I'm Awake!

Up from her nap. Waiting for me to come get her. This baby.....she's too cute.

One of Those Nights......

Will it become one of those days? Sadie has been coming into our bed repeatedly throughout the night for the past few nights. At times I have both girls in the bed with me. One on each side. Last night was a bad one. I kept putting her in her bed & I kept hearing footsteps coming back down the hall into my room. Sleep was interrupted many times last night. Shot this photo of myself headed out the door this morning (unshowered) to story time.


I'm loving my new corduroy pants for fall & my jean jacket picked up on a super duper Gap sale for $7 a few years back. Hoping today is not a carryover of the really bad night that I had last night. Of course what chore has to get done today? Grocery shopping. Not a good one when we're all a little sleepy & cranky. Wish me luck.


***Just a few days left to sign up for the garland swap!!! Come on, all the cool kids are doing it. And, if you are participating, feel free to post a link on your blog. Remember, you have until Thursday to sign up***

Desktop Calendars In The Shop

Dylan designed these awesome desktop calendars that I just listed in the shop. They're so colorful & fun! What a great addition to your desk. Makes a great gift as well. We plan on making a limited run of wall calendars in this style as well.

Also a big thanks to Dylan for my new blog banner. I'm loving it!

Oh, Ryan

The concert was AMAZING! Such a great time. Ryan & The Cardinals did not disappoint. The first half was electric. Lots of different arrangements on the songs, so it wasn't straight up what you're used to hearing on the albums. The best part was that some of the songs were really fast & loud....& it was incredible. I loved it. The second half they switched to acoustic guitars. That was amazing as well. I've always loved that about Ryan....the mix of rock & rootsy. And that voice....oh man. Boy's got talent....that's for dang sure.

Walking into the auditorium:

Dylan: I hope he doesn't have homeless man hair.

Me: I hope he doesn't wear go go boots.

Well.....Dylan got what he wanted. Not me. Luckily the platform boots were tucked under his skin tight jeans. I don't think I could have gotten past him wearing knee-high go go boots on top of his jeans. It probably would have made me mad the whole time. Anyway....why Mr. Adams do you wear those boots? You're like a wobbly giant on stage. It's strange.

Anyway....a great show. I love Ryan. I love the Cardinals. Glad to finally have been able to see them live.

6 Months

Gosh, it's going fast. I can't believe she's 6 months already. We went to her well baby check this week & she weighed in at 16 lbs. She's in the 50th percentile for both weight & height.

* We've been given the okay to start table foods & cheerios.
* She has to have something in her hands at all times. I think this girl is going to be crazy smart.
* We could have another hair twirler. She likes to play with my hair while she's falling asleep.
* She gets all around the room by rolling & scooting on her belly.
* Starting to sit up on her own for a minute or so.
* Sticks her tongue out a lot these days, especially when she's smiling.

Oh Goodness Gracious

Is October almost over already? I haven't done anything for Halloween. No decorating. No fun crafts. I haven't even made Claire's costume like I had planned. Halloween has always been my favorite holiday, maybe I'm more of a Christmas girl now. Hmm.

Lots of exciting stuff happening around here:

* The Ryan Adams concert is tomorrow! I'm excited. Really, really excited. Then Jens Lekman next week. I already have a sitter lined up for 2 nights out with my husband. Awesome!

* I'm coming up on my 400th post. Time for another giveaway. Not sure what to pull together for this one.

* Dylan & I have been working on a new product for the etsy shop. He's done most of the work. It's super cool. I can't wait to get them listed....sometime next week.

* My hormones are raging. I don't know if this fits under exciting....but it's happening. Is this normal after quitting breastfeeding? My mood swings are a little out of control. Also out of control....my anger. Having a difficult time being patient.

Also, check out these photos from flickr for some garland ideas. Please don't feel like you ave to be a super crafter to join. One of my favorites is the paper circle garland. How easy is that with paper circles glued together on a string. Simple & cute.


garland mosaic
Originally uploaded by sparklecandace

Holiday Garlands & Goodies Swap

Candi & I are putting together a Holiday Garlands & Goodies Swap. Here's how it works:

You will have one swap partner. Using the medium of your choice, you will make a holiday themed banner or garland for your partner. You may also include any other goodies based on your partner's interests. Some ideas are fabric & paper scraps, ornaments, sweet treats, etc. The swap packages need to be mailed out by November 28th so that your partner can receive & display her garland in time for the holidays.

If you are interested in signing up, e-mail me at SparklePowerCandace@gmail.com by November 1st with you blog/web address (you don't have to have a blog to sign up) & your mailing address. We will send you a short questionnaire about things you are interested in & then we'll match you up with a partner.

I plan on posting some links for garland inspiration & we will set up a flickr group where we can share images of what we sent & received. This should be a lot of fun. I hope you'll join us!

Another Cold, Rainy Day =

another batch of chicken noodle soup & rolls



Extra noodles, as requested by my guy, ready to go into the pot.



Note to self: take wedding ring off when kneading dough.

Today At The Park

We took advantage of this warm autumn day & got outside. My favorite shots from the day:

Romantic?

Does your husband ever bring you home nice, romantic gifts? Like flowers, or.....I don't know. See, I'm not a very traditionally romantic person. Well, Dylan brought home a gift for me last week. He came in the door holding a Target bag behind his back & smiling with this sneaky, sweet little smile. He's so cute. Anyway, it was a brand spankin' new hair dryer & I thought it was such a romantic thing for him to do. I know....how is a new hair dryer romantic? But you see....I was really needing a new one, and I'm too cheap to actually buy one. I was waiting for this one to die. Dylan was worried that my hair was going to catch on fire. Take a look:



He got the new one on clearance too. Makes it even more special to me. That night we had a conversation that went like this:

me: "Are we romantic?"
Dyl: "I don't know. We're freakin' weirdos."

So, I don't know how romantic we are. I just know how in love we are......and it's all good. And for the record....he does bring me flowers sometimes. And now that I think about it, he has on a few occasions when we've been driving, pulled off the road to run out in a field & pick a flower for me. Now what's more romantic than that?

Big Fat Faker

This is what Sadie's fake cry looks like.

Blog Addiction, Part 3

I read a lot of craft blogs. They are the type of blogs that I search for when I'm looking for new fresh blogs to add to my blogroll. As if I need any more to read, but you know how the addiction goes. What I love about crafters is the focus they put on making the world around them beautiful. I love checking in to see how they are leaving a personal handmade mark in their own corner of the world.

So here they are. All the crafty blogs I read:

Angry Chicken
Anna Maria Horner
The Apronista
Aunty Cookie
Curious Bird
House on Hill Road
Huffmania
I Heart Linen
I've Got Bling On My Sewing Machine
JC Handmade
Little Red Caboose
Mommy Coddle
Moopy & Me
My Half of the Brain
My Happy Little Life
One More Moore
Petunia
Posie Gets Cozy
The Purl Bee
Redhead Snip It
Sew, Mama, Sew
Shimandsons
Soule Mama
Sweet Jessie
This Vintage Chica
Tree Fall
Two Straight Lines
Wee Wonderfuls
Whip Up
Wise Craft

Is that enough for ya? Click away & enjoy. I'm going to be changing my sidebar links to just a few sites that are inspiring me at the moment & plan on changing it up often.

I've Been...

* sneaking candy corns

* looking through fall MS Kids magazines. Time to get this place decorated for fall & Halloween.



* making soups & homemade rolls for dinner. Chicken noodle soup with homemade egg noodles is my ultimate cold weather comfort food. I feel like a good mom making it. I feel like I'm feeding my family goodness. The coolest part of it all is that I learned this behavior from my own Mom.

* trying to stay on top of my housework. A clean & tidy home = a happy family.

* working w/ Sadie on her letters. She is very into her letters right now & likes having "school" time with me.



* wiping sick, little, snotty noses.

* washing Sadie's bedsheets quite frequently. We've had a few accidents.

* avoiding the thrift stores. I've been buying too many toys for Sadie there. Like this mini accordion.



* thinking a lot about using coupons. I'll let you know if I see anything good.

* watching the baseball games. Go tribe!

What have you been up to lately?

Day at the Farm/Orchard/Pumpkin Patch

This weekend we took a little trip about a half hour drive south to a farm in Brunswick. We enjoyed a horse drawn wagon ride through the apple orchards, picking a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch, a hay ride on the tractor back up the hill & some cheesy popcorn. I really wanted some apple cider, but the kids were tired, it was time to go & the line was too long. Next time. Oh & Sadie found a caterpillar in the pumpkin patch. It pooped on her hand unfortunately. A story that she has not tired of retelling since.







Check out if there are any farms in your area here.

Gearing Up

Man the weather sure changed here fast. We went right from running the air conditioner to running the heater. I'm still in the process of getting my family everything we need for the winter months. Thought I'd share a few bargains that I've come across.

Old Navy has a lot of stuff on sale right now. I'm getting some of these long sleeve henleys for Sadie to wear under short sleeve t-shirts, or just on their own. They're priced at only $3.75.

I always watch for sales at K-mart around this time of year too. Starting next week their blanket sleepers go on sale. They're buy one get one free, making them just $5.00 a piece. Also, all their coats will be 40% off. We got Sadie's winter coat at K-mart last year for a good price during one of these sales. So, I'll be making a stop there next week.

Also, a great blog for finding deals on all sorts of kids stuff is Baby Cheapskate.

Then there's this scarf tutorial over on the Sew Mama Sew blog. I think I need to make one for Sadie....& one for me too!

Updating The Shop

Updating the shop sometime today w/ just a few goodies. So much more I want to get made.....no time at all to get to it. I'm working on it.

28

Dylan hooked me up with an incredible mix! 28 songs on two discs. I love it. It's so me. It's very "strummy", as Dylan says. It would be the perfect background music for a nice long crafting session. Oh, how I'm longing for one of those.

He also got me a really beautiful Sparklehorse poster from Aesthetic Apparatus. We're having gloomy days here & although I love gloomy days, they don't offer enough sunlight for good photos. I'm really having trouble getting a good one of that poster, so I'll have to share it later.

I had a good birthday. Nice & mellow.

Oh, yeah....ate some yummy chocolate cake. Two pieces as a matter of fact. Hey! It's my birthday. I can have two pieces if I want. Actually, I'm going to be eating this all week. I'm fine with that.

Happy Birthday To Me! (or) Dude, I'm Old!

So today is my birthday. I'm having a good day. I actually do feel kinda old. I'm telling myself to take it easy though....cause I'm still in my 20's. Dylan is coming home from work soon & I'm excited to see what he's got planned. Last night he & Sadie were running around doing secretive stuff & I was banned from the office/craft room for a little while. I love my family.

Right Now I Am Loving.....

* That Sadie has gone two nights in a row without diapers & no accidents!! Completely potty trained is a good feeling.
* My new haircut. I went 10 weeks between haircuts....oh the horror. Much better now.
* That the ladies behind me in line at the thrift store yesterday called my baby a "butterball" & "one big, fat baby."
* General Conference. Always makes me want to do better & I really have Family Home Evening on the brain now.
* That fall weather is finally supposed to be arriving here in Ohio. I've really been hating the 85 degree, super muggy days. I'm sick of being sweaty!
* Taking Sadie to story time at the library. I really want to take a photo. None of the other parents are snapping pictures, so for some reason I think I'd feel really dumb. She LOVES it. Goes right up the the librarian & sits in front, then the rest of the kids join her. There's no holding back with the singing & dancing either. She's a fun girl.

Beauty & Charm On A Spool

Yesterday we stopped by Goodwill on our way to my least favorite store in the whole world (stupid Walmart!). We were going to make a return. Luckily out here Targets are a lot closer than Walmart. I think I've only had to go to Walmart twice since we moved here 5 months ago. Anyway...at the Goodwill store, I found this incredible vintage ribbon. It's a fabric ribbon backed in lace of the most wonderful color of green. It's gorgeous! Just imagine how perfect this ribbon would be for Christmas wrapping & decorating. Or to add to scrapbook pages or to use in holiday card making. Oh, I love it!

The most wonderful part of thrifting is when you spot something (like this ribbon) sitting among all the junk & it just makes your heart stop & you can't help but gasp. I guess it's what keeps me going back for more.

Anyway, little bundles of this divine ribbon will be up in my shop later on today.

Super Cool Rice Shaker

Today we made the colorful shaker found in the babies issue over at Kids Craft Weekly. This was a fun one.

Dish Soap

This is an old Martha Stewart tip. Putting your dish soap in an olive oil bottle. It's a whole lot prettier than the actual dish soap bottle. This one was given to me for my birthday quite a few years ago. I think it was only a dollar or two at Target. I use this way more now that I don't have a dish washer.

Blog Addiction, Part 2

The best thing I did last week was sign up over at Bloglines. I subscribed to all the blogs that I read. I have 60 feeds...sick, I know. Instead of clicking around to each of them, various times throughout the day, I just go to one page that lists them all & lets me know if any of them have updated.

I sit down & check the computer when I'm feeding the baby a bottle & I've been trying to stay away from it other than that. I feel like my house needs a little more order. Less time in front of the computer & more time focusing on my house & family is what I need right now. Bloglines sure makes it easy for me to do that & not feel like I'm missing out on anything in the blog world. Also, you can "clip" any posts you like & would like to refer back to later. Pretty cool.

So, obviously I recommend it. I've added a link on my sidebar that makes it easy for you to add me to your feeds. But if you sign up, be sure to click on over to my site when you read the posts, to see it all pretty & stuff.

And, because I can't post without a photo, I just love this tree in our front yard:

Teddy

This is Teddy. Teddy was given to me/Sadie at my baby shower by Dylan's mom. Teddy now goes with us everywhere. Teddy was almost lost once at the mall. Teddy used to wear a dress, but for some reason Sadie's toys cannot exist with any clothing on. Teddy really needs a bath.

Claire At 5 Months

* As Sadie says, "she's a grabby girl!". She reaches out & grabs on to everything. Everything! Including Daddy's face and Mommy & Sadie's hair.
* She loves to eat her solids. Gets really excited when I open a jar of baby food & will eat the entire thing (1st foods size).
* Now wearing 3-6 month clothes.
* No longer breastfeeding.
* A really good baby.....at least for me. So enjoyable.

Arthur

Sadie's drawing of Arthur.





The cool thing is, she has no reference. She just goes by what's in her head. I think it's amazing.

October Already?!

Can you feel the change in the air? I'm loving it. Can't wait to see this tree in our front yard when it totally changes color. It should give us lots of leaves for jumping into as well.


I haven't really found time to sew much, but I've still been hitting the thrift store every Monday & stocking up on fun fabrics. I found this patchwork print baby quilt today. It's been well loved, but is surprisingly very clean and totally adorable. I've got an idea for this little fella...


Sadie & I made this little pom pom last week. Some tissue paper cut into strips & taped inside a piece of cardstock which we rolled up into a handle. She loved it! Danced around the house with it singing, "I'm a dancing girl! I'm a dancing girl!" She brought it with us to the park later that day. There was a slight breeze...perfect day for that little pom pom. I didn't take any photos because I was feeding Claire while Sadie was playing. Anyway...quick, easy & made from objects found around the house.