Summertime and the living is

LAZY.... WHEW! The heat is on here in the good ole South.... and I don't feel like doing a darn thing but playing with the girls, reading, watching good movies (like Charlotte's Web for the ump-teenth time), and just being lazy with the girls.

I haven't been sewing, cooking, painting, crafting, NOTHING... But I have been taking the time to reflect upon my present state of living. I think we don't say how thankful we are for the people in our lives often enough.

I was just posting a comment on a fellow bloggers site... In a nutshell it said this...

I'm thankful for a wonderful husband who (after 12 or so years) still thinks my "Freshman 15...hhhmmm 40.... is fabulous.

I'm thankful that God, in his divine-but sometimes questioned wisdom, blessed me with the care of two future mommies.

I'm thankful to find other women (via blog-land) who question their sanity, abilities, moralities, etc.

and I'm thankful for a lazy Summer where I can savor my girls youth and optimism, and for the readers in said blog-land who understand when I don't feel like doing much blogging.

... and I'm thankful for big sis who came for a visit, and thankful when she left! ;-) Love ya Sis!

Hope you are all having a happy lazy Summer!

What's been happening at the SLY Market

Since I didn't get any of MY projects finished this weekend, I thought I'd share a few of the new items the ladies posted at the SLY Market.

Miss Independent

Jillian's 4th of July/Daddy's Birthday party dress...

Yeah! I think I've finally broken through my sewing slump! I'm 2 for 2 on new patterns from YCMT. And after these two dresses, my girls are really diggin their new flowers! I'm going to leave Abby's on the hair pin, but Jillian's will stay pinned to her dress.

I promise, Jillian did look cute in her new dress, but her and her friend have been playing in eyeshadow and hair gel, so we'll have to get a modeled pic of her after I've hosed her off!



Here's the two dresses together...

New Dress

I just finished this dress from YCMT and just had to show it off! It's the Mary Englebreit fabric from Moda. I used Beki's Flower pin tutorial to make a hair pin. Too much fun!

PMS Much?

OK, so as a friend pointed out... boy am I PMSing! First I make Bar cookies, then I unload about the salad I had for lunch... using quite a few choice words... Yikes! I think it's time for a nice long bubble bath, a good book, and some nice calming music on the new Pod...


I thought I would share something I've been working on... I don't yet know if it's finished... but I'm getting there! I found the idea on Grace Violet, with many thanks to Kim for introducing us all to Kristin.

I used pages from an old Alice in Wonderland book that we had as kids, some of Amy Butler's scrapping supplies, and some not so artfully applied antiquing glaze... It's not perfect, but then again, neither am I, so I think I may just leave it as is. The pages from the book show some pictures that remind me of Jillian... like the Mad Hatter Tea Party... and for some reason, there was a picture of a puppy in there... I don't remember that part, but my girl loves her some puppies, so I put it on there!

Oh Crap... Now I have this whole pan of cookie bars, and I just checked the nutrition info on the salad I just had.... How in the hell is it possible for a salad to have 600 cals. and 35 g. of Fat? I had a taco salad from Wendy's without the sour cream (thank you very much), only 1/2 of the dressing, and just a couple of drained spoonfuls of the chili on it... What the hell is in their chili? Now I get to Look at the cookies.... and park my ass back onto the elliptical again this afternoon. What freakin fun. I guess that's what I get for being such a wiseass...

MMMmmmm....

OK, so here's a hit to my diet.... a HUGE hit to my diet.... But, it I DID load it with extra organic oatmeal, and flax seeds... So in REALITY, it's Health Food, Right?... Ok, shut it.... I just wont share with you! In my world, chocolate oatmeal cookie bars are the LEAST of my worries! Cheers!

Awe... Pretty blog...

I have to say that Kim over at Today's Creative Blog is the Blog Queen! I have been searching and searching for a cute blog template... I KNEW they were somewhere, but I never could find the kind I was looking for... that is, free... and cute... When I checked in today, Kim had a posting on not one, but TWO sites for some great blog templates! Hurray!! I hurried on over to LeeLou and browsed around.... BIG mistake.... it made it harder to choose! So now, I may just play musical blogs and rotate between some of my favorites. I swear... those Photoshop guys never cease to amaze me! Some of her backgrounds look like she made them from deeply textured beautiful paper.... WOW! Stop on by and see for yourself...

Summertime!

I had to snap a picture of our neighborhood's resident Canadian geese... It must still be cold somewhere, b/c they don't seem to want to go home yet! And it's like 1000 degrees here!!!!!



And THIS... well, I just had to share... If any of you guys wonder if the 3-D sidewalk chalk really works, well, check this out! Pretty cool stuff!



Oh well, at least we still have a nice breeze to play in!... Have a great summer weekend!

"Friends"

How many of you guys consider people you've met online as "friends"? Honestly, I used to laugh at the idea. I guess I didn't "get" the whole internet "dating" thing. Anyway, I've been "talking" and talking to a group of ladies on a private sewing forum. And to several of y'all in blogland. And I really feel like I've made some great Friends, not "friends". I love dropping in and seeing what new things you've discovered (Kim), or what new thing you've made (Beki and Vanna)... and dozens of other places that I've found others who have similar interests- and seeing all of the exceedingly great talent!

My sewing buddies have brilliant ideas... and have SUPERB skills. They are who I aspire to be when I grow-up :-) This week, I kind of forced my excitement to a new level... shocker, I know... I set us up with a group etsy market, and blog because it's just not fair to not share. We're working hard to get our ducks in a row to start loading things in... but BOY! How exciting!!! I'm sure I'll be posting the "grand opening" when we start filling our shop!

Sexy, Sexy, No?

my new baby...

I am the proud owner of a new Touch... I feel SOOOO cool... and young! :-) ... and unfortunatly now, broke as well! Nearly at least.

My trip to New Orleans, and later time spent at Harrahs was good enough to me that I just bought my OWN iPod... Yep, it's Mine... ALL Mine.... and NO, I don't think I will be sharing it with anyone, Thank you very much.

Now to just figure out how to move everything to my laptop....

Anyone have a 12 year old who'd be willing to teach me?!