Visiting!

Let's go visiting, what do you say?

     Annie's absolute favorite book right now! She loves it so much that she actually cries after the last page, so we keep reading it over and over again as she bounces away in her bouncy chair.  I really did not think that a three month old baby could have a favorite book, but she absolutely does! As I read about the one brown foal, two red calves, three black kittens, four pink piglets, five green ducklings and six yellow puppies (all from memory!  I told you we have been reading it a lot!) I can't help but think that I want her to be able to grown up with that life.  Running around outside, in the sunshine, cuddling up with baby animals!  Ok, maybe this is the life I want for myself as well.  I know, I know, I absolutely do not have the knowledge or skills to be raising horses and cows.  A happy pig farm has been one of our crazy life dreams for awhile, although now that we have the chickens I am starting to seriously doubt whether we would ever let any of our pigs be butchered, I know absolutely we could not do it ourselves.  I have started to think having a flower farm would be heaven.   I also really think we could have one of those farms that actually makes money by throwing beautiful weddings and events in the fields, with delicious food sourced from our farm and twinkle-y lights strung up between the rows...

Dreams, dreams, and all completely off topic!

     The point I am trying to get to is that it was perfect timing for this to be Annie's favorite book right now, because Auntie Lu came visiting this weekend!

And we were so busy having a great time, that I only managed to take these three, sad, badly lit phone pictures the entire weekend!

So, you can't see Lucy in this one, but she is seriously the baby whisperer
and helped Annie find her thumb and fall deeply and happily asleep!

Preparing themselves to dominate Harry Potter Monopoly!

I think I had 1 dollar left at this point in the game.
They are an unstoppable team!

     Well, ok, there was one more sad phone picture of Annie and Auntie Lu dancing in their jammies, but in the words of my favorite six year old, she told me, "Please, do not put that picture on the internet."   So ok, ok, I will honor that request, but Annie and I sure do miss her today and wish she and her dancing moves were still here with us!

     And yes, you read those captions right! Harry Potter Monopoly!  It can not be bought in stores, not even Amazon, so you know that means it really does not exist!  But once I got the idea (from a Pinterest Pin that led nowhere!) I knew I had to make it as a surprise, I am so happy you came visiting, present.  Monopoly and Harry Potter may be her two favorite things, and putting them together, and me agreeing to actually play it with her! Couldn't resist!

     But let's clarify here real quick, I made it, but I did not make it, make it!  There is someone out there on the internet with much more advanced graphic design skills than I will ever possess who created PDFs that can be color printed and mod podged to cover the box and board, and double sided printed on colored card stock to make the properties and "Potions" and "Spells" (chance and community chest) cards.  It is pretty amazing and detailed work this mysterious internet individual has done.  Getting all of the printing done was much more momentous than I had anticipated, but we had a great time doing all the cutting and gluing!  Didn't quite get it done before she came due to some serious desert wind cutting her camping trip short, but that just means she and Annie got to have some extra snuzzle time while I finished the game.  

     And then of course we decided with this awesome board we couldn't use the regular old Monopoly tokens, so off to Joann's it was to find Fimo so we could make a dragon, snitch, house elf, sorting hat, death wand, lightening bolt, broomstick and sword of Gryffindor!  

     Oh, and obviously while we were there I had to pick up some fabric and bias tape!  I have a problem.  Too bad I could not finish my mysterious birthday present project in time for the party due to total sewing machine meltdown!  Professional help is required.  I have no idea what I will do with myself without my machine here if Annie ever decides it is ok to nap again without her Auntie Lu here to dance and snuzzle her to sleep!  Oh, clean the bathroom or vacuum?  Hmmm....

We loved our short visit over the weekend and can not wait until next week when we get to go up for a wayyyyyy too short visit with Nanny, Grampy, Auntie Lu, Auntie Em, Uncle Andy and Cousins Jack, Shelby and Norah!  And of course for what is sure to be the beautiful and super fun wedding of great friends and past roommates (and honorary Uncle and Aunt) Jason and Danaka!

**Credit where credit is definitely due, and if you want to make your very own Harry Potter Monopoly

http://designinteched.blogspot.com/2012/07/how-to-make-harry-potter-monopoly.html

**And while we are at least a little bit on the topic of happy pigs, have you heard of these! Wooly pigs!  Are you kidding me? Amazing!

Things I've Learned This Week!

1.  10 week old babies can start teething.

     Maybe.  I really don't know.  It is my first time with this and all, so I reserve the right to take this statement back.  There is a lot of drool, and gnawing on fingers, and cheek and ear rubbing, and sadness and a little white bump under the gums, so I think chances are good that a tooth is coming soon.

2. When 10 week old babies start teething and Nanny sends you some great freezer teething toys in the mail, do NOT boil them to sanitize them.

This used to be a strawberry :(

3.  I really really should have motivated myself to finish this beautiful wedding bunting project before Annie was born.

For the wedding of some very good friends, in only a few weeks!!!
and to be listed in my Etsy shop this weekend, I hope!

and 4.  I can feel stressed out and a little overwhelmed by sewing projects to be done, then I see a beautiful and amazing new line of fabric and suddenly I am completely inspired for new projects to be done (secret new projects coming soon to an Etsy shop near you) and can not wait to get my hands on a few yards and get working!

Whirlwind!

I always have this belief that there is just that one more thing coming up, or one more project to do and then things will calm down, but somehow there is always one more thing after that one more thing.

First there was our trip to Austin.  Annie's first time on a plane!  Lots of friends, walking, yummy food, an excellent king sized sleep number bed that Annie loved sleeping in the middle of and the beautiful wedding of friends.  A little chapel, an old barn, big trees, glittery lights, delicious food and cake and excellent dance music.  We always love an excuse to show off our moves!

And obviously I somehow took zero pictures the whole weekend!

Then, there was a trip home to meet brand new twin cousins and celebrate Annie's first Easter.  Thanks to my amazing little sister there are lots of beautiful pictures of this one!

Norah, Annie (the giant!) and Shelby, in their Easter dresses that have been in the family at least 50 years!

Nanny and all 4 grandkids!  Jack is trying to share is cha cha with her - such a sweet boy!

Annie and her first ever Easter bunny!

Big brother and cousin, Jack, keeping an eye on the girls.  

The whole crew!  Jack, Owen, Norah, Annie, Nanny, Shelby, Bella and Charlie! So much love on that couch!  

A fantastic, fun (and slightly sleep deprived for certain family members) weekend full of love, laughing, sunshine, egg hunting, sandbox playing, fried dough and even a walk in the woods.  

Then, back home for us, way too soon.  

Two Fun Little Things orders to be finished and sent out.  

Presents for two friends to be worked on.  

One more Fun Little Things order from a friend to be worked on (including two bibs made from brand new fabric, that she didn't order, but that I thought she might like better - which she did!  And then I accidentally let them go out the door without taking pictures to make new Etsy listings, whoops! Just found one picture I did take of them, but it still doesn't help with the listings.)

  

And walks with Annie, and cuddling, and learning to roll over and lots of playing with her favorite chicken.

And gardening, and farmer's markets and cooking, and not enough laundry and house cleaning.

And reading (still Game of Thrones, I feel like I might be reading this book for the rest of forever!)

And recruiting the help of my (once again) awesome little sister to get a real, super awesome, professionally formatted and designed logo to get sew-in tags made for my bibs, purses, diaper bags and blankets.  Pictures as soon as they arrive on my front porch, I promise!

Next up is burlap and lace wedding bunting for some very amazing friends and one time roommates, and hopefully to list in my Etsy shop as well.  So far it is looking gorgeous and I can't wait for it to be done!  Pictures here too, I promise again!

Then more new bibs and new listings!

Then one day my quilt! Haha! So I keep promising, except that one more thing keeps popping up after that one more thing that I thought was the last thing...

And in the meantime, enjoying gorgeous San Diego weather, relaxing with my awesome family and feeling so blessed that I have this little helper with me working on all of my projects!