I promise this will not turn into a button blog, but . . . I was featured on this blog today. And in the blogging world, when featured on someone else's blog, proper blogging etiquette dictates that I should feature their blog. And I am happy to oblige since I enjoy finding great blogs out in cyberspace. I think you will like it! Also, check out Amy's blog. Apparently, many 11 year olds have blogs! PS I promise to post Halloween pictures soon.
These earrings were posted on this blog about upcycled earrings. The earrings were made using security envelopes (you know the envelopes you receive to pay your bills with?) I do most of our banking online, so I always toss them, until I recognized the print inside and thought, "these could make cute earrings!" So, take a look at the blog and see many more creative and beautiful earrings.
Check out this blog where our buttons were featured.
P.S. You can also enter to win this pocket mirror!
Participating in all these boutiques around Utah, we are finding lots of cute things! Here are some of our favortie vendors from the Checkered Umbrella. Its never too early to start shopping for Christmas gifts, right? You can check out their etsy stores and see more of all the great stuff they make.
www.mydearclementine.etsy.com
www.MDsparks.etsy.com
www.emilymaysparks.etsy.com
I have been absent from the blogging world for quite some time. So, rather than try to fill everyone in on what has happened the last couple of months, I will instead tell you five new things currently happening at our house. 1. Camp planning has begun. I thought I just finished with camp, however, tomorrow I am going to a Stake YW meeting to discuss and begin planning for 2010. I am not emotionally prepared for this. 2. Steve was called to be a first couselor in the bishopric on BYU campus. The 151st ward to be exact. This means that on top of meetings 5x a week, the girls and I go to church alone, my Sunday chef is gone, and He now has more friends on facebook than I do. 3. Abigail was nominated to be the Sophmore Homecoming Princess. We don't think she won, but thats OK, because now we don't have to buy a new dress for a dance she can't even attend. 4. Lydia made the JV Tennis Team. She practices for 2 hours after school everyday and she has a tan. She isn't sure she likes high school yet. (It has something to do with the fact that she now at the bottom of the food chain.) 5. The girls and I have been very busy with our "button business". We attended the Women's Expo last week and currently have 4 boutiques lined up in the next 6 weeks. Who would have thought I would be making so many buttons. This list was inspired by my niece Elise! Thanks for the inspiration!
At our house Amy came home sick from 5th grade camp. She is still sick. They thought she might have Swine Flu. Now she has an ear infection too. She can't be around anyone until the coughing stops. We think that is going to take a while. At our house we spent Tuesday night in the ER with Eliza. We thought she had appendicitis. Instead they think she has a viral infection in her lymph nodes in her abdomen. Now she has strep throat and a possible UTI. At our house yesterday, Ruthie threw up and had diarrhea. At our house we are trying to get everyone healthy before I leave for girls camp, keep everyone healthy, and keep our sanity. Aren't you glad you are not at our house? And you should probably stay away from our house.
Abigail and Lydia decided to start a blog today in order to document their many summer adventures. Be sure to take a look. abbeyandlydia.blogspot.com
Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green? Do you fish in a stream, or lazily dream on the banks as the clouds go by? Is that what you do? So do I! Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green? Do you swim in a pool, to keep yourself cool or swing in a tree up high? Is that what you do? So do I! Oh, what do you do in the summertime, when all the world is green? Do you march in parades, or drink lemonades or count all the stars in the sky? Is that what you do? So do I! I have a confession. I really don't like that song. Whenever, we would sing it in Primary it would depress me. I could never figure it out. Why didn't I like it? Everyone else seemed too. Then just recently I figured out why: those things sounded like pure torture in AZ. First of all, my world wasn't green. At least not then. It was green during the winter when the grass was soft - not summer. Summer grass was hard, pokey, and filled with ants. And streams? Where? You mean the canals? And to lazily dream as the clouds go by? Is that a death wish? The only line I could relate to was to swim in a pool to make yourself cool. That I understood. Don't get me wrong. There is nothing like AZ winters. I long for them right around February. And sunsets? I have never seen one that rivals a desert sun. But Utah summers - my favorite! Our garden is growing. Leaves are coming back on our trees. We have biked through Provo Canyon,climbed along the rocks at Bridal Veil Falls, picniced in the park, had a bonfire in the backyard,slept on the trampoline, and played night games. Welcome Summer!
A can of coconut milk + a chefs knife = stitches. My bottle opener is broken, has been for a while. But no worries, I have just stabbed the cans with a chef knife instead. Except this time, I stabbed my hand. Stupid I know. My brilliant stunt resulted in one trip to urgent care, one tetanus shot, three stitches, and a very sore hand. Tomorrow I am buying a bottle opener.
A while back Steve and I ate at Winger's. Steve ordered the Sticky Chicken Salad. It was good. In true Steve fashion Steve said, "I bet I could make this." He did. Since then it has become a favorite. It's ridiculously easy if you buy the chicken already breaded. However, you can always bread and fry the chicken yourself. I like to skip the mess. This isn't really a recipe as much as a "how to" since we never measure. (Sorry!)
Ingredients:
Chopped Romaine Lettuce -
Craisins -
Shredded cheddar cheese-
Cherry tomatoes (optional)-
1 bottle of Lousiana Style Hot Sauce (like Frank's Hot Sauce) -
Brown Sugar -
Breaded Chicken strips -
Ranch or Bleu Cheese dressing -
In a saucepan combine equal parts hot sauce and brown sugar in order to make the amount of sauce you want. I always add the whole bottle, make the sauce, and then put the leftover sauce back in the hot sauce bottle. Then next time I can even skip this step! Heat it through and let it thicken a little. Toss the sauce over the breaded chicken. We like to assemble the salads individually, since some like more craisins, some don't like tomatoes, etc. So in each bowl, add chopped romaine lettuce, craisins, cheese, tomatoes, and top with chicken strips. Serve with ranch or bleu cheese dressing.
This is Ruthie's and her buddy. Every Tuesday and every Thursday they have a date. It is one of Ruthie's highlights!
We made chocolate cupcakes on Sunday for dessert. After mixing, I gave Ruthie a choclate covered beater to lick. Some chocolate dripped on her foot and this is what I found her doing. . .
All for the love of chocolate!
Grandpa taking Ruthie to see the stream at a park in Provo Canyon Summer 08'. Ruthie is trying to sign "water" to Grandpa
Today is my dad's birthday. If you don't know my dad, then I believe you have not met one of the great men of this world. Here are five things I love about my dad:
1. My dad is an incredibly hard worker. He is constantly doing and often doing things for other people. He never stops (think Energizer Bunny) He has painted for me, done my dishes, vacuumed, taken out the garbage, babysat, vacuumed, wash my windows, mowed my lawn,repaired things around my house, cleaned my car, ran errands for me, and I believe this was all in one day. I could go on and on and on.
2. My dad is courageous and bold. He is a true missionary. He is never embarassed or timid about sharing the gospel with others, even total strangers. When he traveled a great deal he would always try to keep an extra copy of the Book of Mormon with him. If he had a copy when he left, it was sure to be gone when he returned. I loved to hear his stories he would share when he returned. From those stories I learned to never judge someone by their outward appearance and we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father.
3. My dad is wise. I still like to counsel with my dad and ask his opinions regarding the direction of my life. I trust him. I know that when he gives advice in a certain way and with a certain tone, I need to listen and take note.
4. My dad is loving. I grew up with my dad always saying, "how are my little sweethearts?" He always told us he loved us. He was affectionate and kind - "squeaky kisses and body crushers." I have no recollection of my dad ever critiquing or criticizing my choice of clothes, hairstyle, or makeup - even when there was plenty to criticize. He only complimented. He is the same with my girls now.
5. My dad is generous. He never hesitates to help others and to share. He often shows his generosity anonymously or very quietly. I have often been the recipient of that generosity.
So, Happy Birthday Dad. We love you and we are better people because of you!
Okay, I have two big announcements! (No, I am NOT pregnant!) The first is we have our home listed for sale. I know, I know . . .I said we weren't moving, but the house we LOVED is going into foreclosure and we decided we just couldn't resist! If our house doesn't sell or we just don't get the home, then I will accept the fact that "it wasn't meant to be". If you want to see our house or know someone who might be interested, you can see it here: http://www.cherrylanehouseforsale.blogspot.com/. (Make sure you scroll down to the bottom of the page for all the info) The second announcement is that I finally have our etsy shop up and running! This would not have happened if it wasn't for the very talented Emily sharing her incredible photography skills with me (she took all the pictures of our house too!) She truly is amazing! THANK YOU EMILY!!! I do not have all of my items listed yet. . .(who knew this would be so time consuming) and it is still a work in progress, but I do have a few Valentine's Day items . . .so take a look if you like! http://www.mybuttonboutique.etsy.com/
Eliza got her cast off on Monday. After we left the doctor's office she had one request: A shower. A long, hot, steamy shower.
I always worry about my children's behavior, especially when I am not there, and particularly Ruthie's behavior. You know the youngest child - likes to be the center of attention, gets anything they want, a spaz, etc etc. At least this is what I am told. So when I have the opportunity, I often ask the nursery workers on Sunday how Ruthie is doing. I honestly have no idea how that little girl behaves and it scares me. In this process, I have come to realize that when adults say one thing, they often mean another thing, particularly on sensitive topics such as your children's behavior. Here are some examples with translations: She sure is a lot of fun: She's out of control. I bet she keeps you busy: She's totally out of control. She sure likes cheese: She ate all of her cheese at snack time and all of the other kids' cheese and still wanted more. She certainly has a mind of her own: She doesn't share and/or doesn't listen. She certainly likes to stay busy: She won't sit down, unless its snack time (especially if cheese is involved.) And oneI heard today: She is starting to get better: She will finally sit down for longer than 10 seconds. So, to all of those nursery workers out there: past, present and future - thank you for being so kind and patient. And I will try to remember she is still a work in progress.
I have been slow on posting lately. Occasionally I have thought, "Oh, I should put this on my blog!" but now I can't remember what that was. I have been distracted. Very distracted. Lots of things going on in my unorganized mind. We have been looking at houses, mainly forclosures. We have been thinking, analyzing, dreaming, and wondering what we should do. And of course, shortly after we began to look, the rumor mill began and our phone began to ring. We have shown our home a few times, but nothing has come out of it except decluttering and cleaning on my part. Maybe I should list the house for sale - I might get some things done. On top of that, there is girls camp to plan, which in all honestly intimidates me. So, I like to look at real estate instead. A good distraction. I've also decided to set up an etsy store - just to see if I could do it. Not sure I can yet - although I have had one sale. I have learned two things during the process: 1. This is another good distraction. and 2. I am not nearly as technically savy as I thought. Just another thing to keep me from thinking about girls camp. I did tell Steve that I could get out of this calling by either moving or becoming pregnant. This might explain his sudden interest in real estate. However, we have finally concluded that moving is not going to be in our forseeable future. So, that really only leaves me one option. . . . (That of course is a joke)
The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity. - The Joy of Womanhood, Margaret D. Nadauld Young Women General President, November 2000 Ensign
I am a little slow to post this. Steve told the girls that they couldn't get up before 6:00am. I heard them talking and giggling at 5:30am, I am sure it started sooner. I watched the clock turn to six and the girls came running in our room shouting, "Merry Christmas!" You gotta love their excitement!
Steve and the girls skiing at Sundance
Snow, lots of snow.
More and more snow.
New Years Pom Poms, Waffle Parties, and Dances
Christmas morning, Brunch at Snows, and dinner at Grandma E.'s
Hambugers at the Creamery and the Spanish Fork Festival of Lights with Ruthie exclaiming, "Wook at Dat!" every two seconds (We decided Ruthie made it much more entertaining)
Lots of messes to clean up with everyone home. 
And Puzzles by the fire.
