House of Piles or My House in the Summer

I love summer.  The weather is warm (although I could do with less humidity), the days are long, the nights are fun, and things just move at a slower pace.  I love having my kids at home all to myself and drinking my coffee warm in the mornings.  What I don't like is what my house becomes in the summer time.  I freak out every year because I've already forgotten that it was the same way last year. Because there are more bodies in the house during the day things tend to get piled up or just flat out ignored. 

The first place that gets piled on is the dining room table.  It is the largest and first flat surface you come to in my house.  This is where, purchases, gifts of thanks (that I can't manage to deliver, sorry Katie), projects and and pockets are dumped.  

The dining room is also where I sew.  This is where my W.I.P's find a home.

The kitchen is a never ending room of piles.  Piles of clean and dirty dishes.  Cups from various people on every counter and veggies from the garden that need some attention.  (I really need to repaint the cabinets. *sigh*)

We have an oversize coffee table in the living room and it doesn't take long for it to pile up especially when the girls are home..

And of course it wouldn't be complete without including the piles of laundry.  Clean laundry here, no one needs to see the dirty stuff.  You can just make out the overflowing recycle bin in the back corner.  That would be the same said recycle bin I was told would be emptied before bedtime last night. Hmmmm, I think SOMEONE forgot.  ;)

This post goes against every part of my Type A personality. The fact that you are seeing my house in disarray gives me a panic attack.  But I am not a perfect person and my house can not look like a page from magazine.  It's just not realistic.  I know that these wonderful summer days with my family will be over too soon and I need to enjoy every minute of them.  The piles will be tended too and there will be new piles.  That is my house in the summer. Is it yours too?

Baby Sewing

I know about 9 people that are either pregnant or trying to adopt.  Sadly I do not fall into this category but I do get to enjoy all the fun sewing for the new little ones.  My niece and her husband are expecting their first baby in August.  The are expecting a girl and I can't wait to see her.  I couldn't make up my mind what I wanted to make for her so I just made them all.

The color scheme for the baby's room is pink, light grey and white.  I found some really cute quilting fabrics to match and went to work.  I wanted it to be special just for her so I hand embroidered an A (for Ava) on the bottom corner square.  I used the pattern from Alicia Paulson's book Embroidery Companion.  I am really pleased with how it came out.
  

 I stumbled across this pattern/tutorial on Pintrest for the dress.  It also has a link to the shoes. I used this pattern/tutorial for the bloomers.  The dress is a super easy peasant dress. The bloomers, however cute, were pretty fussy.  Trying to make a casing for the legs with the ruffles on something that small was a test to my patience.  The shoes were a last minute decision.  I had enough fabric leftover so I decided to try them.  They are so sweet.  The headband is all mine.  Have I mentioned that I make hair bows? Well maybe next post.  

Burp cloths are must have. These are just embellished cloth diapers with some cute flannel I found in the remnant bin.  I have tried other patterns that have you cut the diaper and sew the fabric on but found out that they do not wash well.  I also made a cute pacifier holder and embellished a wipe case.

Last but not least, a bunny lovey.  My good friend sent me the link to this cute little bunny.  Such an easy pattern and quick.

Well I hope Miss Ava and her mom enjoy all the fun stuff I sent.  I can't wait to see her precious face.

Whole Again

The last couple of weeks have been wonderful. We are whole again with him home. Each one of us letting out our own sighs of contentment.  I think a collective sigh could be felt from both sides of the country when he stepped foot off the plane.  My parents and his own sighing in relief that he is safe and back where he should be.  We have been busy and lazy, silly and serious, quiet and talkative but most importantly...together.

We took a little trip to visit my in-laws at Holden Beach, NC.  We had a lot of fun and it was really nice to get away and just concentrate on each other making up for time lost.  Nothing relaxes your soul like parking your butt in a beach chair with toes digging in the sand watching the people you love the most running in the water, jumping in the waves and screaming in the delight and simpleness of it all.

We did all the typical beach activities including putt-putt golf, a trip to Broadway at the Beach (Myrtle Beach),swimming at the community pool, and fishing off the pier at night.  I got some much needed reading in and a lot of relaxing.

I sent him off to work this morning not really ready to let him go again but at least I know he will come home at the end of the day to us and that my friends is all I need.

Homecoming

Thursday was a very special day in the Presson household.  After a very short stay at school the girls and I loaded up the car and headed for Baltimore.  It was a long drive not just because of anticipation but because of construction and just congestion.  Finally we arrived and after much anticipation, anxiety, and waiting...

The doors finally opened... 

 and he FINALLY was back where he is supposed to be.

Oh how we missed him.  

Strawberry Pickin

 On Saturday I woke the girls a little early, made a stop at Dunkin Donuts, and headed over the bridge (James River Bridge) to go strawberry picking.  The girls love to pick strawberries and we are almost out of the last strawberry jam I made so there was a need. The girls and I have been looking forward to this since the season changed.  I have been calling the "Strawberry Hotline" since late April to find out when the fields would be open.  It was a little muddy and damp that morning due to recent storms but like they say " A little dirt (or mud) never hurt anyone!"

On Sunday morning I woke up and started busying myself preparing for the strawberry work ahead.   

 The first time I made strawberry jam the girls were about 4.  Kaitlyn tasted it and declared it will be the only jam she will eat.  She wasn't kidding either.  If she is presented with jam that I didn't make she is very reluctant to eat it.  Funny girl.  The jam process is not a hard process but it would be better with 2 people.  The girls are too young to stand at the stove stirring a pot of hot molten lava. In the future they will help but not yet.  They don't need to wear a Phineas and Ferb band-aid because of second degree burns like someone else I know. (ahem :/) After 2 batches of jam I ended up with 20 half-pint jars.  I also had enough strawberries to freeze 4 quart bags and fill two containers for eating.

Not too bad.  Sadly this will all disappear very quickly.  The girls and I can go through fruit like no body's business.  

So much deliciousness in one bowl.  Yum!  I think I will make a pie.  Probably this one.  Double Yum!

Surveying The Estate

After a very grumpy start to my morning, I came home from taking the girls to school and made myself breakfast and ate it al fresco.  I'm not really sure why it was such a grumpy morning but I apparently had my claws out when I woke up.  After breakfast and another cup of coffee I decided to "Survey the Estate".  My good friend once told me that if her dad a particularly long day at work he would come home and "Survey the Estate".  It makes me giggle every time I say it but I use it frequently.  When I here the word estate I think of all the Jane Austin books and movies I love.  I definitely do not live on an estate, I do have a rather large yard but my home is a typical 1970's rancher.  "Surveying the Estate" makes a simple walk around the yard sound so grand just like "mowing the lawn" is much more sophisticated than "cutting the grass" according to my dad. HA! Here is what I found as I "Surveyed the Estate" this morning.  (Warning: This is a picture heavy post).

Little tiny strawberries that the squirrels will probably enjoy before we do.

Hanging baskets on the deck.

Flowers that make me think of my Papaw.  He loved Dahlias.

Our frog prince in the middle of my abundant thyme.

Garden Bed #1

Garden Bed #2

Hydrangeas that have grown so much and will be full of beautiful flowers soon.

My Rhododendrons that finally, after 3 years, are blooming.  The plants look terrible but they are still going strong.

Lovely roses

Purple iris around a tree that is completely covered in poison ivy.

And last but not least a sea of "flowers" in the yard that always find their way into a glass on the kitchen window seal from two special little girls.

I hope you enjoyed your tour around my "estate".  It made me feel so much better.  I am now much less grumpy and armed with an apology and Popsicles for those two special little girls after school.  

Working

This is what my dining room looks like right now.  I do not have a sewing/craft room (although I dream of one) so I have to set up in the dining room to do any sewing or crafts.  Thankfully with it just being the girls and I right now we don't mind eating around the coffee table.  I will have to clean things up in a few weeks before my husband comes home!  I have made progress on my W.I.P.S; the mermaids are all done, I started cutting squares out of the fabric that will make up the rest of that quilt, I am working on the dresses I cut out last year (very fussy pattern), one of the crochet blankets is coming along, and I worked in a cute top for the girls made with 2 bandannas. Its a variation on a pillowcase dress.

Super cute and super simple.  From start to finish it may have taken 20 minutes.  They are perfect dresses for little ones and then turn into a cute top as they grow.  Here is the link for it here. I think I will make one for my great-niece and maybe a few for the girls friends that are all getting ready to have birthdays.  

Off to work on something, have a great one!