Wanna See My Mean Face?

This is our little girl's mean face lately. She will make it if you ask her, but it's much funnier to see when she really means it.

Ahh, much better.

Lets just say that I played with my new camera outside today.

We were heading out for the library, and it was just too beautiful outside.

So, I popped on my mega lens and the UV filter, and Ta-Da!

I actually 'look' like I can take nice pictures now. (none have been photoshoped or edited, don't have photoshop yet)

A few days ago I played with the camera inside, at night. Not good. I realize now that I have horrible lighting in my house... pretty much.

Now I just need to figure out this watermark thing, among many others.

Staying Committed

to finishing this blanket:

It is the beautiful, awesome project that my Grandma gave to me upon my last visit.

I love my Grandma and have so many fond memories of spending summers and Thanksgivings with her. Watching her bake, cook, can, garden, crochet, and everything else was simply fantastic. I pray that I can be that kind of grandmother to my grandkids (and that kind of relief to my children in the summertime).

She would teach me to do everything and anything she knew how to do, and it was amazing.

(I'm trying not to cry right now - by the way- and I'm hoping it's just as much the hormones as it is the memories)

-Back to the blanket-
I'm just about done!! Only 7 more blocks to make, and only 3 rows to sew onto the sides. I'm so excited to have a blanket that both my Grandma and I worked on. It also feels nice making something that I know my family will be enjoying. I don't think there is a single quilt that I have made that we have kept.

Also looking forward to finishing things up so I can wrap my head around typing out the pattern (and it making sense).

Maybe I have issues with giving things away to other people that I think would need it more than us. I'm a sucker for charity!

My Monday Accomplishment

On Sunday the kids and I decided it was time to pick our green beans.

Between the hot hot summer we had, all the severe thunderstorms, and that hurricane Irene back to back our little gardens didn't do so great this year. Our pepper plant bit the dust, our tomatoes got broken and knocked over, and our sugar snap peas didn't even make it through the heat, poor things shriveled up in the heat.

However, we were thankful to pick our beans. I was able to get them canned on Monday. Please remind me to do beans on the weekend next time so I can get the big kids to help with the snapping, nothing like snapping peas for over an hour.

I've decided that you definitely know you're a blogger when you find yourself taking pictures like these:

9 Pints!

In case you're wondering, I do prefer the wide mouth jars to the regular. They are much easier to pack and easier to remove bubbles & measure head space. On another note, I used Kosher salt this go round. Can't wait to see if there's a difference.

This is exactly why I love gardening! I get to preserve my own food for my family. 

And yes, this was an accomplishment for this week. Been feeling pretty under the weather lately, and praying that it ends with this trimester!

I Got Spoiled This Year!

Being the Mom usually means that you sacrifice everything and anything for your family. It's definitely a willing sacrifice, but a sacrifice none the less. And this year's birthday was surprisingly far from that!!

My birthday is this week, and my family celebrated this past Saturday. It was nice to have a party that was for our youngest son and me! We got most of the family together, which is all I really think is important for having a successful birthday party.

Some of out awesome friends lent us a 10 foot inflated water slide so we could burn some of the kids energy, and of course they all loved it!

Ok, so lets get to the goods!

This is what I got for my Birthday!!

Nikon D3000 - Source

How awesome is that?!?! I have been wanting a camera like this for about... uh... 4 years or so. And, I'm no photographer, so this is a fantastic entrance into 'fancy camera' territory!

I also got this amazing lens:

Tamron AF 70-300mm - Source

And a pack of filters. The only thing that I didn't get was the memory card (no one realized it did come with the camera). haha. So, I'll be ordering one on Newegg.com (best prices I've found) and then I get to play with my new toy, oh I mean camera.

Sooo excited!!!

If anyone knows of any good photography how-to info online, or any awesome tips/tricks please pass them along!!

A King is Still a King

This is what I finished doing this morning:

The playroom was officially quarantined since Sunday. I pinned my first quilt yesterday morning, and this morning I knocked out this mammoth of a quilt, took me 1 1/2 hours to pin it. Of course, I am 4 pins short (4 pins... yea), so the very far corner hasn't been pinned. I think it will be alright since I plan to quilt the middle first using straight sticth. Then, I will do a vine with leaves through the white border, and finish it up with more straight line in the final border.

I am very excited to use the varigated thread I bought from Uncommon Thread. I ordered Sulky 30wt 100% cotton (colorway: Melon Soft I think), and they sent me a pamphlet that has every color they sell, varigated ones and solids. Oh, it was heavenly to open it and look at all the thread colors!

I do have to say that I'm not sure how many more King-sized quilts are in my future. They are just soooooo huge. Maybe my bed will be the last one I make a King-sized quilt for. We shall see.

Linked up to our creative spaces.

The Fifth, and Final

Today I had my first appointment, and it's official (even got pictures to prove it) : I'm pregnant!

(sorry it's very fuzzy, it's a picture of a picture)

{I know, you guys totally wanted to see my insides. funny funny.}

I sure hope so, with all the morning sickness I've been having. Never have I been this sick! I've been hoping that the doctor tells me there is only one baby, and there is only one! (twins are in my family)

Every pregnancy is different to an extent, however, the emotions and nausea with this one are crazy. Of course I am very happy and blessed to have another baby, but this one is proving to be much more challenging than the others (at least for now).

I guess this explains, a little, why I've been such a bloggy slacker lately. I have however been cranking away on Pinterest, it's just so addicting and almost mindless, lately that's been quite nice.

Am I crazy to be having my 5th child, I think so. Crazy in love with my kids and the thought of having another! 

Thinking about some things I want to make during this pregnancy has been really fun. There are tons of really cute patterns out there for just about anything and everything baby!

Annabel's Blanket

Baby Mary Jane Skimmers (if it's a girl)

Helena Sweater (for my 2 yr old)

Organized To-Go Bags

Flat Front Pants

Re-purposed Baby Pants (can you imagine these in cute boy/unisex stripes??)

Baby Food Lid Game

There are even sites with clothes altering ideas for maternity wear, google it for even more.

DIY Maternity

Click Here

One thing that has been quite nice is all the nesting that is kicking in already. I haven't been feeling well enough to really tackle what I want to, but the urge is there already! Must be something to do with how this is #5 and I know how quickly things will be over and another little one will be here to snuggle, love, clean up after, and adjust to. Just hoping I get it all done!

September 'To-Do' List

It is quite amazing how much can be accomplished when the big kids are off to school.

I can say that I am much much closer to crossing a few things of my UFO list. The first one to get knocked off will be my first quilt. Yes, it is a pre-blog project, and I can't find any pictures of it, but I got the top finished last week. I kept it all set up the same way I had originally planned it. I am planning to use the blue variegated thread I have, I'm thinking it will really pop (and I want that this time, lol - remember My First King incident??)

Either way, I have a few things on my 'list' for this month:


- Pin and start quilting both My First Quilt and Mom's Pink n Green Quilt
- Fruity CAL with PlanetJune (how bout them apples??)
- Make new curtains for dining room (and hang...)
- Hang the other white curtains in the living room
- Make some flat front pants for my boys, check out Dana's tutorial it's a great guide!
- Pajama Dress for my daughter's birthday
- Finalize and start prepping for Christmas presents!!

Needless to say, I am a list maker. LOVE LISTS!!

On another note, I have been cranking away on my Grandmother's Bobble Square blanket. It's coming along quite well, and I'm loving how it looks! I'm planning to finish it up soon and take lots of photos!

Another thing from my UFO list that I've been working on is repairing clothes and making patterns from others. That basket is slowly but surely emptying! WooHoo!

How is your back to school to-do list coming along?