making faces

Story of my life.
That one in the middle.
Baloney.
She got a birthday card that said something about being full of sass and spunk.
To which she said "Good thing they said I'm sassy, because I have been that way all year!"
During the school year, she was known for playing with anyone. And one dad came to me and said "Avalon is the toughest girl I know."
Thanks? I think?
She certainly has her own ideas, and her own thoughts. It's kind of hard to parent a kid like that.
She is learning the difference between being vocal, and being respectful.
About how sometimes being kind means keeping your mouth shut.
Not saying things like "Um....I don't mean to be judge-a-mental butttttt.... I don't like the taste of crust" (when being served apple pie.)
She pushes buttons, which is not so cute at 5, now 6 actually.
I hope it comes in handy at 22, when she is blazing trails........still.

She wants to be big, except for when it comes to responsibility, then she wants to whine.
Which really makes me want to whine. And pull my hair out.
I have noticed sugar affects her.
So we have started lessening the sugar she gets.
Not natural sugar, just added stuff.
I'll see if it helps.
Besides sugar is bad for you....
but brownies, banana splits and homemade choc chip cookes are soooooo good.

But she will still be making faces.
Cuz she always has.
And I kinda really like it.

Aqua and Gray baby quilt

For my own fella, the minute I saw this fabric, it was mine.

 

Michael Miller in Zoology, in Sea and Gray. I have 3 girls, and tons of girly fabrics, so to find a "boy" fabric that made me swoooooooon, I knew it would be his quilt.
 I loved every aqua/grey combo about it. I paired it with a white chenille back, aqua and gray binding. I photographed him every month on this blanket and I still love this thing.

blogging

so I have this friend, that blogs way more often than I do. And to be real, it's just about what she does/thinks/likes on the daily. There is no overabundance of perfect lighting pictures of horrible expensive props trying to create perfect poised moments of her life. Some of the crap she posts is totally nerdtacular and I'm like what.the.nerd. is she talking about. Yet I  like knowing what she is doing... or eating...or stressing about.
I post on facebook like it's my job sometimes, and I like the controlled environment. But then I realize.... I have a blog, where nobody's feelings are gonna get hurt because I said I don't like fish, and then someone's grandma has a fish, and that hurt their feelings that I cannot possibly see the good in fish.....Sometimes I forget blogging can be a stress reliever, and a great way to archive what my life was like in that moment in time.

Like today, I am still in my pajamas. At 12:29pm.
It's 80 degrees out and we are headed to the beach.
Because that's where I live and it's summer.
One of my kids just screamed about there is an wild animal in the house.
I know that story isn't true, because her dramatic self would be climbing the walls in horror.
It's probably a fly.

ANy the point is....

Thus, and furthermore and as a result, I have decided that I shall blog more.

Month by Month

 

My baby is one.  A whole year of firsts and tons of love. He is quite simply the happiest baby.

 

 He went from this squishy little newborn of 7lbs, 11ozs, to a 23 pound chunk of smiles.

 Every month on the 2nd, I would take out his grey and aqua quilt I made him, and make a sign saying what month it was, and take his picture. I love looking back and watching him grow.

Finding the silly

I realized that I haven't posted something hilarious lately. Possibly only hilarious to me, but still. You would think that my life is void of funny. But it is not. I laugh every day at my kiddos, at my husband. At myself. Really, you know you will have a good day when laugh at yourself, before 8 am. 

Baloney constantly wants to know if Aunt Jemima and Mrs. "Butterwoods" are sisters. And I could be Aunt Jemima too if I put a Aunt Jemima hat on my head. All while making meatloaf. Who is this kid?

Oldielocks has a phone. And she likes to video things. Like scary videos she and her sister made of babies in our fridge. Annnnnd there may be a video of them knocking down a mattress and a very angry mommy voice from the dark. To which she sends it to me, with "watch this. It gets funny at the end." Yeah the end where I am yelling. Hilarious.

Middle. Oh the knock knock jokes. That are corny and dorky and half the time messed up. That makes me giggle. She tries so hard to be such a dorky joke teller. I can't help but laugh.

Tater is always laughing. happiest baby ever.

Treasure hunting

Vintage things.
Old things.
Antique things.
Junk.
Spiffed up junk.
Whatever you want to call it, I love it. I get giddy when I find old fruit crates that can hold magazines, and tin containers, milk bottles and worn aprons. My heart does a happy dance, and I clap my hands together like a barking seal. I have proclaimed my love for old homes and old cars... I feel most "things" have a story.
Just this last weekend the family and I stopped off at a local "urban barn". Full of junk that has been cleaned up. I appreciate the fact that someone went treasure hunting, since around here, we just don't have old finds like that. But I want to spruce it up myself. I'd rather not pay a bazillion dollars for a super cute re-painted dresser when I can do it myself cheaper. I once got the ugliest brown 1970's dresser with gold key dresser knobs, and it is now white, with modern handles, housing clothes for my girlies.

Anyways, since I don't live in Iowa and can't just jump in the van with the American Pickers, can't jump in Cari's yellow truck with Cash and Cari, I have to find different avenue's to find my treasures. You don't have to go to some old trashy farmhouse or swap meet. I searched area stores and found some cute things. These are a few of my recent loves.

Old milk bottles found in an antique store in the city of Orange, CA.  Flowers from farmer's market

 

 

Cute basket found in Hobby Lobby. $4.50

Mason Jar  drink dispenser found at World Market $14.99

Purple and green quilt

  My last quilt of 2011.

  Zombie quilt. Purple and green lovin. 

 My sister loves all things purple. She has purple pots, purple pillows and even a purple kitchen aid. When I was describing Joel Dewberry's Aviary 2 and Heirloom lines, I'm sure she thought of how nerdtacular I am and what color socks she would wear that day. But actually her response was "purple and green? Zombie colors. I want it."  Which is funny since my sister is super vintage funky rather than computer gaming comic loving.  So, I contacted one of my favorite fabric etsy sellers, Fabric Shoppe, and created a custom listing with 4 fat quarters from each line and zombie fabric was on it's way. It's that easy.

The Amy Butler polka dot green binding.