let the haunting begin!!

Festivities are under way at our house this week. D carved the pumpkins tonight. He had Little S draw the faces onto the pumpkins and then he carved out her designs. She stayed up and watched the carving of the middle one and he carved the other two after she went to bed. What a great dad - so supportive of her creativity!

Next, Baby J enjoying a carrot. She's got so many teeth coming in that she can gnaw away almost an entire baby carrot (under close supervision).

Lastly, this is what happens when mom is busy preparing for the primary program dress rehearsal. The markers I was using to write out the words of the songs were stolen from me and used as face paint - with no mirror! She did it in a matter of seconds while watching TV. My response: shock then laughter and then I ran and got the camera.

busy weekend

A jam packed schedule with the primary program dress rehersal and pizza party (which, apparently, Little S was talking about all day at school Friday), the Anaheim boutique and two birthday parties on Saturday, and the actual primary program Sunday.

D had a great time being Mr. Mom on Saturday and got the troops to the birthday parties and Baby J down for her naps with no problem. He even found time to enjoy the College Game Day broadcast from BYU.

The boutique was a lot of fun but I'm happy it's over. Now I can enjoy holiday planning - Little S's birthday party, Thanksgiving in Washington DC and some Christmas celebrations.
(this is the 10 yard banner I made for the boutique table - it will be used again in a few weeks for Little S's cooking birthday party)

projects projects projects

The house is cluttered with piles of my projects everywhere. I sewed an oilcloth banner last night with strawberry print oilcloth and red jumbo ricrac - 10 yards long. It turned out really cute, if I do say so myself. Will post a pic of it this weekend when it serves as the decoration at my oilcloth booth at the California Utah Women's boutique at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim. My friend Lauree and I have been sewing all-things-oilcloth for the sale.

I'm also working on primary program items for the big performance on Sunday- I wrote our ward's program and am working with the presidency on final tweeks, program inserts, and posters with words of the songs on them so the kids really sing it!

Finally, check out this cute project over at the Sew Mama Sew blog - their theme this month is scrapbusters. New projects every day to use up the boxes of fabric scraps you might have...

via Sew Mama Sew

Happy Birthday (tomorrow)

(fly fishing in the Provo River last month)

to the man in our house!! He's 34 this year. We love that he takes such good care of all of us girls at home. He's great at playing dolls, school, house, making craft projects and cooking with his daughters. I often say he would be a better househusband than I am housewife - our house would be cleaner, better organized and the meals would be fancier (our food budget would likely be much higher, too, as he likes expensive ingredients).

He's a fantastic husband - putting up with all of my projects and distractions and supporting me in whatever makes me and the fam happy. He is great at his job, fearless with people, and willing to help anyone in need. Yesterday, after being at church for meetings from 10-3:30 he stopped at home to change his clothes and then went right over to help cleanup the remaining possessions of a family in our ward whose house burned down during sacrament meeting. He got home at 8:30 pm. And yes, we are all counting our blessings today.

My friend from high school, Sara, told me a year or two after we were married, "You really lucked out, cause you couldn't have known he would be such a great husband when you got married 11 months after you met him - and you were 18 when you made that crazy decision. So, you are lucky he's awesome and not a loser." I am lucky and I know it.

BYU's Bean Museum, Provo

Angels Game - 3rd row seats, but Little S couldn't handle the noise

Family Days at the Getty Museum

Domestic Divas

I know a few of them - the ladies who do it all and make it look easy (my grandmother is one of them) - gardening, canning, immaculate housekeeping.... I'm not one of them but I enjoy the crafting/creative side of domesticity. I've been thinking lately about that creative drive in so many women - especially young mothers. Why do we get involved in so many projects when there is already so much to do just to keep the house running?

I found an interesting answer in my current favorite book: The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule. (check out her great blog: SouleMama)She asserts that our creative spirits are awakened when we are around young children and the purity of their rich creative energy. This idea resonated with me and I have been devouring her book and ideas for fostering in our children creativity and interest in the natural world.

When I pulled out the boxes of baby toys before Baby J was born I remember how disappointed I was as I looked inside. I thought to myself, no wonder babies get bored with this stuff, it all looks the same. In the end, it is all just brightly colored plastic - blah. (we do have a few things for Baby J to play with other than plastic :)

The book is great and I've been trying a few of her ideas - today we went on a walk looking for things representing the autumn season (a bit tricky in SoCal). We brought home some leaves, berries, and flower petals. FYI- The Crafty Crow is another great site for kid craft projects.

As for my projects, I am involved in a Virtual Quilting Bee organized by a friend of a friend. Twelve of us (I personally know only 4 of the ladies) swap 1 12 inch quilt block each month. The design and fabric is picked by the leader for that month. Sept was the first go at it. Here are pics of the finished products - everyone got the same fabric but could make up their own design (mine is the bottom right of the last picture):