thrifty thursday

I figured this week's feature should involve black & orange.

Showing off this color scheme has been in the works for a bit. When I went thrifting in Logan a few weeks ago, I found the bottom Pyrex. It's a compass pattern and one that is harder to find.

I was super excited and told my friend that it would be perfect for my Halloween Thrifty Thursday post. She laughed out loud at me, and it made me giggle, too.

I mean, who really plans things like what Pyrex to photograph? But I tell you what - it's just one of the millions of thoughts swirling around in my head when I go to sleep.

I know that my Pyrex obsession is silly. And I would laugh at someone, just the same.

But at least my innate ability to remember where every DI is in the state of Utah pays off! These pumpkins would be so very boring without their retro companion.

Have a very happy & spooky Halloween!

mom wrap up

I promise this will be the last mom post. I left my cute little kids last night and came back to my other home. We sure had fun and I'll miss seeing these guys everyday.

We went to the East-Highland football game (East got slammed by Highland, darn it).

Shaky Smithson was there cheering on his brother who plays for Highland. The kids just about peed their pants getting his autograph. They could hardly stand it; they were just squealing and kept wanting to go back for more.

We found a pizza box on the ground and tore it up for cardboard signatures. Ben also had Shaky sign his arm and shoe. How hilarious!

As I was leaving the stadium with the three little kids, William started walking super funny. I thought for sure he had an accident, but it turns out he just really needed to go to the bathroom! (excuse the potty talk - but this story is hilarious).

We all started racing to the car and then zoomed off. The whole time Will was in the back seat saying, "Juju, hurry. Drive faster. I can't hold it for five minutes here. I am going to explode". We were all dying of laughter. We got to a gas station and ran in. As luck would have it, the cashier told us the bathroom was closed for the night. Since when do public bathrooms have hours of operation? I pleaded with her to let us use it, but she said no - so we starting sprinting to the car again, and we were all laughing about it. Poor Will.

We got to McDonald's and Will leaped out of the car. After he came out an eternity later, I had to get a picture. A guy showed up to use the bathroom at the same time I was snapping his pic and said, "don't worry. My mom used to make me pose for these kind of pictures, too". (Gee, thanks for thinking I'm the actual mom. You make me feel so young. Not!).

I asked William if he felt some relief, and he replied, "a little, but I still have a turd in there"! I think I was just about maxed out on laughing for the night. This little guy is a total hoot.

Afterwards, we all had our moment of glory under the Mickey D's sign.

The older boys went out on Friday night, so the four of us headed to Nickelmania. It was actually way more fun than I anticipated.

The kids were pleased as punch with their slinky prizes and had races down the stairs for a solid half hour when we got home.

All the boys teased me & said I threw a football like a girl. So coach Ben taught me how to throw one for real. It had to spiral. The first 10 throws earned me the "wimpy" card, but I quickly improved and now I have skills. I can even throw a spiral with my eyes closed. Good thing I won't be an embarrassment on the football field now!

We made all sorts of popsicles (orange juice, apple juice, chocolate milk). See Shaky's signature still on Ben's arm? We had to go over that valuable with a Sharpie at least three times a day & cover it with saran wrap in the shower.

We watched the Sandlot. Always a classic. The kids have a terrible habit of using the "r" word. It's so awful, I can't even repeat it. But you know the one.

unitard - uni + re = a profanity

The boys in the Sandlot call each other block heads. I tried to convince everyone that they should bring it back in style. What a better alternative! They weren't quite as enthusiastic about my suggestion.

I snuck one last Halloween surprise in their lunches, tucked them into bed with a treat under their pillow, and felt sad it was over.

Can't wait until I'm the mom again - real or pretend!

thrifty thursday

I know that I've mentioned this about a billion times, but I am a sucker for glass milk bottles. I just can't help it.

I love the shape, the printing & font, and, oh yeah...the fact that they are glass! How fun would it be to have your milk come in such cool bottles? (Okay, maybe if you're a little clumsy like me it would be a recipe for disaster, but just dream the dream for a minute).

One of my good friends was on the lookout for me and had her eyes peeled for milk bottles when she went to a consignment shop up in Ogden. She texted me tons of pictures of Pyrex and retro things (out of this world nice of her to do so!).

Then I got a picture of this.

And that was all I needed. Sold! Sold times a hundred! I have never seen a glass milk bottle so huge. I am in LOVE! And did I mention the fact that it was $5? A downright steal.

Last week I went thrifting in Logan. I was hoping to come across a trove of glass milk bottles in such a dairy-rich town, but it didn't happen. I did find this little cute guy, though! And he was only 50¢!

I sort of bought this with the intent to give it away. I don't have any ties to Logan, so I'm thinking about who it should go to. Any ideas?? I'd love to spread the glass milk bottle love.

This duo is a complete delight.

mom week continues

I have been a busy woman this week. Between watching the kids, going to a five hour work meeting, taking care of Margaret, and checking on my parent's house while they were away - I am a little tired. Plus, I have been battling a cold. Dang those colds! But I am having so much fun with my favorite kiddos in the world.

We went out to dinner and William hadn't finished his reading for the day yet. When I looked back at him in the car, he was sitting there using a wind up flashlight and getting his reading in. This boy cracks me up every five seconds!

At yummy Crown Burger, where I pretty much ate my weight in french fries. Yum, yum, and yum. Crown Burger has the best fries ever. Are these poses not the most attractive you've ever seen? What hams!

Will has been my little baking buddy. We made these yummy cornbread muffins and he told me the qualities I should look for in a future boyfriend (he has to be good at football and love the Utes, he can't cry if he gets hit on bare skin during an airsoft gun war, and Gracie said he has to be cute and a little nerdy). Seems like pretty easy qualifications to me, if you know of anyone who fits the bill - send that boy my way! (jk).

We've been reading, reading, reading.

And I've been sneaking little Halloween things in the kids' lunches. I always loved getting surprises in my lunch and now it's fun to be on the other end of it as the surprise deliverer.

I totally thought the older boys would think it was embarrassing, but they always come home and tell me how awesome it was and how they showed all their friends. I sure hope I can stay on their "cool list" during these teenage years.

These spider bags are my favorite print. I think they are the cutest. I'm not afraid of spiders at all, but I'd much prefer them on a bag instead of crawling on an indoor wall.

And I had to have these napkins the minute I saw them. Aren't they fun?! I especially love the boo! and I think the boys will totally appreciate the bite me bats.

Halloween is just too much fun!

the mom

I am playing mom for the week. I now have five kids to watch over and take care of. I began on Sunday and we are having a blast, as usual.

I have been watching these kids since I was 12 years old and started overnight stays when I was a senior in high school. It has always been a tradition that I put a treat under each child's pillow when they fall asleep. Who doesn't love waking up to candy?! I wish I had someone to put a treat under my pillow. We kept with the tradition this time around, and here is my mini candy store. The treats I get are always a surprise.

I felt like a mother hen tending to her chicks during church. I had to make sure everyone was reverent & somewhat entertained. Luckily the kids are old enough that we didn't have any major outbursts. Phew! I was probably the most irreverent of them all because Ben kept drawing these silly portraits of us. Oh my word, I was dying of laughter. I just about lost it. I am kind of glamorous with the snot dripping out my nose, don't you think?

We made these yummy rice krispy treats after church and hung out a bunch.

Later on when the kids fell asleep, I heard tapping on the window. Holy cow, it got my heart going, being a nervous nelly and all. I went around to all the doors and flipped the lights on. No one was there. I was hoping the tapping would just go away (yeah right). It definitely continued. I was checking everything and was just seconds away from waking up the oldest two boys to come help me (am I a scaredy cat or what?). I decided to put on a brave face and went outside to see who the little rascals were. Turns out, it was my cousin and one of my friends. We were all laughing so hard. They sure gave me a heart attack though, sheesh!

On Monday the kids were out of school, so we went over to my house and picked carrots. We always grow a little patch of them in our garden and love picking them every fall. They are huge this year!

This picture makes me laugh. Gracie is the only girl and the youngest. The boys were zooming across the streets, and of course she wanted to follow. But me, being the meanie I am, told her she had to wait at every corner for me. Here she is being obedient while the boys ride off.

We went to a pumpkin patch. A real pumpkin patch! I don't think I've been to one since the fourth grade. It was so much fun, and I am making it a yearly adventure now!

We met up with Jenny and g baby. Of course we both wanted to hold him in the picture, so we just decided to share. After the picture was taken, we both leaned down to give him a kiss at the same time, on opposite cheeks. Are we sisters or what!

William is one of the funniest kids ever. I really almost pee my pants every time I'm with him because he's just so darn adorable and funny without even trying. He was hauling this heavy pumpkin over to the handcart contraption, and was struggling the whole way. He almost dropped it every inch he went. Instead of helping, I was snapping pictures and laughing (I know, rude), but he made it all the way. How stinkin' cute is he! Are those church socks I see on him? I think yes!

Here we are with our pumpkins! It's funny because we had a whole huge patch full or pumpkins, yet it was the hardest decision in the world to choose just one. I really liked mine. If you look closely, my pumpkin appears to have some marks on it which I refer to as "stitches". It totally reminds me of all the cute little surgical kids I take care of at the hospital.

We wheeled our pumpkins off to be weighed. It was a whopping 102 lbs. for the six.

This last picture I had to include. Here is Will again, all ready for football practice - church socks and all. Aren't boys the best? Totally carefree, not phased in the least by something like that.

new skirt

I have had my eye on paper bag skirts this week. They're all I could think about, and I couldn't wait to make one for myself.

Today was the day!

I originally saw the pattern here. Hers is WAY cuter than the one I made, but I thought I should just keep it simple so I could finish it today and not get frustrated since I am really just a sewing rookie.

I used the general idea from here, and sort of made it up as I went along. Next time I'll probably tweak the measurements and use a heavier material, but I still really like it.

I started out with these supplies,

then plopped myself at the dining room table & got to sewing with the Utah game on in the background. (see the hexagons on my sewing machine? love!)

Here's the finished project!

It looks a little naked without a tie, so I need to still add one. But I think it's pretty cute for a first go-around.

I am wearing it to the Temple tonight and to church tomorrow. This one's a keeper!

(Sorry for the dreadful picture quality, I was at home alone and couldn't wait to post any longer).

thrifty thursday

I can't get enough of hexagons.

And they're everywhere. It's funny because once I develop a love for something, boom!, that's all I see.

Hexagons - the side pattern to most shopping carts, the shape repeated underneath my car door speakers, on chicken wire, nuts & bolt heads, honeycomb, on fabric, and tile. Oh tile. Take me to a place with any kind of hexagon tile (restaurant, retro bathroom, charming old school/church/house), and I'm done for.

I will always swoon over hexagons.

I went to the thrift store and found this beauty the other day. It has retro tile written all over it.

I simply love it.

One trip through the dishwater later, and it became the perfect home for some yo yos.

And because I'm a nerd, I looked up hexagons on the Internet. Did you know that a hexagon is 720°? Each angle is 120°. Way better than a circle, in my opinion.

Just another reason to love hexagons!

welfare square love

One of my favorite things to do is volunteer at Welfare Square. I mentioned this place before in my conference milk bottle post, but they truly do wonderful things down there. There's a bakery, a cannery, a dairy, a storehouse (basically a grocery store), and a DI (love!).

Products are manufactured & packaged, then shipped off to places all over the world to help those in need. It's pretty amazing, and our church has the opportunity to volunteer there every few months.

Today I had the chance to go down to the bakery. The bread was baked early, early this morning & it was our job to slice, bag, and stack loaves of wheat bread.

And boy howdy, it was so fun!

You get to wear some pretty flattering accessories - like these sexy hair nets (woot! woot!)

This is my dear friend, Cristie. We teamed up with Mike from our ward and labeled ourselves the "dream team". We flew through racks of bread. There was one other group who wasn't quite as dreamy (i.e. agile). I think we pretty much did 10 loaves for every one loaf they finished. But who was counting, right?

At the end of each shift, the volunteers get to take home a loaf of bread. My mom and I always jokingly tell each other that anything produced by the church must be sacred - whether it's BYU Creamery milk, products from Welfare Square, or Lion House rolls.

All are yummy. All are useful. And all are made entirely for the benefit of others.

10.10.10 birthday girl

This cute gal turned ten years old today.

Okay, okay maybe ten + a few decades, but who's counting.

I just think it was so fun her birthday fell on 10.10.10. Not many people get to celebrate a binary birthday like that.

My mom has not sung in years. She will mouth the words to songs, but you never hear a peep of sound come out.

Well, tonight, at 10:10 p.m., my brother had the great idea to have us sing happy birthday to her, but the catch was she had to join in. And she did! It was great.

Happy birthday, Gigi! You are the best mom and grandma we could ever ask for!

I'm glad you're mine forever!

thrifty thursday

I have always been a fan of red & purple, but I have never been one of those girls who loves the color pink.

Until recently.

Slowly but surely, pink is making its debut.

It started out with clothes, and then Pyrex.

Naturally.

I am giddy about these pieces. I just love how cheery the pink is.

I remember seeing the big bowl photographed in Martha Stewart (I think?) over the summer. I was lucky to snag it for so cheap at the DI.

The top dish is from the Centerville DI. I saw it from the corner of my eye, and ran over to claim it. I have found the Centerville DI to be a gold mine when it comes to Pyrex. I don't think the people up north know what they are getting rid of! I am seriously considering volunteering there to help sort gather all the Pyrex that is dropped off.

It may be a bit of a drive from my house, but it would sure be worth it. Especially if I find more Pyrex, all pretty in pink.

nothing but fun

These past few days have been some of the most fun I've had from the second half of this year. I don't even remember everything I did, but here are some highlights:

-listening to nie nie speak at byu.

-tons of missionary shopping (marrissa, in the pics, is leaving for a mission to san jose soon).

-finding the most amazing halloween costumes at wal-mart. i have never laughed so hard before, but they are something else. (plus the man who was trying to take our pictures couldn't quite figure it out and took a video of us smiling and blinking for about ten minutes).

-making banana bread two nights in a row.

-byu lost to utah state. (sorry, i had to say it. such an accomplishment shouldn't go without recognition).

-selling a jacket on ebay. and i got way more than i thought i would. (sweet surprise!)

-i went running for the first time in about a year and my body hurt from head to toe the day after.

-a great thrift store find with candace. (more to come on that).

-shoes from anthropologie. and they were on sale!

-and lastly, conference!

MarRissa and I were determined to get a ticket to the Sunday morning session. We made our way downtown early but the standby line was forever long. Luckily MarRissa knew the ward who was singing in the street choir. You know, the people who line north temple and sing hymns in an effort to counteract the loud protestors? Well, that was us. They totally let us join in and if you sing for an hour with them, you get an automatic ticket to conference. Perfect!

If anyone knows me and has heard me sing, you know that I was born as tone deaf as they come. I seriously cannot carry a tune. But I got way into the singing on the street. It was so much fun, I didn't even care what anyone thought. And yes, we were the only two Caucasian girls mixed in with about 30 Polynesians (who all had incredible voices). It was a blast, and I would do it again in a heartbeat!

I'm glad the past few days have been completely overflowing with fun!

anticipating conference

I seriously love Conference weekend.

I love listening to inspired messages. I always come away from it feeling uplifted, with renewed faith, and as though certain talks were prepared just for me - things I really needed to hear.

There's nothing quite like going down to the Conference center and being surrounded by so many people of my same faith. It's really powerful and the spirit is so strong.

Even just watching Conference on TV gets my heart going with excitement. The first weekends in April and October are simply wonderful times of the year.

I am so grateful for my membership in the church and for a loving Heavenly Father who knows me in and out. My testimony is strengthened every day. It's evident in so many ways - the help and guidance I receive during tough times, how things fall into place when I'm making good choices, the power of prayer.

And it's in smaller things, too. I went to Provo to listen to Nie Nie speak on recapturing beauty. (Oh my goodness, she is amazing. Her talk was incredible). My friend and I hadn't eaten all day and I felt like my body was screaming at me for being in starvation mode. But you know what, as soon as Nie Nie started to speak, I was completely full. Not one growl or rumble was heard or felt the entire time. I have to believe this was a gift from Heavenly Father because I was able to enjoy the talk, feel the spirit, and listen to a woman with so much faith.

There are many moments when I know without a doubt that Heavenly Father is directing my life. And how grateful I am for that.

I bought this milk bottle because it is from the Deseret Dairy, which is run by the LDS church. It was more than I normally pay for retro-ness, so I slept on it for a day. When I woke up, I knew I had to have it and would gladly display it in my house.

I am so proud to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.