Things I Have Learned The Hard Way

Bubble Bath in a jetted tub is NOT a good idea.

Tan lines are not as bad as the alternative.

My husband does not always take the topper off the van when he unloads it.

Yes, you CAN get pregnant that way.

Always wire a tall Christmas tree to the wall no matter how well it appears to be balanced.

The buy one get one free offer for the Ballet is not redeemable online.

The Reds and the Red Socks are different teams

An $18 dollar rattle is not a good buy even if it is hand crafted

It's called the Freshman 15 for a reason

The last train to London leaves Inverness really early.

P.S. This is not an announcement. That was a long time ago.

Chicks and the City

Saturday, La Keira and I went shopping. We went downtown alone, sans children, spouses or entourage.I realize this sounds very...normal, I see it on TV and in the movies all the time, Girlfriends go out shopping and discuss major life decisions in between the racks, but I never do things like this. Moms do not get to go shopping with their friends. Moms go shopping in the midst of errands with kids in tow and hope that things fit because there is no way she is dragging 3 kids into the fitting room. Moms shop online. Moms go shopping in the evenings when somehow the kids are occupied and Dad says he can handle it and she dashes out because all of her jeans have holes in them or a wedding is imminent. Moms do not go shopping in the city with girlfriends and they certainly never get to go to Anthropologie just for fun. This weekend we did.
Saturday marked another milestone, before today Samurai Mom had never EVER been to Anthropolgie. I knew it was 1) a store I would adore, 2) a store I could not afford, and 3) not a store to bring children into and 4) closed when we are downtown on dates.

It was so ever so wonderful. I really loved the kitchen section .And about died in the hardware section. I was a bit disappointed in the clothes but I think it is a seasonal thing. We took pictures of each other looking wistfully and the things, we wanted but couldn't have.
We each ended up buying ourselves a little something, which surprised me as I expected not to be able to afford anything at that store and La Keira got some Christmas shopping done. Lucky relatives.
We vowed that next year we will wait until after we go to Anthropologie together before we buy each other gifts!
Samurai Mom was looking pretty cute in the Swearing Skirt, Beehive Coat and the green rosette headpiece. I was stopped and oogled 3 times. One girl even took pictures of me because she liked my style. Being fabulous has it's perks.
P.S. Down East Basics has a necklace just like this for way less.

Someday Her Prince Will Come

Meantime she will hang out with these seven fellows.
This Petite Blythe Snow White dress had me in tears and depression Wednesday night. Thursday evening I had a new battle plan and was successful. I have high hopes for future dresses as I am narrowing in on a pattern.

The Seven Dwarfs were so simple. Originally, they were all to have beards but the first beard was so much work and looked only so-so and I decided one beard was enough. What do you think, do they all need beards?

Does anyone know where to get a 5" prince? The Blythes all want princes for dates. I would even settle for cowboys.

P.S. I need an apple about the size of a dried pea. Anyone?

Little Cindy Lou Who

I am now grateful that my garage sale was a bust.

I made this Cindy Lou Who costume 2 years ago for Nutmeg who was just barely two. She wore it once, cried we got a terrible picture and never touched it again. This year I tried to sell it at my garage sale. I tried to sell it at Afton's Garage Sale. I tried to sell it on Craigslist, twice!

Nutmeg has been obsessed with the Grinch for the past 4 days and I dug out the costume 90% sure that it wouldn't fit. I was wrong. It isn't comfy but that doesn't seem to bother Nutmeg who has worn it for 36 consecutive hours. She has also used it as a dust mop as she slithered all over the floor.

She calls herself Little Cindy Windy Lou Who.

We still don't have a decent picture of it.

Deck the Halls

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

A holly wreath could not be had this year but I am very pleased with the replacement. In fact I like it so much more than the traditional holly.
12 1/2 feet of a Christmas tree. The best tree yet. We had the prettiest tree ever a few years ago but this one is tall and skinny and fits just right. We don't have to squeeze by to get into the hall. It was heavy, very heavy.
I just love dollar store decorations don't you?

The kids are finally old enough to understand the advent boxes.
The hanging crocheted snowflakes are beautiful
but really hard to take a picture of.
I just can't convey the feel of the snowflakes and how they spin with every breeze. Everyone loves them.
The papier-mâché Father Christmas my mom made last year and the "Babushka" matryoshka dolls Moose bought me for our very first Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

I Need to Learn to Read Czech

I am very excited about 5 books this Month:

First and Foremost,
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I just love this story. We were listening to an audio recording the other day and I found myself crying at the end. Crying because Scrooge's change of heart was so complete that he was so good. The last two paragraphs are my favorite.
The Princess and the Pea - This book is our favorite version of the Princess and the Pea by Lauren Child, the original by Hans Christian Anderson being woefully short and scant with the details. I made some mattresses to go along with the book! I hope Nutmeg will be as excited about this on Christmas as I am.
World Book Atlas - We have wanted to get an Atlas for Boba Fett for a while now but the good ones are expensive and huge, too huge for a small boy. All we could imagine was a ruinied atlas. But I picked up this beauty published in the 60's for $1! If he ruins it, no big deal, I get the maps for crafting! It is also out of date which can leave room for some interesting discussions about communism and national boundaries.Look at these beautiful maps of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, I almost hope he does ruin the book and I can get my hands on these.
Handmade Home - By Amanda Blake Soule - I won this book by leaving a comment at Sew, Mama, Sew! I wanted this book of course, but not enough to purchase it. Yipee! Hoorah for give aways!
And last but best!
Praha Objektivem Mistru - I found this book at the Library Bookstore for $1 I knew that "Praha" meant "Prague" so I took it. I got home to find that every last word is in Czech. The only words I can figure out are "Karluv most" which is "Charles Bridge " and "Vila Amerika" I am assuming something American - American Consulate or Embassy? Maybe just house? It is a book full of black and white photos of Prague dating from the 30's to the 70's. This is why I need to learn Czech.

Fashionista

This morning Nutmeg dressed herself and then came to assist me in my wardrobe selection. While I was deciding on a hair accessory she found this ribbon on the ground and insisted I tie it around her waist.

I think she just eclipsed my fashion sense.

Ever So...

This skirt was going to be called "The Ever So" skirt but somewhere along the way it lost the charm. Maybe it was in the bulging pockets or having to take out my gorgeous top-stitching and pockets only to find 4 hours later that I had to do it all over again. Or the putting in the zipper 7 times. But honestly, I think the problem lies all in the fact that this was a bias cut skirt.
I borrowed La Keira's skirt to knock off and had to size it up, of course problems ensued.
First, the inspiration skirt had a waist band and as I have no room between my hips and waist all waistbands become rumpled and useless, so the waist needed to be changed.
Second, I knew the pockets were going to be trouble so when that proved the case I just eliminated them (this is where the crying over top-stitching happened) which turned out to be a disaster because of the bias cut and I had to put them back in. Then there was the like 7 extra inches of fabric that needed to be taken in and then the zipper. Each time the zipper went in perfectly but the fit of the skirt was wrong and the zipper needed to be moved repeatedly.
This was supposed to be an easy one afternoon job. It is a 4 panel bias cut skirt, not rocket science. It took 3 whole days!
However, now it is done and and a good friend of mine says "Don't inspect the seams" or in this case "Don't inspect the fit" on the waist or the behind. There is a bubbly zipper. Thanks to Paula who spent 2 1/2 hours holding my hand and twisting her brain with me to figure out the kinks.
So the question is what shall we call this skirt?
Options are:
a) The Grey Wool Skirt of Death
b) The Swearing Skirt
c) Saggy Bottoms
d) The Buying a Pattern is SO Worth It Skirt
or e) The Ever So Skirt

Living in the Future

Living in The Future is awesome. Who would have ever thought that I could watch movies instantly from my TV? I just pick a movie on Netflix and watch it. Who would have ever imagined movies in the mail? Once we couldn't even imagine watching movies at home or even Movie Rental stores. MP3 players are so awesome, what used to be an entire record store inventory is now a small fraction of the memory of an iPod.
Then there is the Internet, talk about future. I can go shopping without leaving my couch or my jammies. I can send links to my sister on IM and discuss each item in detail all over the intertubes. Going e-shopping with my sisters is one of my favorite activities. The business and income applications of the Internet alone are staggering

And there is the vast amounts of knowledge available online coupled with the ability to communicate all over the globe instantly. 5 minutes ago is old news on the Internet. We also have the ability to keep in touch with people who we may have lost long ago. Just when you think that the Internet is destroying relationships it finds a way to strengthen them.

Living in the future is awesome, but I can't wait to live in the future future.

Some of the things I am looking forward to:

Transporting: There has to be a was to travel instantly sometime and I look forward to living some place really cool and hopefully involving a castle but still being able to go to lunch with my mom. I will also welcome the ability to go to D. C. in an instant and kick some Representative behinds.

Sonic showers a la Star Trek: I despise showers. I like being clean and all but I resent the time it takes out of my life and then the hour to an hour and a half it takes for my hair to dry. If sonic showers are part of the future sign me up!

Speaking of hair, Why haven't we figured out how to make hair curly instantly and straight in another instant? I look forward to hair styling machines like Jane Jetson.

Robots: Really, robots have been around for close to a century why isn't there a robot in every household yet? A robot to do the menial chores. I will take a Rosie from the Jetsons robot or a Data-like android or even an I, Robot robot from the movie but not from the book, because the book robots are kinda scary.

Also, I wonder when the men folk will be sporting the head wear that was promised for the year 2000.

Gratitude parts 12 & 13

I realize my gratitude hasn't been very overflowing of late and I blame it all on One Pretty Thing and the resulting craft mania. I have been so busy, not too busy to be grateful but too busy to blog about it. Today I give you parts 12 and 13:

I am grateful for a home that keeps us safe from the elements. Last night I was keenly aware of this as the wind threatened to uproot every tree in the Pacific Northwest. I listened to it howl and thrash about my four walls and was ever so grateful for this house that keeps us warm and dry and protected. This morning the rain was pounding down so hard and again I was grateful for this home.

I am also grateful to be a mother of three. I was reflecting how each child has shaped and changed me in so many ways. How the chambers of my heart have been unlocked again and again. Who knew the heart had so many places? I didn't, not until I had children. And I realized that a woman doesn't really become a woman until she has been a mother. No offense to those who are trying to become mothers or haven't the opportunity. Those of you who can but have decided not to, you should try it, really. You don't know what you are missing.

It's All Your Fault, One Pretty Thing

At first she said "Can I tell you I am really enjoying that 'One Pretty Thing' blog you link to on Samurai Mom?" But now La Keira routinely tells me "It's all your fault."

I completely agree, but it's not MY fault it is One Pretty Thing's fault. It's One Pretty Thing's fault that my "to make" list grows EVERY day, because One Pretty Thing posts links to fabulous crafts every single day and every single day there is at LEAST one thing that I love, sometimes many.

Several times a week I say "Oh, I saw something on One Pretty Thing that would be just right for such and such."

Today, My sister told me that "One Pretty Thing" had ruined her life and I agreed quickly. How does One Pretty Thing ruin lives? Well, imagine you have a productive day of housekeeping, errand running and childrearing planned, you are sitting at your computer checking your blogs when you click onto One Pretty Thing, before you know it, you have found the perfect craft and you find yourself gathering supplies and crafting. The next time you look at the clock it is 4:30 and time to clean up for dinner. Also you find yourself thinking about nothing but the cool craft seen on One Pretty Thing, who you will make it for and where you will put it.

I dread clicking on One Pretty Thing each day for fear of how that one little click might change my life.

I now force myself to look at One Pretty Thing as fast as possible, glance quickly and ONLY click on the links that I love or look incredibly fascinating. If I don't love it at first glance, it is GONE!

Go to One Pretty Thing and check it out if you dare!

Book Wreath

I have been disappointed with my fall decorations on the new copper red door because they don't show up. Someone suggested a wheat wreath which sounded nice but expensive. Then I found this book page wreath and figured book pages are about the same color as wheat stalks. And so, I began.

(I apologize for the flash but the sun goes down at about noon now days) There wasn't tutorial for this particular wreath so I had to go it on my own. I used a 14" straw wreath as a base and a copy of that horrible book "Wuthering Heights" that is my craft book. I rolled each page and secured with double stick tape, then hot glued bundles of 3 pages and then tied a little black ribbon around each bundle. Cost $3.
Then I tied a fat black ribbon around the top of the wreath and started hot gluing the bundles the best I could.

Mom, suggested that I seal it with some clear acrylic spray but a test page proved my fears - the acrylic makes the pages wet and the ink runs. So I am letting my wreath fend for itself against the wet Portland air.
Here is the finished-ish wreath on the door. It needs a little something and I am not sure what.
Leave your suggestions in the comments please!

Do You think I Have Enough Personality to Carry This?

Of Course I do, and I sport it all over town.
I saw something similar this on Etsy for like $80. I fully support selling it for that price, but I am certainly not going to pay that especially when I can make it for FREE!
I had all of the supplies on hand, strips of cotton broadcloth, brown elastic and plastic beads.

I think the lady at the Market secretly wanted to rip it off my head she admired it so much.

Gratitude parts 9, 10 & 11

I am grateful for my hands. i think about it all the time, if there were a body part I would least be willing to part with it would be my hands.

I am grateful for a house to keep my family warm, safe and that is our "Home Sweet Home."

I am grateful for Nutmeg, my best friend who, lately, has taken to calling us "sisters." Since she will probably never have a sister I am letting it slide.

P.S. These are our matching Calorimetries.

Even Then I knew

I was 11 year s old in 1989. I remember thinking at the time how amazing it was that I was seeing this unbelievable thing happen. The Berlin Wall was coming down. There were Germans now, not "East" and "West Germans" but just Germans and they were on top of the wall rejoicing. I knew that I would remember 1989 forever. It was also the year that this happened
I was watching the clips on YouTube of people escaping their communist countries and they are running, running to freedom. Here is 5 minute documentary.


Here is a video with groovy 80's music:


And a Taylor Swift song which is very appropriate


And raw footage of the wall falling.



Choose your tearjerker. And remember how those people were running to freedom and make sure our children never have to do the same. We want them to have freedom already.

Gratitude part 8

In primary today the theme was service. As I sat and listened to the children give their ideas about how they can serve their families I realized that my children serve their family members all the time and they usually do it with a cheerful attitude.

I am grateful that my children enjoy serving. I am grateful Nutmeg "takes care" of me when I am sick, that Commander C keeps an eye on his little siblings and that Boba Fett always seems to know when I need a hug or a laugh.

Gratitude part 7

I am SO grateful that today was the last day of soccer season. I am also grateful that this season has not been as grueling as other years despite the fact that we has 2 kids on different teams playing on different days. I am glad that I have healthy kids that can play soccer. I am grateful that Moose had to be a coach this year!

The Mayflower, Tulips, King John Lackland and Shaking off the Norman Opressors

In Commander C's quest to earn his "Heritage Belt Loop" we have been doing a little family history. Today's project was to learn what countries our family hails from.

This is what we learned. I actually find this surprisingly homogeneous all things considered. Moose is more of a purebred than I am, his people all coming from 2 countries that are neighbors. My blood is a little mixed but I think that makes my genes stronger.
England- All parts, including Yorkshire, which makes us hardy.
Wales- The reason I love to sing and my striking resemblance to Catherine Zeta Jones?
Germany- The reason I enjoy kneading bread and the reason Moose and his children would easily have been passed over by the 3rd Reich.
Holland- This is all Moose's side not mine, perhaps we should start investing in Tulips.
Sweden- To be honest I have a hard time reconciling this one, I have never felt drawn to the Swedes. This sounds like an opportunity for research.

Other tidbits from my family history.
Many of my ancestors were part of the Mormon migration from Europe but others have been in America since the boat that followed the Mayflower.
Amongst our hearty ancestors is King John of England, that's right John Lackland ridiculed and despised in literature and lore since the day he was born. He probably deserved it but is defense of my great grand sire I have 2 words "Magna Carta." Sure, he was strong armed into signing it, but still, he signed it. One of the world's first attempts at freedom.We decided to eschew our French blood and not recognize our Norman ancestors, figuring that if it happened before the Battle of Hastings, it doesn't count.

Sadly there is no luck of the Irish for us (though some of our English ancestors were landholders in Ireland) and we are not Scottish which I find hard to believe since I am so frugal.
While La Keira's children are known affectionately as Beanerschnitzel's (Mexican and Dutch) my children have a few more nationalities to incorporate into their recipe. Submit the name for our mixed heritage in the comments. there will be a winner.