Thankfulness

This Thanksgiving may have looked a little different for us, but that didn't change the fact that I'm just as thankful as ever. Yesterday we celebrated very quietly at home. It was just the four of us, and I was okay with that. The plan had been that we would host my family and all the kids and Pete's parents and sister Kristin. There would have been quiet a few people here, but we love to host. I had a whole Pinterest board filled with recipes and decorations and kids' craft ideas. We were going to change things up a bit from our traditional spread and try a turkey soup with hearty bread and a pumpkiny dessert. It would have been grand. But then the whole appendicitis thing hit, and all those lovely ideas were put to rest.

Instead, we woke up at our regular hour of 7am, cuddled in bed, and then we played in the living room while Daddy went to do rounds at the hospital. He brought home a delicious breakfast from the hospital caf and we feasted picnic style on the living room floor. Breakfast was followed by a cozy viewing of The Lorax and naps all around while Daddy went in to do a C section. Afterward, he brought home a plate of turkey, dressing, potatoes, and pumpkin pie (again from the caf) and we shared our Thanksgiving meal in front of the fire.

Look at how cute this little guy was for his first Thanksgiving! Our little butter ball.

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Yesterday, while Pete was away doing his morning rounds, Ella and I worked together to refashion the broken crayons from her big tin of colors. We picked out all the little pieces, peeled the paper, and put them in this little silicon baking sheet (not used for food, of course). It's a very simple activity, if you ever decide to do it with your own kiddos. Simply put the sheet in the oven at 300* for 15 minutes. (I found my silicon baking pans at Saver's for a dollar each. They come in different shapes.) They'll be very melty and hot, so be very careful as you remove them from the oven. You can either let it cool on the counter or, if you're impatient like I am, you can very carefully set them in the freezer or fridge to speed up the process. When they're cool, pop them out of the tray. That's it! 

When making the crayons, you can either do all one color for each new crayon, as we did yesterday, or you can put pieces of various colors in each. That's how we made our Valentines last year. We made them in heart shapes, taped them to a little paper doily, and Ella gave them to her friends. They would also make perfect stocking stuffers for hardly any cost!

We all had fun creating colorful masterpieces with these new crayons for Thanksgiving.

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I mentioned a week or two ago there's an appearance change on the horizon for the blog. I changed the background to celebrate Thanksgiving, but an even bigger change is still coming. I'm hoping it will be up over the weekend, but we'll see what happens. I can't wait to share it with all of you!

I hope you had a very happy Thanksgiving and that you're now ready to deck the halls! Not sure when it will happen in this house, but we'll surely take pictures when it does!

Baby's Quilt is Finished!

It's nice to have this little quilt finished before our wee one arrives in the next couple weeks. I tried to make it gender neutral, which isn't very easy with these fabrics. I fell in love with these, though, so I wanted to make it work. The back is the green & white you see in the bottom right photo. I can't wait to cuddle our little bundle in it!

Cute Words & Oatmeal Sensory Box

My dear Ella has been saying the cutest things lately. She's putting sentences together now and thinking about what they mean, which constantly surprises me. Here are a couple examples from the last two days.

Last night the two of us were playing downstairs. She was exploring her oatmeal sensory box (as seen below) along with one of her favorite dolls Lila. I say "doll" but she's really a tall, skinny, metal lawn ornament that I think is supposed to be a lady bug. I tried packing her away for the winter, but Ella just wouldn't have it. So now she stays in the basement for play times. Anyway, I was in the Annex and could hear Ella talking. She said, "Naughty, Lila, naughty. Bed." Then, right before I heard the door shut, she said, "I love you." When Ella came in the Annex, I asked what had happened. She told me, "Lila naughty." When I asked why, Ella responded, "Lila eat oatmeal." It's true, Ella isn't supposed to eat the dried oats in her sensory box. Apparently, neither is Lila.

This morning when I went to get Ella up, she gave me a giant hug, looked up, and very carefully chose her words when saying, "Ella's favorite mommy." I often tell her she's my favorite girl, but she came up with the mommy phrase entirely on her own. What a sweet girl.

And just now I was up in her room following a timeout. I got down on my knees so I was on her level and told her to look at my eyes. I said it's important to obey Mommy. After a second, she was still looking at me without saying anything, so I asked, "Are you listening?" She quickly responded, "What?" So obviously she wasn't listening at all. I really tried not to laugh, but I couldn't help it. I gave her a hug and hoped it wasn't a reflection of her listening skills once she hits her tween years. Yikes.

I mentioned that Ella has an oatmeal sensory box. This is one of the things I put together for her this week in my search for toddler/preschool appropriate games, crafts, and activities. Now that I'm on break from classes, it's really nice to be able to focus my time on things for her. I've scoured the internet and have been pinning ideas on Pinterest like crazy. I really liked the idea of these sensory boxes for the cold days that Ella can't play outside in her sandbox.

I got the idea from the Pink and Green Mama blog. As a former art teacher, she's got tons of ideas that we could do for days and days. I started with the sensory boxes. I already had a few shallow tubs, so I bought two tubs of oats and a few $1 animals at Target. The other toys were things we already had. I also bought a $1 plastic table cloth to go under the box for a quick clean up of spilled oats, especially when we're playing in the basement on a rug.

Ella has spent lots of time at her oatmeal box already. Sometimes I play with her and sometimes I let her play alone. It's fun to see her be imaginative with it.

I made another box using rice, which I'll post a little later. That one has a different theme. The nice thing is that we can always change the themes if we want.

Photo Friday: Ella's Mummy Gourd

I saw this adorable mummy in a Martha craft email this week and couldn't resist trying it with Ella. Martha suggested using crepe paper, but I found this great plaster stuff at Saver's a couple months ago and was just waiting to use it. In elementary school art class I created an entire Italian meal using similar plaster material and loved it. It was easy enough for Ella to use! She soaked it in the water and I shaped it. We attached a pair of googly eyes and that was that! Our own little mummy! And that's about as Halloween as we get.

Nap Time Sewing

On Wednesday I made this little apron during Ella's nap. Yes, I could have been doing school work, but I had been thinking about making this baby for weeks and didn't want to put it off any longer. Such a lovely way to spend a quiet nap time!

hanging slightly crooked

I've made quite a few of these aprons through the last year. I've got the pattern down now, so they don't take long. It's fun to look for different fabrics to put together to fit the person who will be getting it. I won't say who this one is for since it's a gift that hasn't been gifted yet.

pocket detail

I originally created the pattern from a vintage apron my Aunt Jean found for me at a garage sale. I would have just kept using that apron, but it was getting pretty worn. I basically put the apron down on newspaper and cut the same shape for the pattern. Over time I've made a few changes, including adding the pocket frill in the photo above. I like the character it adds.

back view

I made mini versions of these aprons for Ella's birthday and for my nieces Hailey and Malena at Christmas last year. They're pretty adorable when they're that small! I'll try to find pictures of those and post them before long.

Coming soon: our Apple Fest adventure!

A New/Old Dress

I love dressing up for parties. Love love. I don't doubt it comes from theatre experiences and all the amazing costumes I've had the privilege of wearing since I was little. Basically, if there is a theme, I'm so dressing up.

Just such a party came up two weekends ago. Theme? Roller disco. That's exactly what it was. A roller disco with skates and snow cones and the Hokey Pokey. It was at the church. Yeah, pics to come. Now, before you look at this dress and say, Ang, that is so NOT roller disco, let me assure you that I'm aware of the fact. Here's what happened. Pete & I went out looking for something for me to wear to the party (Nana & Bapa Olsen were with Ella, so we considered this a hot date). There was a store I wanted to check out that I thought might have what I was looking for, so we headed to Obscurities on 4th Street. If you're from Duluth, you may or may not be aware of its existence. Not many people I know have been there. Kinda one of those sketchy places from the outside. Looks like they just run it out of their house. Anyway, Pete was with me so I was a bit more brave than I would have been on my own. So glad we went! As soon as we walked it, I knew I was going to find something.


And find something I did. Hanging from the window in the front room was this amazing little orange number. So very 60s. But would it work for a roller disco party? After looking through the rest of the store and choosing a couple different outfits, I tried everything on and pretty much fell in love with this one. I'd make it work. Here was my thought: I'm going to wear it one night for a disco, right? So big deal if I'm a few years off on the fashion train. After that, I'd be able to wear it for whatever I felt like. So I went with it. Yeah, I would have loved to wear a sign on my back at the party that said I realized I was total 60s, but why apologize, right?


The only change I needed to make before the party was to shorten the hem. That's nothing new in my world, being a whole 5 feet 2 inches. (I do completely enjoy being on the shorter side, mind you.) The hem originally fell right in the middle of my calves, but I took it up to just above my knees. I tucked the extra 8 inches up in the hem so I can change it in the future if need be. (You can see Ella's little helping hands in the work shot above.)

I paired it with black opaque tights and tall black boots. I'm a big fan of the collar and sleeves. There's a chance I'll do more alterations eventually, but I'm not exactly sure what. Take off the collar? Remove the sleeves? For now, I like it just the way it is.

Never mind roller disco. I've got a new 60s frock. And I like it.

Spring Break Projects

I wasn't planning on writing at the moment since I sat down to work on homework, but I'm losing the battle to stay awake, so I'm hoping this will help. I feel like I have so much to write from the last two weeks, but I don't really know how to say any of it. Could it be due to all the academic writing I've been doing lately? Sometimes it's hard to switch from sounding somewhat scholarly to my own voice.

Two weeks ago I had spring break. No classes all week meant I got to do all fun projects. I made a list at the beginning of the week and made it a decent part of the way through by the end. There was no way I could have actually done everything I wrote down. It was merely a way to make sure that each time I checked the list something would catch my eye and fit my mood.

Ella was my creative motivation.

Project One: Miss Ella's Rocking Chair

I bought this chair at Good Will in Minneapolis at least a year ago. I had high hopes for it but never took the time to work on it. You know how it is. You'd love to work on that special little project but something else comes to mind that actually has some sort of due date, so the project gets postponed. Anyway, the chair cost just $5.


I found the paint in a storage room in the basement when we moved into this house. It was only after I finished the chair that I could tell which room it came from. It's the basement bathroom. I think it's a good fit for the chair.


I bought the white paint at Michaels for 88 cents along with a little brush for $1 and the little wooden ELLA letters for something like 50 cents each. I don't actually remember. I bought them a while ago.


Project one is completed. I do think it's a little silly that I waited this long to paint it since I finished nearly the entire thing in one afternoon nap time. I'm so happy to have it done. I hope it will be a cozy reading spot for my little girl as she grows.


Project Two: Baby Doll Dress

My grandma on my mom's side did a lot of sewing when my mom was growing up and continued while I was a little girl. I have a stack of adorable doll clothes that she made for my Cabbage Patch. For as long as I can remember I've wanted to do as my grandma did. I've imagined making a dress for my little girl and sewing a miniature, matching dress for her doll.


After finishing the doll dress, I felt an incredible sense of accomplishment and happiness. It was as though I had a connection from myself all the way back to the woman my grandma was when she was my age. I thought about her a lot while I was piecing everything together and stitching each seam. I wish I could go back to the time when she sat at her own sewing machine and watch her. Each stitch and snap and zipper carefully placed. I imagine we would talk about teaching and music and books and baking, all things that we both enjoy. And then we would sit and drink coffee and eat cookies, something we tend to do during each visit. Maybe it's being a mom and feeling like we have so many things in common that I've felt closer to my grandma lately. I need to tell her that. I haven't. She lives only four hours from me. Maybe I can take Ella for a visit so she can soak up some Grandma J lovin'.


As I was going to mention, I made this little dress for Ella's doll to match the one I made for her at Christmas. I purposely didn't use Christmasy fabric so that she could continue wearing it for a while. I'm so glad I did!


I did do other things during break, but these are the two most notable projects. I actually felt like I spent my time well that week. Usually I get to the end of break and think about all the time I wasted. Not this one, though. I'll be going straight on to May term followed by a summer class, so my next break won't be until the first week of July. I'm already making a list of projects!

Welcome to the Annex

Welcome to the Annex! This little room in the basement was a big project that I'm happy to say is now finished. Most of it was done before I started grad school at the end of January, but I'm only now posting pictures. (Grad school is a busy thing!)


I was excited to transform this oddly-shaped storage room in the depths of the basement into a usable, inspiring space. When I went into it, I had basically one thing in mind - make it MINE. I've wanted a place I can hide away to work, keep my projects out of the reach of little hands, and decorate in any way I please.


Once I got going on the painting and decorating, it didn't take long to get it to a comfortable point. I found a lot of the last pieces at Target, my go-to for just about everything. My pens and scissors are in a rotating utensil container while the tray works for easily carrying projects from the annex to the dinning room. The lamp, joy cut out, and glass bowls are also from Target. The pewter frame was something I bought in Honduras when I was living there in 2002.


This spice rack was a wedding gift that is now keeping my assorted button collection in order.


Once a place for delivered milk, this box was transformed into a mail box, which is where we found it when we moved into our house. Now it is used to store extra bits of fabric.


I made this mask in my college costuming class in 2001. I've always been somewhat proud of it. It was cast to my own face and is completely wearable. Now it has a place in my art space. Maybe I love it so much because it reminds me of my college theatre days. Yup, that's probably it. The butterfly is a wall sticker from the Dollar Tree. They fit together nicely.

Randomness collected through the years. One of my faves: the green pitcher. I bought it at a market in Honduras in 2005.


The wedding picture is of my great-grandparents. I wore her wedding ring as my engagement ring and am now saving it to give to Ella someday. The two bowls belonged to another one of my great-grandmothers.


I put the hooks up to hang current projects and display little pieces of inspiration. The pink apron was handmade by one of my great-grandmothers. The painting is something we bought shortly after getting married, and the curtain is something I found at GoodWill (originally from Target).


Lots of supplies hidden behind the curtain on a shelving unit we bought at Target a couple years ago. It was a perfect fit for the space since the ceiling is a little higher there.


Miss Ella's hand print on an extension of one wall.


This shelving unit is a fun way that I can store many of my supplies and still display them. The glass jars and two wreaths came from Target at different times. The silver photo boxes and black magazine keepers all came from Ikea.

The "rubies" sign was a Christmas gift this year from Pete. I absolutely love it. Pete used part of Proverbs 31 that speaks of a wife of noble character being more valuable than rubies in his vows and made my wedding ring with a ruby. (He's incredibly thoughtful!) The sign came from this great shop on Etsy.


Who isn't inspired by a red door? I've always been, so I painted this door between the annex and a storage room with paint remaining from our dining room.


On the other side of the door I hung this clear shoe organizer to hold all of my office supplies. It's a very easy way to keep everything in an easy-to-access place and still be able to see everything. The organizer came from Target.


I do have before pictures as well, but I'm determined not to continue putting off posting these pictures, so I'll add them soon. Ella helped out a bit with the painting and was completely adorable. Like I said...pics to come.

So now I have a very comfy, cozy place to study and work. I don't have to pack everything away after each use and I can decorate however I please. I've already added quite a few pictures to the bulletin board above the table and have framed others for the adjacent wall. The annex is exactly what I hoped it would be!

Craft: Quick Little Bag

I'm sad to say that I will no longer be spending my Fridays with Owen & Caleb. This week the boys moved with their big sister, Sophia, and mom & dad all the way out to Colorado. We're super excited for their family and all the adventures coming up. Owen & Caleb's dad will be the new head pastor at a Vineyard Church out there. Ella & I pretended like we didn't actually have to say goodbye since we'll be visiting them at the end of August! That made the farewell so much easier. We wish the Folman family the very best in Colorado!

As I was recently going through some of my files, I found these pictures of Caleb working on a little bag for his sister a few months ago. He did amazing work! (And was quite serious about the entire process.)


We used a small piece of fabric from my stash for the entire bag.


You can see in this picture that Caleb wanted to try out as many different kinds of stitches as possible. It's how we ended up decorating the flap.


Ta da!


We finished the project by wrapping it in a little goodie bag tied with a ribbon. I think Sophia liked it!


Simple simple. We had a great time sewing together, and it was a lovely way to fill the afternoon while the wee ones napped.

Nice work, Caleb!

A Valentine For You!

Ella's been working hard on her valentines!

This one is for you!

We've been incredibly blessed in the last year through lots of amazing friendships, so it's fun to take a special day like Valentines Day to think about all the people we really love. We know we wouldn't be the people we are without you, so thank you. You deserve this valentine!

"We love because He first loved us."
1 John 4:19