a trip to LA

First off– I want to be a better blogger. I’ve really been slacking lately. I have a goal to write here every day this week. (Week long goals are the most realistic for me– anything longer and I’m bound to fall off the wagon.) What do you want to hear about? What makes you hop over here and read what I write? Any questions I could answer? Anything you want to know my thoughts on? Please, please help me out with suggestions. I’m sure my week of posts will be more interesting if you do.

Anyway…

I have birthday posts for both Jonah and Brenna to catch up on, but I’m trumping those with this one first. Every year on the week of my birthday Barry travels to be an Air Force judge for the International Science and Engineering Fair. When Hunter was tiny I went along and last year Brenna joined him for a day. This year the plan was just for him to go on his own but be home for Brenna’s birthday, leaving late that night, then be home in time to take another day off for my birthday. That’s the plan I was in on anyway. Meanwhile, he was cooking up another plan which included finding an overnight babysitter and purchasing plane tickets. On my Mother’s Day my card was a printout of MY flight itinerary. What a fun surprise!

I shopped while he perused the science projects, then we went to the beach.

(We packed light and just used my phone for a camera.)

We rented bikes and rode at a leisurely pregnant lady pace.

We rode the Ferris wheel on Santa Monica pier.

We braved the traffic and wound our way through Beverly Hills in search of trendy food from a truck to get an authentic LA experience.

We had an all around great time! I know I am so spoiled and lucky to live this life I live. Happy birthday to me! (33 is still early 30s, right?)

Happy Mother’s Day!

Hope your day is a happy one!

quilt work

With the anticipation of our new little girl we’ve been scheming how we’re going to rearrange bedrooms, acquire the needed furniture and all that. Once she’s 4 or 5 months old Eva will get to move in with Brenna. Right now Brenna has a full size bed, a dresser, and a desk in her room with absolutely no room to add a crib, and the crib is still being used by our climbing monkey of a two year old. The solution I’ve dreamed up is that we’ll make a twin over full bunk bed for Hunter and Ian and a twin size loft bed for Brenna. That way we won’t have to buy any new mattresses.

To get ready for a new bed we naturally decided that some quilt making was in order. Brenna and I browsed simple quilt patterns and fabric together and I gave her full creative license. The only stipulation I made was that whatever pattern she chose needed to be simple enough that she could sew the blocks with minimal help from me. She chose the Juice Boxes pattern from Cluck Cluck Sew and a smattering of fabrics from Amy Butler’s Soul Blossoms collection. I modified the pattern just a bit. Since it was for 6 inch squares she would have needed to make 150 or so of them– so we enlarged it to 12 inch squares. 48 of those were much more doable. I did the cutting, she did all the sewing of the blocks, I did most of the pressing, and then I trued them up. It took a couple of months, but the blocks are done!

I’ve actually got the top all pieced together and the back made too. I was hoping to have it done for her birthday on Monday (11 years!!), but I don’t think getting it basted and quilted by then is very realistic seeing that I do have to do school, clothe, and feed people. We’ve got a good start, though! And great memories of collaboration will be harbored in the finished product forever.

mantle work

So, I did my mantle re-do research last week and found ideas I loved at a new-to-me decorating blog called The Lettered Cottage. This spring mantel arrangement was my favorite thing I saw on the whole internet– totally school room friendly and clean and fresh. My interpretation is not quite as pretty or involved, but the only thing I had to buy was an ugly thrift store flowery painting. It had no glass and the picture was printed on stiff board, so all I just painted over the painting with chalkboard paint and turned the gold frame white. That was easily done in a morning. I think it will be fun to change up the words and draw pictures every now and then.

If you remember my mantel-cubby thing used to be mauve. SHHHH! Don’t tell my landlords, but one of the walls in the living room is painted a tannish color. Barry found the left over down in the basement so I used it to cover the mauve. Technically, that’s not changing the paint colors in the house right, since this color is used in the house? I don’t think they’ll notice. It certainly makes me feel better.

I know my candles would look better if they were pure white instead of cream colored, but they’re what I have. I think some apple green pottery would be a fun addition, as well as something white and small on the walls on either side of the black board. I’m on the look out for something that I love. I don’t want to buy things just to fill spaces– but because I think they’re beautiful and they make me happy. And I prefer artist made things rather than China made things, of course. I’ll keep an eye on etsy for things that fit the bill.

In the meantime– happy spring!!