The Owens Family Circus

Astronaut

2012-01-26T14:34:00.000-06:00

At school, Aidan's class has been learning about community helpers - teachers, doctors, policemen, firemen, etc. Last week, he brought home a note telling me that this Thursday, he would be allowed to come to school out of uniform, as long as he dressed as what he wants to be when he grows up. I think the assumption was that the child would choose one of the community helpers they'd been studying.

They obviously don't know my child. He wanted to be a slice of pizza for Halloween last year, for crying out loud. When I asked Aidan what he wants to be when he grows up, he said....AN ASTRONAUT! Interesting choice, considering NASA's space shuttle closed down last year, but we went with it.

Here he is, ready for school as an astronaut...

I think this one can also double as a robot costume. "The humans are dead...doo doo doo doo doo..." Don't know what I'm talking about? Go to You Tube and search Flight of the Conchords Robots. :)

Four...

2011-12-21T10:12:00.000-06:00

Days until Christmas! Buddy the Elf decided to help with the countdown this morning.

Buddy the Elf - Part II

2011-12-19T17:22:00.000-06:00

Buddy has been up to more trouble at our house. I thought I'd share some more of his tricks.

He hides in the Christmas decorations.

He found the mustache props left over from the Mustache Bash.

We found him upside-down in a wreath one morning.

He hung out in Neely's stocking for a day.

He made a zip-line in the breakfast area.

He made a mess using peppermints as blocks.

He perched on a Christmas tree branch.

He drew the kids a picture.

He found a girlfriend in Neely's room.

Remember ball pits? The gumball jar must have looked like one to Buddy.

This is today. Buddy fashioned himself a fishing pole out of a pencil, some twine, and an ornament hook. He was fishing for goldfish crackers.

All that traveling must make Buddy hungry.

Thermal Totes for Tyson

2011-12-13T22:04:00.000-06:00

Beginning December 13^th is Thirty-One Gifts’ annual thermal tote sale. Inconjunction with this sale, I am setting up a special fundraiser on myThirty-One website to raise money for a family in need. They are the Wohlford family,whose baby, Tyson, is diagnosed with Shone’s Complex. You can read about there story on their website, Help Tyson Fight. I will donate my entirecommission from this sale to the Wohlford family. Please take a moment and helpa family in need this holiday season.

To link directly to this event, click here: http://www.mythirtyone.com/shop/catalog.aspx?eventId=E1325569&from=DIRECTLINK

You may order anything you like from the sale. However,thermal totes are on sale for just $10 and $15. They are handy for carryingsnacks and lunches, and a thermal tote makes a great gift if you want topurchase one and save it for later. I will be closing this sale on December 31^st,so please do not expect to receive your order before Christmas. Also, pleaseselect to have your order delivered directly to you. If you choose “deliver tohostess,” it will come to me, and if you live out of state, this will present achallenge.

I would also greatly appreciate it if you can help me spread the word about this fundraiser.

Buddy, the Elf on the Shelf

2011-12-08T21:52:00.000-06:00

Last year, we started our Elf on the Shelf tradition. The kids love it! It's fun to see where Buddy hides each day. Here have been a few of his hiding places thus far...

The soda crates.

The nativity.

One night, Buddy even sneaked a bite of chocolate from Aidan's advent calendar.

He still had chocolate all over his face. Silly elf. :)

Family Photos - Thanksgiving Edition

2011-12-04T19:45:00.000-06:00

Thansgiving

2011-11-29T08:41:00.000-06:00

We spent Thanksgiving in the woods again this year. My grandparents were unable to make the trip this time, so this time, there was no paranormal activity to speak of. We were, however, relatively technology-free and had a great time playing outside, eating, spending time with family, eating, reading, eating, playing games, and of course, eating. I actually had a food hangover on Friday. My blood sugar was so out of whack from Thanksgiving, that I felt awful all day! Note to self: Do not repeat this experience at Christmas. Here are my favorite photos from the trip.

Dad carved some Thansgiving pumpkins. He had to add the "K" to the back of the second pumpkin. I'm ashamed to admit that I'm pretty sure I was the last one to notice...after someone pointed it out to me. And I'd been taking all kinds of photos of it!

Sweet, smiley Levi.

John, Aidan, and Levi playing Angry Birds, or Tiny Wings, or Battleship, or something.

Neely Bug. She was so cute with her ponytail, turkey shirt, jeggings, and pink cowgirl boots. It's too bad you can hardly see any of that in the photo.

Food prep. That's a lot of garlic! Mmm...

Some of the line-up.

Uncle Jopey, working for his supper.

Maggie and Levi.

Turkey time!

Gathered to eat.

Family Photos - Preview

2011-11-27T18:19:00.000-06:00

Over the holiday, I took some family photos of the crowd at Jasmine Hill. They're downloaded to the computer, waiting to be edited, but I wanted to share one of my favorites. Isn't he sweet with his lil' snowman tie? Courtesy of Auntie Audra, of course. ;)

Lil' Turkey

2011-11-17T20:55:00.000-06:00

Three years ago, I made Neely Bug her first lil' turkey shirt...using Stitch Witchery and fabric paint. Thank goodness my t-shirt making skills have improved. Here she is wearing the latest...and her best "cheese" face.

The Mustache Bash - Baby Shower

2011-11-12T18:37:00.000-06:00

Last weekend, I helped throw a baby shower for my sister-in-law. It was a mustache bash, and I loved it. I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

Little man onesies.

A photo booth - complete with ties and mustache props.

My sideboard all decked out.

Mustache soap party favors. Need some? Visit Mel's Fun Suds.

Diaper thoughts. I wish I'd taken photos of some of the things the guests came up with. They were hilarious.

We did something serious for Mama to keep in her baby book, too.

Kristen's lovely banner. Thank goodness. I am not skilled with paper.

Another shot of the fireplace as gifts began to accumulate. I love that they're color-coordinated. I'm a nerd.

Veggie cups. Of course, they have mustaches, too.

Homemade cake balls.

Limey green punch.

Mustache cookies courtesy of my friend Helene. If you need cookies and live in my area, I'll give you her number! They are awesome.

More food.

A photo booth shot...

...or two...

...or three...

...or four. I'm nearly done. I promise!

Mama and her fu manchu.

Mama in her screen printed mustache maternity shirt. This was my first attempt at screen printing. It turned out pretty well, I think.

Neely Bug had to get in on the mustache action, too.

There you have it! It's been a while, but I still know how to throw a baby shower!

Halloween!

2011-11-02T14:36:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe another Halloween has come and gone. We did it up big this year, since it's our first Halloween in our own house. We invited friends over and went trick-or-treating. A good time was had by all.

Halloween morning surprises

I love my deep sink. It's perfect for Halloween color-coordinated drinks. Yes, I'm cool like that.

Wassail in the crock pot.

Halloween candles and banner.

I attempted to get a picture of the inside. It didn't turn out very well, but the kids wrestling on the couch is kind of funny.

Neely's least favorite decoration. She didn't like that I gave her horns.

Goodies!

Caramel apples. PW made it look so easy. Mine were drippy and funny...not to mention practically cemented to the platter.

Gru and Minions. And yes, this is the best picture I've got. It's hard to get these three to cooperate.

Happy lil' minion.

Uh...

Clown and Tinkerbell.

All the kiddos ready to hit up the neighbors for some candy.

P.S. Why didn't we get the memo to purchase an ATV and trailer for hay ride trick-or-treating?

Aidan's Jack-O-Lantern. Neely's is next to it, carved to look like Hello Kitty, of course, but I forgot to give her a candle.

Jack Skellington and Darth Vader.

Beaver had to have the pumpkin I chose for Darth Vader, then gave up on him 15 minutes in, so I finished the abandoned pumpkin. That, my friends, is love.

Our spooky house, complete with silhouettes, fog, and lights.

Halloween Preview

2011-10-24T19:06:00.000-05:00

My kids are dressing as minions from Despicable Me for Halloween this year. Neely has expressed some apprehension about wearing hers, so I decided we needed a trial run. Once Aidan had his on, she wanted hers. We're one minion short, but they're adorable! They may be the best Halloween costumes ever!

Pumpkin Bread

2011-10-23T19:34:00.000-05:00

Last week, I made pumpkin bread. I shared a picture on Instagram and gave some to the kids' teachers, and I've had several requests for the recipe. This comes from Paula Deen's The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook.

Pumpkin Bread
(Yields 2 regular loaves or 9-10 mini loaves)

3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil (I used 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup applesauce instead)
4 eggs
2 cups canned pumpkin
2/3 cup water
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (I leave these out)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two loaf pans. Mix sugar and oil with mixer. Add eggs and blend. Add pumpkin and blend. Add water and blend. Combine remaining ingredients and add slowly. Fill pans equally and bake for 1 hour (less for mini loaves - mine were done in 45 minutes) or until golden brown.

PD's Southern Cooking Bible

2011-10-21T18:15:00.000-05:00

Who's already gone out and added one of these to your cookbook collection?

Does the inside happen to look like this?

If your name is Jamie Owens, shut your mouth. I already know the answer to the question.

Here's how it all went down. Thursday is lazy day around here. I usually stay in my pajamas or gym clothes as long as possible, which is sometimes bedtime, when I change into clean pajamas. ;) Yesterday, it was gym clothes, in case you were wondering.

I had just finished baking Mrs. Paula's pumpkin bread from her first The Lady & Sons cookbook. I couldn't make that up if I wanted to. There's evidence on my Instagram and Facebook. Anyway, I opened up my Facebook and saw my sister-in-law's post that Paula Deen would be signing cookbooks at our Wal-Mart yesterday. From some of the other folks' comments, I thought I'd already missed it. I called Jamilla up anyway. (She'll be thrilled that I called her that.) The real scoop was that the signing began at 6pm, and I hadn't missed it.

I had a very long internal debate about whether or not to try and go. Honestly? I really didn't want to put on real pants and make-up. Ultimately, Paula won. If I'll put on pants and make-up for you on my lazy day, you know you're important.

We got there right at 6pm, and the store was almost out of books. We were close(ish) to the back of the line, so we got to weave through women's clothing, jewelry, toys, hardware, and the garden center before we got a glimpse of Mrs. Paula.

I killed a lot of time doing things like this...

There was also lots of chasing her through the store, playing peek-a-boo, don't drop the baby, and I'm pretty sure this girl needs a Rockin' Mickey for Christmas after the amount of times she wanted to watch the demo. Someone had even set up a camping chair in front of it. Lucky for us!

Part of the way through the line, we got to meet this guy.

He seems so quiet whenever he makes appearances on Paula's TV show, but Mr. Michael was very friendly and personable. Ellyce wasn't sure what to make of him. I'm pretty sure she was scared. She'd been trying to bolt out of my arms until we were talking to him, and she just froze until we walked away again. He uses the word "darling" a lot. I love it!

After much more that was not photo-worthy, we made it! What did I say to Paula Deen? I said, "Hi." And she also said, "Hi." Of all the things I could say to this woman, I completely froze. I could have told her about how when I got married all I knew how to cook were scrambled eggs, egg salad, and my mom's poppyseed chicken casserole until I started watching her show and bought her cookbook. I could have told her that more pages in that cookbook are stained than not, I've used it so much. I could have told her she looks as beautiful in person as she does in pictures and on my television. But I didn't. I just grinned like the cheshire cat and moved on, because her security was intimidating the you-know-what out of me! I didn't even manage a decent picture. Oh, well. I have a good memory and an autograph to prove I've met a celebrity who has actually had a positive impact on my life.

Because let's face it, y'all. Eating is important!

P.S. John had also made a request for Bisquick while I was at the Wal-Mart, because he made her sausage balls after I got home!

Halloween decorations are up!

2011-10-19T21:25:00.000-05:00

I finally got my Halloween decorations put up! I did a fall transition mantel that was mostly pumpkins and candy corn, and I didn't like it. Halloween is now in full effect. Well, mostly. I'll probably add a few surprises just before Halloween.

I loved the deco mesh wreaths on my front doors so much that I decided to make a giant purple and black one for the mantel. My intent had been to do more apothecary jars and creepy stuff. Ultimately, I decided to wing it and use things I had around the house (or that were cheap), and I like it!

I found that glittery skull for $2.50 in the cheap stuff section of my Target store and balanced him atop an old weathered candlestick that I haven't used in a while. I salvaged a couple of old empty wine bottles and attached some spooky labels that I found on Amazon for under $5. I always have empty jars lying around, so I also filled a couple with bouncy eyeballs and plastic spiders that also came from Target.

I found those adorable printables for free! Here's Keep Calm and Scary On, and here's Eat, Drink, and Be Scary. They may be my favorite part of the whole mantel.

Does anyone else decorate with candy corn? I love it. It, thank goodness, is also cheap, because it took a whole lot to fill that jar. My purple owl friend was originally white and found at Marshall's for $4. I wanted him to look more Halloween-y, so I spray-painted him - or I guess her, really - purple.

That's it, folks! Halloween at the Owens casa so far.

Thirty-One for the Holidays

2011-10-08T17:30:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow, I am participating in my first holiday show as a Thirty-One consultant. There are going to be several vendors there, and I've been trying to revamp my display to give people ideas for how to use our products as gifts. I'm using you as my guinea pigs, so please tell me what you think.

First, I used one of our littles carry-all caddies to create a spa gift basket. The caddy is the wrapping. Add a pretty tag and bow, and it's ready! I found a pretty bottle of lotion and soap at Marshall's and grabbed a pack of loofahs at the dollar store. Here it is out of the basket...

...and in the basket. This is the tailored stripe print. I love the black and white with the hot pink handles. Adorable.

Next, I put together a movie basket. I put a DVD, some popcorn containers from the dollar store, a cute jar of candy from Marshall's, and a couple bags of microwave popcorn in a littles carry-all. This print is called Winter Wonderland. It would be cute to have a box of tissue hanging out in this one around the holidays, too. So, in the caddy...

...Out of the caddy. You could stick a movie theater gift card in the mesh pocket on the outside of the caddy if you're feeling really generous.

This is the last one I used the littles carry-all for. It's a coffee lover's basket. All I put in this one is an acrylic travel mug (one of my Neely Bug Boutique holiday mugs, of course), a pound of coffee, and a bottle of flavored syrup that I found at the dollar store. Not only is it surprising how much I managed to fit in these little caddies, I was also surprised at how much awesome stuff I found at the dollar store! In...

...and out. :)

I used a larger tote for the next one. This is Thirty-One's all-in-one organizer. You could call this one the baker's bag, or cook's tools. I got a package of wooden spoons from the dollar store, but I removed them from the ugly package and tied them up with a pretty ribbon. I also put some dish towels and scone mix that I found at Marshall's inside. For the show, I'm also going to put a cookbook in there. I forgot to do it before taking these pictures. Whoops!

The all-in-one organizer is in Thirty-One's Windsor Bouquet print. Love.

This is the last one. I used another all-in-one organizer, Paparazzi Dot, and turned it into a traveler's tote. I filled it with holiday magazines, crossword and sudoku books, a new journal, and a couple of fun snacks...and there's still room to spare! For a teenager, you could add a handheld game. For a younger child, you could do coloring books and crayons or markers instead of magazines and puzzle books. You could even fit some small toys in there. Now that I think about it, my kids are totally getting their own travel bags the next time we take a trip.

I'm hoping that these ideas spark my customers' imaginations at all the holiday shows I have coming up. What do you think? Any additional suggestions?

Soccer Game

2011-10-02T07:47:00.000-05:00

Aidan had his first soccer game yesterday. After having to practically drag him to all his practices, I wasn't sure how it would go. I shouldn't have worried. He was so excited he was practically vibrating all day long. His team - the Dragons - didn't win, but it was a fun first game.

Here's my little guy warming up.

Let the game begin!

A couple of adorable little spectators. After about five minutes in, Ellyce had all the key phrases down..."Come on!" "Go!" "Ball!" It was precious.

Look at them run. Mine's at the back of the pack.

Photographic proof. He touched the ball. :)

Team Spirit

2011-09-11T16:43:00.000-05:00

After living in our house for six months, I have finally hung something on the front doors. I'm fairly certain we'll be the only ones on our street sporting orange and white. Go Vols!

Cookie Fiasco

2011-08-30T21:04:00.000-05:00

Today, I discovered a crafty activity that not only do I not love, I loathe it. And by the time I quit, I swore I’d never do it again. What was it? Making cookies. Actually, the making cookies portion of it was not bad. I like making cookies. Icing said cookies? Totally different story.

I'll back up and explain a little. Neely wants a Hello Kitty birthday party this year, so I saw a Hello Kitty cookie cutter online and thought, "How cute! I can make Hello Kitty cookies for the party." I decided to give it a trial run, so I'd have some practice, know how long they take, etc.

Everything tastes great, the icing that I had the patience to pipe onto the cookies even looks okay, it is just the single most tedious thing I have ever tried to do. I spent the entire day working on them, with only minor interruptions here and there. By 4pm, I threw in the towel. Sorry, Hello Kitty, you don’t get a face. Well, three of them do, but only because I had a handful of mini M&M's in the right colors. And they don't look cute. I nearly lost the feeling in my right hand from squeezing the darn pastry bag. I don’t know how people do this and enjoy it. It is not for me.

Here are my goofy-looking Hello Kitty cookies. If you want to see cookies that actually look pretty, go visit Bridget at Bake at 350. She makes it look like a breeze. I make it look like an exploding mess of crazy. Her Vanilla-Almond Sugar Cookie and Royal Icing recipes are good, for those of you who are handier at this baking business than me.

My poor kids suffered for it, too. After spending the entire day standing in the kitchen, I couldn't bear to even think about cooking dinner. So we went to Taco Bell. The end.

Rainbow

2011-08-23T09:11:00.000-05:00

You can barely see it up there, but a few nights ago, Neely came running into the house saying, "Mommy! Mommy! Come outside! You have to see this!" And even though there had not been a drop of rain at our house, there was a rainbow in the sky. I wish I could remember what rain is like.

First Day of School

2011-08-17T17:51:00.000-05:00

I had to turn him loose today. He's not just mine anymore. I have to share him with the kindergarten teacher, and with 21 other children he doesn't really know yet. I know that I can do this, that I have to do this, but I'm not sure who was more terrified - him or me.

Until now, I have only shared him a little, giving him up for a few hours to his teachers at church, the babysitter, grandparents, his preschool teachers. This, kindergarten - five days a week for most of the day - feels more substantial. We survived our first day. Both he and I shed tears as I left him for the first time this morning, but when I picked him up this afternoon, it was clear that the little chatterbox enjoyed himself.

Good luck, little man! Hopefully Mommy won't cry so much tomorrow.

Neely's First Haircut

2011-08-16T13:02:00.000-05:00

I took this little blonde mess to have her hair cut for the first time today. Up until recently, if I mentioned having her hair cut, she'd have a meltdown. It finally dawned on me that the only haircuts she's witnessed are Aidan's. She must have thought I was threatening to shave her head. Last week, I took her with me to get my bangs trimmed, and she thought it was awesome. We made her an appointment that day.

Up top there, those are her "before" pictures. I tried to take some at home this morning, but you really couldn't tell how long and stringy it was getting in them.

Neely was awesome for her haircut. I do not remember Aidan's first haircut - or his second, third, fourth, etc. - with fondness. He was a nightmare. Neely was so excited. She sat in the chair by herself and was completely quiet and still. It took less than ten minutes, she was so good.

Her "after" pictures turned out a little blurry, but you get the general idea. The back has been cut blunt so it will grow back out more evenly, and that little swoop she's always got across her face has been trimmed, too. My lovely little girl has been made even lovelier. And her reward for being such a good sport? She picked out blue crackle polish at the salon. Little diva.

What's keeping me away

2011-08-15T16:08:00.000-05:00

I am an epic failure with blogging lately. I know. I have good excuses, I promise. My hubby just came home, and I'm sending my boy to kindergarten this week. I'm spending all my time with my babies.

Here's something else that's keeping me busy...my new business! Neely Bug Boutique is still going strong, but I decided to become a consultant for Thirty-One Gifts on the side. I've been doing it for about six weeks now, and I am loving it. I adore all of the products, and I have started meeting lots of fun ladies at the parties I've had. Win-win! The picture up above is from my fall open house. Anybody want to party? ;)

School Uniform

2011-08-10T22:13:00.000-05:00

My little boy starts kindergarten in a week. Today, I took him in for his kindergarten testing, and he had to wear his school uniform for the first time. He was so excited, and he looked super adorable. Of course, I'm not biased or anything. Anyway, here he is. I can't believe it's time for him to start school. I will, no doubt, be beside myself when the day actually comes. Maybe on his actual first day of school, I can get him to look at the camera instead of the ground.

A New 'Do

2011-07-26T22:56:00.000-05:00

I don't know how many of you have been sucked into the wonderful world of pinning, but I am totally hooked on Pinterest. The other day, I stumbled across something a friend had put up - a bun how-to. If you've been around me at all this summer, you know I'm pretty up-do inept. I'm all ponytails, all the time. Seriously. I think the most complicated thing I know how to do is pigtails, which is only tougher than a ponytail because it's, you know, two of them. :)

Anywho, on a whim, I decided to actually try this one out this morning. You can find the original messy French bun tutorial....here. I wasn't sure if this one would work out for me. My hair is long-ish, a little past my shoulders, but super layered. Thank goodness there's no harm in trying.

Don't worry. I'm getting around to sharing my results. But really, do you know how hard it is to take a picture of your own hair? Especially when all the excitement is going on in the back? Hard. Don't judge me too harshly.

Oh, wait. First, here are the products I used to dirty up my hair. The original tutorial recommends some Aveda product. I just used the good ol' Suave mousse. I attacked it with the hairspray afterward, so it wouldn't budge in the Louisiana humidity. (It didn't. Hallelujah.) And the only reason I splurge on the Bed Head is because it actually smells good. Hairspray that smells good? Is that an oxymoron of some kind?

Moving on. Here I am. Making a weird face and not sure where to look. Oh, well. It still looks like it might be a ponytail from this angle. Drumroll, please....

Ta-da! Not a ponytail. It wasn't even that hard. Honestly. I was pretty proud of myself, if that isn't already apparent based solely on the fact that I am blogging about it.

Here's another attempt to take a photo of the back of my own head. Totally awesome. I need to come up with a better place to hang the bath mat. Sheesh.

And another. I'm almost not even in this picture.

I had to include this one, because it's the funniest of all. Come on, arms. Stretch just a little longer. I am so weird. At least you can't see down my shirt. Much.

Apples!

2011-07-13T23:14:00.000-05:00

It occurred to me that I haven't shared very many of my sewing projects here lately. Neely Bug Boutique has been very, very busy lately. A friend recently asked me to work on a couple of fall outfits for her niece. This is the bottom half of one - my first try at two layers of ruffles on the pants. I adore them. Ruffles are my favorite. I put these together inside-out once, and attached all the ruffles in the wrong order on the first try, but they were worth it. I'm thinking Neely may need some for her first day of school.

Kids Project - Making Butter

2011-07-11T15:18:00.000-05:00

We had a bunch of heavy cream leftover from making ice cream last week. In an inspired moment, I remembered this book that we have, 50 Science Things to Make and Do, and got Aidan to help me make butter. It's easy-peasy. All you have to do is pour some heavy cream into a jar, put the lid on tight, and shake! Our book says to shake it for 10-15 minutes. Aidan pooped out after five, and since I was in the middle of making the ice cream, the jar sat on the counter until I was finished and could work on it myself. I shook it for a minute or two before realizing there didn't seem to be much going on inside the jar. I peeked inside, and voila! The butter was ready. Yum!

Here's a photo of the book's cover. It has all kinds of fun science experiments for kids. I need to remember to break it out more often. If you'd like your own, you can find one on Amazon, or contact your favorite Usborne Books representative. I bought mine a few years ago, so I have no idea if it's even still in the catalog, but your rep should know!

Ice Cream Report

2011-07-09T16:22:00.000-05:00

Last week, I tried out two new recipes from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home - Kona Stout and Backyard Mint. I made them before the Fourth, so I figured it would be good to have something more kid-friendly than just the Kona Stout.

Anyway, all that to say, both recipes make great ice cream. The Kona Stout is unusual. It's bitter and sweet at the same time, and the coffee and beer flavors just sort of blend together and you almost you almost can't tell which is which.

The Backyard Mint does not call for green food coloring, or for mini chocolate chips, but I added them anyway. Mint chocolate chip is my absolute favorite ice cream, and now I can make it myself!

Now, since the only stout beer I could find was in a six-pack, anybody want to take the rest of these off my hands? Or I guess I can hang onto them when it's time to make more man ice cream.

Peace, Love, and Baseball

2011-07-01T08:21:00.000-05:00

I have a friend whose son's little league team is going to the World Series. I was called upon to make fun shirts for several of the mamas and sisters. You have to love a sequined baseball. :) Anyway, here they all are. I've also been monogramming coaches' shirts, and I've got some pillowcases and towels to get started on. Busy, busy week! I'll be putting the Peace, Love, and Baseball tanks up for sale in my Etsy shop, Neely Bug Boutique, for all you baseball fans.

Homemade Sweet Corn Ice Cream

2011-06-27T22:46:00.000-05:00

I recently made a new addition to my cookbook collection - Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home, by Jeni Britton Bauer. It is lovely. It's been my bedtime reading for the last week, and I've been dreaming of ice cream every night.

The book is organized by season, and I've decided to try and work my way through the summer section in the next couple of months. If I'm feeling up to it come autumn, I may carry on through the book. We'll see. I've got to get through the summer first. Anyway, the first recipe for summer is Sweet Corn Ice Cream with Black Raspberry Sauce. After glancing through the refrigerator, I realized that I had almost everything I needed to make it, so I picked up the last few ingredients and gave it a go.

I used red raspberries instead of black, since I already had them in the freezer. Honestly, I don't think I've ever seen a black raspberry in my life. A few months ago, I saw white raspberries at the grocery store, and they froze me in my tracks. I had no idea such a thing existed. All that to say, the sauce is delicious with red raspberries.

The trickiest part of the whole ordeal was convincing the kids to try it out. I knew if I said, "Hey, kids, want some corn ice cream?" they'd have gone running in the opposite direction. I told them it was called "Red Swirl." Neely loved hers. Aidan tried a few bites before deciding he doesn't like "the red."

I think it's wonderful! The sweet corn flavor is light and summery, and the tangy sweet raspberry sauce blends with it beautifully. Who knew? Jeni. ;)

I don't think it's fair to spill Jeni's recipe here. Her book is brand-spanking new, and I think you should all go buy one yourself! Come back next week to see what I think of her Kona Stout Ice Cream recipe, which I will not be asking my children to sample.

Comfort Food - Fettuccine Alfredo

2011-06-26T18:51:00.000-05:00

Even in the dead of summer, sometimes you just need a little comfort food. This creamy deliciousness is one of mine. The homemade sauce is way better than anything that comes out of a jar, and nearly as good as going out to an Italian restaurant. And just to warn you, it is nowhere near healthy. This is also, coincidentally, the only 30-Minute Meal I've ever pulled off in half an hour. Enjoy!

Fettuccine all'Alfredo

Makes 4 servings.

2 (9-ounce) packages refrigerated fettuccine noodles (or linguine if fettuccine is sparse)

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half (but let's be honest, it's better with cream)

1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Bring salted water to a rolling boil for the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain.

Preheat a large skillet over medium heat, add butter and melt. Add cream or half-and-half, and stirring constantly, add cheese and cook, 1 minute. Season with nutmeg, pepper, and a pinch of salt. Turn off heat and add drained pasta to the skillet, tossing until sauce coats the pasta evenly. Adjust seasonings and serve.

My Beach Angel

2011-06-20T09:30:00.000-05:00

I'm still working my way through all the photos. I remembered last night that I have a whole second camera to import. I wanted to share this one of my little beach angel, because I love it. With her hands on her hips, staring at the ocean, it's totally Neely. I wonder what she's thinking.

Home Again

2011-06-19T16:16:00.000-05:00

After 1,763 miles of driving, we are home from our beach vacation. We saw friends and family, and we played and ate our little hearts out. It was worth it. And even though it is Africa hot outside, I breathed a little sigh of relief to finally be here.

Until next time, I'll be tweaking my 239 photos, doing loads upon loads of laundry, and trying to revive my crispy lawn.

Summer Fun

2011-06-06T22:36:00.000-05:00

Summer is here. We're out enjoying it. Sorry for the lack of blogging. :)

Freezer Jam

2011-05-31T21:51:00.000-05:00

I finally decided to take advantage of all the delicious strawberries available right now and tried my hand at freezer jam. I may be making a lot of freezer jam this summer. I'm not supposed to do traditional canning on my new stove. Bummer.

Anyway, here are all my pretty berries, washed and quartered.

You need four cups of mashed strawberries. The mashing takes a little while. And if you want to skip your arm workout that day, I say go ahead. This part is grueling!

Instant pectin for freezer jam. I used two of these packets.

Voila! Six jars of lovely jam. My canning urge is satisfied...for now. I may be borrowing somebody's stove for pickled okra this year.

Strawberry Freezer Jam:

Makes six 8-ounce jars

4 cups mashed strawberries

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 0.5-ounce packets instant pectin

1. Mash strawberries.

2. Mix pectin and sugar together in a bowl. Add mashed berries and stir for three minutes.

3. Ladle into clean jars, leaving 1/2 inch head room. Put the lids on, and let them sit for 30 minutes. Store in freezer until ready to use. Jam is good in the freezer for 1 year.

Preschool Rocks!

2011-05-23T19:06:00.000-05:00

Aidan's preschool graduation was this morning. *sniff* Actually, I did really well. I only teared up a few times, and no all-out boo-hooing ensued. Thank goodness. They had a really cute program where they sang a few songs and passed out diplomas. I even managed to video parts of it. Neely was really well-behaved...for Neely.

I apologize for the poorly focused videos. I used the video function on my DSLR, and I think it was having trouble focusing with the lighting dark where I was and bright up on stage.

Oh, and seeing so many of my t-shirts all in one place? Crazy. Plain crazy. Here's my little graduate. I'm so proud of you, sweet boy.

As Promised

2011-05-14T21:34:00.000-05:00

I know you're all dying to know what has kept me away from my blog and sharing darling pictures of my children and of my new house with all of you. So what was it? Work! The last couple of months, I have been flooded with orders, the biggest of which was to embroider 30 t-shirts for all the four-year-olds participating in preschool graduation with Aidan at our church. No easy task with two little ones running around the house. I am now finished! I still have other orders in line, so there's no need to worry about me getting bored any time soon. I am definitely glad to have these out of the line-up, though.

Breakfast Room

2011-05-10T13:06:00.000-05:00

This is the only room in my house that I'm completely satisfied with so far. Everywhere else is almost there, but I'm still tweaking things. Anyway, here is our breakfast area. Right after we moved in, I posted photos of the kids' silhouettes on the wall. I've now got something hanging above my sideboard, my nicknacks just how I want them, and the spare chair at least looks like it's doing an important job.

I didn't want to use my old soda crates to store thread anymore. As small as my sewing area is now, I was afraid I'd constantly be knocking them off the wall. I like them in the kitchen, though.

My big, red sideboard that I love. This was one of the major deal-breakers on whether or not we offered on this house. I had to measure to be certain that it would fit on this wall. Other furniture? Disposable. ;) Not this piece.

Here are some closer shots of what I've collected on big red. A sugar mold, a ceiling tin, the angel Aidan gave me for my birthday, a Yankee Candle that I got for my birthday, some pictures...

...birds, of course, a hobnail milk glass pitcher, a cake stand, and some adorable pear-shaped candles that I found at Lulu on Main Street in Franklin. I love it. I've had this sideboard for several years now, and this is the first time that I haven't felt like it wasn't quite right. Hooray! I'll keep tweaking, and I'll share more rooms as I start to like them better. :)

A Little Mother's Day Fun

2011-05-09T10:59:00.000-05:00

I have most definitely been neglecting the blog lately. I'll share more about the reason why later on, but for now, here's a little bit of how we celebrated Mother's Day. Really, we just went to church and then hung out at home. Neely made up a song for me before we left for church. It was probably the sweetest gift ever, especially since she doesn't really know or give a rip that it was Mother's Day.

Here are the two goofy little reasons that I get to celebrate. They're in swimming gear, because we set up the pool and hung out in the yard all afternoon.

Lycie likes it.

All three babies together. Okay, so they're not all babies anymore, but still. They have fun together. I think Lycie's going to be giving Aidan and Neely a run for their money soon.

Sneak Peek - Living Room

2011-04-29T14:44:00.000-05:00

The fate of my living room decor is still uncertain, but for two things. 1) This sign will be displayed in a prominent place. I adore it. Thanks, Stef!

2) This rug will be greeting guests in the foyer. I stumbled upon a shop on Main Street in Franklin that sells Dash and Albert rugs. I love, love, love them. They're so colorful and cheerful. The one I chose is called Kitchen Sink. You can guess why. :) The best part is they're indoor/outdoor rugs. This baby can be hosed down, thrown in the washing machine, or even bleached, which is awesome, because I already spy a dog hair!

Apple Cake

2011-04-17T17:09:00.000-05:00

I made this for a party last night. It was wonderful! Here's how to make your own...

Fresh Apple Cake

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 1/2 lb. Granny Smith apples (about 4 large), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges

Browned-Butter frosting

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.

2. Stir together butter and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl until blended.

3. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture, stirring until blended. Stir in apples and 1 cup pecans. (Batter will be very thick, similar to cookie dough.) Spread batter into a lightly greased 13- by 9-inch pan.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack (about 45 minutes). Spread browned-butter frosting over cake; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup pecans.

Browned-Butter Frosting

1 cup butter

1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Cook butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, 6 to 8 minutes or until butter begins to turn golden brown. Remove pan from heat immediately, and pour butter into a small bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour or until butter is cool and begins to solidify.

2. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add powdered sugar alternately with milk, beginning and ending with powdered sugar. Beat mixture at low speed until well blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

Both recipes courtesy Southern Living Magazine.

Color Conundrum

2011-04-13T22:29:00.000-05:00

My living room. Right now, it is brown on brown on brown - brown floor, brown paint, brown couches - with white trim. It really needs an infusion of color. My problem lies in choosing which one(s) to use. I may end up using them all! Everything I like right now is bright. I've been looking at throw pillows on Etsy, and these are a few of my favorites, in no particular order.

Hydrangea Pillow by dedeetsyshop

European Bird Print Covers by Pillow Maine-ia

This bold floral pillow by Turquoise Tumbleweed

Orange Bird Pillow by Turquoise Tumbleweed

Orange Love Pillow by dedeetsyshop

Green Chevron Pillow by diypillows

Linen Flowers Pillow Cover by Sukan Handmade Design

Birds Pillow Cover by Sukan Handmade Design

So you see, they all have one thing in common. They are LOUD! I'm so preoccupied with pillows, that I've hardly even addressed the issue of what to do over my mantle, now that I actually have one. I really love this marquee ampersand by tomtoupin, but I don't think it's very practical. And it's definitely not in my budget.

I also like this giclee print called "A Forest of Three" by inaluxe.

If I could find some lamps that even vaguely resemble the Anthropologie Undersea Lamp, for a fraction of the price, I'd be a happy girl. So sorry, Anthro. That is way too much for one lamp, much less two! I may just have to spray paint my boring off-white lamps aqua. That would be mucho cheaper.

Anyway, that's where I am on the whole decorating debacle. I am stumped by my living room and can't seem to move on to another area of the house. It'll get there. I haven't forgotten that I promised to share pictures. I just haven't taken any, because I'm not happy with it yet.

Cheap Thrills

2011-04-07T13:00:00.000-05:00

This is the last of the empty boxes. I think any child that can play with a boring, brown box for as long as these two have been at it must have a wonderful imagination.

This box is big enough for me to get inside!

I think I'll try it.

Can I get in, too?

If I can't get in, you can't get out.

Anybody ever seen a box with legs?

Flower Headband

2011-04-04T15:36:00.000-05:00

Who loves flower headbands? I do! I do! However, I'm super picky and hardly ever find one in the store that I like.

My friend Lisa started posting links to her new Magneblooms (she's trademarking that, by the way) on Facebook the other night, and I about died. They're gorgeous! The best part? I can have eleventy-billion flowers, and I only need one headband. They're interchangeable using, you guessed it, a magnet. Brilliant! I wish I'd thought of it. ;)

Here she is, disassembled.

The back. Please ignore my yucky, chippy fingernail polish.

I'm a sucker for details. I love her label inside the headband.

So how do you get one? Visit Lehla Shop on Etsy. Fall in love with Lisa's Magneblooms! :D

Also, do you know how difficult it is to try and take a photo of something on your own head? Crazy hard. I now have lots of pictures that look like this:

Delicious Chicken Recipe

2011-04-01T14:35:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but when the weather begins turning warm, the thought of all those heavy comfort foods we've been enjoying all winter starts to turn my stomach. I love to try lighter recipes out in the spring. ValSoCal posted this recipe a couple weeks ago, and I had to try it. I can't remember how I stumbled across her blog in the first place, but reading it always makes me hungry! This chicken is my new favorite. I served it alongside some roasted asparagus. Yum!

Anyway, the recipe...

The rub.

The meal.

Cayenne-Rubbed Chicken With Avocado Salsa - Everyday Food

   salt and pepper
   1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
   4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
   2 tablespoons olive oil
   1 medium red onion, finely diced
   2 tablespoons lime juice
   1 Hass avocado, pitted and cut into chunks

   1) In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cayenne
   rub all over chicken.
   2) In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken and cooked until
   browned on the outside and cooked throughout, 8 to 10 minutes per side.
   3) Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine onion and lime juice, set aside.
   Just before serving, fold avocado chunks into onion mixture. Season with
   salt and pepper. Serve chicken topped with salsa.

Colors

2011-03-25T07:37:00.001-05:00

By kevinjh87 (found on Flickr)

I had the following conversation with Aidan at the breakfast table today.

Aidan: Sometimes, they make Oreos with yellow in the middle. Did you know that?
Me: I do. They also make them orange at Halloween and red at Christmas.
Aidan: Why don't they make them yellow at Christmas? Yellow is a Christmas color.
Me: Most people think of red and green as being Christmas colors.
Aidan: Well, I think of yellow, because the star is yellow!
Me: (melt)

Creamy Jalapeno Ranch

2011-03-24T09:15:00.000-05:00

Living in Louisiana, we have been missing Chuy's for a long time. I got crazy this week and decided to hunt down a recipe for their creamy jalapeno ranch dressing. I actually stumbled across one that turned out really well. I've changed it up a little bit, but to us - who haven't been to a Chuy's in several months - it tastes like the real deal.

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups mayonnaise
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 jalapenos, chopped and seeded (leave the seeds in if you like it spicier)
1 4-ounce can chopped green chilies
1/3 cup cilantro
1 1-ounce packet dry ranch dressing mix

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Serve with tortilla chips or on a salad.

**I apologize for the terrible picture. We were eating late last night. I was lazy, and I didn't realize autofocus was honing in on the countertop instead of the bowl. Oops!**

Make it work

2011-03-21T15:16:00.000-05:00

Look at me. I'm channeling Tim Gunn. "Make it work, people!" And I'm immediately off on a tangent, only you wouldn't even know it, because I never made it to the point to begin with. Silly me.

Our new home is all one level, but it has a remote master. I love it, except the way I normally handle the laundry situation is no longer working. In our last home, all our bedrooms were upstairs, so everybody shared one hamper. It was easy to gather up the kids' discarded clothing and toss it in my closet along with the rest. Now? Not so much. I feel like I am constantly hiking to the back corner of the house - where ~~the laundry collection center~~ my closet happens to be - when I discover dirty clothes.

The solution? Land of Nod's I Think I Canvas mega sorter. Sort of. I intended for it to go underneath the sink in the kids' bathroom to collect all their dirties. I even measured to be sure it would fit, because I'm cool like that.

It arrived today, and when they say mega, they are not kidding. This thing is HUGE-gantic! I tried to remind it that I'd measured, and it was supposed to fit! It didn't listen. I made it work in a different way. I traded out the $2 Big Lots laundry basket that's been living in my closet for Mr. Mega. The laundry basket fits perfectly under the sink.

I guess I could have saved myself some money by trying that to begin with, but I'm kind of excited about having a sorter now. Like I said before, I'm cool like that.

Five!

2011-03-15T11:30:00.000-05:00

My boy is five, no longer a preschooler. I can't quite figure how this happened so quickly. He had a great weekend celebrating. He bounced at Jumpin' Jupiter with friends, opened gifts, rode his new bicycle, and ate far too many cupcakes. :)

Holes, Silhouettes, and Birds

2011-03-10T13:34:00.001-06:00

I bit the bullet and went for it. I put holes in our brand-new walls. It was bound to happen sooner or later. These silhouettes are the only thing so far that I knew where I wanted them - smack between the two windows in the breakfast area. My original intent was just to hang them one above the other. I'm glad I thought of adding the plate. I adore it. It breaks the rectangular monotony perfectly. And it satisfies my bird addiction.

Don't have a plate hanger on hand? Just use hot glue and a safety pin. Actually, I prefer hanging plates this way, because I don't like to see those pesky wires wrapping around the edges.

Things are slowly coming together. I'll share photos of the entire space once I get the rest of the room figured out.

Work in Progress

2011-03-07T15:25:00.000-06:00

Even though it's a chaotic mess right now, I want to share pictures of our new home. We got the last of our belongings moved in on Saturday, so we've only been working on unpacking for a couple of days.

The living room: Our furniture actually fits! Yes, I am surprised. I measured and tried to imagine it here and was fairly certain we'd have to replace it soon. I am pleasantly surprised. Now, we just have to unpack those boxes, hang blinds, decorate the mantel, and make it look like something!

Aidan's room: Everything fits here, too! I wasn't worried about the furniture here. I was worried about his TOYS. They all fit with room to spare. We can finally buy the boy a dresser.

Neely's room: It's pretty much perfect as-is. I need to hang things and make some new curtains for her, maybe repaint the back of that bookcase, but other than that, it's great!

Kitchen/office: We're technically using the formal dining room as an office/library. It's still a huge mess. The yard sale pile is accumulating on the wall opposite the desk.

Kitchen/eating area: The kitchen is unpacked and in working order. Actually, the eating area is, too. Those are empty boxes in the corner, and my sideboard is covered with decorative nicknacks.

This is the aforementioned yard sale pile. It's a bit crazy. I'll move it out to the garage once we get it organized. I'm not sharing a picture of that. John will kill me. All day yesterday, we had a mattress balanced on top of my car. Neely thought it was the funniest thing she'd ever seen.

I'll share more photos later once it looks more habitable in here. :D

Tomorrow!

2011-02-27T17:36:00.000-06:00

I was right. The weekend is dragging by. To make it even better, I am fairly certain I won't be able to sleep tonight. Tomorrow, our first house will be, well, ours!

Let the waiting begin!

2011-02-25T16:14:00.000-06:00

Our life in boxes. Everything is packed - as packed as it's going to be. We've had our final walk-through. We close on our first home on Monday. This is going to be the longest weekend EVER.

On the upside, Aidan was super duper excited about organizing the toys into these spiffy new boxes to keep in their closets at the new house. Bless his little heart. He is my son after all. ;)

Weekend

2011-02-23T15:25:00.000-06:00

These are not the photos I promised to share yesterday. Sorry. I'm still deciding which I want to share. :)

These photos are from our weekend in Oklahoma. We went to see my brother-in-law graduate UPT and for my niece's first birthday. I have no photos of the graduation, because I was trying to keep my daughter from licking the chair in front of her and answering the questions, "What's Papa doing?" and "Where's Mikey?" about 400 times. No amount of Goldfish could keep her completely quiet.

I do, however, have a few photos to share from the birthday party. Here's sweet Lycie in her birthday outfit. Yee-haw!

Here's a sweet, pudgy hand going after her first cupcake.

And here she is eating it! Finally! It took her a few minutes to really go after it.

We decided to take advantage of all the togetherness and take a family photo. Everybody looks great!...except for my children, who look a little bit weird, because they're yelling, "Cheese!"

Don't be mad, Jamie, but I laughed out loud when I saw this one. Mamas can be silly sometimes, too.

Making Aidan sick on the merry-go-round so his Mommy can take a picture. :)

Neely and Daddy, just a-swingin'.

And Neely giving Papa a run for his money.

Neely Bug

2011-02-22T14:01:00.000-06:00

We had some photos taken a couple weeks ago by our friends Bridgette & Joey over at Adaire Photography. I haven't chosen my favorites to share just yet, but this one is classic Neely. Such a charmer.

Lava Cakes

2011-02-15T13:56:00.000-06:00

Lava cakes. With all their gooey chocolate goodness, they've become a Valentine's Day tradition at our house. I use Paula Deen's recipe, and I don't think I've ever used the orange liqueur. They are so good!

6 (1-ounce) squares bittersweet chocolate
2 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 stick) butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 large eggs
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons orange liqueur

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Grease 6 (6-ounce) custard cups. Melt the chocolates and butter in the microwave, or in a double boiler. Add the flour and sugar to chocolate mixture. Stir in the eggs and yolks until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and orange liqueur. Divide the batter evenly among the custard cups. Place in the oven and bake for 14 minutes. The edges should be firm but the center will be runny. Run a knife around the edges to loosen and invert onto dessert plates.

Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T15:57:00.000-06:00

It's a good excuse for doing things like cutting the kids' Eggo waffles into mini heart shapes. :)

New Digs

2011-02-10T22:32:00.000-06:00

This is it! In a matter of weeks, this will be our new home. Our first home that will really and truly be ours! You can probably tell from the overuse of exclamation points that I'm excited!

This is the first photo I've shared, because all the ones I already had were taken in the dark. We met our realtor at the house this evening so that John could finally see it for himself. It was a little nerve-wracking, but he likes it! Thank goodness!

Now, I just have to get all these boxes packed. *groan*

Lil' Cheerleader

2011-02-06T22:14:00.000-06:00

In honor of Superbowl Sunday, the kids were supposed to wear their team colors to Tiny Town. There is something about a little pigtailed cheerleader that my camera couldn't resist. When I pulled it out, I got one of these, "Aw, Mom! Not again!"

Then, she ran away.

But wait? Is that Yo Gabba Gabba I see?

Gotcha!

She may not be looking at the camera, or smiling, but she's still one adorable little cheerleader.

Last Week

2011-02-05T12:00:00.000-06:00

Last weekend, it was hot, hot, hot. Well, for January, it was hot. I think the temperature was in the mid-70's, and we were all having fun outside in our shorts and flip flops.

I love capturing these little boogers in their true state - in motion!

Neely Bug tries so hard to blow her own bubbles. Every once in a while, the wind would pick up and help her out.

We also had friends come to town - and get stuck at our house - this week. We had so much fun! Even though it looks like Maddie must have driven over from Texas by herself in the photos, Aunt Fanny and Lila came, too.

Aidan: I would share these chips with you, but it's never too early to start watching your figure.

Maddie: Don't make me go get my mom.

Maddie and Neely's favorite pastime? Squeezing their little bodies behind the cushion on my love seat. Unfortunately, it's nearly impossible to get them both looking and smiling at the same time.

Yesterday, it snowed! And iced. The combination left this weird frozen mass on the lawn that really wasn't good for anything. It was really tough to scoop up, and basically impossible to roll in a ball. Alas, no snowman. Aidan got out his shovel and did a pretty good job reenacting "Holes."

In the absence of a second shovel, Neely opted for a putter. Whatever works!

Can it be spring yet?

2011-02-04T08:53:00.000-06:00

Even though snow and ice are in abundance outside today, I'm thinking spring. I'm ready for bright colors and warm days. I've even started making Neely some fun spring pants out of this summer soiree fabric. Now, if only the weather would cooperate.

Healing

2011-01-26T22:22:00.000-06:00

I have been - very slowly - reading an amazing book by Priscilla Shirer called One in a Million: Journey to Your Promised Land. In this book, she talks about how the Israelites wandered around in the wilderness after being rescued from slavery in Egypt and compares it to how your or I handle difficult times in our own lives. My one-sentence summary hardly does the book justice. It's wonderful.

Anyway, I have been MIA from blogging lately for several reasons. Where do I start? A little over a year ago, we moved to this house in the middle of nowhere. Seriously. We still live on base, but we're so far removed from everything, that when John is away, it feels very isolated. All of our neighbors have been students, so they've been pretty transient. In the coming year, I have lots of John-less days to "look forward" to. When we returned here after Christmas, I very nearly had a breakdown. All that consumed my thoughts was how alone I would be this year, and all around me were New Year's resolutions and people's optimistic outlooks on the coming year. I couldn't find one thing to look forward to. Not even one. And I know that sounds horrible, but there it is.

During a whirlwind, one-night stay, John's grandmother picked up this book that I'd started reading before we did all our holiday traveling, One in a Million, and marked a page, saying it was very good and to read it. I have no idea if she'd read the book before or if she just stumbled across this passage. Two days later, I read it.

"...the wilderness increases the opportunities to see God work miracles, not just in some faraway place or for more deserving people. The wilderness opens the door for God to show his supernatural power right here, in my life - in your life.

In our experience. In our emotions. In our emptiness."

Wowza. That was some timing, Granny, because empty is just how I was feeling. And the pity party I was throwing myself? It wasn't much fun, either.

After lots of tears and an evening of discussing solutions, we decided to look for a new place to live - one that would be more convenient to friends, civilization, church, and while we're at it, that would send Aidan to a better school when fall and kindergarten arrive. (Kindergarten! Am I this old???)

We did lots of hunting on our own and didn't turn up much. Rental homes in areas that we liked were either far too expensive or far too small, or already taken by the time we called. Our final act of desperation was to contact a local real estate company that also handles rentals.

After seeing their list of rental homes and finding it wanting, the realtor I was in contact with asked me why we didn't consider buying a home. Why, indeed? Because we've lived here for five years. Because Murphy's Law is that as soon as we buy a house, we'll get orders to move. Because it's SCARY. But we started talking about it, and talking about it, and talking about it.

This is the third time we have considered buying a house here in Louisiana. My thoughts? When God throws something in your path more than once, maybe you should give it more than a passing glance.

We decided that we would at least look. We could buy a house that would be appealing to a renter, with the intent of renting it if and when we have to move again. I talked to the realtor. I talked to a mortgage broker. I had a list of houses that the realtor would show me. I browsed the MLS listings obsessively, trying to determine from pictures if any of these could be "our house."

On Thursday night, I went to bed with a particular house on my mind. It was strange, because the photos I'd seen of it were fairly unimpressive. Well, maybe not unimpressive, but there wasn't anything about it that was really different or stood out from any of the others. But I fell asleep dreaming of it, all the same.

On Friday, the realtor took me to see nine houses. Nine! I was very intimidated going into it, because they were all new construction. I was terrified that they would all run together and I wouldn't be able to remember which I liked and which I didn't. I prayed for discernment. I prayed to know, without a shadow of a doubt, when (or if) I saw the right house. The house I'd dreamed of the night before was the fourth house I saw. It was wonderful. The best features of the house weren't in the MLS photos. I looked at five more houses after it, and none compared. It's not that it was nicer or larger; it just made more sense to me.

We deliberated all weekend. John loves the neighborhood, so he was willing to let me put in an offer for the house without having seen it, except in my photos. It's smaller than our current house, but we ultimately decided that this is not a bad thing.

Anyway, through all of this, the deciding, the looking, the debating, I was anxious. I have never felt so anxious in my life. There was an open house on Sunday. I just knew that the house would sell quickly after other people had seen it. I have also never prayed so hard - for wisdom, for discernment, for the house to sell if we weren't supposed to have it, for it not to sell if we were, etc. And there was also uncertainty. Should we keep looking? Should we try to find something bigger? Should we spend more money?

On Monday, John and I decided that we would put in an offer for the house. By this time, my knees were worn out from praying, but as soon as the decision was made, I felt almost instant calm. I finally got a good night's sleep, free from worrying.

The next morning, back to the book, I began to read about emotional healing. One line I underlined says this, "Only God can quiet the screeching fears of one whose worries are keeping her up all night."

No kidding! There is no other explanation for it. I'd thought I'd be a nervous wreck as we wrote up our first offer and waited for a counter-offer. No nerves. I felt completely peaceful. I have been a basket case the two times we've bought cars, so this is nothing short of a miracle to me.

So....to conclude this story, we are now in contract for a lovely house. I'll have to share some pictures once it's ours.

Blah! I really didn't intend to write quite so much. I really wanted to share how much I've been learning from Priscilla Shirer's book and how it has helped me, and I'm afraid I've come out sounding like I've just done some major retail therapy.

Anyway, read One in a Million: Journey to Your Promised Land, ladies. I think it's wonderful, and I'm only halfway through.

House 8810

2011-01-22T14:36:00.001-06:00

It's official. I have found my new favorite online shop. It's called House 8810. It's whimsical and fun and has lots of retro reproduction-type goodies. Take these flour sack dish towels, for instance. They're adorable! And the bonus is that they've never actually been used. Win-win, if you ask me.

And I love the "All Out Of" pad. What an easy way to make a grocery list! I'm all about simplifying.

I also found these sweet melamine cup and plate sets. They have designs perfect for both of my children. Can you guess who is who?

Here are a couple more out-there things they sell. I laughed out loud over both. I remember sliding off many a phone book in my kids' table days.

As you can see, I'm having a lazy Saturday afternoon, scouring the internet for things I don't need. :)

Purging and Organizing!

2011-01-20T17:20:00.000-06:00

It rained again today. We have only seen sunlight for one day this week - yesterday. Arg! So today, I cleaned. I intended just to do typical housecleaning - dusting, vacuuming, etc. Instead, I cleaned out the pantry and our desk. Well, to be honest, I actually started on the desk last week, worked on it some more last night, and finished it today. It was a bear.

Here's what it looked like last night. I don't think there was a single surface that wasn't covered with mess!

And you know you have too many Apple products when you find this many of their USB cords in your drawer...and I can think of two more that are hanging out in other parts of the house!

This is how it looks now that it's finished. Let's pretend there aren't things still stacked all over the top. I'm just not sure where else to put them yet.

I didn't take a "before" picture of my pantry. This is what it looks like now. Whoever put a pantry this tiny in a four bedroom house is crazy. The only reason it works for us at all is because our last house had no pantry!

And may I say that I adore baskets? I use them everywhere else in the house - the laundry room, under the bathroom sink, in the linen closet - why is it only now occurring to me to use them in the pantry? I love it. Now all the muffin mix and chili seasoning and half-used bags of granola and nuts have a home. I'm wishing I had about ten more to really straighten the thing out.

A few days ago, we moved Aidan's trains to his bedroom. He has a big under-the-bed box for all the tracks and trains, and we got an inexpensive bookcase to hold all the bridges and buildings in his closet. It's working out so much better. Our playroom/office is at the bottom of the stairs, and you have to walk through it to get anywhere in the house. I was constantly hurting my feet or messing up the track when it lived downstairs. Can you imagine maneuvering around this with a full basket of laundry in your arms? Dangerous.

Here, Aidan has set up a truly magnificent track in his bedroom. This is the view from the door.

And this is the view from the opposite corner. It takes up his whole room! You know you have too many Geotrax when... Of course, he's been building this collection for a few years, so I guess it's to be expected.

This is the mess Neely made while I was organizing other parts of the house. She's not quite so tidy a player as her big brother. The dress-up box threw up in her room. At least she was having fun. And actually, this mess is pretty easy to clean up.

And that, my friends, is how we made it through this rainy day. I may have to organize my underwear by color if things don't start looking up. ;)

Playing

2011-01-19T14:28:00.000-06:00

I am trying so hard to take better photos and learn how to use my new(ish) camera. I had my old one for five years, and I had that bad boy figured out! The new one is similar, but five years of new technology and tricks is still a lot to learn.

An example? White balance. On my last camera, you did the old point it at something white and push a button deal. Simple. Here, camera. This is white. Go! Call me crazy, but I really liked it that way. And when I forgot to set it myself, auto turned out pretty well.

On the new camera, you choose what kind of light you're shooting in - sunlight, incandescent, fluorescent, etc. That's all well and good, unless you're not in a habit of changing it...which I'm not, see? Exhibit 1: Yellowish photo of clippies. The last time I shot in manual - which I don't always do, because most of the time, the kids are just moving too fast - I left it set to fluorescent light.

Good thing I noticed how yucky that looked before I put everything away and loaded the photos onto the computer. Because look! I switched it over to incandescent, and ta-da! Beautiful. The colors actually look right.

I was also playing around with a new lens that I got for Christmas. It's a 50mm, and it has much better depth of field to work with than the zoom lens that came on the camera. Of course, taking these pictures at night was probably a bad idea. The next time, I'll try to be patient and wait for daylight. I had to have the aperture so far open that I couldn't even get all four clips in focus. Whoops!

Anyway, I know that's all pretty boring, and from reading the title of the post, you probably expected something about my kids playing, not me playing with my camera, but that's all I've got. It's been dreary and rainy for several days, and we haven't been up to much other than watching movies and playing with Play Doh.

Oh, and for anyone interested in buying some of the cute little clippies featured in all my photos, please visit my Etsy shop, Neely Bug Boutique.

Name Applique T-Shirt

2011-01-12T11:02:00.000-06:00

I'm trying something new! Neely is, of course, my guinea pig. Whaddya think? ;)

I also made her some cargo pants yesterday. I love them, too. I'll probably list them on Etsy once I get some better pictures.

Flight Suit Dress

2011-01-09T12:06:00.000-06:00

Every once in a while, I make something I'm really proud of. Yesterday, I finished making a dress from a flight suit for my niece, Lycie. My sister-in-law sent me a photo to use as inspiration, but I ended up creating a pattern and doing it my own way. I love it. I'm going to have to pull some of Beaver's old flight suits out and make one for Neely now. And the response to it has been so overwhelming, I may have to go ahead and start resizing my pattern so I can keep up with the demand! It's very exciting. Anyway, since I've talked it up so much...here she is!

NYC at Christmas

2011-01-02T17:14:00.000-06:00

Our Christmas gift from my parents this year was a trip to New York City, to see it all decked out for Christmas. It was a short trip - we were barely there 48 hours - but it was a lot of fun!

Here we are, in the white stretch limo that my mother thought it would be SO funny to send to the airport on Long Island to pick us up. Who needs a regular car?

This was just a couple blocks away from our hotel. We passed it as we went on our first mission - walking two miles to a Patagonia store to buy John a coat and gloves. No, he didn't bring one with him. Clever manipulative ploy to get a new coat, huh?

We stopped and took pictures in Central Park along the way.

That evening, we ate dinner in Little Italy. It felt so cozy there. I think I liked the lights there the best.

Giant Christmas ornaments! Everything is better when it's BIG!

Radio City lit up at night. We saw the Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes the next night.

The tree! It's ginormous. And I'm in awe of how many lights they're able to get on it.

Times Square

A decent picture of John and I. Please ignore our Rudolph noses, as we live in Louisiana and are not used to the cold. At all. Thank goodness for Cuddle Duds.

The only photo of all four of us together. We're eating dinner at Mesa Grill. Delicious!

Yes, you've seen this one before, but I love it. It's the view of the city from the Empire State Building observation deck.

Our final sightseeing adventure of the trip - the Brooklyn Bridge. I think it was the only time we had an unobstructed view of the sun, and even though it was still freezing, we actually felt hot!

Those are just a few of my favorites from the trip. Of course, I have far too many to share them all here. If we're facebook friends, you'll probably be able to see most of them there soon. I still have another camera to upload...

A sneak peek...

2010-12-31T23:26:00.000-06:00

...at the greatest Christmas present ever. More to come.

Homemade Gift - ABC Crayons

2010-12-14T11:13:00.001-06:00

Today, I want to share another homemade gift idea. This one's for the kids. Life in Grace hosted 12 Days of Handmade Christmas back in November, and I got this idea there. If you want to see a tutorial, please click here. There's no sense in me redoing what's already been done. :)

I - probably because I'm completely insane and enjoy making enemies of other mothers - decided to make these as gifts for Aidan's preschool class this year. I have finally finished making 15 batches of alphabet crayons. Like I said - insane. I wouldn't suggest taking on this many if you're overly fond of your fingernails. Peeling 720 crayons is tedious work.

But I like giving a unique gift, and Aidan is really excited about them. Good thing he gets to keep a bag.

If you're wondering where the packaging came from, you can find these cellophane bags at Garnish. They're the largest size. And that adorable cherry red twine? It came from The Twinery.

Happy Girl

2010-12-13T09:49:00.000-06:00

There's not much to tell around here today. We've all (except John, of course) had a stomach bug this weekend, so I'm reaching back to last week and sharing a cute picture I forgot about. You know, to remember happier times. ;) Here's Neely Bug, wearing a mama-made outfit. Yes, that's a gum ball in her hand. I have to bribe her to let me put anything in her hair. And still, it doesn't last long.

Christmas Cake Balls

2010-12-10T12:43:00.000-06:00

Some of you may remember that last year, I made Bakerella's Santa Hat Cake Pops for one of my kids' Christmas parties. They were so yummy, so when it came time for our Christmas party at church last weekend, I decided to make cake balls. Same concept, with no stick, and no trying to make cones out of cake. The balls are much easier.

You can check out Bakerella's post on making cake balls here. Or you can get her cookbook, Cake Pops.

Anyway, I used her basic cake ball recipe, with red velvet cake, and covered them with red candy coating, drizzled some green on top, and added sprinkles! Come on. Who doesn't love sprinkles? If you want them to be even more Christmassy and super awesome, add a couple drops of peppermint oil flavoring (mine came in a pack with four different flavors in the baking aisle at Michael's) to that green candy. Yum!

Christmas Music

2010-12-09T13:08:00.000-06:00

What's your favorite? There are several Christmas albums that we wore out growing up, so they evoke a certain amount of sentiment and nostalgia in me. Amy Grant's "Home for Christmas," "Home Alone Christmas Soundtrack," and Michael W. Smith's "Christmastime" are a few that spring to mind. I add a new Christmas album to my collection each year, so I have a great collection now. But my all-time favorite? The one I consistently wear out? The one I'm so thankful that my children actually enjoy?

It's this one. I love me some Charlie Brown. Love it. And my kids are totally in the next room, watching the Charlie Brown Christmas special for the third time today...by request. Smart kids. :)

Homemade Gift - Chai Tea Mix

2010-12-08T14:21:00.000-06:00

I love homemade gifts. Love them. If you do it right, they only take a little bit of time and can save yourself money and time at the mall. Here's a recipe for one I tried out just last week.

Chai Tea Mix

2 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ground cloves
3/4 tsp. ground cardamom (optional - which is good, because I couldn't find any)
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups unsweetened instant tea (regular or decaf, doesn't matter)
1 1/2 to 2 cups sugar (I put closer to 2 cups)
1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 cup powdered nondairy creamer
1 cup French vanilla-flavored powdered nondairy creamer

Combine spices and tea in a food processor or blender. Blend 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture becomes a fine powder. Pour into a large bowl. Add sugar to food processor or blender (without cleaning it), and process until superfine, about 30 seconds. Add sugar to bowl of spices. Stir in milk powder and creamers; blend well. Spoon mix into gift jars.

To serve, stir 2 heaping tbsp. Chai Tea Mix into a mug of hot milk or boiling water. Yield: 5 1/2 cups mix.

Credit: Christmas with Southern Living 2007

I jazzed my jars up a little bit by taping off a square and painting them with chalkboard paint. I then wrote with chalk what is in the jar. It turns the jar itself into part of the gift, because when the mix is gone, it can be erased and used for something else.

I now have a few jars of these on hand to give to neighbors, teachers, party hostesses, etc. And yes, I tried it out to be sure it actually tastes good. It's delicious! I think it's as good as any chai I've ever ordered from the coffee shop.

You know what else? You could even pair it with one of my fun mugs. Yes, I know I'm shameless. I have several ready to ship that I need to unload. If you want more than one, e-mail me. I'll work you a deal. :)

BabyLegs Winner

2010-12-07T08:15:00.000-06:00

Drumroll, please. And the winner of my Christmas BabyLegs giveaway is.....Katrina! Katrina said: I would love to win these for my daughter...we love baby legs in this house. I'm glad, because you will have three fun new pairs for her to sport this Christmas!

And now for a bit of a surprise. I participated in a craft fair last weekend where a second set of these was to be given as a door prize, and no one ever claimed them. So we drew a second name. The winner of the second set is....Christina!

Congratulations to my winners, and thank you to every one else for participating!

If you didn't win but still would like a pair of Christmas BabyLegs, please send me a message through the Neely Bug Boutique facebook page. I have all three patterns that were part of the set - Merry Berry, Nordic, and Jingle Bell Rock - available for $12 a pair.

A New Tradition

2010-12-06T16:48:00.000-06:00

My kids - Aidan especially - have definitely gotten a case of the holiday crazies lately. He asks me every day if it's Christmas yet. They're a little more wound up than usual. They fight a little more. I kept threatening to bring home an elf, and I finally had to hold myself to it.

We named our elf Buddy. You know, like in the movie Elf. The kids love him. It's very exciting to come downstairs each morning and find where Buddy has camped out to watch us for the day. Aidan is even trying to outsmart Buddy a little bit. When we were driving to school this morning, he said, "Hey, Mom. Buddy can't see me in the car, you know." I had to remind him that I can tell Buddy when we get back home if he's been misbehaving. And holy cow, when I had to put Neely in time-out with Buddy watching, it was catastrophic. She has never gotten so upset about being put in time-out before. I think Buddy was a good investment. He's certainly a lot of fun.

If you don't have an elf for your shelf, you should get one!

It's true.

2010-12-03T14:39:00.000-06:00

The third time really is a charm. I'm not sharing it here yet, but I finally got a decent photograph to use for our Christmas card this year. I thought I'd share a few more of the silly ones.

Before you get started, though, for anybody local, come support Neely Bug Boutique at Sun City Elementary's Shining Star Christmas Show tomorrow from 9am to 5pm.

And if you haven't entered my BabyLegs giveaway, you have until Monday, December 6th at midnight CST. Check it out now!

Okay, here are my goofy kiddos...

Cheese!

Not cooperating. And there are my feet. Awesome.

Rolling off the bed.

You can't see (or hear), but she's screaming.

I don't want to sit by him!

What are you laughin' at?

I'm pretty sure I caught her mid-pinch. This little girl is aggressive!

And they're done.

Baby Legs - A Giveaway

2010-12-01T13:00:00.001-06:00

December made its presence known this morning with our first below-thirty temperatures of the season and frost! Brrr...Hey, it's really stinking cold for Louisiana. In the spirit of the Christmas season, I am having a giveaway! I love to give things away. I'd do it all the time if I could afford it. What's up for grabs? This BabyLegs Sparkle gift set. This set contains three pair of holiday-inspired leg warmers. These are one size fits most and can be used as leg warmers or arm warmers. They'd be great as a gift or for your own child.

And yes, I've tested out this one size fits most thing. I put on a pair of my two-year-old's leg warmers and they stretch to fit me! When I was done, they went right back to their original size and fit Neely perfectly. I don't know how BabyLegs does it, but it's amazing!

How do you enter? Leave a comment at the bottom of this post telling me who you'd give these BabyLegs to. Want another chance to win? Visit Neely Bug Boutique on Facebook and become a fan. Return here and leave another comment letting me know that you did. For a third entry, link up to this giveaway on your Facebook wall and leave another comment.

The deadline to enter is Monday, December 6th at midnight, CST.

If you'd like to see some of the other BabyLegs patterns I'm carrying, please visit my BabyLegs Gallery on the Neely Bug Facebook page. You may e-mail me to place an order.

The Thanksgiving Report

2010-11-30T18:49:00.000-06:00

This is a little late in coming, but it's better late than never, right? We spent Thanksgiving in San Antonio this year, and this time, it didn't pour rain the entire weekend and nobody had to wear a pilgrim costume. Don't think I wouldn't be showing that picture if it weren't taken a zillion years ago and my scanner wasn't broken. Alas, it was before I was a digital convert. Anyway, here are my favorites from this year.

Giving Daddy a butterfly kiss.

Injecting the turkey.

Me & Aidan

Building a gingerbread house.

Big cheese. It's too bad the camera focused on that chair behind them. Grr...

Eating "nim nims."

The finished project.

Support a Small Biz

2010-11-23T14:01:00.000-06:00

As Black Friday and Cyber Monday approach, I'd like to encourage you all to support small businesses whenever possible this holiday season. I've put together an Etsy treasury with some of my favorite things I've stumbled upon while lost in Etsy-land. This photo isn't clickable. Please click here if you'd like to view it. Happy shopping everyone!

Oh, and if you'd like to support Neely Bug Boutique, you can visit my shop here. :)

Yarn Wreath Tutorial

2010-11-22T07:57:00.001-06:00

Even though Thanksgiving is still a few days ahead of us, we're already getting into the Christmas spirit around here. We'll be spending our holidays elsewhere this year and wanted to be able to enjoy our own decorations for a little while. Over the years, we've built up quite a collection. I only add/make one or two new things each year. This year, this wreath is it.

I've seen some nice yarn wreaths on Etsy, and they range in price anywhere from $20 to $100. If you'd rather buy than make one, there is sure to be something you like. I just searched "yarn wreath" and turned up 728 choices. If you want to save a little cash, you can make your own!

All you need is a foam wreath form, yarn, scissors, hot glue, and whatever adornments you want to add. I thought it would be fun to use white yarn, as a change from the traditional green wreath.

To get started, just put a little dollop of hot glue on the back side of the wreath form and secure the end of the yarn to it. To avoid burning my fingers, I actually laid the yarn across the glue, held it in place until it dried, and then trimmed the end of the yarn. Now, get to wrapping!

I wrapped about an inch worth of yarn (15-20 times around the form), and then I'd secure the yarn with glue again. You don't want the yarn to slide around and expose the wreath form.

Just keep wrapping...Just keep wrapping...

It took me about the length of Peter Pan to get this finished, so...a little over an hour? Does anyone else measure time in children's movies?

Now, it's time to decorate! I bought one of those silk poinsettia bunches. I think it had five or six flower on it. Just yank those bad boys off. It will leave a little pokey end about an inch long on the back of the flower. I just stuck that into my foam wreath and voila! Cute yarn wreath adorned with poinsettias that I don't have to worry about anyone eating and getting sick. You can decorate yours however you like. You could glue pine cones to it, ornaments, tie a bow around it...the sky's the limit!

And since it is still November and Thanksgiving is just days away, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Christmas Photos: Part Deux

2010-11-16T22:16:00.000-06:00

My experience so far this year trying to take photos of my kids for our Christmas cards is making me exceedingly glad that I'm not paying someone to do it for me. It's fairly easy to get a good photo of Aidan. Neely is a horse of a different color. Within the last few weeks, she has decided to act like a full-fledged, demon-possessed two year old, complete with random hissy fits. Want to see one?

Neely was fairly uncooperative all morning, but when we decided to race back across the bridge, she was all for it.

Running is fun!

Hooray!

Wheee!

Come on, Neely!

I'm gonna win!

I don't think I want to race anymore.

No, I do not.

I think I'll lie down.

Right here on the bridge, in my pretty Christmas dress. Arg!

I've got one idea left, and if it doesn't work out, I'm using that silly picture from our first attempt. :)

Funny Faces

2010-11-07T22:56:00.000-06:00

Oh, the things you get when you're trying to take a Christmas card picture of your own children. This one doesn't make the cut, but it was too funny not to share.

Operation Christmas Child

2010-11-04T19:37:00.000-05:00

It's not yet Thanksgiving, but it is time to pack shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. National collection week is November 15-22. You can visit their website for details about packing boxes and drop-off locations.

This year, I used Operation Christmas Child as an opportunity to teach the kids - mainly Aidan - about giving to others. He and I took a trip to the dollar store and filled the cart with things to put in our shoeboxes. He did really well. He only asked for one thing for himself, which is a feat considering all we looked at were things for kids.

We bought enough to fill four boxes - two for girls and two for boys. Equal opportunity shoeboxes here.

Aidan really got into sorting things into the boxes.

Neely preferred to play with everything.

I made them take pictures with the finished boxes. Neely cheesed it up.

I told the kids that I plan on putting a picture of them in each box, to show the children who get them who their gifts came from. Aidan decided that he'd like to draw each of them a picture, too. He's a sweet one, that Aidan. Have you made your shoebox yet?

More Halloween

2010-11-02T11:16:00.000-05:00

Here are the last of our Halloween photos. Yes, I went as DJ Lance Rock of Yo Gabba Gabba fame. I lost count of how many little ones had to wave hello or stare at me in awe at the Trunk or Treat we went to. It was fun. I'm also including a photo of the pumpkin Pop and Aidan carved. We never got around to buying another one. Aidan drew the face, and Pop carved it.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T13:49:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween!

Neely as Foofa

2010-10-29T15:00:00.000-05:00

After much indecision with regard to Neely's Halloween costume, we finally decided she would be Foofa from Yo Gabba Gabba. I added the inspiration pic on the right. For some reason, I thought the ruffle around her neck was purple. Oh, well. It works. Stay tuned for pics of Neely and I both in our costumes on Sunday...

Power-less

2010-10-29T07:24:00.000-05:00

We had a major power outage here yesterday. At 4am, Aidan woke me, crying and begging for his owl light (nightlight) to be turned back on. I figured out that the power was out when I tried to switch on a light in the next room in search of another nightlight. We had no electricity all day. Thank goodness the weather had finally decided not to be 90 degrees.

We took the kids out for dinner, since most of our food was spoiling and we still weren't able to cook, and picked up donuts for dessert on the way home. So that's not a seance, that's donuts by candlelight. Make fun of me all you want. I light up every candle I can find when the power goes out. The only downside is that the mixture of smells can be a little...pungent.

And look! I finally lit up the spooky jars that Annie B. and I made last year!

Halloween Preview

2010-10-27T10:21:00.000-05:00

Today is Aidan's costume party at preschool. You can't tell from the photo, but he was super excited to get to wear his Halloween costume to school today. He was out of bed and ready to go early early this morning. Neely will get to wear hers on Friday. :)

My First Show

2010-10-26T09:07:00.002-05:00

Some are asking and someare wondering, so I thought I’d give a breakdown of how things went over theweekend. The craft fair was a good experience for me, and I feel like I’veaccomplished a lot, simply because I’ve finally followed through on something Iwanted to do for the first time in a long time.

At the beginning of theyear, I used my Christmas money to buy a few clothing patterns – a couple forskirts, one for a dress, and one for some pants. When they arrived in the mail,I eagerly opened and read them all, and was overwhelmed with doubt andinsecurity. “I’ll never be able the make this one!…or this one…or this one…”The patterns were put away for a couple of months.

As spring approached, Igot them out and looked again, and I decided to try the easiest one. I’d buysome fabric, make a few different variations, take them to a local consignmentshop, and see how they do. The stripwork skirts weren’t an instant hit in theconsignment shop, but I sold several to friends just by posting photographs onmy Facebook.

That response gave me thecourage to try out the dress and the pants, and by mid-summer, I’d decided Imight try and have a booth in the craft fair this fall. I went through thepiles of fabric I’d gradually accumulated and came up with several things tomake out of material I already had. Slowly and steadily, I began to build upinventory to save for the fall.

In August, I chose a dateand paid for my 10 by 10 foot booth in October’s craft fair. (eek!) I bought awhole lot more fabric and a pile of t-shirts and got to work.

I apparently didn’t workfast enough, because by the time the middle of September hit, I had maybe halfof a small cardboard box filled with things that were finished. Maybe. Panichit.

Luckily, this was aboutthe same time the kids started going back to preschool and Mom’s Day Out. I’ddrop them off on the mornings they had school, come home, and work on as muchas possible until I had to pick them up. Afternoon nap time was the only othertime I had to work with.

I pulled it off. I hadplenty of t-shirts, outfits, dresses, onesies, burp cloths, bibs, and mugs tofill my booth. Sales were slow on Saturday. Most of what I sold that day weresmaller, lower-priced items. There were lots of people milling around, but nottoo many of them were buying anything. Things turned around on Sunday. I soldmore of my outfits than bibs and burp cloths. The reindeer t-shirts were mymost popular item.

What have I learned fromthis experience? I’ve learned that the numbers do not sell. I probably have 60number tees leftover. Ones and twos sell, but not much beyond that. Aidan loveshis four, but he must be an anomaly. Either that, or people don’t realize thattheir child would love a t-shirt with their age on it, because they’re notshopping with their children. I will have to try and sell the ones I’ve alreadymade, but I won’t be keeping a stockpile of them any longer. The numbers willhave to be a special order item only. I’ll focus more of my energy elsewhere.

What else? When winter isapproaching, make more pants. I think people are less apt to put their child ina skirt when they think it will be cold soon. I sold a couple of skirts topeople once I pointed out that their child could wear tights underneath to keeptheir legs warm, but I guess most weren’t thinking this way. They want pants. Imay need to make some cute pants to go underneath the dresses I’ve made inorder to sell them.

I also need a betterdisplay situation. What a lot of people saw when looking into may booth was arack of clothes sandwiched together that they didn’t want to dig through tofind something they liked. When I do this again, I’ll need to invest in somewire grids and make it easier for people to see what I have to offer. My table holdingsmaller items was fine, but the clothes could have been displayed better.

Phew! I’m sure there’smore I could babble about, but I won’t bore you any more. I apologize for thestark lack of pictures. We weren’t supposed to take any inside the craft fair.I saw lots of people doing so anyway, but I am perpetually afraid of getting introuble for breaking rules. I don’t have a decent camera to work with, anyway.I need to rectify that soon. I am definitely missing my camera.

I have several things listedin my new Etsy shop, neelybugboutique.etsy.com, if you’d like to check it out.I have lots of summer items marked down super cheap to clear them out. Thanksfor reading to the bitter end!

Thank goodness...

2010-10-21T08:32:00.000-05:00

...for good friends who love you enough to let you borrow their camera in times of desperate need. I am halfway through re-shooting all those lost photos. Thanks, Lynley!

D70 Obit

2010-10-19T08:54:00.000-05:00

It is time to say good-bye to a faithful old friend. When I celebrated my first anniversary, you were there. When my children were born, you were there. You have been my companion on many vacations, and you have documented too many holidays, milestones, and unexpected moments to count. Sadly, nothing lasts forever - you included. Your 6.1 megapixels are no longer cutting-edge, and I have long been envious of others' sharper photos. And now, I can no longer trust you. You corrupted one memory card full of photos from an important family event, and yesterday, you destroyed an hour and a half of hard work. (Don't worry, it was only pictures of EVERYTHING I have made for the craft fair and need to list on Etsy. The subjects will still be cooperative, but I am resentful of the time lost.) I will soon be replacing you. Hopefully.

Does anybody know where to send cameras when they die? Can they be recycled?

Practice

2010-10-16T22:08:00.000-05:00

I took over the dining room table this morning and practiced my setup for the craft fair that is in one week! One week! I can hardly believe it. I'm excited and terrified at the same time. Our table is two feet shorter than the one I'll be using, so I didn't get everything on there. I'll have some acrylic mugs displayed somewhere on there come next Saturday. Those boxes will be covered with another tablecloth, and hopefully before the show, I'll get around to painting the frame of that bulletin board lime green to match my sign. I'll also have two garment racks opposite the table to hang all of my outfits and t-shirts on.

I've got most of my merchandise finished, so this week, I'll be focusing on tagging and photographing everything to list on my new Etsy page, neelybugboutique.etsy.com. Don't go there yet, though. It's totally empty.

Oh! One more exciting thing that I almost forgot! I've got someone making bows to match several of my outfits now, so those will be available, too. Okay, that's it for now. Maybe once this first show is over, I'll stop being obsessed with it and find something else to blog about again. :)

BabyLegs

2010-10-08T14:45:00.000-05:00

My first shipment of BabyLegs came in today! We are all excited. :)

Do you see Hank checking the box? Silly dog.

Cowboy Cookies

2010-10-07T22:04:00.000-05:00

Today, I took a break from working and hung out with my kids. This afternoon, we I made cookies. If you're looking for a healthy recipe, this is not it. If you're looking for a really yummy recipe that makes a ton of cookies, keep on reading.

Ingredients:

3 c. all-purpose flour

1 tbsp. Baking powder

1 tbsp. Baking soda

1 tbsp. Ground cinnamon

1 tsp. Salt

1 1/2 c. (3 sticks) butter, room temperature

1 1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 1/2 c. light brown sugar, packed

3 eggs

1 tbsp. Vanilla extract

3 c. old fashioned rolled oats

2 c. sweetened flake coconut

1 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 c. M&M's

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. In a large bowl, beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about one minute. Add sugars gradually, beating until well combined. Add eggs to the butter and sugar mixture one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla and beat it some more! Stir in flour mixture until just combined. By hand, mix in oats, coconut, chocolate chips, and M&M's. For each cookie, drop 1/4 cup of dough onto an ungreased baking sheet, spacing each about three inches apart. Bake 17-20 minutes until edges are lightly browned, rotating sheets halfway through. Remove cookies to a rack to cool.

This recipe yields about three dozen giant cookies. I don't know about you, but I definitely do not need three dozen giant cookies lying around the house. They will get eaten. I used about half the dough, then I packed the rest into this bowl to freeze. So the next time I'm feeling guilty about not spending time with my kids and want to make it up to them, at least I won't be spending as much of the day alone in the kitchen! I can just scoop out some cookies and go.

Craft Fair Progress Report

2010-10-05T18:58:00.000-05:00

As promised, here's the update on craft fair prep. But right up front, for anybody interested or located nearby, it's going to be at the Bossier Civic Center on October 23-24. Admission is just $3. Come and see me!

Okay, shameless self-promotion is over. Moving on.

Back in August, I laid my money down and reserved a booth for this craft fair, and at about the same time, I started working really hard to build up my inventory. When mid-September hit and I realized that this was really going to be happening soon, it was like somebody lit a fire under me. For the last few weeks, at the end of the week, I have been amazed at how much I've managed to get done, especially considering that I've still been taking orders in the meantime.

I promise this jumble of mess makes sense to me...most of the time. I've been focusing mainly on Halloween and Christmas outfits, applique bibs, handmade burp cloths, and lots and lots of numbered tees. I've managed not to get any pics of those, though. Here are some of the goods...

Whew! That's where I am in the process. I'm still working hard to finish a lot of things up. I hope I end up with enough! I also hope there are enough people that want to buy these things. Otherwise, I'm in trouble.

Oh, yes. Thank you for reminding me. My new shop name is Neely Bug Boutique. I'll be transitioning my Etsy page in the next few weeks. My longtime friend Amanda designed it for me. I love it! I hope you do, too. :)

Where am I?

2010-10-03T16:26:00.000-05:00

I know it seems as though I'm on hiatus lately. It's all because my preparations for Shop Till You Drop, my first craft fair, are taking priority. It's in three more weeks, and I have so much to finish! Since I know a messy sewing room and a jillion half-finished projects aren't really that interesting, I haven't been blogging much. I may share some pictures of new items this week, though, and my exciting new shop name and logo!

Until then, I'll share something interesting from another corner of the internet. Want to learn how to take a better photo? Please visit Darcy over at Life With My 3 Boybarians. She's doing a series this month called 31 Days to a Better Photo. She's three days in, and I'm loving it!

Fall Smells

2010-09-28T13:12:00.000-05:00

It has finally, FINALLY started cooling off some here. I've gradually been getting out some fall decorations, but it's hard to get in the spirit when it's still 90 degrees outside. This morning, it was 53 degrees out! So wonderful. Now I don't have to feel funny lighting up my fall smelling candles. I especially love this one. Can you tell? I may need a new one soon.

Ice Cream Party

2010-09-21T09:14:00.000-05:00

For Neely's second birthday, we had an ice cream party. I found these adorable invitations by Lilly Mae Designs on Etsy. Digital cards are wonderful! She had the file to me within 24 hours, and I was able to order and pick them up wherever I wanted.

Here's the party setup. I've been seeing these tissue paper flowers on party blogs everywhere, and I decided to try them out. You can check out the tutorial by Martha Stewart here. I did not end up cutting the ends into points to look more like petals. I tried on the first one, and not only did it look crazy, but it was hard! I may just have a bad pair of scissors, but trying to cut through all those layers of tissue just didn't work out. And to give credit where credit is due, I also did not do the "fluffing." On the one I made, I ripped more than I fluffed, so my mom and aunts are actually responsible for making the flowers happen.

The drinks were a snap. Bottled water, self-explanatory. The pink punch? One can of pink lemonade concentrate, then add equal parts white grape juice and lemon-lime soda. My favorite part of our drink setup was the ice, though. Isn't it pretty? That bowl was $2 at a yard sale.

I can honestly say that the food for this party was the easiest I've ever done. I just set out all our favorite ice cream toppings in pretty trays, and voila! Instant party. It was really easy to clean up, too. And I think the kids enjoyed it.

We didn't even have a cake. I just stuck a big candle in the top of Neely's ice cream sundae. Of course, the picture of her blowing out her candle didn't turn out, but here she is opening gifts!

And here Neely is again, about 30 minutes after the party ended. She was one sleepy girl.

She's two!

2010-09-18T21:25:00.000-05:00

I'm a bad mother. Neely's birthday was two days ago, and I posted absolutely nothing. I'm sorry, baby girl! She had a great 2nd birthday, and we had a fun party with friends today! In celebration of two years of my precious little girl's life, I'm sharing pictures of her birthdays up to now.

This is the morning after we brought Neely home. Once this moment passed, Aidan paid on further notice of her until she was six months old.

My smiley girl on her first birthday.

Aidan enjoying his cupcake the other night.

And look, two years old, and she's still a total cheese ball. I love you, Neely bug.