Today's Curtism

Today we are off to the sewing expo....Curt and Steve are staying behind.  I asked Curt if he was going to help Dad with projects today.

  "Yeah." he said. I said, " what projects does he have planned?"

 Curt said, " I don't know what projects he has planned, you are the one who sleeps with him 365 days a year."

Well said.

Things coming up.

Tomorrow we will be attending a sewing expo.  The kids are entering their outfits for judging and they will be participating in the fashion show.  I hope we have fun and find lots of things to do there all day.  I will post some pictures when I have time. 

Then on Sun we are traveling to my parents house to see them.  I can't wait to be there.  I just hate the drive. Hopefully I will have lots of pictures of that too.

I really hope when we return that spring will have sprung.  I am really tired of cold weather!  Yes I am complaining!!!! 

I am exhausted today from laundry and packing and getting ready for the expo. 

Good night.

Pie Auction and Chili Cookoff

A few weeks ago the Boy Scouts had their annual pie auction and chili cookoff.  It is always fun!  Steve made all the pies.  We try and donate as many as we can because this year we have two boys going to boy scout camp. People are very generous and bit lots of money on pies and other sweets.

Pumpkin

Apple

Peach

Blueberry

Here is my chili.  I was so excited to win 2nd place in the cookoff.

It doesn't sound like much, but I am not known for my cooking...and there certainly are lots of people at our church that are awesome cooks.  So it was a pretty amazing night.  They also raised enough money for all the boys to attend camp this year.  That is the most awesome part.

Winter's still pretty...

 Scenes from around the house.

You didn't think I would venture outside, did you????

Princess Ball 2011

Here is Steve and Maggie at the Princess Ball in 2011.  They had a blast.  This year Steve could dance.  Last year he had just had his foot operated on right before the ball.  This year they danced the night away.  Steve even did the hokey pokey...which means he must really love his daughter!!!!  He hates the hokey pokey.  They also did the chicken dance.  It was good for them to have some daddy daughter time together!

Sorry it has been awhile...

I guess I should post something.  Things have been busy around here. I need to take pictures and document things but life is getting in the way.  We have been trying to lose weight...which seems like a full time job.  We are also working on the basement...(still), laundry is piling up and I am finally getting to it today.  We have been dealing with school bullies ( of the girl persuasion) and general stress of life.  Plus Steve has been a couponing king...so we have been doing lots of stocking up on bargains.

I need to get my camera out and get going...I know...I know...

The sun is shining today even though it is cold...it is suppose to get in the 40's today I think.  I can't wait for the furnace to go off for good.  Warm weather and sunshine.  I need sunlight!!!

So I guess you could say I have the end of winter blahs and am just surviving until Spring gets here.

Have a great day!

$3 Makeover

Here is some pictures of Maggie's room.  I found a pretty sheet at the goodwill and then found a duvet cover that matched.  The cover was $2 and the sheet was $1.  I  made valances and pillows with the sheet and just put the cover over her princess comforter that she didn't like so much anymore.  What do you think?  I am still going to make a dresser scarf with the valance fabric and we are going to make some accessories for her doll house...so everything matches. :)

Doug's 12th Birthday!

Doug is 12 years old now.  Boy time flies!  He is loving middle school and not being treated like a baby any more.  He is doing quite well, a trend I hope continues.  He is attending his first young men's meeting at church tonight.  Amazing! 

Maggie's new glasses

This is the first year that she didn't pick purple or pink glasses.  I am still getting used to them.  She loves them and can see much better! 

Feeling Crafty

I felt like being crafty last night.  I made this for over the mantle. 

 Now I wish I could tell you that I felt so crafty that I made this.  I have been trying to learn to crochet.  Let's just say I am crochet challanged.  Everything I make or try to make comes out crooked and weird.  I am only trying very simple things.  I don't think crocheting is in my future. 

I found this lovely throw at a store in town for $3.99.  It is what I hoped a throw blanket would look like that I was trying to make.  Sooooooo.  I got it.   For $3.99 I have a lot less frustration and  I couldn't have bought all the yarn for that price.

This is better.  The project of the throw is now done, and my family can stop making fun of my crooked and miss stiched creations.

Rag Rolling

We rag rolled Maggie's hair last night for something fun to do.  It came out cute and really curly.  I figured she would hate it, but she liked it.  So we left it kind of messy and fun looking.  It is so much easier than sitting there with a curling iron.  It worked much better and less pulling and complaining.  I am sure we can get better at getting the sections just right so it is the same curl overall.  We pulled up the back out of the way, she didn't cut her hair...it is still long. 

Read Your Labels

We were buying soda. (oh I forgot I am in Ohio now) We were buying pop at the store.  We needed to buy so much to get money back at CVS.  There wasn't much left.  We grabbed some diet pop and some other kinds, and the last we grabbed was this.  We figured it was diet so, OK.  Well the "MAX" means it has way more caffeine than Mt. Dew.  I read the label after the kids downed a bunch of them and they all weren't tired to go to bed.  Hmmmmm.  Next time I will look harder at the label.

The move to Ohio

When we moved to Ohio we knew it would be a big change. We were moving from a postage stamp lot in the burbs to 6 acres and a 100 year old farm house. The land has a barn, garages, fruit trees, berry bushes and gardens. The kitchen needed updating and that is the first project we took on. We have been doing projects ever since. (although this isn't much of a change in life, we have been remodeling since we were married)

We love the old floor boards. We love the openess of the rooms, which is unusual for an old farm house.

What I did not know, or could truly understand when we moved here is that these would become part of all our wardrobes.

I can't believe we have these.

I can't believe I can make this.

I can't believe we help with all this.

I can't believe I learned how to do this.

I can't believe the kids aren't upset by finding this.

I can't believe I am not freaked out by this.

or this

I can't believe this is starting to feel like home. Finally. (sometimes)

Coupon Time

Here is my new coupon binder.

CVS shopping: Spent: $16.18 Saved $60.29

Giant Eagle shopping: spent: $25.42 Saved: $17.70 on specials $28.50 Coupons

Walgreens Shopping: spent: $ 27.04 saved: $50.59

Total spent: $68.64 Total Saved : $153.18

Tons of Fun...You should try it!!!

Pillow Update

I made some adjustments to the pillows. Mainly added more yo yo's. Steve said the first ones looked like eyeballs staring at him...Whatever!!!! I am sure he will come up with something for this design...but they no longer look like eyeballs. Good grief.

Rant about a 14 year old...

Let me just preface to say I was probably extremely frustrating to my mother at the age of 14. I do remember clearing out my closet on a regular basis because I had NOTHING to wear. I remember not being very nice about being woke up in the morning, and I am sure I was rude and abnoxious sometimes.

Jacob can make me crazy!!! We went to the store to buy him some shirts because his were getting too short. He is growing like a weed. He really like the one polo type shirt. for $25. I bought one...he however needed more than one shirt. I found some nice hensley shirts on sale of $9 each. He hesitated but tried them on. They looked very nice on him. They aren't weird. They aren't a weird color, or bad fit. They just aren't a polo type shirt (heaven forbid) Another side note: (2 years ago I couldn't get him in a polo type shirt...it was too nerdy then)

They look awesome on him. Make him look tall and lean and they are long enough to cover his long body. The colors HE picked were gray and dark green.

Now he doesn't want to wear them...because in his words.

"He doesn't think it will go well."

What the H double hockey sticks does that mean? He thinks he is going to get picked on because he dared wear a different type of shirt to school that he doesn't normally wear. Are you kidding me?

Yesterday he did break down and wear the shirt, (under protest) but wore his hoodie all day over it. Today I noticed he was wearing a shirt that is too short under his hoodie.

Did I mention that it is 19 degrees and he refuses to wear a winter coat...he only wears his hoodie. Apparently coats aren't "cool"...

I give up. I am taking the shirts back to the store and get my $18 dollars back...He can wear the one shirt he likes all year and wear the ones that don't fit. I am sure no one will mention THAT at school. (sarcasm)

Did I also mention that we HAD to go out in a blizzard to the store that night to get new shirts because he would DIE if he had to wear those short shirts anymore?

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I feel better.

Is there anyone out there that can relate...NO COMMENTS FROM MY MOTHER!

I did it...I think.

I learned how to create a signature...

New Pillows

I thought I would spruce up some old pillows that matched the loveseat.  They were pretty flat and stained.  I made new covers for them and wrapped them with some batting to puff them up a bit. 

Christmas 2010

Christmas 2010.