Pie Pops

Pie Pops
Originally uploaded by Bakerella

Oh My goodness, it is pie on a stick!!! How amazing is this?!! The perfect pick me up for a Monday.

Push and Pull

  The days are starting to get noticeably shorter and there is something in the air.  These past couple of weeks have been very strange ones around here.  It is that back to school vibe and it puts me a push/pull mood.  I want to covet these last few days with everyone at home.  I want to try and get in some last minute day trips to enjoy the summer.  I want to slow down and enjoy every little minute.  At the same time we begin to get bombarded with appointments, open houses, and back to school shopping. The oldest is a little quicker to put on his "I'm board" routine.  I have to admit the boys are ready for a little time apart.  While they love each other and play well together (for the most part), they are getting tired of the same ol' thing.

My crafting has taken a bit of a backseat in order to enjoy these days a little more.  My head is full of ideas, but when it comes to actual execution, well, other things just seem a little more important right now.  However, I feel there will projects to share very soon!!  

A Day In The City

A day in the city is always a good time. Took the train to Chicago with the family. Spent the day on Michigan Ave. at the Lego store (of course). My favorite part was just walking with looking at the amazing architecture. It was a bit of a challenge to get good pics and take the time to really admire the buildings, we had some pretty excited kiddos ready to hit the store!

I love to ride the train. The people watching is amazing! This older woman on the train sat in quiet contemplation with her devotional and rosary for a while. It was her moment of meditation, until her cell phone started to ring like crazy. I guess it is hard to escape modern life even on the train.

A Rumbly Resuce

 Meet the newest addition to our family.  We could not be more happy or excited to have him become part of our lives.  His name is Rumble Belly or Rumbly.  Why such a name?  Well, this kitty purrs like he has swallowed a V-10 engine. It is fantastic.  Also, he came to us weighing around 15 lbs.

This summer we searched all the rescue shelters looking for our new pet.  Then we saw this guy up in the very top cage at the West Olive Humane Society.   I think it was love at first sight.  We spent some time with him at the shelter and he did great with the kids.  He is 5yrs. old and a mellow jello kind of guy.

It was a good experience for all of us. The folks at the humane society were so nice and very helpful.  It tugged at your heart to see all these animals in need of good homes.  It was a great opportunity to talk to the boys about responsibility and loving your pet for the rest of its life.  It is hard thing to wrap your head around for an adult let alone a child.  However, happy faces prevailed when we found our "brother".

So welcome to your new home Rumbly! We are so happy you are here. 

Hooked On The Laundry Line

We are now living life on the line.  The laundry line that is.  I went looking all over for a retractable laundry line and could not find one. I was starting to get a bit frustrated at not being able to find something so simple.  Once again my mom came through and happened to find one at her local hardware store.  Hubby J. helped me to get it up and running.  We are now enjoying our sheets being line dried in the sunshine.  LOVE IT! Hoping that it gives the kids a great sensory memory.  That wonderful smell of clean sheets on the line.
Of course one is not limited to sheets. 

So far I have had shirts, skirts, and a favorite tablecloths! I also cannot get over how quickly things dry in the sun.  It is amazing. 

Cute As A Button - A Tutorial

 Over the weekend we headed out the local artisans market.   In between all the eye candy and a purchase or two I saw an artist who was doing the cutest things with buttons.  Her rings were adorable, I thought maybe I could try making something similar at home.  Off to grandma's button box I went and came up with my button ring tutorial. This is my first tutorial, so if things are unclear or don't make sense I apologize!!!

 Items Needed:

1/4" elastic (color your choice) - this is the band of the ring.

Buttons of your choice

Favorite craft adhesive (I used good ol' crazy glue)

Next measure the elastic around the finger of your choosing.  Allow for a little extra as you will be gluing the ends to the button.  When you think you have the right fit, cut.  Of course if you know your ring measurements, that is always helpful!

Now the fun part!! Play with your buttons and see what ring you can come up with.  I think it is fun to stack them, but you have a really funky or brilliant button that stands out on its own, show it off!!

*if you are stacking your buttons please glue these first.  When dry, start to glue the elastic.
Apply glue to one end of elastic and stick to bottom button.  Allow to dry or get to a point where it won't move around much.  Then bring the other end around to form the band and glue on the opposite side.

This is the hard part. LET IT DRY.  I know it is sitting there looking cute and finished.  The urge to try it on, "just to see" is strong.  You must resist.  

When the glue is dry you can FINALLY rock your new ring. HURRAY!!

Have fun and if you make one, I would LOVE to see it!

Blueberry Fields Forever

A summer must here in Michigan is blueberry picking.  The berries are large, sweet, and juicy.  We pick plenty to enjoy now and then some to freeze for later.  There is nothing like pulling out some berries in the middle of winter and baking some muffins.  After our hard labor, we rewarded ourselves with some blueberry ice cream!