{Autumn Sewing}

 

It's starting to feel a little fallish around here. 

What is it about Fall and Winter that brings out the desire to put my crafty pants on? 

So I'm s-l-o-w-l-y starting to make some Autumnish, Fallish - whatever you want to call it stuff for my etsy shop...attempting somewhat of a "fall line". 

 I'm also sponsoring Under the Sycamore again for the month of October! I'm offering a 10% discount in my shop for all of her readers. Head on over to her blog next month to get the coupon code!

I'm continuing to sew and embroider around these parts so continue to check back often for new stuff. 

I'm also getting ready to list a lot of really fun vintage stuff!

What crafty projects are you working on right now?

  

Make Something {from Pinterest} Monday

 

So for my second edition of "Make Something {from Pinterest} Monday" I'm cheating just a teeny tiny bit!

And considering I haven't posted since last Monday this may become a MSFPM heavy blog!

This morning I checked my email and had a lovely surprise....remember when I posted about my 35th birthday bash and said you would be seeing a lot more of it?

Well, these photos were actually taken by my other super talented photographer friend Chelle. 

I'm going to share these photos under the Pinterest challenge because there were a number of things inspired by this little old internet and Pinterest specifically. As I did last week, I will post my Pinterest inspirations at the end of the post because I still haven't figured out how to add them earlier in my posts!

So the lights, I'm sure you've seen gorgeous photos floating around the web with these globe lights. 

Oh, the magic! I so badly wanted to recreate this look and with ZERO outside lighting in my backyard I knew I would need something. They took a bit of arguing to hang and some creative rigging at that. (See the umbrella weirdly anchoring the middle of the deck?) Yeah, not my idea but it did work to lift the lights above my guests heads!

The glow was so beautiful! My out of town family guests did enjoy this space for a few days after the party. 

Sadly, we haven't been out there enjoying the glow since.

  

These fun paper straws were also inspired by parties I'd seen online...there is that scrumdidaleosous Margarita I mentioned.....really, the best I've had. 

 

The big fat huge balloons that my sister could barely fit in my minivan...those were scored off the internet as well as spotted in every cute photo shoot floating around.

 

The hanging mason jar lanterns...check.

The chocolate chip stuffed raspberries...Pinterest, yep.

And the funky, vintage layered tablecloths, Pinterest, oh yeah!

And for your enjoyment...and mine, a few of the other gorgeous photos Chelle sent my way!

The photographer's husband....

Those flowers were picked the day before from a flower farm by Chelle and Andi.

Those zinnias...one of my favorite flowers just because of their variety of vibrant colors!

I believe these appetizers were taken from Pinterest too....hmm.....can you believe my brother-in-law assembled these? Impressed I was.

I loved these napkins..they came from Shop Sweet Lulu along with the balloons, straws and little polka dot candy cups that the raspberries sat in. Wonderful website for party supplies!

 

Just one of the two food tables...we had gobs and gobs of delicious food!

 

 

Are you tired of these party pictures yet? 

Good, because I still have Andi's to show you!

And you know what? I changed my mind. 

I'm not going to put my Pinterest inspirations photos here because I'm too lazy. 

If you want to see them, feel free to click over to my Pinterest boards and enjoy all the eye candy!

Make Something {from Pinterest} Monday

So like a lot of you I'm totally into Pinterest. 

Don't know what Pinterest is? Click on my little button that says Pinterest and it will take you to my boards.

Basically an online pinboard, it is a wonderland of inspiration.

And if you are anything like me, you pin way more than you do!

So taking inspiration from Rebekah's Make Something Mondays...I'm declaring Mondays around here a 

Make Something {from Pinterest} Monday

So months ago, I pinned this scrappy map project. 
(That will be way at the bottom of this post because I can't figure 
out how to add text below it once I grab it from Pinterest...can anyone enlighten me on this?)
I didn't look at the tutorial but just used common sense to figure out how I wanted to do this.
So technically most of mine was made last Spring but it was just sitting around waiting for me to stitch around Alaska and Hawaii. Oh yeah, and add some hearts to all the states I've lived in.


I threw in my own take on it and embroidered the lyrics from "This Land is My Land". 
And I didn't stitch around the states...that looked a bit too difficult considering mine is pretty small. I ended up stretching it onto a 10" x 10" canvas I had and hung it in my daughter's room. 

 As you can see from my hearts, my life has been lived in the Northwest corner of our 
country and The Last Frontier ..... Alaska.

Here is my inspiration shot...from a lovely and inspirational blog See Kate Sew. 
She has a tutorial on her blog for her Scrap Map. 

Source: soyouthinkyourecrafty.com via Courtney on Pinterest

{autumn}

 

Oh Autumn, you are lovely.

This morning my toes were so cold I had to haul out my down slippers.

Sweatshirts were donned by many and pumpkin spice flavoring was added to coffee.

You have been a tease.....ninety degree weather last week!

Lately, the fans are silent again at night. 

I can hear my crying children once again!

My house smells sweet with fall scented candles.

Working, working, working on a fallish line for my etsy shop.

Oh how fancy a line sounds...kind of like using "Autumn" instead of "Fall".

So I guess I should say Autumn line for my shop.

And drink my coffee with my pinky in the air!

Summer I fear you will reappear. 

My summer flowers are dying.

My heart has no more heart to water you lawn.

I want my Mums to display their autumn colors on my front porch!

Be gone wilted and dying summer front porch flowers!

Cinnamon scented pine cones...you temptress you..

you are calling my name from the craft store...screaming at me to come 

and buy you! Never mind the husband's surefire remarks about

buying things that fall off trees for free.

My sweaters, my lovely tummy hiding sweaters.

You are so close to coming out of your hibernation.

And boots with socks and sometimes without!

Your time is coming soon too! 

Lovely, lovely, lovely Autumn.

You are my favorite time of year.

{soccer mom}

 

Suddenly that's what I feel like. 

A soccer Mom I mean. 

And not literally. No one is in soccer. 

But someone is in ballet. 

And someone else is in cross country. 

We had a very spontaneous day today.

Last night I was visiting with my friend Chelle and she asked me if my little sweetie was doing ballet this year.

It was something we considered last year and put off because of bad timing. 

Well, the school we wanted to enroll her in just started last week so I thought...I need to remember to call them tomorrow!

So I remembered. And they said why, yes. They have a spot for her 

Thursday afternoons and she can start today!

So we hustled on down to the dance shop and a super helpful lady got her all set.

Cute leotard.

Cute tights.

Even cuter skirt.

And ballet shoes. 

Oh, and three hair nets and bobby pins (for a proper bun you know!).

 

So she went and she loved it. 

And in the meantime I went to pick up the second grader and he spontaneously told me that he wanted to join his best friend for cross country practice that started today.

(I think he was out healing from his injuries when they sent this note home!)

So I left him and raced back to get the little ballet student.

Suddenly rushing around like crazy....I know some of you do this everyday!

But we have been a pretty low key family up until now - I've never been the one to enroll my kids in everything. Probably due more to my laziness than my kids lack of interest!

So it starts. It is pretty fun to see the kids try new things...we'll see how cross country goes.

Not exactly sure that he knew a lot of running was involved.....

******

And today is my honey's birthday. We did our big bash last weekend so today is a little bit boring in the party it up department. But he got to golf all day (and not really work) and he even gets to have dinner at the golf course. I'm left with hardly a birthday job to do! 

So Happy Birthday honey...we love you bunches and are so glad you were born!

{birthday}

 

So it was my birthday Friday...I've done it, I'm halfway through my thirties!

Saturday was the big bash I've been planning and dreaming of for so long...

the joint birthday bash for Greg and I.

It was lovely. We had twenty of our friends and family join us for an adults only party. 

Except for my kids and my sister's kids of course. 

(Anyone that could possibly babysit OUR kids was at the party!)

The weather cooperated....after a blazing hot day of working outside with my dear friend Becca to set up, the evening cooled down nicely. 

 

I'll share just a few an overload of photos from the party here. My friend Andi who is the most talented photographer snapped away all night long. I'm eagerly awaiting some of her photos to share with you!

So don't get sick of it yet...you'll see more of this party soon!

Becca and I pulled from our Farm Chicks stash and our homes to create the most dreamy party! 

Finally all of our hoarding and thrifting has paid off! 

And my nickname as the Chair Lady holds true. 

I am the proud owner of every. single. chair. here.

Some are chairs that live in my home, some are chairs that live in my backyard 

and some are chairs that are looking for new homes!

 

Stacks of colorful Fiesta Ware....which I was recently able to add to thanks to an unfortunate recall of my Martha Stewart pots from Macy's! Happy Birthday to me!

 

Lots of comfy lounging areas!

 

Mason jar lanterns hung for light after dark.

 

 Makeshift side tables out of old crates.

 

Seriously the yummiest, prettiest food ever. That I had nothing to do with. 

The magic of my sister Nicole and Momma Sharon produced a spread that everyone talked about!

 

And another serious topic, the margaritas! The best I've ever had. 

Probably because I was drinking them from the cutest little jars and stripey straws ever!

 

But what made it the most magical wasn't the lights, the pretty tablecloths or flowers, but seeing all of my loved family and friends come together. I am seriously blessed in this department!

 

 The desserts - incredible, every one.

 

I do love my twinkle lights...

 And then this special boy. Totally different topic but something magical happened to him this weekend too.

After a tough time trying to learn to ride a bike this summer he finally did it on Friday night!

His two years younger cousin recently learned and wanted to bring his bike over to teach him this weekend. 

The first time out - he did it!

We are so proud of him and couldn't keep him off his bike all weekend!

Yesterday Daddy decided to take him and his cousin for a bike ride.

They took a really long time coming back and we were so worried I was getting into the car to look for them when we saw them coming back. 

He was going down a hill and had to navigate a turn too fast. He had to turn quickly or he was going to go over the edge into the forest. The poor boy, his face got the worst of it but his arms and hands and knees got scraped up pretty bad too.

We had promised him a new Lego set when he learned to ride his bike. 

So after this I happily took him to the store and let him pick out a much wanted Star Wars set and that was good medicine!

So it was a really beautiful weekend...thankful for my friends and family and thankful that my boy escaped his first bike wreck with only some bad scrapes and a good story to tell!

{first day}

 

Today was my baby girl's first day of school.

The end of the stay home with Momma era. 

Bittersweet.

But more sweet than bitter.

She was really excited but I think I was even more excited. 

Excited to watch her grow and learn. 

To make new girlfriends and have someone who actually does cool crafts with her.

This is her bag for pre-school. They give out these totes and let you decorate them.

I had great plans for decorating hers. Appliqued name, pretty flowers...we even went to the store to buy all sorts of buttons and patches and trim work. Then I remembered the load of supplies piled on my sewing desk at home. So we walked out of there with that pretty pin on flower. 

Last night I pinned it on and my husband said "is that all you are doing?" 

When my oldest hit pre-school he had a pretty blingy bag for a boy. 

I told him I'd do more later. 

Between cleaning my house for company and getting ready for our joint birthday bash this Saturday, applique and buttons and bows just didn't happen.

Then this morning I was inspired by my friend Amy who said she just colored in the picture on her son's bag. So I found a permanent pink marker and did a bit of coloring...and wrote her name in the name spot.

Boring and so lame Mom! (That's what I think) What she thought was that it was just perfect and she didn't want anything else done to her bag. See, she's very proud of it in this picture!

Here she is right before class...a little more timid but still brave and excited. 

Her class is small, only eight. But a dear friend has her little boy in it as well. 

And there is another little girl with her name! We've yet to run into another Addison until now. It was bound to happen though. Apparently the other Addison has always wanted to meet someone with her name. 

Merry Christmas kid!

And here is my sweet little baby after class. So much more relaxed. So happy. What a big girl. 

Sigh......

Totally random and 871 photos...

{Don't you love considerate doggie parents? I mean really, the cruelty of putting your dog in the back of a truck without goggles! Wind! Debris! It could damage your doggie's eyes!)

Okay, take a breath. Don't worry, I won't really make you look through 871 photos.

That is just how many I uploaded from my camera yesterday.

We've done some really fun things around here in the last month. Things I've neglected to tell you about, photos that are really fun that I've neglected to share. 

So here is a random assortment...because 871 photos is a little overwhelming.

Remember those friendship bracelets I did for that swap? 

Wow, those took a looong time. Like the entire way across the state in a car. And then some. 

We visited my parents new condo last month for the first time. 

This is their view. 

Jealous?

And here is another one for your enjoyment.

What's this? Why it's a peacock! It lives in my sister's neighborhood. It is wild. It is very weird I know. And this is just one of the exactly 78 pictures I took of this bird. 

Just trying to get the perfect peacock shot folks. Is this one it? No....it is not.

He is cute yes, but he was grumpy and sleepy this day. We went to the beach and in no time at all he was doing this. Way to go Nama!

This was the beach we were at. Recognize the view? Just a hop, skip and a jump away from the Grandparent's condo.

And these children, so uncooperative! All I wanted was one photo of them all lined up cute by age. It was really the oldest (mine) who was guilty of the stinky looks.

He's cute.

 We went to the zoo twice. And saw sharks. This was so timely. I had just watched approximately 15 hours of shark week. 

We went to the lake again. I had to put this photo in here just to show my Mom. I have one from this age that looks eerily similar. I think it's the hair. Right, Mom?

This kid fell in love with snorkeling on this trip. He found a plastic chair weighted down with a big rock! And he saw a big fish. Pretty cool stuff for a seven year old!

We went to an amusement park.

And it was fun. 

(I'm trying to limit the use of my exclamation points. I'm very fond of them you see and sometimes I'm guilty of using one in every sentence.) 

But it was really fun!

This is one of my very favorites. Look at those faces! It was the first year that the baby could go on any rides....he loved it so much!!! Sorry, couldn't help that one!

 He started second grade last week. After the first day he told me he wished school was all day and all night! Does my heart good to hear that and does my heart good to see him suddenly reading up a storm too!

And we got to spend part of our Labor day weekend oh so not laboring at a friend's veery nice pool.

Thank you Mr. Bob!

So that is a random and kind of long but yet abbreviated wrap up of our last month!