{Girls Night}

I got myself all ready to go out with one of my good friends for a "girls" night out! I got myself kinda dressed up (did my hair but wore jeans and comfy tshirt) and snapped a few pictures before she came because I felt "that" good, you know what I mean right?

I have been looking forward to getting out for quite some time and it was nice to just get out and have grown up conversation without little voices butting in and to eat food that someone else didn't want to help me eat.

credit

Chrissie took me to Northern Lights cinema and grill. It was my first time going there and we saw "This means War" with Reese Witherspoon. The movie was hilarious and the avocado bacon burger I had while watching it was AMAZING! Not only can Northern Lights show a good movie but the food is great too. And because we went to a later showing there were no kids because after a certain time they start serving booze and then you have to be at least 21 to see a movie there.

It was a great night and the best girls night out I have had in a long time. While I was gone William and Chrissie's "Guys" helped William corral the kiddo's and played some video games and a movie too. It was a great and much needed girl time - even if it wasn't for that long it was still rejuvenating.

{Progress}

Since beginning my journey with sewing cloth dolls and sculpting with paperclay last year I am finding my style and I am enjoying my new creative outlet.

one of my first clay/cloth dolls sitting next to my newest

I am really seeing the progress I am making and how different my dolls are looking now in comparison with what they first were looking like. I am so glad I can see the progress I am making and of course the OCD in me still sees all my flaws and how I can improve.

I am making my own patterns and making my own creative decisions and my sewing skills are improving. I can sew in a pretty strait line now!

The purple bug eyed gal is one of the "fairies" I made for Ruth for her birthday and it and one other has survived out of the four I gave to her. She is so hard on the dolls but now I making them a bit more sturdy to out last how hard my girls are on the dolls. Who knew girls could be so rough on their dollies!

{egg bacon toast cups}

I found a great recipe for eggs toast and bacon on Pinterest and decided I was going to have to try it myself. Mind you I didn't have any bacon thawed so I just used canadian bacon and let me just say it was a huge hit with my kids and hubby. Next time though I think I am going to put cooked broken bacon on the inside next time or the canadian bacon on top so it can crisp up a little.

egg, bacon toast cups

(modified from Martha Stewart website)

Ingredients:

6 or 12 cup muffin tin

rolling pin

large round cookie cutter (mine was about 4" across)

1 egg per muffin tin

1 slice of bacon/canadian bacon per tin (bacon cooked before hand)

bread 1 slice per tin

butter

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350°. Next take a little bit of butter on a paper towel or use your fingers and butter the muffin tin. 

Next use your rolling pin to roll your bread a little flat, then take your cookie cutter and cut out your bread.

Take some butter and butter one side of the bread - unbuttered side goes against the the muffin tin. fit the bread into the muffin tin, making sure to press it around and flat against the sides.

Next take cooked bacon or canadian bacon and place inside the bread cup. Then crack an egg on top.

Now place the muffin tin in the oven on the middle rack for 15-25 minuets depending on how runny you want your yoke. I cooked mine for about 18-20 min for a cooked egg white but slightly runny yokes.

{glasses fun}

Myrna found one of the boys old pair of sunglasses with the lens part missing. She loved them from the get go and was a wiggly little worm showing off how cute she looked in them. The below images were taken with my camera phone as it was the only thing I had close to me while she was enjoying the glasses. Hence the blurriness of some of the pictures, but I don't care, I love how they turned out anyways.

this one is my favorite of us

{Happy Birthday Hubby!}

Yesterday we celebrated my hubby's 35th birthday! We are getting so old, when did that happen? I remember when I was Aaron's age that anyone over 30 was old and here hubs and I are over 30! But really we aren't that old, we still have almost 20 years til we hit 50 - and that's OLD! (haha)

I made hubby's cake, (using this recipe, and it had a chocolate pudding filling and this frosting) and because the store was out of a number 5 candle I decided to get 35 candles, 12 of which were the ones that re-light themselves. It was hilarious because it was an inferno once lit and every time he would have all the candles blown out those 12 would re-light - hubby said I was killing him!

My sad homemade cake before being lit - everyone liked it though

Inferno once lit

Finally all the candles were blown out

For the rest of his day we played "Game of Thrones" the board game brought over by one of his friends. The kids played outside while we played the game at the kitchen table. It was so much fun. It's defiantly one that we are going to have to get for our board game collection.

I think overall hubs had a great day. The kids and I got him 3 new t-shirts with different pictures/sayings on them. The one he wore for his birthday had spock on it with the saying "you better trek yourself before you wreck yourself" - hilarious, don't you think?

{Gaggle of Dollies}

I have been busy this week creating some lovely dolls for my etsy shop. I would have liked to have gotten more done but my carpal tunnel isn't letting me do any more then what I have done in the below image. I have been having lots of fun creating but at the same time I am frustrated with my hands for not cooperating, but there's nothing I really can do about it except take it easy when the carpal tunnel flares up.

At least I can still get my craft on, really that's all that matters, right?

some of my newest dollie creations

{What I've been up to}

I have been busy creating some "hinged" dolls out of paper clay. I have been trying different technique to do their hair, instead of gluing them on one small section at a time I have been sewing them, using my sewing machine to a little bit of felt. 


Making these dolls has been a bit of trial and error but I must say it's been lots of fun. I have also decided to hand paint on the eyes instead of trying to create eyes out of the clay, at least until I can get it the way I want. Since I first started I can really see where I am improving and what still needs improvement.

I think that I am finding my own "style" and niche. I am really enjoying using some of the vintage linens/fabric I have on hand to make these gals their clothes. I know they are simple but since I am not a great seamstress it has been helping me to learn my vintage sewing  (from the 60's)  machine.

I didn't take this picture but it is what my sewing machine looks like. It's a great little workhorse and my favorite color!! credit

Some of my dolls legs are hinged at the knee and some aren't. I am not sure which way I like better but until I figure it out, I guess I will continue to do both. 

I sold my first dolls over the weekend since opening up my etsy shop. It doesn't bother me if I sell anything or not but it's nice to know someone likes what I create and wants it. 

this is an "ornament" no legs, and can be hung anywhere, even in your car!

These are the hinged knee that I was talking about

This is just an example of the strait leg/non-hinged knee - this is one of my first hinged dolls

these are my newest hinged dolls. The one in white has strait legs and the purple has hinged knees.

{Happy Easter pt. 3}

happy easter

part 3: Food and play

After the egg hunt we had lunch. I found a great recipe for rolls on pinterest and I must say they were a big hit!

I made crockpot ham, yummy rolls, mashed potatoes and of course some green beans. Sure it wasn't a huge feast but it fed everyone and no one went home hungry and I didn't have a scrap of food left.

After dinner we watched "Hop" and a couple other movies and then headed outside for a bit of fun to enjoy the warm day!

soon after dinner Myrna crashed for about an hour

rolls, green beans, ham and some mashed potatoes and gravy!

a quick capture before everyone headed home

Dad was being silly and Myrna was coping his facial expressions - she loves her grandpa!

{Happy Easter pt. 2}

happy easter

part 2: easter egg hunt & basket getting

After picking up my brother and his family and once my dad and step-mom got here we did the easter egg hunt and rippin' into the easter baskets!

The kids were soooo hopped up on sugar all thru the weekend. Grandma wanted everyone to get a quick picture wearing her bunny ears, (aren't they cute!)

easter baskets for all the kids: I only made the bunnies for everyone - the rest was from the grandparents

had to bribe aaron to give grandma a hug or he wasn't to get any candy...LOL

Sam says this is his "cheesy" smile

my step brother shaved his chin hair off for work and isn't too happy about it

I just love this boy! He's got so much personality!

Aaron is my favorite goof! He makes me laugh!

Myrna loved making the bunnies bounce

Yes, we even put the bunny ears on ceasar!