Gingerbread Dreams

Christmas Eve was spent making Gingerbread Houses with the daycare kids. Merry Christmas to all.

And to those of you who are of different faith, Happy Hanukah !! That is Adams new Yamika.

Happy Holidays!

Quick catch up

This is the closest photo to a Christmas picture that I have taken so far this year! This was on Adams 18th birthday at Disneyland.

I coul list a million reasons why my blog has been left unattended the entire month of November but lets just sum it up with I'm too busy, easily distracted and having computer issues!!

The daycare is doing really well. Three new children, 2 newborns and an 18 month little girl join our 11 other little angels!!

Easily distacted - it seems the minute I get near my computer with the best intentions of emailing and blogging, I end up visiting such wonderful and amazing blogs until my computer time is up. I need to do a post n my favorite people and places to visit.

It suppose to be a cold and rainy weekend. Hopefully I can set aside some time to take pictures of some of the projects I have been working on. I have some really exciting things I would like to share. I have finished a few more reborn dolls and have been finally learning about my Cricut

Expressions and card making and scrapbooking. So many incredibly talented people share their ideas on videos on you tube and their sites. Like I said I am easily distracted!!

Much love to all the wonderful people I have been ignoring lately!!

Happy Halloween!!

Happy Fall y'all!!

Since Halloween is almost come and gone I beter send a quick post of a few of our Halloween decorations. As usual the kitchen is all about Disney !!

The front garden is an addition made by Adam. It is so cheery and make a great plac for photos.

My favorite Hallween treat was a visit from David and Krista!!

I Made My Own Laundry Detergent

I'm on a new path to rid my home and daycare of harmful chemicals and lead more natural life.

Today I made my own laundry detergent. I found out how at www.thebeehivecottage.blogspot.com. There are many sites for directions but this one has got

the cutest laundry room!!

I of course used the PINK Zote soap because it is PINK, but I also really like the scent. It smells clean.

I have been shopping for more natural foods and whole grains. I love to cook but when it is just me and my little picky princess it is really hard to do. Now that my household is larger again ( 17 year old son is back with me !! Yiippee!! ) and his entourage of friends are always looking looking for snacks, I am excited to cook again. I am storing my pastas, rices and grain in Mason jars instead of using any plastics. I am doing mypart reccling an reusing and I love the way my pantry looks!! These jars contain - fusille, orzo, natures burger and Country gravy mix.

You can see some of my vintage ice cream scoops and a tin bread box I am refinishing for pie.

Prayers for Pennie

Blue Puffy Clouds Version of Baby Angel, with Wings, Sound Asleep in God's Hand
Originally uploaded by BL1961

Last night my friends two year old baby girl passed away after a tragic accident. My Heart goes out to her. I can't imagine her pain.
I just want to say to each of you, I love you and am glad you are part of my life. Hug someone today.

Seeing RED !

Everyone that knows me knows I am the queen of PINK. Well everything but my hair anyway!!

Well suddenly RED is my new PINK! Here is my new Anirondak furniture for my breezeway. I built and painted them myself...mostly. The rocking chair should have come with a warning label, do not sit in it alone.....someone will have to pull you out !! Whats with the angles on this thing ! My knees and eyes are at the same level. Well anything can be fixed with a few well p laced throw pillows, am I right?? I made the two chairs with table for my daycare parents to sit down in and write me checks...hehehe...and the matching little size so the kiddos can sit to put on their shoes..or go to timeout! I was so proud !! 20 minutes after putting them out I found Drifter chewing up the arms!!! Well it looked good for a minute.

Now I am definately seeing RED !!!

BOOM BOOM!!.

Space shuttle Discovery and its seven astronauts took a cross country detour and landed safely at Edwards AFB on Friday after stormy weather prevented it from landing in not so sunny Florida. As usual the double sonic boom rocked our house. We always run to thte tv as soon as we hear the booms and watch the shuttle land. That means as the we are about a

minute from Edwards AFB, as the shuttle flys. Always a thrill and even more so today while we are morning the 8th anniversary of 9/11.

Marked Woman!!!

Yesterday was our 8th wedding anniversary. I wanted to mark the day by doing something special to show my love for my wonderful hubby. I have been wanting to get a tattoo and finally decided to do it last night. I have 8 chicken foot prints on the top of my foot (ala Dixie Chicks).

Chickens/roosters have a special meaning for us and always reminds me of my darling hubby and 8 prints for 8 years of marriage. I thimk it is soo cute!! Oh and by the way...ouch!! Top of your foot tattoos HURT!!

Labor Day

My incredible hubby whisked me away for a 3 day weekend getaway and anniversary celebration! Usually when we have a holiday we work on a project around the house. It was great to just go ! We packed up the daughter and 2 dogs and headed north to Bishop, Ca. Bishop is located at the base of the Sierra Mountains. We passed Mt whitney ( the highest point in the continental US) and Death Valley ( the lowest point in the US) and lava feilds ( which daughter is studying in 5th grade ). We walked along lakes, creeks and fields. Bishop is such a dog friendly town, Drifter and Raizin went everywhere with us. We antiqued, shopped craft shows, played at the Tri-County fair, swam, BBQ'd and just RELAXED!

Here are a few pics of our holiday.

Station Fire

La Cañada fire spreading toward Altadena; Big Tujunga Canyon
Originally uploaded by Noob Photographer

Thank you all for your concern about our location and the Station Fire.
We are lucky enough to be about 20 miles North of the Acton fire line.
Our valley is full of smoke and ash. At night we can see the flames and glow above the mountains across from our home. We can feel the big water dropping planes shake our windows as they fly to refill nearby. On of our daycare families have been evacuated. Prayers and praise for all the amazing firefighters out there saving lives and property. Prayers also to the family of a local firefighter who was killed in this fire.

Being Domestic

I have to admit I miss being a wife. Oh, I have a husband, love him with all my heart. He is a truck driver and he has been gone for 7 days this time and it seems like forever.

I have been in a very domestic mood lately.... yes, even more so than usual. It sucks when there is no one to be domestic for!! Decorating, sewing, planting, cooking and cleaning. Maybe because I niss him so much. Maybe it is because school is back in and I need to prepare for the change of seasons and holidays. Yes, I live in Southern California, yes it is 100 degrees today and winter will not be all that harsh...but still I have been fighting the urge to bake and can fruit for the winter.

Today, I lost the battle. I was up at 5:00, fresh linens on the bed, apron on and fresh blueberry strusel muffins in the oven for hubbies return. Then I began sterilizing jars for plum preserves. I don't think I have ever eaten a plum but I have this uncontrollable desire to do this. Here is the reason... I have been reading a new blogs that have inspired me on so many different levels. My domestic side has been nurished by www.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/stocking-up-comfort-and-joy Look at those plums, look at the color, you can almost smell them, they feel like family, comfort and joy. More than a taste I guess I have been craving a feeling.

Oh well!! Too late now, plums are a cookin' and guess what you are gettingfor Christmas!!

I want to write a post on all the new blogs that I have been reading and the people who have been inspiring me but for now I have plums to pit....hey I wonder if I can plant these things???

ABCs On The Chalkboard

ABCs On The Chalkboard
Originally uploaded by Dawna_Deanne

Back to school time already. Summer time is over as my little ones march off to school again. My youngest boy is now a Senior and my baby girl starts 5th grade. How I wish I could freeze time...back it up a few years, maybe 8 years. I miss those times when I didn't have to share my kids with the world.

This really should feel like vacation time for me because not only did I send my two own kids off to school but also 10 daycare kids. 3 that I have had since birth are now in kindergarten. I think I have empty nest syndrome! I still have 5 preschoolers with me during the day but after a summer of 15 kids in the house the quiet ( even with 5 under 4 years) I miss my big guys. ( Let me clarify that my big ones are only gone until 1:50, and stay here until 5pm, so they aren't really gone for good.)

What I really need is a baby. Nothing fills the days more than filling my arms. My littlest one is about to turn 2 and he would rather run and play in the dirt than snuggle in the rocking chair.

Days are not boring with my 5 little guys. They keep me hopping. Todays lesson plan was to be "All About Red". Everyone of them showed up in ORANGE !! Luckily I plan ahead and just switched plans and now our day is all about Orange, carrots and cantelope and big juicy oranges. I wonder were tomorrow will lead us, to the park, the farm or in the kitchen making someting messy.

Everyday is an adventure around here.

My Senior

Can you believe this picture??? My son went to have his Senior pictures taken, you know, cap and gown. The pictures that will hang on the walls of all the relatives for decades to come...my son looks like he is graduating from Pimp University!! The Lounge Lizard Academy !! What is up with this?? Where is the tradition?? Someone actually thought the cheetah print was a good idea!! Well at least he isn't holding a martini glass in his hand!! This looks perfect for his MySpace page but not clipped to college applications!!

Luckily they gave us another option, let me present my real son, the academic child that is proudly graduating class of 2010,

Cupcake Giveaway

I just found the cutest blog with a very funny, artsy/fartsy author! Also very talented!! She is giving away this adorable cupcake fairy which would look amazing in my kitchen ! I want everyone to enter to win it...and also promise that if you do you will give it to me for Christmas ( oh no....to early to think of Christmas....shiver!!) This enjoyable blog is called www.chinamommy04.blogspot.com . She also has an etsy shop called chinamommy. Lots of cute cuppycakes over there too!! HUgs to a new friend!!

The Incredible Bed

Isn't this the most amazing bed!!!! This is what my beautiful 10 year old chose for her birthday present. She has great and expensive taste!! She also chose the wall color. Happy birthday baby!!!

Polka Dot Panic

This is what started it all. It seemed harmless enough. $2.00 at a CVS in Virginia. Then suddenly the spots jumped off the dish and onto my walls !!

The spots were just the beginning of the ice cream take over of my kitchen. Next came the collection of old Ice cream scoops.

My daughter Bridgett, found polka dot plates, bowls and towels on clearance at K-Mart yesterday. Somehow my little pink cupcake kitchen is now my little polka dot Ice cream parlor. I did make these little cupcakes this weekend to even out the bakery section!!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!

Happy 4th of July!!!

With Jimmie serving oversees and so many birthdays this time of the year this was one of my favorite and meaningful 4ths ever.

We stayed home and relaxed, BBQ with family, sparklers with the kids and enjoyed our yard.

Ok, Malcolm got a little crazy with the firecrackers too! Everytime he lit one this is what would happen.....Our Maddie jumped in the pool!!!

As the sun began to set the kids all climbed on the roof to watch the fireworks in the wide desert sky.

Here comes the Bride

Well here they are, Mr and Mrs David Levine. Married in Georgia this past June. The bride was beautiful, the groom handsome and everything was perfect!! I have been so busy putting together 3 wedding scrap books that I forgot to update my blog !

After our trip to Atlanta we drove to Virginia to visit with my family and take in the sites. One of our favorite side trips was to the Smithsonion Museum. I group up in the Smithsonion as does any child that lives as close as I did. Feild trips, relatives, or playing hookey I always ended up there. Now it was fun to spend time there with two of my kids. We tried to spot all the "props" from the Night at the Muesum Movie

And of course the best part was hanging with the family. I have missed too much time with my mom and sisters. I have only visited them 2 times in the past 10 years. I regret this so much. My family is so great and I want my kids to know there Grandma and Grandpa and Aunties. I wonder how my life would have been different if I would have taken advantage of the support system of my family instead of being so stubborn and alone. Hug a family member, there's no place like home!!!

My mom and My Joe, more than a step-father, more of a gaurdian Angel. Love you guys!!

A Georgia Peach

A Georgia Peach
Originally uploaded by nickmickolas

I am off to Georgia!! This week the family heads out to marry off another one of our sons. We are leaving sunny California on our way to Atlanta for the wedding of David and Krista. From there we will visit our relatives in Maryland and Virginia. Watch out family you are about to be invaded!!

Angie's Raggedy Patch

This

incredible Annie and awesome Bake Rite Can were a swap gift from my new friend Angie. I love receiving a swap where someone actually took the time to make something special, in this case she chose the perfect colors and goodies for my kitchen. I just love her so much. The attention to detail is amazing. Thanks Angie!

Newest addition

Can you make a guess??? Whats inside??? Where is she??? I never thought my bra would be on the Internet but her it is and here is Raizin'!! Raizin is the 1.5 Lb addition to our household.

We don't know what Raizins daddy is but mom is a longhair black dauschand ( weenie dog). My daughter always wanted a tiny dog. Our Labradoodle puppy is 6 months old and 45 lbs. Big difference !!

I had my surgery on Monday, May 18th and when I came home Raizin was my bed buddy. We both slept all day and had to get up to pee every 2 hours. Our timeschedules bonded us as fast friends.

Thank you for all the well wishes on my recovery. Hubby is covering the daycare for me while I am not allowed to bend or lift for 6 weeks. Poor man, 1 week into the job switch and he is about to snap!! Its not easy being ME!! I, on the other hand have been sequestered to my studio. I have been sewing my fingers to the bone...happily!! I have been working on some swaps, needfuls and bringing life to many designs dancing in my head. Stay tuned for tons of new stuff, new designs and (fanfare) a new line of patterns. Busy Busy busy!!