Fall

It’s coming.  I just know it.  It must be coming… right?

I tell that to my kids every day as they climb into the car after school, red-faced, sweaty, and thirsty.

“Fall will be here soon, and then you won’t mind that 60 second walk to the car at all!”

I am seeing a few hints.

(Picture taken by Savannah, who has an eye for photography I think.)

My Pecan tree out back is heavy with ripening fruit.  (Nuts, that is.  Fruit sounded so much more poetic.)

Some days it stays under 105 degrees.  Not every day, of course, but it has happened a couple of times. 

And there is a brief moment, early in the morning, when you can walk outside and think “It’s almost nice enough to want to be outside.”  Almost.

I’m doing my part to usher it in.  You know, to hurry things along.  The other day I made a pork roast with apples, sage and cinnamon.  Definitely a fall dish.  And I’ve been wearing my Bath and Body Works Country Apple lotion.  That definitely says fall to me.

It won’t be long now…

A pick-me-up

My sister sent me the link to this video on motherhood.  It was just what I needed.

I really, really love my job.

My drawer

I love order.  I love organization, schedules, and punctuality.

You would NEVER, EVER guess that about me through observation.  With six kids, I find order a hopelessly elusive ideal.  Maybe it wouldn’t be impossible, but certainly would come at a very high cost to everyone’s happiness and my own mental health.

I do, however, have one little spot in my world that stays perfectly organized.

My make-up drawer always looks like this.  It is the one little piece of control that I cling to.  It makes me happy every time I look in there.

Lately Simon has discovered it.  He will open the drawer, reach his chubby little hand up over his head, and plunge it in.  He rummages around until he gets a good grip on something, then pulls it out to see what he has scored.

I have been finding slobbery make-up brushes lying around the house, or half eaten chapsticks on my bed.

I just can’t take it.  My one little personal space.  I’m going to get a lock.

The new me

I finally took the time to figure out how to make a header.  Turns out it’s really easy!  I don’t especially love the new look, but I was ready for a change.  I’ll keep experimenting until I find the right one.

37 pounds

 

I knew Jonah had been playing on my bathroom scale.

He came out and called to Savannah, “Come and see how much my feet weigh!”

Dress design for Shabby Apple Dresses

This post is kind of a sequel to my last one.  The skirt that was next on my list to make was inspired by my sister Lindsey’s wedding dress:

I guess you can’t see it too well, but it’s fitted to the knee, then flares out.

As I was trying to figure out how to go about it, I found a fun contest over at Shabby Apple Dresses.  They are looking for a design for their new spring collection.  Even though I have no experience whatsoever in this sort of thing, I thought it would be fun to try.

Here is what I have come up with:

I couldn’t decide which version I like best, so this young lady was kind enough to model them both.  Please don’t tell her she has awkward bird legs.  She is blissfully unaware of her figure flaws.

The first one is grey.  A very light cotton…almost filmy.  Where the skirt flares out you see layers and layers of yellow underneath… like petticoats.  The same yellow peeks out at the sleeves.

Option two is the same lightweight cotton, but in white.  There are loose white rosettes at the neckline, and on the band above the skirt.  The waistband is the same color as the “petticoat” layers.  Pink, red, yellow.  I think they would all be cute.  My only worry about this version is that it may look like an occasion dress, and not an everyday.

Anyway… there you have it.  My first attempt at fashion design.

A new bug

You know those nights when you lie awake forever thinking about some project or scheme?  Well lately I have had something very unusual occupying those hours.

A sewing bug.

Weird for me, since I don’t sew.  (You saw my attempt to teach Savannah!)   And I don’t normally spend a lot of time thinking about clothing or accessories.  But lately I lie awake in my bed, thinking of all the great outfits I could sew.  I even put jewelry and shoes with them in my mind.

Finally I decided to get it out of my system.  I made a skirt.  I was thinking that by the time I was finished with it, I would probably hate it.  Not so!  It turned out just like I had hoped.  It may not look like much to you, but I feel pretty accomplished!

The List

Jonah has been working on his Christmas list.  Every time he begs for some fabulous thing he sees on a commercial or in the store, I tell him, “Maybe you can ask for that for Christmas.”  The assumption was that he would forget them all before that time.

Yesterday he decided to make his list official.  Here it is:

I’ll translate.

-pillow pet

-big ball

-Wand-o-rama

-big bag of candy

-punching bag

The bottom says “List.  Ho Ho Ho.  Merry Christmas.”

I love this learning to write stage!

Sisters, Sisters, There were never more devoted sisters.

I am up at 2:30 am with a headache that won’t let me sleep.  An unfortunate part of my life, but at least I have some quiet time to think.

Today was one of my favorite days ever.  All of my sisters (and my parents) were here to go through the temple with Kami, the “baby” of the family.

I’m not sure if it was the purpose of the occasion, or the fact that it’s been a while since we’ve all been together, but today I saw my sisters in a new (and brighter) light.  Instead of seeing them as my little sisters, I looked around and saw a group of amazing women with strengths and talents that bless my life immensely.

In order: Alicia (SIL), me, Theresa, Lindsey, Kathy, Sarah, Kami, Mom;  taken in Sept 09 at BYU  

Sarah-who I think could be called the mother of all living.  She has seven children, goats, chickens, cats, dogs and acres full of trees, plants and vegetables.  She is a true nurturer at heart, and has such a love for all living things.  She is always the one that newcomers are drawn to, because she has a genuine love for people, and can immediately set them at ease.

Kathy-who we like to call superstar, because she is always so glamorous.  Life has thrown her some trials that she certainly never anticipated, and every time it does, she continues to prove that she is stronger than the opposition.  She is kind, non-judgmental and  easy to talk to.  Not to mention dang funny!

Theresa-who is my favorite partner for “talking business.”  She is smart, highly-motivated, and one of the hardest workers I know.  She doesn’t necessarily wear her heart on her sleeve, so to speak, but if you know her well, you know that she is kind, generous, and loyal.

Lindsey-who is always the life of the party.  She has a real gift for storytelling, (wink), and keeps us all amused.  She has the ability to “hang with any crowd,” and brightens up any room that she walks into.  Whenever you’re with Lindsey, you feel good about yourself.

Kami-who may be the youngest, but we all look up to her.  That girl knows where she is going, and is always working- full speed ahead- to get there.  She is firm in her commitment to do what is right, without wavering, but without being critical of others.  She has a huge heart, and a desire (and ability) to do good in this world.

We missed Brandon, my one and only brother.  I know, I know… poor guy.  He is the idol of all the little boys in the family.  His soft spot for my children, of course, gives me a huge soft spot for him.  Brandon is fun, fun, fun, with a hilarious sense of humor.  He’s also sweet and sensitive and always looking out for the underdog.

It’s funny sometimes to see how seven people, all raised under the same roof, could turn out to be so very different.  And yet we have some common bonds, and lots of inside jokes, that tie us tightly together.  I am so grateful to be tied, eternally, to these amazing people. 

Surrounded

A while back I was at my friend Cara’s house.   I was there to borrow some cute bud vases.  I knew she would have a good selection, and she didn’t disappoint.
Everywhere I turned in her house I saw something cute.  Cute pillows.  Cute drapes.  Cute dishes.  Cute frames.  Cute, cute, cute!
I thought to myself, “If  my house was this cute I would be smiling all day long!”  Which led to remembering something I had heard on Oprah- or somewhere equally as authoritative.  They say you should surround yourself with the things you love.
On my way home I was worried.  My house is always under construction.  I had a concrete floor at the time.  My dishes don’t match.  My walls are bare. You get the idea.  How will I be happy if I’m not surrounded by things that I love??
Duh.  As soon as I thought it, the answer came into my mind.  I am surrounded by the things that I love!  They look like this:



 
 
I am definitely surrounded.
Matching dishes can wait.

A day in the life of Simon

 

It’s a pretty good life really.