Christmas Card

This was my first holiday card I designed myself. While it's not complicated by any means, I'm still pretty dang proud of how it turned out!! We took the pics this weekend, and was actually surprised I got one of each of them smiling! Don't get me wrong, there were tears involved, and forget having all three of them together in one pic--it just ain't happenin'!!!

Well, Turkey Day went off without a hitch! BIL, SIL, and lil' neice came down and had dinner w/ us and hung out. We had the traditional turkey (brined, of course!!), stuffing, potatoes, corn, cookie salad (yum!), and SIL brought an awesome Sweet Potato Crisp. BIL brought his Wii down, along w/ Guitar Hero...and I'm officially addicted!! All the stores around here are sold out of the Wii system..or I would have bought one already!
Now this week, hubby is out of town, and I agreed to take on some extra kids to help out their parents...5 kids all week, and now husband...I think I'll be stark raving mad by Friday!!!
Especially thanks to the fact that McKenna has perfected her crawling! She is now all over the house. And while I love her newfound independence...it's also annoying at times! And how she always finds that one paperclip, or piece of catfood...I'll never know!

With hubby being gone this week, hopefully I can find some time for my crafting projects! I have lots of stuff to finish for Christmas..and the list of things keeps getting longer! I did manage to get some pics this weekend for our holiday card...now I just need to put something together in photoshop.

As always...lots to do!!!

Waldorf Doll

I finished one Christmas present!! Yea!! A Waldorf doll for McKenna. I ordered the Heavy Baby Kit from Joy's Waldorf Dolls, and I have to say I'm very impressed w/ her service, and product. The kit included almost everything I needed--other than needles and some lavender thread!--and her instructions were very easy to follow and included lots of pictures! I even did the embroidery on the face by myself!! I want to make 2 more of these now--one for Ashlee, and one for niece, Cloey. I placed an order for fabric on Friday from Joy's, and I received my box yesterday! Talk about service!!

Anyhoo--here are some pics!


She has a lavender velour bunting that is oh-so-soft, and her body is filled w/ millet, so she is quite malleable. The millet also has lavender essential oil mixed in w/ it--so she smells awesome!! I can't wait to give it to McKenna on Christmas!!

Look, It's me again!!

Well, I'm just full of myself lately! LOL!

I got my hair cut again, and I LOVE it!!!!!! A new cut and color is just what I needed! I feel like a woman again, instead of just "mom."

Look! It's me!

I made this nifty fabric headband following this tutorial. It turned out totally cute and I love it!!! Just had to share! It was SUPER easy too--took maybe 1/2 hour--and that was w/ an 8 month old helping me! LOL!

I'm getting worse and worse...

At blogging that is! I started out soo good...and now I'm down to once a week updates! I definitely need to step it up. In my defense, I (ok, WE) have been incredibly busy! This past weekend hubby tore up my kitchen...literally! He put in new flooring, and new counter tops! Yea!! But, that also meant a whole weekend w/o my kitchen!! And pretty much resulted in Braydon and Ashlee having free reign over the rest of the house the entire weekend--b/c I was busy helping Dustin....so, needless to say, it was a mess, and everything in the house was covered in layer of dust from sanding the floor...It took me all of Monday, and most of Tuesday to get the house back into shape. Plus, w/ Thanksgiving next week already, I need to do all the "extra" cleaning that I leave until company comes! (like the entry way, my sewing stuff, etc) Yesterday I managed to find a little time to sew--which was incredibly stress relieving!! LOL! I swear, my sewing machine had become my crack. I'm almost finished w/ my first Waldorf doll. I ordered the Heavy Baby Kit a few weeks ago, and it's coming along remarkable well for my first attempt! I just have to embroider the face, and finish her bunting..and then pics will come!! Then I just have to make 2 more before Christmas!! Along w/ numerous other gifts! The Christmas countdown has begun! I can't wait to get thru Thanksgiving so I can get started.
Speaking of Thanksgiving, I'm really looking forward to it this year! We are doing it at our house, as we have the past couple of years, but usually we just invite my parents...which is always kinda awkward, as the divorce isn't soo far in the past..etc. Now, they both have significant others, and putting them all together did NOT sound like my idea of fun. And MIL's is out of the question. She is seriously certifiable...and holidays w/ her make me crazy. So, we invited Dustin's twin bro and family! I can't wait!! A fun, low stress, low fuss holiday! I love my BIL and SIL, and their daughter is only 3 months older than Ashlee--so the kids will have a blast!! Even though they only live 15 miles away, they both work full-time, so we don't get together much. Should be a great time!
Last night I actually got to get out for a few hours! SIL invited me to go hang out w/ her at a local comedy night. It was really fun, and nice to be away from the kids for a while. Braydon and Ashlee were already asleep by the time I left, and Dustin said McKenna was awesome! They were both sound asleep when I got home! I was a little worried as to how she would do, as she's been sick for the past few days.
Today, I started on Thanksgiving place cards. I'm making these cute lil' turkey's from the Martha Stewart site, and if I do say so...I think mine look better than hers!! Will post pics later tonight!

Well, my four year old is mad at me. Why?? Because we do not have a toy fire truck. This week is "F" week at school, and every week the kids bring something for sharing. Apparently, someone must have brought a fire truck earlier this week, and now my son is insisting that he has one to bring as well! I've suggested every other "F" thing I can possibly think of; frog, fish, food, etc. All of which have been angrily shot down. He stomped away to his room now. When did he get such an attitude!?

On a positive note, earlier, while I was slicing up apples to make apple crisp, he told me I was doing it "perfectly!" LOL! I couldn't help but smile! I'm always amused at the words that come out of his mouth; delicious, pregnant (yeah, that one surprised me!), Internet, harmonica...the list really goes on and on! And I cannot believe how observant he is! It started when he was very young--even before he was year old. When we would go to my dad's house, he would recognize the alley, as we were pulling in, and say "bumpa's?" (grandpa's). My dad's house wasn't even in sight yet!
Then, this weekend, we went up to Fargo. We were in Fargo at the end of July, and stayed over in a hotel. Well, we happened to pull into a gas station on Saturday, next to the hotel we stayed at--and he recognized it! And got all excited, that we made it back to our hotel. He was pretty bummed to find out we weren't staying! (Last time we stayed, Grandma was there, and he got to go swimming--what kid wouldn't be disappointed!)

Oh, and more good news! Today, McKenna crawled!! She turns 8 months tomorrow! I can't believe it. A part of me is soo happy and proud, and another is crying and longing for her to still be an infant! I can't believe how fast they grow up! And every milestone w/ her is bittersweet, as Kenna will probably be our last.


And lastly for a little show off, here are a couple more sock monkeys! These I made for a friend on my March mommy's board, and I love how they turned out! I'll be sad to ship these out tomorrow!

Finally updating...

I just haven't been in the computer "mood" lately. I've been neglecting this blog, as well as my mommy boards. I'm not sure what's up w/ me.

We had a great Halloween though! I did the kids' costumes last minute, as usual!

Braydon went as a pirate--his costume consisted of a store bought white dress shirt that I distressed, added some gromets, threaded suede lace through, and shortened. I also cut off the cuff, moved them up, making a channel, and threaded the suede lace through them as well. Pants were black sweat pants, w/ 8 inches cut off the bottom, then I made some 3 inch vertical cuts up the pant leg. We finished it off w/ a red skull bandana, black and white striped socks, and a piece of fabric w/ skulls on it for the sash. This project was almost no-sew, but the end result was pretty awesome! He loved it, and I think it looks better than the pirate costumes you can buy!

Ashlee was a ladybug--her outfit was just as simple! I made a red tutu--using a new sew method!--and attached black felt dots. Then, she wore a black long sleeved shirt, and black tights. I also made her a headband and a "wand". The head band I made using a store bought black head band, and Crayola model magic. I used the model magic to make the antennae--let them dry, painted the black, and hot glued them to the head band! Voila! The flower wand I made using more model magic, hot glue, paint, ribbon, and a pencil. She loved her costume, and looked adorable!

McKenna just went as herself! LOL! Halloween onesie and some trick or treat baby legs that I made her! She looked cute and festive!

Now, of course, I'm sick. And so is McKenna. I'm sure it's from getting in and out of the car all night on Halloween. She's crabby, I'm crabby...it's no good! Braydon has preschool today, in the afternoon, so I'm hoping Ashlee and McKenna will lay down, and I can take a nap!! Too bad being a stay at home mom doesn't come w/ sick days!

I've got lots of projects on the burners now! Tons of sock monkeys, the Waldorf doll kit I ordered, diapers...the list really never ends!