Shoes and purses!

We had a fun Relief Society Meeting - I have to share. I went a little crazy with all the details on this one. I know blogs can be become "bragging" blogs quite easily. That's not my intention, I just want to share all these cute little things 'cause I think they are quite fun. Believe me, I know fully well that all of this could have been even cuter with someone with more crafty talent than me!

Posters

too lame to know how to re-orient my picture...sorry

The activity was a fleece-tying, quilt-tying service project, but I wanted to add some fun to it.

We had a purse game where you got one point for various items in your purse. Then we each shared a shoe that shows a talent, personality trait or whatever about us.

I found purse and high-heeled sugar cookie cutters at Sur la Table.

                                      I bought a shoe chocolate mold and made little shoes.

These were the paper shoe with goodies that people took home

                
                                                                             Fun fun!

4th of July ER visit

Our holiday weekend was mostly perfect and lovely. I went to Stadium of Fire on Saturday night. My niece was one of the cute dancers.  After seeing Brad Paisley I understand how country stars and music could be sexy.  Anyway.  We went to the cabin Sunday and spent the night there. It was a bit stressful trying to keep Bronson from the death-river, edge of the deck and getting him to sleep in the bathroom.

Monday night we were at the park - all ready for the fireworks. Bronson fell on the playground stairs and hit his eye and sliced a good chunk out right by his eyebrow. Adam brought him over to me and his face was covered in blood. Aaaahh! We rushed him to the Emergency Room, which luckily was quite close.
All the nurses were in love with him and his hair. He was such a good baby--laying down without crying while the doctor stitched him up.

A week later, today, we went to get the stitches removed.  We'll see if he has a wicked-awesome scar for all time. 

Look who's walking

Bronson at 16 months, almost 17 months finally decided to use the soles of his feet for walking, rather than his knees, like he has for months and months.

Adam is quick to point out that he is the one that broke the code. He dangled a piece of candy as bribe and Bronson walked across the room for it. Hmm. He could have been walking months ago if that's all it takes.

  I don't mind that he was a late walker. I know children that walk at 9 or 10 months, but by not walking, he stayed my little baby a bit longer!

In bed with spray paint

I admit to being a newish devotee of design and do-it-yourself blogs. It is quite enjoyable to see what a can of spray paint can do (or 20+ cans - as used in my bedroom).  I have had fun the last little while re-doing my bedroom. All our pieces are hand-me-down from when we were married. We had americana decor in our room FOREVER. Yuck. I am so sick of that. I am patriotic and all, but in the bedroom...no thanks. It was just for lack of money and drive that I hadn't gotten rid of it long ago.
I don't have good "before" pictures. It is more dramatic to see what they used to look like to appreciate the transformation - especially the dresser. Anyway, I am in no way as creative and cute as many blog mommies and clearly, I am not making any money from my blog - with a total readership of 11 maybe?!
My colors are black, silver and aubergine accents.

Here's a BEFORE side shot of the armoire:

And AFTER

Dresser - much improved - no before shot

BEFORE headboard - we had this for a few years, but before we moved to Seattle we gave it back to my parents 'cause we were sick of it. We were going to chuck it but my mom said she'd store it since it's been in our family for awhile. I really want a black upholstery tufted headboard but for a cheaper route, decided to paint this headboard black. I am so happy with the change!

I have been looking for a cute accent chair for the room as well. I found this one for $3. It's not quite what I wanted. I would have preferred skinnier legs, a more sleek design, but the rattan on the chair back goes well with the headboard and remember 3 DOLLARS.

So that's my bedroom transformation!

Two things I'm loving right now

Maybe you could accuse me of getting too caught up in the current trend of home design, but I am LOVING geometric prints right now. How I would love to have a hardwood floor so I could buy a beautiful geometric rug. Alas, I am lacking the floor and the $500-1000 to buy a big beautiful rug. While I am in an apartment with no ultimate control of the space, I just tear out magazine pictures to create my look-book of a home I will never have!
Anyway, so I was excited to see an online tutorial for a quatrefoil kitchen mat. It is a small miracle it ended up looking as decent as it does. When I started painting the white quatrefoil pattern, Adam comes in and says, "hmm. That looks like a second grade art project." Not the right thing to say, husband. But to his credit, it kinda did. I had to re-do it and get a better paint brush. Here's the finished product:

Second thing I will gush about... I have been in love with these darling little cookies - macarons - since I saw them awhile back. French. Maca-RON not ROON. They have a unique texture due to lots of egg whites and sugar.

Aren't they beautiful?! I love the bright colors. So I tried my hand at them. I made blue rum coconut, pink guava and mango orange. I had the extract and colors to do green lime kiwi and pineapple ones, but they were a bit labor intensive, so I stopped at 3 kinds.  Here's my not-picture-perfect ones:

Fun. Fun. I love the endless flavor options.

Yay Adam

Last week Adam was sworn in by the Utah State Bar as a licensed attorney.  Good job! Lots of years of hard work.
You might be thinking, "what? I thought he finished school like a year ago?"  Yeah, he did. When we decided to take this job in Utah in July, he missed the deadline for the bar exam in October, so he had to wait 'til February to take the exam; found the results in April and finally "official" in May.
He's been working the entire time just with lots of disclaimers and oversight from his superiors. So now he's licensed in Washington and Utah. Don't know if both will come in handy, but at least he's now finally legal to practice in the state in which he resides!

Daddy would be so proud

Adam has never felt more proud that his influence is rubbing off on his offspring.

"Don't ever settle for just one, son, dream big and go for two."

Love to play

I will go one or two months without posting anything, then it seems I have several things to post that are completely unrelated!

I try and look for special little moments every day with the boys. I love to see kids use their imagination at play.  Today Campbell made a truck - as you can clearly see below, right?!  And was talking into his "radio" - "10-4 over and out, good buddy." It makes me smile. 

As you know, as a mommy it's so important to remember the precious moments of the day, so when the day is done and you feel you've done nothing, at least you can look back and smile about a few things. The other day, Campbell was on the couch with Bronson looking at The Friend magazine, flipping through the pages, trying to tell Bronson things. "Jesus...and fish....and doughnuts...."

Campbell was giddy about Easter - couldn't wait for all the candy!  Bronson loved opening the eggs and dumping out the jelly beans. He'd put them in his mouth and then spit them out on the white carpet!

Campbell got Tangled from the Easter bunny - but I think it was partly for me! We've watched it 5 or 6 times since last Sunday. Usually when he watches a show I rarely watch with him, especially multiple viewings, but I LOVE it, so freakin' cute. I think it's my favorite princess movie since The Little Mermaid.

Bronson is 15 months old, almost 16 months. Not walking yet. We are not really worried but then we hear others make comments and it makes us think, "hmm. Should I be worried?" Nah. If he is still knee-walking at 18 months, then he's a freak, but not yet.  He says "mama" and rarely "da da" but mostly "uh?" or "UH!" - many different versions of uh.  

This is the second hair cut he's gotten. This picture is post-hair cut. I took off 1-2 inches. He has a lot more hair than Campbell did at this age.

Little mouse cookies

Campbell and his little friend had a fun time putting the face and tail on these little cookies. I think they are so cute. Maybe a little odd to make rodents to eat, but who doesn't love a cute mouse?!

You can find the recipe Here. You just have to click on the magazine page underneath Natalie Portman's cover page. Once the page comes up, you can click on it to magnify.  The cookies are tasty - little spice cookies. Cardamom. Say what about my mom? Allspice. Cinnamon. Happy baking!

Mr. pirate underpants

No pants - nice touch. Sword. Hat. Mr. Potato Head mustache. And my dough hook from the Kitchen-aid. Love it.

Snow and sleds

Last Friday night we had a big snowstorm so Saturday we were able to go sledding behind the four-wheelers. Campbell had a great time. He wanted to keep on going and going. Adam and I were freezing, but Campbell kept saying, "lets do it again!"

Here's some pictures I like that I took at the farm:

What's wrong with this picture?

Usually my kids bathe naked. Maybe Bronson is becoming a never-nude and developing a complex...


Here's the funny thing about this experience. Adam was home at bathing-hour, which is unusual lately since he's studying all hours for the Utah bar. After dinner he was about to go study again, but I convinced him to  give the kids a bath.  He goes through the routine of taking Bronson out, drying, lotion, diaper, onsie, pjs (which is one "routine" or chore of life that I dislike - like changing bed sheets. That has been Adam's 1 Saturday chore for 7 years of marriage. I hate it. Toilet? tab? fine. No changing sheets.)  So Bronson is ready for bed and Campbell is still in the tub so Bronson crawls back to the bathroom and stands up near the tub to watch his brother.
Before Adam leaves he says, "watch Bronson, he's right by the tub." I was in the next room, with a mostly clear view of the kids. Yeah, yeah, he does this often.  Next thing I heard and saw was a splash and a very surprised and wet baby. Oh man. Then I had to do the dreaded, blasted routine anyway.

Bro-yo's 1st birthday

Yesterday was B's first birthday. Can't believe it. Now that he's one year old he's not a baby technically, but a toddler. That's kinda sad, isn't it? They grow out of babyhood quite fast.

I debated about what to do for a cake. Bronson doesn't know or care so I decided to not spend hours sculpting a B minus-worthy-cake, but didn't want to buy one because then his brother couldn't eat it due to his allergies.
So I made a still-yummy vegan red velvet cake.

Campbell was so excited to eat the trees.  I remember Campbell's first birthday cake. After he ate it he had hives all over his mouth, chin and neck. Whoops. I guess we have a problem. He was tested for food allergies a few weeks later.  Anywho...

both sets of grandparents were there and Uncle Kirk.