I read strangers' blogs.

Sometimes Doug comes over the computer while I am reading blogs and says, "Whose baby is that?" "Um, nobody we know." He doesn't quite get it. But there are some really good writers out there and it's fun to read about their lives.

How about you? Whose blogs do you read? Or maybe YOU are a stranger reading MY blog! (haha)

Anyway, here are some blogs that I follow:

The Pioneer Woman - great photos and stories


Infarrantly Creative - encouraging testimony and craftiness


Filth Wizardry - creative ideas for preschoolers

Ali Edwards - scrapbooking inspiration

Bustin out the sewing machine

Whenever Doug goes out of town, I always feel compelled to accomplish some kind of project. This week I felt compelled to sew a couple aprons for my girls. I bought these dish towels a million years ago, made one (not great) apron for C, and stashed the rest.

I found a neat tutorial online and got re-inspired to dig out the towels and try again.

Here's the result:


Should be just right for when the girls want to "help" me cook!

Also, I found some motivation to organize all my leftover fabric stash. I have a whole bag of little scraps to be thrown away, too, but it's still sitting in my kitchen. SO HARD TO THROW AWAY! I must be strong. I will do it. Soon...


Before:

After:

Uh-Oh Ooo Ooo

E's best pal, Ooo Ooo has disappeared. We had actually displaced him for a few terrifying hours in Mexico, but he was found under C's bed. This time, I fear he is gone for good.


I've searching the house and car, and he is nowhere to be found. E keeps telling me she needs her Ooo Ooo, because he is sick. :-(


What is a mom to do? One word: EBAY.

Mosaic Masterpiece

C wanted to do a special craft this morning, so I found this idea for making your own mosaics.

I printed out a butterfly image and then glued it to a paper plate for each girl. Then I cut out little "tiles" from magazines and let the girls glue them on. This activity was really too much for E. She didn't last long, but C had just enough patience and coordination to have fun with it. And she did a great job, too!



E's:
C's:

A Keene Surprise

So three days after my return from Mexico, I headed out on a jet plane once more. My mom, sister Sharon, brother-in-law Greg and I had been planning a surprise visit to my sister Michelle for her 30th birthday. Michelle and Greg moved to New Hampshire a little over a year ago and it's been hard not to have her close in the Midwest anymore.

My mom, Sharon and I drove to a Target in their hometown and Greg brought Michelle there to go shopping. We called her in turn on our cell phones and were rewarded with a very shocked and stunned reaction.

We had a great four-day weekend being shown around their quaint hometown of Keene, NH.


I got to see their house for the first time and fell in love with the quiet garden retreat they have created in the backyard.



We also got to help Michelle begin her baby registry, which was actually a lot of fun!


I loved the gorgeous mountain views, which are my favorite kind of scenery.


It was a perfect weekend, and I hated to leave. :-( Happy Birthday Michelle! I love you, lil sista!

Wooden Stick Puzzles

This was a fun craft I found at a neat blog, Having Fun at Home.

The girls really enjoyed it! We found some images on Google, and I traced the images onto the sticks an let them color it in. Then we removed the tape and had a homemade puzzle to enjoy. :-)

You are my Sunshine

As I've mentioned before, I'm a sucker for hand print crafts. :-) Here's a sunny example:



Then C made my day by writing her name! We've been working on individual letters for a while, but this is the first time she (completely on her own initiative) wrote her entire name by herself.





Now who's "beaming" with pride?