camie

fall is in the air

2009-09-19T13:00:00.000-07:00

it has dawned on me lately that i can use material for which it is not intended (e.g. using a vintage bed sheet to make pillow cases and a table cloth for my picnic table over summer.)

so when i saw these incredibly fall-like pillows when blog reading the other day, i immediately starting thinking how it could be done. i felt i reached genius status when the idea came to me to use thrifted flannel men's shirts. of course, that all came to an end rather quickly when i discovered that was what the whole blog post was about in the first place. regardless, joel and i set out to find us some flannel.

and this is what we came up with. after they were washed and dried, i spent the afternoon sewing. though kelly & olvie recommend using a simple technique that utilizes the whole shirt, i'm partial to pillows with different backing.

and the finished product.

so cozy and ready for fall.

my boy

2009-09-17T19:01:00.000-07:00

joel discovered he could fit under the couch yesterday. hours of fun. could i love this boy and his yellow boots anymore?

my favorite moments from today:

me: "sushi! you think this about sushi! -- name the movie..."

nate: "i don't know."

joel: "monsters" (monsters inc.)

nate: "wow."

altering my skirt and i try it on to see if it is the right length.

joel turns around and says "beautiful dress mama."

i think my heart melted. it was how he said it. i felt like the most beautiful gal in the world!

friday indulgence

2009-08-28T20:56:00.000-07:00

this is a tostinos pizza. behind are fresh vegetables from our garden. i chose the pizza. and loved it. should i be embarrassed by the fact that i like these $1.50 pieces of crap?

nutritional facts?

20 grams of fat... for half of the pizza. i don't know what could be any more unhealthy for me. michael pollan would be so disappointed.

but still, i might just eat one next friday too. or maybe every other friday... to ensure that i can still fit into my clothes.

happy 4th of july

2009-07-04T16:38:00.000-07:00

crossing my fingers for no rain tonight during the fireworks. this would be one disappointed patriotic person...

for allison

2009-06-30T12:40:00.001-07:00

it's in the mail my dear. hopefully it will get there before your baby boy does. because every baby needs a mobile to come home to.

and no, the rain boots were not strategically placed in the picture, they were just there.

happy mother's day to me!

2009-05-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

nate is taking me to the flight of the conchords concert on sunday night.
i know, you are jealous...

one purple flower for another

2009-05-05T13:53:00.000-07:00

while gardening outside with nate this morning, i kept smelling one of my favorite scents. lilacs. mmmmm.
unfortunately, i finally spotted them on the other side of our fence. but one little branch had made it's way across and i snapped it right off to bring inside. sorry neighbors if you are reading this, i completely stole from your bush!
i've made it a point to pass them several times today, i might just have to start carrying them around with me.

2009-04-21T19:41:00.000-07:00

the sun did come and i believe it is here to stay.
is it bad that i prefer my flowers on my table as opposed to the yard?

2009-04-15T12:29:00.001-07:00

it is snowing, but i know the sunshine is literally days away.
so i have enjoyed the mixture of white and spring blossoms.

an easter tie

2009-04-14T08:48:00.000-07:00

i made a tie for joel to wear for easter sunday. my sis-in-law sent me some fabric and pointed out the tutorial.
it took a decent chunk out of my saturday, but mostly on account of obvious mistakes. next year, because i would like to make it a tradition, i'm hoping it won't take nearly as long.
and it was all so worth it because joel looked absolutely darling for church.

happy easter weekend

2009-04-11T08:15:00.000-07:00

{easter dinner 2006}

may it be filled with all that is important to you...
and some colored eggs... and chocolate...

the newest addition

2009-04-06T09:20:00.000-07:00

i fell in love with these cutie bunnies last week and decided to make one for joel for easter. which is funny because he could care less, i'm the one that had the stuffed animal addiction when younger. maybe one day i'll have a little one who appreciates softies like i did.

no nose but a perfect little bunny tail.

whose side is whose?

2009-03-30T15:17:00.000-07:00

jen and timm got married on saturday (sidenote: the bride was stunning!) and this was my gift. just in case they had any troubles remembering which side of the bed they slept on. so many transitions in the beginning you know.
i've loved these pillow cases and it never occured to me that i could make my own. next i will make them with a C & N with an accompanying tutorial so you can make your own as well.
or you could just get married. that works too.

a green vegetable

2009-03-24T18:19:00.000-07:00

i ate green beans tonight. monumental moment.

it has been 24 years since one has graced my mouth, and i can honestly say that i liked it. i'm not ready to make a habit out of it quite yet, but i'm open to trying new recipes in the future.

just thought i would start this new year of my life with something different.

happy birthday to me

2009-03-23T15:38:00.000-07:00

love this little girl!
-circa 1984-

i won't lie, when i woke up this morning and saw the ground covered with snow, i was not pleased. i take the weather personally on my birthday for some reason.
but when my father informed me it was the same weather that took place the night when i was born, it seemed somehow fitting.
and i have had a wonderful day ever since...

thoughtful strangers.

2009-03-19T09:56:00.000-07:00

i love this.

from here.

today is for green

2009-03-17T13:58:00.001-07:00

it seems there is a thrift shopper in every family. my father is and always has been a huge bargain seeker. growing up, if he passed a yard sale he would have to stop the car, regardless of where we were going.

personally, i've never really had the patience for bargain shopping. i do enjoy a good deal like the next person, but i haven't really developed the skill.

until last week when my brother took me thrifting with him to get a vintage suitcase. i made use of my time and came home with a $1 bowl (i still need to fill it up with some sort of st. patrick's day treat for joel) and my $2 mirror. very pleased with my purchases.

and so i decided to go again yesterday and i am officially hooked. i discovered this chair for a mere $10 and was happy for the rest of the day. and even some of today...

wild things

2009-03-16T12:42:00.000-07:00

my sister-in-law introduced me to the beauties of transfer paper this past week.
between this and freezer paper stenciling, i don't think joel will ever wear a plain t-shirt again.

tutorial here.

*clarification*

i have to also mention my favorite little bro who found the picture and printed it. you edited the first one, but i edited this one. oh, and he also caught my terrible cold, and for this, i am truly sorry...

2009-03-15T21:14:00.000-07:00

too lovely to be inside today.

perfect temperature.

kept the windows open. i love having my windows open.

especially at night. i'm really looking forward to that.

7:20pm

2009-03-13T18:27:00.000-07:00

and this is why i love daylight savings.
yes, there have been some rough points during the week, but there is no question in my mind that i would trade an extra hour of sleep for longer days.
i have been waiting for this for months!

happy friday, and if you need a little laugh in your sleep-deprived state, this is pretty funny.

i miss these curls...

2009-03-10T20:10:00.001-07:00

it has dawned on me over the last few days how quickly joel is growing up.

fast. really fast. too fast.

and it has made me kind of sad/sentimental.

and i have also realized that i have done a terrible job of keeping the family/joel blog updated, and there are several reasons for this. but i digress...

so, i'm changing from my mac account to a blogger account- mostly because i like the format.

you can find the new information on our old website, and if you don't know my old website, contact me and i will fill you in. i know i have several family members that don't know it exists. i will do a much better job from now on... i promise...

for jenny

2009-03-10T09:42:00.001-07:00

details about the butterfly mobile:

in appearance this mobile looks very simple, something i love about it, but it actually took quite awhile to figure out. my inspiration for the mobile came from this pillow purchased at UO last summer. i used wax paper to trace the butterfly outlines and initially wanted to use several of the varying sizes. unfortunately, all of the bigger sizes would flop over and would not "fly" on the string. this mobile is all about balance and weight and i had a lot more luck with the smaller sizes. i would recommend not going over an inch in wing span.
you could easily do a search for butterflies over the internet and then use the silhouette, or even better, i would find some sort of butterfly paper punch and save yourself a lot of time. i cut mine out by hand and it took as long as you might imagine.

next, i had to figure out how to actually secure them on the string. instead of having just one hole, i thought it would balance better if the string spanned across some of the back of the butterfly. in this picture you are looking at the top of the butterfly and two holes. i took my needle and thread and went down through the top of the body making a hole (close to the head) and back up through the bottom (second hole) and back down through the original hole. does this make sense? questions welcome if it doesn't. after, i tied a small bead to the bottom to create some weight (seen in the next picture.)

and then i repeated with each butterfly randomly spacing them out. i'm sure there are many different ways you can make these little guys fly, this is just the way that worked out for me. if you experiment for a while, you will definitely be able to figure it out.

i used a tutorial from here to make the structure of the mobile.

as i've said before, this mobile can be very time consuming so i didn't make it as elaborate as i had originally planned, but if you have the patience for this, i think it could turn out amazing. good luck!

2009-03-06T07:14:00.000-08:00

look what i discovered at my neighbors. i know i smiled when i spotted them. very exciting. i'm not sure what we will find in our yard this summer after nate's big clean-up last fall. i know he accidentally dug up a lot of bulbs in the process, but i'll still be looking for flowers.

all of us are sick. i think we brought something home from oregon, which is easy to do when hanging around 8 little cousins. joel has an ear infection, nate has no voice, and i have a good old fashion sore throat.... again. i'm just happy it's the weekend.
happy friday!

2009-03-03T21:42:00.000-08:00

our neighbors invited us over for dinner tonight. indian food. it was delicious. he is a chef and it was evident.

good conversations were had: house remodeling, religion, The Bachelor...

we brought flowers but i think we got the better end of the deal.

more etsy goodness

2009-03-02T09:56:00.000-08:00

my new favorite friend, liz, has just opened an etsy shop of her own selling adorable vintage baby clothes. looking at all of it, i told her it kind of makes me want to have another baby so i can dress them in cute things.
but not any time soon so maybe i should stock up...

meet patricia and dorsey

2009-03-02T09:51:00.000-08:00

cutest eagles ever! melinda has outdone herself once again. check them out in her etsy shop.

2009-02-23T10:37:00.000-08:00

portland march 2008

we are headed to oregon tomorrow to spend some time with family and friends... a well deserved and much anticipated vacation. we haven't been back since we moved nine months ago and it has been way too long. i'm beyond excited for good friends and good food- i have a list of restaurants i've been craving since we've left...

unfortunately, according to the typical winter forecast, we probably won't be seeing any of these blue skies.

2009-02-22T10:35:00.000-08:00

the completed mobile for this swap inspired by an anthropologie window display.

the criteria given to me was as follows:

create for a newborn {due in september}

gender neutral

bold colors {favorites: red & teal}

snowing... again.

2009-02-17T07:55:00.000-08:00

i have had a lovely valentine's weekend. we haven't really celebrated (i.e. gone out to a fancy dinner with the valentine money my parents sent) but we did open gifts and cards. nate surprised me with a favorite movie and my sister-in-law sent us these fancy bookmarks.

on friday, nate's sister and family arrived from oregon and we have been playing nonstop. in fact, i had mixed emotions about seeing the snow fall down this morning. part of me is so sick of it and so ready for spring. but then there is another part that feels like i have permission to curl back up in bed and do nothing today. both joel and i are exhausted. as i write he is laying on the floor below the kitchen table eating his breakfast and rubbing his eyes. it is a good kind of tired. tired that comes after lots and lots of playing with cousins. and i hope it comes with an extra long nap today... for both of us.

go get yourself some lovin'...

2009-02-13T07:52:00.001-08:00

because that is what you do today.

a valentine treat

2009-02-11T19:49:00.000-08:00

after completing nate's valentine yesterday, i took the leftover hearts and hung them over the window. we are finally feeling a little festive around here.

nate is making chocolate souffle for our dinner party tonight and i am beyond excited. is it sad that i can get so emotional over a dessert? we've yet to eat it this winter which is crazy since we had it 3+ times a week last year. i've been looking forward to it all day.

and if you need a reminder, here it is.
make it. it is just that good...

mr. fox

2009-02-10T12:59:00.000-08:00

we get pretty creative around here with our stuffed animals and give them all titles. there is miss kitty, mr. big toe, mr. bear, etc.
the newest addition, mr. fox.
an early valentine gift for joel.
i stayed up way too late last night finishing him and didn't want to wait to pass him on.

the best part? he's reversible.
joel and mr. fox coloring.

and both are full of affection...

2009-02-07T11:05:00.000-08:00

last week i signed up for this swap, my first swap, and ever since have had mobiles on the brain. i love mobiles, which is funny because joel never had one when he was a baby... he has since had several. paper was my medium of choice and i love how light and delicate it looks.
i have a few more ideas i want to try, so we will see if i get to it in the next couple of weeks.

joel climbing out of his crib during nap time

2009-02-05T14:58:00.000-08:00

results in cutie toes peeking underneath the door when he finally does crash. though i wish they were naked toes... i didn't have the heart to slip off his socks while he slept.

my husband, the gardener

2009-02-02T07:43:00.000-08:00

since the snow is melting, my husband was able to get into his garden this weekend making him a very happy man. these are his carrots that have been slowly growing over the winter months. i've yet to eat one, but they do look delicious!

i am so glad/relieved that january is over. i believe it is the most boring/cold month ever and that is a bad combination for me.
but i do love me some february.

decisions.

2009-01-29T13:51:00.000-08:00

i don't necessarily enjoy shopping, especially with joel, but this past weekend it was unavoidable. nate needed new work clothes and we went along for the ride. at the end of the day i slipped into anthropologie to try on the dress that i fell in love with while thumbing through the spring catalog. and of course, it fit me perfectly and i loved it even more... except for the price tag.
i decided to consult nate to help me decide what to do with my leftover holiday money.
while in deep discussion, my amazingly quick son decided he wanted whatever i was holding and grabbed the dress from his stroller. it might not have been a big deal except for the remaining marshmallows, crackers, gummies and whatever else i had fed him for the last hour in hopes of keeping him entertained that still remained on his hands.
i believe i screamed.
decision made.
dress bought.
now i'm the proud owner of...

*note to self* keep expensive clothing away from toddler, especially if it hasn't been purchased...

lame

2009-01-28T10:50:00.000-08:00

is there a reason that every time i buy a subscription, the magazine dies? first blueprint and now domino. so the buzz is on the design blogs this morning...

depressing... and i never seem to get my money back.

it was a good week

2009-01-24T12:28:00.000-08:00

joel showing off his obama pride (yay for easy projects.)
we enjoyed the inauguration on tuesday. it's nice to feel passion and pride for your country, both of which i have felt recently.

2009-01-23T14:58:00.001-08:00

i love you beano.
i love you enough to take 3 minutes and make a cute heart out of you, to show you my love.
i love you because you let me eat avocados without making me feel like i want to vomit the rest of the day.
and i love them more...

to me

2009-01-19T19:35:00.000-08:00

there is nothing sweeter than listening to your husband read bedtime stories to your son from the next room.

if you...

2009-01-14T19:13:00.000-08:00

want to watch the first episode of flight of the conchords (season dos)

here it is...

and yes, i'm lovin' on jemaine!

2009-01-10T09:22:00.000-08:00

-from here-

eleven hours of sleep last night... and feeling much better

2009-01-07T09:54:00.000-08:00

-the 3rd tub trip-

i've got a very sick little man on my hands today,
and we are both sad...

2009-01-06T10:08:00.000-08:00

yesterday, while in my bathroom, i decided that i kind of liked the pink tile covering the walls... when again in my life will i have a pink bathroom?
perhaps all it needs is a pretty print like this.

happy birthday mom

2009-01-05T08:47:00.001-08:00

you are, to me, the best mom (and grandmother) i could ever hope for. it takes a special kind of woman to put up with me over the years and i love you for it. i hope you have a wonderful day!
and i hope you like your gift...

{circa 1997}

i resolve

2009-01-04T11:28:00.001-08:00

to spend less time on the internet...
and more time playing games with my little boy

to eat less restaurant food (once a week perhaps?)
and more delicious veggies (a personal pep talk)

to go to bed by ten
and wake up at seven (hopefully)

to write more about my life
and spend less time watching cinema

and read more too

and overall stop worrying so much. it certainly doesn't improve the quality of my life.

all this starting... tomorrow

-yes i took my tree down today, though parts of me want to leave it up until february... it wouldn't have been the first time.-

2009-01-02T17:25:00.000-08:00

how many pictures of hot chocolate can one person have on their blog? apparently a lot. what can i say, it is a big part of my winter and i'm lovin' my new christmas mug.
it is pouring rain outside right now... january 2nd and it is raining. strange. the temperature will once again be in the 20's tomorrow so i'm enjoying the mild weather while it lasts.
the new year has been a success so far with constant family interaction. in my mind the new year (with all the accompanying resolutions) doesn't really start until monday. i've decided my vacation last until then... even though i did finally do the laundry.

a year in review

2008-12-30T18:26:00.001-08:00

-image from cig harvey-

i really can't believe that 2008 is over, is that possible?
it was a good year for my little family. a move, a new career, new friends, missing old friends, a growing baby... i am happy.

happy new year's eve!

decisions, decisions

2008-12-29T09:58:00.001-08:00

am i still on vacation?
i'm inclined to say yes, though nothing at my home would support this statement.

so, do i tackle the 20+ loads of laundry and hand wash my dishes...
or do i stay in my pajamas and read in bed?
i've already gone grocery shopping, that might be all the practical energy i have in me for today.

away in a manger

2008-12-24T08:31:00.001-08:00

i wish you all a wonderful night before and a merry christmas day!

i hope i don't have trouble falling asleep tonight...

2008-12-19T17:21:00.000-08:00

today i love...

- blankets & hot chocolate

- sugar cookies

- rediscovering favorite childhood christmas cartoons

- falling asleep on the couch while listening to my mother cook in the kitchen

- having my son sit on my lap intrigued by the orchestra at church

- late night conversations by the tree

- being home

& i anticipate my husband's arrival...

christmas treats

2008-12-19T15:11:00.000-08:00

i've spent the afternoon making these truffles. i've been wanting to try them for awhile now... add some crushed candy cane on top and voila- a tasty treat for the neighbors. unfortunately, i think i have waited too long and most of them might already be gone on vacation. so come on over if you want some, you might have to risk your life though with the snow coming down.

don't peek ally and megs- i've already boxed some up for you...

nighttime enjoyment

2008-12-18T21:11:00.000-08:00

my evening light show via the ice collection from the back window. i had forgotten how much i love icicles.

pine cones and holly berries

2008-12-16T10:45:00.000-08:00

but really just a pine cone...

just in time for christmas...

2008-12-09T08:52:00.001-08:00

my super talented sis-in-law finally opened her etsy store today, with a promise of more to come.
keep your eyes peeled on this little lady, she has impeccable taste and amazing talent. love it! love her!

-photo via her facebook account-

let it snow

2008-12-08T10:27:00.001-08:00

we had a quiet sunday afternoon. nate wasn't feeling well so he curled up in bed and i made these trees courtesy of stephanie. if you notice in the background, it is snowing right now. this time i am fully prepared and appreciative of the beauty of it all. it feels like the perfect day for snow.

if interested, you can also try these simple trees.

2008-12-03T19:02:00.001-08:00

and so our countdown begins...

the gift that keeps on giving

2008-12-03T18:39:00.000-08:00

my advent calendar... the box.

since joel is getting old enough to participate in the festivities this year, i thought it would be fun to have some sort of advent calendar for the occasion. of course i had all sorts of complex ideas, but i thought this would be the most fun for him (and easiest for me.)
every morning this month he will open the box to find a hershey kiss and a piece of paper with a daily *christmas themed* activity.

today we are making a paper chain.

bowl full of cherries

2008-12-02T11:49:00.000-08:00

nope, i'm wrong. i had to look it up. he, santa, has a "nose like a cherry," and "laughed like a bowl full of jelly." nevertheless, i like my bowl of look-a-like cherries.

christmas season is officially underway. we (nate & i) spent the evening decorating the christmas tree with various ornaments we have collected over the years. my favorite are the home-made childhood 80's decorations our dear mothers have parted with to pass on to the rightful owners. such personality our tree has!

i think most of my evenings will be spent lounging in the dark watching the lights. i have so many great memories of sitting with my brothers watching the christmas tree when we were younger. pure euphoria for me.

happy thanksgiving

2008-11-27T16:49:00.000-08:00

i am full. sleepy. satisfied.
and i hope you had as much success today as well.

a table preview

2008-11-26T11:00:00.001-08:00

a few weeks ago i got the information that thanksgiving dinner would take place at my home. and there would be 11 guests + two little ones.
oh the pressure.
thank goodness for martha and the inspirational minds around her.
i fell in love with the pear place card setting, but unfortunately, my pears were not in a presentable state.
i then decided to do this. but it wasn't coming together for me at all. so i abandoned the idea and started back at square one.
and then i remembered these cuties. simple and perfect. and though i used clay as opposed to paper mache, the general idea was the same.
i got my pear table after all.

my clever boy

2008-11-26T10:33:00.001-08:00

today while filling up the iron with water in anticipation of all the ironing i will get to do later tonight, joel snached the measuring cup out of my hand and ran into his room.
he then emerged with a wooden circle and got up to the table and repeated "wanna play?" over and over again.
you see, my son loves air hockey. a month ago at a halloween party he discovered the sport and begged anyone and everyone to play with him. i was quite surprised because he usually will not approach strangers in such ways. and lucky for him that he is so cute because many people actually took him up on the offer. such patience to play air hockey with a 2-year-old.

well today he gets to play once more with his makeshift game pieces, as long as he gets the big measuring cup... that is very important to him.

a good week ahead

2008-11-21T06:38:00.000-08:00

photo by montage

i woke up early this morning, believing it was 4ish (hard to tell in the dark), but it ended up being 6:30...
why? partly because my throat was on fire (boo), but mostly because i was excited.
i believe this is going to be such a good week in my life. mostly because it will be surrounded by family. my favorite little bro is on his way to my house today, my parent get back from their week-long (and much deserved) vacation tonight. nate's parents and brother+family also arrive this weekend.
in addition to such excitement, we get to have dinner this week with our favorite med-school friends that we haven't seen since graduation (2.5 years). i'm not gonna lie, i attribute my desire to have children at all to their two little boys who i absolutely adore! i've missed them.
and of course, thanksgiving.
it's the ultimate triple threat for me- family, friends, and food! seriously, how could i not wake up early?
enough gushing.
i hope you all have a lovely pre-thanksgiving weekend.

and i also hope that all of you twilight movie fans got some sleep last night.

look what came in the mail...

2008-11-20T09:48:00.000-08:00

sweet, no?
thanks jessica.

2008-11-14T17:38:00.000-08:00

unfortunate: sick again! seriously, wasn't i just here? it feels the same so i'm overdosing on cough drops and spending the day in bed. poor joel. cooped up inside all day with his mama, and it's sunny too. sad.

redeeming: had this for dinner. and the season's first hot cocoa in my new favorite mug. mmmm... no hands getting burned here!
going to continue to hibernate in bed and watch this. i hope it is good...

- happy birthday to my favorite twins!-

reminders

2008-11-07T12:20:00.001-08:00

from studio mela.

mail

2008-11-06T17:07:00.000-08:00

-pic from here-

a few days ago i was complaining about all the unwanted mail that shows up in our mailbox. it feels like such a waste to me, but didn't know how to go about getting rid of it. well, that all changed today thanks to this post. after spending a few minutes at greendimes.com i'm hoping my mailbox is a happier place... empty... unless you want to write me a letter... or even better, a package.

although...

2008-11-05T14:51:00.000-08:00

i can't say i'm ready for this...

historic

2008-11-05T14:38:00.000-08:00

via here (thanks ryan)

i am perfectly happy today.

a big day

2008-11-04T08:48:00.000-08:00

and i must admit, i'm nervous...

routine

2008-11-03T07:53:00.000-08:00

every night nate and i have been watching an episode of flight of the conchords before bed. it was a birthday present and might be the perfect way to end the day.
and though we have all seen this clip, let's just watch it one more time because it's just that funny.

all hallows eve

2008-10-31T09:29:00.000-07:00

happy halloween!
if you were my neighbor, you would get some of these yummy screaming heads...

Mr. bones

2008-10-29T16:34:00.000-07:00

{the back}

mother nate?

2008-10-25T22:24:00.000-07:00

it is 11:24 on a saturday night and my husband is in the kitchen canning pears from our prolific pear tree out back... and i'm blogging about it.
it dawned on me tonight that nate does far more of the traditional "mothering" tasks in our household than i do.
and he certainly does more fathering ones.
oh my, i'm feeling a little guilty... but very lucky!

friday

2008-10-24T14:00:00.000-07:00

breakfast: pumpkin cookies
lunch: pumpkin cookies
mid-day snack: pumpkin cookies

all i have had to eat today is pumpkin cookies... it gets worse... they are not even that good. :(

started joel's halloween costume last night. and stayed up until midnight working because i was so excited about it. here is a little preview (that is half a pelvis and tip of the right femur your lookin' at.) i think it is going to turn out super cute.

i also started thriller this week and i'm pretty much awesome, or so i thought, then i tried dancing along with michael and decided i suck.

color learning

2008-10-22T12:21:00.000-07:00

yesterday i haphazardly discovered that my child knows all the names of basic colors, he just doesn't know what belongs with what. something we haven't worked on before (am i a bad mom?) so today we bundled up and ventured outside the front door in search of leaves. a good time was had by all.

next we proceeded to rub/trace the leaves on paper with crayons while i quizzed him on his colors. (thanks to this site for the idea.) he is getting pretty good although he will often pause and blurt out "reb" or "lellow" regardless of what color i am showing him.

the finished product. it was a group effort. i did the tracing while he added the highlights.

side story about joel:
yesterday while typing on my computer, he pushed the coffee table behind me, climbed on top and proceeded to give me a shoulder rub. what in the world? where did he learn such a thing? certainly not from his father (totally kidding babe!), but i loved it. how sweet is that?

for auntie melinda

2008-10-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

see? a few more weeks...
he loves them!

-do you know how hard it is to take a picture of this kid's incredibly active feet?-

2008-10-20T21:42:00.000-07:00

from here

is photo just feels like summer to me. and it makes me a little sad that the seasons are changing once again. it's not that i don't like fall, because i do, i just don't enjoy the impending snow...

i love this coat. i wish i had a little girl so i could make her one. the idea of wearing something with a story fascinates me. i would have loved something like this when i was younger.

joel and i sat (well, i sat, he bounced around) on the couch tonight to watch this halloween classic. what a silly little cartoon, yet i know i will watch it year after year. if you hadn't noticed, i'm big on traditions. making traditions. enjoying traditions.

perhaps i'll try my hand at these for dinner tomorrow, or sometime this week... or month. i think they are so pretty.

for sean

2008-10-20T10:42:00.001-07:00

found here

and speaking of politics...
i thought my brother-in-law might want to participate in this.
feeling artistic today?

2008-10-20T10:41:00.001-07:00

and we did too.
and i would recommend doing so because even today it was crazy busy...

nate turning 2

2008-10-18T22:52:00.000-07:00

to my favorite friend and life long love.
happy 31 years!

can you see where joel gets his curly hair? too cute!

to my sweet baby boy.

2008-10-17T21:32:00.000-07:00

happy birthday.
my world is a much better place since you joined me.
i love you.

scary movies?

2008-10-12T15:50:00.000-07:00

i spent an afternoon last week watching a late 1950's black & white horror classic, and loved it. i have a small attraction toward scary movies. i remember a bizarre phase in 6th grade when i rented all the scary movies i could get my hands on- and it didn't bother me at all to watch them alone in the dark. strange i know. now i can't seem to stomach them like i used to. every time i watch one, i will be haunted for quite some time...

**flashback ten years ago when i was camping on a solo experience (for college credit) and spent a good portion of night sitting with a knife in my hand knowing that the blair witch was outside my tent waiting to get me.** there is more to this story but i will spare you the details. know i survived.

evidently i've developed an overactive imagination over the years. so this is where you come in. i am open to any and all suggestions. know of any good scary movies that you wouldn't consider too scary? something along the lines of psycho or clue. i need help to feed this small obsession of mine during the month of october. tis the season!

birthday present

2008-10-12T15:40:00.001-07:00

i've been admiring this print from sycamore street press for some time. perfect for my boy's 2nd birthday.

me+halloween = love

2008-10-06T20:50:00.000-07:00

the temperature finally dropped below 80 degrees this weekend. in fact, the weather was rather ambitious and skipped right over the 70's and straight into the 60's. a little annoying at first, but i did love the ability to layer clothing today.
and with the change in the weather comes the celebration of what i believe to be my favorite holiday. i adore halloween! nate and i had a little party this saturday night with lots of pumpkin based food- we then decorated the house and watched this scary movie. nate generally won't watch scary movies... tim burton is as wild as he gets. unfortunately, joel is still a little too young to truly appreciate this time of year, but it is only a matter of time.

my goal for the month... to learn the thriller dance.
why? because i've always wanted to... and you never know when you might be in this situation.
so i'm hoping this little lady will teach me.

hello fall

2008-10-04T12:57:00.000-07:00

my last evidence of summer...

lazy friday

2008-10-03T11:27:00.000-07:00

we have yet to do anything productive today. as it should be on a friday. except for blowing this tiny feather across the table. joel is getting pretty good too.
i think he is practicing for the two birthday candles he gets to blow out this month.

register to...

2008-10-02T21:38:00.000-07:00

via here

time is running out. i didn't realize this until i was informed today. i registered here, but i am sure there are many other places too. only a few days left... tick tock tick tock...

pushing daisies

2008-10-01T14:47:00.001-07:00

love this!
and excited for it's return tonight.

green juice

2008-10-01T13:05:00.001-07:00

or liquid gold as my father would call it.
once upon a time, nate and i were eating extremely healthy. we were apart of a CSA (community supported agriculture) and received more than enough vegetables every week to sustain our every vegetable need and then some. and what was left, we would juice. we would typically drink a glass a day and i have never felt so good in my life (nutritionally speaking.)
and then we moved. and it has been way too much of this.
but thanks to my husband and his ambitious gardening, our house will have green juice once more. it doesn't get more local/organic.

it tastes just about as good as it looks, believe me. i guess you would say it was an acquired taste... a taste that i am still trying to acquire. and with that, i had better stop putting off the inevitable and go drink the stuff. wish me luck.

discoveries

2008-09-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

i have an american apparel within a few miles of my house. and i predict that i just purchased what will become my favorite t-shirt.

and yes, my baby boy is home safe and sound and i can't stop kissing on him.

tribute to paul

2008-09-27T08:31:00.000-07:00

i've pretty much had a crush on this man for as long as i can remember. it began here and has continued on. and when i discovered that it was his beautiful face plastered on my favorite salad dressing... i liked him even more.
oh paul... you will be missed.

a new day

2008-09-26T07:29:00.000-07:00

a new song.
another favorite.
perhaps nate needs to take me dancing?

*sidenote* joel comes home tomorrow and this mama couldn't be more excited! have a grand weekend!

i'd rather dance

2008-09-25T10:14:00.000-07:00

found on black*eiffel

i cannot stop listening to this song today.

conversation record

2008-09-24T07:33:00.001-07:00

image via here

nate: do you want to know what i want to do with the side yard?
camie: ya.
nate: no, do you really want to know or do you want me to surprise you?
camie: i really want to know.

nate: i'm going to plant flowers.
camie: really? why?
nate: so you can have flowers inside...

camie-- now imagine me with huge cheesy grin

empty

2008-09-20T11:16:00.000-07:00

my little joel just left with his grandma (my mom) to go on a wonderful week long trip back to minnesota to visit my grandma (her mom).

and here i am... alone.

i had no idea how hard this would be on me. at the time it sounded like a great idea- i could get a lot of painting+projects done on the house and have a little "break" from being a mom at the same time. but really, i have been mothering for so long i really don't know what to do without him. or rather, it's not that i don't know what to do, i have plenty to do, it's that i want him with me. i honestly had the thought this morning "who is going to come to the store with me?" i really hate going by myself.
*sigh*

i guess what i am trying to say is that i am going to miss joel... a lot... probably more than i thought i would/could. he is my favorite. and i am amazed how attached i could get to the little man in two short years, but i wouldn't want it any other way.

summer garden's end

2008-09-18T09:14:00.000-07:00

fall is coming, you can literally feel it. the garden is starting to slow. i have discovered a new favorite in my life. tomato sandwiches-- consisting of only delicious wheat bread, a little mayo, and a lot of sliced garden fresh tomatoes. i could eat it every day, and pretty much have. lunchtime is definitely a favorite around here for me. i am so lucky my husband loves to garden.

joel's new birds

2008-09-16T16:46:00.001-07:00

what does one do while sick in bed all week?
well, i made birds- and find them to be absolutely lovely.
from here.

by pes

2008-09-12T09:19:00.000-07:00

via beach bungalow 8

joel and i enjoyed watching this- for different reasons i'm sure.
i believe his comment was "cute."
still sick.
hope you aren't.
happy friday!

question-

2008-09-10T10:07:00.001-07:00

can you overdose on cough drops?
i became concerned when i read the package and it said: "take 1 every 2 hours"... how about 10+?