Autumn Time

I don't want to start this like all of the other bloggers I read, lamenting about the end of summer and the joy of the coming fall.  Autumn is my favorite time of year.  My husband, of  nearly 22 years, and I were wed in November.  So the colors of fall and the smell in the air remind me of the most exciting day of my life.

Needless to say, with the start of school I was looking forward to more free time.  Haha!  Instead of more free time, I spend more time getting ready for the next activity.  Wednesday, by far, is the busiest day of the week.  Everyone is in school that day, except the 2 year old.  I drive carpool pick-up in the afternoon.  When my 8 year old is home, every Wednesday is a soccer game at 5 or 6 PM, every other Wednesday at 4 PM she has Activity Days for primary.  My oldest has Young Men's at 6 PM and  my husband has bishopric at 7 PM.  

The projects that I want to work on are ballet slippers and of course, my digital scrapbooks.  I seem to be able to get the digital elements and papers everyday, but I'm not able to actually work on the albums that I need to get done.  I'm still working on 2008.  It is almost done, but not yet.  As soon as it is done I have 2010 and 2011 ready for embellishments then finally, finally I can start scrapbooking the current year.  I wonder how fun that will be.  Imagine, to actually scrapbook a year we are currently in.....a dream.

In July we adopted a little orange and white kitten and named him Cheddar.  This cat was the most sweet, fun, energetic, kitten around.  Then right before August 24th Cheddar disappeared.  We found a raccoon living in our back yard and no cat.  We caught the raccoon.  Our little kitty is gone and the entire family was so sad (and still are).  On Saturday, September 8th we adopted two little, furry, black cats.  They are named Ebony and Tucker.  They are not Cheddar.  We love them, but they aren't as fun or sweet as Cheddar.  We can't wait until the new cats learn to love us back.

Eight years old

Less the day go by.  Today Savanna is eight years old.  She is such a fun girl.  She has rages of anger.  She has calm moments of serenity.  She is very creative.  She is precocious.  She is outgoing.  She is curious.  She is not afraid (except of giving a talk in the sacrament meeting program).  She is strong.  She is energetic.  She is lovely.  I love her.  I am thankful to my Heavenly Father everyday that she is mine for all of eternity.

This is a very unique week.  School has not started yet.  Today Savanna turns eight.  Tomorrow morning we are going to the Brigham City Temple Open house.  On Saturday Savanna will be baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  In two weeks the Brigham City Temple will be dedicated and Savanna can go to the dedication with me.  A brand new member getting to go to the dedication of the Lord's house just days from baptism.  I wish that would have happened for me.  What a cool memory.

Cheddar, sweet Cheddar

Reeses Cheddar:  Yes, that is the kitty's name.  An adorable orange and white kitty with matching colored eyes.  So cute.

We got Cheddar on July 5, 2012 expecting years and years with this lovely little cat.  Cheddar would let Sadee and Brandon hold him and pull at him, as little kids do.  Every morning I would go out and feed him and he would follow me into the house.  I would pick him up and hold him under my chin and he would purr.  Such a good mannered little cat.  Yes all of the children got a scratch or two and Cheddar would have to spend some time outside; moments later I would hear the back door open and here would be a child carrying in the cat.

Then one night we saw a raccoon in the back yard.  I figured the cat would stay clear of the raccoon.  The next morning Cheddar came back into the house a usual.  Spent the day being loved and cared for.  That night we told Savanna to put the cat out, she did.  The next morning I put out food and there was no cat.  August 23, 2012 was the last day any of us saw our sweet cat.  

Oh the sweet pain of loving.  We all loved that cat, and still do.  We cried, all of us.  We prayed and prayed that we could have our little kitty back.

Two nights ago we trapped a raccoon. So glad that raccoon is gone.  Another trap will be put up so that we can trap anything else that may have taken our sweet little Cheddar.

T-shirts, Digital Scrapbooking and Princess dresses

I've made 3 of the converted man t-shirts.  I absolutely love them.  They fit well (even better than the model I was taking it from) and I love the fabric flowers I've put on one of them so far.  I am planning on doing 3 more.  I just can't work fast enough.  

I have been so excited about all of the scrapbook elements that I've gotten during the NSD blog train with My Memories and the other blog train that I have realized that my computer doesn't have enough memory to store all of the elements.  I'm kind of torn, I want a new computer, but I also want a cell phone.  Yes, I know, I'm practically the only adult in America that doesn't have a cell phone.  I've been fine.  I have free texting on my Kindle Fire, but when I'm away from home I don't get my messaging.

I still need to do two more princess dresses, but my time is super limited right now because I am doing volunteer work in two elementary classes.  I'll post how the dresses end up and also how these shirts finally end up.

How everything is fairing in craftland

I finished the fairy wings for my "Fairy princess".  They turned out really cute.  I followed the instructions that I found on Mommy Blessings blog.  The little princess wears them all of the time, except she's noticing that wings are not very practical in all situations.  

I'm not a very long torso-ed person, but I do like my t-shirts to hit just below the hip verses right around my "fat" portion at my lower abdomen.  I found a blog that has instructions for converting a man's t-shirt into a woman's t-shirt at Little Birdie Secrets blog.  Not only do they have instructions to make a "woman" type t-shirt they also have tutorials on how to fancy them up a bit.  Darling blog.

Still working on more princess dresses.  I will post results here, whey I get them.  I've finished the "Cinderella" one, but still need to do they Belle and Rapunzel dresses.

Memorial Day is fast approaching.  We won't be able to get to some of the distant cemeteries, but we will be able to make it to two.  I bought some silk flowers at the dollar store and some plaster of paris at the craft store.  I will make up 6 flower arrangements in plastic cups and decorate the grave of my grandparents, on both sides, and 1 set of great-grandparents.  I am hoping it will turn out like I want and not all corny.   

The next thing that I have to finish is to get the crafts, schedule and snacks for girl's camp.  That is, after I rewrite the letter to the girl's parents requesting a letter from them for each of their girls that are attending girl's camp.  Sometimes there is more to do than I have the brain capacity to do or think about.

New projects

April 17, 2012

A few new projects going on right now.

      1:  Photobooks through My Memories.  Have printed one with great success.  It turned out just as I wanted it to.  The second book should be coming from the printer today or tomorrow.  I'm so looking forward to having it in print.  I'm still planning to print one book a month until we are caught up.  Books dated 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 are done just waiting to be printed.  I still need to compose book dated 2011.

       2: Second daughter has a favorite dress from Carter's that is soft and very princess like.  I have a pattern from McCall's that I am planning on doing 3 more dresses (blue-Cinderella, yellow-Belle, and purple-Rapunzel).

        3.  Oldest daughter likes tiger prints.  Previously made her a skirt out of blue green tiger stripe.  After making pillowcases for a friend, using yellow tiger print, she decided that she would like a skirt out of that as well.

        Other items on the docket:  Homemade ballet shoes/slippers, fairy wings (found a great blog on the how-to's (will record it here later).  I'm still gathering craft project ideas for girl's camp.  Some ideas:  Cups matching YW value (orange - choice and accountability) with vinyl names and camp theme or name of the camp, braided head bands in the color of value,  hair feathers to match value, and friendship bracelets (knot tying!).

       It's time to move youngest son into a "big kid" bed.  The boys want the bunk bed, but the girl's room is too small for twin beds.  Solution:  bigger house!!  I love this house though and don't really want to move.  It is such a big hassle.

Recent projects:  Ruffle skirts for the girls.  Fabric from Ruffled fabric.  Great company.  I ordered the material online and it arrived the next day!!!  Knitted the girls light green shrugs.  Turned out really cute and oldest daughter actually likes it.  I made a ruffled skirt for me.  It was darling, but needs to be taken it just a bit (ok, 4 inches)  I guess I might be a little slimmer than I thought I was.  I have been exercising for almost 1 entire year.  That has never happened before.  Need to send a kindly shout out to Jennie and Melanie.  If they didn't expect me to be excited about it and have a desire (which I really don't) than I wouldn't try to meet their expectations.