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Hello!  We're back!  Had a fabulous time at Disney and I will fill you in on our travels and share some pictures soon but I need to take care of some business first.

I was the lucky winner at Terry's blog of the traveling stash box.  I admit it was here before we left on vacation but I didn't have a chance to open the box to check stuff out and do the giveaway. 

I found some time today and I picked my goodies

And I added to the stash box.

So if you are interested in receiving the traveling stash box, leave me a comment telling me so.  I will be happy to pass it along to you.

Edited!  I forgot to add that this for US participants only (sorry for those outside the US.  The box is heavy!) and must be an active blogger. 

I will choose a winner on Tuesday, October 2nd.

Good luck!

Enjoy your day!
Jen  :)

Knock Knock. Anyone home?

I'm not going to whine or complain.  It's been a while.  No sewing here.  Zip.  Nada.  I think it's been 4 months??  So sad.  I've been enjoying everybody else's sewing fun.  I've spotted some projects I would love to work on.  I hope my mojo finds its way back home soon.  This is depressing.

HOWEVER.... I'm not depressed.  You wanna know why??

We are headed here TOMORROW!

Can you believe it??  Tomorrow.  Amelia is ready to burst.  I had to give her instructions that even though she is ready for Disney, today was a school day and she needed to chill out and pay attention to her teacher.  Myself on the other hand, has some packing to do.  I've started but have stalled.  I don't want to over-pack but it looks like that's going to happen.  Oh well.  Variety is the spice of life, right?  So that's on my agenda today.  Finish packing and run a few errands.  Tonight we're headed to a hotel by the airport.  I debated the idea for a week and figured this would be better.  We can all sleep an extra hour or so and I won't have to fight Amelia too much to eat breakfast before leaving for the airport.  If we were to stay home, she would have to be up for 4am to wake up enough to eat before getting in the car.  I can just see that meltdown.  I'm glad I booked us a room!

 Adios Amigos!  I'll see you when we're back from visiting Mickey!
Jen  :)

Stanley and his Chicks

Did I tell you that one of our hens ended up being a rooster?  I can't remember.  But yes.  We have a rooster.  I named him Stanley.  Punk wanted to name him "Rooster-y" or something like that.  But I over-ruled her.

Stanley.  He is a very pretty/handsome boy.  Some days I want to make him into chicken soup.  Other times I ignore him.  You know that he cock-a-doodle-dos ALL.DAY.LONG?!  Not just in the morning.  All day.  He starts about 5:00 am and goes from there.  Thankfully he takes breaks and we have a couple of hours of quiet.  Stanley and the rooster across the street talk to each other too.  One will crow and then the other and back and forth they go.  It's funny actually.

I haven't shown you our chickens since they were little. 

Stanley.  The leader.

and some of the girls. 

You know what's exciting?

Our bounty!

Eggs!  We got eggs!  Not sure which is laying already but we have eggs.  You can't tell from the picture but they are little.  Not regular size large eggs that you would get at the store.  I'm hoping that over time they will get bigger.

I have another chicken story but it will have to wait. 

Enjoy your day!
Jen

First Day of 2nd Grade

Amelia started 2nd grade this week.  2nd grade.  Time sure flies by.

Feels like yesterday when she started preschool at age 3

look at that sweet little girl.  Oh how I miss her sometimes.  I miss the curls too.

 And here's my 7 year old, 2nd grader (I forgot about the "sign" tradition.  I wish I kept up with it.)

My baby.  All grown up.

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Punk and the Big Reveal

We celebrated Amelia's 7th birthday on Saturday with a party and happy stuff.  Lots of kids running around, swimming, face painting and balloon twisting.

 

It was a great time. 
We had cake.

And presents.  Now here comes the big reveal.  I ended up putting two balloons with a special note in a box and wrapped it up.  I was so excited to give her this gift. 

I couldn't contain my excitement but I had to.  I've kept the secret too long to blow it now.  So I was patient.  It was the first gift Amelia wanted to open.

And she opened it.  See her expression up there?  Yah. That's all I got.  No cheers.  No tears.  No "hip-hip-hoorays".  No hugs.  No nothin'.  She pretty much said, after reading the note, "I'm going to Disney.  Next present please."  What a letdown!  I'm telling you.  My heart SANK.  I'm still a little disappointed but I'm slowly getting over it. 

We chatted the next day about it and she said "Mama, all I opened was an empty box.  A box with 2 balloons inside."  The concept was lost on her, I think.  If I had gone with my original idea and given  her a stuffed Mickey and Minnie in a box with a special note, she may have reacted a bit differently.  Oh well.  It's done.  She knows and slowly she's getting excited for it.  Once she's in school (TOMORROW!), time will go by faster and she'll be ready for a vacation.

So, there you have it.  My big reveal was a big BUST.  However, 3 weeks - 21 days from today, I will be hanging out in the pool at our resort on our first family Disney trip.  I think I can handle it.  :)

Enjoy your day!
Jen

The Big 0-7!

Happy Birthday to my Punkie Pie!

Amelia - Age 2

Today is your 7th birthday.  Wow.  7 already.  What a year it's been.  You ACED 1st grade.  You learned how to tell time on a "real" clock.  You're reading chapter books.  You got your first pair of glassed AND your ears "drilled" (pierced).  The Tooth Fairy came to visit 4 times!  You got chickens (and Stanley the Rooster).  You attended a day camp for the first time and loved it so much, we signed you up for a second week.  And you are getting the biggest surprise of your life in a few hours (1st Disney trip!).

You are a funny, sweet, smart and loving girl.  Daddy and I love you so much!

July 2012

Happy Birthday my sweet, sweet girl.

Love-
Mama

Inspiration

Carol spent the month of July posting things she made for Christmas.  Either for gifts or decorations to use in her home.  Not everything was "christmasy" and one of her projects caught my eye.  A table runner she made with Hometown by Sweetwater.  I really like it and thought I would make the same for my new kitchen.

I found and ordered the pattern and made mine out of Lucy's Crab Shack.  The colors in the fabrics coordinate well with my kitchen.  I followed Carol's lead and did my borders the same.  The ric rac border used in the pattern is cute but I wanted to finish this one quickly and didn't want to fuss.

I haven't had a chance to quilt it yet but I HOPE to get it done for Amelia's birthday.  Simple straight lines for me.  But I'm not holding my breath.  There are 4 quilts that I would like to get quilted and I have been having a hard time pinning my husband down to help me cut the backings.  He is the math whiz.  I just wing it but I need him for these.  :)

 

 

That's the little sewing I got to do.  I will make this pattern again. Super cute.  Super quick and really easy.  My kind of project!  :)

Thanks for the inspiration, Carol!

Enjoy your day!

Jen