Corny Family

Ainsley had a Family Tree project due a couple of weeks ago.  She brought home a manilla poster paper and had to create a family tree.  The only rules were that it had to be a kind of tree and that you had to write at the bottom, "We are a _____ tree because we like/are_______.  And all the members of the family needed to be named on the poster.  You could use what ever you wanted to decorate or make the tree.

Ainsley originally wanted to be an apple tree but there were lots of apple trees so I tried to convince her that we should be a popcorn tree because #1, that would be a beautiful tree - look like spring blossoms and #2 our family LOVES popcorn, we probably eat it 6 days a week.  So she went with it.  We drew out our brown tree shape and began trying to glue on the popcorn.  It didn't work at all.  Popcorn doesn't have enough flat surfaces to adhere properly.  I could have used hot glue but it still seemed like even with that it was going to be a long and complicated project with a lot of burned fingers.  I was disappointed because we had already come up with our sentence - "We are a popcorn tree because we are corny."

Ainsley then said she wanted to draw a squirrel on at the base of the tree because she liked the hole in the tree and knew squirrels would live there.  Well that squirrel idea - gave me an idea.  We could be an acorn tree!!  We could still be corny and we could use fabric - my favorite.  So I cut out the pieces and Ainsley glued them on the tree with Elmer's glue - less messy and less burns.  The tree came out very cute.

Then Ainsley decided she wanted each person in the family to be a squirrel instead of us gluing on pictures or putting our names on branches of the tree.  So Chase drew our first squirrel and the I copied his design to draw the rest.  Ainsley colored them in.  It was a fun family project and I think the end result was fabulous.

Enjoying the Weather

This week has been nothing but rain.  Sunday - Thursday RAIN.  Calling for more rain this afternoon.  At least there is a little sun this morning.  I can't say I have totally minded the rain.  It did give us a 5 day break from baseball.  I love baseball but it can just be all consuming and I don't do well with dinner scarfed down every night before 5pm so we can be out the door to a game or practice by 5:15.  (The kids only get home from school at 4.)  The break was nice and now I have the energy to continue on.Last week we had some beautiful days.  We sat outside on the patio and enjoyed Italian Ice and our new favorite -"Totally Fruit" by Musselmans.  We like the peach.  It's peach flavored applesauce with no added sugar.  I've had unsweetened applesauce and you are usually wishing that it had sugar and are usually wondering why you are eating it.  This is very sweet and all natural and I use it as a replacement for dessert choosing it over ice cream or cake sometimes.

Getting all wet.

We pulled out the sprinkler and let the girls try out their new bathing suits.  This was Piper's first time doing the sprinkler and she had a lot of fun figuring it out.  Figuring how far she wanted to go....how wet she wanted to be and how to control it.

It was a beautiful night and I am looking forward to many more of them to come.

Recent Completions

I finished a few projects last month.  It's been quite a while since I've sewn anything.  I don't know where the time goes.  I did finish an awesome quilt top (if I do say so myself) back in February.  It was for my nephew who was born last July.  I sent it off to be quilted by a long arm machine.  When I get it back I'll bind it and then get a picture.  Maybe Cash will get it by his first birthday.

In April I finally got some sewing time.  This is a rag quilt that I tried to embellish by sewing on flower looking shapes and adding a button to the middle.  The flowers are also ragged.  This is one I plan on giving away.  I really do like it but if I were to do it again there are definitely things I would do differently.  I learned a lot from this quilt and I think I could really improve on the next one.   But there are quite a few patterns on the list ahead of making another one of these so we'll see - someday.

Here's one I did for the silent auction at the Spring Festival at the kids school.  The fabric only cost me about $7.50.  I wonder what it will sell for?  I don't even know if people at school would be interested in something like this.  Although it makes a great baby shower gift.  I guess we'll see if it's worth making another one next year. ***The down side of this one was that one of the black fabrics bled in the wash.  I think it was the argyle one because the above quilt didn't run and that used the same black flowered fabric.  I never wash my fabric first and I don't usually have a problem with it but this time I did.  It's not terribly noticeable so I hope the new owner doesn't notice.  I am making a quilt for MacGregor's teachers that is navy and white.  I decided to wash all the blue fabric first.  I'm learning.

  This is the one I made for the church auction.  It was supposed to be an all camp auction (YW camp, Boy Scouts and Cubs).  But the youth really didn't get behind it so the leadership canceled.  That left scouts up the creek without a paddle.  Primary and Scout leaders had signed up to bring/make quite a few things already so we decided to have a silent auction table (not as fun) at the Ward Memorial Picnic this month to raise money for Cub Scout Day Camp.

This quilt cost me nothing to make - only my time.  I used old jeans and an old denim dress.  (I got tons of squares from that dress) and scraps from my stash.  I love the look and the price of a scrap quilt and I do promise not to buy this one back like I did with the one I made 2 years ago.

Here are some close ups of the fabrics used this time.  Do any of you recognize fabric from quilts I've done for you??

What to do with her??

I honestly don't know what to do with this child.  If she is not being watched she will find a way to mess things up, create a disaster.  I have 3 other children - I'm busy.  I don't have time to watch her every second.... but then this is what I have to face.

I was on the phone with the Bishop taking care of some rather important stuff regarding Primary.  I was in the basement.  Ainsley comes running downstairs and says "Mommy, mommy come right now and see what Piper has done!"  I run upstairs, still trying to concentrate on what the Bishop is saying and find this girl with my make-up bag sitting on the living room carpet.  Very upsetting - the carpet had lipstick and mascara ground in - my makeup was in pretty bad shape and the child's face looked like this...

The sad thing is that she really thought she was beautiful. Just look at this smile.  She was so pleased.  She thought that she had done what mommy does - put on makeup to be beautiful.  She had done it all without a mirror though and when I showed her what she looked like her face fell and the disappointment I saw in her face was heartbreaking.  Ainsley on the other hand was very confused as well - she said, "Mommy - she's not even pretty!!"  She said this with a face that was so perplexed - Ainsley knew that when you put on makeup you should be beautiful and somehow Piper had put in on and it hadn't worked.  She ended her statement though with this... "Well maybe her lips are pretty, but that's all!"

Here's another of her "out of sight projects!"

And this is just one of many many creations she has made on the walls of our home.  We really need to repaint the entire house but part of me wants to wait until she is really out of this phase before we go to all that work.  This is in the dining room.
And I know you all have seen these photos before but they go so well with this post that I am posting them again.

What do I do with this baby??