pointe shoes and mail

Today was the day Miss Abby has been waiting for the past 4 years. All of the lessons. The hours in the studio. And for what? Her first pair of pointe shoes. We caravaned into Kansas City with her teacher and a few other gals for a custom fitting. The child didn't stop smiling from the time we stepped into the car till the time we left. A visit with our favorite baby and mexican food for dinner topped the day off perfectly!

That was until we got home. Miss Morgan was a tad bit bummed with all of the attention on Abby. But a certain package arrived in the mail from Lera over at The Sky is Pink and just look what was inside:

Vintage baby doll dresses. She was so so happy. They fit American Girl dolls perfectly! Who knew? Thanks Lera for making the day of a certain red headed eight year old.

And how did Parker feel about this day full of ballet shoe fittings (that took two and a half hours by the way), baby kissing, and baby doll dresses? Remember this picture? Enough said. To be fair, this was a picture of him before all of the craziness ensued this morning in his new pjs...yes the bottoms are on backwards.

a lazy memorial day weekend...

Well, maybe not all that lazy. The off and on rain has kept us home bound, but not bored! The creative juices seem to work on overdrive when the option of outdoor play is taken out of the scenario! We are settling into our summer rhythm. In other words, I'm getting ready to lose my sanity! The kids are out of school, and the noise level in the Wise household has achieved deafening levels! That being said, we really are having a relaxing weekend!

I have been meaning to make one of these since Erin posted her tutorial over here. And when I say one I really mean two because it would be tragic for only one girl to get ANYTHING! Needless to say, the twirly skirt was a BIG hit. Just in time to wear to church tomorrow. Of course Abby thinks she NEEDS a new pair of red ballerina flats to go with it. I may not disagree with that one too much! red flats and the cherries? Anyone else LOVING that pattern?

Thanks for all the tips about quilting. Here is the first try. Not too bad. It doesn't match up perfectly, but I kinda like it that way I think. And my walking foot...that thing is rockin cool! I think quilting is like anything else new. SCARY! I was really scared about trying it for fear that it would fall apart in my hands or come out of the washer in a million tiny pieces. Or worse yet, maybe I'm not as creative as previously thought. What if I ruin some of my precious fabric? Geez. Sounds pretty silly now. I have to say that I am glad that I have my first one under my belt, and now I'm on to try another! Maybe one with a more challenging pattern...or maybe the same pattern with straight seams!

Speaking of trying something new, here is one of Miss Morgan's creations! And she's not one bit scared! She has made about a half dozen of these little pouches. They are the perfect size for Polly Pocket storage!

Hope you all are having as great of a weekend as we are!

who needs curtains

I have realized recently that I may very well appreciate a good piece of fabric as much, if not more than, a painting or other piece of art. Some of these Amy Butler prints are works of art all by themselves. And Supper Buzzy? Too much! So on the wall they go. Simple. The fabric speaks for itself. I love the simplicity of this form. I honestly can't remember where I first saw fabrics displayed in this way. Brilliant though. Don't you think? And who needs curtains? I love the light and can't imagine how I could possibly cover the wood blinds and awesome views outside!

I believe I may be taking my first stab at quilting this weekend. Something small. A doll blanket maybe. Any tips? Prayers? Something? I have a walking foot, but NO idea how it works! I may be in over my head.

a partner and a runner

I have to tell you, I adore the fact that my offspring are getting a bit older. They really are turning into some of the coolest folks I now. Especially my little gals. Little red has been asking for a sewing machine constantly for about the last six months. When her birthday came around last week we decided she might be old enough for a machine of her own. Eight sounds like a good age to start sewing, right? So there it is. Her sweet turquoise machine sitting right next to mine. I am so excited about the time we will spend together. I love the idea of being able to nurture her creative spirit. She really has a spirit about that is like no one I have ever known. I am so thrilled to see what comes out of that priceless imagination!

Above are a new set of coaster I just finished up. I think I am going to hang them in he kitchen with a ribbon through the grommets. I was pretty satisfied with how they turned out. Maybe matching pot holders?

Abby had her very first track meet last week and it was an event to be sure. My precious hubby was on an awful business trip most of last week (that is if you consider golfing and fine dining every day as awful) and Parker was about at the end of his rope by the time the meet came around. WHAT?! You mean I CAN'T run out on the track in the middle of the race? I CAN'T play in the sand while the long jumpers are still jumping? Let me tell you, it was a LOOOOOONG night. We had a few extra gals with us as well. Because I thought three wasn't quite enough on my own! I was a great night. Really. Abby was wonderful! I am so proud that she is running. It is a lifetime sport I hope she holds onto.




So there it is. The weekend in a nutshell. I hope you all had a great weekend as well. Has anyone else with Blogger realized that it saves for you every few minutes? Sweet!

i'm back and i'm 32!

I wish I had some spectacular tale to spin for why I haven't had an entry in over a week. A trip to Cancun? Nope. Cross country travel? Nope. A week in a tropical spa?! Wrong a gain. Just BUSY!!!! The second week in May is always one of the busiest weeks of the year for us. Miss Morgan turned 8 years old on Friday. 8!!! We had a fabulous skating party with her whole class and a smattering of other friends. Grandma even got on skates! Sadly, no camera for that one. With the cake, presents, and extra kids in tow the camera got left on the kitchen counter. Rats. We really had an amazing undocumented blast!

Sunday was of course Mother's Day, and this year my 32nd birthday! We had a fabulous dinner with my folks and brother's family. So sweet. And this crafty gal sent me one of the coolest birthday gifts ever! We were born exactly one day apart! How cool is that? She sent me the FUNNIEST vintage tote bag book, some awesome fabric, a super neat zipper pouch, and tons of other goodies! Thanks Beki!

Kerry and I met is KC yesterday for lunch at Dean and Delucas and some shopping. She gave me Lottas Jansdotter's awesome book! I also picked up these books as well! Can't wait to get started!

I promise...more frequent posts this week!

storms in kansas

I think I may have snapped this shot of my new window pennants during the only ray of sunshine we have seen here in Kansas for the past week. And oops. There it goes. More rain tonight. Maybe some thunder. This really is my favorite time of year in Kansas. I love the thunder and lightning. The feeling in the air before a big storm and the lush green that follows. I love hearing the rain on my windows at night and how my flowers glisten the next morning. So much wonderful this time of year.

Of course there is a flip side to all of this. Last night in Greensburg, Kansas a tornado took out an entire community. The devastation was awesome and complete. As amazing as this time of year is, we need to remember that the power of the weather can turn at any time. These people have lost their churches, their schools, and their way of life. Everything. My thoughts and prayers go out to all those in central Kansas who lost loved ones, farms, businesses, and their community. Lets all send our love and prayers that way this week.

the blog is a book

When I first saw Amanda's post over at Soulemama I knew I would have to follow suit. I have been trying for the past several months to copy and paste the pages of my blog into Word and Publisher. I just could NOT get them to look right and I was getting far more frustrated then it was worth. But then the brilliant and talented and Amanda posted about blurb. It downloads your blog into a book format, a few little tweaks here and there, and voila you have a book! It was soooooooo easy. And I think it only took about a week from the time I ordered until they were sitting on my front porch. I am the most awful scrapbooker, so this will have to be the look into our world that stands the test of time. I like it. I like it a lot.

ps...the fabric under the book is new addition to my stash. Like I really needed it. It was on sale. Isn't that a good enough reason?

:::since this post a few folks asked how much this costs. it was $24 for 84 pages. so worth the price i'd say:::