Loving the plants

I got some beautiful new plants yesterday for an awesome deal. My dad has done signs for Nick's Garden Center for years and the owner is a good friend. Randy is a great guy and gave me a super fantastic price!


This morning I potted the plants in their new containers. I just love the colors and can't wait to bring them inside to liven up the decor.

Over at Mabel's House Liz wrote about The Art of Hosting. I was really impressed by this and decided to write on my thoughts about hosting.

This is something I really desire to do a lot of when we are in a space that allows us to have more than 2 guests. My (not so) secret dream is to host monthly get-togethers with family and friends. I loved being in the midst of so many people at my son's birthday. I also think it is a big part of the matriarch hat that I aspire to wear. (I have always loved this image and that is the hat I am talking about!) Anyway that is another tangent.

Back to the hosting ideas.
I want to throw themed parties. Lavish affairs where people dress up for them like a 20's Evening or a luau or just whatever color strikes me that week. BBQ's with lots of yummy food (all prepared by yours truly) and great conversation. Ahh, this is my dream.

I know if I just had a bigger space and a dining table that this would be my life. Alas, for now it is not the case. I will have to wait and only entertain another couple at a time until then.

Here are a few things that I aspire to have said of me when I do get to this magical place.
"She is such a great host. I felt right at home from the moment I walked in the door."
"Isn't that restroom just gorgeous? I love the little soaps and hand towels."
"I wonder what it cost to cater this. The food was amazing!"
Wouldn't I just feel warm and fuzzy all over if I overheard someone saying something like that about me. :) Talk about perma-grin.

So good I should have taken a picture

Dinner tonight was fab.u.lous. I cooked some chicken in a pan with a spray of olive oil. Half way through cooking I added pepper, garlic salt, red pepper, and chili powder. YUMM-O! Removed them from the pan then made a quesadilla and added the chicken. Oh man was it good. We had a side of microwaved veggies and water. You'd think that with good food like this I would be losing lbs left and right. To top it all of A & I walked down to Granny's house. A in his little red wagon and mama pulling it along. We had a good time.

Business is super fantastic. Today we won a bid for the stone veneer on the California Pizza Kitchen in Cherry Creek Mall. It was a good bid so we will be able to reserve the booth for the Garden & Home show coming up this winter. N & I talked about that today and got a few of our ideas down on paper. This is good stuff folks. We don't have a lot of advertising going on so I think it will be fantastic to get out business card out there in so many hands. Who knows there may be a huge payoff in the years to come from just one show.

Today we got to sample some more from our garden. The grape tomatoes are starting to turn red and ripen. I just got a taste today but there are a couple more that will be ready tomorrow. I am hoping I can get a good photo before hubby gets out there and plucks them. I also need to get the squash. They are so pretty with the blooms and the veggies all hiding under those massive leaves.

I was going to take photos of green today but didn't get to it. Bummer dude. Guess that will have to wait for my excursion with A to the park tomorrow. I think I will add either red or yellow to the day so I can get more than one day from a color. :)

Well that is enough from me tonight. I want to be up early to get a head start on my day tomorrow.

Hello? Are you still reading this?

Sorry for my week long absence. I have feeling kinda blah about blogging this week but things are looking up this week so I hope to update at least twice this coming week.
What is going on? Well...
Early last week was a bit of a blur. We visited with C & G on Thursday. Costco you are my friend. Monday through Wednesday we bummed around the house. Lots of housework was done but not so much creative stuff. I did start a new plan of attack with the housework on Tuesday and that seems to be working well. I should make a separate post on that later.
Friday I was feeling a major lack of motivation. I did get the house work done but after that I felt really drained. So A & I spent the day hanging out and not doing much above that.
Saturday I did a fun shopping all by myself. Hubbykins stayed home with A. They had a good time and so did I. I got a couple of pants and shirts for the boy. Hubby got 2 new shirts and jeans. I got 2 tops and a dress. I love clearance time!
Today was supposed to be a relaxing day with the three of us. We were planning to go to the gun range then maybe a trip to the park. But as often happens, plans changed. N's brother & sister-in-law came for a visit. As usually happens with them, they stayed until late. I hate to say it but I wish they would have left 3 hours before they did. I would have liked to lounge around in my pj's and gotten the boy to bed on time but that didn't happen. Oh well.
Now I need to get in the kitchen and do the dishes so they aren't there in the morning. But instead I am sitting outside having a last smoke and typing on my phone. And am going to post it after I get back inside, before the dishes. Bad girl, I know.

Let's see... I haven't posted on my blog all week. Part of it is not knowing what to say, part of it is not wanting to say what is on my mind, and part of it is lack of creativity happening this week. I feel like my mind has been to bogged down to feel creative.

This week I want to add a few appointments to keep with A. I think we will start with a coloring/drawing time on Monday, a trip to the park on Tuesday & Thursday, and some game time on Friday. I also hope to spend most of Wednesday photographing N's old jobs so we can get a better portfolio together. Sounds like a good week coming up. There may even be some pretty photos for you to look at along the way. If you are still reading this I commend you for checking in on me even in my absence. I promise to reward you with at least a photo in every post this week. Who knows maybe it is the week of color. Do I have a vote for green on Monday?

Updating on the 101 in 1001

#70. Get new PDA/Smartphone. Done beautifully. I got the Palm 700p. It was a discontinued model so the once $300 price tag was reduce to only $100! Plus I love, love, love it. I can keep my schedule, my contacts (with birthdays), tasks and memos. I really like the memos because I can just write up my blog while I am relaxing in the yard and can come back and post it later. Super handy when the computer free days come each week.

#58. go computer free for 1 day each week for 6 months. Good start. Last Saturday and Tuesday I was completely computer free. It really wasn't hard but I did have to remind myself that I am on a free day a couple of times.

#52. use more green cleansers in the house. Wow did I find something fantastic! Method has a great line of eco-friendly cleaners. I love the almond wood floor cleaner and the pink grapefruit dish soap. But the French Lavender hand soap takes the cake. It smells divine! I find myself washing hands just to smell that beautiful smell. I would love that smell everywhere. In my bedroom especially! Anyway, I am not completely ready to check this on off the list yet but I am making headway.

#13 have a monthly date night. I am excited for next wednesday night because I am taking my darling hubby for a picnic date at City Park. Hubby is really not the romantic type to plan a date like this. I am though so there is no rule saying that I can't take the bull by the horns and plan it myself. It should be tons of fun and kid free for the night just makes it that much more exciting.

#31. write & mail a letter each month. I bought a beautiful desk note card & envelope set yesterday at Hobby Lobby so I have what I need at the tips of my fingers when it is time to send a note.

#94. set aside time weekly for creativity. At A's age this is a bit harder since doing more than crayons and playdough are about all we can handle right now. But we are making time to do this even more than once a week. For myself I am averaging about once a week for personal creativity. Overall I think I can check off 2 more weeks (since I didn't check last week).

Mary Mary quite contrary, how does your garden grow?

The peppers are starting to get big. We have two. These were supposed to be jalapeños but they look like green peppers to us. Oh well the bell pepper seeds we planted didn't sprout so we are happy to have these.

We even have a few tomatoes. We have lost 3 plants but the ones that are thriving are producing quite a bit of fruit.

And of course we have some pretty little squash starting too. I love the blossoms on these. I can't believe how big these plants are.

We are happy to have such a beautiful garden. I can't wait to eat a tomato right off the vine. Yummy!

It is good to have a map

After my wonderful phone call with my mom I realized that my priorities are a bit out of whack so it is time to evaluate and set them straight.
1. A is the reason I am a stay at home mom. I need to be doing more with him instead of the computer and house. I need to take him to the park, read to him more often, and do more to develop his language and other skills.
2. Hubby needs to be up higher on the list too. I have been setting aside some of his needs for housework and other responsibilities. I know that he works hard to so I can be at home with the boy and I really should show my appreciation for that.
**Mom's words of wisdom: Babies and love won't keep, the housework will.**
3. Me. I need to take better care of me. A wise woman, my mom, told me that if I don't take care of my needs I won't have anything to give to the other people and activities in my life. I need to stop waiting for A to get bigger so it will be easier but do what I can with today. (This morning I was successful at getting a half hour to myself and put on my makeup, did my hair and dressed. Good Stuff!)
4. The Housework. This still needs to hit the top 5 otherwise I will neglect my duties. I am going to try to set myself an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening to work on the house. This should give me enough time to get stuff I NEED to get done without feeling guilty that I didn't do enough during the day.
5. Friends and Family. I need to make a better effort to spend time with the people I love. I cannot cultivate and rely on these relationships if I neglect them. I know that others lives are busy but I bet if I put on a BBQ most of them would show up.
6. The business needs to be on here as well. I know I can do more to get us more business. I also need to be sure to set aside time every week to enter in our receipts and keep up with all aspects of the books.
7. Crafting is something that makes me happy and needs to be included in my time. I think if I make an effort to be more organized in my projects then I can get more done with less effort. I also need to manage my projects better so I am not being pulled in 10 different directions when I sit down to work on them.
8. Money also needs to hit this list. I tend to spend money in ways that prevent us from saving to get into a house or just about any big purchase for that matter. By setting a budget and sticking to it I can get rid of my frivolous spending and STOP getting charged overdraft fees. (Yuck!)

Wow, this list is pretty much in line with my 101 in 1001 project. I guess that makes this list pretty complete.

4th of July was a Lazy Weekend

What a lazy weekend. Friday we visited S & T. BBQ and fireworks. I forgot my camera but S has pictures that she took. A fell asleep half way through the show. He was a champ though. Traffic after the show was crazy. Rant: Why can't people remember the line at kindergarten? Everyone got a drink at the water fountain when everyone stood in line and waited their turn. I think that for the $10 that we paid to park should have come with a bit of traffic control.
Saturday was super lazy and so was Sunday with the exception of lots of dishes and meal preparation.

Walking little one means time for a change

My little guy is walking with quite a bit of excitement for the last couple of days. This evening he even tripped and bit his lip. Hubby was nearly hysterical from the blood. I was calm but nervous. It turned out to be pretty simple to calm him with a boo boo pack and a visit to the backyard. Both good distractions to be able to take a look in to see what might have happened.

See ya tomorrow for my new blouse excitement and the lovely clothing purchases that I got today.

Organizing & Blessings

Last night I finished Organizing from the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern. While I liked most of her ideas I am already using those. She suggests that you explore why something isn't working in your current system. As well as what your goals are so you can make a plan. She breaks down the different rooms and offers ideas on how to attack each area. Overall it was worth reading but didn't offer me a whole lot.

Blessings:
6/30
water for the garden
A's wagon
walks to the park
beautiful fabric
a clean kitchen first thing in the morning

7/1
organizing a bit at a time
hubby's day off
visits with friends
getting out of the house
creative energy

BBQ Sunday

I love to grill. I especially love to do it for friends and family. In our house I am the grill mistress! Today some of my hubby's friends came to enjoy some hamburgers from the grill. We all had a good time. I put on a good spread if I do say so myself. It was a lot of work to do it all on a day that I wanted to just relax but now that the kitchen is all cleaned up I feel like it was worth it.

Blessings for today
my grill
A's pack n play
giving gifts to others
the neighbor boys
sandboxes

It was supposed to be busy

Today was supposed to be busy with moving my younger sister's stuff from a storage unit to their new rental. She bailed on us so we wont be doing that. This afternoon A & I will be going with MIL to a birthday party. So this morning I will be going to pick up a gift and wrap it. I hope to have some time to work on another bag. I started another yesterday and will be done with it today (I hope). I may even get some cutie fabric and make a little dress for the little girl's gift. We'll see. After A's am nap we will be going to MILs to spend some time with her on her day off.

Today's Blessings
1. a walking boy
2. beach balls, playground balls, baseballs, and nubby balls
3. a day off of work for hubby
4. our hound dog
5. my sewing machine

Pretty Purse

Here is the purse I made yesterday. Isn't is cute? I am loving this purse. I have listed it here on my etsy store. If it doesn't sell then it will go back in the christmas presents box but I am hoping it will sell so I can make another for the gift.



It is a brown embroidered microsuede with a red cotton lining.

Next time I will be adding an interior pocket and magnetic snap closure. I will also be making these in a larger size for those of us (me) who have a few more things to fit in a purse.

So today I will be working on the next bag in this pattern. The purple and brown fabrics are my drug of choice today. I can't wait any longer so I'd better get to the machine.

Oops, I almost forgot the blessings.
1. hubby who encourages me without realizing that he has
2. a good employee working for our company
3. Sonic Strawberry Slush (yummy!)
4. my dymo labeler that helps me keep the boxes organized
5. a day to spend sewing

A new day with new blessings

1. my boy slept in his crib all night long. I didn't have to get him until 6:30 this morning. Woo Hoo!
2. visit with niece & nephew (cousins to A) today.
3. yummy fabric from Joann's yesterday (and it was all ON SALE!)
4. more work coming hubby's way
5. a chance to sew this afternoon

We have a busy day ahead. So what am I doing online? Procrastinating. I just am not really looking forward to getting in there and doing the dishes this morning. Maybe I will be a bit more motivated after I have another cup of coffee and a moment outside with it.

The yummy fabric and the sewing coming up today should get me started in making a couple of my christmas presents. I have recently read Bend The Rules by Amy Karol. I love a couple of her patterns so I think I am going to make them as gifts. I got enough material for 2 Charming Handbags and 1 Pleated Beauty Bag. Oh boy does it excite me to get some new fabric to play with that I can do for my christmas gifts. It is a little hard to justify spending money on this stuff right now but if I remind myself that it is better to spend it now than in the crunch in December I feel better about it.

Blessings everywhere

We have been keeping up with our blessings but I haven't posted them so here goes.
6/23
sleeping babies
pacifiers
wonderful working washer and dryer for Mt. Washmore
tools that help organize
my aprons

6/24
super long conversation with my mom (thanks mom, I really enjoyed that)
my own strength to do what needs to be done
crayons
a good cup of coffee
strawberries for breakfast

and today 6/25
a great friend who can almost read my mind
a little boy's patience to continue practicing walking
a hubby learning to put his dirty clothes in the laundry basket
little boy learning to feed himself
curiosity in all its forms

Today's Blessings

We had a nice relaxing day at home with the Dada today. It is fantastic that my darling hubby is able to spend some time at home with us even when work is so busy. A & I are blessed with a hard workin man.

#54. Blessings come in different ways. Today we count the food on our table, the books we read, the ground that is allowing us to grow our own food (we got our first tomato on the vine today), our dishwasher, and a happy toddler.

101 in 1001

Day Zero has a great idea that my list lovin self really likes. So here is the premise:

The Mission:
Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.

The Criteria:
Tasks must be specific (ie. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (ie. represent some amount of work on my part).

Why 1001 Days?
Many people have created lists in the past - frequently simple goals such as New Year's resolutions. The key to beating procrastination is to set a deadline that is realistic. 1001 Days (about 2.75 years) is a better period of time than a year, because it allows you several seasons to complete the tasks, which is better for organizing and timing some tasks such as overseas trips or outdoor activities.

My start date is today. June 22, 2008
My end date will be March 20, 2011

Key: In Progress, All Done, Attempted and Failed

My 101 by Category:

Lets get Creative
1. make all christmas gifts for 2008 [2/24]
2. recover MILs outdoor swing
3. make bedding for our bedroom
4. make another summer outfit for 2008
5. make a fall wardrobe [2 skirts, 2 pants, 6 shirts, jacket]
6. design my own top & make it
7. make 10 cloth grocery bags [0/10]
8. make a dress
9. paint a canvas for our bedroom
10. make a crafts notebook
11. finish quilting & bind A's quilt
12. finish S's stained glass jewelry box

Marriage is a beautiful thing
13. have a monthly date night [0/33]
14. Live by The Proper Care and Feeding of Marriage
15. plan a fantastic 5th Anniversary trip
16. picnic date with N
17. make N lunch for 1 month [0/30]

An Apple A Day
18. go for a walk 3x a week for 3 months [0/12]
19. quit drinking soda for 3 months [0/3]
20. drink 5 glasses or more of water a day for 3 months [0/90]
21. quit smoking for 3 months [0/3]
22. no fast food for 6 months [0/6]
23. get to 192 lbs
24. get to 162 lbs
25. no candy for 30 days [0/30]
26. cook only from Cooking Healthy with a Man In Mind for 30 days [0/30]

You find out who your friends are
27. mail handmade cards for family birthdays
28. show MIL appreciation for helping with the boy in a special way
29. get together with extended family every other month [0/16]
30. scan all of grandparents photos into computer
31. write & mail a letter each month [0/33]

Not a house. A home!
32. buy a house
33. plan for decorating home
34. make my plans come alive
35. refinish coffee table
36. revamp household blessings chart (6/22/08)
37. track progress from new hb chart daily for 6 months [0/180]
38. recover sofa
39. buy a new computer
40. frame 5 B&W images with colored matte and hang them [0/5]

Money makes the world go 'round
41. get a budget together
42. save for home purchase
43. sell wedding dress
44. setup a savings account for A's college fund
45. save $10 each month for A's college fund [$0/$330]
46. put $5 into a "Fun Fund" for every completed item on this list

We only have one earth
47. recycle the cans that we have collected
48. make bins to recycle paper, glass & plastic
49. grow more of our own food
50. install CF bulbs in all rooms of our house
51. use cloth grocery bags
52. use more green cleansers in the house (7/12/08 still in progress)

Nobody's happy if mama isn't happy
53. have a monthly renew myself day [0/33]
54. count a blessing with A each day [9/1001]
55. follow a daily skin care routine for 3 months [0/90]
56. get a professional facial
57. go TV free 1 day a week for 6 months [0/26]
58. go computer free for 1 day a week for 6 months [2/26]
59. plan an exciting 30th birthday for myself

Learning keeps me young
60. learn to embroider
61. take a cooking class
62. learn enough spanish to communicate with my neighbors

Business is good
63. have a fantastic booth in the 2009 Garden & Home Show
64. start a website for Accent
65. get all tax stuff entered by Jan 09
66. photograph all 'worthy' Accent jobs
67. start etsy shop [6/27/08]

Get me organized before I go crazy
68. listen to GTD again
69. read and incorporate Organizing from the Inside Out (6/30/08)
70. get new PDA/Smartphone (7/3/08)
71. organize my house in a functional way
72. get rid of 50 things I don't love [0/50]

Reading Rainbow
73. Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn
74. The Everything Budgeting Book
75. 30-Minute Get Real Meals
76. Use What You Have Decorating
77. The Organized Life by Stephanie Dalton
78. Sew What! Skirts by Francesca DenHartog
79. Sew U: The Built by Wendy Guide to Making Your Own Wardrobe

I want to get away
80. Visit Yellowstone, Wy
81. Visit Moab, Ut
82. go to Garden of the Gods
83. see the view from the top of Pikes Peak
84. go to a B&B

Get out of my comfort zone
85. see a scary movie with hubby
86. take a dance class
87. *private* AMOSWN
88. buy something sexy to not sleep in
89. write a fantasy short story

Parenting is not easy but it is rewarding
90. take A to the zoo
91. take A to the Children's Museum
92. visit the Denver Art Museum with A
93. Incorporate The Creative Family into our family
94. set aside time weekly for creativity [3/33]
95. read to A for 15 min daily for 30 consecutive days [0/30]
96. take A for professional photographs

Randomness
97. write a letter to myself to open on my 30th birthday
98. get a new high quality santoku knife
99. have a yard sale
100. buy new camera lens
101. blog a Week of Color

Bonus: start a new 101/1001 list at the end of this one

34 of 100 Things That Make Me Happy

1. My husband. He is a great provider and can almost always make me smile.
2. My son. His laughter lights up my life.
3. Family photos. I cherish them now but know in the future some will make great conversation with my son's girlfriends.
4. My sewing machine. I have far more uses for this machine than my time and energy currently allow but we will have years together.
5. Books. Confession: I have taken more than one "sick day" from work to read.
6. The computer. It is my connection to the world on days when I really don't want to venture out into it.
7. Nail polish. It never stays pretty long enough but I always feel girly when I have enough time to do my nails.
8. Aprons. Especially the ones that I have made.
9. Completed projects. Big or small doesn't matter as long as I can check them off my list.
10. Good dessert. I really like chocolate but it could be just about any kind of dessert.
11. My BHG Pink Cookbook. Yep this one is gonna be on my kitchen counter for years.
12. Kitchen tongs.
13. Santoku knife. I would like a better one for christmas but the one I have works just fine for now.
14. Coffee maker. Some days I have to have coffee. I like those days.
15. Cuisinart panini press/grill. I love to make bacon in this cause I have yet to burn it like I do in a pan.
16. Dishwashers. I hate doing dishes by hand so my dishwasher makes me happy by default.
17. Air Conditioning. It is gone from my car and I really miss it.
18. Organization. I like an orderly house but I am really happy when I can find anything because it has been organized.
19. Candles. I would burn candles in every room every minute of the day if it weren't for the whole fire hazard bit. Ahhh, Party Lite Candles. Do you have a favorite brand/scent of candle?
20. Washer & Dryer. I cannot imagine a life of washing clothes on a wash board and drying them on a line. Although whenever we get our house I will be putting up a drying line for linens. Who could resist a line of bedsheets soaking up the sun?
21. Modern kitchen appliances. I could never be a pioneer. Wouldn't want to cause I like my fridge and stove too much. Let's not forget the microwave.
22. High chair. Makes feeding soooo much easier and that makes me happy.
23. When my little boy is helpful. We fold laundry together on the big bed and he will hand me hangers. Puts a smile on my face every time.
24. Toys that inspire thought and creativity. If I could do it over again I would ask my family to only purchase toys that have these characteristics. Someday when the boy outgrows the current toys he will have much more natural toys and far less plastic.
25. Dreaming about our future house. I love to plan the decorations on this imaginary house.
26. Dreams of winning Powerball. I know that it is something that probably will never happen to us but oh boy do I have plans if it does.
27. Bubble baths. I haven't had a good bubble bath since I was pregnant and I wouldn't exactly call it a good bath since I had a basketball hiding under my skin.
28. The Big Bed! I <3 our big bed. I love the hugeness of it and how soft it is and how comfortable it is and how tall it is and ... I could go on forever about the big bed.
29. Smiles of wonder. When my son delights in all that is awe inspiring and wonderful in this world he gets a special smile that melts me.
30. Time with my family. It never feels like enough time when we are all together.
31. Time alone. I have always been a bit introverted and like it when I have some time alone.
32. My camera. I love to take pictures and my camera inspires me to take them more often.
33. My living indoor plants. I have never met a plant that I could keep alive inside until I met my Cyclamen. From then on I felt like I might have been getting a bit of a green thumb. So now I have more of them.
34. Jammies. I would wear white silk jammies to bed every night if I had them. I don't so I settle for green & blue striped cotton.

Well it is way past my bedtime so I should get into those jammies. I will fill in the rest of these in the next few days.

Yesterday was FANTASTIC!

Big thanks to my MIL for taking the little one for the day. I was able to finish making the top and capri pants that I started forever ago. I feel so refreshed and ready to tackle the things I need to get done now. It is a great feeling. By the time I finished sewing the top and pants I was kinda done with the sewing for the day. I was also missing my boy so I went over there to visit earlier than the original plan. Looking back I could have done a few other things here. That is a time when a specific list would have really helped me to stay away from the fridge and on task. But I was feeling lost so I had to get out of the house.
Here is my lovely new outfit. I really like how comfortable the pants are but the top has a few issues. I do like the pattern though so I may make another in a different material with a few changes. I want to make the top a bit longer and fix the straps so the underside of my arms aren't rubbed by the interfaced material.
I am also going to make another pair of these pants in a darker material. I like the fit of them but want something more practical for playing with a busy toddler.

The next project on the block is curtains for my dad's bedroom. They should be super simple because it is just going to be straight panels with tab tops. Super easy. I should get the material cut while the boy is sleeping.

A day to renew myself

My wonderful Mother In Law is taking my darling boy for the day tomorrow. She called me the other day and told me that I looked tired and she would take him for the day. What a woman. I love her. LOTS!
I am looking forward to renewing my body and spirit tomorrow.
My goals for the day:
1. a cup of coffee and some time cuddled up on my chair in the backyard and some reading
2. finishing my top that I started (Simplicity 3760)
3. finish the clutch I started (Kwik Sew free pattern)
4. posting my wedding dress on Craigslist
5. my usual household blessings

Oh boy am I excited to tomorrow. I think I will start my day off now by going to bed early.