then could have had a very embarrassing experience when the seam split as she was dancing to "Achy Breaky Heart." Yep, I did everyone at that wedding a big favor, by turning this little number into an apron, didn't I?<br />
<br />
Anyway, I felt a slight twinge of guilt as I deconstructed this never-before-worn dress, but it was very slight. I mean, seriously, it was $4.99 at Goodwill. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-ptU6Ad2eKA9zgB20DAC5626dmmuXhDd0QP8vN4VId7bAaeEPgRIC-nd_vSjqeBKoq2u5s5dNpA9b-cBj_kT2ulerlM5FGxlz9IncBC5r0P3iIVnHIisuGdFF0pGteziC2xgw5KJ7EU/s1600/dress2apron+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-ptU6Ad2eKA9zgB20DAC5626dmmuXhDd0QP8vN4VId7bAaeEPgRIC-nd_vSjqeBKoq2u5s5dNpA9b-cBj_kT2ulerlM5FGxlz9IncBC5r0P3iIVnHIisuGdFF0pGteziC2xgw5KJ7EU/s640/dress2apron+010.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Once I was done with the seam ripper, I had two halves of a dress and a zipper, as well as the original price tag and little bag of straps I found as I was taking apart the dress. Did I mention how much I like the embroidery going on here?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXwvjiGCc_8CRcEKuNyWDsZKxEvn9Pi-yxHsE6ps0BCxKKOgzwOaAVuxTvK6pjsDXEKzWdV-IM9iuzF6QLiUM1rFoSofH0N8nVJjz5bkADzmdknKdpg7zJvE3xgjYclK1Q_QvDDq7UVc/s1600/dress2apron+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXwvjiGCc_8CRcEKuNyWDsZKxEvn9Pi-yxHsE6ps0BCxKKOgzwOaAVuxTvK6pjsDXEKzWdV-IM9iuzF6QLiUM1rFoSofH0N8nVJjz5bkADzmdknKdpg7zJvE3xgjYclK1Q_QvDDq7UVc/s640/dress2apron+017.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Also, did I mention that this fabric is machine washable? <br />
<br />
The bodice of this dress has boning in it. I decided to leave it in, just to give the apron some unexpected structure. I'm sure that if I had wanted to, I could have taken that out easily.<br />
<br />
Once I'd deconstructed the dress, I picked one half to repurpose as an apron. I chose the front. I pinned the ripped seams back on their original folds, and stitched them down with my machine. Bonus that these seams were serged already.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7eKGDbPEO8V8g2WFwx9dlJnhfD4qCfgWKn4k4RRflqeex0XTE3mtwHwOA_d1BNSr8_g9Qv_OkmHhEc14EgGnSmTBh6FfyEk7cuDReAqoi0GPeRm_zKe-VOJAi3BwimhkphoDPtdOOddQ/s1600/dress2apron+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7eKGDbPEO8V8g2WFwx9dlJnhfD4qCfgWKn4k4RRflqeex0XTE3mtwHwOA_d1BNSr8_g9Qv_OkmHhEc14EgGnSmTBh6FfyEk7cuDReAqoi0GPeRm_zKe-VOJAi3BwimhkphoDPtdOOddQ/s640/dress2apron+019.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Next, I made the strap for the neck of my apron and the two apron ties. I decided on a single, adjustable strap. (How adjustable it will be since my sewing machine doesn't do button holes remains to be seen.) I measured and cut out the fabric accordingly: one strip of 3-1/2" x 14" (on the fold) for the strap, 2 strips of 6-1/2" x 22" (on the fold) for the apron ties.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_PsQbhj5OcXO91sNkTHwAxopRzXa09_grC2DdWr35PB_jIIm65XkwurU40tdvlJTLccx5f8eB8Rk3RYqzDVm_ShX4b3CCP9ToxXdlq3isb7k9MMa_1gsRuupCJ63ozaB2YQZYXvMbwzo/s1600/dress2apron+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_PsQbhj5OcXO91sNkTHwAxopRzXa09_grC2DdWr35PB_jIIm65XkwurU40tdvlJTLccx5f8eB8Rk3RYqzDVm_ShX4b3CCP9ToxXdlq3isb7k9MMa_1gsRuupCJ63ozaB2YQZYXvMbwzo/s640/dress2apron+023.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>I ironed 1/4" folds on the end of each strip.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JfODe9ACRr5B3FLXImlRTd7HsoUZ7GLtDtL1UqQEZpr1jh27YAuVhdUnzmoFee15bHQXnBI47qdumh9wwDnoTMBzuhDFyoR5I0q9r9LOUQoa6i62wveLh2p9WxL74gDwnQTV9_zAT4I/s1600/dress2apron+025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7JfODe9ACRr5B3FLXImlRTd7HsoUZ7GLtDtL1UqQEZpr1jh27YAuVhdUnzmoFee15bHQXnBI47qdumh9wwDnoTMBzuhDFyoR5I0q9r9LOUQoa6i62wveLh2p9WxL74gDwnQTV9_zAT4I/s640/dress2apron+025.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>I folded and ironed each strip in half, with the ironed 1/4" folds showing.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhFMYfPwZRiPpNt0Zl_ZBmWfEVhSBRP7QIyYL02N3qT-bdhHqfW_whLPqqYz1R5hU0BlwItRxQAlMf0dtZtOkoiqcpuKuElOdq0dEMXawfkFE2iCLFXw_HxyBC5CbwR9EIvyKlT0IACI/s1600/dress2apron+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhFMYfPwZRiPpNt0Zl_ZBmWfEVhSBRP7QIyYL02N3qT-bdhHqfW_whLPqqYz1R5hU0BlwItRxQAlMf0dtZtOkoiqcpuKuElOdq0dEMXawfkFE2iCLFXw_HxyBC5CbwR9EIvyKlT0IACI/s640/dress2apron+024.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Then I sewed a 1/2" seam down each strip.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOxjLQm8suRCJgcrDkFa2bO8vYarSMPxzfPz5yw8shyphenhyphenmnv_uf6WpONUCITbamr_EeFcE0-66GXmP6nbGW3KMW8SyZcQA4P29-9gveVGeZPeVVPksIAkUttpUaAOTLiR_-uiuumbY1kr4/s1600/dress2apron+028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOxjLQm8suRCJgcrDkFa2bO8vYarSMPxzfPz5yw8shyphenhyphenmnv_uf6WpONUCITbamr_EeFcE0-66GXmP6nbGW3KMW8SyZcQA4P29-9gveVGeZPeVVPksIAkUttpUaAOTLiR_-uiuumbY1kr4/s640/dress2apron+028.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>It looked like this when I was done. See how the folded ends are exposed? Also see how old my sewing machine is? I bought it used not long after the Bionic Man and I were married. It must have been at least 25 years old when I acquired it. It still does the job!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLDaX_ERHv5pSyBp2k3BCpRUJDk6q8EP_iLGzFzxP8nt84jLsTZZGlcm-QZvdFWM1Fn1oKBgVNHe6i90bTHgOUFefprFEg0Ek5eG-b3MWzFEfC7rVeHRru4OOMs6bFp5RhmajqZBcGwY/s1600/dress2apron+030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpLDaX_ERHv5pSyBp2k3BCpRUJDk6q8EP_iLGzFzxP8nt84jLsTZZGlcm-QZvdFWM1Fn1oKBgVNHe6i90bTHgOUFefprFEg0Ek5eG-b3MWzFEfC7rVeHRru4OOMs6bFp5RhmajqZBcGwY/s640/dress2apron+030.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>I ironed the seams open.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzTTd2_3h9BsJqULIMgqcWAqpSHoWT3jU7HW_pwbEmGD6dGsJcW19DfnQFX1mgwKMaNjcFA899GcXd-HheRa9Fjldsj5VIS2EBSYRcMl_KkdW5UVgaNbIPCmamaI-B_YTPBTYuLEzKAY/s1600/dress2apron+032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxzTTd2_3h9BsJqULIMgqcWAqpSHoWT3jU7HW_pwbEmGD6dGsJcW19DfnQFX1mgwKMaNjcFA899GcXd-HheRa9Fjldsj5VIS2EBSYRcMl_KkdW5UVgaNbIPCmamaI-B_YTPBTYuLEzKAY/s640/dress2apron+032.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>I turned each strip inside out. I use a dowel to help me do this. The dowel pushes the fabric up through, much more easily than my hands will.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjaCn6hXaYK4mCAn2-kQAAYwNzMWcO6T9uInFsbi7MopPSB7V4wPQNg1geHBN_ZmzhgbRNTGiQKcWmr1ieUqdwHlXSVIJaRdEp8HXh83YwWcEXDBNvhikm86i13ehFs5rrCPsry-jT9TA/s1600/dress2apron+033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjaCn6hXaYK4mCAn2-kQAAYwNzMWcO6T9uInFsbi7MopPSB7V4wPQNg1geHBN_ZmzhgbRNTGiQKcWmr1ieUqdwHlXSVIJaRdEp8HXh83YwWcEXDBNvhikm86i13ehFs5rrCPsry-jT9TA/s640/dress2apron+033.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6q3LTTUhLdvvsQn1OMyE5q8DNXVOFVzemEHw3I1GsI3wUfFXKPLqknEC1UIZQaUn8OA_NYRRytbHHqlQnpzuk36G3NZ1eemZ_X0CmlKXAxqLyzpI7mXDG4M-L67TZqO_DWnCg1PG5Wrg/s1600/dress2apron+035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6q3LTTUhLdvvsQn1OMyE5q8DNXVOFVzemEHw3I1GsI3wUfFXKPLqknEC1UIZQaUn8OA_NYRRytbHHqlQnpzuk36G3NZ1eemZ_X0CmlKXAxqLyzpI7mXDG4M-L67TZqO_DWnCg1PG5Wrg/s640/dress2apron+035.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekbog4Yq3jSBeKssc5mZUIGDYnIux0J5pIesCBgUNpaAOgnMvAf7h-Sk1xRui2lqV62Kxi_HUYHpo19odva7Jl6fRUO22QSvmlKyVJthdmK48vICz7eeC1u_h_fipy3WLklx0k723y8w/s1600/dress2apron+036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekbog4Yq3jSBeKssc5mZUIGDYnIux0J5pIesCBgUNpaAOgnMvAf7h-Sk1xRui2lqV62Kxi_HUYHpo19odva7Jl6fRUO22QSvmlKyVJthdmK48vICz7eeC1u_h_fipy3WLklx0k723y8w/s640/dress2apron+036.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3mHQoD_UnjtgIqZwX9oLe6yLUxs0YLkyuDdFfodlNDkLL7hU39L4KOgDZ0fzuFNnSVgtx5bRKlzLmZKw4NudoC9d8NHzMrrObgEl5XUBHhR4jHUcXDgW0ofLjBawbiOLS6Dzzf7aIgRE/s1600/dress2apron+037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3mHQoD_UnjtgIqZwX9oLe6yLUxs0YLkyuDdFfodlNDkLL7hU39L4KOgDZ0fzuFNnSVgtx5bRKlzLmZKw4NudoC9d8NHzMrrObgEl5XUBHhR4jHUcXDgW0ofLjBawbiOLS6Dzzf7aIgRE/s640/dress2apron+037.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Once the strips were turned right side out, I ironed them flat<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZKyK2f7FE_E7bDIPJGN76nGC7gmghhcFh6FhjUWEGeIxA19Y2-6gcdb_h7TEEFakjdapG2atkKw9eCZRtWELmlzmev5z1mOzLMBHrB_F2Y0azBVuvqfarwkudZ0YcB-Mz8wZqxyzmPEE/s1600/dress2apron+038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZKyK2f7FE_E7bDIPJGN76nGC7gmghhcFh6FhjUWEGeIxA19Y2-6gcdb_h7TEEFakjdapG2atkKw9eCZRtWELmlzmev5z1mOzLMBHrB_F2Y0azBVuvqfarwkudZ0YcB-Mz8wZqxyzmPEE/s640/dress2apron+038.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>and sewed all the way around, very close the edge of each strip.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTF8RQk9IeEOw661x8i6-Zt0bKJluTVF6Q0qNw7aCX2bMI7HZvBrW-6f6m8nHmFubYGIaxFwKrMcfg8Jw2LdVGcyk13uUYNoWAzPJgGmBoK5gPxh0b_r-wHfHxewx2zcR-FcRGT6SLkNk/s1600/dress2apron+039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTF8RQk9IeEOw661x8i6-Zt0bKJluTVF6Q0qNw7aCX2bMI7HZvBrW-6f6m8nHmFubYGIaxFwKrMcfg8Jw2LdVGcyk13uUYNoWAzPJgGmBoK5gPxh0b_r-wHfHxewx2zcR-FcRGT6SLkNk/s640/dress2apron+039.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioTDL3_MRAi1Q_stukFCXF5CdkXJ8AENMy5nyffHdCVlYt-1nVaHas1G_aNfWV2k3gycWAXpMnDw-RXb5y1YJCIoI4CGxulu8m5LUel11bizELBPxEtbMyZOr7MH4sflvODUnmKPQ7nJU/s1600/dress2apron+040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioTDL3_MRAi1Q_stukFCXF5CdkXJ8AENMy5nyffHdCVlYt-1nVaHas1G_aNfWV2k3gycWAXpMnDw-RXb5y1YJCIoI4CGxulu8m5LUel11bizELBPxEtbMyZOr7MH4sflvODUnmKPQ7nJU/s640/dress2apron+040.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Then I sewed the strap and ties in place on the apron.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGI_Le2MLt0rlo6AN3eoNIaFPG8hp9_3DYrTk4hzBjwy2LcGofkBXppWfTMMzqoF0MCrW0lqEeSTSDtbZKKBmuGBQrpAxOCNqpU6KSS4s_v2RGHnJdzqsj7OoCJn8woyTYyH2cHeBkOrQ/s1600/dress2apron+041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGI_Le2MLt0rlo6AN3eoNIaFPG8hp9_3DYrTk4hzBjwy2LcGofkBXppWfTMMzqoF0MCrW0lqEeSTSDtbZKKBmuGBQrpAxOCNqpU6KSS4s_v2RGHnJdzqsj7OoCJn8woyTYyH2cHeBkOrQ/s640/dress2apron+041.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjusxzBzB2IhIaaMqrYb6MBxlViVd72BcD0IR_3cBk7foUC0BjiZlIyA-bdn_9W3o21JbJ8MAFbn3X44hNASuRiKDt4jC_tEOxFtT3mROJO0iFH4jWQqWc5ETs129Rtk3-xyRMvf9Y8fc/s1600/dress2apron+045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjusxzBzB2IhIaaMqrYb6MBxlViVd72BcD0IR_3cBk7foUC0BjiZlIyA-bdn_9W3o21JbJ8MAFbn3X44hNASuRiKDt4jC_tEOxFtT3mROJO0iFH4jWQqWc5ETs129Rtk3-xyRMvf9Y8fc/s640/dress2apron+045.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Every good apron needs a pocket and deserves a little embellishment. So, I cut out a rectangle of fabric for my pocket. I trimmed the pocket using one of the removable straps from the former dress and sewed it into place.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgffzp4mrrHXx5lvIR93I83Nh9oedED72eILWhtG8XHu0w0UO4wNGwpaKxzBhMNVemfyW_I6lv1M9E2q8wW7Ie6yBj9cFOhHA8vSAHLvpbkvqBpyEEkUZzpJ1G_0ayrj1gQ6FZD5wV3nwI/s1600/dress2apron+048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgffzp4mrrHXx5lvIR93I83Nh9oedED72eILWhtG8XHu0w0UO4wNGwpaKxzBhMNVemfyW_I6lv1M9E2q8wW7Ie6yBj9cFOhHA8vSAHLvpbkvqBpyEEkUZzpJ1G_0ayrj1gQ6FZD5wV3nwI/s640/dress2apron+048.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>I added fabric yoyos to the pocket and to one of the upper corners of the apron. (Hmmm. As I'm looking at the pocket now, I have a feeling I forgot to make sure it wasn't cut on the bias. Probably why it is so wrinkly. Live, sew, and learn!) Yoyos are unbelievably easy embellishments. I learned to make mine using <a href="http://heatherbailey.typepad.com/photos/how_to_make_a_yoyo/hbyoyotutorial1.html">Heather Bailey's tutorial</a>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8ijXND879PgUJ1pJ8FcM-teWG28ML4uqeTe_zPawRpoqr1hyphenhyphenXXUZ4fLC3li9VWsfK0oaPRCizVNC_WqNOBQyC9LkBRM22x0kPQa3H4PUWjeEX1ZsOgVk0Q1P8vxUPI7_y5URl4mSS4c/s1600/dress2apron+049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih8ijXND879PgUJ1pJ8FcM-teWG28ML4uqeTe_zPawRpoqr1hyphenhyphenXXUZ4fLC3li9VWsfK0oaPRCizVNC_WqNOBQyC9LkBRM22x0kPQa3H4PUWjeEX1ZsOgVk0Q1P8vxUPI7_y5URl4mSS4c/s640/dress2apron+049.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5J7siWftWDvU7Evk7tvi2Ncu-VVgUGOurLdU82z_W4cDBXFJRUuBU0BgF5MdLsF6VM-4GBS66-wPDIc6HInzg9HBqQeZK10id3GeklN3keekdC_jbXOfz6wvNM-YF_Z-lc5FB8BszaFM/s1600/dress2apron+052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5J7siWftWDvU7Evk7tvi2Ncu-VVgUGOurLdU82z_W4cDBXFJRUuBU0BgF5MdLsF6VM-4GBS66-wPDIc6HInzg9HBqQeZK10id3GeklN3keekdC_jbXOfz6wvNM-YF_Z-lc5FB8BszaFM/s640/dress2apron+052.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXUJ7Kwqvc97KlIWCJICNbE9oa8tSF7PtQNSPrIY6yOZYQVHIBc_1vlQ3lC6-bwVb1dq5LE5r_Om2k49d3izcbfuobFOUOXioiUdaTlbl8dCYXymTMIfNKRJYevz2jsEZI3M__44fs8o/s1600/dress2apron+055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXUJ7Kwqvc97KlIWCJICNbE9oa8tSF7PtQNSPrIY6yOZYQVHIBc_1vlQ3lC6-bwVb1dq5LE5r_Om2k49d3izcbfuobFOUOXioiUdaTlbl8dCYXymTMIfNKRJYevz2jsEZI3M__44fs8o/s640/dress2apron+055.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Voila! This Goodwill dress has a new life as a pretty apron.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe_EdmdM_etHuxMWV2FTISbXyvC4Plyb3dGblX770uMWpW6GQfuyX3w0F51b8gsjUq9hH7j59ut-kKTJEWdt8NEWNPG7sJjPGBeLGEmT8dW4YH6-yhkA2sXUZgY6CSqTGAULrbJcIjUlg/s1600/dress2apron_after_orton2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe_EdmdM_etHuxMWV2FTISbXyvC4Plyb3dGblX770uMWpW6GQfuyX3w0F51b8gsjUq9hH7j59ut-kKTJEWdt8NEWNPG7sJjPGBeLGEmT8dW4YH6-yhkA2sXUZgY6CSqTGAULrbJcIjUlg/s640/dress2apron_after_orton2.jpg" width="451" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiud5KUSsE41jBOESTMq1gS52T7K1B74rImPgpP2XjxtpkcDSrAPmjYDW-J5oin823LEPRKVq_cOKFRUIdq3sxl0lB-v9VbOadP9QglgV2y7MXtishoMFEwJZq0BxPFYLiGuKGlYuC5k6A/s1600/dress2apron_upclose_orton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiud5KUSsE41jBOESTMq1gS52T7K1B74rImPgpP2XjxtpkcDSrAPmjYDW-J5oin823LEPRKVq_cOKFRUIdq3sxl0lB-v9VbOadP9QglgV2y7MXtishoMFEwJZq0BxPFYLiGuKGlYuC5k6A/s640/dress2apron_upclose_orton.jpg" width="419" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWItOqmwsiD5Z4eB94eykq06G4Al-SQwEgE-Lx8TqtWxXiMzTYgzg6ohq7H1eIO7_DL4X9VbXGHEOcEzrAoWl2D5aRn7a28pieyH-pzFjdP3h2EmdS2hj8KwGo3-FktGOeRIh7Cwi4U3M/s1600/dress2apron_after4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWItOqmwsiD5Z4eB94eykq06G4Al-SQwEgE-Lx8TqtWxXiMzTYgzg6ohq7H1eIO7_DL4X9VbXGHEOcEzrAoWl2D5aRn7a28pieyH-pzFjdP3h2EmdS2hj8KwGo3-FktGOeRIh7Cwi4U3M/s640/dress2apron_after4.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I'm linking up to:</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://thecsiproject.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Visit thecsiproject.com" class="aligncenter" src="http://thecsiproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/thecsiproject.com-logo-150.png" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sewwoodsy.blogspot.com/2011/05/whats-up-wednesdays-link-party-features_25.html">Sew Woodsy: What's Up Wednesday</a></div><br />
<br />
<center><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.whipperberry.com/"><img src="http://www.callmekristin.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Button.png" /></a></span></center><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"></div>Ruth H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13260851009105528014noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593906444510006042.post-25289650463066784142011-05-18T09:27:00.000-07:002011-05-19T19:01:28.035-07:00Letters of ApologyHere in our little bit of Holland, we have good days, and we have bad days. We have happy days, and we have sad days. We have delightful days, and days that are downright trying. In short, we're just like everyone else.<br />
<br />
And, just like everyone else, I think my kids are pretty darn perfect. Except when they're not. Believe it or not, there are times when these children of mine get themselves into hot water.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><img height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGmMr7Rto5ZhG1CkfVK6txg9AgD5B6WK1RfHyCkMSwrMGchysdQy4N6tln7rRjBoyZuy1T9Hd57VjQyyFb9groBegPFs7ogyOpoj25TjmuAcsUFheuFM7Q3Nh126AI2DYS30mUK2kkb8/s640/sunday_best_all_silly.jpg" width="483" /></div>Take the other day. We were on our way home from church. I wasn't feeling well. The Bionic Man was really tired. The two children in the backseat, on the other hand, were alive and well and telling the world just how good life was with some screechy singing. <i>Intentionally </i>screechy singing. The Bionic Man asked them nicely to please stop singing like that, because it was giving him a headache. The screeching stopped briefly, only to begin again. I reminded them of their father's request, and of our rule about not making sounds in the car that hurt people's ears. It wasn't long before the screeching started up again. The Bionic Man again told the children to tone it down. And--once again, after a brief respite--we soon heard screeching from the back seat.<br />
<a name='more'></a> <br />
I'm not going to name any names, from here on out, but here's what happened: The parent driving the car pulled over on the side of the road. The other parent thought, "Great idea! Let's make the kids walk home!" and awaited the other parent's command to do so with baited breath. Surprise! The parent driving exited the car, said, "I'll see you at home," and started walking. The parent left behind would have loved to join the pedestrian parent, had it not been for the fact that <strike>she'd worn a particularly high heeled shoe that day</strike> it was safer for the children not to be left alone in a running car on the side of the road. That parent drove the children home, sternly lecturing them on the life-lengthening benefits of honoring parents, following directions the first time, and being thoughtful. All children were dropped off at home, with strict instructions to the screechers to go upstairs to their bedrooms and write a thoughtful letter of apology. Then the parent at the wheel retraced the route home to pick up the parent who <strike>was looking very handsome in his Sunday suit as he</strike> walked.<br />
<br />
Letters of apology were provided forthwith upon our arrival home. After both parents were able to get a long, uninterrupted Sunday nap, all was forgiven. <br />
<br />
But not quite forgotten, thanks to these absolutely hilarious notes. I must share. Since I'm not naming any names, all I can tell you is that the screechy singers are both in elementary school. (Probably no need for that explanation after you see their spelling.)<br />
<br />
Letter #1:<br />
<br />
<i>I am saree will you for give me. I'm saree I'm saree I'm saree I'm saree a 1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 times! Will you frgiv me pllees! plleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees! pllees pllees will you forgive me! 1 more pllees!</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
Letter #2:<br />
<br />
<i>I am sorry that I kept on singing when you and mom both told me to stop. If I had stoped then nobody would be in trouble. Now that I think about it my singing must have been anoying. And because of how high pitch I was it must of gave you a headach. Is there anything I can do to make up for it?</i><br />
<i><br />
</i>Ruth H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13260851009105528014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593906444510006042.post-53475009621321751562011-05-16T02:26:00.000-07:002011-05-16T02:26:00.761-07:00True Confessions: My Sewing RoomRemember when I told you I was redoing my sewing room?<br />
<br />
<i>{crickets chirping}</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
Really? You don't? That could <i>possibly</i> be because I made that declaration over a year ago. Oh dear.<br />
<br />
I told you all of my good intentions for that room <b><a href="http://atriptoholland.blogspot.com/2010/04/sewing-room-redo.html">here</a></b>. I even provided an oh-so-charming "inspiration board" for the so-called Aqua Poppy Sewing Room.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><img height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGVtqPo1SS743AclFTibkVj9Bh5Uj4JFMO5aY7qUGHw8-2B7urospg0NLh779JBQk21MnGgDFOnaotttnlyXJP3RyZwM1Aq2o8b9_K65AnMXS5RgyGdgqt09D3R_jhpKq9qeuzUmXF7Y/s640/sewroom_redo_collage.jpg" width="640" /></div>Then I set about giving the room a complete overhaul. I mean, really, it needed it. Remember? Piles of stuff everywhere?<br />
<br />
<i>{more crickets chirping, owl hooting}</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
Oh, you don't remember that? Well, let me provide you with a link to my before shots of the sewing room...<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<i>{typewriter bell dings, file drawers open and shut and open and shut some more}</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
Hmmm.....no link, here. Apparently, I never actually <i>showed</i> you the before pictures. Hoooo boy. I don't know if we should go there, but, if you say so....<br />
<br />
Let's take a stroll down the memory lane walk of shame, shall we? I present to you, BEFORE:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>{scary music}</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmjg-WIXMyiyCioVxCKqZpOR1W2LnHsXvnghMQq_-neK28bvS0-uDjLCg4aw3Dhkalk4R9D20SdvNf4i6Pxlk70or3BMk9Oj9sX70dp7xKVDhdYEiMG4wTvqXdzLfxt6kw84T5fOdiK4/s1600/sewroom_before_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmjg-WIXMyiyCioVxCKqZpOR1W2LnHsXvnghMQq_-neK28bvS0-uDjLCg4aw3Dhkalk4R9D20SdvNf4i6Pxlk70or3BMk9Oj9sX70dp7xKVDhdYEiMG4wTvqXdzLfxt6kw84T5fOdiK4/s640/sewroom_before_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>{really scary music}</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxRop8YmDPdyHZGZMAuJnqxyAOC2_OM3CmyQ_YqD-9F-LbDMsUi73se6v-njfW3rckAEeMsUAtY7_K0AlH8WwcWSDoLnjcPVGoAg-AxdcT6IRqE4pxUClVQXk0fPwqphgDxWXRupWr6I/s1600/sewroom_before_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGxRop8YmDPdyHZGZMAuJnqxyAOC2_OM3CmyQ_YqD-9F-LbDMsUi73se6v-njfW3rckAEeMsUAtY7_K0AlH8WwcWSDoLnjcPVGoAg-AxdcT6IRqE4pxUClVQXk0fPwqphgDxWXRupWr6I/s640/sewroom_before_2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>{really, really scary music}</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCyTfliESHQuciO04q5r4UX_RFt7mmcxho_1DV0sv53Fy9JMflfpOWGmdvVLfEijK7pubmalEMhHnCyNRyTKt44d74re7WOHkPKVp6Q9Ab3uqsxTh459sfV3ts9hpXKwcp026yIYa2ab4/s1600/sewroom_before_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCyTfliESHQuciO04q5r4UX_RFt7mmcxho_1DV0sv53Fy9JMflfpOWGmdvVLfEijK7pubmalEMhHnCyNRyTKt44d74re7WOHkPKVp6Q9Ab3uqsxTh459sfV3ts9hpXKwcp026yIYa2ab4/s640/sewroom_before_4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>{extremely scary music}</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgVgbVZN9dal8cuHdLtOabmh65ZIwr5CmmikdV_dBoBcV0gWiK5g52aPUfK71cIuI0lzy-NQR2-J1ixGhjuQCvogkNlfznQa4AzrZXrtUAtfa0l1swn7y5LG5DUebEwQnYokmFfUX6yQ/s1600/sewroom_before_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVgVgbVZN9dal8cuHdLtOabmh65ZIwr5CmmikdV_dBoBcV0gWiK5g52aPUfK71cIuI0lzy-NQR2-J1ixGhjuQCvogkNlfznQa4AzrZXrtUAtfa0l1swn7y5LG5DUebEwQnYokmFfUX6yQ/s640/sewroom_before_3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Wait! Hold it! Before you dial the Health Department, just look at the next pictures. There was progress, I promise!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNMNrL_ogT9A86p1GmvJLyAoMYUSHGEeX0ZjaqLG3zek4ZlKBkWN7PlYyfx8P0alGsteu1QzsiwLhFGAxQB3JUftS8sUETNU8xdW88g_xOR1myKA5k0CXsbuCJbJIwLS9o4cnjDeyHPM/s1600/Spring_2011_B+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNMNrL_ogT9A86p1GmvJLyAoMYUSHGEeX0ZjaqLG3zek4ZlKBkWN7PlYyfx8P0alGsteu1QzsiwLhFGAxQB3JUftS8sUETNU8xdW88g_xOR1myKA5k0CXsbuCJbJIwLS9o4cnjDeyHPM/s640/Spring_2011_B+020.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZV2ppfz5gCZj_XIC5eR0-P9zNYBfNClr4lroQR8mB_FdWvQNQC9_C-WQZF5BHUpJv0YfjZRtfbzxmkLoeG5FphHs49MxQfinEOlagvrjvyss8_gyo79QviX2zXmrV93MzfN3dBpHEVqE/s1600/Spring_2011_B+021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZV2ppfz5gCZj_XIC5eR0-P9zNYBfNClr4lroQR8mB_FdWvQNQC9_C-WQZF5BHUpJv0YfjZRtfbzxmkLoeG5FphHs49MxQfinEOlagvrjvyss8_gyo79QviX2zXmrV93MzfN3dBpHEVqE/s640/Spring_2011_B+021.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGVNUmoyLzugGQ7pJ2mz3Z-LJPNYHPvEky9kk5_dwi-drY5KvD8UHljcK9i_DIJKUR4M-olxOZAW0ALlybfAhgXUOCwPghxeHRf5twC8AzTtiRjmPv0Xuz4scMcq4i5DV18Q0OY3GSKa0/s1600/Spring_2011_B+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGVNUmoyLzugGQ7pJ2mz3Z-LJPNYHPvEky9kk5_dwi-drY5KvD8UHljcK9i_DIJKUR4M-olxOZAW0ALlybfAhgXUOCwPghxeHRf5twC8AzTtiRjmPv0Xuz4scMcq4i5DV18Q0OY3GSKa0/s640/Spring_2011_B+022.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM3Z8WNp0emSQKrWeD8nU6g2uycYZfLD7OPPeli3xa83BpCoivtgh-bZnt_gGbcY3vAPi8ZHesk0C0KBN2bJuCVQgB-Ce5jcHyS6j13utEMCb70e2x0-Gsq5K9b0uiqo5R1FMKwNAjOw8/s1600/Spring_2011_B+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM3Z8WNp0emSQKrWeD8nU6g2uycYZfLD7OPPeli3xa83BpCoivtgh-bZnt_gGbcY3vAPi8ZHesk0C0KBN2bJuCVQgB-Ce5jcHyS6j13utEMCb70e2x0-Gsq5K9b0uiqo5R1FMKwNAjOw8/s640/Spring_2011_B+023.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYFgHd-NQ4GKOSs8L87wgQRLceECqS8zoOPhb993Gas14U9916Y4gmmNDTvtpUsBqkbe7rArpEUwUstlZih6FcHdYwMKjYERLHM25viiUQN2JE_ZY4syv3iafbcWM4GJK_tGdbcPzdTE/s1600/Spring_2011_B+025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRYFgHd-NQ4GKOSs8L87wgQRLceECqS8zoOPhb993Gas14U9916Y4gmmNDTvtpUsBqkbe7rArpEUwUstlZih6FcHdYwMKjYERLHM25viiUQN2JE_ZY4syv3iafbcWM4GJK_tGdbcPzdTE/s640/Spring_2011_B+025.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuS4tjnpANJoHPVqU23UUhkU0_PDzh4EMgaNL8VW8Yd1F2Mu0PNBcmGmh_lJ111sZnjO658YssXn7-VA7fHQJi78PP0KsPGYE9BGLQFEjs8SDEA3upUjkBC5DYkx603FtE4NIljjQ4QWs/s1600/Spring_2011_B+026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuS4tjnpANJoHPVqU23UUhkU0_PDzh4EMgaNL8VW8Yd1F2Mu0PNBcmGmh_lJ111sZnjO658YssXn7-VA7fHQJi78PP0KsPGYE9BGLQFEjs8SDEA3upUjkBC5DYkx603FtE4NIljjQ4QWs/s640/Spring_2011_B+026.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">See? Progress! I wasn't kidding. And really, I should have posted these progress pictures months ago. Because it really was positive change. I just got hung up on perfection--it wasn't done. Note that all picture frames and wall shelves are leaning against the wall or hidden behind chairs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Can we talk? I have a huge hang up about hanging things up. On the walls. It seems like such a final decision that I avoid making it. I'm sure this crippling decor anxiety is the result of some traumatic event in my past, for which I need design therapy. At any rate, these hand-me-down shelves that I spray painted poppy red have been languishing behind that chair, gathering dust, for months now.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4FHOFtQyq8hmhYu5UiTiijZHujGs_0oWL-CgydrkA8_9u95eiRQnVXaQ69q-ctazX5Bo5XRwsPA6YQGg3YRrDF9mX8AYyD5uQkNs301IjnkJKgmI-bwRrO_wj7bHKwVQHwy8qfQVCztY/s1600/Spring_2011_B+027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4FHOFtQyq8hmhYu5UiTiijZHujGs_0oWL-CgydrkA8_9u95eiRQnVXaQ69q-ctazX5Bo5XRwsPA6YQGg3YRrDF9mX8AYyD5uQkNs301IjnkJKgmI-bwRrO_wj7bHKwVQHwy8qfQVCztY/s640/Spring_2011_B+027.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I wasn't kidding about the dust. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As it turned out my hang up hang up end up being something of a happy accident for this room. While going through the sewing room closet recently, I found something tucked away in a box that I'd forgotten. These pretty tab-topped curtains that used to hang in the girls' bedroom when we lived in our Connecticut Cottage.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrUIBJJN3Q1Lcuspzn4xq4GLWfLxx4_8BwujMgCUe4xQ-KF7e1GvZ8dhPRJCRCYx_kO0V06YApB1h9Lc_u3Hv3UY4PjR3dwGDknpdWd9gYoCZzBxxHx-8EIF_IyyWWoS3_N-s0EkY0HA/s1600/Spring_2011_B+030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrUIBJJN3Q1Lcuspzn4xq4GLWfLxx4_8BwujMgCUe4xQ-KF7e1GvZ8dhPRJCRCYx_kO0V06YApB1h9Lc_u3Hv3UY4PjR3dwGDknpdWd9gYoCZzBxxHx-8EIF_IyyWWoS3_N-s0EkY0HA/s640/Spring_2011_B+030.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I loved those curtains. I found them on Ebay for a song, still new in the package, from Pottery Barn. They were just right for our girls room then, with buttercream walls and a bright sunny window. I sighed when I pulled them out of storage, remembering that happy, girly space, and carried them over to the window to get a better look at them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My bright, sunny window. In a room with buttercream walls. And--HEY! THESE CURTAINS MATCH MY CHAIR!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3heHLmFLm2azyfjHaZ6mauQrlIgWHrM4E5KbzUnDUVWeT2pKEQF46-G1At89fFv3ib2D4yGPrE-76UX4nIlAZKGwNi9SbW_ym2ROQPF9pmOml_2GygXKpjbP1eT3dCmV3OyFf8XHnxwg/s1600/Spring_2011_B+031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3heHLmFLm2azyfjHaZ6mauQrlIgWHrM4E5KbzUnDUVWeT2pKEQF46-G1At89fFv3ib2D4yGPrE-76UX4nIlAZKGwNi9SbW_ym2ROQPF9pmOml_2GygXKpjbP1eT3dCmV3OyFf8XHnxwg/s640/Spring_2011_B+031.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Suddenly, that formerly blue stripe in the plaid looked, well, aqua. And poppy red went out the window.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It probably didn't help poppy's case that I'd been following the progress of <a href="http://cassandradesign.blogspot.com/2011/04/nursery-big-girl-room-reveal.html">this bedroom</a> over at <a href="http://cassandradesign.blogspot.com/">Cassandra Design</a>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTY9FyFDPQII3jScWl0D8rblJeojwp0dT__JdCASWo5yWDH53m2zM62h1hEODhkKiY6XCsv_4zKL8pyuvP8h7tf9zIkP8NAS93IAcIUHe8B7C5lMza4Iss-mc0DW5dhd7Ey-njNwOz85E/s640/DSC_0288.JPG" width="640" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Pink</i> and aqua....just like the curtains I'd forgotten that I already had. (How pretty is that room? Make sure you go see all of the pictures, it really is beautiful.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It also did not help poppy's case that the two main red elements I'd put into the room were not my favorites: The bedspread and the shelves. There was nothing wrong with them, I just wasn't crazy about them. Furthermore, I'd just about come to the conclusion that in order to really make the Aqua Poppy work, the walls of the room were going to have to be some shade of aqua blue.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ah, the walls. Here's where things got dicey. You see, my sewing room used to be our nursery. Right before we brought our little <a href="http://atriptoholland.blogspot.com/2010/02/love-400-extra-ordinary-days.html">Lily</a> home from the hospital, those walls were painted that shade of buttercream by my mother-in-law and the Bionic Man. It's hard enough that my sewing room doesn't get to be Lily's room, anymore. Painting those walls seemed like it would be going just too far.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I wasn't kidding about design therapy, either, was I?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So somehow, inserting some soft pastels back into the room and taking out the bold red patterns just seemed like the right thing to do. After all, the red elements in the room had been inexpensive additions: I got the bedding at Target on Clearance for under $20, and the shelves were free. So, I reasoned, if I could find new bedding for under $20, I could afford to do a sewing room color switcharoo.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Off I went to Target. Where, wonder of wonders and miracle of miracles (name that musical), I found a clearance section of bedding. Like this comforter marked down to $12.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvJOz_W-ozZbf6rzxtRnDXeqjruvlIP8HL5jFweeY6Btu9G_LW3409AQDZtTw8qcBkstC-govkI9j3zDwhlRbbw6bkgeaFx6Fa77G0Vy50KekS19Lkn5SJhicSid7SAjsK5Tl-085Lns/s1600/Spring_2011_B+028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvJOz_W-ozZbf6rzxtRnDXeqjruvlIP8HL5jFweeY6Btu9G_LW3409AQDZtTw8qcBkstC-govkI9j3zDwhlRbbw6bkgeaFx6Fa77G0Vy50KekS19Lkn5SJhicSid7SAjsK5Tl-085Lns/s640/Spring_2011_B+028.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I still had a birthday gift card for Joann's, where I went next to pick up a few supplies to add to some I already had in the sewing room closet.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio0K0PTC4_zLlk-orHQqso3dSky_QNRYBIl9f2xKOl2g9iQOc5vFO3KOS60IoaptBKU6pn9QBxOSx-65b5hZrGYJVIzsyRwjEba4kC9qx0Z3kRH7PUSbpwV_kzcqDADPH5iCH_sKAW0Pw/s1600/Spring_2011_B+032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio0K0PTC4_zLlk-orHQqso3dSky_QNRYBIl9f2xKOl2g9iQOc5vFO3KOS60IoaptBKU6pn9QBxOSx-65b5hZrGYJVIzsyRwjEba4kC9qx0Z3kRH7PUSbpwV_kzcqDADPH5iCH_sKAW0Pw/s640/Spring_2011_B+032.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykVTHNc0zwOGp0RndEZv5mI9zrMT-LOPJd3pTWBOQmhRKim9_PRPN4HpTw35xlDcAEAdui6e_x0-3UVBObqsDrKJvSx3FEIYgtXmGgq_WL402tG-hrjGJVMhqMrkyuBjWEo5ns1_hCkY/s1600/Spring_2011_B+034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykVTHNc0zwOGp0RndEZv5mI9zrMT-LOPJd3pTWBOQmhRKim9_PRPN4HpTw35xlDcAEAdui6e_x0-3UVBObqsDrKJvSx3FEIYgtXmGgq_WL402tG-hrjGJVMhqMrkyuBjWEo5ns1_hCkY/s640/Spring_2011_B+034.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUfP4GC7_bz6q4twlhSI4NC_k5g1vGdV9UR_zTdVo63rtr5E90lt3PUVAlxOn7_AGClS2-8wWFu7D2DADA8ssm9hjXBigsye7bTu6WWnyb4vLtASJK7egzegqVrG9tFTTvf9oKVnd8_k/s1600/Spring_2011_B+037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUfP4GC7_bz6q4twlhSI4NC_k5g1vGdV9UR_zTdVo63rtr5E90lt3PUVAlxOn7_AGClS2-8wWFu7D2DADA8ssm9hjXBigsye7bTu6WWnyb4vLtASJK7egzegqVrG9tFTTvf9oKVnd8_k/s640/Spring_2011_B+037.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">See all of those little fabric yo-yos I've been making, in coordinating colors? They're a big part of my plan to dress up that $12 bedding. Stay tuned.....hopefully I'll have another update in less than a year.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfrBYJzQTb0OHww9zodlbnCrcItsrWhV5a51KA7DWobbPtHn3Cz-VzaGL4JnmJ7RkrHx4Il-Xu7e-ncR4GldBzZ9ts3jNM8_Qx7xPJdtRIV3EMLRk04QcmlSBSefmFVYsEH8wyYup4s-Y/s1600/Spring_2011_B+040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfrBYJzQTb0OHww9zodlbnCrcItsrWhV5a51KA7DWobbPtHn3Cz-VzaGL4JnmJ7RkrHx4Il-Xu7e-ncR4GldBzZ9ts3jNM8_Qx7xPJdtRIV3EMLRk04QcmlSBSefmFVYsEH8wyYup4s-Y/s640/Spring_2011_B+040.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Ruth H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13260851009105528014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593906444510006042.post-82949517379432215762011-05-14T04:00:00.000-07:002011-05-14T09:50:50.323-07:00Something Special Saturday - 5/14/11I can't believe it is already Saturday. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUveymTyGHhUhkiQj0DDxVUXGktC2aHOM8NGfgpcL3Tqo5o699iYy358GxrJDyRY2yn6lOUQm8gWr15MNiTAFQSE6Fx1TwAB8fv0tnNK5cNZ-Nr91g1nTy3mlqahhvf4e5T2p0gtAdyE/s1600/cupcake_text_saturday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUveymTyGHhUhkiQj0DDxVUXGktC2aHOM8NGfgpcL3Tqo5o699iYy358GxrJDyRY2yn6lOUQm8gWr15MNiTAFQSE6Fx1TwAB8fv0tnNK5cNZ-Nr91g1nTy3mlqahhvf4e5T2p0gtAdyE/s400/cupcake_text_saturday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Mind if I start today's version of SSS with a bit o' bragging? And shameless advertising?<br />
<br />
I think I've mentioned that earlier this year, I was hired by <a href="http://thecsiproject.com/">The CSI Project</a> to do some of their writing. <br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://thecsiproject.com/"><img alt="Visit thecsiproject.com" class="aligncenter" src="http://thecsiproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/thecsiproject.com-logo-300.png" /></a></div>The best things about my job? I get to know who wins the weekly craft competitions before anyone else AND I get to discover all kinds of amazing home decor and craft blogs as I write up the different posts. How amazing is it that I'm getting paid to look at other people's blogs?!?!?! (Trust me, Bionic Man is still scratching his head over this turn of events.)<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Anywho, even if you aren't into entering craft or DIY or home decor competitions, the weekly challenges hosted by The CSI Girls are a great way to get inspiration. For instance, this week's challenge: <b>Spring Mantels and Vignettes</b>. Let me tell you, as of the day this picture was taken, my own mantel isn't up for the challenge.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkt7JIs1Q2eunyraaRohqWwbzdM5d2PaiK2QQ4zJqBXHMf4Q3LK_DDYhUz4LsO5CURgYAXC9epsHAP-NWkxpV2dS4pcMP-tnDIf6zFFyu83di6LpNkfedg6FOXh8OLZOrgdE00WMvmGu8/s1600/Spring_2011_B+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkt7JIs1Q2eunyraaRohqWwbzdM5d2PaiK2QQ4zJqBXHMf4Q3LK_DDYhUz4LsO5CURgYAXC9epsHAP-NWkxpV2dS4pcMP-tnDIf6zFFyu83di6LpNkfedg6FOXh8OLZOrgdE00WMvmGu8/s640/Spring_2011_B+013.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>How sad is that? Let's call it a "during" picture. Lucky for me, I can view all the links to the competition and get some much needed inspiration. You can, too! Here's <a href="http://thecsiproject.com/2011/05/12/spring-mantels-and-vignettes-challenge-time-to-link-up/#comments">a link to this week's links</a>. The links stay up on each challenge post.....so if you don't need any help with your mantel, you can go back in the archives for past challenges, like the <a href="http://thecsiproject.com/2010/06/18/the-dollar-store-challenge-winners/">Dollar Store Challenge</a> or the <a href="http://thecsiproject.com/2010/07/09/winners-of-the-outdoor-decor-challenge/">Outdoor Decor Challenge</a>. Great stuff, there!<br />
<br />
Here are my three favorites from the early entries of the challenge....head back over to <a href="http://thecsiproject.com/">The CSI Project</a> today to find out who the Guest Judge and CSI Girls picked.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Entry #4 - <a href="http://www.centsationalgirl.com/2011/03/a-wee-bit-o-spring/">Centsational Girl's Spring Mantel</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Entry #22 - <a href="http://thatsmyletter.blogspot.com/2011/05/m-is-for-mantel-2.html">Spring to Summer Mantel from That's My Letter</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">No Mantel? Then this one's for you: Entry #26 - <a href="http://christinasadventures2010.blogspot.com/2011/04/spring-vignette.html">Spring Vignette by Christina's Adventures</a>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Enjoy your weekend!</div>Ruth H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13260851009105528014noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593906444510006042.post-57258519212185460482011-05-12T03:49:00.000-07:002011-05-14T09:52:36.724-07:00Mid-May MadnessHello, Friends!<br />
<br />
While I am happy to report that May 2011 is not half so crazy as May 2010, it is holding it's own. Last year, our elementary school was closed after the last day of school, so we had all kinds of sentimental memorial stuff going on, plus 5th grade graduation and middle school orientation and a long list of assorted other events. But this year, we do have Endeavor's track meets and a few other upcoming end-of-school activities. Good times.<br />
<br />
Check out Endeavor after her last track meet:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNsO0T5TzdUSVxlyrBaeo0h-S4qZSSj0KxegfuF98q9oDlbvz2jZC47uFCvcLI3Keohdx9oCB_Fu27eHLo3fuQeHwYyIN3iJHD7LV0es3tm5tIcSZWTnkG2mncoiYBbOhywQRZQFlkus/s1600/Spring_2011_B+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNsO0T5TzdUSVxlyrBaeo0h-S4qZSSj0KxegfuF98q9oDlbvz2jZC47uFCvcLI3Keohdx9oCB_Fu27eHLo3fuQeHwYyIN3iJHD7LV0es3tm5tIcSZWTnkG2mncoiYBbOhywQRZQFlkus/s640/Spring_2011_B+004.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>I'm pretty proud of Endeavor. For the life of me, I cannot remember how we convinced her to run cross-country and track this year. She wasn't too sure about it, to begin with. Practices are tough. But Endeavor stuck with it, and she's seen some major improvement in her running times. She's also found that she feels less stressed about school on the days that she runs. I'm just happy she's found something she enjoys doing for exercise that she'll be able to do anywhere, anytime. <br />
<br />
And here we have Justone at the district art exhibition. His art teacher selected some of his work for display.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUapDOODYXdAzY0NQAOvCqbD1rAf7LQl9ADHTyJJuu5RWAsIVHudlC6nBO-g8tYhd30cSMs0UmwHUPPYfMYj8jduwYGanVYlZsr4ZCCrT8nPikSkNw6PD1B10I9SRTRJHXchKq4r-Wp0/s1600/Spring_2011_B+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUapDOODYXdAzY0NQAOvCqbD1rAf7LQl9ADHTyJJuu5RWAsIVHudlC6nBO-g8tYhd30cSMs0UmwHUPPYfMYj8jduwYGanVYlZsr4ZCCrT8nPikSkNw6PD1B10I9SRTRJHXchKq4r-Wp0/s640/Spring_2011_B+001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>That awesome fish graphic was made by Justone. Good eye for design, eh?<br />
<br />
I have a few projects I'm working on around our house, but they are slow going. Most of the indoor projects are on hold while the weather is good and I can work on outdoor projects. And my outdoor projects really aren't that exciting. Unless....<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-O-jSDkeDYqcjhOM_-IokmTjexocWColCp2O1YuBxX68gCZG0fgo-NHmdpn9O8Cf5dArV7HmJFCrrcOjH-EVfrExXQjt-mYgWFnVOnmPcBqM9KmyTiuNnjbZ3yOem9g-U74pK_x6aF0/s1600/Spring_2011_B+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA-O-jSDkeDYqcjhOM_-IokmTjexocWColCp2O1YuBxX68gCZG0fgo-NHmdpn9O8Cf5dArV7HmJFCrrcOjH-EVfrExXQjt-mYgWFnVOnmPcBqM9KmyTiuNnjbZ3yOem9g-U74pK_x6aF0/s640/Spring_2011_B+006.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>....you'd like a tutorial on planting geraniums in the cement planters on your porch.....<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJkwbH66sI9yc-nrEX9KJfmXIJM3ZVTDw3_zOggUC7jsAl2Z00CtKOoMWmQebRZn-CneLJj2QwIpWLWvXeFcIN3itQOlWze648tApmebJjFkaY5ViHPZskHrgn7-cjHK-2mXh9os1kfBc/s1600/Spring_2011_B+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJkwbH66sI9yc-nrEX9KJfmXIJM3ZVTDw3_zOggUC7jsAl2Z00CtKOoMWmQebRZn-CneLJj2QwIpWLWvXeFcIN3itQOlWze648tApmebJjFkaY5ViHPZskHrgn7-cjHK-2mXh9os1kfBc/s640/Spring_2011_B+007.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><i>{Note the feathers. We have nests EVERYWHERE this year. Five in the playscape alone.}</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjIHHbkaLIl2A0YdZYz09es5PqYF4rJLXMGNxLrdysRTGxI0GfrolnoCQhRaY3o_Ps4PfniLDCC_XjJNsA0WXMtoiRIAkoQVW_lRIGhtVYfAqewkKiihj13NRT1qLFoFrpKTrZhkDMSPQ/s1600/Spring_2011_B+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjIHHbkaLIl2A0YdZYz09es5PqYF4rJLXMGNxLrdysRTGxI0GfrolnoCQhRaY3o_Ps4PfniLDCC_XjJNsA0WXMtoiRIAkoQVW_lRIGhtVYfAqewkKiihj13NRT1qLFoFrpKTrZhkDMSPQ/s640/Spring_2011_B+017.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>....or you are really into patio cleaning. This isn't the before pic. Trust me, it was worse. This is the during.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Dnhpbrcu80Hc2iVhZXYK87zRD3H1Tb3g252xD5H455Ql635BxFXJpAieefmMHDxkIOISMxjCtgymvExdsYKv5jF7DzcBigymxTgb1ceoW0p6zqfFw2k7rBHqrrxz_yPi6xRC8983kkQ/s1600/Spring_2011_B+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Dnhpbrcu80Hc2iVhZXYK87zRD3H1Tb3g252xD5H455Ql635BxFXJpAieefmMHDxkIOISMxjCtgymvExdsYKv5jF7DzcBigymxTgb1ceoW0p6zqfFw2k7rBHqrrxz_yPi6xRC8983kkQ/s640/Spring_2011_B+014.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>We consider this little outdoor storage area to be one of our best home improvement projects ever. It's a convenient way to hide the stuff that would make our side yard look trashy, otherwise. During the winter, we store our trailer back here, too (one of the fence panels is removable). <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjizfv9oId-ktNfDE9M6VQ8PnQtu4_hKVzb0AgZJ5BmJcajwu4zRnLaYpDqiBjKT_vn_aZlWlSOSwTj6s9msrV-1h9JIheHFwElvuDYRVh8uCwEdt5uDJf0B3dpDFnHMkfJQLX70qanxuQ/s1600/Spring_2011_B+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjizfv9oId-ktNfDE9M6VQ8PnQtu4_hKVzb0AgZJ5BmJcajwu4zRnLaYpDqiBjKT_vn_aZlWlSOSwTj6s9msrV-1h9JIheHFwElvuDYRVh8uCwEdt5uDJf0B3dpDFnHMkfJQLX70qanxuQ/s640/Spring_2011_B+016.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Oh, did you say you wanted a tutorial on prepping your AC unit for summer? Because I could give you a tutorial on that....or not. Seriously, thanks to some tutelage from the Bionic Man, I did it myself this week, and I'm very proud. Why doesn't anyone have a blog link-up party for THAT?<br />
<br />
I'm sure you can relate: you get one project out of the way, and there's another one breathing down your neck. This front flower bed is well established, and (other than needing a little mulch) looks great.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_KrJMGgfjm1qqnO2Qay8eGPO7vWic-eeinAww_WIEmXbv3zRI4FCeYvXUC0FUnNzsqAi9zOtFFz0SUjAZCY6nR8GtNV69IWztWFh5ZAQIf4dkfan1_QkJXHCBUFSciw92ruTWWW302k/s1600/Spring_2011_B+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_KrJMGgfjm1qqnO2Qay8eGPO7vWic-eeinAww_WIEmXbv3zRI4FCeYvXUC0FUnNzsqAi9zOtFFz0SUjAZCY6nR8GtNV69IWztWFh5ZAQIf4dkfan1_QkJXHCBUFSciw92ruTWWW302k/s640/Spring_2011_B+005.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>But on the other side of the porch....this bed awaits. It really needs a makeover.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2ndjQ77lz7W1KL4hCZuqDgsakiSnt2hGgfzUoeGzqClb9cH1yvNRQMQ2tmAZmy-KXMe5Wh7vOysek2tmsGpanN_akgk7QTnnSYa9A7uPKredsweXLfOaZMA8Itln1FRfdVTs8SpQc6s/s1600/Spring_2011_B+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2ndjQ77lz7W1KL4hCZuqDgsakiSnt2hGgfzUoeGzqClb9cH1yvNRQMQ2tmAZmy-KXMe5Wh7vOysek2tmsGpanN_akgk7QTnnSYa9A7uPKredsweXLfOaZMA8Itln1FRfdVTs8SpQc6s/s640/Spring_2011_B+008.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>I'm not sure what I'm going to do with this.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNuUdZ15yMaB3sfujQHwQOv2e5cbYhRGP4TFZGQ2BzarmACYPdvRuopHm7gDDnQ0qE1fdMm6_YIRgey8mVozpowSUfHZh09_RRnf_kcCJEm1WA3j5Nfg3Lzw8g5iP13h_Sz_XuRCBq32w/s1600/Spring_2011_B+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNuUdZ15yMaB3sfujQHwQOv2e5cbYhRGP4TFZGQ2BzarmACYPdvRuopHm7gDDnQ0qE1fdMm6_YIRgey8mVozpowSUfHZh09_RRnf_kcCJEm1WA3j5Nfg3Lzw8g5iP13h_Sz_XuRCBq32w/s640/Spring_2011_B+010.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Happily, I have not yet killed the lovely hanging basket that my family gave me for Mother's Day. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8G1xNLS-HDZOnTsAvF5P-EIrslJGxDmsfhcGIP6XMWsm7S6eCsOzZMKBh1urgjNCuyS7mydib3GMzEEw9kQ0TNaG6G_z5UdC-vxhaq_Rb6EgyyMd-i-1FwuIGrB1bTvQVcta1uO7kc8/s1600/Spring_2011_B+011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8G1xNLS-HDZOnTsAvF5P-EIrslJGxDmsfhcGIP6XMWsm7S6eCsOzZMKBh1urgjNCuyS7mydib3GMzEEw9kQ0TNaG6G_z5UdC-vxhaq_Rb6EgyyMd-i-1FwuIGrB1bTvQVcta1uO7kc8/s640/Spring_2011_B+011.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Sadly, I do fear for it's life. Care and keeping of hanging baskets and potted plants is not something I am known for. But at least the children and the dog are thriving, right?<br />
<br />
Another bed that needs work. The hosta bed. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV3DlDuvAz2Jo7IZEnJfCtIsfdLhd_y0Ps7hNoOg3u8msKNszy5mDURFjFvUFk2C7PB7ylBIoyZdIClhyphenhyphen3gBYpmjCA8DeZj8LGS1srFOP2m1niY2rMRU4_qOZJKQSqPAWWmCx15k1ZyYc/s1600/Spring_2011_B+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV3DlDuvAz2Jo7IZEnJfCtIsfdLhd_y0Ps7hNoOg3u8msKNszy5mDURFjFvUFk2C7PB7ylBIoyZdIClhyphenhyphen3gBYpmjCA8DeZj8LGS1srFOP2m1niY2rMRU4_qOZJKQSqPAWWmCx15k1ZyYc/s640/Spring_2011_B+018.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Weeding, mulching, and a couple more plants are in order, here. And.....HUNTER! Have you been digging in the hosta bed? I'm going to pack this bed so full of vegetation that you won't have dirt to dig in!<br />
<br />
Honestly, it's a good thing I take pictures for this blog or I'd miss more than half of what goes on around here.<br />
<br />
What are you doing now that the weather is warming? Any outdoor projects at your house?Ruth H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13260851009105528014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593906444510006042.post-64961959377744904882011-05-10T02:03:00.000-07:002011-06-15T18:09:24.529-07:00Dessert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJMpeK_GOyYUocRcFPJYrsQ8g08sA9PayTkuVcdeOPeTzHVY_lbaxGzsMjvi1bE2BTGZSjrX0JLYnPZ2P9FEVq8r2x25FNizCY1l45O2XmlQF9qr31SOclcmWHa928Q0o9EqP0p1MG8Ms/s1600/Spring_2011+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJMpeK_GOyYUocRcFPJYrsQ8g08sA9PayTkuVcdeOPeTzHVY_lbaxGzsMjvi1bE2BTGZSjrX0JLYnPZ2P9FEVq8r2x25FNizCY1l45O2XmlQF9qr31SOclcmWHa928Q0o9EqP0p1MG8Ms/s640/Spring_2011+023.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>I have an anonymous quote on the front of my menu planning binder that reads, "Stressed is dessert spelled backwards. Coincidence? I think not!"<br />
<br />
I'll give you a moment to ponder that one.<br />
<br />
I grew up in a home where some form of dessert was served every night. Dessert ranged from applesauce sprinkled with crushed graham crackers, to canned fruit in a pretty dish, to delicious made from scratch cakes. Looking back, I'm impressed that my mom went to such effort. <br />
<br />
I don't. We don't eat dessert every night at our house, but when we do, we definitely enjoy it. Here was a recent diet-day-off dessert that I invented. <br />
<a name='more'></a>(Mangoes were on sale at our local grocery store, can you tell?)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAG4_vovyUMiJLCZYRPUUBlXB31fRxQA9I27CP7MWd4YMLqKoVayzGN1cZgnWUG5E_nIoWFtojfDxhRvFm6AreUOe2cgEFS8c5kdc7HaveDSVXOgUpPhUyepJDRt9F3k1DF2ZJUcYT7ZQ/s1600/Spring_2011+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAG4_vovyUMiJLCZYRPUUBlXB31fRxQA9I27CP7MWd4YMLqKoVayzGN1cZgnWUG5E_nIoWFtojfDxhRvFm6AreUOe2cgEFS8c5kdc7HaveDSVXOgUpPhUyepJDRt9F3k1DF2ZJUcYT7ZQ/s640/Spring_2011+022.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138; font-size: x-large;"><b>Mango Peach Crisp</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Ingredients:</div><div style="text-align: center;">3 cups fresh or frozen peaches (thawed, if frozen)</div><div style="text-align: center;">1-2 cups fresh or frozen mango (thawed, if frozen)</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 tablespoons orange juice</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 teaspoon almond extract</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 cups crushed graham crackers (about 6 large crackers)</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/4 cup white or whole wheat flour</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 cup brown sugar</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted</div><div style="text-align: center;">dash cinnamon</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 cup butter, melted</div><div style="text-align: center;">Whipped topping, cream, or vanilla ice cream (optional)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Directions:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Spray a deep baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. If necessary, cut fruit into chunks. Place fruit chunks into baking dish. Lightly toss with orange juice and almond extract.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">In a mix bowl, stir crushed graham cracker crumbs, flour, brown sugar, almonds, and cinnamon together. Add melted butter, stirring until all crumbs are moistened. Pour crumb mixture over fruit, spreading evenly.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees for 40-50 minutes. Remove foil for the last 15 minutes so that crumb topping will be slightly browned. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Serve warm with the topping of your choice. We drizzled heavy whipping cream over ours.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBIF6VuOmttT2ly64T08BSRmiXIGnbr5xVkTRZNzopykQbjVhNOy6GuedpcOEinRoCgt914xsdX568Xzykwf2Zv7AtN5gSoPzBzq-y5OP_iWHyHtGfdDIHZsB2kMtH0SCKedwYyfl_0U/s1600/Spring_2011+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBIF6VuOmttT2ly64T08BSRmiXIGnbr5xVkTRZNzopykQbjVhNOy6GuedpcOEinRoCgt914xsdX568Xzykwf2Zv7AtN5gSoPzBzq-y5OP_iWHyHtGfdDIHZsB2kMtH0SCKedwYyfl_0U/s640/Spring_2011+024.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://thecsiproject.com" target="_blank"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://thecsiproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/thecsiproject.com-logo-150.png" alt="Visit thecsiproject.com"></a><br />
<br />
</div>Ruth H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13260851009105528014noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593906444510006042.post-45020417467304648702011-05-09T03:12:00.000-07:002011-05-09T03:49:57.017-07:00Your Attention, PleaseI have an important announcement to make. {trumpet fanfare}<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><img height="320" src="http://audiocreativeworks.com/assets/images/vintageMicrophone.gif" width="164" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(That's a vintage microphone. Nice touch, right?)</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ahem. As of today, I refuse to believe the claims of <u>{fill in the blank with the <b>name of whichever celebrity</b> gave birth less than eight weeks ago and is currently on the cover of a magazine at the checkout stand}</u>, who credits her amazing post-baby body to breastfeeding.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>Unless</i> she provides me with proof that she is able to breastfeed while doing squats, lunges, crunches, hamstring curls, and planks. If she is able to do a full cardio/strength routine each time she breastfeeds her baby, then yes, I think breastfeeding should get the credit.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">That is all.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>P.S. I think there are many wonderful benefits of breastfeeding to both mother and baby. I just don't think it is fair to make new mothers without personal trainers feel like there is something wrong with them because they look like they just had a baby. As if they need any more reasons to get teary eyed. Happy Mothers Day!</i></span></div>Ruth H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13260851009105528014noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593906444510006042.post-3081745268687473562011-05-07T05:09:00.000-07:002011-05-07T06:13:35.353-07:00Something Special Saturday - 5/7/11<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUveymTyGHhUhkiQj0DDxVUXGktC2aHOM8NGfgpcL3Tqo5o699iYy358GxrJDyRY2yn6lOUQm8gWr15MNiTAFQSE6Fx1TwAB8fv0tnNK5cNZ-Nr91g1nTy3mlqahhvf4e5T2p0gtAdyE/s1600/cupcake_text_saturday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUveymTyGHhUhkiQj0DDxVUXGktC2aHOM8NGfgpcL3Tqo5o699iYy358GxrJDyRY2yn6lOUQm8gWr15MNiTAFQSE6Fx1TwAB8fv0tnNK5cNZ-Nr91g1nTy3mlqahhvf4e5T2p0gtAdyE/s400/cupcake_text_saturday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Pretty things I've spotted during the last week.<br />
<br />
1. An absolutely over the top <a href="http://www.birthdaygirlblog.com/2011/05/real-parties-garden-of-butterflies.html"><b>Butterfly Garden</b> 1st birthday party</a> was featured at <a href="http://www.birthdaygirlblog.com/">Birthday Girl</a>. Ignore the fact that it really is over the top, and enjoy the prettiness. Can't remember how I stumbled across Birthday Girl's blog, but it is a delightful read when you are party planning.<br />
<br />
2. Speaking of over-the-top parties, after I mentioned how much I liked Pippa's bridesmaid dress, one of my readers sent me a link to a <b><a href="http://www.stylearc.com.au/stylearc/index.php?page=shop.product_details&category_id=5&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=369&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=39">sewing pattern</a></b> for it. Thank you thank you thank you! I will lose 40 pounds and find an occasion to wear it, and then I will make good use of this pattern. <br />
<br />
3. I've been finding a lot of great recipes to pin on my cooking board at <a href="http://pinterest.com/ruth_h/cooking/">Pinterest</a>. I like the ones with pretty pictures best, can you tell? This recipe for <b><a href="http://www.kissthegroom.com/2011/02/peach-cake/">peach cake</a></b> makes me want to lick my computer screen. I could really give my tongue a workout with <a href="http://tipnut.com/homemade-popsicles/">50+ recipes for <b>homemade popsicles</b></a>--in fact, these recipes inspired me to pick up some popsicle molds from the dollar bin. And, you are going to swoon over the simplicity of <b><a href="http://www.saucysprinkles.com/2011/04/simply-sweet.html">raspberries stuffed with white and dark chocolate chips</a>.</b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Enjoy your weekend!</b>Ruth H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13260851009105528014noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593906444510006042.post-23548066534675398292011-05-06T02:27:00.000-07:002011-05-06T02:27:00.121-07:00Girls' RightsIn March, I read a post by one of my favorite bloggers, Sarah from<a href="http://goodcheapeats.com/2011/04/fancy-hamburger-buns-whats-on-your-plate/"> Clover Lane</a>. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqwsKfifr6Qrao0vHkNAXUalqH7Mk1ZPSyg817unHg9CSNTHzO_IZhjQDYjExlGEkI414bVVqRpIMj9Vm-8YL7sKA3w3AKleTxdHfQo0IydQGqINW6wUniJth_xEGTKUMb19OuWkxZ9w/s1600/cloverlane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrqwsKfifr6Qrao0vHkNAXUalqH7Mk1ZPSyg817unHg9CSNTHzO_IZhjQDYjExlGEkI414bVVqRpIMj9Vm-8YL7sKA3w3AKleTxdHfQo0IydQGqINW6wUniJth_xEGTKUMb19OuWkxZ9w/s640/cloverlane.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>It was titled, <a href="http://memoriesoncloverlane.blogspot.com/search/label/Growing%20Up%20Too%20Fast%3A%20Our%20Girls">"What About Our Girls? Growing Up Too Fast."</a> It definitely made me think, as Sarah's posts so often do. First of all, it made me grateful for a tween daughter who isn't attached to a cell phone, doesn't worry about having a boyfriend, and who looks the way I think a twelve year old should. Second of all, it made me pause to wonder about how much of what Sarah talked about when discussing the pressures surrounding her eighth grade daughter applied to my own little sixth grader.<br />
<br />
It wasn't long before I found out. One of Endeavor's teachers invited me to help chaperone a sixth grade field trip. Three teachers and four mothers (including me) took a group of about 100 sixth graders to an outdoor challenge course. Designed to promote team-building and facilitate communication, the course was led by a group of experienced trainers. They divided the kids into groups of 10-12, and then put them through a variety of exercises that were more mentally than physically challenging.<br />
<br />
Spending time with the sixth graders and observing the groups try to work through the challenges was educational. Here's some of what I learned:<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<ul><li>Kids--at least girls--are physically more developed than they were when I was in sixth grade. Many of the sixth grade girls looked more like the girls I went to high school with, than the girls I went to middle school with.</li>
<li>Many parents think it's fine to let their sixth grade daughters shop at Victoria's Secret. In fact, they are happy to let their daughters provide free advertising for the brand.</li>
<li>Sixth graders have horrible judgement skills. They have difficulty focusing. They tend to make the same mistakes over and over again. They follow the advice of their loudest peers, not their smartest or most emotionally mature peers. In short, they are typical children. Not young adults, children.</li>
<li>In our fairly affluent school boundaries, roughly 60 percent of sixth grade students go without breakfast in the morning. (This was revealed during one of the games.)</li>
<li>Any parent who thinks their sixth grader is capable of handling the ownership of an expensive electronic device, or of spending time with peers without adult supervision, or of safely navigating a trip to the mall or movies with friends, etc. IS CLUELESS!!! These parents need to observe their kids at a challenge course.</li>
</ul><div>And my thoughts on what I learned:</div><div><ul><li>There has to be some validity to the concerns about girls physically maturing too early in recent years. Personally, I'm going to spend some time learning about what some of the potential causes may be, and read up on what can be done. I'm alarmed when I see <i>12 year old girls</i> who appear to be more curvy and womanly than I--a 35 year old woman who has born and breastfed four children. That's not right. If there is something our society is allowing (hormones in milk, fast-food diets, whatever) that can be blamed for this, we need to fix it. I think it is incredibly sad to have so many young girls endowed with bodies that are far ahead of their mental and emotional development. Those bodies put them in the unfortunate situation of having the rest of the world think they are women, when really, they are still young girls. </li>
<li>Before this field trip, I thought it was very odd, one day, when Endeavor came home from school and asked me where the store called "Pink" was. She said that a lot of girls at school wore clothes from a place called "Pink", and she wondered where they got them, because she'd never seen a store at the mall with that name. I should explain that I, myself, avoid the mall like the plague, and Endeavor only accompanies me to the mall about 25 percent of the times I go there. Which means the child goes inside our local mall about twice a year. It took me a minute to remember which store sold the "Pink" label. Victoria's Secret. I couldn't believe little sixth grade girls were shopping at Victoria's Secret.....enough that Endeavor would notice....until I went on the sixth grade field trip, and saw for myself how many girls had "Pink" plastered boldly across tight tee shirts and the curvy backsides of their yoga pants. It made me want to throw up. Why, <i>why, </i>WHY<i> would any parent allow their sweet, young, daughter to provide free and provocative advertising for a women's lingerie brand?</i></li>
<li>I'll tell you why! Because those parents have fogotten or have not been taught themselves that those little girls are daughters of a Heavenly Father who loves them. He has given them incredible gifts, valuable far beyond what is visible by appearances alone. If but nurtured, those little girls can grow into women who have incredible minds and talents and a beauty of spirit that far surpasses any physical beauty they've also been blessed with. </li>
<li>And I'll tell you another reason why: being and adult--not to mention an adult who parents--is hard work! It's not fun nor is it easy to tell a child "no, you can't do what everyone else is doing" and bear the brunt of their short-term hostility towards you. Nor is is fun or easy to be the only parent who says "no" to things and gets questioned by other parents. Lazy parenting is to blame! Sarah <a href="http://memoriesoncloverlane.blogspot.com/search/label/Growing%20Up%20Too%20Fast%3A%20Our%20Girls">said it</a> so well back in March, "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">I see in my generation, a lack of maturity. I see so many mothers, grown gosh-darn grown women, wanting popularity for their daughters, more than they want to protect them....</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">They allow the craziest things because I think, it somehow gives them a sense of being "in" themselves. They don't entertain the thought of what is best for their daughter, especially when it means taking a different path from the norm,<i> not following the crowd</i>. Reliving some imagined desired youth and stripping their own sweet child of hers."</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">Yes, sixth graders are <i>children</i>. Even eighth graders aren't adults yet. Why do we expect them to be otherwise? We wouldn't drop our six year old off at the mall and say, "I'll meet you back here in three hours. Call if you need anything." The reality is that few sixth graders possess much higher judgement skills than six year olds, yet I know parents who have no problem with dropping them off to fend for themselves at the mall. Why the rush to push children into taking on responsibilities that they aren't ready for? Again, I think lazy parenting is to blame. The quicker a child accepts "adult responsibilities", the quicker the adults in their lives can return to the selfish lifestyle they lived before they were parents. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;">Like I said a moment ago, I observed that s</span>ixth graders have horrible judgement skills. They have difficulty focusing. </span> They tend to make the same mistakes over and over again. They follow the advice of their loudest peers, not their smartest or most emotionally mature peers. What does this mean? It means that no matter how grounded you feel your sixth grader is, chances are they aren't going to fare well in a group setting that is not adult supervised. When it comes to making decisions, they are going to be easily swayed by the group thinking of their peers. And that group thinking? Well, it's being led by the loudest members of the group, the seemingly most confident and admired of those peers. Guess what? Those kids aren't necessarily the brightest bulbs in the chandelier, at this point. Instead of "trusting" your child to do the right thing, remember the fact that they are a child, and don't knowingly put them in situations that require trust: i.e., group "dates" to the movies, hanging out with friends at a house where a parent isn't at home, etc. You're misguided trust is going to put your child in potentially dangerous situations, guaranteed.</li>
<li>So, over 60 percent of the kids in an affluent school are going without breakfast? Call me naive, but I was shocked. It was a wake up call to me that that statistic is a reflection on the number of kids getting themselves off to school in the morning. I recognize that families are faced with a variety of circumstances, and many have to make some difficult choices. However, I'm disappointed that our society as a whole views the abandonment of children as a necessary evil in the pursuit of more and better.</li>
<li>Back to the girls. Our culture has stripped these young women of the right to be children for as long as possible. You can blame it on bad parenting, the influence of the media, the breakdown of the family, or dozens of other things. The sad fact remains: rights are being lost. Shouldn't a twelve year old girl have the <b>right</b> to be viewed as the child with a bright future that she is, not as a sexually provocative vixen with a future in a dimly lit nightclub? Early feminists lamented the norms of society generations ago, in which there was more emphasis on preparing girls to marry well than to get an education. We shake our heads over the black and white pictures of 15 year old brides. Let's take a stand now for the rights of young women everywhere, <b>the right to enjoy a long and innocent childhood</b>, free from the eventual cares and concerns of adult life. I'm not saying keep them so sheltered they don't know how to deal with the nonsense that is out there--because it is out there, and they have to be given the strength, the savvy, and the skills to face it. I'm just saying, don't shove them into a Victoria's Secret with your credit card and tell them to get whatever they want. Don't expose them to TV and movies that promote sexuality as the most important trait a woman can possess. Be the grown up in their lives, not their best friend.</li>
</ul><div>As you can tell, this is something that I feel very strongly about. I'd like to echo <a href="http://memoriesoncloverlane.blogspot.com/search/label/Growing%20Up%20Too%20Fast%3A%20Our%20Girls">Sarah's </a>stance, that "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">I think all of us mothers of daughters</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><i>who care about preserving our daughter's innocence</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">need to be angry. We need to speak up, and sure lead by example, but not always quietly.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">...</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Maybe if more mothers feel like they aren't alone, if more mothers think "I'm not the only one" we can bolster each other up." </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">Hear, hear!</span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">Now, let me just tell you about something else I learned on the sixth grade field trip. I learned that my own sixth grader, Endeavor, is everything I hoped she would be, and more. She's a sweet, innocent girl. Probably a little less innocent about some things than I would like, judging by the peers who surround her during the school day, but she's holding her own. She's lovely, her pretty face not masked by makeup and her clothing colorful and age appropriate. She's chosen friends who are smart, nice, good girls who seem like they are trying just as hard as Endeavor is to make good choices. She's forging her own way, making style choices more modest than most of her peers, and learning to appreciate the fact that she's a little different from them in this. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">It makes me so grateful for a mother who worked hard to give me a lengthy childhood, teaching me the parenting skills I would need someday by example. I'm also excited for Endeavor--newly 12-- that she gets to move on from our church's program for children into it's program for <a href="http://lds.org/pa/display/0,17884,6823-1,00.html">Young Women</a>. She's going to have great leaders and a terrific program that will help her learn to set goals and become, in time, the woman she's meant to be. She's going to have resources to help her navigate the stormy years to come, like a standards book, <i><a href="http://lds.org/pa/display/0,17884,6924-1,00.html">For the Strength of Youth</a>, </i>that is going to help her set boundaries and see some of our society's foolish norms for the traps really are.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 22px;">I just wish I could be as excited about the future for some of her peers. It is evident that they don't have those same resources. That they don't have mothers fighting for their right to be children. So, I have to say that I am also grateful for women, like <a href="http://memoriesoncloverlane.blogspot.com/search/label/Growing%20Up%20Too%20Fast%3A%20Our%20Girls">Sarah</a>, who let their voices be heard when it comes to preserving the rights of girls, and who encourage the rest of us to do the same.</span></div>Ruth H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13260851009105528014noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593906444510006042.post-85586413898056490032011-05-04T08:04:00.000-07:002011-05-04T08:04:18.436-07:00Family Favorite MealI mentioned a couple of days ago that I'm playing in another round of the <a href="http://atriptoholland.blogspot.com/p/game-on.html">Game On Challenge</a> this month. As part of the challenge, we get to select one day off of the diet. Sometimes is frightens me how much planning I put into my day off. I tend to cook like a fiend on that day, because I can take tastes! For my day off last week, I made one of my family's favorite meals that is decidedly not diet friendly, but it is easy.<br />
<br />
We call this pasta dish Hay and Straw.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg08foODsjUlzjYga18xTxoEbNbS9oEVJw-52WpUO1ekI2lxzKPpZEis8GtbBJ8E4JxuguKv1tXz_jQ_psr8eoO03p4n2aRPLb3qwIVBC66qqfFJBUUWgRLCksfne-rs98sl1Gyz8R2mfQ/s1600/Spring_2011+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg08foODsjUlzjYga18xTxoEbNbS9oEVJw-52WpUO1ekI2lxzKPpZEis8GtbBJ8E4JxuguKv1tXz_jQ_psr8eoO03p4n2aRPLb3qwIVBC66qqfFJBUUWgRLCksfne-rs98sl1Gyz8R2mfQ/s640/Spring_2011+017.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>My friend Nicole introduced our family to Hay and Straw. She came to take care of my children for a week during one of Lily's long hospitalizations. My children loved this dish, and begged for it for months afterward. At the time, it was so unusual for all of them to like any one food at the same time, that I was happy to oblige. It continues to be a family favorite.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LcVOIyHlg1jvkYkb6lvvbe9FSoWFDxssCaoaHWq8hatNLnCef3c2NccRy6uCYdEjzwccD_lFNUYJHH5KeekwoGTsiAKKaTpP8Myn1VhXWtMA0GnUe8TCqL4rR37RGVzUO8CnFcqoimI/s1600/Spring_2011+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LcVOIyHlg1jvkYkb6lvvbe9FSoWFDxssCaoaHWq8hatNLnCef3c2NccRy6uCYdEjzwccD_lFNUYJHH5KeekwoGTsiAKKaTpP8Myn1VhXWtMA0GnUe8TCqL4rR37RGVzUO8CnFcqoimI/s640/Spring_2011+019.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;">Hay and Straw</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 package (16 oz.) pasta, uncooked (farfalle, penne, linguine, and spagetti all work well)</div><div style="text-align: center;">water to cook pasta</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 cups fully cooked ham, cubed or julienned</div><div style="text-align: center;">2 cups cooked green peas</div><div style="text-align: center;">1 tablespoon butter</div><div style="text-align: center;">1/2 teaspoon garlic powder</div><div style="text-align: center;">dash pepper</div><div style="text-align: center;">2/3 cup heavy whipping cream</div><div style="text-align: center;">1-1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Directions:</div><div style="text-align: left;">Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute ham in butter for 3-5 minutes or until ham is very lightly browned, adding garlic powder and pepper. Add peas; heat through. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Drain pasta, and return to cooking pot. Immediately toss with ham and pea mixture. Pour cream over pasta and add Parmesan cheese. Stir to coat, until cheese is melted. Serve immediately, topped with more Parmesan, if desired.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Serves 8. Cost per serving is approximately $1.25. This is a terrific way to use up holiday leftovers. I've also been able to successfully cook this on a campstove. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">What's one of your family's favorite easy, inexpensive meals?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I'm linking this post to:</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://goodcheapeats.com/2011/05/pan-bagnat-whats-on-your-plate/"><b>What's On Your Plate?</b> at Good (Cheap) Eats</a></div>Ruth H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13260851009105528014noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593906444510006042.post-6012104628704831952011-05-03T08:18:00.000-07:002011-05-03T13:08:40.019-07:00April Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>This is by no means an exhaustive recap of the month of April. Just a look at some of the fun we've had. And, um, that doesn't mean the things that weren't photographed weren't fun, right? Right.<br />
<br />
My sister came to visit for Easter weekend. Looking for someplace fun to take her that wasn't too far away, we took a chance and went to an Earth Day festival downtown. A good time was had by all. Probably because just about every booth at the festival was handing out freebies. What's more green then FREE?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Bionic Man and Justone were fascinated by the hybrid vehicles. Unfortunately, those weren't free. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia4LC4Av8GsNpIP2tDs-LGNywiwj6tlTsNu_hIGlS1aj7eWedC7HxohsnV4iWuk1vsbKhhhJVEKJeTj3bVePeSFgV3LQelWPRjhAcnRgvcntUXYvv1mIfuPWscMmBL4gHk2hSkRmUCupI/s1600/Spring_2011+028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia4LC4Av8GsNpIP2tDs-LGNywiwj6tlTsNu_hIGlS1aj7eWedC7HxohsnV4iWuk1vsbKhhhJVEKJeTj3bVePeSFgV3LQelWPRjhAcnRgvcntUXYvv1mIfuPWscMmBL4gHk2hSkRmUCupI/s640/Spring_2011+028.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Face painting, on the other hand, was free.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoBT25EPVdAA9tRD3z3Syj-K851YpXKRP8KNfYL6P1sBXQlu43l2n5Gt-7qS733lF5rDVvMk0tbj-eCTXNjCgJ1DfTm1R5nIFo3pM6zwefF5yIXKpeNzNJmK6DNHZln_XUFcaggWL7ids/s1600/Spring_2011+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoBT25EPVdAA9tRD3z3Syj-K851YpXKRP8KNfYL6P1sBXQlu43l2n5Gt-7qS733lF5rDVvMk0tbj-eCTXNjCgJ1DfTm1R5nIFo3pM6zwefF5yIXKpeNzNJmK6DNHZln_XUFcaggWL7ids/s640/Spring_2011+004.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<a name='more'></a>Superkid begs for intricate face painting, like this, every time we visit our local zoo. I have never said yes. At the zoo, something like this costs $12-18. At the Earth Day Festival, it was free. Sort of. I did spend approximately 90 minutes of my life waiting in line with Superkid for this. And she posed herself.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRc9p9O1JdFKmUfI6k2c5EwK2IC9QviswdB52AQf6mreBCKXx7817LiJ3eUl21MVZZH5zE-4VB136bb4dU56vWxKsUSJHzRoCGeFqvfBlXHkSkH3lBftD0bPGIIfmNV1zFvV-nEGz868U/s1600/Spring_2011+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRc9p9O1JdFKmUfI6k2c5EwK2IC9QviswdB52AQf6mreBCKXx7817LiJ3eUl21MVZZH5zE-4VB136bb4dU56vWxKsUSJHzRoCGeFqvfBlXHkSkH3lBftD0bPGIIfmNV1zFvV-nEGz868U/s640/Spring_2011+001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Bionic Man thought that since we spent so much time waiting to get Superkid's face painted, she should keep it on for a few days. I reminded him that Easter Sunday was the day after the festival. "Perfect!" he exclaimed. "She looks like Spring!" Fortunately, Superkid decided a few minutes before church that she'd forgo the facepaint. Good thing she directed several photoshoots before that. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMxcTULaxm8mstTOjy20YfL9ejIxdU031bsk7sQ2909-JiS8NgAgbzMsPy-S9hzxu72Cn47a3XzLzkAAeYHpx6bTTwP3v33fCLyY35-wEJFBCGKkxUVEi1MsHPfNRni5kh8jpj_cBBkyw/s1600/Spring_2011+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMxcTULaxm8mstTOjy20YfL9ejIxdU031bsk7sQ2909-JiS8NgAgbzMsPy-S9hzxu72Cn47a3XzLzkAAeYHpx6bTTwP3v33fCLyY35-wEJFBCGKkxUVEi1MsHPfNRni5kh8jpj_cBBkyw/s640/Spring_2011+007.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXzsRAVUWlEP_SmIerFSWNruwwU26GGXpOrpgY0bHALhVGttjN_O0O2dZ4K7M2SJi_7NjYbkcB16-o3RFhJ3v72ADG2mQYB67f0crPDzG-2V8snGnorSH3BbN2UPHdNuTKA5BI3U8NizM/s1600/Spring_2011+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXzsRAVUWlEP_SmIerFSWNruwwU26GGXpOrpgY0bHALhVGttjN_O0O2dZ4K7M2SJi_7NjYbkcB16-o3RFhJ3v72ADG2mQYB67f0crPDzG-2V8snGnorSH3BbN2UPHdNuTKA5BI3U8NizM/s640/Spring_2011+006.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>The highlight of the Earth Day festival? We stopped to eat our lunch at the outdoor concert venue. The local band that was playing wasn't getting a very enthusiastic response from the crowd.....until a very young hip-hop aficianado got up and started dancing in front of the stage. <br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yvtlWVHnYik?hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yvtlWVHnYik?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></div>Um, yep, that's me you can hear laughing loudly in the background. Hence the reason for the camera shaking. I'm not a fan of hip hop, but I am a fan of freestyle dance moves by seven year olds.<br />
<br />
The little guy dancing started to draw quite a crowd, which definitely made things more fun for the band. A couple songs later, the lead singer jumped off the stage to capitalize on the attention. Despite the lead singer's best efforts, the little guy just kept stealing the show.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NrCBJ0KgyAk?hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NrCBJ0KgyAk?hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></div>Good times!<br />
<br />
The day after the Earth Day festival was Easter.....and Endeavor's birthday! She turned twelve. Twelve!<br />
<br />
Since it was such a big day for Endeavor, we let her choose the menu for Easter dinner, and invite the guests. Mashed potatoes are Endeavor's ultimate favorite food. So, instead of the traditional Easter ham, Endeavor chose a mashed potato bar. We came up with a wide variety of toppings and let everyone go to town.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, due to hostessing duties, I missed many photo ops. I did, however, get pics of the birthday pies--another request from the birthday girl. See the E for Endeavor?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQhtBn1PRUoaTha2lsfYh6Tj_8j1OMFx50ZkhQj2PP-enefjMz6WCFdgAuBqQHjJ2lEwuul-juHwmY2FbPyh5LhYbwgTi64ZJNq_Lk7JCaeh8Msm3bFRb4EpjkJOMZKtmbIDy7L6st6c/s1600/Spring_2011+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQhtBn1PRUoaTha2lsfYh6Tj_8j1OMFx50ZkhQj2PP-enefjMz6WCFdgAuBqQHjJ2lEwuul-juHwmY2FbPyh5LhYbwgTi64ZJNq_Lk7JCaeh8Msm3bFRb4EpjkJOMZKtmbIDy7L6st6c/s640/Spring_2011+008.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>We had (clockwise from the left) key lime, chocolate mousse, strawberry (purchased at the church bakesale that weekend) and blueberry peach.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>A few days after Easter, Justone competed in his last Pinewood Derby as a cub scout. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkT0XkjSiNbI4DfpbEQigXHvJjN2jzNBK6Y2oFbIYy3GrDq6kDhz1LcLe-_WN_ksjl_72onOyLksbik7LTf8bPwSJx27hbu6kFOj9PUm12MTE5pAemf4UZMHL25ghUa3N7z4Zh6QQZil0/s1600/Spring_2011+013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkT0XkjSiNbI4DfpbEQigXHvJjN2jzNBK6Y2oFbIYy3GrDq6kDhz1LcLe-_WN_ksjl_72onOyLksbik7LTf8bPwSJx27hbu6kFOj9PUm12MTE5pAemf4UZMHL25ghUa3N7z4Zh6QQZil0/s640/Spring_2011+013.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeiyNzb6VSAdqA4YnN2T-OX01MW_0O6QJ251QPHELEOTWlYH4e_r45EUGbTuFmmELjr3sJjCC5xhoeyQz1PAoFOtgDEhlwWUVNaYrEuNiOU8Iaid_A_bT_NnJbhXT0TukqEsKUjlkPEc/s1600/Spring_2011+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeiyNzb6VSAdqA4YnN2T-OX01MW_0O6QJ251QPHELEOTWlYH4e_r45EUGbTuFmmELjr3sJjCC5xhoeyQz1PAoFOtgDEhlwWUVNaYrEuNiOU8Iaid_A_bT_NnJbhXT0TukqEsKUjlkPEc/s640/Spring_2011+014.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>As you can tell, the Bionic Man was really into it. I think he was more upset by the fact that this was Justone's last Pinewood Derby than Justone was. I'm wondering if I should get him his own track for Father's Day....mmm, maybe not.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgt58fSfYHR9N5dlI88MIpp2smOhqSnuDTyjYzm9_ZTH_6vCgqQ1p7qEUxwB8TqHRpLP1Vx059HIGqi-GoAeGSgMJtxLe-894hBi80dKglq7OH2cfQR8FDmI0tJMScoKA2OM-_x4Et9j4/s1600/Spring_2011+015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgt58fSfYHR9N5dlI88MIpp2smOhqSnuDTyjYzm9_ZTH_6vCgqQ1p7qEUxwB8TqHRpLP1Vx059HIGqi-GoAeGSgMJtxLe-894hBi80dKglq7OH2cfQR8FDmI0tJMScoKA2OM-_x4Et9j4/s640/Spring_2011+015.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Justone's design prowess has come a long way since the dinosaur car he made for his first derby. (He glued screws all down the front of the car, representing the spikes of a stegosaurus, for that one.) Look at this year's slick racer, detailed by Justone (it's the car on the far left).<br />
<br />
Not to leave anyone out of the April recap, Hunter the Dog continues to be the most patient family pet on the face of the Earth. Are you getting the impression that Hunter spends a lot of time in costume?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-luOsY9Cl5JXsu2wdeAvPKbjexIbwvQKbM4x8X891DlYFQIph4zD8ikYUuGB2-i_ZlLwHoMZy_SGrlCkLy98A7E007XRZcorP1yiQHDkddOkR7q21PmHq5-JGyTna3Mk8WS4l-Bxd-Bs/s1600/Spring_2011+026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-luOsY9Cl5JXsu2wdeAvPKbjexIbwvQKbM4x8X891DlYFQIph4zD8ikYUuGB2-i_ZlLwHoMZy_SGrlCkLy98A7E007XRZcorP1yiQHDkddOkR7q21PmHq5-JGyTna3Mk8WS4l-Bxd-Bs/s640/Spring_2011+026.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvjXvRKnCs_oJeBMj-XVJLaoTM6xkkS4P1VpS8lvLp9oFvlnUOPl7KPcN0bj-uaCAITQrLEVXPLTgL5tpeQyQjxI7iZEBLcyr_66L0ISOdsUQGdoQc2I6z4vdAu-A1YS0rWLqR6n9OXnw/s1600/Spring_2011+027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvjXvRKnCs_oJeBMj-XVJLaoTM6xkkS4P1VpS8lvLp9oFvlnUOPl7KPcN0bj-uaCAITQrLEVXPLTgL5tpeQyQjxI7iZEBLcyr_66L0ISOdsUQGdoQc2I6z4vdAu-A1YS0rWLqR6n9OXnw/s640/Spring_2011+027.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Still can't believe how fast the month of April flew by. Is everyone ready for the end-of-school madness that is the month of May?Ruth H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13260851009105528014noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593906444510006042.post-36368971014548412422011-05-02T07:50:00.000-07:002011-05-02T07:50:20.005-07:00MondayHello, Friends!<br />
<br />
I have been curiously absent from the blog lately, have you noticed? My reasons are really not earth shattering, but I do have reasons:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>I started attending early-morning fitness boot camp. It starts at 5:15 A.M., M/W/F, and I have to leave my house by 5:05 sharp if I want to arrive early enough to keep from getting singled out by one of the instructors to do push-ups in front of everyone. I am absolutely not the kind of gal who feels the need to put on make-up or even run a brush through my hair anytime before 8 A.M., <i>especially </i>if I'm going to be sweating. (There is a lot of sweating going on at boot camp.) However, I really don't like to sweat when wearing glasses, and my eyes just can't handle waking up and immediately getting contact lenses jabbed into them. So, my alarm is getting set for 4:35 A.M. three days a week. It's killing me, I tell you.</li>
<li>So, since I'm getting up super early, I'm trying to make a dedicated effort to go to bed as soon as I get my kids in bed. Some nights that works better than others. But it's killing my blogging time! You know that quiet two hours between kids' bedtime and grown up bedtime? That's perfect for writing. That time is gone to me, now. With the wind.</li>
<li>My sewing machine is giving me palpitations. Seriously, I have nearly said several naughty words about it in the last week. My curtain project has been totally derailed. It caused me to have such a tearful, dramatic outburst on Saturday that my husband was almost moved to hand over the checkbook so I could go get a new machine one. I was sorely tempted to sob a couple more times to seal the deal, but in the back of my mind I had a sneaking suspicion that PMS might be more to blame than the actual machine.....so I agreed to call a repair shop, first. After all, it is a <i>vintage</i> machine, and that's so on trend. I've never been so on trend before in my life.</li>
<li>I've been on two field trips in the last two weeks, track meets began, it's teacher appreciation week, and we had the Pinewood Derby. Need I say more?</li>
</ul><div>Oh, also....I started another round of the <a href="http://atriptoholland.blogspot.com/p/game-on.html">Game On Challenge</a>. Considering how many push-ups and squats I've been doing for the last few weeks, I should be seeing some serious results, this time around. Shouldn't I? If I don't, that vintage sewing machine might get thrown out a second-story window. I'm just saying.</div>Ruth H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13260851009105528014noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1593906444510006042.post-24901081989321912522011-04-29T14:24:00.000-07:002011-05-03T18:38:36.371-07:00Dress EnvyMayI just say....did you see this dress?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRqFe66EZtCGGk6jeANNN17_Tz-RiFJyDYcFyy2L4JuN-Ft6_-z0S5xUzcUIPwIC4BDoShuSunLzuhmGOI9g5HOBFgrFsIAB4MEHq39rFwXEjVwV7cUYzwTwobjzUM9XkS7Y6rYml3kDQ/s1600/pmiddleton_dress.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRqFe66EZtCGGk6jeANNN17_Tz-RiFJyDYcFyy2L4JuN-Ft6_-z0S5xUzcUIPwIC4BDoShuSunLzuhmGOI9g5HOBFgrFsIAB4MEHq39rFwXEjVwV7cUYzwTwobjzUM9XkS7Y6rYml3kDQ/s640/pmiddleton_dress.png" width="462" /></a></div>Um, hands down one of the most beautiful dresses I've seen. Ever. Did you see all those buttons?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
It's right up there with my all time favorite. <i>Sigh.</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXIoYB0pulDrmooCDfrW2i1L9EIekWn16nj8NaiT4-p_cvaej5E3waPa1DLRnnGCUfsa8m2HHGBxDis-71qU8uA-dlK2mDOPEH_mItSyNdurNbcvqirrDOoCUOjJkTIdVI9BK82v9dEM/s1600/pmiddleton_audrey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXIoYB0pulDrmooCDfrW2i1L9EIekWn16nj8NaiT4-p_cvaej5E3waPa1DLRnnGCUfsa8m2HHGBxDis-71qU8uA-dlK2mDOPEH_mItSyNdurNbcvqirrDOoCUOjJkTIdVI9BK82v9dEM/s640/pmiddleton_audrey.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<a name='more'></a>Kate was lovely, as well, but I have to admit, if I was 5'10 and narrow of hip and shoulder, I would wear Pippa's. Nicely done, ladies!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Dy6qtgueHBiUH7s65lU1ov42fSmUNikQfTH37iZw-BZkKKuzEGp7LIt142EiB905HJHnMc2T-uk43YLqIvMu1tNZOPgi-ci6d4yXsshIHI2b0tbbc5P9d5ZFTVMY-LUrRvRb__lm_B8/s1600/pmiddleton_bride.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Dy6qtgueHBiUH7s65lU1ov42fSmUNikQfTH37iZw-BZkKKuzEGp7LIt142EiB905HJHnMc2T-uk43YLqIvMu1tNZOPgi-ci6d4yXsshIHI2b0tbbc5P9d5ZFTVMY-LUrRvRb__lm_B8/s640/pmiddleton_bride.jpg" width="444" /></a></div>Endeavor and I, fans of all things romantic and British (we watch <u>Pride and Prejudice</u> regularly) woke up at 4 A.M. to watch the proceedings. I had to go to fitness boot camp an hour into the broadcast. That was harsh. I gave Endeavor strict instructions to keep me informed--she did this admirably, describing all the hats I missed. I left boot camp early (oh yes I did) because watching a royal wedding with my firstborn is simply way more fun than doing 100 push ups (which I did, before leaving bootcamp). I arrived back home just in time to see Kate appearing at the Abbey. Endeavor and I squealed like the girls we are and jumped up and down. <br />
<br />
Weren't the hats fascinating?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhum17bAOXp04-Sep835VwSvFp598qjMOjRhwMSGRMFEvZpZRSC5Ichow3uL3365Q8pBoavjcR-E_5ZDEoqEOlxxshHMCpgFOmYtNrsLiccjUFmzTpp16T61MEI9DrHMvfVwFx-MJC_Re4/s1600/pmiddleton_hats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhum17bAOXp04-Sep835VwSvFp598qjMOjRhwMSGRMFEvZpZRSC5Ichow3uL3365Q8pBoavjcR-E_5ZDEoqEOlxxshHMCpgFOmYtNrsLiccjUFmzTpp16T61MEI9DrHMvfVwFx-MJC_Re4/s400/pmiddleton_hats.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcdCnncZ-o08KkE_ink70-SkSwQ9odft9VORCYSsMBQIkwgqD9C4kDaInAxmn0FihjyVpd6kg0hK4TEp92c1yO5JKdDt79_RGDmN_5WhrgsfuQpoPbPy9Hs9gtLk1pV_Ex74xC6NvE4As/s1600/pmiddleton_hats_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcdCnncZ-o08KkE_ink70-SkSwQ9odft9VORCYSsMBQIkwgqD9C4kDaInAxmn0FihjyVpd6kg0hK4TEp92c1yO5JKdDt79_RGDmN_5WhrgsfuQpoPbPy9Hs9gtLk1pV_Ex74xC6NvE4As/s400/pmiddleton_hats_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Endeavor said she got tired of me saying, "Oh, maybe this wedding will bring back hats!" <i>I want a hat.</i> Maybe like this one, along with the dress that goes with it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKG3zPVjsva1IyHOBjUEmaVCYJBe2-92FmRmH6Z1SFyH953zOgDlvwP0_-VAZke5fEGiKMN_G7c_wXvht7MStHCMqxoOYhoBLNdCffAwiEYYCVuY2xu8Rh-Ksk1F8YFEjduXnnCZdyelE/s1600/pmiddleton_audrey_hats.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKG3zPVjsva1IyHOBjUEmaVCYJBe2-92FmRmH6Z1SFyH953zOgDlvwP0_-VAZke5fEGiKMN_G7c_wXvht7MStHCMqxoOYhoBLNdCffAwiEYYCVuY2xu8Rh-Ksk1F8YFEjduXnnCZdyelE/s640/pmiddleton_audrey_hats.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Or this one...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQTOdXUfqFeQHIE4UO-W7o0Pf71UKZPB9SBl812iNXzBDusCMlIxfXXz7GaiUZgqJbf13GR3wLOD3jrEFLUeQ2ezKc79EqSUioOdvYcptwP4QBQJHIi_q50jpoJylnnMiDkx0GUnzgF4/s1600/pmiddleton_audrey_race.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQTOdXUfqFeQHIE4UO-W7o0Pf71UKZPB9SBl812iNXzBDusCMlIxfXXz7GaiUZgqJbf13GR3wLOD3jrEFLUeQ2ezKc79EqSUioOdvYcptwP4QBQJHIi_q50jpoJylnnMiDkx0GUnzgF4/s400/pmiddleton_audrey_race.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><i>Thank you, My Fair Lady, for making me the woman I am today. But I need a hat.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
Seriously, why don't we wear hats in America, anymore? What is WRONG with us?!?!?!<br />
<br />
I just had a deep thought: it appears to me that, in America, we try to make a splash with our purses. In Britain, they make a splash with hats. The purse carries money. That hat sits on the head, which carries the brain. Coincidence? I think not!<br />
<br />
I shall leave you to ponder the depth and meaning of this post. Endeavor and I need to watch Mr. Darcy stammer his love to Elizabeth. And squeal and jump some more.<br />
<br />
Talley-ho!<br />
<br />
<i>P.S. Did anyone else see Mr. Bean at the wedding? Because I know I did. It was a disturbing sight.</i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXSPX-pRYVchcj0SQJIa-XZtbDdR5ptUOXhEmpXfyafPUnQvLkNXGIyIaaaj3SjMWdtAMeb7fevI3f69vtkK-9k8YKW_S8y9vptoRuBVNPWN6oIE-YxYKNBdn7IiyI71PsPmXSADeysNE/s1600/pmiddleton_bean.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXSPX-pRYVchcj0SQJIa-XZtbDdR5ptUOXhEmpXfyafPUnQvLkNXGIyIaaaj3SjMWdtAMeb7fevI3f69vtkK-9k8YKW_S8y9vptoRuBVNPWN6oIE-YxYKNBdn7IiyI71PsPmXSADeysNE/s200/pmiddleton_bean.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><i><br />
</i>Ruth H.http://www.blogger.com/profile/13260851009105528014noreply@blogger.com4