Tomorrow...

Hope to see you there!!

Easter Garden

Easter is a very special holiday in our home.

We love being able to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, and I am always looking for simple ways to make such a profound and life changing historical moment real for my kids.  I want them to get it, but I know that they are little boys and it may take a bit.

But this year I came across a beautiful visual of the empty tomb on a friends facebook page.

It involves dirt, seeds, and rocks.  Seriously, a gold mine for my boys.  We even invited our best friends over to make one of their own to take home with them.  We had so much fun.

This is what we started with...

We started with putting a thin layer of potting soil in the saucer.  My saucer was about 14 inches across.  Then I laid the mini flower pot on its side in the middle of the saucer, and kept adding more and more soil until there was a nice mound over the pot.  Since the pot is on it's side, there is an opening under the mound of soil, kind of like a cave.

We added some rocks (don't forget the stone that was rolled away), and the kids made 3 mini crosses out of sticks.

Then, we generously sprinkled grass seed over all of the mound of soil and watered well with a spray bottle.

It ended up looking like this...

And now we will watch it (and spritz it with water daily) until Easter when the grass should spring up all over our mound of soil (keeping my fingers crossed on this one).

This will make a great centerpiece on Easter as well!

So glad we could share this with our friends!

You can check out the finished product here if you just can't wait.  It is pretty cool!

Now I'm off to get ready for Sew Funky Market this Sat. in Riverside.

Happy Thursday!

Dreaming of a tween room

I am the mother of an (almost) 10 year old.  

How did that happen?  Where did the time go?  Now what?

I am entering the world of semi-independence and "I'm too cool for that, mom."

I know I need to back off a bit and give him some space, and we are doing just that.

He gets to move into his own room.  He is so ready for some space from his little brothers, and I don't blame him.

So, my dilemma is creating a space for him that will grow with him but that isn't too old to start with.  I have really struggled with getting inspiration for a "tween" room.  Pottery Barn kids is too babyish, but there teen stuff is a bit too old for my taste.  (And Jackson is a young 10 year old, which we love!  Kids grow up too fast these days anyway.)   

As parents, we have decided that our kids will not have a t.v. or computer in their rooms (not enough accountability, especially for boys).  

SO, how to make it cool without all the "cool" gadgets?

We are just getting started on this process.  The final results will be around his birthday at the beginning of May.  Here's some of the inspiration I have found...

 LOVE the idea of a built in look around his window.  I am trying to find just the right bookshelves and then we will get a piece of wood, paint it white, and bracket it to either side of the shelves to make a desk.  I always wanted a desk that looked out a window (granted his view will be our neighbors house, but it is a little ways off so it's not like he will be staring into their windows or anything :)  Jackson is an excellent student and I think a desk like this would really be perfect for him, and having it "built in" frees up a lot of space in the room for play.  Win/win!!!

 LOVE these colors, and Jacks does too!  I found a really random oversized green jack (you know, like the game) at Target the other day and I think it will be the inspiration for an accent color as well as a fun play on his name.  I could totally design a whole room around one random find.  
LOVE the wall behind the bed, but that is a bit out of our budget and expertise so I may just have to keep dreaming about that one.
LOVE the bedding!  On the hunt for a navy and white striped duvet.  (And isn't that rug amazing!)

Jackson LOVES the map wall.  Gonna have to fit that in somehow.  I will be heading to AAA for some free maps next week.  Sounds like a fun project!

 Thought this would be a cool project for Jacks (CA not TX) to hang on his wall.  Nails and string, simple enough!

Enough inspiration to get us started.  I am excited to see how we tweek it all to make it Jackson.

I am also on the hunt for the perfect shade of "tan", which is what he wants to paint the walls.  I think it can be drab, so I am thinking about this one.  With the all white built in and white trim, maybe it wouldn't be too bad.

As we start the process, I will post pics.  I like to think I am ready for this... but the room we are changing into Jacks room has been the nursery for our youngest, and letting go of that has been a bit hard, so we'll see how this goes.  It's hard getting rid of the last baby stuff, you know?

Anyway, thanks for brain storming with me.  Jackson is super excited and involved in this whole process and that makes me happy.  He is ready, and I will be too (mini pep talk).

Happy Tuesday everyone!

 

Hello Monday

by Mollie


 Linking up with Lisa again today for a "Hello Monday"

Hello Laundry.  We went to Lake Arrowhead last week for a few days and the laundry from the trip is still haunting me.

Hello Sew Funky Market. Holly and I are vendors this time around.

 

Hello quite time with the Lord.  

Hello new worship album from my friend. Check it out HERE.

Hello keeping my house clean this week.  I once read (probably on Pinterest) that cleaning your house with toddlers & babies is like washing your car while its raining. SO TRUE. 

Hello fruit smoothies

 

Hello new sister-in-law! My brother in law is getting married on Saturday in KOREA. Wish we could be there to celebrate. 

 

Hello more cuddle time with my two favorite girls. 

Hello making my bed. My goal for this upcoming week is to make Zoie's and my bed EVERY DAY this week. It helps make the room look cleaner and more organized. *We may just sleep on top of the covers to get this accomplished. JK!!*

Hope you have a great week!

Blessings,

Dreams... {for my Kitchen}

by Mollie

  We moved into our little home a little over 2 years ago.  When we first bought the house it was CRAZY! The people before us had a very unusual style.  Our living room was LEMON yellow, the nursery was TANGERINE orange, and the bedroom was LIME green (are you sensing a fruit theme?)

Do you see the craziness?!?  Before we even moved in we painted, put down hardwood floor, and overall just made it less crazy! 

I have shown bits and pieces of my house here and there... maybe one day when it is completely clean I'll give a little home tour (don't hold your breath for anytime soon) 

ANYWAYS... we are constantly trying to continue upgrading our home and we just finished the bathroom and the bedroom. 

My next dream is the kitchen.  We have AWESOME Ikea cabinets that the previous owners put in but they didn't install the counters correctly.  I got a Keruig for Christmas and it leaked overnight.  We woke up in the morning to our counter tops all bubbled up and water logged. (UH OH!) Since then we have been throwing around the idea of redoing the kitchen. 

Here are some recent "pinspirations" that have been catching my eye.

Source: luxuryd3sign.tumblr.com via Mollie on Pinterest

Source: rustyhingesblog.com via Mollie on Pinterest

Source: countryliving.com via Mollie on Pinterest

We are just trying to fill up our piggy bank so we can put in new counters, back splash, and paint. I am leaning more towards a white counter top but I'm nervous about staining.  Anyone have any great suggestions?

  Hope you have a great weekend. 

Blessings,

Taking a little time...

Mollie and I are excited to be joining the Sew Funky Market on March 31st in Riverside, CA.

Come on over and say "hi" if you are in the area.  We would love to see you!

Due to the fact that a market is in my near future, my dining room table has piles of this...

all over it (sorry, Geoff).  

Now I know I need to get to work, but I can't seem to get motivated.

Spring is in the air, and I would much rather be doing this...

hanging with the girls, and eating things like this...

 Delicious!!!

And hanging with my...

 little Lorax's at the movies.

And taking my boys to spend time with...

 Great Grammie.  LOVE her!!!

So, I know that I am leaving everything 'till the last minute.  

But I am taking a little time, and sewing can just wait! 

I hope you all can take a little time today.  Happy Thursday!

P.S. Once I am back on track, Mollie and I will be sure to update you all on our newest additions.

Chocolate Guiness Cake

It's feeling like St. Patty's Day around here.

I had some fun yesterday getting ready for our party coming up on Saturday.

I made this fun, and very simple, shamrock garland out of paint chips from Home Depot.

I just traced out the shamrock shape using a cookie cutter and cut them with my scissors.  (Old school, I know, but easy!)  It adds a fun pop of color to our mantle. Yay!

I am pretty excited that my friend, Shae, will be bringing a delicious Chocolate Guinness Cake.  She found the recipe on Design Sponge, and it is a must for any St. Patrick's Day celebration.

You can find the complete recipe here.

Doesn't it look delicious?  Have I mentioned I'm excited?

Anyway, just a couple of fun possibilities for you all.  Short and sweet.

Have a great weekend!

Everything's coming up clovers.

St. Patrick's Day is a fun, silly holiday at our house.

I should preface this post with the knowledge that I have ALWAYS wished I was Irish.  I always wanted to wear one of those "kiss me I'm Irish" buttons, feel lucky all the time, and relish in my Irishness.

But, I am not!  Really, not.

German, Swiss, English, no Irish anywhere.

That being said, I can't get enough of the little green guys that come around once a year causing our milk to turn green and sneaking green food coloring into our pancakes.  

I also love the idea of leprechaun traps that my boys get a chance to make in 1st grade.

My oldest son made his 3 years ago when my son, who is now in 1st grade, was 3.

I think our first grader has been thinking about his ever since, and now our preschooler is even planning his out.

Here is our latest...

We had a special shopping trip to Michael's where he got to pick out all the sparkly supplies.

Now, my husband and sister in law (who is a teacher) laugh at me because it is pretty obvious the a 6 year old didn't put all of this together.

As soon as my sil saw this she said, "Great leprechaun trap, Holly."  Ha ha!

In my defense, the instructions asked parents to work WITH their kids to make it, and I'm not letting my 6 year old use the hot glue gun, so there!

He planned it all out, even drew up a blueprint.  And here is his cute explanation of how it works...

  He is pretty stoked about it, and I wonder if he'll really catch one? :)  It's quite convincing!

Anyway, I love seeing my kids get excited about projects and this is one that never disappoints, even though those little green guys can be quite elusive.

Do you do fun things on St. Patty's Day?  Any fun traditions?  Are any of you "lucky" enough to even be Irish?

We are having our home group over for corned beef and cabbage (yet another proof that I'm not Irish 'cause I can't stand the stuff) and shamrock shakes and Guinness chocolate cake (LOVE!  I'll post the recipe on Friday.) on Saturday night.

And now, I am heading to Home Depot for green paint chips (my new fav) to make a clover banner for the mantle.  Yay!  Everything's coming up clovers around here, and I love it!

Happy Thursday!

 

What I Wore Wednesday {Workout Edition}

by Mollie

  I know the goal of this whole WIWW is to get us OUT of our yoga pants, but I find myself in them a LOT.  I have recently joined Stroller Strides (I HIGHLY recommend) and I just can't seem to get back out of my workout clothes until at least nap time.  I figured I would do a What I Wish I Wore Wednesday focused on cute workout clothes.

I love this outfit.  Its easy, comfy and looks somewhat put together. I could run to Costco wearing this and not duck and run if I see someone I know. 

I am loving these pants, but I'm not sure I'm brave enough to wear them. 

I only wish I looked this cute working out... maybe one day.

Happy Wednesday!

Blessings,

Veggie Garden 101

Let's be honest, this post will not be the complete A to Z on gardens.

I know VERY LITTLE about them and do not, in any way, claim to be an expert.

However, after this weekend I feel I have become a bit more educated about them and am ready to pass along what I have learned to anyone who would also like to take on this pretty simple project that yields a great reward.

Most of what I learned, I learned from pinterest (of course).  There are some great tips on there, and great direction to some pretty handy websites.

For example, did you know that...

broccoli loves celery

carrots love tomatoes, peas, and lettuce

cucumbers love beans and peas

tomatoes thrive near carrots, cucumbers, and onions

and basil improves tomatoes

You gotta love all the love!

So, this weekend, my family built a small, raised bed in our backyard and set out to make the most loving and harmonious garden that we could.

This is what we started with.  It isn't a huge area, but we have gophers like you would not believe and this is the most protected area that is surrounded by patio which the gophers haven't gone under (yet).  

I (I say "I" because this is really the only part of the garden I had a direct hand in.  All my boys pretty much did the rest.) cleared away all the bark, buckets, and little white pick up trucks and got the dirt underneath all nice and turned up.

My husband got some railroad ties from my in-laws and made a box that he filled in with garden soil.  It has lots of good things in it like fertilizer, worm castings, kelp meal, chicken manure, gypsum, etc.  Many goodies that my plants will love.

We put the boys to work packing it down.  You don't want it too tightly packed or you will lose some of the oxygen in the soil, so little boys who don't weigh much work well for this and they thought it was really fun.  Win-win!

This is the bed all finished and ready for planting.

We planted tomatoes in the back with the wire (I put egg shells and aspirin in the soil as this website suggested.  I Chose to leave out the fish heads.), onions, cilantro (yes, we make a lot of salsa), broccoli, bell peppers, lettuce, and cucumbers.

Here it is all finished.  Hopefully the spacing will work out for us.  It is a small garden that just shows that you don't need much space.  I am excited for the yummy veggies and even the lessons for our boys that will come out of this little patch of dirt.

I'll keep you posted on our progress.  This is definitely a work in progress since we have never done this before.

With a little water and sun, hopefully we will be enjoying our garden in a couple months.  Yum!

Happy Tuesday everyone and here are a few more links that helped us...
companion planting
raised garden beds