my happy little life

getting the eggs in my robe this morning

i really love the snow. i love the smell, i love the clean blanket it wraps the world in. all i need is some ugg boots and i'll brave any snowy outside chore, no matter how scantily clothed i otherwise am.

grant and i were talking today about how we want to live deep in the woods. we debated whether we'd be happier in tahoe type evergreen forests or pacific northwest goonies type forests.

i don't care which as long as there is snow.

(you know, and costco...and target...and whole foods...)

a nap on the self-healing rotary cutting mat

if fabric and stuffing and embroidery are not endlessly fascinating to you, my life will put you right to sleep.

weekend highlights

• a cozy three person feast. the last few years i've cooked for like 20 people. this was a real treat to be so relaxed and roast a small bird!
  

• knitting, knitting, knitting for the beehive bazaar. i'll give some peeks tomorrow. maybe.
  

• picking out our christmas tree from the lot, and decorating it while watching home alone. cozy.
  

• having one of those sundays where i feel renewed and ready to do a little better. ah, feels nice.
  

all warm and fuzzy and ready to clean

i just happened on this picture from 2 years and 1 month ago. it made my heart skip a beat. oh little pen pens, just a few months old. and my cakies! i can't believe how she has changed in the last two years. there is just no stopping time. thank goodness for my camera.

i'm now going to take these happy feelings and try to convert them into the energy needed to get my house and life and laundry in order after a crazy/fun weekend. you know those kind of days? where you are going to puke unless you get the floor mopped? wish me luck.

a good day

first off, i must thank you from the bottom of my heart for the sweet and encouraging comments on the last post. you really gave me a boost of cheerfulness and brought some tears to my eyes. and that was a good thing because today was a very, very important day for a girl i know...cate had her long-awaited first piano lesson this afternoon. she has been begging for them for awhile. i took a long time deciding what to do because i felt guilty about not wanting to teach her myself (especially considering the cost). but miracle! a neighborhood friend wanted to trade teaching piano to cate for me helping her to learn how to work her computer and camera. yes!

little cakies was so excited that she wanted to bring her new teacher a present. we spent hours yesterday canning applesauce, so she decided to write a note and tie it to a jar of what she had worked so hard making. so sweet.

i also had a good time at the lesson. besides taking notes on what i'll need to help cate with when she practices, i played on the floor with the funniest kitten on planet earth. yes, it is sitting in a straddle stretch. haha. oh, and i did one other thing during the lesson: i looked at cate with complete pride at her obvious music genius (wink) while thinking about how it was just yesterday that i was in first grade going to piano. it was a good day.

today's needs

my house plants need a day of full sun.

i need a full day of sewing. among other things, there's a beautiful quilt waiting to be bound. i can't wait to share when it's done! (kits will be available next week).

see you monday!

good overexposed day to you

documentation of triumph: at 8:30 a.m. i had gotten cate off to school after a good breakfast and kneeling prayers, exercised, scriptured, tidied, dressed, make-uped even, and was ready to face the world. i probably just described what you do every morning with no congratulations, but alas, these simple tasks at that early hour launch me into a paralytic tailspin of self-doubt and defeat most days. the force was strong with me this morning. most unusual...

and now i am free to finish up my sample project for the class i am teaching at spark, knit other goodies i'm working on, finish canning peaches, and go to the thrift store. it's going to be a good day.

what are you up to?

thoughts

this is cate and her cousin charlie.

they love each other.

charlie (and his brother jack) look like what i imagine our future sons will look like. i wish those future boys would come on into the present.

i have collected lots of garage sale finds for them.

(i have found baby saltwaters two garage sale weekends in a row for a buck!) and you should see the hats and sweaters...

other random thoughts today:

i am getting extremely anxious for fall. i can always tell when i'm ready for my favorite time of year because i want to knit again. (also i pick up a harry potter). both of these things are happening.

after a long summer of relaxing, i am feeling a rush of creative energy. i'm ready to make make make!!

oh ya! check out the lovely list, a great blog about inspiring women who blog. and thanks for the feature, brandy!

school is starting and cate's on the early track. she said: "this is gonna hurt." we are very, very afraid of the mornings.

i have a lot to do. but i think hogwarts and some bubbles in the bath are calling my name...

what's on your mind today?

i love her

just relaxin listening to fleet foxes.

summer is zooming by

lazy summer mornings (especially with cousins and puppies) are my favorite. school starts in just three short weeks. i'm so not ready.

an evening bike ride with friends is fun

his and hers, ready to roll

determined to keep up... (didn't turn out so well)

what's that, lauren? how do things look, cate?

m & m in the warm sun

handsome boys all snug for the ride...

...which sent them off to dreamland.

a very nice evening.