Post 242: Playing Hookie

Over the weekend the boys and I played hookie from everything-- church, dinners, social outings, bills, showers--everything. So we could work on the floors I have been complaining about for months.

By noon The Babe was turning into a crank so we decided to pack up and head to the park for lunch and some much needed time on the swings...all work and no play...well, you know.
The Babe was a bit skeptical at first. He had been strapped down all day (highchair, jumper, exersaucer, repeat) and he was ready to feel the wind in his...hair?
Mr. Mom.We had a lovely little lunch in the park. Then it was on to the swings! The Babe was not so sure about it...

Once he got going he was a giggle machine. He LOVED it. He has been on the swings a million times but is so surprised with the outcome EVERY. TIME.We swung, blew bubbles (which he is completely not interested in yet), and swung some more until it was obviously nap time . I'm not sure who had more fun, The Babe or me and The Husband! I am glad we have a good excuse to act silly in the park and not seem quite so crazy..

(my head doesn't look that huge in real life....really)

Post 241: Date Night

Tonight The Babe and I were missing The Husband who is currently on a business trip. We broke all of the rules, threw caution to the wind, drove with the windows wide open and went out on cookie date .He giggled the whole way there, made it through a quarter of his cookie and...well, needless to say our date did not last long. He did get to enjoy a little bit of forbidden sugar before the sandman sprinkled him with cookie dust...

Goodnight happy baby, I love you to the moon and back. :)

Post 240: New Prints

My walls are looking bare, and so are my pockets so I hopped on Photoshop (Elements) and threw these together yesterday. I am quite pleased!

This one is my favorite. I love triangles. Can someone love a shape?? ...Even my wedding ring is a triangle cut.
This was an idea I got from The Pleated Poppy, where you can find a fun tutorial on how to make it on canvas, which I totally plan on doing when I'm working with more than a 30 minute baby nap break.A little while back I saw something similar to this. I believe it was a vintage travel ad/poster and I had to recreate it, living in Peoria and all. :)

Everything turned out better than I had expected considering I made all 3 in about 30 minutes. I will be sure to post pictures once they are printed and hung!

Post 239: Flashback Friday!

Summer 2009: The best mani/pedi I have ever had came from my baby sister, Briley. She was 4 at the time...
She insisted and of course how could I resist?
She had polish all over herself but she loved every second of it (so did I).

She was so super proud of herself. I love that baby!

Post 238: Quiet Moment in a Hectic Day

I love everything about this. The Babe, the colors, the fact that he is sleeping...So sweet, so quiet. I wish this moment would have lasted longer than 20 minutes, then maybe the dishes would be done...

Post 237: I Found Love On Craigslist.

I want this stuff! I would own it if I was not sinking every extra dime into wood floors!

(all items from Peoria Illinois area...)

Antique architect file, it would make a great small entry way piece or a night stand.

Antique card catalog, a little "well loved" but that adds character right??
Haywood wakefield dining set. I love those chairs! Re-cover the chairs and it's a gem!

Mid century credenza, mmmmAnnnd this is a child size hutch. It is only 3 feet tall. It would be SO cute converted into a "work bench" for The Babe <3

Post 236: Around Town

I have to admit I am quite the home body/recluse/hermet or what you will. I can go weeks without leaving the house (except for the occasional grocery run). But, now that I have a baby I feel the need to get out more. To socialize him...you know...like you do with pets so they dont act crazy every time the wind blows...ha. Plus he LOVES seeing new people.So lately I have been making an effort to see the sights and do things around this town. I have lived here for nearly 5 years and I am just starting to introduce myself to the community. Lame right? A couple weekends ago we hit up the Moss Avenue Sale. Which, I thought was just going to be a normal neighborhood garage sale (locals would say I'm clueless).

It ended up being quite nice. A lot of antiques, neat sights, and food vendors in a historic part of town. The homes were beautiful. Too bad I can't say the same for my photography skills.

The antiques were fun to look at (and dream about owning). We ended up talking to a guy who used to be a part of the Blues Society. (The Husband is a HUGE Blues Buff/Fan) We even picked up a few throw back posters for a dollar a piece. Not to shabby.

We didnt go home with much because we were not quite prepared. But believe me, I will be there next year!

Post 235: Mid-Century Swoon

I was cruising the interwebs for some inspiration on the home project and stumbled across this fantastic home office on MyHomeDesain.com. And let me tell you I am IN LOVE.I love the cool colors with the natural wood.
And that rug!
Swoon.
For now I can only dream of an office space/craft room....but it is quite a nice dream. sigh.

Post 234: No Sleep and Black Coffee

I remember a time in my life, about 6 months ago, where 5 hours of sleep was like a blessing from the heavens. I would have done anything...A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G for 5 hours of continuous sleep.

(Sometime about 7 months ago...I was still chipper after a night of NO sleep, enough so I caught this beautiful moment The Babe and I were having...ha)

I was tough. I did it and I survived. I have lost that...skill...can I call it a skill?? Five hours of sleep last night did NOT feel heavenly. It felt quite the opposite. The Babe rises with the sun (which is now 5:00am) and I apparently stay up way too late for my own good. Nothing coffee cant cure right? Unfortunately I am all out of cream and sugar. I am going to choke this black coffee down, suck it up, and cross my fingers that I am productive and I don't kill anyone in the grocery store.

Ya, see that cup? It says "Sisters are forever and I'm so glad your mine"....I have three younger sisters and...well, I bought it for myself, I am sure they were thinking it though.

Post 233: Fun Sewing Project- Skirts!

So I was fiddling through some of my favorite blogs today and Noodlehead directed me over to Crafterhours who is having a totally awesome skirt week! There are tons of pictures, fresh ideas and great tutorials! Looove!

Swoon!

Being a momma a skirt with pockets is a fantastic idea. That way I still have a place to stash the stray cheerio or dropped baby link while still looking fashionable. And who doesn't just love fashionable and functional??

Post 232: Fabric Beach Ball! (Tutorial Link)

The Babe's first birthday is in 6 weeks! SIX WEEKS!! I can't believe I'm a mom and a real human being that is turning ONE YEAR OLD IN SIX WEEKS!

Anyway, I have been working on putting together a fun circus/carnival birthday. I think I may be expecting too much of myself. But if I stick to it I too can have one of those fancy shmancy birthdays that I am seeing all over the internet. Sorta.

I had a hard time coming up with party favors considering all of Luke's "friends" are his age and younger. BUT then I realized I have been making these for baby shower gifts:

(Balls and Picture by Purl Bee)

Why not make the small one for a party favor?? I only need 10...not too bad...at least I am telling myself that. You can find the tutorial at The Purl Bee. (I LOVE THAT BLOG)

Sew it up, slap a tag with my cute baby's face on it. and BAM. PARTY FAVOR.

Do any of you have any other great idea for favors for the 1 and under crowd??

Post 231: God is great.

The Babe is fast asleep and The Husband is putting together his Father's Day gift in the garage.

The house is quite except for the soft hum of the radio in the garage and the occasional ratcheting. For some reason this moment has my heart overflowing with joy. This is my little family. My boys are happy and I played a part in that. God is truly great.

Post 230: Happy Father's Day!

Father's Day is here and if you are anything like me you are trying to pull something together at the last minute...thank goodness for the internet. Over at Sweet Scarlet Designs you can get this adorable FREE printable Father's Day card!

Post 229: I Kinda Wanna Do This...

I have been growing my hair out for about a year now. It started out as pure laziness...and fear of another bad haircut. Then I started to miss having long hair. Now, between the humidity and the fact that Lucas thinks my hair is an acceptable thing to chew, pull, or whatever else babies do, I want it gone. And I'm kinda in love with this pixie cut...

It makes me swoon a bit.

Post 228: Hello Frog

This little tree frog hung around my back door all day today and sang me a song or two.

Many days living in the woods and fighting off the rodents and bugs make me feel like I'm camping (not in a good way). Some days I wonder what I have got myself into...then pretty little frogs sing to me, the owls hoot and all the pretty wild flowers send their sweet scents through the windows....and that reminds me why I did this.

Post 227: Nom Nom Nom

My name is Mandi and I am addicted to sweet potato fries. I can not seem to get enough! Which is absolutely terrible when I'm still trying to shed some baby pounds. (Yes, sweet potatoes are better for you, and these are baked but at the quantity at which I eat them, it completely negates that fact.)

(Yesterday's dinner: Bacon turkey burger on wheat and sweet potato fries. Nom Nom Nom)

The best part, besides being so delicious, is that they are SO easy to make. I am not much for sharing recipes. I guess at everything and I'm not much of a cook... but I think everyone should be partaking in these. They are the perfect mix of salty and sweet!

Ingredients:

3-4 Sweet Potatoes

1 tbl spoon Olive Oil

Salt to taste

Cajun seasoning to taste (or any other seasoning you like)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Peel and cut the potatoes into 1/4 inch strips, you can also do little cubes if that's more your style.

3. Drizzle them with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and seasoning and mix so everything gets a good coat. Lay them out on a single layer on a cookie sheet. (I also shoot some Pam on the cookie sheet to ensure they don't stick)

4. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until potatoes start to turn a nice golden brown.

5. Eat! (I recommend dipping in BBQ or ketchup)

The awesome thing about this is you can change up the flavor a bit. Next time I think I will substitute the Cajun seasoning for some Old Bay. Yum-o.

Post 226: First Father's Day Weekend!

This weekend Lucas and I will be showering The Husband in silliness and love for his first father's day as a dad!!

He has been a pretty great dad if I say so myself. &hearts

Annnd I haven't forgot about my own dad!

Don't forget to show the dads in your life a little extra love over the weekend!