Happy Halloween

Just a quick note to say Happy Halloween to everyone and show you a few things. It is show season so I am crazy busy and I love it. I am a much happier person trying to juggle lots of things at once. So, the first picture is Audrie's bumble bee costume. One of my first sewing projects. My mother sewed every night. It was calming to hear the buzz of the machine and know where your mama was. I had handmade dresses for every school dance. But, being a headstrong daughter didn't like taking lessons from her, regret it. So I know the basics but haven't done much. I am borrowing my cousin's sewing machine and like magic this costume came together from thrift store buys and fabric from decorating my niece's wedding reception. I will get pics tonight of the bumble bee in action.

Next is my little helper as I'm trying to take pictures of my gourds to list today and for next weekend's show. It is my favorite show because my Grandma lives there and it is sweet and fun and nice people and low stress. It will be at Silvercrest at Deer Creek Retirement Community in Overland Park. The street address is; 13060 S. Metcalf Ave. Overland Park, KS 66213 and the phone number is 913.681.1101. The show is Saturday and Sunday. I believe 10-4, I'll check times. If you would like to have a booth just call the number I listed and ask for Jill.

Have a Great and Safe Halloween. Jennifer

Bike Ride Sunday

We are headed out for a bike ride with the little ducklings. I just wanted to drop in and show you what I have been making. It is that time of year you put gourd crafting into high gear, but I got distracted by all the wonderful herbal scents I have hanging out so I stopped by the local drug house... I mean craft super store Micheal's and grabbed some soy wax chips. It was so nice to use in a double broiler and the essential oils mixed easy. I poured them into antique jars that are overflowing my shelves and voila my house smells grrrreat.

I'll let you know how the bike ride goes. My bike needs a repair and I think that I am the last person my husband will fix something for. Like a wise wife said to our buddy, her husband; "I wish I had your number." cause he sure could help out a friend and fix stuff for others. Ok, I got distracted. My bike only has one pedal so I may have trouble getting up hills, but I will be like a bullet going downhill. Sounds like a fun day huh?

Celebrating New Talent

Last Thursday our 6th grade football team and the 6th grade cheerleaders got to play and cheer at half time of the Kansas City Chiefs home pre-season game against the Packers. It was so exciting! The boys were like little dots on that huge field and I can just imagine their hearts beating out of their chests to be surrounded by people cheering them on. As a parent it was an amazing feeling to see your son's tackle on the Jumbo Tron! The game ended in a tie 7-7 which I think was the perfect outcome. We were on the opposite side of the field from where they were playing and I didn't want to miss it by trying to make my way to the other side, so I took my pictures at the highest resolution and hoped for the best. Here are a few of the pictures I got that night. We had great weather with storm clouds clearing as we all arrived then it was almost chilly. Football Season is Here! Click HERE to go to my flicker page and see more game pictures. There will be sections on the right hand side to click and see the game pics. I will also be posting pictures from the teams float in the Louisburg parade. Busy week.

Cross Stitch Envy

So, I have two Etsy shops. One where I list things I make and vintage country items Trellis and one that I list fabric and patterns for sale Epic Epoch. I have been listing pattern after pattern of these fun cross stitch projects and it makes me yearn to do them. So far I have resisted. I just keep looking back at the cross stitch project I started in High School. I now have a daughter in High School.

And it kinda looks like my new cat....

I Promise

I promise to do better on the blogging. It is fall gourd time, MY FAVORITE, and they will be popping up on here. But, I do have a good excuse; the end of summer and lots of kids and back to school. I had 200 beautiful trees to inventory and analyze. These trees added 17k a year in value and saving to the property. Amazing! and we went to the lake and as if I didn't have enough to do, we switched and painted and rearranged rooms then went through clothes and got ready for school. So a better, deeper post later. I Promise.

Want a Peak

My bedside table starts to collect things that I really like. Wanna peak before I clean it off again and start over? It is an antique chest that I can't remember life before it. Really, it has been around my mom and dad's house for as long as I can remember and now it lives at my house. On top of the chest is my reading lamp, cause I looove to read. On top of the lamp is Dum Dum's bird (that is the new nickname that John gave to the kitten) I got the bird at a garage sale. It is vintage and made for craft projects. It has landed on my lamp and the kitten lives to hunt it. I have a wooden box with my favorite necklace. Two jars of my favorite homemade lotions. My creamy body butter and the leftover chocolate peppermint lip balm. Yummy yarn, look at those beautiful balls of color and texture. The self striping sock yarn has the cutest knitting needles with cupcakes on the end sticking out of the softness. There is a hairband from flipping it out when I am done with my ponytail at the end of the day. Also, a can of spray pain reliever because I have had poison ivy all summer and wake up with burning arms. Then books and magazines. Can't get enough! I haven't read all the books yet, but the magazines I have memorized. Borders Books just had a tent sale so the pile is kinda high. There is soapmaking, knitting, living simple, fantasy books, country living mag, and aromatherapy. So that was a little peak into my bedroom and my head.

Summer of the Boy

We are a Re-Tread, a combined family, the real Brady Bunch. He has 3 kids and I have 3 kids. Then we got married and their were 8, four girls and twin boys. The first three years we had all of them full time except for an occasional JC weekend (Joint Custody or Thank Jesus Christ) but as they grow and become self obsessed, dramatic......I will stop before I say too much, Tweens, they start to try living at Mom's or spending more time at Dad's. So, needless to say, summer time is a weird schedule with the kids. The oldest girl is in Boston visiting family and keeps in touch by twitter and facebook. Weird I tell ya. The youngest is Grandma's buddy and flitting around to all her social events, and the middle girls are with their mom doing God Know's what! I won't even get into that. Lately I have been outnumbered by boys; John (Hubby) and Cale and Brennen (my twins) and the neighbor boy is staying with family up the street for the summer so he has joined the fun in bringing dirty boy stuff to my life. Super Weird!

So this weeks pictures have been outdoor boy fun. Playing on the slip n slide they won for reading 5 books. I know! Already! I am so proud. The bucket of crawdad's making noise in my kitchen. Don't they live outside in a creek? Do they suddenly need air conditioning? And the great Bass tournament. Well, three boys on a big pond with fishing poles and a canoe. I have been told to stay away so they can be boys and mom doesn't go nurture them. Me? Do That? Well, at least I'm going to pack them snacks and a water jug.