zzzzzzzzz

i've been happier reading than blogging lately.  apologies.  life's been moving though, my sister came to stay for a week, (which was wonderful!) audrey's baker costume was a hit on halloween and other developments.

enough of that, it's craft time!  we're hosting thanksgiving again this year and i wanted to add some cheap decorations that i could leave up for christmas too. so i decided to make some festive flags!

step 1:  i bought four patterns of 12x12 inch scrapbooking paper at .79 cents each (big spender!) and cut them in half lengthwise.  

step 2:  i then measured out 4" and 8" on the bottom side of one sheet and 2", 6" and 10" inches on the top. then i connected the dots, doing that on each sheet. 

step 3:  then the big task of cutting out all the flags!

step 4:  hole punch the two top corners of each flag. 

step 5:  audrey woke up from her nap so i took a little break.  so we ate some red pepper crackers and watched the neighbor fix his sprinkler across the street. 

step 6:  measure the width of where you want to hang your flags and add 5" inches to allow for a little droop.  i added only 2" for the strings over the doorways for those unfortunate tall people that walk into my house.

step 7:  string your flags and enjoy. :)

yes, i watered the poor plant on the top shelf after this photo was taken.

notice the fireplace as well :)

the part i like least about being a mother is....

....lately i feel like the world's biggest bully. i avoid conflict by nature but it's getting harder these days.

"no jumping on the couch.  if you don't stop you'll have to play by yourself on the floor.  1.... 2.... 3.... okay, sorry. no more couch!" (whining)

"joey! no barking! you bark again during audrey's nap and your voicebox is mine!" (sulking)

"audrey, get your hand out of your pants.  no nakeds today.  i said no babe (grabs hands) we don't do that." (whining)

"no, i already settled on making this for supper.  i don't have time to make that." (sulking)

"we don't play with mama's stove, it's not a toy. no climbing. if you don't stop you'll have to leave the kitchen." (whining)

oh, goodness

saw rocky votolato on wednesday with michael.  still thinking about it :)

refreshed

 i love those rainy autumn days when time seems to grow heavy. those days when you continue to wear your pajamas a little later in the morning, put a little extra honey on your toast and buy the five dollar latte to prolong the feeling. 

blanket for baby elijah

our good friends (and audrey's Godparents) matt and teri just welcomed their first baby boy last week.  many years to matt, teri, big sister madeline & new baby boy elijah!

i forgot to snap a photo of the reverse side, it's a white furry fabric i had leftover from another project.  perfect for new baby snuggles :)

tuesday breakfast

sourdough bread with raspberry jam, blueberries and veggie sausage.  coffee for me, chocolate milk for audrey.

no hummingbird, sorry.  they move too fast.

chip in one of my favorite coffee mugs = :(

succulent cuttings i collected from my grandmother's garden while i was in oregon. so glad they're doing well.

most of the veggie garden is rotting in ye olde wheelbarrow cemetery.

i said most.

plundered!

reaching chic

i stumbled on this website today. i do enjoy a good pair of tights :)

you wanna say that to mah face??

audrey's aviary?

i'm pretty obsessed with audrey's room lately. even before she was born i've been fiddling with accessories, moving furniture, "window" shopping online and yes, even fogging up joann's with my indecisive pacing. i've very nearly decided on what i want for her comforter on her big-girl bed.... big. fuzzy. oh yes, it's all up in my brainstems. gotta get in here to see the vision. i find i have to get an idea, tell everyone i know what i'm going to do and then back out and go with another idea in the end. i have half an idea to paint a giant tree on the wall in the corner with fabric leaves but let's not get too crazy here.

so instead, i decided to paint some mini birdhouses. i was in joann's, pacing foggly, and saw these wooden birdhouses for $1.00. boom! bam! i slapped my husband's hard earned money on the table and drove home with a plan. i bought some sheets from target a few months ago and wanted to carry that feeling elsewhere in the room.

golly, it was sure nice of audrey to take a longer nap today :)

target sheets. i'll add more photos of the room later.

jumpstart

i was walking around joann's today with a foggy idea of a project to make. i kept walking through the same aisles again and again. touching fabrics. matching up colors and patterns in my mind. i still can't decide if i want to make throw pillows for the living room, a huge floor pillow for audrey (to someday sit and read on, but meantime jump on) or a comforter for her big-girl bed. i stumbled and was humbled by this crazy talent on etsy today. i love the texture she gives to these pillows. i don't have the talent or time to make anything like this, but the little poppy pillow looks feasible.

peaches are ripe....

....some may have a few thumb holes.

new garden boots

finally found some garden boots! they aren't wellingtons or hunters, but i'm quite happy with them. just in time too 'cause i'm in the mood for some serious yard work :)

changes pending

i am rethinking my blog and where i want to take it.  when i was pregnant i told myself i would never just only talk about my baby and motherhood.  being audrey's mom is an enjoyable part of my life but so is being michael's wife, so is being a crocheter of baby blankets, a lover of sushi, an admirer of super cute shoes and other such silliness.  i'm still jenny with jenny's likes and dislikes.  as audrey begins to detach her identity from mine and find her own individuality, so again must i.  hopefully my blog will show that.  

in the garden, lately

i never thought of corn plants as beautiful before, but they are quite striking.

my helper :)

cuss boom bang!  that used to be a zucchini flower!

i hate YOU....

berry-licious

these little strawberries are a sign of delicious things to come. these are my first successes after ages of battling ants and pill bugs for the right to consume freely. i planted some strawberries two seasons ago, (ants!) and this year i planted them in a pot and set it on a plant stand only to seemingly serve the pill bugs. i got a little tip online however about slicing grapefruit and setting them a few inches from the plant to appease the bugs and divert their attention.

good news, i have a grapefruit tree! woot woot!

surprise! turns out audrey's favorite berries are blackberries, so we decided to plant a bush in the backyard. now i get to fight the songbirds!

chalky chalk chalk

audrey's latest craze is sidewalk chalk. once outside, she runs to her little chalk tub & walks around marking her lines across the cement in true stylish fashion. i admit this post is very lucy romero, but chalk is easy to clean up & i'm not quite ready for this yet.

i'm proud to admit that this doesn't happen very often. she's learning chalk doesn't taste very good and chalk biting is growing rarer.

yeah, not too good.

i love baby squats. a terribly efficient & adorable way of exploring & chalking. the pincher grasp is pretty irresistible too. she's basically irresistible all around.

bright eyes & lollipops

my baby girl is one year old! first official piece of candy on her first birthday :)