It Ain't Easy

We've got issues.

Storey has had a double ear infection for 3 weeks.
And she had one 3 weeks prior to that.
First she was on an oral antibiotic.
Ten days and no change.

So the doctor decided we should break out the big guns.
Three injections of an antibiotic, three days in a row = very grumpy toddler.
No change.

She said, "There's nothing more we can do."
Not so bad when we're talking ear infections.
Can you imagine hearing that about some other health problem?
I can't.

Friday we will see an ENT to talk tubes.
Apparently, they are the only cure at this point.
Fantastic.

Next kid.

Jakson decided 17 days ago to hate preschool.
So two days a week, he screams for 2.5 hours.
That's five hours of scheduled screaming, plus all of the other non-designated time he spends throwing himself around.
So.much.fun.

Last Thursday he got in the car after preschool looking like thisSomething about a bear hunt.
And look-a smile!!

I was afraid he would forget how fun it is to learn over the weekend
But the drop off this morning was dramaless.
No screaming, thrashing, kicking, falling, moaning (the list of verbs involved in a temper tantrum is extensive)
But he still stays up until midnight, isn't potty trained, and refuses to go to Nursery.
One thing at a time.

Max 2.0

Last year Jakson was Max from Where the Wild Things Are. (Can you believe some people had never read the book or even heard of it!?!)

Since I already had the pictures, I decided to list the costume in the shop for fun to see if it would sell. I had no idea that it would be so popular! I sold 9 within the two weeks it was listed. So, now I am busy recreating Max for lots of mischievous boys and girls.

After pulling Jakson's old costume out of the closet, I realized that a lot of changes could be made. Not only that, but since he had refused to wear the hood, I had never even finished the ears on it. The experiment of Max 2.0 began.

I am so happy with the results.

And grateful that I have a more willing model this year.

Favorites on Friday

1. Hulu
Did you know that Charade is now playing on Hulu? Cary Grant + Audrey Hepburn=winning combination. A classic whodunit.2. Gap Curvy Jeans
I hate jean shopping. Frankly, at this stage in my life I kind of hate shopping period. Inevitably I have to drag the children along and they lose it after about 3 minutes. Just not worth it. But on a rare outing out by myself, I picked up these Gap Curvy jeans at Savers. I. love. them. They actually fit without squeezing me in one area or another. Finally, a pair of jeans for people with big butts!In case you hadn't guessed, that is not me in the picture. Shocking, I know.

3. Crock Pot Chicken Taco Meat-so good! so easy!
-2 chicken breasts
-3 T taco seasoning
-1 can diced tomatoes with green chilis
-3/4 cup water
-1/4 cup cream cheese

Place all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 4-6 hours (or high for 2.5 hours). Add cream cheese 1/2 hour before serving. Shred chicken in crockpot with fork and serve on tortillas or in taco shells with favorite toppings (cheese, lettuce, sour cream). You can even double the recipe and freeze the leftovers in a ziploc bag.
Recipe adapted from Recipezaar

4. Custom orders
My friend Sabrina requested a birthday banner for her daughter and matching tabletop pennants.
I love the fabrics she chose and the centerpiece idea! Custom banner and pennant posted as a set in the shop. One of my favorite sewing projects so far!

5. Zak's handyman skills
After reading all of the comments about the door frame and cover up project, Zak remarked that it's a lot harder to execute my ideas than come up with them in the first place. And he's right. So, as a thank you, Zak, this one's for you.

The Great Cover-Up

When we came and toured the house in which we are currently living, one of the first things I noticed (and didn't love) was the alcove above the fireplace.A useless alcove.

It looks as though the television should have its place of honor there, no?
But A) our TV is 20", more like a computer screen than a TV screen and would look ridiculous in such a large space and B) there are no cable hook-ups anywhere near the alcove.
Poor planning on somebody's part.

So began the schemes for the "Great Cover Up of 2009".
After a few weeks of tossing around various idiotic ideas, it finally came to me.
While Zak was at work one day, I dragged in some leftover peg board from the garage and set it up on the fireplace ledge.Eureka!
The big hole was gone.
In its place were lots of little, tiny holes.
Don't worry that's not the end of the idea.

I grabbed some thin batting, cotton fabric, and a staple gun, then waited for Zak to get home.

When it comes to things like this, I'm just the ideas man-the execution is all up to Zak.
He has an engineering mind and I like to put it to good use here at home.
It was pretty obvious that the fabric stapling portion of the project would be easy, but I wasn't quite sure how the whole contraption would stay on the wall.
That's where Zak came in.
He installed three hooks above the alcove and their counterpart eyes into the back of the pegboard.
Perfection!

Then we arranged the collage of pictures from our Phoenix home,placed nails in the pegboard according to the measurements that we had laid out, hung the pegboard and then the frames.
End result?So much better than the gaping hole, don't you think?

Getting Crafty with Craftsman

A couple of months ago, Craftsman contacted me to find out if I would be willing to review one of their products.

Um, yes please!
It was fabulous timing too because Zak's drill (manufactured by another company which shall-not-be-named) had completely given up the ghost only days before.

Soon after we moved in, we received the mother of all drills from Craftsman---the C3.

Right away, Zak got started finding excuses to use the new drill.

Of course we had to put together our art/Tot School cornerand our bookshelves
Drilling is so hot.

The bookshelves are from IKEA (they are the STRIPA shelves, though I can't find them on the website anymore-the RIBBA shelf might work. Check your local store.) These shelves are great for books because they serve the same purpose as gutters, but are more aesthetically pleasing and cheaper. Just in case you are wondering-the books don't slide off because there is a little lip on the front of the shelf.

But we didn't stop there.

During our last trip to IKEA, we were hanging out in the as-is section (my favorite part of the store) and discovered a glass cabinet door that had been discarded among the scraps of lumber.
Instantly, Zak put it in our cart (not an easy feat with two squirmy children).
We brought it home.
Drilled some holes.

Added cute children (though not professional photos-they will be replaced soon!).
And hung it on the wall.$10 for a custom frame!

I have one more home project that we just finished Saturday (with the help of Craftsman), but I'm so proud of it that it deserves its own post.
Tomorrow.

So ladies, if you want to make your husband happy this Christmas, buy him this drill. With 19.2 volts it'll make him feel so powerful that he'll be begging for "honey-do" projects!
A win-win situation.

Zak's testimonial (I asked him to describe the drill in ten words or less):
Easy to handle, powerful, and manly.

Favorites on Friday

I didn't post one of these last week because we were Internetless in Vegas (that would be a good movie title....), but I'll make up for it by giving you my top five Vegas favorites.

Not that I'm an expert by any means, but the City of Sin has other things to offer besides gambling and dirty fliers on the sidewalk.

1. The Lion Habitat in the MGM Grand
Granted you have to walk through the casino to get to it, but this is well worth the second hand smoke. Jakson was enthralled with the lions that lie in the glass tunnel above you and we even got to see the trainers play with the King of the Jungle. Up close and personal-way better than the Phoenix Zoo (haven't been to the one here in SLC, so not fair to compare).Okay, not the best picture ever, but you get the idea.

2. "O" at the BellagioThere are a lot of really great things about the Bellagio; the water show, the gardens inside-very nice. But my favorite has to be Cirque du Soleil's "O". A bit pricey, but well worth the once in a lifetime experience. I say "once in a lifetime" that's how many times you'll be able to afford it: once.

3. Nancy's Quilt Shop
You knew I was going to throw something like this in, didn't you? The shop has a fabulous clearance area where all of the fabrics (mostly designer) sell for $3-$5/yard! I'd rather spend my money here than at a slot machine any day!

4. The view from the Las Vegas Temple

Photo courtesy of Primary Colors.

The atmosphere at the temple is so very different than the one on the Strip-peaceful, quiet...yet, you can see the whole valley from the grounds. It's a nice place to enjoy a Sunday stroll. Or to watch your sister-in-law become a married woman. And wear a cute tulle skirt like Storey.

5. A new favorite-Elizabeth, a fabulous up and coming photographer!Don't you just want to eat those little cheeks?!?

One Down

Revised: So I walked around my house and realized that all of the other V monograms we have on things were going the opposite direction.

That darn Hobby Lobby.
I removed the staples from the back (which was really the front) and repainted it.
New pictures reflect the change.

I've been posting my to-do list on the Make Along blog, but it is rare that any of those "extras" actually get done because I'm so busy with necessary sewing projects. Fortunately, the past two days I've had a chance to dedicate some nap time to making something for ME!

Well, my house anyway.

I bought the beginnings of a new wreath at last year's fall clearance sale (Hobby Lobby-90% off-can't beat that!), but it was still living in its original store imprinted plastic bag.

Sad, but true.
When I saw this letter wreath on Nester , I knew it was the perfect project for my clearance find.

So I built a wreath.
From the ground up.
For less than $11.
Truly.And you can do it too-or you can just buy a finished wreath and add a letter.
But where's your sense of adventure?
Although, unless you happen to have shopped the Hobby Lobby fall clearance sale last year, it might cost you more like $18.
Still cheap.

I used a berry garland and a fall leaf garland from Hobby Lobby (each $5 if they are 50% off, which they are this week).
Floral wire (can buy this anywhere, but at Joanns and HL, you can use a coupon!)-around $1.99
Plain grapevine wreath-found mine at Walmart for about $2.50
Wooden letter also from Hobby Lobby-$1.00 with 40% off coupon

Using the floral wire, I attached the garlands to the grapevine wreath (first the berry and then the foliage), cutting off any extra garland length and hiding the ends under the leaves and berries.

Then, I hung my wreath according to the suggestions given on this other post by Nester, adding Velcro to the ribbon to make it easier to get the wreath on and off.
I love it because it eliminates the need for nails right in the door and those ugly metallic wreath hangers.

I would have loved to hang my letter from the aforementioned ribbon, but "V" doesn't have a convenient line for hanging, so instead I jammed it into the grapevine wreath.
Then I slammed the door a couple of times to make sure it was nice and secure.Happy Fall!
I finally live where we actually have that season!

The Flip Side

When I was pregnant with Jakson I had a student in my class that was....well, to put it nicely....AWFUL.

No really, that's a nice way to put it.

Every day was a challenge with this boy.
And his mother.
She made excuses for his behavior,
blamed innocent victims for his behavior (ME),
and generally didn't accept that her son could possibly be in the wrong.
I vowed many times that I would never be THAT parent.

Fast forward three years.
Jakson is enrolled in pre-school.
The first day, his teacher says, "He doesn't listen well."
I know.
The second day, his teacher says, "He didn't follow directions today."
Yes, yes.
The third day, I pick him up and hear, "Jakson stood in time out instead of getting a snack today. He was rambunctious."

Can I get an AMEN?!?
Finally, I feel validated for the last three years.
And not at all in denial.
I'm going to hear the word "rambunctious" a lot in the next 12+ school years.
It's a nice teacher word for other more negative behavior.

The problem now: what to do?
He's been lectured with fingers wagging, punished, threatened...
Nothing seems to work.
I've finally found a problem that not even chocolate chip cookies can fix.

Ideas?

Photo at top taken by Elizabeth Jex. Contact information and more photos of my adorable children to come soon! If you live in the Vegas area-lucky you!

Glamorous.

This is what happens when you have too many aunts.
Next stop: the pageant circuit.

A Five Minute Favor

I get comments all the time that I want to respond to. Questions about Etsy, nice things about stuff I've made, introductions from new blog friends.....

But I can't reply to you because you haven't checked one little box.
Just one box!!

So, I want you to open a new window now.

Go to your Blogger account page (even if you don't have a blog, you have an account in order to comment--this is called the Dashboard). On the left hand side of your Dashboard page you should see Obviously, it is your picture and not mine.

Click on the words "Edit Profile."
Got it? Good.
Now you should see a window that looks like

See "Show my email address"? Check the box. That's all you have to do!!

P.S. That doesn't mean that it'll show the world your email address, but when you comment on my blog (or any Blogger blog), suddenly I will be able to reply to you from my email account!! Won't that be fun! It's a quick and easy way to keep a conversation going with your favorite blogger friends.

Wish you could get the comments left on your blog to show up in your email account? Well, that's easy too!

Go back to your Dashboard and find this (but with your blog name and such)Click on the link for Settings.

Now you should see this at the top of your pageClick on the Comments tab.

Scroll down to the bottom and you will find The empty box next to "Comment Notification Email"? That's where you are going to type in the email address you want all of your comments to be forwarded to. You aren't going to be approving them (you have to check a different box for that), just notified that someone commented.

AND if they have checked the little box to show their email address, you will be able to reply right from your email account!

Now go tell all of your friends!

A Letter

Dear New Neighbors,

For yesterday, when all of the screaming from my backyard was causing a public disturbance, I truly apologize. Contrary to popular belief (as a consequence of the screaming), I am not an abusive parent. I was, in fact, merely cutting Jakson's hairs in anticipation of this weekend's nuptials. Like a good mother would.

Unfortunately, Jakson reacted much like Samson would have, had he been awake when Delilah chopped off his locks. (Did I just unwittingly compare myself to Delilah, the wily hairdresser? Pretend not.)

When I continued to yell things like Calm down! I'm just cutting your hair!, it was really more for your benefit, my dear neighbors, not Jakson's. Because obviously he knew what was happening, hence the shrieking. I just wanted to avoid an embarrassing interchange with the cops.

Not sure how that conversation would play out. Yes officer, and then I cut an inch off the top and trimmed his rat tail. Those are so 20 years ago.

Why waste tax dollars for that?

So thank you for turning a deaf ear. Although, I'm a little worried should a real emergency arise. Will you always ignore us so well?

Until three months from now when the next trim will occur,
Your devoted neighbor,
Delilah
Beth

Token FIRST DAY Post

Jakson's first day of pre-school started out something like this:
Get into bed to cuddle with mommy and Storey.
Hit Storey.
Make Storey cry.
Try to shove Storey off of bed.
Throw a tantrum because he can't wear his tool pajama pants all day.
Bonk Storey on the head with her doll because he can't wear his tool pajama pants all day.
Stand in time out.
Fall on the floor because mommy won't let him have a cookie for breakfast.
Finally give in and eat banana bread instead.
Kick Storey for attempting to touch his banana bread.

It was at this point that I realized, he was really going to miss us.
And I needed a break.

It was time to load everyone up in the car.
But first, the obligatory standingatthefrontdoorfirstdayofschool picture.
Jakson's enthusiasm for this rite of passage was astounding.That is the face of a child brimming with excitement.This is when I got desperate and asked him to yell "Hooray!"
His passion for school is almost tangible, isn't it?
Apparently he is done having his picture taken.
So much for documenting milestones.

Thankfully, things got much better once we got to school.
Meaning I got to drop him off and was the parent of only one child for 2.5 blissful hours.
Just kidding.....kind of (hey, with a morning like that, wouldn't you be feeling that way?).

I was a little afraid he would freak out.
Kids do weird things sometimes.
But, he hung up his backpack and ran to play.
I waved goodbye, but he just looked at me like "Are you still here? Leave already!"
He didn't wave back.
I was hurt for a minute.
But then I realized he was probably still angry about that darn cookie.

So I went home and ate it.
That'll teach him.

When I picked him up, I asked how he did.
The teacher told me he had a little trouble listening.
No!! My son?!?
Ha. Little does she know.
Look! He's making friends!!
It's a Christmas miracle!

The Final

So folks, this is it. I've edited, revamped (took in a couple inches at the top and created a more A-line skirt) and hemmed four times.

I present to you: the final dress.The color looks better in person. I promise.
I'm relieved to have this project behind me. On to the next.

Jak starts pre-school tomorrow. I'm having very mixed emotions about this new milestone. Here's hoping he doesn't freak out on me!

Favorites on Friday

Yesterday was a little busy so I didn't get to type up my Friday Favorites. I had to hem and unhem my final dress for the wedding FOUR different times!!

I officially don't like working with silk.

The dress is finished now and maybe looks a little more dumpy than I would like, but am just going to live with it at this point. I'll post pictures tomorrow or Monday and you can judge for yourself.

Back to the subject at hand: favorites.

1. Show tune stations on Pandora.
   I've loved Pandora for a long time, but recently discovered that I can type in the names of Broadway shows and listen to hours of singable music. So, if I don't answer the door when you ring it's because I'm singing at the top of my lungs while I sew. What could be better?
   Good. clean. fun. (PS-Try the Thoroughly Modern Millie station-you won't be sorry.)
2. Handmade mail.
I did not have to the time to make Jakson's tie for the upcoming nuptial celebration (poor kid always gets the shaft), so I was excited to find the perfect neck accessory from Aries Road on Etsy.
Only 5!!! Rush over and grab one of these houndstooth ties. My next Etsy purchase for sure.

I also got a stitched handprint that I ordered from Something Sewn for Storey's room. I have no idea how to embroider and loved her idea of Storey's name, age and little handprint all together in a frameable piece. It turned out so cute and matches her room perfectly.
3. Butternut Squash Ravoli
I 've had this recipe from Cafe Zupas bookmarked for a few months and finally got around to making it this week. Well, worth the time and effort!

Picture courtesy of Cafe Zupas.