Posts

The project my daughters did with me!

Image
Here's something I'm rather proud of. . . I have raised two successful babysitters. When they were starting out babysitting, I was as nervous as they were! What if something happens? Will they have to cook? What if the kids are hard to handle? I went over instructions with them right until they walked out the door. I canceled my plans and stayed home in case they called for help. When they got home, I'd want all the details and then go over what to do for next time. They got better and better with each job and my nerves calmed down when I realized they were great babysitters who knew how to keep kids safe AND have fun with them at the same time. Hearing from friends and neighbors what awesome babysitters my daughters are made me so proud!   But now they are getting older and getting different jobs, and spending more weekend nights with friends rather than babysitting, they're ready to pass the torch on to younger babysitters. We had the idea to put together a guide/kit ...
Post a Comment
Read more

a quilt for her "big girl" bed

Image
Working on a quilt for Lucy. . . I'm totally copying this beautiful quilt from Denyse Schmidt , one of her "Pretty Square" designs that she created for Sarita Handa. It's basically a log cabin square with variations and randomness added in. . .
3 comments
Read more

Look Mom!

Image
Do those words scare you as much as they scare me? Here is one bad "Look Mom!" from this week: She was using markers to color some Mother's Day cards for the Grandma's, and I made the mistake of turning around to do dishes or something. Grandma Leen and Grandma Linda, this is the the other product of that little coloring session! Thank heavens for Crayola Washable Markers. . . Can you guess Lucy's favorite color? Orange. She picked out the these roses for me and then hubby arranged them: This was a good "Look Mom!". . . Mother's Day flowers and breakfast. Yummm.
Post a Comment
Read more

what do you do. . .

Image
. . . on a snowy/rainy spring day when you're couped up with a two-year-old? Make pictures of sunnier spring days.
1 comment
Read more

a haiku

Image
sad, baby blossoms sodden sprigs of lilac beneath delinquant spring snow
2 comments
Read more

another post about baby quilts

Image
I know, I know. . . I'm always posting baby quilts. But that's my THANG. . . you have to know that by now. I LOVE making baby quilts. . . I've never duplicated one. I love making them each as unique and different as the babies and families I make them for. This first one is for baby Livi. The little tag at the bottom is a scrap of Japanese fabric as a special shout-out for her mom, April , who is not only my friend but a fellow Japan-o-phile and taught me this little trick of using little fabric swatch accents. . . And this one is for little baby Alden who has yet to make his arrival. . . I know, strange for me to have a quilt done AHEAD of time, they're usually late! But we had an early shower for his soon-to-be-mommy, Kate, when she was in town recently. The rugby stripes are a shout-out to soon-to-be-daddy, Eric, who played rugby for the well-known Highland High Rugby Team. The back fabric is another piece I bought when I was in Tokyo a year or so ago. The front gra...
3 comments
Read more

relish!

Image
Broiled Tilapia with Avocado Salsa and Steamed Broccoli with Orange Chances are, if you've spent more than 15 minutes alone with me lately, I've told you about relish! the saving grace of my weeknight dinners. . . I'm not a good cook. I like to cook with hubby for big weekend dinners where we might be having guests, but I get really lazy during the week. I tend to make the same handful of dishes over and over and over again. And I DREAD making my shopping list every week. One day, I put Mike in charge of planning the menu for the next week and bada-bing, look what he found. . . relish! It's an online menu and grocery planning service. Each week they have 20 or so different meal options for you, you choose the ones you want, tell it how many servings you'll be making and hit a button and it compiles recipes AND a grocery shopping list for you. The meals all take 30 minutes or less to prepare, often use seasonal ingredients, and are actually very healthy. . . and did...
2 comments
Read more

the good thing about colorstay lipstick is. . .

Image
I put it on once and its going to stay all day. . . The bad thing about colorstay lipstick is, if Lucy puts it on as eye make-up , its going to stay all day. . .
2 comments
Read more

9 years and counting

Image
We just celebrated our 9th Anniversary. . . in San Diego! Here are some fun photos from the trip. This is Lucy's newest move, the "oh my gosh, someone's looking at me" move. Very unusual and surprising for our little show-off. I wouldn't say its bashfulness, I think its more sudden self-awareness. All these photos are from the Mission San Juan Capistrano in Orange County. We took the train up and thoroughly enjoyed it. Notice it is our anniversary trip, but there are exactly 0 (that's a zero) photos of us (hubby and I) together. That's something I need to be more aware while we're out and about. I need to be that tourist that thrusts my camera into the hands of perfect strangers walking by and asks them to take a picture of us together. . . or maybe I just need to train Lucy to do it. But here is a recent picture of the two of us at a friend's wedding. Seems like just yesterday that I was the one with the up-do and the white dress. . . and the han...
4 comments
Read more

ready for spring

Image
Two weeks ago. . . Today. . . Thanks for the headstart, Papa Bob! And Lucy is so proud of her seeds, she wants to go down to the basement and look at them every day.
1 comment
Read more

potty training, day 2

Image
12 comments
Read more

A weekend at Cabin's house

Image
We spent our double holiday weekend (Valentine's Day + Presidents' Day) in Alpine Junction, Wyoming at a cabin with some good friends. Lucy calls it Cabin's house and asks to go there every day now. . . Hey, that's me! Thanks, Janelle, for the cute photo. I usually don't exist in photos. . . Some cute snow bunnies. . . Lottie (above) and Norah and Kate (below) Norah looks a little trepidatious because on her first run, she and Lucy had a major crash. But we coaxed them back onto sleds and hopefully the bloody nose and bloody lips and ice rash will all be forgotten. Unfortunately, none of us got good photos of all the boys being dragged on sleds behind the Phipps car. And even more unfortunately, all the photos I took of Mike's icy beard after the hookie-bobbin' are out of focus! But you get the idea: Here is the whole gang. . . thanks, everyone. Good times.
Post a Comment
Read more

potty training, day 1

Image
1 whole row of stickers (all hot pink) 7 pairs of big girl underwear (in the wash) ___ number of accidents (decided not to count) 2 of which were IN my shoes (how could I not count that?) P.S. Today I'm very thankful for hardwood floors.
2 comments
Read more

we would like to take a minute to thank our sponsors. . .

Image
Who's that sexy trucker you ask? Oh, that's the same old hubby just hairier! Thanks to Hale Centre Theatre who gave him a part in their upcoming Fiddler on the Roof. Yours truly will be playing the butcher, Laser Wolf, in the MWF night performances running from February 16th till mid-April! Get your tickets now, if you like hairy men and old musicals like I do, you won't want to miss it! Lucy would like to thank Jell-O Pudding Cups. I think she's vying for the Jell-o Pudding spokesperson gig. . . move over Bill Cosby. And what products am I endorsing this month? First, Clomid! I won't bore you with all the horrid details, but it worked! We're expecting baby #2 in early August. Wahoo! Second, Phenergan , I now feel sick only 20% of the time rather than 95% of the time. Thank you, modern medicine, for helping us get pregnant and then for helping us deal with being pregnant!
25 comments
Read more

happy new year!

Image
My New Year's Eve party hat turned into a snowman hat the next day. . . And yes, he's booti-ful from both the front AND the back. . . Happy New Year!
7 comments
Read more