I went to garage sales with my brothers last weekend. My dad gave me an allowance just like when I was a little girl and we would go to garage sales. I found amazing things and now I am so anxious to go again and again. There is something SO ADDICTIVE about finding an amazing deal. Scott and the kids are going camping this weekend so I am hoping to go while they are gone.

This coat was $5.00 and the black dress was $1.00. I am not much of a barterer so I had my brothers do the dirty work.

I love the BIG buttons and bright color.

This purse was $1.00.

This one was NEW with tags. My brother McKade bought it for me $2.00.

He got me this one too for my birthday in October, it was also $2.00. I have a little obsession with hats.

Wade keeps his eye out and got Estee this princess dress and 4 others for $5.00. Estee is in HEAVEN. She won’t take them off.

Estee’s Lego House.
This Fabulous Find will keep me in his debt forever. He got the guys a HUGE tote full of Lego’s including Star Wars Lego’s and Bionicles. The guys couldn’t be happier and I couldn’t be happier either. Wade has provided us with HOURS and HOURS of entertainment. They LOVE building and creating. It has been so nice having a break from all the video game begging. Thanks Wade!!! I think he paid $5.00 for the tote but I am not sure. If I bought those sets of Lego’s in the store I would have spent over $100 easily.
The boys Battle Field.

Another Fabulous Find

This one was $3.00 at a thrift store, Somebody’s Attic. I LOVE IT!!

My dad also gets us the best stuff. He got me some doll heads. I can’t wait to try and make a doll or 24. Thanks family for all the fun things for my family.

As a Christmas gift we were given a free night out on the town with free babysitting. Talk about the BEST gift ever!!

This is us all dressed up and ready to go out.

We went to an Italian restaurant called Cucina Toscana. I LOVED it!!! It was a really fancy place.

Scott got sick, I think it was an allergic reaction to something (mushrooms?).

Even with the reaction we had a great time. I ate my chicken quickly and got a chocolate mousse cake to go. It was SO SO good.

It was really fun getting all dressed up fancy. I don’t even remember the last time I got dressed up or curled my hair. It has been so long that I don’t think Estee has ever seen it curled before.

I loved Estee and Hall’s reaction to me all dressed up. They were in AWE. I know it is because most of the time I have my hair in a knot, little to no makeup on, and am wearing MOM clothes. Clothes that are easily thrown in the washer and do not require ironing or dry cleaning. I would love to get dressed up more often. I felt so pretty in my girly shoes and little black dress.

I SERIOUSLY wish I had a GREEN thumb. Taft and I took pictures of all the flowers we could find on our California trip. Taft loved cupping the flowers for each shot. I love that his hands are dirty, it is so true to life. Most of these flowers were taken in my Brother in law and Sister in laws yard. Aren’t they beautiful!!!

I WILL have a beautiful flower garden someday. I have always liked gardening and even weeding. It is so peaceful.

Have a Great Weekend!!!

Estee is really taken with Barbies. She carries them around the house and is constantly doing their hair and changing their clothes.

I made this Barbie dress last week and like lots of my projects it isn’t quite finished. As I was making this dress I swore I would never make another Barbie outfit. The feelings didn’t last long after watching Estee play with the dress. I think Barbie clothes would be the perfect Christmas gift for her. If I can figure out how I am going to make them without her seeing them. I also think I will need to start breathing deeply now.

I couldn’t put my finger on what it was about the Mermaid Skirt that I just didn’t love. I know its not the fabric, I love the fabric. The length is a little long but she will grown into it and I don’t want her to grow out of it anytime soon. So I played with it a little and added a ruffle and think it looks much better.
Before

After

I know it is such a slight difference. WHY would I even care to mess with it? Because I love this fabric. My sister in law Heather and I searched on line for this fabric for a long time and it was expensive too. I can’t believe I waited SO long to cut it. Now I am making a matching skirt for my niece Gracen. Estee and Gracen LOVE to be twiners.

My BOYS each have a special blanket that they became attached to at birth. They would take them EVERYWHERE, SERIOUSLY. They dragged them for miles, through mud or rain. Those blankets were loved and used. I have repaired them countless times. The guys are growing and with them their shame is too. So they leave them home on their beds.

Hall brought his blanket to me months ago and begged for me to reattach all the little pieces that have been torn off or fallen off. This one is over 8 years old.

I am so forgetful and would ask him to remind me in the daytime when I wasn’t busy. Hall kept forgetting also. He was in trouble a few days ago and was sent to the laundry room and in his time out he remembered his blanket that was lying not far from him. He again asked me to fix it and like I had asked, when I wasn’t busy and it was still daytime. I had NO reason to put it off any longer. I didn’t even know where to start the blanket was so ripped up. He loves the thing and isn’t quite ready to let his prize blanket go.

I figured it I covered it, I could possible attach the original fabric to it. He was satisfied with that solution so I got started.

He LOVES it!! It isn’t even close to the prettiest thing you have ever seen, infact ugly comes to mind when looking at it, but it is filled with love and memories. I am kind of happy we didn’t let it go. As I stitched it back together I almost cried thinking of all the places this blanket has been and the love and comfort it has brought to Hall. His blanket still has blood stains from a time he was hospitalized and they couldn’t get the I.V. in his little arm.

Now I get to work on this one.

Adlers blanket also needs help. His blanket is 10 years old.

I call Adler’s blanket his “HUG” because it is SO worn and way too small for his growing body.

Taft isn’t about to let his go unfixed either. His blanket is 7 years old.

Fortunately the top of the blanket is still in one piece so it shouldn’t look quite as unsightly as the first.

I don’t want to let their blankets go. Maybe it is because if they give them up they will feel even more grown up.

I have wanted smores since the weather turned all sunny and warm. I don’t have any plans of a camping trip anytime soon.  I am not much of a camper these days. The last time I went camping was when I was GIANT pregnant with Estee. OK, maybe I wasn’t giant pregnant, but I was pregnant, and nothing says misery like sleeping on the hard ground with a bun in the oven, and 3 little boys that won’t stay covered up on a COLD night. NO THANKS!! Not for me. I have learned my lesson, I WON’T and THANKFULLY can’t, do the pregnant camping thing again.

 I will not have a campfire in our dead weed filled yard, that would be so SCARY. Our house had a fire years ago, thankfully, before our time here. Fire doesn’t strike in the same place twice, RIGHT!?!

I am a wanderer can you tell?

Back to SMORES, YUM!!!

I finally had a smore last night. I had to go with the stove method of cooking it. I am satisfied with it but, it was missing out on a smokey taste, ash, and it’s black coloring. Doesn’t at least one always fall in the fire, or turn into a flaming fire ball!?! The best thing about smores made on the stove is you can shamelessly HONK them in bed.

My sister in law has another GREAT solution that is posted on her nine plates recipe blog. S’more Bars, and they are SO delicious!! I could have eaten the whole pan. 

Thank You for posting your delicious recipe Heather!!!!

I will be making these delicious S’more bars today!!

http://nineplates.blogspot.com/2010/07/smores-bars.html

She also has a DELICIOUS Kit Kat recipe posted. I have tried that one too and it is SO GOOD!!!

http://nineplates.blogspot.com/2010/07/kit-kat-bars.html

I FINALLY cut THE MERMAID FABRIC. I have had this fabric for SO long and have been afraid I would ruin it. It has been untouched for far too long. I finally got up the nerve yesterday and made a skirt for Estee for Kindergarten. I am going to make most of her school clothes, just like my mom did for me.

Heather can you believe your eyes?

No, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you.

There is a mermaid on the front and back. I still LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, this fabric.

I may make some sdjustments but wanted to post a picture anyway. I don’t know why I make them SO long.

I walked and walked and walked. I am so glad I was able to participate in relay for Life. I loved being there with all the survivors walking for cancer research. I am excited to participate next year. I am going to start trying to earn $ a lot earlier. I am also going to sew items to sell and donate the proceeds. I can’t wait to stay up all night chatting with them and learning their stories. You really meet incredible and generous people when you go to an event like that. It was such a great experience. I got there at 9:30 pm on Friday and walked and chatted until just before 1:00 am. The music was blasting, people were dancing, it was so exciting. I loved it, so much that I had my hubby and kids come back the next day, and walk with me. I got back to the event on Saturday at 8:00 am and stayed until 11:45. The heat was blasting us and I can only take so much whining, or I would have stayed ALL DAY. They are young and will learn and understand more as they grow older.

Since my kids didn’t understand the purpose of the event, I pointed out all the people in their purple survivor shirts, and told them that those people have or have had cancer and some were and are really sick, and that we were trying to earn money for cancer research, to help them get well. After seeing all the purple shirts and on people they know it changed their attitudes a little. My hubby and kids walked with me for 30-45 min. I was so proud of my little circus. Next year I need to remember to get a knee brace, my knee was giving out at the end of my walk and next year I want to walk more.

I really want my kids to learn to be generous with their time and energy. I plan on having them walk next year too. Maybe even make some things to sell and earn $ for the cause.

I know too many people with Cancer.

Like a goof I didn’t take my camera so I have ZERO pictures.

I have a pulled muscle (I think) in my back, neck, shoulder area. It is getting SO old. It hurts almost constantly and has for too many days. How long does it take for a pulled muscle to heal? It is making it hard to get anything done and I have so much to do too. I wish for once my house would just clean itself. I have tried muscle relaxers, anti inflammatories, pain relievers, and hot and cold packs. I need my body to heal NOW!!!

To Do List.

I NEED to make hot packs for a friend before her up coming surgery.
Make a dress tutorial.
CLEAN, clean, and clean.
Make another simple tent with a bottom.
Go to the doctors.
Finish all the projects I have already started, that keep escaping me. Like finish PJ bottoms, and make Estee some school clothes to save $, and because I really do enjoy it.
I have many more things to do, I just don’t want to overwhelm myself. Plus the cleaning is a dozen jobs in one.