We just put our house back on the market.  I don’t think I ever told y’all that it was off the market for a couple months.  Selling your house is stinkin’ hard work!

But we’re giving it another go.

Please pray for it to sell fast!

:)

That’s my son, making us all laugh for no less than an hour this morning.

And here are some Flickr Favorites for added happy:

1. father & daughter, 2. Tas-ka, 3. Figgjo sugar shaker, 4. Interior inspiration by Stadshem real estate, 5. Untitled, 6. Thrifted chair and potholder, 7. Untitled, 8. small office in a closet, 9. Her Advice?

Created with fd’s Flickr Toys

And…

What’s new in the shop:

Custom State embroideries

And a new mug!

Happy Friday!!! :)

For Rae and Dana’s Celebrate the Boy Month, I made a soft book for Jacob.  He loves so many simple things that I thought I’d just compile them into one toy.  Using old jeans, Heat ‘n’ Bond, and a variety of fabric scraps, I appliqued pictures and constructed a little book for him.  Which he seems to love.

Wanna see how?

Tutorial after the jump. :) (more…)

is being with the love of your life.  We’re celebrating 5 years today!

I stenciled the lyrics to our favorite song (U2’s The Sweetest Thing) as a Valentine’s Day/Anniversary present.  (Unfortunately, those celebrations get a bit lumped together for us.  But we try to make up for it by celebrating our engagement in the Fall.)  I got the idea from this picture of Candi Mandi’s bedroom.  But I’ve seen other versions of it since then.

He made me breakfast in bed.  (I love that man.)  All that’s left of it is this pretty mess.  I’m okay with that.

Happy Anniversary, Evan!  Thank you for 5 years of awesome. ;)

A little story:

Evan and I decided not to declare our “love” for one another until we were ready to get married.  Although a nice idea, it wasn’t altogether practical.  We just found creative ways to communicate the same message.  Much like Buttercup and Westley in The Princess Bride:

Grandpa: [voiceover] Nothing gave Buttercup as much pleasure as ordering Westley around.
Buttercup: Farm boy, polish my horse’s saddle. I want to see my face shining in it by morning.
Westley: As you wish.
Grandpa: [voiceover] “As you wish” was all he ever said to her.
Buttercup: Farm boy, fill these with water - please.
Westley: As you wish.
Grandpa: [voiceover] That day, she was amazed to discover that when he was saying “As you wish”, what he meant was, “I love you.” And even more amazing was the day she realized she truly loved him back.
Buttercup: Farm boy… fetch me that pitcher.
[It’s right over her head, so he has to stand next to her]
Westley: As you wish.
[Cut to them kissing]

“I am in like with you” became our “As you wish.”  And to this day, we are as in like with one another as ever.  ;)

Happy Valentine’s Day! <3

Rae, Dana, and a slew of other fabulous bloggers are helping to “Celebrate the Boy” all February.  And guess what?  I’ve been asked to contribute!  Afterall, I do have a boy.  And he needs celebrating.

Here’s an example of this sweet child’s life:

That is Jacob.  Note that he is surrounded by pinks and florals of various sorts.  He can often be found hugging baby dolls and drinking from tiny teacups…

or trying on broken Cinderella gear, mommy’s boots, or heart-shaped sunglasses.  Not that he doesn’t love cars or balls or roaring at us or whatever.  But he is surrounded by girliness.

Thus, it will be refreshing to focus on The Boy for a bit.  There will be tons of ideas, tutorials, round-ups, etc. over at Made by Rae and MADE.   And all in celebration of our little men!

I’ll be sharing a tutorial on how to make a soft toy.  What will that be?  I have some ideas brewing, but I’d love to hear from you!  What would you like to see?  Something I’ve made in the past?  Something fresh?

Pirates?

Tell me!  I’ve got a couple weeks to pull my bit together, and I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU! :)

So I guess we’re alright for now.

Here’s the view from our kitchen window:

What you see here is snow falling on ice.  And some very long icicles forming on the neighbor’s house.

If we do lose power, we’ll be eating peanut butter or spinach & avocado on pita bread with oranges and cold-brewed coffee (Oh yeah, I’d better grind it up while I can!). We’ll bundle up in blankets, color in coloring books, and play Scrabble.

For now, I’d better take advantage of the hot water, the stove, and the coffee grinder.

Stay warm & safe, friends!

Over Thanksgiving, Emily did a little surgery on her best friend, Yellow P. Bear (A.K.A. Pooh).  While visiting her Bibi and Papa Joe, she found the scissors and snip-snip-snipped him on his back, tummy, and head.  Now what you need to know is that P. Bear is very special.  He’s been her favorite and her best since she turned 1, and she has rarely slept one night without him.

So something had to be done.

But it had to be done with Emily’s approval and not during bedtime or alone time.

So together we chose what colors would look best on P. Bear, and she monitored all my stitching with equal parts concern and admiration.  Here is the result of our restorative surgery:

Nothing like a little TLC to enhance a relationship.  Emily went to bed staring lovingly at P. Bear, and–I feel certain–loving me a little more too. :)

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

It was a good year, I do believe!