A room with a view

Heading back to kitchen remodel mode.  Our old kitchen is going to become our new dining room.  What I really wanted was a back door.  There is no way to get to the backyard in the house from inside the house.  It's a pain in the rear.  My husband and I settled on a door style over the summer but didn't purchase since we were going to Disney and didn't have the extra money for it.

He finally got on it and ordered the door and guess what!  30'F today and the door was installed!  It was a tad chilly in the house this afternoon but it was so worth the sacrifice.

tarped to keep the heat in

big hole in the house... turn your head

don't mind the view of the backyard junk.  Bonus - those side windows open!

my pretty door handle

taking shape

I love it.  I love that I can look outside and SEE all of outside.  I love that I can get to the backyard without walking outside and around the house.  I love that my husband is so knowledgeable with these things and it only took him a couple of hours with a friend to get the install done and not all day long with many trips to Home Depot like that  Renovation Realities show.  I love that show, btw.  It cracks me up that people who have no construction background think that they can tear down and install a brand new kitchen in 3 days on a $1.50 budget.

Next on the list is new insulation, new sheet rock, electrical and paint.  Then our new hardwood floors.  YEEHAW!  Next Spring, a new back deck is going to be built but I won't bug him too much about that.

I will be back soon to show you what I have been working on. 

Enjoy your day!
Jen

Happy Halloween!

We made it through the storm.  We actually didn't lose power or have any damage.  Nice change of pace from last year.  School is still out because part of my town is without power and down trees.  I sent Punk off to Grandma's house today.  I need to get some work done and I can't do it with her home.

Today is Halloween and trick or treating is planned.  I have no idea where we are going to go.  I put my husband in charge of that detail.  Since I have no pictures of Amelia in her costume, here's one of the pumpkin her and Daddy carved together.

Happy Halloween!!

Jen

Frankenstorm 2012

Batten down the hatches! She's a-comin'!!

Crazy weather.  Last year we got hit with a hurricane/tropical storm in August and then a freak Nor'Easter winter storm in October, just in time for Halloween.  Trick or treating with a foot of snow on the ground.

This year we are going to have to deal with Hurricane Sandy.  No direct hit to CT but we're on the wind side which doesn't make things any easier.  Lots of evacuations along the shore due to major coastal flood concerns.

It is being called the "Perfect Storm" of 2012.

Schools are closed for the next couple of days.  Highways along the shore are going to be closed to traffic; at least big truck traffic.  Not fun out there.  Not fun.

Those in the path of the storm, stay safe!  I know I'm not going anywhere for a few days.  My office is closed today and may be closed tomorrow.  Since I have the capability to work from home, that's what I'm doing until we lose power or the internet.  Hopefully Halloween will go on as planned on Wednesday.  Amelia will be mighty disappointed if she can't go trick or treating.

I'll be back soon!!
Jen

Disney Trip 2012

I realize that a month has passed since our first big family vacation to Disney.  To sum up our week in a nutshell it was:

• VERY hot and humid
• rainy
• Awesome!
• Terrific
• exhausting

We had a super terrific time and so much so that my husband agreed to a second trip!  In 2015.  Gives Amelia some time to get older and appreciate more of Disney.  We didn't even get to walk all of Epcot because she was just so exhausted from the constant on the go we were doing.  So I didn't force it.  Just another reason to go back so that I can see the countries in Epcot.

We stayed on-property at Pop Century.  One of the value resorts and we liked it.  Only thing that we will change for our next trip is having a family suite.  We stayed in one room and it was small but that wasn't a big deal.  The biggest problem we had was Amelia and sleep.  Now initially, I wanted to book a resort with family suites so that we had the room.  My husband vetoed the idea due to the fact that we weren't going to spend much time in the room except for showering and sleep and didn't want to spend the extra money.  He was banking on the fact of Amelia just being sooo exhausted from her day's adventures, would pass out in bed as soon as we walked in the door at night.  It would have worked but the walk from the shuttles to our room gave her a second wind and she was ready to go swimming at 11pm, not sleep.  Lesson learned.

Had a few days of rain but that didn't dampen our adventures.  Just put on some ponchos and away we went!  I have a ton of pictures but I'm not going to unload them all here. Just some highlights.

Chef Donald at Chef Mickey's dinner

Cinderella's Evil Stepmother and step sisters

Beautiful birthday cake enjoyed at Cinderella's Castle

Amelia with Ariel - her favorite Princess

My Princess

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

I could go on and on.  I'm having a hard time picking and choosing the pictures to upload.  We had an awesome time and can't wait to go back!

Enjoy your day!
Jen

In Baby Mode

Nooooo.  Not me.  My cousin, who is also a very close friend.  You could actually call her my best family friend.  Growing up, if there were family functions that we were attending, the question was always "Is Denise going?" "Is Jen going?".  We had a great time together growing up and now as adults, watching our kids grow up together.

Denise is expecting her 2nd baby - a boy - at the end of November.  Now that my sewing mojo has found its way home, my mind has been on overdrive, trying to figure out what to gift to this newest bundle of sweetness.

I found some fun tutorials online for bibs and dressing up those cloth diapers to use as burp cloths.  I bought some flannel and hoping to go to town on some baby sewing soon.  I'm going to make some whole cloth blankets.  I'm a slow piecer/sewer so making a quilt isn't in the cards.  I want cute, homemade but QUICK! 

Stay tuned.  I hope to have a little something to show you soon.

Enjoy your day!
Jen

My 1st BOM Rehab

Imagine.  Sinta started this group back in March and I finally worked on a BOM and can join in the fun!  All my blocks were finished.  They were just waiting for me.  They wait no more!  I got them into a filmsy.  Awesome!

FQS 2010 BOM using 12 Days of Christmas by Kate Spain.

I didn't buy the finishing kit.  I just did my own thing.  The sashing and borders are from Kate's Flurry fabric line.  I'm very happy these blocks are in top form.  I'm thinking of backing in flannel for some winter snuggling on the couch. 

Now I can start on the 2012 BOM using Vintage Modern with a clear conscience.  I've been collecting the monthly packets but storing them away for the time being.  I may pull block 1 out soon and get started.

Enjoy your day!
Jen

All was not lost afterall

My husband.  He is a good man.  He kindly entertained Punkie for a good part of the weekend.  They mucked out the barn.  He took her to watch the corn get combined.  He took her to see the calves at a local farm.  He just spent some time with her.  In turn, I had time to sew!  Not as much as I wanted to do but I did get 2 out of the 3 projects on my list done.  I had a mini solo sew-a-thon. 

Happy girl here.

Those Christmas Pixie fairies panel?  I got them all done up.  Wanna see?

Isn't it CA-UUUUUUTE???  The tote pattern is the Tahoe Tote by Pink Sand Beach Designs.  I've had the pattern forever and never did anything with it.  I walked into my LQS last week and BAM!  There was their store sample, using the pattern and the pixie fairy fabric.  Oh yes.  I needed to make one.  Bonus that the pattern was already in my pattern stash.  I have 2 more fairies to do something with.  I may make them into throw pillows. 

Happy dance!  Got a new tote for the Christmas season.  I can't wait to use it!

Come back tomorrow to see the 2nd project I got finished. 

Enjoy your day!
Jen