Holiday Rewind

Our life is always so busy. Even when I think I'm going to have down time, it seems to fill up so quickly! I intended to do lots of projects and lots of blogging during the holiday break (seems almost ridiculous to call it that, really) but alas, I did not do as much doing as I planned. We did get some awesome family time and in the end, that's better than marking things off my to-do list anyway.

The family starred in the church program. I got a reprieve after a large role last year. I figure either the "director" had mercy on me or I was terrible last year!  Either way is fine with me. I loved getting to do my mama-razzi bit! Hubs provided his annual dose of comic relief to the program. He was actually cast in a semi-serious role with pretty tame lines but never fear, he is great at improvisation. As the Giant from Jack and the Beanstalk, he read "the giant arose to discover Jack stealing his golden goose" and that translated into "the giant arose, stretched and gave his kiester a mighty scratch." He got a good laugh out of it so he was satisfied.

The girls were bugs. My big girl was a bumble bee (and a mighty darn cute one, I might add) while Molly was a ladybug.  Mags had no lines and couldn't wait to get off the stage. She was asked to help the little kids and agreed but didn't realize all her friends would be doing sets. She couldn't get out of her costume fast enough! 

Molly had a fitting line - "You smell bad!" and did it with her usual sass! But her big moment was during the song. She belted out every word and did her actions with flair. She has received many compliments on her performance and I'm certain she's earned a larger role next year!

We have a tradition in our house that includes opening a family gift on Christmas Eve. We bumped that up a day early to catch the premiere of "We Bought A Zoo" starring Matt Damon. I can not tell you how much we loved this movie. There were a few swear words I thought were unnecessary but the story itself made it easy to forgive those. Staring at Matt Damon didn't hurt either! If you haven't seen it, please go!

Christmas Eve we invited hub's family over to watch the Denver Broncos take on the Bills. Tim Tebow has made the second half of the Broncos season much more interesting than the first. Unfortunately, the coaches didn't let Timmy work his magic during this particular game and we lost. BOOOO! We did have a nice visit with his parents though. They were the only ones from his side we got to see this year. I treasure my family and back home in Colorado, we always spent the holidays together. I'm learning that other families don't have those same traditions. That's not always easy for me.

We wrapped up Christmas Eve with part II of our family gift...new jammies. By buying them new jammies every year and giving to them on Christmas Eve, I ensure that they have nice PJs on for the Christmas morning photos.  Mission accomplished.

 Christmas day we woke up early and ate Mimi's cinnamon rolls for breakfast. When she gave me the roll recipe from her 1960s Betty Crocker Cookbook, I learned that the roll recipe was the same recipe used for the cinnamon rolls. They came out perfect on the first try. Now no matter where she is, our Mimi is always with us on the holidays.

We seemed to have a theme going this holiday...soccer. Mags asked for and got soccer related gifts - including her sweatshirt with Lionel Messi's colors and number on the back.

 And Molly got her very own Sounders gear, as she requested. Dad, however, went with a coffee theme. Coffee cards, k-cups and the all important Keurig. Needless to say, he was very happy and very caffeinated!

We spent the afternoon with some very good friends who we actually consider family. It made me realize that while it is always hard for me to be away from my family, there are special people...chosen family...who can still make the day special. 

Hope you had a wonderful holiday as well!

DIY-ing

The long holiday weekend made for the perfect opportunity to get some projects done. I did a few things in the kitchen.  Like this...

Paint my Candy Apple Red accent wall.

Hang glass jars in front of my window.

Create  super-cute letters and some embellished hooks.  Inspired by CandieMae Designs. You can find her on Etsy. I actually found her at the holiday craft show my Mom and I went to in October.  I love her work! Love it!

Embellish my dining area canvas listing all the things you will likely hear during a meal at our house.

Put the silver I bought at the Sidewalk Sale in August to use.

And in the living area...

Create this lovely message center.  I'm going to use it for Christmas cards during the holidays then for things I need to remember before I walk out the door.

I also put the finishing touches on a bunch of scrapbooking pages and put my Disney book in order based on what we did each day. It is a miracle I remembered it all!  I also created a few collages.  I'm loving that technique for scrapbooking. So cute. So easy! You can dowload a ton of templates from Scrapbooks Etc's site or you can easily create your own on Muzy.com but only if you just want to use them online and don't want to print them. (Like I did above.)

I got started on a little project for my hallway.  Stay tuned for more on that later...I hope!

Do You Coupon?

I'm thinking of throwing my hat into the couponing ring.  I joked about doing extreme couponing and then taking my stockpile and moving off the grid but now I'm taking a more serious look at it. Because let's face it, we could all use more cash!  Besides I work for a nonprofit, the hubs for a school district so in this recession neither one of us is getting a raise any time soon.  Not to mention we own a car that has nearly 200,000 miles on it - so we are only putting off the inevitable task of buying a new car.  And adding a new car payment to our monthly expenses.

I'm following a couple of really smart blogs and driving my friends who do coupon crazy with questions.  So we will see what happens.  I'll try to share what I learn here so you can join in the fun!

Deck the Halls

It is tradition in our house to put up the tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. As my girls have gotten older, I'm finding that there is less for me to do. So I just stand back and take photos!

I love the simplicity of our tree. There is no theme, the ornaments don't match and I like it that way. Each year, my girls get a new ornament that signifies something that happened to them this year.  So it was fitting that this year's ornaments had a Disneyland theme.

When they are all grown up and move out on their own, I'll give them the ornaments from their years here at home to start their own trees. The hubs pointed out that our tree is going to be pretty bare when that happens!

This year, we bought a new tree. Yes, I use a fake tree and I'm okay with that. I don't have to water it or pick up needles or dispose of it at New Year's. I can take it out of the box and put it right back into the box whenever I feel like it. Any-who...we bought a Colorado Blue Spruce. A little touch of home for the holiday.

I was a little bummed to hear the tree at the White House is being referred to as the "Holiday tree."  It is the Christmas tree in this house...just like it has been since the 1700's when putting trees up became a tradition associated with the holiday that takes place on December 25th.  You know the one... Christmas! Getting off my soap box...

I keep trying to "upgrade" our decorating tradition by adding a special dessert or movie to the experience. This year, Apple Cup got in the way. That's why everyone is in WSU Cougar colors. Hubs loved it.

More than the tree or any of the ornaments or any movie though is the joy of just doing it together as a family. That part is perfect just the way it is.

Merry Christmas to Me!

I got a new camera! I'm so excited. My old one isn't dead but it is very, very sick. It didn't want to do any of the things it is supposed to so while I loved my old camera, it was time to move on. I went with the Nikon Coolpix P500.  Relatively inexpensive camera for the features.  It has 36x zoom! Which means I can shoot this...

or this...

or this...

...all from the same spot. Boo-yah!

It is also the best camera on the market (in this price range) for action photography. And as I may have mentioned before, my big girl is fast! Now I can catch Ms. Speedy in motion and across the field. Just call me Mama-razzi!

Count Your Blessings

In honor of Thanksgiving, here is our Top 10 countdown of things I am thankful for.

10. A country where I am free to speak my mind and practice my religion and especially for the people who sacrifice their own lives and families to preserve those freedoms.

9. Our home - it shelters us and keeps us warm, it is the place where we make memories and celebrate traditions and while it may not "keep up with the Joneses" our 1950s farm house has all the charm and character we wanted in a home.

8. My job and my work family - I get to do work I enjoy and help people in the process. I share my days with people who are passionate about our community and always give 110 percent.

7. My church and my church family - The freedom to worship and amazing people to share it with.

6. My health - Even with its imperfections, I'm thankful for each day the Lord grants me.

5. My family of friends - People who share my interests and beliefs and have become my family when I could not be near mine.

4. My extended family - They may not be close geographically but they are always in my heart.

3. My daughters and the opportunity to be a mother - My girls bring me incredible joy and remind me of what is truly important. I love laughing with them, snuggling them and watching them grow.

2. My hubby and our marriage - 15 years of life as husband and wife, almost 18 together and I love him more every day.

1. My Lord and Saviour who sacrificed his life for me and forgives me despite my own stupidity.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Slipping Away

Am I the only one who looks at their calendar and says "November? What happened to October?" I can't believe how quickly time goes.  When I looked back at my last post, I thought "Hmm. September was the last time I posted. I have a ton of things to catch up on." and yet, they seem so long ago already.  I started looking through photos from all the events of the last eight weeks and I realize just how quickly life slips away.  For those of us with busy children and thus busy lives, it seems like it goes even more quickly.  My days are marked by obligations.  I keep thinking to myself "if I can just get through                         (fill in the blank), then I can get my life back to normal." After about two years of saying that I'm wondering if it will ever happen.  Maybe this is my new normal. I don't mind being busy.  In fact, after about a day of no obligations I start to get ansy.  But what I don't like is not having the time to savor the things I love about our life. 

In the last eight weeks, Maggie joined cross country and completed her season. I always felt rushed to get to her meets and rushed to leave to get her sister.  Her dad was so busy with his high school soccer teams he never even got to see her run. 

Molly and Gary both had birthdays and neither of them went as I had planned. I didn't have the time to do the things I wanted to do for them and even though they didn't notice, I knew what they missed. No one in my household got a birthday party...yet.  I'm determined to have one.

I have a lot of good intentions...inviting friends over, calling my family in the midwest, this house project, that craft project...but they never get done.

I've made up my mind that I'm going to change that.  Life is so precious and each day, each moment with our loved ones is a gift. I don't want to let even one slip away.

Happy School Year!

I love the beginning of school. Not because my children have driven me crazy all summer and I want them to go back but because it is like New Year's all over again. In our house, it is a time to re-evaluate our lives (okay, that sounds a little dramatic but I can't think of how else to put it) and resolve to make things right again.  I also have to admit...I love structure and routine and well, summer is so willy-nilly sometimes it drives me crazy. My time management skills stink during the summer because I feel like I have all this time. Then I get to a point in the week where I can't remember the last time I bathed the four-year-old and I feel like the worst mother ever.

This year's return to school snuck up on me a bit (see what I mean).  I was prepared.  I had all the clothes and supplies bought.  I had already marked down all the key dates on the calendar but somewhere in my preparation I failed to adjust for junior high. Junior high is some serious chizz.  Before school had even started the big girl had spent nearly 15 hours at the school.  Orchestra camp, cross country try-outs, orientation - I wasn't ready.  I had basked in the comfort of elementary school for so long, I assumed I knew what was going to happen. WRONG.

Junior high is expensive - I dropped $150 before the first bell rang and that didn't include any of her supplies or clothes.  It is confusing - they have a different schedule every day to maximize the time the teachers have with the students and make it as difficult as possible for incoming students to comfortably acclimate.  And it operates on a student-led structure.  They tell her things but don't tell me.  I need to know.  I'm OCD (love for structure gave that away, didn't it) and feel most at ease when I know what is going on.  Leaving things in the hands of my responsible yet easily distracted student makes me nervous.  And crazy.

But as life requires, we will adjust.  In the meantime, she loves junior high.  My reserved yet likable child has made a lot of new friends and has even earned the attention of one very cute new boy.  He's not her betrothed but he's very nice. And thankfully, she's not eager to move beyond walking to orchestra with him...I hope...

And, well, can you blame him?...

My seventh grader. Oy.

Oh What Fun...

We had a great weekend earlier this month. It was very full but what else is new?
We started our day off at the annual antique yard sale at a local historic home. We wandered through the booths of vintage goodness and my mouth just watered. I really wish I didn't have to pay bills because I could have gone nuts! There were crates and cameras and kitchen goodies. I spotted wagons and chairs and refinished pieces. And I sifted through boxes of treasures I would have loved to take home.  In the end, I practiced restraint and only bought a old silver fork and spoon and a long narrow crate. Hubs bought a peanut dispenser.

Hopefully I'll have a post soon to show you what I did with my buys.
We hopped on the train and headed to the big city for a professional soccer game with #1's team. The train ride was so much more peaceful than driving and the girls thought it was really cool.
The game was also fun. We ate garlic fries. Luckily so did everyone around us so we didn't have to worry about garlic breath. Speaking of things that stank, the referee was awful! I really hate it when officiating affects the outcome of the game. It ended in 0-0 tie but it should have been a 1-0 win for our team. A tie just...well...stinks!
I snapped this photo of Mags at the game and it kills me that she is growing up so fast.

Everyone got scarves while we were there. Molly had to have the pink one. What a girl.

Funny story...They have a chant they do at the soccer game where they bang the drum twice and then the crowd claps. Hubs was trying to get the little one to do it when the crowd was actually not doing it and he said "Boom Boom," mimicking the drum, and her response was "Pow!"



HA! Who is this kid? She cracks me up!

I need therapy

I love blogs. They really are like therapy to me. The ones I follow are written by such fun, witty women and I just love reading about their adventures. It makes me feel...dare I say it...normal. I know there is really no such thing but I like knowing that there are other people like me out there.

Writing in my blog is sort of therapeutic too. Sometimes I can write out my frustrations and not even publish them and I feel better. Sorry folks. This is not one of those times.

Today was one of those days. Actually it was another in a series of those days. That began in October. I'm not joking.

There is an obstacle in my way and I desperately want it gone.  Actually a few of them.  And I don't feel like I have the power to move them.  So I called on a higher power. "Hey God...I know you are in control so I'm not gonna fight you on this one.  Do what you do Almighty." (crickets...)

Nada. 

Dang. He's trying to teach me something. I hate it when He does that. I know I'll thank Him for it later but right now I really wish He'd just go BAM! and make it all go away.

So I retreated to my blogs. And guess what my fav Lemonade Makin' Mama's post was about.  Facing obstacles. Man, how does He do that. Of course, I read and of course the scriptures she sited were AWESOME and just what I needed to hear. I felt so much better.

Thanks for the therapy. Same time next week?

Vacation - The flip side

When I did get off my porch swing, we had a wonderful time. We hit garage sales and antique stores where I got these gems...

Hit the pool and water park...

Spent time with family...

Ate (way too much of) all our favorite foods...

Including eating at Capone's in Coeur d'Alene, ID - one of the restaurants featured on Diners, Drive-In's and Dives (#33 on my 40 Things to Do Before 40 list)

Admired (and fed hot dogs to) the wildlife...

Visited Silverwood...

It was just what we all needed.

The List...so far

It's been a few months since I posted my list so I thought I'd give you an update. Not too shabby. Still quite a few to go...

1. Make a skirt to dress (like Aimee at My PINK Life) or pillow case top - DONE as seen here
2. Go to the Tulip Festival - Missed my chance for 2011 (BOOOOO!)
3. Document our traditions - Working on it
4. Take the kids to Disneyland - DONE
5. Build a cabinet out of our old windows
6. Organize my mudroom and the shop - Started...
7. Finally do a Couples Night Out
8. Pick Huckleberries
9. Wear more hats (I love hats but I'm afraid to wear them) - Doing it
10. Make flossing a daily habit - Was done, then relapsed, Working on it again
11. Read one of the book club selections
12. Have all my pants altered so they fit properly
13. Have a professional family photo done
14. Buy a pair of red shoes
15. Learn to make cheesecake from scratch (mmmmmm...cheesecake)
16. Buy a WOMAN'S winter coat - DONE
17. Figure out my mom's roll recipe - She's been making it for so long she doesn't use exact measurements so she can't give her recipe to me. I will figure it out! - Guess who found her recipe? It's all ripped and faded and wonderful. Now to try my hand at it!
18. Attend a marriage retreat - DONE
19. Master sports/action photography - Almost done
20. Set a new high score on Just Dance for the Wii
21. Try three new foods* - I changed this one slightly b/c I couldn't find three new veggies I hadn't already tried.  I have now tried sushi and fish tacos so I'm 2/3 of the way there.
22. Have each of our closest friends over to our house for a meal. Sounds lame, I know, but I always hesitate to invite people over because my house isn't perfect.
23. Do a better job of accessorizing - Working on it
24. Find the perfect sugar cookie recipe - DONE thanks to Glorious Treats via Sugarbelle
25. Fix the "seam" on my living room accent wall (darn blue tape)
26. Blog more frequently (check!) - DONE
27. Create family rules (like the ones at the Pleated Poppy) - Almost done, just need to create the frame
28. Memorize 10 new Bible verses
29. Find four red/pink transferware/French toile plates that are reasonably priced - DONE and then some. My awesome mom saw this on my list and found four plates for me. Then we found a 41-piece set while in Colorado.
30. Sing a song at a karaoke bar - I may regret this one.
31. Genuinely compliment someone every day (I think it but don't always say it) - failing miserably on this one. There is always tomorrow!
32. Go to IKEA - I've never been. Shocking, isn't it?
33. Visit a restaurant featured on Diners, Drive-ins & Dives - DONE, Capone's in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. So yummy!!
34. Watch Gone With The Wind (I think I see a Girls Night In in my future!)
35. Finish researching my family tree
36. Learn how to make fresh guacamole
37. Go to the Flea Market at the old Drive-In
38. Make these super cute milk crate covers - My mother has made one, but not me...not yet!
39. Be able to do 25 push ups without crying
40. Bake one cookie recipe out of my giant cookie cookbook with the girls each month

Ahhhhh...Vacation

Just three short weeks ago, I was running around like a chicken with it's head cut off.  I couldn't sleep at night because my mind would race...sometimes about the most unimportant things.  My body was completely exhausted.  I was desperately seeking rest. And then came my vacation. Thank God. I retreated to my parents home in Colorado where I was able to actually go to my happy place. Not just the memory of it in my head but the real thing.  My mom has a porch swing in her yard, under the Aspen trees and the view looks like this...

Peaceful, isn't it?

On this vacation, I got to add the smell of freshly baked pumpkin bread, the sound of the hummingbirds and rustling Aspen leaves and my adorable 6-month old nephew to the mix. Happy just got happier.

I did a lot of nothing on this vacation. And it was good.

Quick Yummy Meal - Catalina Cranberry Chicken

I found this recipe on Kraft Foods web site.  I made it as instructed and it was yummy.  Then the next time I made it, I forgot an ingredient.  It was still yummy and in the opinion of my family, better than the other way.  So here is the recipe...

Ingredients
4 lb. chicken pieces (breast halves and/or thighs - bone-in or boneless)

1 can (16 oz.) whole berry cranberry sauce

1 bottle (8 oz.) KRAFT CATALINA Dressing

Directions

HEAT oven to 350°F.
PLACE chicken in 13x9-inch baking dish.
MIX remaining ingredients (cranberry sauce and dressing); pour over chicken.
BAKE 50 min. or until chicken is done (165°F).    

If you want to use the original Kraft recipe, you can find it here:
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/catalina-cranberry-chicken-89628.aspx

We have served it with a variety of side dishes but I think I like placing it on a bed of rice the best...because the rice soaks up the sauce and turns yummy too! Enjoy!

When Did That Happen?

My first-born just finished sixth grade. Next year, she will start junior high.  When I look at her, I still see this...

Junior high is not for cute little girls with chubby cheeks and freckles. That is where the big kids are. The kids who are trying to figure out who they are and where they fit in. It is where she may get bullied or picked on or even in a fight with one of those kids.  It is where kids are flirting with the opposite sex and, unfortunately, doing much more than just flirting. It is where she may have her first kiss, her first boyfriend. Ugh. I'm going to be sick.

I'm not excited about junior high.



I am very proud of my daughter who did very well in elementary school. Who participated in choir, track, orchestra, the talent show and drama. Who stayed in from recess to help kindegarteners read and set up for school events. Who proved herself to be a good friend and kind soul. Who teachers raved about. She is a great kid.

It is because of those things that I believe she will do well in junior high too. But I'm still not ready. This has all come too fast and I know there are many people who would shake their head in agreement about their own experience. It always does. Somehow, I thought it would be easier...even fun...to watch her grow up.  But I guess I wasn't ready to watch it happen so fast.

My girl will start junior high in a matter of weeks. She will do orchestra and track and soccer. She wants to do choir and student leadership. I hope her eyes will remain fixed on that sweet boy she's loved since she was 9 months old (who currently has no interest in girls) and on her values and belief in God. I know she will do fine.

Me on the otherhand...

Prom Advice

One of the fun parts of having a spouse that works for a high school is prom.  I didn't go to my own prom - which was really dumb...go to your prom, you don't get a second chance - so it is fun to go to theirs each year. My only other interaction with the students is watching them play soccer for coach hubby. The girls are dirty and sweaty and generally in ponytails but on this night they transform into princesses.

After several years of attending this event, I have noticed some things.  It is a requirement of those "older and wiser" than us to share their wisdom.  I know sharing this with teenage girls will fall on deaf ears but I'm going to do it anyway.

1. When you go to by a dress, take a responsible adult whose opinion you trust with you. And then listen to what they have to say.

2. Be practical. Don't just choose the shoes that look amazing. Can you walk in those shoes for longer than 10 minutes? Let alone dance in those shoes?  I have seen a lot of girls checking their "amazing" shoes at coat check and then going barefoot for the rest of the night.  Bare feet do not compliment most prom dresses. Just sayin'.

3. If you choose a short dress, practice doing typical things that you are going to do at prom...bend over to fill out your prom queen ballot, pick something up off the floor, hug your girl who is sitting down, sit down, get into or out of a car. Can you do those things without showing your undies?

4. Be realistic about your "assets." Strapless is really risky.  Too small? You spend the night pulling up your top.  Too big? You spend the night trying to avoid a wardrobe malfunction.  There are plenty of styles out their to compliment what your maker gave you.  You don't want to look like a stuffed sausage, do you?

5. Dance in the dressing room. Seriously. Dance, shake, boogie...make sure everything stays where it is supposed to. Please.

And speaking of dancing...please, for the love of God and all things holy face your partner when you dance. I have watched far too many vertical lap dances at these proms and you completely cheapen the elegant, beautiful image you worked so hard to create. Have some self respect. Our ancestors fought hard to give women equal rights and change the way men looked at and treated us.  Don't send us backwards.  (Okay, now that I've proven I qualify for the "older" part.)

And lastly, think about yourself 10 years from now, looking back at your prom photo.  What do you want to see?  These people obviously didn't ask that question...

Thank you to the Ellen DeGeneres' Show for posting these lovely photos...

Another Month Gone

Every time I sit down to "recap" our month, the first thought I have is..."it was really busy." They are all really busy. Maybe someday I won't be so surprised about that. You will notice that this entry is light on visuals. I don't know what my problem is this month but I can't take a good photo to save my life. They all turned out blurry or dark. My apologies.

Hubs finished up his boys season just in time to start coaching Maggie's team.  We were a little worried about tryouts. We had dealt with a lot of "issues" during the off season in hopes of saving the team. Then a new team came along and stole half of our team (yes, they did steal them). They also took a lot of other players in our age bracket which left us worried there may not be enough to make a team. We were pleasantly surprised. Enough showed up for two teams and we actually picked up some good players. Maggie made the team again and I'm already amped to start playing.
Maggie also tried out for track. At first, she declined. She has labeled herself a soccer player and convinced herself that she shouldn't do any other sports. Well, track to her dad/coach spelled conditioning so she went for it. She's running the 200 m shuttle. She found some inspiration when she saw some press on her cousin in Colorado. He took state in the one- and two-mile races and second in the 4 x 800 relay. She's not ready to try the long distance races yet but after watching him, she just might.

We also had Orchestra Festival where the finale was Firework by Katy Perry.  It was pretty cool.  I took video of it to show you.  Hope you enjoy looking at the back of my child's head because visually that is all I was able to get.  Just close your eyes and listen instead.

And since Memorial Day is always cold here (start of summer, my fanny), we did a ton of yard work instead of going camping (and sitting inside the motor home all weekend)!  It was nice to get things spruced up but now I can't walk or lift my arms above my head. Go big or go home!

Random Thoughts

People who should keep their mouths shut seldom do.

You can not watch any music awards program with your kids. Unless you want to have a conversation about things like pole dancing and whips. (First performance, Billboard Music Awards, no lie.)

Elementary school reports are as much work for the parents as they are the kids...maybe more.

All women, regardless of size, should wear a bra. Please.

If there are sweets in the house, I will eat them. I can't control myself.

Getting older stinks. You have to watch what you eat and drink.  You have to exercise.   And you start having physical problems.  I want to go back to eating Oreo's for breakfast and drinking Dr. Pepper all day long.

And by the way...Diet is not the same as regular. It is NOT!

I want to work at Disneyland.  Even if I have to be a villain.  How much stress could Cruella De'Vil have each day?

I'm also considering doing Extreme Couponing for a year and then taking my stockpile of toothpaste, Maalox and croutons and going off the grid. A little cabin in Montana or Colorado. Hubs could hunt our meat. We could grow our fruits and veggies. And all the other random things would be provided by my couponing haul.

Ice cream can fix anything! 

No. 1 - Make a skirt into a dress...DONE!

On my list of 40 things I want to do before I turn 40 was make a dress for Molly out of a woman's skirt.  I got the idea from one of my favorite blogs (yes, that is where I get all my ideas) My PINK Life by Aimee Weaver.  LOVE her and her creativity!!  After I saw her post, I yanked three skirts out of the clothing bank bag and set them aside.  For months.  It may have even been a year.  I try to forget.  Anywho, I put this project at the top of my list and when the clouds came out this weekend, I decided to give it a try. 

Here is how it goes...

Take a woman's skirt, like this one...

Measure it to fit your little girls chest.  Sew a seam up the side of the skirt to make the waist now fit the child's chest.  Then trim the excess fabric from the side...

Using the excess fabric, cut two strips to be used as straps.  Sew them right side together and then use a pencil to turn them right side out.  I ironed mine so the seam was on the back and didn't show.

Measure the straps to fit your child and sew them in place. Once you are done sewing, cut the extra fabric off.

And that's it.  Easy peasy!

I used a skirt with a zipper for my first one and it was a cinch.  I'm actually using two additional skirts that have elastic waistbands for my next projects and so I expect them to be even easier to work with. 

Note: I am not a sewer.  I can sew a straight line and that is about it.  Luckily, for this project, that is all you need!

p.s. I saw two other projects on Aimee's blog recently that I'm dying to try.  I'll post those soon...or maybe in a few months.

Learn from My Mistakes

The swollen eyes of Bear Grylls after a bee sting. The nose of an Avatar. And the cheeks of Alfred Hitchcock. That's what I had last week. All at once. It was quite attractive.

How I got that way was from my own mistakes. Lots of them. That have now ended with my having to have surgery to remove a mild form of skin cancer. The surgery is called MOHS and is a process where a doctor removes all of the affected skin cells plus a margin of healthy cells to help prevent the skin cancer from returning. It is successful in "curing" the area 99 percent of the time.  The type of skin cancer it treats is called Basal Cell Carcinoma.  It is the most common form of skin cancer in the country.  It is slow growing and local, so it doesn't spread to other organs or areas.  Thanks to MOHS it is highly treatable.  Despite the upside of this condition, I wouldn't wish it upon anyone.  And luckily, it is largely preventable.

As a child, I grew up in Colorado where the sun is plentiful.  I played outside every day and I was part of a family that loved the outdoors.  We did lots of fishing and camping.  I loved it.  But I also grew up in a time where wearing sunscreen wasn't emphasized the way it is now.  So I didn't.

As a teenager, I was in love with a baseball player.  So I spent my springs and summers at the ball field.  Sitting right on the first base line...in the sun.  I was more concerned with getting a tan than protecting my skin.  So I didn't.

Twenty years later, I was diagnosed with BCC.  My first spot popped up when I was pregnant with Maggie in 1999.  This is the area I had surgery on last week.  I had what I thought was a zit.  But it never completely healed and remained a red patch on the side of my nose.  Years later, I asked my doctor about it while at a routine physical.  She said it was Rosacea.  I had my doubts and even remember hearing that little voice in my head saying "Go to a dermatologist." But I didn't.

When I was pregnant with #2, I developed two other similar spots and a bump on my lower eyelid.  I assumed the spots were more Rosacea and the bump was a stye.  It really sucks to make that whole saying..."you know what happens when you assume"... true.  Especially in this case. 

After years of believing I had Rosacea and that there wasn't effective treatment for it, I finally went to a dermatologist.  She knew immediately that I didn't have Rosacea.  A biopsy a week later confirmed that the two spots I got while pregnant with Molly...three years earlier...were BCC.  At the time, she thought the spot on my nose was precancerous cells.  The procedure for those is to freeze it.  Not pleasant.  In May of 2010, I had my first two MOHS surgeries.  I looked like this...

When I went back for my annual follow-up, she did a biopsy on my nose and a fourth spot on my forehead.  Both confirmed more BCC.  A month later, an opthomologist diagnosed the "stye" as BCC as well.  I've had four surgeries now and none of them were any fun.  The worst one is still to come.

I'm sharing this story because I hope that people will learn from my mistakes.  I should have worn sunscreen.  I should have sat in the shade at the ball park.  I should have gone to see a doctor sooner.  And I should have gone to see a dermatologist. 

I know some people believe that it doesn't matter what you do, if you are going to get cancer, you will.  And there may be some truth to it being part of our genetic make up but why would you want to take that chance.  I'm the only one in my immediate family to have skin cancer.  And as far as I know, no one in my extended family has had it.  If I had done everything right and still got skin cancer, I could live with that.  But knowing I might have been able to prevent it makes me mad.  Mad at myself.

I know some people have concerns about the chemicals in sunscreen.  I do too.  But I'm not willing to take the risk of developing more skin cancer.  I was fortunate I got BCC and not one of the more dangerous kinds.  And I certainly don't want my children to go through this.  So when I can't be in the shade, the areas that aren't covered by protective clothing or a hat will get slathered in sunscreen.  Despite my concerns.

If you have anything on your skin that doesn't heal or doesn't look normal, don't wait.  See a dermatologist.  You can treat older areas - to that I can atest - but it is much easier to remove areas that haven't had time to grow deeper into your skin or spread out to the size of a nickel on your nose.

I'm one surgery away from being cancer free.  The healing process on this last round is taking a while.  I look like this now...

Lovely isn't it.  And while I'm very happy about the prospect of not having these anymore, I'm not out of the woods.  I have a greater chance of developing more of them in the future.  For me, the damage of my mistakes is done. 

Hopefully, you won't make the same mistakes.

p.s. All those days at the ball field were an epic fail.  I don't think that boy even knew I existed.

p.s.s. The correlation between four of my five spots developing while I was pregnant was no coincidence.  Turns out the growth hormone present during pregnancy can stimulate the cancer.