Birthday rag quilt

This is one of my BFF's, Amber.This is her daughter Nea and she is Noah's BFF.
Her birthday was yesterday . . . and this is what I made her.


HOLY COW, it turned out cute! I want one just like it.

Jump starting the holidays

I usually do all my creating after the 10 o'clock hour when the house quiets down and I'm all alone. My friend Wendy prompted a little craft morning and I have to say......that's the best, Hands down!!! No tutorial here, but the stockings are from Hobby Lobby and already have the bells attached. After mod podging assorted printed papers to them, I strung them using flexible jewelry wire evenly apart (I have never used this stuff before, but I am now SUCH a fan). A trip to the dollar store for the glittery ornaments and some tulle and sheer ribbon finishes it off. Thanks to Wendy and Penny for the get together and good company, I'm ready to do this again ANY TIME!!

Too cheap to buy the real thing

So, last year I heard about the elf on the shelf, I thought it was a cute idea and wanted to get it, but once I checked it out and found out it was $29.95 I said forget it. Being the cheap and resourceful girl that I am, I was determined to rip off the words to the book from somewhere (I was hoping someone would post the poem somewhere) and I planned to create my own little book. It must be the protected secret of the universe, because I couldn't find it anywhere. That brings us to this year and I'm still too cheap to plunk that kind of money down, so after scouring the web, I came up with this alternative. This is a similar idea, where you can print a letter from Santa introducing you to your elf, and the elf's passport, great idea from

organizedchristmas.com ! I have been on the lookout for an elf, and just last week found this one at Robert's crafts for $7.99 (unless you score a 40 percent coupon like me!)

We haven't officially introduced him to our family yet, but for now.....he's an extra set of eyes in the teenage boy's room.

Meet Tykee. He is cockapoo/maltese
Our family has fallen head over heels for this little puppy. We have actually had him for almost 2 months now and are realizing how much we love having a dog and how much we had missed having one since Molly died.
In March, Taylor came home and said his band teacher told the class that they had brand new puppies. I e-mailed him to find out what kind they were, how big they would be, and if there were any females. Out of 4 puppies, they were all male. Since I already live with 6 males, I was determined that I wouldn't add another one. But then I started to seriously consider the idea (for a lot of reasons) and we finally decided to go and take a look (I actually knew that we would be getting one), seriously the cutest puppies ever, and before we went home that night we had picked the one we wanted (actually Cole picked him) to bring home. A week later I picked him up, just a few sleepless nights, but very quickly, he was the puppy of our dreams. Oh......he's naughty alright, he chews, drags shoes into the family room constantly, pulls flowers out of the flower beds.....but we love him. (Kayla took these darling pictures that capture him perfectly.)

Easter Bunny Cinnamon Rolls

Cinna-Bunnies

Ingredients:

• 6 Rhodes Anytime™ Cinnamon Rolls
• cream cheese frosting (included with rolls)
• candy to decorate face
• sliced almonds for teeth

Method:

Allow rolls to thaw until pliable (about 1 hour). Place three rolls on a sprayed baking sheet for the bunny heads (leave space around rolls for the ears). Unwind the other three rolls and fold both ends toward the center. Place above head for ears. Bake at 350°F 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Frost with cream cheese frosting and decorate face as desired with different candies and sliced almonds for teeth.

I'm going to Costco to buy the big bag on cinnamon rolls (the best deal by far) and I am so making these on Sunday Morning!  Cute! Cute! Cute!

Rag quilt

Sewing is pretty good therapy for me, and anyone who knows me well enough would agree that I could use a hefty dose of therapy these days. Not that it relaxes me too much, but it is so great to have something that began as squares of fabric turn into this.
My niece, Tiffany picked out all the adorable fabrics (for her daughter Kapree) and I got to sew it all up and clip it. It didn't go without some trauma, (and some mild potty mouth) however the end result is pretty fabulous I think! This one has to be my favorite one yet. I love, love, love the colors and for the adorable little sis it was for...so cute!

February was a busy month for our family with 3 birthdays.
Noah turned 4 on February 8th. Funny how four year olds like to go to McDonalds on thier birthday so we celebrated there the night before. Since his birthday was on a Sunday, we made homemade ice cream and cake. Fours are easy to please.
It is so difficult for me to see my baby getting so big. With the other boys I guess I always knew I would have another baby and get to live the experience again. Now that he is the final child, even though I know I have made a point to enjoy every second of him, it is still so hard for me to see him grow up.

Cade's birthday was the 22nd. WOW! He turned 7. He was our Olympic Baby. I actually had him several hours after the pairs skating competition during the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. We went to the SLC hospital to be induced around 6 pm, driving through the city all bustling with Olympic activity and these buildings with top to bottom images of ice skaters, there was just magic energy everywhere. A really fun time to have a baby, plus his birthday is so cool...02-22-02.

Even 7's like to go to McDonalds! Lucky us, twice in two weeks! Again, homemade ice cream and this time, cupcakes.
I share my birthday with quite a few others I know, and my friend Jill called to say happy birthday and tell me her daughter just gave birth on that day. How fun! Hopefully they had a great day as well.

And....I must say, I have GREAT friends! Thank you so much for everything, lots of fun gifts and dinner out, and this boquet of balloons from Penny. They are so pink and with happy little bees that they just made me smile all day.

FYI...no puppy.