marytree: 01.08

Being a mom means always having a plan B.

1.31.2008

I was out playing in the snow with the girls on Sunday, Maddie wanted to make a snowman but the snow was not cooperating and no amount of rolling was producing a ball. We went with plan B....building a nice rectangular snow person using the snow fort builder.
Add some hardware and odds and ends from the garage and a snowman becomes a snowbot.

There must have been something to the squareness of the snowbot, as soon as I snapped a few pictures the girls knocked him right down. We also had a great time making snowballs with this handy gadget. Such fun.

Monday I planned a little outing for some sledding and a winter picnic before the snow all melted. After packing the basket with cocoa, apples and crackers we started to get all bundled up. When I looked out the window it was raining. I can handle the cold, the snow and the cold snow but I really wasn't up for a cold wet picnic. Time for a little plan B.

We laid out the blanket in front of the (fake) fireplace. Warmed our toes, enjoyed some snacks and got in a good game of Uno. Not a bad way to spend the afternoon.

Hope all your plan B's come out as well.

On my wrists.....

1.28.2008

The things that have adorned my wrists have always changed. I think my first big wrist thing was the black plastic bracelets, thanks Madonna. By 1985 it was all about the Swatch. I remember hanging out at the mall, eyeing every watch to find the perfect one. I may still have it in a box somewhere (just found it selling for $350, maybe I should find it). In high school I moved on to friendship bracelets and african beads that I would buy here. In college I think I had handmade bead bracelets and and lots of silver bangles. Dan has given me a nice bracelet or two over the years but I always manage to break the clasp and then they end up in a drawer waiting to be repaired.

Over the last few years my wrist jewlery has pretty much been limited to the hospital tags when giving birth. What I would really like is a gorgeous silver cuff like this or this or this or this.

Maybe even one of these or these.

But what is that more often than not ends up on my wrists these days.....

Nice look isn't it. Have you ever wondered why it looks as if I never brush my girls hair? Well, pigtails, ponytails and "bwaids" go in but very quickly come out and I spend the whole day picking them up and putting them on my wrist. Seriously, I'm asking all of ya to start wearing hairbands on your wrists. We could start a whole new fad and then like I would be in style again.

What's on your wrist?

Feeding the birds.

1.21.2008

I tossed all my gourds and squash into a bag while taking down my fall decorating. I was saving them for a little bird feeder project. Well, November became December and December January and still those gourds sat. I realized I better make use of them before the hubby discovered my stash (my "garbage" hording is one of his main irritants with me). Last week the forcast started calling for Arctic Like Temperatures so if those gourds were gonna get used it had to be on the last warm day (30 degrees). Not sure where I saw this little project but I know it was out there in blogland. It felt so good to be outside messing around, I forget how much I need a little fresh air.

Scoop out the seeds

Fill with peanut butter mixed with cornmeal and then top with bird seed. Stick skewers across and add wire to hang. (making a huge mess that doesn't get swept up until the next day is the best part)

Hang outside for the birds.

You can skip all the skewer and wire part and just set out on the deck.

Make a few winter mudpies and have a good swing while you wait for your feathered friends to come visit.

Desperation Crafting....

1.14.2008

"It's my pink flower headband"
"No, it's my pink flower headband"

On and on they went fighting over the one pink flower headband for the dolls. Mind you these two rarely play with dolls, but recently if one has something the other wants it. Not wanting to see my lovely little girls faces with a black eye I stepped in with a bit of desperation crafting. I would like to say that all of our little projects are well thought out but often they are purely out of desperation, my desperation that is.
World War 3 averted, dolls tossed to the side and forgotten, I thought I would share this little project.

You need:
a strip of felt about 1" and long enough to fit around dolls head
needle and thread
some fake flowers
a embroidery hoop

Stretch the felt across the hoop, poke any plastic bits out of flowers. Stich throught the center of flowers onto the felt.

Show it off for mommy and the camera (ignore the pile of laundry in the background).

Take a deep breath, sit the 3 year old on your lap and introduce her to the sewing machine. Really she can do this.

Listen to "No, I can do it myself " 50 times while stiching a 1" seam across the felt. Breath, insist that said 3 year old cannot use my big mommy scissors and trim off the thread. One pink flower headband down.

Take another deep breath and let the 5 year old sit at the sewing machine ALL BY MYSELF.

"Yes, line it all up. Yes, roll down the needle. Hold onto the threads, push the button with your foot.....WATCH YOUR FINGERS!" Breath.
Find the kid scissors.
"I don't know why you have to trim the threads you just do, everyone trims the threads."

Put headbands on dolls, find a spot that doesn't show more piles of laundry, take a nice little shot. Ohh and Ahh, high five. Shoo girls off so you can finish reading blogs.

It seems to be awards season....

1.09.2008

On Sunday I opened my email to find this message from A Kite Rises:

Such a lovely post marytree. I have left something for you on my blog/most recent post ; ) Happy new year to you and yours :)

Being the type that can't wait to open gifts, I rushed right over. She was so sweet to have given me a "You Make My Day" award.

I feel like I just got a great big virtual hug. Thank you so very much.

I was writing this long thank you kinda post to all of you but Maddie has decided to go tribal on me and has commandeerd the mouse so I am going skip to the passing along of the award to those that make my day, in no particular order. (That was 3 days ago and I am just now getting back to this...hmph)

Melissa

I Heart Linen

Lori

Molly

Susan

Jessica

Steph

Deli

I think you are supposed to pass this on to no more than ten blogs that make your day.

There are a couple of ladies out there without blogs that keep me sane so I think I will give them this award also.
Amy, Katie, Colleen, Megan, Meghan, Sara, and Summer.

Thanks to all of you for listening, helping, making me laugh, letting me rant and otherwise being what every gal needs...friends. Given that list I am one lucky gal.