Gone Fishin'

Not really, but I am taking a small blogging break (like I haven't already been on a break) I'm working all this week and I need to free up the blog guilt.
That being said, I'm giving myself one more week of decluttering. Starting next Sunday, I'm going to do a week long Spring Cleaning. One area of the house a day so that hopefully by the end of the week CPS won't take my kids. I'm just really feeling the clutter this winter and it needs to go. I watch Oprah's declutter show. I've decided that Oprah is obnoxious. My house would be beautiful too if I had a staff to decorate it and clean it. gimme a break. Anyhoo, I do like the Peter Walsh and it is really true what he says about how just 10 minutes can really make a difference. So now that I've publicly said I'm really going to clean stuff out, I feel more accountable to make it happen. I will try and remember to post the before, but I'm not sure I'm that brave. We shall see.
Anyway, I hope everyone has a great week. We are supposed to get a bunch of rain (big shocker) Hopefully, it will change its mind and get at least a few sun breaks.
Happy Sunday!!
:0)

My "day off"

I'm sure most of you are spending this President's Day doing something wonderful with your family. Well, I'm trying to do something for my family. I'm trying to gut the house of as much clutter as I can before the kids come back from BaChan's house and we have folks over for dinner tonight.
Am I crazy, probably, but it is either clean or light a match and the last thing I want is Jim Forman in my front yard reporting on the crazy lady who decided it was easier to burn the place down than deal with the clutter (for those of you not form the area, when the four horsemen of the Apocalypse show up Jim will be the one to cover the story). The good news it that I'm already a couple of hours into it and considering it isn't even 8 am, I feeling pretty good. My mom is coming over at 9:00 and I'm giving myself a good three hours. We shall see how it goes.
Happy Presidents Day!!
:0)

It's Snowing!!

I know Laura and poor Timi are probably rolling their eyes right now, but I'm so happy to see the snow has come back to our neck of the woods. I'm really hoping it continues, because they just might cancell the PTA meeting for tonight. I know I'm evil.
I guess I am the eternal 10 year old who just gets giddy when the snow shows up. My kids don't get that excited, but I sure do. I'm already hoping for another snowday. I know I will be regretting this once summer rolls around and we are in school until July, but right now, a snow day is just what the doctor ordered. I find that snow is so peaceful and calming. I love how it hides my gardens and yard that are in dire need of attention. It just seems to cover up all the messy things that are happening and replaces it with quiet calm.
I love the snow.

Girlly Girl

Yesterday was my first official "mom of a girl" activity. No boys, just 4 little girls. To say I was nervous was an understatement.
Up until now, Sam's buddies have been boys. Sam didn't mind, she is rough and tumble and keep up with the best of them. She does however have quite the girlly side. She has been asking me to have some "new" friends over from school, so yesterday we had a Valentine cookie deco party.

It was the first time over for all the girls and you just never know what to expect. I planned the party for 2 hours thinking that would be enough time to get everything decorated, have some lunch and let the girls play a little bit. I must say things went pretty well. Despite Sam melting down with a half hour to go, the girls got along well with minimal secret telling and bossiness. I would say it was a success and would love to have any of those girls over again.

As they were playing I started thinking about my best friend Jenny P. We have been friends since we were in Kindergarten. I couldn't help but think if one of these little girls here today would be the maid of honor at Sam's wedding? That started to freak me out a little. I don't want Sam to grow up. I want her to stay little and sweet and unharmed by all the nastiness that is the life of a girl. However, if there was ever a little girl who had the moxy to stand up to all the girl BS it is Sam. One of my favorite memories of Sam is when she got her first bike and we went riding. She kept yelling,"I'm AWESOME!!". I hope she will always feel that way.

My Attemp at Being Crafty

So Sam tells me she wants to have a tea party.
We agree on having a couple of kids over to decorate Christmas cookies.
Massive snow hits and it never happens. Sam is bummed so we decided to reschedule for a Valentine's Day cookie decorating tea party instead.
I must say I'm a little nervous. The girls she has invited I really only know one of them. I'm hoping the other two are nice. The party is only two hours long, which will include lunch, so I'm sure it will be fine. We will be decorating sugar cookies and since that usually means mess I decided to make some aprons for the girls to wear.
While I was at JoAnn's the other day I was hoping their Valentine fabric would be a little more discounted, but I found some really cute fabric anyway. I had some "love bug" fabric that I was going to get, but then I saw the cherry fabric and knew I had to get that. I also found some red and white polka dot fabric to back the aprons and use for the ties.

I read a lot of blogs of folks who are actual sewers and they are always talking about the amazing fabrics in their stashes. I also have a fabric stash, but for some reason I hate to cut into the fabric. It just seems so final. Weird I know, but the lady who cut my fabric at the store said she was the same way. Anyway, I've started the first apron and I think it is going to be super cute. In fact, I'm not wanting to use all the cherry fabric up on the aprons for the girls I don't know. Isn't that awful??? It would be one thing to send this super cute fabric home with girls I knew would appreciate it, but unknown girls?? Hmmmmm that is a toughie. I think what I will do, is make Sam the apron with the cherries and make the other girls' aprons out of the red fabric and do the pocket in the cherry fabric. That way I will still have some of it left for other projects (an apron for me perhaps) In hindsight I should have grabbed a few more of the Target aprons when I was there a few weeks ago. Of course when I did go back all the aprons were gone. Oh well.
So today I will spend sewing, making cookie dough and possibly cleaning. The sun is trying really hard to peek out and I hope it makes it. I'm so much more productive when it is sunny.
Happy Humpday :0)

Sweet Sunday Giveaway

There is the cutest giveaway going on now at Sweet Cottage Dreams. How fun would it be to get this in the mail. Go Check it out.
Also, since it is Superbowl Sunday, I would just like to say "Go Cards". And to the Steelers, I hope you are on the receiving end of the wonderful officiating that you received when you played the Seahawks :0)