Monday!

Happy Monday, sweetie pies! We had what felt like an insanely rushed weekend, but thankfully things will be slowing up a bit. Linking up with the lovely Carissa if you want to join in!

~The Cake! So it turned out pretty cute, if I do say so myself. The only thing I had to go on was that the birthday girl liked purple and flip flops, so I just went with that. My customer said that it was the hit of the party and that (perhaps more importantly) it tasted great, so I deem this a success! 

~Free Time~ This week is a big one for me and Trace. Today after a short trip to the local waterpark, Trace is taking the littles to spend an entire week with his parents. He's dropping them off and heading home so we can have some child-free time before he and the youth team leave for Canada on Saturday. I'm excited to be able to have some date nights and maybe even go to a late movie or something out of character for us. (I know, we are real party animals, right?!) The kids are so excited and have been constantly talking about eating junk food and water fights... hopefully they'll limit the junk food, but I know they'll have a great time.

~God speaks~ A pastor friend from Nashville came as a guest speaker at our church this weekend. It was awesome to have someone come and spend time just taking in all God is doing here and also to encourage us. At one point we were having a prayer time, and he spoke into my heart some things that only could have come from God about who I am and where I need help. I am so thankful that God is gracious to give and that others allow themselves to hear and speak words that God entrusts to them. I feel wonderfully understood and loved by a Savior that cares for me as an individual.

~Time Out~ An update on the potty training front... not going so well as it started. On Thursday I took my girlie to the er after she didn't go (potty or otherwise) for over 12 hours. We were nervous about her getting or having a UTI, so we wanted to get her checked out. Of course she went in a diaper as soon as we got checked in! So we took a few steps back... all along we've said that she would initiate the whole thing, so we're just going at her pace and seeing what happens.

So what are you up to this week? I have several brunch/coffee dates planned in the time while Trace is working, but other than that, I'm thinking I'll just be lazy. I'm hoping to get in some writing time and just be quiet with God. Rediscovering what free time is...

Miscellany Tuesday!

Happy Tuesday, y'all! I can't seem to get my act together on Mondays... I'll use yesterday's holiday as my excuse this week, but in truth it shouldn't count because we don't really celebrate it. But whatever. I hope you had a terrific Monday off. We were able to hang out with some good friends over the weekend and yesterday. We splurged and bought the littles an inflatable pool, (of which I've yet to get any pictures) and now we begin the task of watching it carefully to make sure the insane dog posse doesn't poke holes into it. I am so over these dogs and the mess in my house.

This week is starting to look pretty busy. We have a few playdates planned, and I've been commissioned to make a cake. I'm a little nervous, as this is my first cake that's not been for a close friend or donated for a church event. The best/worst part is that the woman who ordered kind of gave me a lot of freedom to do what I want. She gave me a color idea and one theme idea, but other than that said to do whatever. This planner would much prefer 'coloring inside the lines' and wishes she had given me a clear picture of what she wanted. So we'll see how it ends up...

Also in other 'miscellany' news is that the Divine Miss Halle is wearing panties today! I know you were really concerned about this, and I know that all you mommas out there will appreciate the enormity of this development. I'm not holding my breath... cautiously optimistic that we'll be done with diapers very soon. As with everything she does, I'm certain that my girl will do it in her own way (likely with her hands on her hips) in her own time.

So what's in store for your week? See you soon!

Sunny Monday

Happy Monday, sweet things!  I am writing to you from sunny Naples, Florida this morning. I woke up to the most beautiful palm trees and sunny skies. I'm also feeling a bit like the Golden Girls, and I can't seem to get their theme song out of my head. It's my first time in Florida, and truly my only frame of reference for the state is that those crazy ladies lived there. I am right now looking out on the water from my dad's 'lanai', which cracks me up because I seriously thought that was a made-for-Golden-Girls word, and then my dad tells me it's actually a Floridian word. Who knew?!

So which Girl would you be? I'm pretty sure I'd be Dorothy. I don't wear drapey pantsuits (though I could totally pull that off!), but I am more level-headed than the rest of that nutty bunch. It's more of a process of elimination at this point~ I'm not quite as racy as Blanche or as ditsy as Rose and I don't have the Italian mafia connections that Sofia had...

Anyway, I would appreciate your prayers as I'm down here helping out with some family health matters. I truly didn't just run away from Trace and the littles for the week! Dad showed me around a bit this morning before we settle in for the day. Aren't these scenes gorgeous? I even managed to snap that one shot (above) of a dolphin at the pier... My little animal 'experts' would love this!

Hope y'all have a wonderful week! I'll try to post a time or two, but as always, no guarantees. =) 

Miscellaneous...

Hope y'all are having a great Monday!! I am linking up a bit late, but the day of doing nothing turned into loads of fun stuff packed in, and I'm just now getting a chance to sit and think. We took the little people to see Kung Fu Panda 2 this morning~ so cute and I made it nearly to the end before crying! It has a sweet adoption story woven in that I wasn't quite expecting...

~We are at the two month countdown to Halle's birthday. (Actually 2 months from Wednesday, if we're being precise...) We are running with the Rapunzel theme, and I cannot wait. I absolutely love parties, and princess parties may be my most favorite! Let the planning begin!

~Last week was a week of experimental recipes. I tried this Italian Beef and this Lasagna, both in the crock pot. I love using it, but feel like I don't have enough to try in it. Both turned out great, and even the littles ate them. This week I'm gearing up for a trip, Trace is going on a different trip, and my in-laws will be arriving, so I don't think I'll be experimenting too much in the next few days. Thankfully my littles have low standards~ they don't seem to have the same momma-grading scale that I use on myself. On the days I'd give myself a big fat 'F', they act like PB&J is a gourmet meal!

~Our garage sale was a bust this weekend. The weather was iffy but not terrible, so I really have nothing to blame... Friday was better, but on Saturday we saw absolutely no one! It was weird, and I was almost beginning to wonder if Harold Camping had been just a few days off in his timeline. We'll try again soon!

~The days have begun when we are outside a ton.  I don't particularly like to sweat... in fact, I hate it. But at this point, remembering the amazing things I got into when I was little outweighs my discomfort. We were out from the time the sun came up until time for bed, with only bathroom breaks and meals to keep us in. I want those things for the littles... so I sweat it out (and sometimes watch from inside my cool kitchen, I must admit). But they blissfully pass out in their little beds after a day of adventures. I totally love that!

So how are you kicking off summer? We went to two cookouts this weekend, and we got a grill~ super excited to have cookouts of our own!

Miscellany Monday~ Yippee!!

Well, contrary to most, I LOVE Mondays! I know I've bragged about this before, but it's still true. Trace takes Mondays off, and so it tends to be a great, get-things-done-around-the-house kind of day.

~In a strange twist (no thanks to fate, all the glory to God!) I actually finished most of my Monday to-do list on Sunday. I'm truly not sure how it happened, but I finished all the laundry and some of the cleaning yesterday. All that's left is to get my 'fake house' ready to host our Fusion group tonight, and as this is our last meeting, I've quit trying so hard to make things spotless. I am so thankful that God has put such wonderful friends in our life whom I know won't judge whether or not I have dust on picture frames! *that being said, I will probably go and dust... they won't judge, but now that I've mentioned it, it will probably make me crazy.

~T-ball is going great, and I am so proud of Remy. We haven't had an actual game yet, but he's been doing well at practices and participating. And he looks so cute in the little get-up with the hat, cleats, and mitt! Pictures are tonight- praying it doesn't rain!

~I am so excited to share with y'all about some huge ministry stuff that we have coming up, in fact, I could burst! More details to come, but remember how I said I dreamed about going to Africa? Yeah, it's that big...

~After posting last week about my Granny's pecan pie, I started digging up more passed-down recipes. Yesterday I made my other Grandma's Chocolate Cobbler, and it was sinfully good. I didn't take a picture because, frankly, it's not the most beautiful dessert, but it tasted like heaven! I'll try to post the recipe this week~ you're going to love it!

~Purging. I'm getting things around for a garage sale next weekend and listing bigger items on Craigslist. We just have so much. I listed our double stroller on Saturday, and 4 hours later it was sold. I love that! The hardest part is that while exhuming things from the deep, dark places in the littles' rooms, they see them and exclaim 'I was just looking for that!'. Every single time. (sigh) We're trying to teach them about excess and giving, but it's so hard. I'm ready for this to be over. I love the results from a good garage sale, but I hate the execution...

Monday, Monday

Good morning and Happy Monday!

~I almost always begin the week a bit tired... life in ministry doesn't allow for the weekends to be times of rest or relaxation, but they are most always filled with tons of people we love and time encountering God. It's a worthy trade-off!

~ My boy is loving t-ball. So far (unlike with soccer) there hasn't been any talk of quitting, so that's progress! He loves the hat but refuses to wear the team t-shirt. I think this secretly makes his non-conformist daddy proud.

~I love seeing my littles with their friends. I love the hand-holding of little girls while they play, and Remy and his buddies become ninjas every time they see each other. On one hand I can't believe how big they seem, but on the other I'm so thankful that we are surrounded by so many awesome families.

~Speaking of friends, Remy attended a birthday party on Saturday of one of his friends from school. The party was at Monkey Joe's~ have you heard of this place?! It's filled with inflatables, and the insanity was almost more than this momma could handle. It was a dark rainy Saturday, so that meant everyone in town decided to go... Needless to say, my boy spent a looooooonngg time in the tub when we got home. But he had so much fun~ another worthy trade-off!

~My tea party was on Saturday! I'll try to get some pictures up tomorrow. It was a dark rainy day, so we were forced inside, but it was so much fun to spend some agenda-free time with some friends of my own with no one asking us to clean anything up, chauffeur them anywhere, or wipe hands or noses.

~Today is zoo day with Remy's class, and it looks like the rain has stopped. The sun is finally shining! We've yet to explore the zoo here, so I'm as excited as the littles, I think!  

What are your plans for the day, lovelies? I'll be back soon!

Miscellany Monday

Happy Monday!! Linking up again for the randomness over on Carissa's blog... click the button and take a look!

~1~ Remy's school had their annual 'Mother's Special Day' program on Friday, and it was just as sweet as last year. Though, also the same as last year, when it came time to act out the nursery rhymes, my little shy guy chickened out. Not sure where he gets that from, but he just doesn't seem to like the spotlight like his mom & dad. But he shines regardless to me! Here he is serving me cookies and juice:

~2~ The weather is finally getting nicer, which means we spend lots more time outside. This also means I spend twice as much time sweeping and mopping the kitchen, but I'll gladly do that to have the fresh air and worn out little ones! I am amazed at how much time the littles spend treasure hunting, 'training' the dogs, and building things.

~3~ I've been using my pioneer coffee pot, and I have to tell you, I love it. It cracks me up every time, but something about not using the electricity and the way the coffee tastes is extremely gratifying. (Okay, I admit I am a HUGE dork...) Trace still refuses to drink anything I make from it, and I think he's going to borrow a pot from the church for our small group tonight. I suppose it would take six years to make coffee that way for our group... But I have no intentions of spending anything on a new coffee maker for a while.

~4~ Jello-palooza was last night at our youth ministry. Going into it, I had no idea what Trace had come up with, but I knew enough to put on old clothes. The games went from a relay in which you sifted through a giant bowl of gelatin with your feet to find pieces of candy to speed eating. The finale consisted of liquid gelatin being poured into a length of plastic tubing. One person stood at each end, and when the 'referee' said Go!, each contestant blew as hard as he/she could trying not to get the gelatin in their face. Disgusting, right?! Kind of like tug-of-war, but with jello and blowing... I'm not sure where my darling husband comes up with this stuff. It turns out that all my days singing have well equipped me for a game involving hot air, and I actually won this one. So happy!

So what did you do this weekend? Hope you have a great day, lovelies!

Miscellany Monday~ Easter Edition

Happy Monday!! I hope y'all had an awesome Easter weekend! Ours was full of miscellaneous things, so it fits in well with today's post...

~The weather was perfect for the weekend. It rained on Friday, which I always feel is perfect for Good Friday... helps remind me what we are remembering. And then after a so-so Saturday, we woke up this morning to a glorious sunny sky for celebrating a Resurrected King. Hallelujah!

~The littles loved the egg hunt at our church on Easter morning. It was pretty chilly, and the ground was still a bit soft, but that didn't stop them from hunting for tons of candy. Another parent told Trace that as a parent you get 10% off the top... And truthfully, Halle is just as excited to find the eggs without knowing anything about what's inside. The thrill of the hunt, I guess...

~ We also took some time to make Resurrection rolls, color eggs, and have a spring scavenger hunt, but my crazy self didn't get any pics of those. The spring scavenger hunt is what we do on the Saturday before Easter in lieu of Easter baskets. I struggle because I have a hard time with traditions vs. the actual reason for the holidays. (You can see my thoughts on Santa here.) I don't want to be the parent that keeps my kids from doing fun things, but I also want to keep them constantly mindful of why we do what we do. So on the Saturday before Easter I hide eggs with clues around the house that lead to small prizes that I've collected.

Image from here

~I've started watching Glee from the beginning on netflix. I love this show. I started watching it in Nashville, but when we moved for some reason our antenna doesn't pick up Fox. So along with Glee I've gotten used to not seeing some shows I really like, like 'So You Think You Can Dance' (is that even on anymore?!), 'House', and 'American Idol'. But Glee really is my favorite. I watch and relive my glory days from high school show choir. And any show that has Josh Groban guest star is on my list anyway... I'm only on episode 5, but I see a lot of this in my future. Any other Gleeks out there?

So what did you do this weekend? Today will be highlighted by taking both little ones to the dentist and doing some shopping with my momma. Happy, happy! See you soon, lovelies!

Miscellany Monday~ Easter Week

{one} My 2 year old Halle made a declaration yesterday morning, and it certainly started my week on a good note. She said: "Mommy, guess what?! Jesus isn't on the cross anymore~ He's alive!". This momma's heart swelled to the point of bursting... They get it, don't they?!

{two} We may have to change Rueger's name to Shamoo. This poor baby dog wails and cries like a crazy whale or sea-cow or something. Nights are getting long, and we aren't sure what to do... Most info online says that he may just be bored and need attention. Are you kidding me?!

{three} Our spring pictures are in! And in a stroke of Divine Interference, neither little person was scarred or screaming. God is Good!! The bottom right is my absolute favorite. Our photographer apologized, saying that she didn't capture any of Miss Hallelujah smiling. But after looking at them, I had to laugh because she perfectly captured my girl!

{four} I am very excited about Easter week! For many, many reasons, but certainly on the list is the fact that my mom is coming into town on Thursday! I am definitely a momma's girl, and can't wait for her to spend some time here with all of us. Halle is already making her list of books to read with 'Grammy', and I'm sure Remy has some show and tell on a list too. So much to fit into four days!

{five} Lastly, I just want y'all to know that I am thankful for each of you. I have been glad to be back in this sweet spot, and the emails, tweets, & comments I've received have been wonderful. I love this 'community' and am so grateful for it! I pray so often for each of you as I read your blog posts as well as comments made here, and I love that God is able to knit us all together over one thing or another. Such blessings to me you are!!

Happy Monday, Lovelies!!

Miscellany Monday!

Well, it has been a super long time for this... and this is my favorite, because when nothing else works, I can always be random... Happy Monday!

1~ Newborns are hard work!  I know I have had two little ones of my own, but you really do forget how crazy it is! I am watching the sweet new baby of a friend two days a week until school is out, and she is perfection~ That sweet baby smell, those tiny little clothes, and precious first smiles. But man, I had forgotten how constant new babies are... by the end of the day I am so tired!

2~ Rueger  Well, our home has increased in number again... I may have mentioned before that Trace absolutely loves BIG dogs, and I guess Starbucks doesn't count. So yesterday we drove a little ways to bring home crazy Mr. Rueger. He's a pure bred Doberman and just a puppy at 100 pounds. Poor thing is crying constantly missing his brother, but he's awesome with the littles, and Trace is enamored. No pictures yet because he moves too fast for me to capture!

3~ Jumbo Egg-mallows Have you had these?! They're huge, vanilla-flavored, egg-shaped marshmallows, and you can have like 4 of them for 90 calories, I think. Halle and I are eating them like there's no tomorrow! (okay, maybe I'm eating more than she is, but whatever...)

4~ Pink Panther Thanks to netflix, a new crop of old cartoons have come into my house, and we are all loving it! Remy had pink eye last week and decided to stick with the 'pink' theme and start watching Pink Panther. He laughs until he cries!

5~ Training Yesterday afternoon, we had the privilege of welcoming Bill Allison from Cadre Ministries at church to do a training called 'Ministry is Relationships' with many of our team leaders and also youth student leaders. It was a great session, and if you're involved in ministry in any way (and even if you're not technically, being a Jesus-follower is ministry, right?!) you should check out his sight!

So what have you been up to? I'm linking up with Carissa, and you should stop by her site and say hello! See you soon!

Miscellany Monday

Happy Monday and First Day of November! I'm once again linking up with the darling Ms. Carissa for Miscellany Monday~ I have too many random thoughts not to!

~one~ I had an email in my inbox this morning that said 'Now that November is here, the holidays are officially beginning. Are you ready?'. Frankly it kind of freaked me out... I absolutely adore this time of year, but I want to breathe it all in and enjoy it. Don't rush me!

~two~ My craft show on Saturday was a wild, surprising success! On Friday when I went to set up I was a bit nervous because I was definitely a minority (young & pierced), but on Saturday the crowd was great. I had a fantastic day selling and talking to customers and other vendors. It was so good to get out and meet some people!

Wolverine goes to preschool

~three~ Remy spent most of the weekend as Wolverine, beginning with school on Friday. He had a wonderful fall party with his class and brought home a ton of treats! On Saturday our church had a block party with petting zoo, treats, and games. Remy was waiting in line for one of the games, where he told the ladies that 'We don't need treats, we have a bunch, so we're just here to play. That's our motto.'. I swear I didn't prep him with that 'motto' line, but I loved it!  On Saturday Halle wasn't feeling agreeable about wearing her costume, so when people asked about hers we just said she was going as 'fourteen'. Her Scooby Doo did make an appearance at church on Sunday morning, and she had a blast barking in her class. 

~four~ I got to drive Trace's stealth on Saturday because he needed my van for some errands. I was not impressed, and my thirty year old self is definitely happy with the minivan. No sports cars for me!

Well, that might be it for this morning... How was your weekend? I have lots of posts lined up for the week, I think (or at least lots of ideas in my head at this point...).  Until next time...

Miscellany Monday

Hello, lovelies! I hope y'all had a good weekend. You know the drill~ I'm linking up with Carissa because I have a plethora of random thoughts this morning!

{one} I learned last night at youth that it isn't recommended to ingest a spoonful of dry cinnamon. This was the game that my darling husband came up with for the students. Of the eight that played, six threw up... but as gross as that is, in youth ministry, a game that makes even one kid throw up is considered a success. So last night was super successful! (YUCK!)

{two} I took the trend of wearing tall boots with jeans tucked into them on a test drive on Saturday. I was afraid that I would look and/or feel like a jockey, but I actually think it looked pretty cute. I didn't gallop even once!

{three} If you have little ones and have yet to discover the awesomeness of a good pediatric dentist, I urge you to search for one in your area. An indoor playground and super fast service make it totally worth it. Last week I had to take both littles for a 9:00am and 9:30am appointment (not exactly something I was looking forward to...), and we were done with both by 9:20!! Both kids were troopers~ and no cavities!

{four} I'm thinking that this week is going to be the perfect week for a giant batch of taco soup. I love that the weather seems to have finally turned for good and coolness has moved in... lots of soup recipes will likely find their way into my kitchen and here on the blog.

{five} My first craft show of the season is coming up on Saturday. I love doing the shows once I'm there, but the week before is typically insanity for everyone in the house. I'm pretty sure I have all the last-minute sewing finished, but piles of goodies wait to be priced, folded and loaded.

{six} One more picture from my phone that I thought I had already posted. Last Monday Remy's class took a trip to the fire station. This is a big deal, as on most days if you ask Remy what he wants to be when he grows up it's either a fireman or Spidey. Rem, in his typical style, did his best to act unimpressed, but when offered the chance to spray the hose, he could no longer remain nonchalant.

Well hello, monday! {Miscellany Monday}

Nice to see you again... This weekend felt like it happened at light speed, and we packed so much in! 

Friday night was another sleepover/spa night with some of the youth students. Let's just say that I am getting way too old for 2 am! I do, however, love watching sappy romantical movies and the chatter of young people~ that at least helps me to feel like I'm young again. We made cookies and painted toe nails and even pranked some fellow youth leaders who were away on their honeymoon... Ahh, life is grand!

Saturday brought another visit to another apple orchard/pumpkin patch. The weather was windy but gorgeous, and we had a great time.

My sweet baby bee!

This is the only 'posed' picture I managed to snap... not quite Christmas card material.

Sunday included a great morning service and then Veritas, which is our youth service in the evening. I never would have thought that I would enjoy working with teenagers, but that's an area that God has changed in my heart so much in the past year.... and we have an awesome group of friends who volunteer to watch my little people so that I can serve. I feel so blessed by all the amazing people God puts in our life!

This week is certain to be busy. Today Rem's preschool class is taking a trip to the fire department, and I get to tag along~ so excited!! I have also connected with a MOPS group from another church and am going for the first time. I really loved the group that I was a part of in Indiana when Remy was first born. It will be great to get out of the house and meet some other moms!

Lots of sewing is on the horizon too. I have spent weeks trying to find local craft shows to no avail, and then last week within 24 hours two, and a possible third, almost fell into my lap. The best part is that they are literally just down the hill from my house. Love it!

Okay, so I hope that is random enough for this Monday. As is my usual custom, I'm linking up with the lovely Carissa. Click the link and show her some love! Happy Monday!

Miscellany Monday

Participating again in Carissa's randomness... I love starting the week with a good emptying of the brain! 

{un} My wee ones are growing up (sniff...) and this was a big 'moving on up' weekend! Trace finished building Remy's new loft bed, so he is officially in a twin size bed 'way up by the ceiling'. He's thrilled! As he moved out the toddler bed, Halle was more than eager to take his place. I was a little nervous, thinking that keeping my wild girl in her cage for a bit longer would save my sanity, but she did great. We're only two nights in at this point, but she went down like a champ! Every time they move into a new phase I get a bit sentimental, but at the same time, I think it's a sign that we must be doing something right. Right?! God in his tremendous grace has so richly blessed us with these little people!

{deux} I have to share that I found the cutest fabric collection for my new winter line. That's all I'm sharing for now, but I'm so excited and hope you will love it too! More details to come as I have them~ patterns are being drafted and samples made at the moment...

{trois} I can count in french. However, I did begin to doubt myself and googled the spelling just in case. I should trust my memory more... I was correct!

{quatre} I love this time of year and the fact that new t.v. is on every night. I am a dork, and I think I'm okay with that.

{cinq} I adore Martinelli's apple juice in these sweet little bottles. Trying to think of a craft to make with them... So cute (and I think it's the best apple juice ever. EVER.)!

{six} My new boots arrived and are so fantastic. I was pretty sure that you were wondering about that.

{sept} I have been thinking about doing a weekly devotional sort of post around these parts (sounding a bit 'country'... perhaps due to the wearing of the afore mentioned boots?). Is that something y'all would be interested in? I write a ton, but only occasionally post them on here. Any thoughts?

Hope you have a blessed Monday~ I know it's a holiday for some!

Miscellany Monday

Happy Monday morning, lovelies! We all slept in this morning, so I'm off to a late start, but it's well worth it. Trace had a concert for youth last night and we all got to bed later than normal. Random might be all I have this morning...

{one} My 'housewives in training' (aka students) came over on Saturday to make cookies and cupcakes for the concert. I didn't take a single picture, but I still could today, as we have TONS left over. Cupcakes for breakfast is healthy, right?!

{two} We are hoping to go to the local apple orchard today before taking Remy to school. That is, if we can convince him~ for some reason he keeps telling Halle that it's scary and that we shouldn't go. I'm hoping to get some fall pictures, or at the least some apples to make crisp with... that's my favorite fall thing!

{three} I am super-psyched about a new pattern I'm drafting. I got a burst of inspiration on Saturday night, and in about 15 minutes I drew up and cut out a new dress. I love seeing God in those kinds of moments because I definitely can't take credit for anything that comes together like that! Hopefully I'll share soon!

{four} I should have more details up later today about the personalized pajama sets for the holidays. There will be several custom options, and if you're interested you can email me.

{five} I have been so lazy about the gym the past few weeks... story of my life. Things get busy and it's the first thing to drop from my list. Frustrated, to say the least.

Hope you have a wonderful start to your week! Be sure to click over to lowercase letters to link up!

Miscellany Monday

Monday again, and you know what to do... click the icon above to link up with the marvelous Carissa!

{one} We had a nice, fairly relaxing weekend... Saturday was a banner day for us: we had NO plans! Yeah, you can be jealous~ No practices, parties, meetings. We spent the morning at home and then ran some easy errands in the afternoon, and it was lovely!

{two} Along with lazing around quite a bit, I did manage to finish up a few projects for the shop and upcoming craft shows. One was this play/pajama set that Halle is wearing. (In our house, clothes that look & feel like pjs are definitely a bonus!) I may be the only shop online where one of the product photos has a child inside a box, but I'm okay with that... I was excited to try applique on my new machine, and it worked like a dream. These little sets can be found in the 2 sweet things shop here. I also sewed up some delicious little tutus. Something about working with tulle makes the princess in me very happy.

{three} The girls wore their dresses to Homecoming on Saturday evening, and I didn't get one picture that turned out well enough to put up. I'm waiting to see some on Facebook, and I'll try to post later this week. I am so happy with how they turned out and thankful that they liked the finished products. (I know how picky I was in high school!)

{four} Trace is off to Chicago today for the second time in a week to look at a car. He is not thrilled with our 'one car family' arrangement and is hoping to find the car of his dreams.  Fingers crossed!

{five} I made these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip cookies yet again, and they continue to be the most amazing cookies ever. Seriously, and I'm kind of a cookie expert. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned them before, but I am floored every time I make them at how good they are. Something about the honey (my guess) makes the texture light and perfect. You should absolutely try them right now.

Hope your Monday is perfect! xo

Miscellany Monday~ Second Verse, Same as the First

Well, it's Monday again (how does that always happen?!), and I feel like this post may be the same as last week. Thanks for reliving the insanity...

{one} Busy. Thankfully the homecoming dresses have to be finished by this weekend, so I can get this off my to-do list. They have turned out just perfect, and I'll have pictures after the girls get all dolled-up this weekend~ Can't wait! I just have one strap to finish today and a matching tie (this was a last minute add to the list...) to wrap up, and then I can breathe a bit.

{two} I am no longer a soccer mom. We are quitters... At Wednesday's practice, Remy kicked the ball once and told his coach that he needed a break. Seriously, ONCE. I took this as an opportunity to reassess our choice, and we decided to make a clean break. He's just not into it and told me that he wasn't going to do his best. Hmm. My dreams of the vinyl soccer ball cling on the minivan came crashing down. (Just kidding, I am actually thankful to free up an evening and Saturday mornings each week...)

{three} Eating. I have been using my mom's mini-muffin pan a ton. Like every day. And banana-nut is on the menu today. This is really my new most favorite thing in the world. Everyone needs some muffins, right?!

{four} Sore. We went back to the gym this morning after a few weeks off. And I am certain that I will be sore tomorrow. I have been quite annoyed with myself, as I have undone some of the hard work and hours I put in at the gym this summer. I am determined to get back on track, and today was the day. Isn't it funny how you forget how good you feel after a workout? I stop going one day and it snowballs into a few weeks, and I have a million excuses as to why I can't go... but it feels so good to get back at it. And to watch cable. (Have I mentioned before that I love that the gym has cable?)

{five} Sad. So I watch soap operas. Not a revelation, I know, but I like the noise during nap time, and some of these people have literally been around my whole life. So on Friday when As The World Turns aired its final episode, I must admit I was a bit teary. I know I will survive, but I'm not sure my granny will! 

Okay, I think that's enough for this morning. We have a mountain of laundry to tackle and errands to run, all before getting Remy to school at 12:30... Yikes!

Miscellany Monday

Click the button and link up, if you want to! You know the drill...

Happy Monday! I absolutely cannot believe it's Monday~ we never stopped to breathe this weekend! Random is exactly what I've got this morning, so it's fitting to link up with Carissa.

{one} Remy's soccer game was, in a word, amusing. Our little guy is not quite the aggressive soccer player he claims to be while in the backyard. Usually with preschool soccer, where the ball goes the pack goes. But not our Remy... he's a non-conformist. He chose to tip-toe behind the group, doing the chicken dance and examining his awesome cleats. Go Number 10!!

{two} I am so thankful to be suddenly swamped with orders! Three of our students have commissioned me to make Homecoming dresses, and I am busy with fabric shopping and fittings and all that goes along with that. I'm so not used to sewing for full-size people, and I feel so much pressure to make these dresses perfect. Originally they weren't supposed to need the dresses until January, and then last week the school suddenly bumped up the date to September 25th~ Ahh! Things in the new shop are also going great, and I am loving this little surge before the holidays get going... blessed!

{three}This picture of Rem with his viking gear is his official "First Day of School'" picture. A boy must have his shield, evidently, and I didn't push it further than that (we weren't in the car yet!). He is loving school so far. Among the highlights are that they are learning extensively about trains, and there is a set of twins in his class. This is apparently the most amazing thing Remy and his classmates have ever seen!

{four}I am singing in a few weddings next month and am in search of the perfect dress. I have been scouring mainly vintage sites, but I'm terrified that I won't end up liking what I pick. I'm kind of in love with this one, but I just can't commit. I am also on the lookout for some great tall boots for fall & winter. I hate buying anything for myself~ is it just me?!

Hope y'all had a great weekend! See you soon!

Miscellany Monday

Happy Monday! You know what to do... click the link above to join in the 'random musings'! 

{One} The pictures are of the kids making 'soup' in the birdbath last week. (I might think 'salad' would be a better name for their special recipe, but one never argues with the chefs!) Some sticks are required for the mixing, with plenty of dancing and singing thrown in... Celebrating cooler weather and these last days of summer sun at the same time.

{Two} This is kind of a cheat post because I am actually writing it on Saturday. We are in Indiana for the week hopefully relaxing while our parents spoil the little ones. We'll detox them from the sugar and spoiling next week...

{Three} I had a spa night with a few girls from our youth ministry on Friday. We had a ton of fun, and I'm proud to report that I stayed up later than everyone! (A record and shock, if you know me...) I mixed up a few face masks and scrubs (recipes tomorrow!), and we watched predictable romantic comedies until 2:30am. They're trying to keep me young, I think. And while I survived the night, I'll pay for it later, I'm certain.

{Four} I love this picture of my Curly Girl... so serious, concentrating on a bug we found. She's very focused and determined, this girl, and I wonder how that characteristic will serve her in the future. I'm certain it will be used to push my buttons... some days it already does. My sweet payback child... 

I hope you had a lovely weekend~ Thanks for sharing in the randomness of mine!