flat stanley...

My sweet nephew Dylan had a school project of sending out Flat Stanley to people. His class was studying other places. The recipient was supposed to take Stan to all of the landmarks and work, etc.
Dylan sent him in October....ahem. oops!

I think we redeemed ourselves though because we sent Stanley home sporting a new yellow slicker, hat and galoshes with an apple in the pocket...afterall, he was visiting Washington State.

gearing up.....

Someone in our house is getting set for Valentines Day.
Tessa made this heart valance last year out of felts. Super sweet.
Notice the back porch out of the door's window...serious work to be done this summer.
I heart my blue pantry cupboards Andy built for me though.
coming along, coming along....

Bonanza...

We have been having a Bonanza marathon here.
I feel like I am a neighbor to the Ponderosa and Little Joe and Adam will be coming on over and taking care of my fence anytime.
Of course Hoss would talk to my son Zack about the way to handle a pocketknife or brand a steer.

Tessa picked up one of the DVD packs at WalMart last week and we are still sorting through them.
At least it is an enjoyable past time.

My mom is here for a few days on her way back to Alaska. She had major back surgery and had to stay in New York state for a month after to make sure she healed up good before flying back home.
She showed up Monday morning bright and early (earlier than my kids wake up) and went into the kids bedrooms and smooched them.....what a treat for them.

We are fighting sore throats here while the snow is flying. Popsicles are aplenty right now.
Lori

phew!....

Have I said that alot lately? sure feels like it.
life is going a.b.s.o.l.u.t.e.l.y crazy.
first of all the online writing class for college is kicking me in the hiney. I had high hopes of a 4.0 grade level....well,....sheesh.
All I would like to do is pass the class with at least a B average.
right now we are studying appositive phrases, subordinate clauses, etc....and all of this of course ties in with what we learned last week of different types of pronouns. Did you know that there are at least 8! different types of pronouns. My brain has hit a wall....I cannot learn this stuff....albeit I am trying.

I have sold two more skirts in my Etsy shop and listed some new ones..I also sold 3 of my handbags at the local boutique Mane Attraction here in town. How fun is that to be busy with you things you have dreamed, then cut and sewn going to people in all different places?

Then.....one of our sweet boy kitties went missing on Wednesday this past week. The horriblest part of it is that the cat belongs to my daughter that has already lost two of her boy cats to sickness in the past several years and last week her bunny had a malfunction with his bunny cage and got out. Two days later he died...we think he somehow got into some poison across the street before we found him over there.
we have done the "missing" flyers and distributed them to the neighborhood and local grocery store with a substantial reward. How can you put a price on a beloved pet or your childs happiness when she has grieved so much already? sigh....

so anyway, been busy just a lil' bit.
Lori

P.S. Tessa and I do realize that Hannah looks hunchbacked in the title picture and are trying to figure out a different picture to put there....poor Hannah, her back must surely hurt. ~snort~

saved from the trash....

The organizing bug (some may call it purging) has hit our home in stages. As Tessa was going through a large garbage bag of items I should have mended in the past year (ahem...) she found this denim jumper.

It used to belong to Sophie's older sister Hannah. It ended up with paint splatters on the lower front and something on the back but I just knew someday I would fix it.

Good thing daughters sometimes inherit some of their mama's genes huh? Tessa took to it real quick like and found fabrics she wanted on it. She even found cute heart buttons to add the extra special something. I have taught my girls that each item they make needs to have an element of surprise to it...I guess the buttons are that. I like em.

As you can see Sophie is very happy with the end result....a new dress for her. Real nice job Tes.
I like the black and fuschia you picked out for it.

My first international order!

I had my first International order in my Etsy Shop recently. How much fun! Heather was so sweet to work with too.
This Giddy-Up Skirt is going to her *going to be 3* year old daughter.


I tucked in a little smile bag for a thank you for being my first order across seas.
Thanks Heather!
Lori

i L-O-V-E college...

I went to my first day of classes today.
I dont take a full day of classes but I am taking a *full load* which is 12 classes.
The first day was pretty much just them telling us what we will be doing and then being released early. I had extra time between classes and went to the library......oh...Love!

I had forgotten how much i love having my own textbooks and homework...i know...silly for some to hear that but i love it.

also getting up earlier than i normally would has gotten my day off to a good start and has made me get organized in ways i havent been made to that i needed to.
i have planned out a weekly breakfast menu for my 13 and 16 year old daughters to make for the three younger children and themselves while I am gone.
i am very proud of my children as we start out this journey......you know having a vision for something really gives hope and direction.

The Word says Man perishes for lack of vision....very good word.
lori

kitchen valance...

Since I sit here incredibly bored with not enough time to really get into a project or cleaning before I go pick up Tessa from work I thought I would post a random picture.
I had a piece of yellow fabric draped across my window for the longest time...you know with the swoop in the middle and ends trailing down the sides....very traditional.

While going through my newly acquired fabrics from the furniture store that gives them to me I found some favorites.
You cant tell but these are barn red and normal red, orange, lime green (well not quite lime) and a teensy buttersctoch.
I love it.....i also love polka dot and stripes mixed.
so it is cheerful for me.
the window framing has since been finished into a caramel color too.

There's my random post.~grin~
lori

Welcome 2008!

Last night the kids and I had our Snowflake Party. We started out about 5 years ago doing it as part of our Christmas Advent chain of fun things to do before Christmas. Last year I bummed out and did it after Christmas though (can't remember why) and this year I thought it fit better on New Years Eve.
It did.


We string lights all over the dining room ceiling and turn off the main lights, listen to Christmas music, and have stacks of white paper all over the table for snowflake cutting.
This year we tried out hand at having the scalloped scissors for the cutting too.
Turned out cute.


I also bring in hot cocoa and sugar cookies on a serving tray with Christmas napkins to the kids.
Presentation is everything right? ~grin~

We talked a bit about why people get so excited at the thought of New Years.....
* some people have had a hard year and the prospect of starting a new year is hopeful to them.
* some people have had a good year and are excited at the thought of another year like it.
* some people dream about wonderful things to come.
* some people just like to dream......

I wish you all a wonderful dream-filled New Year.
lori