No more forgetfulness

I never purchased a planner or 2009 calendar in January. After forgetting my grandfather's and Aunt Cheryl's birthdays, I came to grips with the fact that I can't get by without one. I really and truly have permanent memory loss from bearing children, I believe. And for some reason, the computer calendar isn't a good substitute for me. I either don't sit down and enter everything, or I click that little "Dismiss" button thinking (silly me) that I'll remember it later. So here it is, my new cherry red calendar. Hopefully, I won't forget anybody else's birthday...this year.

I think I may unwrap this moment with Emily over at Chatting at the Sky. Until this morning when I sat down with last year's calendar to copy all the births and weddings that we celebrate every year, I also forgot how much I enjoy doing that. Maybe it's silly, but I think it kind of goes along with my school supply obsession somehow. Now that everything is transferred, I feel I've accomplished something, and I can get back to that little thrill I get whenever I send a birthday card on time.

Hello, Cupcake!

Over the weekend, I received an awesome belated birthday present in the mail. (Thanks, Laura!) This book, Hello, Cupcake! makes me salivate just looking at the photos. I’m now envisioning a summer full of yummy cupcakes, dressed up to look like works of art…

…goldfish bowls…

…an alligator…

…sunflowers…

…and cute little owls!

Don’t worry, it has an awesome tutorial section at the front of the book, so I will work to improve my icing skills before wasting them on any actual cupcakes. I think Aidan is going to love this! Maybe I can have something really cool perfected by the time Neely’s first birthday rolls around.

Ragamuffin Wreaths

On Friday morning, Stacey, Ashley, and I opted to skip the gym and have a craft day! We’d visited the fabric shop the day before and each picked a few fabrics to make wreaths with. (That was part of what made my morning crazy – three little boys running wild in a fabric warehouse, climbing ladders, calling it a playground, etc.) Friday morning, Stacey’s and my little guy were having their last day of Mom’s Day Out for the year, so we only had one little boy and Neely to worry about. We met at Michael’s to get the last of our supplies, then gathered in the floor at Ashley’s house to get to work.

If you want to attempt this easy-peasy project, here’s what you need:

18-inch straw wreath
three or more coordinating fabrics, about 1/2 yard of each (if you want your wreath to be fuller than mine is, get more)
scissors (you can use pinking shears, too)
a crochet hook (a chopstick also works well)
ribbon
paper mache letter
spray paint




To start out, cut all your fabric into strips. They should be about 1-1/2 inch wide and 6 inches long. Actually, you don’t have to cut all your fabric first. I did. You could do it like Ashley and cut them as you go. She didn’t have the patience to cut all her fabric at one time.

Next, start stuffing fabric into your wreath using the crochet hook (I don’t know enough about crochet to tell you what size, but it has to be one with a small end.) Spread your fabric out to begin with, maybe 1/2 inch to 1 inch between each piece, and then fill in the holes once you’ve gotten the whole thing covered. You don’t want to run out of fabric. And make sure that you stuff fabric in around the sides and in the middle, so none of the straw shows when you hang it.

By the time I finished cutting all my fabric into strips, Stacey was over halfway done with her wreath.

So was Ashley.

Here’s mine. I’m slow. I also started out putting my fabric way too close together. I had to pull a bunch out and nearly start over.

Once you have your fabric stuffed into your wreath, you can hang your letter. Wait, whoops! I need to back up. Before you start anything else, go ahead and spray-paint your initial so that it’s dry by the time you’re ready for it. We were impatient, so we only did one coat of paint. If it starts to weather and look bad, I’ll give it a touch-up coat. No sweat.

Okay, NOW you can hang your letter inside your wreath. If you’re like me and have a “good” letter, you can loop your ribbon around the top and then around the top of your wreath. I tied a bow at the top of mine, too. It doesn’t really matter. You can’t really see it in all the wonderful scrappiness. If you’re unlucky and have a letter like “L,” like Ashley, you may have to staple your ribbon to the back and then tie it around the top of your wreath.

Once you’ve got your initial secured, your ragamuffin wreath is ready to adorn your front door, or wherever else you’ve decided to use it. The only thing I’m not sure of is how weather-proof these are. It rained here last night, and I brought mine in just in case.

If you decide to tackle this project, have fun! It’s super-easy!

There's mine again, just in case you forgot what it looked like.

Bad Day

Maybe I shouldn't say "bad." Maybe I should say, "Our morning has been...eventful." Regardless, this has been the highlight of my day thus far.

My felt came from Prairie Point Junction! I have a new project waiting in the wings. I'll share once I've finished it.

Our Weekend in Pictures

On Friday after I pick up Aidan from Mom's Day Out, we like to hit up Sonic's Happy Hour. Our slushes turned our tongues pretty colors, so I took a picture.

Then, Aidan played with his sidewalk chalk while we watched the Blue Angels (almost typed angles, folks) rehearsed for the air show.

Neely and Daddy.

Aidan and Mommy.

Daddy with both babies.

You can't tell, but they're ready to go. And here's a little video I took on my little Canon instead of the video camera. Not the greatest, but still fun.

Mother

In light of today’s holiday, I feel it’s appropriate to write a tribute (of sorts) to my own underappreciated mother. I’m not certain that I’ve ever properly acknowledged her importance. When I was a baby and could do nothing for myself – fed me, washed me, kept me in clean clothes, wiped my dirty bottom, picked my nose with her crazy long fingernails (Hey, I’ve seen her do it to Aidan. I doubt that much has changed), etc.

As I grew older, she still took care of my basic needs, but her role in my life became more complicated. She became a tutor and a chauffer. She double-checked my tooth brushing job and my homework. She made sure I practiced the piano. She hung my artwork on the refrigerator and on the Christmas tree (seasonally, of course). She took me to church and came to all my choir performances. She even let me sleep in the bed next to her when Dad was out of town.

Still later, she continued to teach me important lessons – how to use a curling iron, the very best way to wrap a gift, how to drive, how to wear make-up, how to pluck my eyebrows, the list goes on. Much of it seemed trivial or insignificant at the time, but as I look back, who would have taught me those things otherwise?

Now that I’m an adult and a mother myself, I find that I still have a lot to learn from my mother. She is an invaluable resource and the best example I have of a gracious, patient, and loving wife and mother. She’s all I’ve ever aspired to be, and I’m lucky to be able to call on her when I need her.

I love you, Mom. Happy Mother’s Day!

Sweetheart

Tiffany has posted one picture for me to drool over for now. I love it!