Rockin' the bangs

Oh my poor neglected blog. Here's the problem. I think my laptop is too filled up with stuff because every time I turn it on, it gives me this pitiful "there's too much stuff on me, you must erase" message. I've asked Santa for an external hard drive, and I'm crossing my fingers that it is on his sleigh. If not, I'll just have to break down and get one. But in the meantime, I worry that if I try to take my photos off my camera and put them on the computer, there will be major chaos. So photos that I took a good two months ago are just sitting on my camera.

And then I think "well I can't blog anything because who wants to read a post with no pictures?" Am I right or am I right? Anyway, I might just go for it tonight and see what happens when the camera and computer start talking to each other (they will probably team up and make hopeless demands of me).

So that's a lot of nothing to say that I had a great Thanksgiving with my family in Utah and got to see some good friends too but I have no pictures to show you. Go to Annie's blog here so that you can see some pictures she took at our mini roommate reunion. Believe me, you WANT to see these...think early 90s, denim, baggy shirts, and bangs.

Or you can go here, and see what I blog for the museum: We Art Family.

Oh Metro, How I Love Thee

I just got back from spending a few days in Washington, DC. It was a great trip--the official reason for going was to attend a conference for work. But the added bonus of having lived there several years ago is that I also got to see lots of friends and favorite spots. I didn't feel the pressure to try and see every monument on the Mall or visit every Smithsonian museum...instead I just enjoyed being in the city again.

And oh the Metro...how I love that subway system. Seriously, I got all nostalgic each morning as I boarded the trains to go into the city. I'm sure if I did it day in and day out again, I might not get so misty-eyed. And sure, there was that moment when I waited 30 minutes to find out no trains would be running because of a problem between stations and there was a mass exodus of people crawling up the escalators. And I immediately fell into the "stand on the right, walk on the left, PEOPLE" irritable mentality.

But still...when we'd come out of the tunnel to cross the bridge over the Potomac into the city, I couldn't help smiling. There's the monuments and the capitol, the trees along the Tidal Basin, the clickity-clack of the train on the rails. Love it! And there's just an energy about living and working in DC. I'm happy with my slower-paced, Metro-less life in Dallas, but it was nice to be a city girl (make that East Coast girl) again for a few days.

Be still my heart

My sister-in-law came for a visit this weekend, and it was so much fun to have a roommate for a few days and spend time with one of my favorite people. (We also managed to eat LOTS of good food!). She told me that when she told her boys about the trip, they all wanted to come. She tried to appease them with promises that they would get to come next time. To which, this character (blondie on the right) replied:

"Ok Mom, just bring Leah back with you." oh stop it! My heart is melting into a puddle at the thought....

What's that on your head?

My super-fab co-workers surprised me last week with an office b-day celebration. We always like to go out to lunch, have treats, maybe do a dance or two to celebrate one another's birthdays, but they managed to catch me off-guard by celebrating a day early. Sneaky! So when I walked into the office after teaching a preschool class, I was showered with brownies, a HSM-decorated desk, and this amazing HAT. Oh yes, it is a hat that my incredibly talented co-worker constructed from cardboard and felt. It was just a little too heavy to wear all day, but I did try it on for pictures. It makes me think of Dr. Seuss. And makes me think perhaps I should do more with cardboard and felt in my life. Oh the places you'll go...with felt.

Remember my name!

Ever wished that you could just break into dance in the middle of the post office, Anthropologie, the park, the museum and suddenly everyone around you is singing and dancing too? Well this is a constant dream of mine, and it almost came true at the museum last Friday. Unfortunately, I was not asked to join in. They wanted "real" dancers for some reason. Who knew the routine. And could kick their legs way up high. And spin around without getting dizzy. Whatever. But I tell you, this totally makes me want to slip into some leg warmers and twirl myself down the halls at work. And here's the even cooler thing...the kids who performed this flash mob dance at the museum really do attend a Fame-ish kind of high school.

Friday Photo

Giddy-up little cowboys! I love this photo of me and my brother and sister. I have no idea if these were special occasion outfits or just part of our smashing every day style. And who knows what my parents got us to say as they snapped the photo. I like to think we are singing "The stars at night, are big and bright (clap, clap, clap, clap) deep in the heart of TEXAS!" Clearly, I need to get back in touch with my inner cowgirl.

I am a white/blue Cinderella-Tenderheart Bear-Labrador Retriever

So on Friday in what may or may not be my place of employment with some cool people who may or may not be my co-workers, we became obsessed with personality tests. I don't even know how it started but suddenly we all desperately needed to know which Disney princess we are. I'm a Cinderella apparently (which means I have a "keen intelligent sense of humor" and I "find delight in my tiny animal friends"). I really thought I'd be more of a Belle, but there you have it.

THEN, the results of the Disney princess quiz very helpfully were linked to the Care Bear quiz. (I'm Tenderheart Bear). And of course this lead us to wonder, how many different types of quizzes are out there? A friend, let's call her Amanda, loves dogs, so we took a dog quiz. Amanda was not too thrilled to be a chihuahua, so she retook the quiz until she got a breed she liked better. Eventually we decided we better get back to "work."

Anyway, all of this is to say I love random personality quizzes! Confession--I even take quizzes that don't really apply to me (such as "Are You a Helicopter Mom?"). If I come across it, I'm sorely tempted. I like answering random questions that lead to a "Ta Da" revelation about myself. And isn't it so much easier when we can peg ourselves as this or that? Oh you're a blue with a little yellow? ah-ha. Now I totally understand you. But then again, how honest are we when we answer the questions. Haven't you ever tried to "fix" your own results? Let's face it, I probably could have been more of an Ariel if I had wanted to.

Anyhoo...I find myself wishing I could take one of those what-should-I-be-when-I-grow-up quizzes again. Not because I want a different job, but sometimes it's just fun to imagine "a whole nother Leah." Got any more quizzes for me?

Try to figure this one out...

This will be way more fun for me if you try to puzzle this one out. Your hint: this really is what I get paid to do!

ABCs of Art Summer Camp

Here are some pics from the art camps we taught a few weeks ago at the Museum. We had the best time with our crew of 4 and 5 year olds. We made sculptures out of chocolate clay, learned birds songs and made our own bird wings, did scavenger hunts in the galleries, created color wheels and painted with toy cars, and made up some crazy imaginary animals. At the end of the week, we showed off all we had done in an exhibit we made for the families. I was so proud of the kids when they stood up and told everyone their favorite parts of camp. Best success story was a little boy who cried the first day of camp and did NOT want to be with us. By Friday, he was all smiles and couldn't wait to tell people about the art he had made. Art really can be fun!! And on a side note, I'd really like to be a professional summer camp teacher.

In which Leah tries to be trendy

It's Super Cute Tuesday, and I thought I had the perfect outfit. Long dress, chunky earrings, summer scarf, espadrilles. Cute with a capital C. Only the summer scarf idea proved practically life-threatening. I know, I know, any type of scarf on an AUGUST Texas day should be outlawed. But I figured I'd be spending most of my day in the sub-zero A/C of the museum so it would fine. Didn't count on the scarf's ability to cinch around my windpipe and cut off my oxygen supply. I nearly strangled myself no less than three times today--the scarf got stuck in my rolly chair, stuck to velcro while I tried to moved around these big climbing cushions, and then I inadvertently stepped on it and almost jerked my head off. It's not like I'm new to the scarf scene. For the love, I lived in Boston for 6 years! But this scarf was a slippery little devil--literally.

So end of the day: Scarf--3, Leah--0. We'll see if I try for a rematch.

A is for Apron

Here's the latest from my sewing machine. I enlisted the help of my dear friend Joni to do our own mini-photo shoot. Lessons we learned:

#1. It's imperative to mark the local town cute gazebo as your territory before the skateboarding kids come along.
#2. Keep snapping away and eventually you capture what you are hoping for (especially if you're NOT a photographer).
#3. And I am horrible at so-called "serious" photos. Just can't do it.

The green half-apron is the first one I've made for myself--it's a pattern by Amy Butler. I really do love it so much I want to just wear it out and about with my jeans and T. Think I can get away with it? The fabric flower is also a new addition to my standard apron.

Next apron project? Some bright, fun aprons for me and my co-worker Amanda to wear as our summer camp uniforms for the art camp we are teaching next week at the museum for 4-5 year olds. We're going to be matchy-matchy! Can't wait.

Nightmares on MacArthur Street

I had one of my stress nightmares last night. Not the standing in front of the masses in nothing but my birthday suit . . . or the being chased by a menacing, terrifying but unseen something sort of dreams. No, my stress nightmares almost always involve

SCHOOL.

I'm sure that reveals something extremely deep about me. Like the fact that I'm exceptionally thoughtful and diligent and scholarly. Or that I'm so Type A, my worst fears involve not following the rules. Hmmm...

Anyway, this time it was a variation on the usual theme. I was merrily jumping into a car to go to Mount Vernon with a group of friends (yes even in my dreams I like to visit historic places). We were almost there when all of a sudden it hit me--"I am a teacher!! It is a school day. I am NOT ALLOWED to just go have fun on a school day. I have no substitute. My kids are probably climbing up the walls. If anything happens to them, it will be MY FAULT!" The rest of the dream involved my fruitless attempts to get back to school before anyone realized I wasn't there. Woke up before I ever managed to get there.

Sigh! I don't often remember my dreams anyway, but when I do, it's never a dream that helps me solve a problem or gives me deep insights into life. Nope...it's about school. What are you dreamin' about?

Best. 4th. Ever.

4th of July. Boston. Fireworks. My second most favorite holiday. All adds up to one of the best weekends ever! I planned months ago to take some time off and go back to Boston for the 4th of July and it was more perfect than I could have dreamed of.

The fun began as soon as I got off the plane at Logan--Blair popped out of the car and totally surprised me. Then the next morning when we were lazing around, the doorbell rings and surprise! It's Kristy Gralene. There was a widespread conspiracy involving Facebook cover-ups, blatant lies, and clever misdirection to surprise me--and it worked. (And who doesn't feel super special when others go to so much effort just to surprise you?) Boston for the 4th is pretty unbeatable, but with your best girl friends...doesn't get much better than that.

Hanging out at the Hatch Shell for the Boston Pops concert featuring none other than NEIL DIAMOND! I mean really, singing "Forever in Blue Jeans," "America" and "Sweet Caroline" in Boston with Neil in his shiny shirt was incredible.


Fireworks over the Charles. Breathtaking, unbelievable, pure magic. I think I'm spoiled for good...I don't know that any other fireworks can ever compare. Oh and by the way, that fantastic flag photo was taken by the oh so talented Jenny Faith.

It's not just the bursts of lights that I love or the patriotic sing-alongs--I love that our country was founded by men and women who believed they had a responsibility to live according to their conscience and fight for freedom. And Boston honors them like no where else.

Chatting with a seven year old

I've been carpooling home from work with my seven year old nephew for the past few days (he's doing summer camp at the museum). A chatty boy in the back seat is so much fun! I am now well versed on the ins and outs of playing "What Time Is It, Mr. Fox?"--a game I have played for the past few summers with my summer camp kids. And then "Blue Microwave"...this one I've never heard of and sort of don't get. I also can talk Bakugan trash with the best of the kid crowd. Bring on the brawl baby. But best of all, I have a new stash of cheesy kid jokes.

Q: What do cows read in the morning?
A: The Moospaper

Q: What happened when Mickey Mouse got in the bathtub?
A: He came out squeaky clean.

I think everyone should get a daily dose of seven year old chatter!

Where have all the stirrup pants gone?

I was home in Amarillo last weekend for my little sister's high school graduation (gasp!). While I was there, my aunt bestowed upon me lots of old photos she had found as she was going through my grandmother's house. There were the requisite cute, aww--invoking images of my childhood. Hello, pigtails and wispy hair that always escaped my barrette.

And then there were the cringe-inducing, what-were-we-thinking photos. Exhibit A: stirrup pants.


Exhibit B: way too big shirts and glasses the size of Montana.


I remember thinking I was SO CUTE in these outfits. sigh I really don't think I figured out that I was not actually a size extra-large until after a year at college.

Rifling through the photos led to reminiscing what other fashion mysteries I've lived through...

• units
• Coca-Cola shirts
• pegged pants
• jelly shoes
• slap bracelets
• banana clips
• shoulder pads
  
• Keds without the shoelaces
• a pair of pants my mom wore that featured neon paint splatters and fish skeletons
• the denim shirt craze
  

Although I like to think that there has been some improvement over the years, I can't complain too much. Our fashion sense might have been crazy, but without it, we'd have a world devoid of 80s parties. And nobody wants that, right?!

Flames & Faith

Sunday morning as I was getting ready for church, my phone started beeping its signal for text messages. To my dismay, when I checked it, I found pictures of the chapel where I used to attend church in Cambridge up in flames. Since then I've had the chance to talk to friends--those still in Boston and beyond. I know I'm just one "generation" of people who have loved the Longfellow Park chapel, and there is something comforting and healing to know that people far and wide are mourning the loss of a place so dear to our hearts. Thankfully, everyone got out safely, and some paintings, books, and important documents were saved. My friends in Boston have all talked about the shock, disbelief, and then unifying feelings they've experienced as they work through this tragedy. I'm grateful that our faith, friendship, and memories will remain even if the place itself is gone. And I do hope that out of ashes, hope and resilience can rise up.

24 hours in DC

My dear friend Alice got married last week, and I got to be there. The wedding was in DC, and I was hoping to make a mini-vacation to see all my DC friends and my favorite DC spots. But the timing didn't work out. I had a big event at the museum on May 5, a preschool class to teach on May 6, and my brother was graduating from his orthopedic surgery residency on May 8. So that meant just 24 hours in DC for me. I made the most of it. I got to catch up with my friend Yvette, see the newly renovated National Museum of American History, run to the National Gallery, and then spend time in the DC temple. Oh and drink up all the green grass, the flowering trees, and drive along the George Washington Parkway--one of my all time favorite drives. So beautiful.


It was crazy rainy all day long. In fact when I drove into the temple parking lot, there was a torrential downpour. But when it was time for Alice and Dave to come out of the temple, there was sunshine and blue skies. By the time I got back on the airplane, rain again. A little help from heaven I think!

My favorite quote of the day was from cute Helen in her British accent: "When I get married, my mom better bring a picnic!"

More Bluebonnets

I had another weekend o' bluebonnet fun...this time with my sister-in-law and the nephews. We drove down south a ways to Euless, the self-proclaimed bluebonnet capital (although there seems to be another small Texas town that claims theirs is the "Official" Bluebonnet Festival...I haven't gotten to the bottom of it yet).

We found fields and fields of the flowers and the boys were willing to play along for the picture-taking bit. But not for too long--Julie and I were snapping away with our cameras and Zach says "Guys, I'm going back to the car!"

I particularly loved learning fun facts from the friendly bluebonnet man (decked out in a bluebonnet-fabric-vest no less!!!). Not all bluebonnets are blue--some are pink or maroon. But all varieties are considered the state flower. They have neon orange pollen. And it is NOT illegal to pick them. But I say let wildflowers be wild. :)


When we finally made our way to town, we enjoyed walking down Main St. and absorbing every aspect of the small town fair. Snow cones, a bounce house, and handmade crafts. What more can you ask for? I'm pretty sure spring doesn't last too long around here and it will soon be blazing hot, so I will enjoy it as long as I can.

**burp**

I've had a wave of friends-having-babies lately and decided to use that sewing machine of mine to make something other than aprons. My friend Erika gave me the idea, and then I found a great tutorial here, so I can't lay claim to any originality, but I think they are super cute. And who doesn't want spit up to be more fashionable?! I'm leaving it to the mom-friends to find out whether or not they are as functional as they are cute. But let me say, super-duper easy to make--only thing the tutorial doesn't mention is that you must wash the diapers before you sew on the ribbon and trim (they shrink like 500% it seems...which is probably a good thing since when I took them out of the package, I couldn't imagine how to fit all that material around a baby bum!). Burp away!

A Thank You Note

Dear Honda,

Thanks for making your cars safe and strong and figuring out that tricky stuff like how it will fold up into a million pieces if it gets hit. I appreciate that this little car took the hit so that my little sister did not (although she is on crutches). Her car is toast, but she is ok. So I'm your newest BFF.

XOXO
Leah

Texas wildflowers

Think fast--what is the Texas state flower? If you said bluebonnet, give yourself a pat on the back! Legend has it that the bluebonnet got its name because the flowers resemble the pioneers' bonnets.

This past weekend MaryAnn and I went on a hunt for the bluebonnet. Apparently a springtime tradition in the Lone Star State is taking pictures of children, dogs, and other cute things in fields of the blue flowers. Since I'm a Lone Star gal again, I figured I better do the Texas thing (and I like flowers). Finding the flowers was a bit of an adventure. In a flash of brilliance, MaryAnn called Home Depot and asked them where we should go. The helpful flower man told us to go to an intersection in Plano. Not out to the country or to a nature preserve, but to an intersection. I love Texas. He was right! There on the side of the road, we joined other people taking pictures.



See? Really, just randomly on the side of the road.

And now for the traditional "girl in field of bluebonnets" picture.


I found an official bluebonnet festival going on this weekend, so there might be even more bluebonnets in my future.

Trading Places

I got another go at being mom for the weekend. Chad & Julie went up to Vail to look for a place to live (The-Moving-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named), and I stayed with the nephews. I feel like I went to the next level of mom-for-the-weekend since this time it wasn't just doing the favorite aunt gig. We had two soccer games, a soccer party, a baseball opening ceremony and a baseball game on Saturday. whew! Zach still has a broken arm, so we ditched out on the baseball events.

We did manage to do all things soccer. Jake and Ben had games at the same time on adjacent fields, so I set myself up to turn and cheer for one, then turn around and cheer for the other. Very convenient. I was a little concerned when we had only walked a few steps from the car, and Jake said he was too tired to walk. We hadn't even made it out of the parking lot! Not a good sign. But once we got to the field, he livened up a bit. The game held his interest for the first quarter (luckily he was playing).

After that, he had more fun sitting on the sidelines rolling his ball around. I think he has perfect soccer hair. :)

Ben on the other hand tore up the field, scored two goals, with one right between another player's legs. Sneaky little guy.

Zach and I were the cheering squad.


The afternoon flew by in a flurry of pizza, cupcakes, and playgrounds. I claimed two hours to watch General Conference while the boys played a complicated game of "Keep Out" in their parent's bedroom (I'm still not sure I've grasped all the particulars). We managed to clean up the toys, eat real dinner (not a frozen thing on the plate--look at me go!), take baths, and be cozy in our pjs watching a movie when Mom & Dad came home.

Favorite quotes of the weekend:

"After Mom & Dad, you are the best babysitter!" ~Ben Top 3 ain't bad right?

"Leah, your name sounds like tortilla!" ~Jake Love the sounds like game, especially with a 3 year old.

"Mom, you should give Leah some money for staying with us." ~Zach No, no I do it all for the bragging rights.

The birthday girl!

Anna had her 9th birthday last week, so I can finally unveil the apron-on-model photo of her and Kit. They look even better with Anna's cute smile and her new sassy haircut!

You will want this for dinner!

Last night was cooking night in Leah's apartment. The blessing/curse of living solo is that most recipes make enough for the whole week, hence the singular cooking night. As a child I would have grumbled and whined about eating the same thing every night (my mom can attest). In my older & wiser years, I think, "well at least there's something to eat!" Oh, and I'll take any excuse to wear an apron. :)

So yesterday's lucky pick was Carrie Reed's Sesame Chicken Pasta Salad. "Delish" I say and always a favorite. I love making recipes that remind me of my friends. I've got:

• Blair's Chicken Enchiladas
• Laura's Banana Nut Muffins
• Heather Beth's Couscous Salad
• Annie's Falafels
• Mom's Jambalaya
• Ashley's Fancy Grilled Cheese
• Julie's Spinach Salad

Anyway...here's the recipe for Carrie's salad. Yumminess!

Chicken Sesame Pasta Salad

Salad:
1 pkg (12 oz) wide egg or bowtie pasta
1 bunch green onion, sliced
chopped red, yellow & green peppers
3-4 chicken breasts
1 bunch lettuce or spinach
¼ cup sugared almonds (almonds + 3 Tbs. sugar)

Dressing:
¼ cup sesame seeds
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
½ cup canola oil
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 Tbs sugar

Directions:
Sugar almonds by placing almonds and sugar in fry pan over medium heat. Stir while cooking until almonds become golden brown (be careful not to burn them!). Cool before adding to salad.

Prepare pasta according to package. Rinse with cold water. Add green onions and peppers. Toss to mix.

Saute chicken in oil, sprinkle with lemon pepper and slice into bite-sized pieces (I cooked chicken in soy sauce instead of lemon pepper). Add to pasta mixture.

Mix all dressing ingredients in blender or food processor. Pour over pasta and refrigerate. Add almonds just before serving. Serve over a bed of lettuce or spinach.

True love

When I walked into the Primary room yesterday, I was greeted by a very excited Miguel who proceeded to present me with a branch of flowers he had "picked" from a tree out in the parking lot and a strand of plastic silver beads (which of course I wore). He told me the flowers made him think of spring! I love getting flowers from boys...especially when they are four years old!

Just call me Queen of Pleats

I know this is dangerously close to boasting, but I made an apron and mastered pleats! Sure, the key really is to have a great iron, and probably anyone can do pleats, but I felt pretty proud of myself. And I just love the "pleatiness" of them. So exact and crisp and right. Hmm what does that reveal about me?! :) The buttonholes on the other hand? Well, not my best work, but it'll do. I made the apron for my niece Anna's b-day (T-minus 9 days and counting). I also made one for her doll. I'll make sure and finagle a picture of the b-day girl in her apron-glory.

My Way Fun Job

I had another First Tuesdays event at the Museum this week. Our theme was Ready, Set, Read in honor of Dr. Seuss' b-day which was the day before. It was a crazy fun day--storytellers, art-making, yoga for kids. Strollers everywhere, toddlers having more fun going up and down stairs than anything we had planned for them, little kids racing around...my kind of f-u-n. At one point in the morning, one little boy informed me "I like art, but not that much." Maybe I'll win him over eventually.

In the afternoon I gathered families in one of our galleries and we took a closer look at self-portrait busts made by Janine Antoni out of chocolate and soap (you can see them in the background of the picture above). We smelled chocolate, passed around some soap to touch and smell, and then imagined what it would be like to make a picture of ourselves out of chocolate (yum!). We finished up with the kids filling in a Mad Libs to create a silly story of visiting the Museum and then turning into food. They were all pretty proud of their stories, and I just had fun watching them!

Wise, Wise 4-year Olds

I teach the 4 and 5 year old Primary class for children at church, and can I say--it is such a blessing in my life! These kids are great. Last Sunday only the three boys were there (the girls were sick). So we had a very rambunctious class. But at the end, we were all sitting on the floor getting ready to color, and Tyler said a prayer. It was so sweet and sincere and real, I was just filled with love. We said "Amen" and I told the boys that I thought we needed a big group hug--which of course ended up being dogpile on me. But I loved every minute of it. Every now and then I wonder how much of our lessons they really take in, week to week. We talk about prophets and scriptures and prayer, but it seems like any time I ask a question (no matter WHAT we are talking about), they enthusiastically answer "Jesus!" The more I think about it, the more I realize they are on to something. The Savior really is the answer to every question and every problem we have. Good thing I have these kids around to remind me of that!

Night Owl

Ok let's be honest, I'm not really that much of a night owl, but once I get past a certain point (usually 11 pm or so), I can stay up for awhile. But any hoot (ha, ha I am so funny), I saw the cutest little owl today, inspiring this posting. Check out the little guy here. He was made by Star at My Tiny Star. Instant love! I adore his big eyes and his orange wings! Don't you just want to give him a squeeze? Maybe this should be one of my next crafting attempts. He made me think of one of my favorite picture books-- Little Hoot by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Darling story about an owl who begs his parents to let him go to bed early. But they insist on making him stay up late because that is what owls do!!

Love Actually...

My favorite movie quote about love comes at the beginning of Love Actually. You hear Hugh Grant's voice as airport scenes flash before you:

"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion... love actually is all around."

So this Valentine's Day, I was grateful for the love all around me. I stayed with my nephews while my brother & sister-in-law had a date night. Back at the ranch, we had corn dogs for dinner (always a favorite), made valentines for mom & dad, and then had a movie night where we stayed up WAY past bedtime (probably why Ben fell asleep in church the next day). We heart-attacked the parents' bedroom door, so that they'd have a little surprise to come home to. I may not have had the typical Valentines Day date, but I had three pretty cute boys all to myself!


Jake showing off our handiwork.




Jake showing me his best funny face. Love that crazy kid.

Adventures in Craftiness

So I've been having a dilemma...read or craft? Two things I dearly love, and I can get totally wrapped into one--usually at the expense of the other. But I have managed to put down the books every now and then and be a little creative in the past few weeks.

I made a few aprons. Amazingly enough, I still have friends who I haven't made aprons for yet. 2007 and 2008 have been the Apron Years...my go-to gift for pretty much everything and everyone. Birthdays, graduations, Christmas. I've pretty much got it down to a science. Moving to Dallas has helped expand the apron-less people in my life, so I might not need to come up with a new gift for 2009. Wouldn't that be nice?


It's been trickier to find cute fabric here. I miss my Cambridge Quilt Shop. :(

And then for my bedroom, I did this lovely display of framed papers above my bed. I guess that isn't super crafty. I mean really all you have to do is cut paper to the right size. But I do feel pretty proud of all the measuring, marking and leveling I did to hang them in the right place. (Thanks to Jennifer Madden for teaching me how to do it right! Working in a museum does give you some training in that department).



Hmm...what's next on my project list? I have some childhood photos I want to scan and then make a display out of to put up in my living room. And I need to make an apron and doll apron for my niece Anna's b-day. Any suggestions or things you want me to try?