Knitting, Chocolate Covered Marshmallows, Dancing and Swim Class (200:365)

Still trying to finish that little infant cocoon.

Dee kept saying she wanted "that chocolate marshmallow Valentine treat". I had NO idea what she was talking about for a loooong time today. Than I remembered it was one of these that she was craving.

Image from here.

As should you. They are good! I have fallen in love with these little gems myself.

However, we didn't have any at the moment, so we made our own. 

We used Christmas marshmallows, and dipped them in melted goodness. Yum!

This morning Dee had her first dance class. It was so cute to watch her through the glass. She was really good at listening (we talked about that beforehand) and doing all the moves really well. She was so excited about her class and all the new moves she learned.

We may have a little ballerina on our hands.

Also this morning, both girls participated in a new session of Float 4 Life. Some of you may remember me talking about it here. Dee is a good little swimmer, and today she practiced swimming face down! Goose likes when we all go play at the pool, but today was a different story. She screamed and screamed! I wasn't as worried about her as we were when Dee did her first class...is that bad? I just knew already that she was in good hands (her teacher has taught Dee three times already) and that she will scream for a couple of weeks, but then she will be fine and love it like Dee does.

Poor Goose.

She recovered quickly though.

And soon she'll be swimmin' around like a real goose.

Adding to the Shop (199:365)

I added a bunch of super cute cabochon earrings to my etsy shop, getting ready for a something exciting! On Friday my shop will be featured on the blog A Few Of My Favorite Things where I'll be doing a giveaway!

Come check out some of my latest additions, like these Peachy Orchid Cabochon Earrings.

Beginnings of an Apron (198:365)

Well, craft night at Julie's turned into the next day, which is when I began this little project.

Using some super cute Moda fabric my friend Ana gave me, I've begun an apron.

More to come...

Nursing Cover (197:365)

Made my first nursing cover today (for a friend, NOT me!) while crafting at my friend Julie's.

I used this amazing tutorial over at Freshly Picked.

 With help from the tutorial, I added a little corner of terry cloth to wipe the drooly baby and a pocket for such necessities as binkys and snacks for momma.

Baby Cocoon Part Duex (196:365)

Almost done...

Beginnings of a Baby Cocoon (195:365)

I know that sounds really weird, but trust me, it's gonna be cute! I've been coveting baby cocoon props that photographers have been using and annoyed that everyone charges $40 for them. Then I realized, I can make one myself! Whipped out the good old Knifty Knitter and have been working on it all night. It's probably gonna take a few days, but hopefully it will be done by the time I help a friend take some pictures of a sweet little baby I know.

For shots of cute completed baby cocoons that other people have made and used look here.

Mod Podge is Neato (194:365)

I made 16 of these this afternoon.

 

This afternoon, because I am a procrastinator and work best under stress and aggravation. 

Even still, it was fun! Dee was at preschool while Goose and I went out shopping for supplies. I went to a hardware store and bought my first piece of lumber. It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. Then the man cut it up into 6x6" blocks for me. 


Once we came home I whipped out one of my cool power tool toys that my step-dad John gave me. Look at this bad boy.

I used this sweetie pie to sand down the edges of the blocks.

Then I spray painted them all a couple of times. 


I'd found the cute little saying here, that I used for the project. I printed them out on regular paper and Mod Podged them to the blocks. 


I think they turned out pretty cute! 


I made them for the Young Women at church,so they could have something in their rooms that would remind them of the Theme for the year, the admonition of Paul from Phillipians 4:8 and The 13th Article of Faith.


See more about the theme here.

Best Hair Ties Ever! (193:365)

I have fallen in love with these.

Image courtesy from here.

They are amazing!

I put one in my hair, in a high ponytail today and it didn't budge even a tiny bit ALL DAY! I know I am using a lot! of exclamation points, but it's is well merited. I am one of those people who gets excited over the shiny new hair products at the store, and this one actually does what it says. I have never had such a satisfactory experience with any ponytail holder in my life.

You must buy them.

(I get no commission from your purchase, only joy knowing your hair will stay put like mine does.)

To Infinity! (192:365)

I've been dying to make/ buy an Infinity Scarf for months now and actually bought this cheapy $2.50 knit scarf from Target a few months ago to make one from.

I used this quick tutorial, from HomeMadeMamas, which is an awesome blog, btw.

And, Voilà!

After I realized I'd sewn it right side out, and corrected my mistake, it really only took like 5 minutes to do. Love this tut! Can't wait to experiment more with this. Maybe a patchwork one will be coming out of my brain sometime soon... 



P.S. If you don't like this song by Vampire Weekend, there is something wrong with you.
One of my favs. Vid is cool too.

Whipped Out the Ole Clarinet (191:365)

Dee found my hidden talent.

Image from Here

The Clarinet.

It was stashed under some stuff by my desk.

She was really curious so I broke it out for her and played until my lips went numb, which took about 60 seconds. Pretty lame.

I buried my talent and now I a lousy clarinet player!

I think I'll try to practice more. I know the girls will love it.

What talents are you going to work on?

Interview (190:365)

Our daddy is interviewing today.

We are growing up!

Almost ready to fly out into this big world, away from the "cushy" life of students...if he gets this job that is. Good luck honey on your big day! You are in our prayers.

Just for kicks, a fun daddy flashback.

For Betsy (189:365)

 



Sent these with Scott for a personal delivery. Wish we could have gone too! Hope you like them!

Food is Good (188:365)

It was a snowy, recovery day around these parts, so I had loads of time to hang out and be busy in the kitchen. Lately I've been dying for some french bread with butter - best food in the world!!! - so I made me some. Straight out of my Kitchen Aid cookbook, this recipe was quick, easy and fantastic. (Find the recipe here.) Everyone from my baby up to my honey loved it.

Yes - that is Goose's Birthday Banner STILL up in the background...We like birthdays...

Loved it so much, we decided to snack all day on it then have meatball sandwiches for dinner.

They were better than they look...

Can you hear my lips smackin'?

Delish.

While the bread was rising, I felt a little ambitious and made some homemade graham crackers. What?! Yeah, homemade! They turned out pretty good. What I would do differently - roll them thinner and bake to a crunchier texture. Then they'd be perfect.

Find the recipe here, from The Petit Appetit Cookbook.

Sick Kid (187:365)

We achieved a record today.

Dee threw up 9 times (at least that's when I stopped counting).

She's never thrown up more than once or twice in a day, and that's only happened once or twice in her life! She definitely set a record today, although it was not a desirable one!

Poor baby.

I've never seen her look so sick and miserable in her life. 

It's really sad!

She is currently sequestered in the kid bathroom, sleeping on the floor. This happened after I cleaned up 4 separate piles of yuck around the house all evening and realized that this was serious and should be contained. (I'm often a slow learner.)

As of now, the last time she threw up was around 10:30pm, and she's been asleep since.

Here's to hoping this all passes quickly and doesn't spread around!

New and Failed Designs (186:365)

I'm trying to come up with something Valentine themed for my shop and am feeling uninspired. I don't like hearts and pink and red, so this is a tough holiday to create for. I'm thinking x's and o's are cute, but can't figure out what do with them that doesn't look lame...

On another note, I've never really been into V-Day and don't know how to really celebrate it. I'm going to try this year to be all decked out and enjoy the special day with my girls and Scott. I think V-Day is not just about romance, but a celebration of love and those you love. 

What do you do for those you love on Valentine's Day? I need ideas...

Vintage Earrings into Shoe Clips (185:365)

I bought some turquoise clip on earrings from a thrift store a couple of months ago and found a good use for them today! Shoe clips on my new (clearance) shoes.

What have you done with vintage jewelry to make it new again?

Date Night (184:365)

We met up with some friends in Omaha for dinner at Bonefish Grill. 

I tried Chilean Sea Bass for the first time.

It was good, but not amazing.

Our friends at Wolf fish which was described as an "ugly fish that eats lobster for dinner", so, that one sounded a little too scary for my taste buds. And I just googled "wolf fish". GAG! Just about made me scream. Videos of one eating a crab about made me loose it. I think I will stick with my wimpy fish, thank you. 
Eeesh.

After dinner, Scott and I went to Old Navy and got our growing preschooler some cute clearance size 5 shirts. Then we came home to find that our babysitter had done a wonderful job and had the kids in bed on time and happy! Couldn't ask for more.

Ladies Weekend (183:365)

Today was part 1 of the rockin' mommy party.

We celebrated 3 birthdays, as well as a brief vacation from motherly duties, by shopping till we dropped, eating out in fancy places where kids are not welcome, doing cartwheels down the hotel hallway, and laughing until we cried.

We are all crafty moms, or are aspiring to be such, therefore most gifts for the b-day girls were homemade. Unfortunately I don't have pictures of what others gave, but I do have pics of what I made.

Hairpins made from vintage cabochons.

Rosette hairpin, button hairpin and hair tie.

Fabric wrapped headband with a gold filigree and rose cabochon.

What have you made for someone lately?

Birthday Gifts (182:365)

I've been working on some birthday gifts for 3 of my girlfriends.

No, I will not be sharing what they are because I know you all read this blog.

Hope you like them!

Chicken and Dumplings (181:365)

We had the missionaries over for dinner and I experimented on them.

Fortunately it turned out really well!

Check out the recipe here. 

It was easy and soooo good. 

Can't wait to make it again!

Baby Boots (180:365)

I can't believe how cute these turned out!

Only problem, can't figure out how to keep them on Goose's feet.

Minor issue.

Lame.

Ideas?

Snow Day (179:365)

We played in the snow for the first time this year. We got around 6 inches, so we were obligated to have fun in it. It was nice and fluffy and perfect for snow angels.

We also used out recycling bin lid as a sled.

Wee!

Goose seemed to enjoy her first snow play and Dee and I had a good time out alone in the snow. We played in the playground and took the scariest slide ride of my life. It was a little like that scene in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation when he rides the sled down the hill and it takes off like a rocket. Frozen slides do the same thing. Just a heads up...

I about lost my cookies.

Cupcakes no.23 and no.3 (178:365)

My friend Heather just had a birthday so I made yummy cupcakes for her. We ate them at church with all the Young Women after our meeting. They were really good! I can say that because they were not my recipe, but were from one of the best cupcake websites I've seen. Find it right here.

I've made cupcakes no.5 and no.9  from this site before, see them here.

I made no.23, Vanilla Cupcake with Lemon Filling. I used Trader Joe's lemon curd for the filling and my own vanilla buttercream for the frosting. Then topped them with Turbinado Sugar. Yum!








We also ate no.3, Flourless Chocolate Cake with Real Whipped Cream.
So dense, rich and delicious! I topped them all with a dusting of cocoa powder.





Are you salivating yet?

Goose's First Birthday Party! (177:365)

We had a lot of fun having a baby party today. We played with balloons (yes, I let babies play with balloons...supervised), watched Baby Einstein, ate Goldfish crackers and watched Goose poke a timid finger into her giant cupcake. 

 

It was all very cute. I love kid parties! 

Apple Dumpling Gang (176:365)

Oh man, these were soooo good. 
This is a hideous picture though. 
Sorry. 
Tasted way better than this pictures makes them look.

Apple dumplings southern style (all buttery and delicious).

So bad for you, but so good.

Super easy to make, I found the recipe here on allrecipes.com

I'm also working on a "Happy Birthday" bunting for the Goose's party tomorrow. I found great directions here.

My Baby is 1 (175:365)

I can't believe it.

That was the fastest year ever.

I've never seen a one year old get into their cake as much as she did!

It was like she'd been waiting her entire life to eat that cupcake.

Happy Birthday my little Angel Pie.

A Goose for Goose Part 2 (174:365)

Finished this sweet little Goose today.

I put an "L" on it's tummy so Goose knows it's hers.

(I got the "L" template from this page here.)

Things I learned while making the Goose:

1. I have a 1970's sewing tips book that taught me to securely fasten buttons onto fabric where they will be pulled at a lot and there is a risk of coming off, by putting another button on the other side of the fabric and stitching them both together. That is a great tip for making things for kids that could be choking hazards.
2. Test the strength of your vintage fabric before using it if you are making something you want to last a long time.
3. Measure twice, cut once. (I should have learned this by now! I'm just too impatient.)
4. Google "free _____ tutorial/ printable" for anything. You will likely find a sweet pattern from a kind crafty soul.
5. I HEART Heat N Bond. Will be using more!

I cannot believe my Goose is going to be 1 tomorrow!!!

A Goose for Goose Part 1 (173:365)

My baby is going to be 1 this Thursday and I couldn't resist making her a Goose plushie. I got most of it done today, but encountered some snags because I used a vintage fabric scrap for the body. The fabric isn't as strong as I thought it would be...so I'm not sure how long this Goose is going to last.

I found the pattern at this cute website.

Facebook Wall for Aprikot Designs (172:365)

Today I've been working on getting my aprikot designs facebook page running. 

Check it out here and become a fan!

Flowers for my Niece (171:365)

I working on some fabric flower hair accessories for my niece. I've come up with two things so far, a really cute hot pink blingy hair tie and a teal flowered headband.

Brain storming is a little stunted right now, so this is all I've got so far, but I'm looking forward to working on this more after Goose's birthday.

New Friends for Dinner (170:365)

Scott has a friend in his program that is from Ethiopia and we had him and his family over for dinner today. They have two sweet little girls that play so well with Jane. We had a good time getting to know their family and more about their culture. Making new friends is the best!