Really….REALLY? Grace, please tell me you did NOT spend 80.00 on that!

May 16, 2013

I hope you all know me better than that.

I pride myself as a bargain shopper.

I mean, yeah, I am a sucker for kitschy over the top religious junk… but $80.00?

You know how much stuff I could get at Ross for $80.00?!

This was just a cruel prank to keep my husband on his toes.

When we came across this gem as the day was nearing an end, I couldn’t believe that no one had already snatched it up.

It was obviously fate.

Or maybe no one else has the creative vision I have.

OR maybe no one is as foolish as me.

And by foolish, I mean AWESOME!

I bargained down the price from $20.00 to under $10.00 and hauled the awkward thing home.

After laying out all my goodies from the day on display, I changed the price tag to $80.00 so that when Steve came home he would freak out.

And he did.

This was just one of the many treasures I procured at the West Seattle Garage Sale.

This was my second year attending and I felt like an old pro.

Wheelin’ and dealin’ I bundled my purchases and chopped prices in half.

I only spent a total of $70.00 and got all kinds of good stuff.

First check out the lovely day it was!

For a split second…a fleeting moment…a shake of a lambs tale,

I was glad I lived in Seattle.

Here is what I got:

Baby Trend Expedition Jogging stroller

Infant life vest

Little Swedish clog slippers for Clarky

(plus another pair of shoes)

ABC sign

Adorable reindeer vest for winter

& Little Space Needle plate

A package of Vacuum seal bags

Med size Bentley carrier

Because she outgrew the Small.

Fatty.

Still in Package train toy

Old suitcase

Also few baby gates, books and baby proofing products for the house

( not pictured)

These awesome single pane windows

And a delicious scone from PCC.

Paid full price for that, but it was worth it.

Also along the way we saw

DOG IS MY CO CAPTAIN

I love how he is leaning with one arm out.

Like he is wavin’ at chick dogs.

My first real Mothers day!

May 13, 2013

My first Mother’s Day went splendidly.

We started off at Portage Bay for Breakfast

I don’t know what to order with my big hands…

Whipped CREAM?!!?

We walked around the Seattle Center and hung out by the fountain.

There was chalk EVERYWHERE from the color run earlier that morning.

Then it was off to tour Seattle and Ride the Ducks!

The only successful quack he was able to get out of his quacker was when he sneezed into it.

He hasn’t mastered the art of a whistle yet.

Just screaming….and drooling…

Getting onto the water

Clark & the Space Needle

My Mother’s day gift from my Mom was a book I really wanted to get for Clark.

I am excited to read it to him. It’s super cute

From Steve I got a drink decanter because my old one broke!

Good day!

Diet starts tomorrow.

All I F’ing want for Mother’s Day

May 11, 2013

Ten things I really F’ing want for Mother’s Day

Reblogged from Baby Sideburns

1. I don’t want to wipe a single ass all day. I think all kids should have to hold their poop in on Mother’s Day. Now that would make it special.

2. I want brunch. But not with the whole frigging family. I want brunch with my other mommy friends. See ya, rugrats. Mommy’s coming back drunk on laughter and bloody marys.

3. I want to sleep in. But not with my hooligans shouting “MOMMYYYYYY!!!” at the top of their lungs and ramming one of those giant cannon thingies into the door to bust inside. To all the hubbies reading this: when the rugrats wake up, take them outside immediately. Not downstairs. OUTSIDE. That’s right, scoop them up in a football hold and rush them out the door. I’m F’ing serious. Change their diapers and their clothes on the front lawn if you have to. Just don’t let them wake my ass up.

4. I want a card. But not a stupid Hallmark card. I want one of those awesome homemade ones made with macaroni. Only I want the macaroni cooked and poured into a bowl and covered with a delicious cream sauce and paired with a giant bottle of red wine.

5. Jewelry jewelry jewelry. Unless it’s one of those stupid necklaces made with cheap plastic beads. None of that shit. Unless Tiffany’s is suddenly selling overpriced plastic bead necklaces. That can be returned for money. Because I don’t want to exchange it and the only thing I can afford is a stupid ass pen or keychain.

6. I want you to cook breakfast for me. In someone else’s kitchen.

7. I want to pee and poop alone. I will prepare for the day by downing a tanker truck full of liquid and eating ridiculous amounts of fiber.

8. I want chocolate. But not just any ole chocolate. I want the kind that someone has taken a fat Sharpie to and blacked out the F’ing calorie section.

9. I want a good present. Like one I’ll really like. It’s not the thought that counts. It’s MY thought that counts. And my thought should not be WTF?

10. I want ten “Leave me the fuck alone” coupons with no expiration date.

I’m getting married!

May 9, 2013

Sike.

Wedding Season is here though.

Cleaver Something Blues

Can ya dig it?

Old windows, New home

May 8, 2013

I decided it was time to do something with the old windows I had been hoarding in the basement.

Project one:

Faux enclosed porch

I used eye hooks and chain to connect the frames and secure the tops and bottoms to the railings.

I went for a “rustic” look.

Which means, I brushed off the debris and called it a day.

When we paint our house ( hopefully this summer) I will paint them with the trim color.

Project two:

Make the shed look cool

I’m not finished yet, but this is a good start to the project!

Clark approves.

A sprinkle in time

May 7, 2013

A few friends and I threw a “Baby Sprinkle”

( Instead of Baby Shower. Cleaver, right?)

for our friend Doni on Saturday.

She already has a baby girl and all the fixin’s to go along with her.

So Doni didn’t really want a full blown power shower with gifts and games.

So, we did a small brunch and cupcakes to celebrate the upcoming birth of

Baby Juliana!

Because leaving him is bittersweet

Clark stood at the screen door and watched me go!

Gettin out the door

If my hand were just a scoatch higher I would look Pregnant.

For reference -I am not.

We chose La Romanza in West Seattle for brunch.

It was delicious!

Setting up

I made the guest of honor this place mat and ….corsage

Okay, well actually the corsage I procured at a garage sale a few years ago.

I have been hiding it away, waiting for the right occasion.

I never anticipated that it would actually be a baby shower though, since it’s so ridiculous.

However, this gathering seemed fitting because there weren’t aunts and grandma’s to be offended and chances are baby # 2 will have nice dark

Puerto Rican skin just like the first.

And by that, I mean not all siblings look alike, not that the jury is still out on who the father is.

For favors we made a delicious lavender sugar scrub that we sealed in short mason jars.

Then I embroidered the letter J on a swatch of lace to go on top of each one.

Yours Truly

Doni first seeing the corsage

A great idea came out of this silly thing though.

We decided that this corsage will be passed around from shower to shower and each of us will have to wear it because it was just too fabulous to only use once….. er… twice.

Since I noticed a swatch of ribbon on the bottom said ” Pamela’s Baby Shower 2005″ on it.

Each girl who wears it will add their name and date to it as well.

Thanks Pam… whoever you are.

Obviously you didn’t think this memento from your OWN shower was worth keeping.

Bloody Mary

Ciambella di Amaretto

( House baked rustic loaf with currants, cinnamon, almonds and amaretto glaze.

Topped with whipped mascarpone, served with roasted potatoes )

Heaven.

Crab & Artichoke Crepe

Strawberry & Brie Crepes

Dig in!

But leave room for……

Cupcakes!

After brunch we walked over to Cupcake Royal and stuffed our faces a little more.

Can’t wait to meet you Juliana!!!

And you can’t end the weekend without smelling your friend’s feet.

Which btw Don’t stink.

Postpartum Life – No one told me…..

May 2, 2013

No one told me that I would have hair loss. Not just a little, but a lot. Leaving me with bald spots around my temples. Now that the hair is growing back in, I have baby stubble around my forehead and the hairline on the back of my head. These fine super short hairs are impossible to slick down and stick out no matter how I style my thinning coif. I want to shave my head. The hair that I do have has become limp and lifeless. Boo. Part of this could also be caused by my thyroid.

No one told me that pregnancy can mess with my thyroid. I have to get another test this month and see is it has possibly regulated its self, but at the last apt. it still hadn’t. The pregnancy had forced my thyroid into Hyperthyroidism, which means it was going too fast. Contrary to popular belief that doesn’t really help with weight loss much, so there really weren’t any pros. It caused me to feel anxious as well as lethargic and sore like I was deficient in iron. After it decided it was done doing that, it switched over to hypothyroidism, which is when is goes too slow. Causing a whole slew of other issues. According to the Dr. it will either self regulate and go back to normal or poop out and die. In which can I will take meds for the rest of my life. Even if it does go back to normal, it can get all messed up again next time I decide to torture myself and have another baby.

No one told me that I would still have to run for the ladies room 9 months later. Yep, that’s right, this pregnancy has left me weak in the bladder. Thanks so much. Every time I do jumping jacks I am reminded of that.

No one told me that I would have acne…still! When I was pregnant, my face and back definitely went through a transition from the hormones and I looked like a 15 year old boy. I thought it would have cleared up by now, but since I am still nursing my body is dealing with ever changing hormones which are causing me to break out. I am sure the whole not sleeping thing and eating like crap because I am exhausted doesn’t help this either though.

No one told me that I would still be too exhausted to be exhausted. I have help from family and friends but no one can make up for a good nights sleep. What that is, I am not sure… since I haven’t had one in over 9 months. Clark still doesn’t sleep through the night and I can sometimes get a total of 8 hours, but its broken into at least 2 segments, usually more though. Which makes 8 hours feel more like 2…on a futon…next to a stereo.. on repeat.

No one told me that I would still be up doing night feedings…. did I mention I haven’t slept in over 9 months… isn’t this how serial killers are born? One or two nights of sleeplessness we can all deal with. We complain and drink our coffee and life goes on. But, 6 days a week of them? It turns your days into night and nights into days, minutes into hours….you don’t know if it’s Monday or Wednesday and you haven’t taken a shower since Saturday so it doesn’t really matter.

No one told me that falling in love happens a little bit each day. I thought I would have Clark and that instant connection would happen immediately. At least that was how I hoped it would all go. It hasn’t though. I feel like we are still getting to know each other, even 9 months later. Each day I fall in love with him a little more and I think that’s pretty normal, but I had no idea that’s how it worked.

Farmer Clark

May 1, 2013

I have an onion garden going in the back yard and Clark was helping me water the plants.

Cutest baby ever.

Feeling the grass with his toes

Then we went over to grandma and grandpas and he sat on the tractor!

Awwwww

Hostess Party

April 30, 2013

Grab your aprons and shine your Tupperware, it’s party time!

Speaking of which… anyone remember that Eerie Indiana episode with the Tupperware Lady???

Check it out HERE if you don’t.

It’s awesome.

Last weekend my friend Angela threw a Hostess party at my house.

We had an assortment of vendors show up with all their goodies to sell.

Here are a few shots from the day

Cookie Lee had some great jewelry

I got this hammered gold hoop necklace.

(Zen Necklace)

The Pampered Chef with all her kitchen gadgets

I got this glass measuring cup with a lid

and a cheese knife

Mary Kay

Tastefully Simple had some great dip and drink mixes

And Origami Owl lockets and necklaces

Which I already own and bought one for my mom and mother in law

and Gold Canyon Candles

This was a really fun idea to have all the parties in one house and invite everyone over.

We just had an open house and let people show up through out the day.

They browsed, snacked and bought!

I highly recommend it if you are looking for a fun girls day kinda thing to get everyone together!

Keg Bags!

April 29, 2013

I just launched a new project on Etsy selling Keg Bags!

Begin shameless self promotion now:

I hope you will all check it out and share the news to anyone that you think might be in the market!

I came up with this idea when I was planning my own wedding.

We had an open bar and opted to serve beer out of kegs along with our cocktails and wine.

The most common way to chill your keg is to set it inside a trash can filled with ice.

Although this works perfectly, it wasn’t exactly up to my ” wedding level” of fancy.

So I went looking for a solution.

I wanted something to dress up the keg or container.

After scouring the Internet, I came up with nothing.

So I decided to make my own.

Now I am making them for everyone else!

Check out my listing to purchase HERE

I am sewing them in an assortment of fabrics and styles.

Complete with customization to tie in with your party theme!

Monogramming isn’t your only option for customization, but so far that has been what I have been asked to do.

I have a ton of idea for more style and can’t wait to get started on them and give more brides the perfect finishing touches to their perfect day!

If you have any great ideas for design you would love to see, comment below and let me know!