Crafting Getaway

While it seems like most things these days are focused on my kids and family in general, I've gotten some craft projects done lately that I'm really happy about. A few weekends back I got to join my mom, Karen, some friends from my town and a few other girls on a craft retreat. Most everyone was scrapbooking, but I decided to take my sewing things, and it worked out perfectly! I have had a couple projects on my mind (one for over a year), and I finally got them done!
First, I made a birthday banner. I am super-excited about it because I can put it up every birthday, and it will become part of our family's traditions. Plus it's very cute with just the right colors. It just makes me happy.

The second project I had was a purse like the ones I made for the women in my family a couple years back. At the time I had bought some fabric I loved, but like most projects around my house, by the time I got around to making it for myself, I ran out of time or motivation. So this weekend was the weekend! Out came the beautiful fabric, and my purse turned out just like I had imagined. I love it.

 

I can't believe how much I got accomplished over the weekend. Plus my friend Adrienne and I took full advantage of the "big city" to get plenty of shopping in! It was a great time.

Home Tour: Living and Dining Revisited

Last weekend we had an Open House for all the members of our church. Our home is 45 years old and feels brand new because of all the hard work that the church put in before we even moved here. Every day Jon and I enjoy our home (and really have trouble picking our "favorite" room) because of what the church did. I found out at the Open House that the church built the house, so the members (many of whom remember when it was built) have seen it transform as ministers come and go. As my mom put it, it's like a Tour of Homes that comes to them, instead of them having to go to it!

So, the Open House was a chance to offer our part of the Tour of Homes. It was a chance to thank our friends and say, "Now you've seen it; feel welcome to come any time!"

It was a fun day, and many people loved the yellow walls (which had been a bit of a sticking point when we first moved here). I loved showing them the many handmade things around the home, some by me and many by friends and family. There isn't much in our home that can be found at Kirklands or someplace like that. Most of our decor has a story and a face behind it, which I love.

As a bonus, I just managed to snap a few pictures of every room before the first guest arrived, so the Home Tour blog posts can continue!

Before I start on any new rooms, I wanted to update the post about the living and dining area. Since then, I have framed some of my student artwork and put it in the dining room. We've also moved our baby swing out of the boys' room. I'm not sure it'll stay where it is, but it is the most convenient spot at the moment.

Here's the update!

Roomie Reunion 2009!

Every year my college roommates get together. Well, it's really my roommate (who happens to also be my best friend) and her roommates that she had after I ran off and got married. We've had varying levels of success getting the roommates together, and this year it included myself, Leanna, and Karen (who happens to be my sis-in-law), and then my nephew Ian, and of course, Caleb!

I got to host this year. I was so excited, because I love Fort Worth and have always wanted to spend an evening downtown with my favorite roomies. And that's exactly what we did!

We got all gussied up, because what is getting together with girls without a makeover?

We were silly....

We took lots of pictures....

ate ice cream....


and to top it all off, went to a comedy club and got to participate on stage!

It was a great night. Jon, who was home with Caleb (Ian's grandparents were watching him that night), predicted that we would be home by ten. Well, we did leave downtown by ten, but only because it was the middle of the week and nothing stayed open later than that! I, for one, really enjoyed my girl time with no baby. It was a blast to hang out and have fun.

As for the rest of the reunion, it was spent with Caleb and Ian, so I'll put those posts up on Caleb's blog. Eventually.

July: Cut or Keep??

Let's do a little running tally of the goings on this month.....

4th of July visit with Grandma & Grandpa: +4
One very bitter wasp: -1
Check engine light on the trip: -1
$600 mechanic bill: -3
5-day trip to visit Nana & Granddad: +4
Check engine light on the trip: -1
Mosquito making a buffet of my ankles the whole trip home: -1
Started working out: +1
Strep throat for 4 days: -4
Cancel plans to see Leanna and Mawmaw: -2
Mom comes to help out: +2
Worst rash I've ever had: -3 (potential to lose 2 more points if it's not gone before the beach on Saturday)
5 days no air conditioner: -5
Caleb gets to play with his friend Noah for 3 days: +1
Stomach bug bites Jon: -3
Stomach bug bites Caleb: -1 (so far not bad, but potential to lose more points if the bug makes it to me, and even MORE points if we're not healthy by aforementioned beach vacation)
Finally celebrate KarenN's birthday: +2
Brand new air conditioner installed: +4 (potential to gain more if it's more powerful/efficient than the last one)
Beach vacation: remains to be seen, but I'm gonna give it a +6

So how do we end up? Let's see.... Well, we're at a -1 right now. But you just never know what good things could come. :)

Woohoo!

We made it! Two weeks of finalizing everything at work and pushing off unnecessary tasks at home to get it all done. Throw in volunteering at VBS and Jon working on his two new classes he's started toward his second masters, and it's been a crazy time! But we made it.

I've gotten to do two things lately that I haven't done in a long time. I joined a Tuesday morning ladies Bible study at church, and we attended Wednesday evening prayer meeting tonight.

I've also attempted a couple naps, though Caleb hasn't cooperated very well with that. And I visited with a new friend today, ran errands, and tomorrow Leanna's coming over!

I'm so grateful that God has provided for us and allowed me to stay home. I know it won't be the panacea to every stress in our lives, but it is still a relief.

And look! I'm even putting up a blog post! Hopefully more to come!

Photog Fun

A couple weeks back, Leanna and I went on a photogging adventure downtown. She's the proud new owner of a Canon Rebel Xsi (the upgrade from my Xti), so we were going out together to try it out. I'm part of a photography Meetup group here in the area--we post stuff online and get together for stuff every month--and our meetup was to shoot architecture downtown, so Lea and I decided to do just that. We had a blast!

Lea working on her skillz

I'm jealous of how cute she looked that day!

We found a great spot for photos!

This was my favorite photo of the day

I think this would be a perfect spot for couples portraits! We tried out a few poses....

We headed to another spot downtown where I got this shot.
The photos with the black borders are the ones I submitted to the Meetup group for comments and critique. Overall I got a good response. I got a few suggestions that would help them out. I, myself, was very happy with the photos. When I look at them, they look like something I'd like and wish I could do...and I did!

Hair Experiment

Why is it that every hair cut is a much-weighed decision? Yesterday, Leanna was asking me what she should do with her hair this next cut, and for once, I stuck with the simple, "I think you should do what you did last time." She and I never do that! We usually start looking at books, going online, discussing face shape and hair color...and yes, pretty much for every cut. It could be because we're dramatic, but I think it's because we like change...at least with our hair.

In early August, I had no idea what to do with my hair. The plan was to let my hair grow out until early November, when I would get it cut short again, so it would feel new and cute when I was 9 mos pregnant. But then I realized that growing out my hair from August to November was not enough time for it to get past the awkward stage, and why go through three months of awkward just to cut it short again? So, then I thought maybe I should just keep growing it out, even after Caleb's born. I've had it short for awhile; it's time for something new. But then I realized (after a conversation with Karen, my source for all things new mom) that I don't want hair that needs to be fixed when I'm a brand new mom and people show up with dinner or just to see the baby. I need hair that I can wet down, run gel through, and it's done. That, my friends, is short hair. (The other low-maintenance option is hair long enough for a pony-tail, but I can't pull that off in three months.)

So, after that debate, I decided I would do short hair, but try to get the shape back to the first short cut I got with Lynn. Lynn was still my regular stylist, but every appointment my hair got shorter and shorter, so I decided to try someone new. Still being cheap, I went to Ogle School of Cosmetology, where I got a 6-buck haircut. Sweet! And the student did a great job, kept the length, but shaped it up very nicely. I really liked the way it turned out.

And then two weeks later, it was frumpy again. Ah...now I see why those short haircuts were so nice. I could go 6-8 weeks between cuts before. I put off the decision for a few more weeks, but yesterday, I was done. To make my hair presentable on Sunday, I had to gel, blowdry, curl, pomade, and spray my hair, and I was not going to do that again. Sure, it's cute, but way too much work! So yesterday I went back to Lynn, and pretty much had my head shaved. Back to its pixie glory. Someday I'll grow it long, but today is not that day.

In the midst of these length concerns, I also had color to worry about. I have been highlighting my hair for awhile now, and had ended up with a little bit of a highlighting mess: more highlights on one side of my head than the other, and roots over an inch long. (Why do I choose to do things that require maintenance when I obviously don't maintain them??) So, the plan was to dye my hair back to its original color, and then put new highlights in. I didn't know if the color would cover up the existing highlights enough, but I thought it was worth a try.

And it worked! The old highlights were mostly covered, with a slight color variation off of the brown I chose, but I like to think of that as added depth. And then the new highlights...well, I'm pretty sure I like them. I did them myself, so at some point I just gave up because my arms were getting tired, but I think I got them all in the right places.

So basically, my hair looks like it did about two months ago, and I like it. :) I especially liked fixing it this morning! Yep, I think it's the cut for me, at least until it's time to grow it out again. But until that time comes, I think I'll just take my own advice to Leanna. I'm gonna stick to the cut I have.

Lusk Photo Shoot

The first of three photo shoots are up! Click on the photo to get to the rest of the photos from the shoot.

Lens: 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

Aperture: f/5.6
Speed: 1/200 second
ISO: 400

Roomie Reunion 2008

Last week, three other girls and I got together for Roomie Reunion! We were all roommates or friends during college, and we try to get together once a year. Here are the photos!

My favorite is our "stages" progression. We are in four different stages of life: single, married, married & pregnant, and married w/baby. So, we set up a shot (okay, a ton of shots) with that theme. Here is my favorite:

We had a blast, and I can't wait to do it again!

Bekah's Cakes

I just thought I'd give a plug for one of my good friends, Bekah. I've been chowing down on quite a bit of her cake, lately, and realized the world needs to know about Bekah's Cakes!! Pictured here are all the cakes I've had from her, ranging from chocolate to checkerboard to vanilla and even to mint! Every one of them are beautiful and delicious. And I have two more on the way in the next couple of weeks. Woohoo! So, if you're in my area and are looking for a way to give a personalized cake, I would highly recommend Bekah. Check out her site for all her cake designs (and she'll customize for you, as well!), and scroll to the bottom for her contact info.

Happy Birthday Sophie!

This is a week late, but here are the photos of Sophie's birthday party.

The kids loved to play in the pool, and I took a ton of pictures of that. It was a great party! And now Sophie is two! I can't believe it! I first met her when she was four months old.

Here she is at 7 months or so:

My little cutie neighbor!

Japanese Gardens

Last Saturday Joe and Leanna came out to visit the Japanese Gardens with us. It was tons of fun, and we got lots of neat pictures. Lea, if you want any of these full-size, just let me know!

Mostly about the cat.

I just watched my cat yawn three times in a row. Oh wait. Four! It's pretty cute because he stretches out and curls his back toes. Plus he's under the Christmas tree, by all the packages, and it's just a nice picture. It makes me sleepy, too. No fair getting the easiest job in the house: sleeping and being available for petting at all times. My goodness! Five! I think it's because I keep making eye contact with him. Then he yawns, stretches and curls his toes. I think he needs attention...maybe just a little pet....

...There. I rubbed his belly until he ran away. He'll be good for another half hour or so until it's time to be fed. For being a cat, he's excellent at telling time.

Okay, not to continue talking about a cat, but now he's sharing the laptop with me. He's got his paws on the computer, and he's very fascinated with the cursor. He used to do this as a kitten, but it doesn't happen often any more. I mean, I had to drag him up here, but he's staying, and that's what's important! What a great cat.

Anyway, on to other things. I just got back from almost a week of meetings with the Sales & Marketing team of my company. Not too long ago, we had 6 people on the team, and now we have 16! So many new people! But it's due to the great growth our company has had, and I'm excited about how much more it will grow now that we have all these people in place.

I am still the sole graphic designer, and I think that's fine. We probably have to grow a little more before I start needing a team of my own! However, it does look like I may be taking a marketing class in the spring so I can improve my marketing skills. I hope I can find a good class and I'm excited about learning new things.

Holly and I put up lights on the house today. I was reminded that we've been friends for over a year now! I've really loved her friendship. She has taught me a lot about what it is to be a good neighbor and friend. And of course, she has the cutest girl on the block! Though we left Sophie with Jon today for an hour, and he looked a little shell-shocked when we got back inside! I'm used to her constant energy and ability to find the exact things I didn't want her to touch/bite/write on/break, and she still wears me out, so I can't imagine how Jon felt! She's learning to dance to music, and it's really cute to see her wiggle when music comes on. :)

...Hm...what else? Friday's still sitting with me, and I think it's only because of the movement of the cursor on the screen, so I feel compelled to keep writing. I'm afraid we could be in it for the long haul!

Oh, I got a tattoo! It happened at the marketing meeting. A few meetings back (last March), I had mentioned how I'd always wanted a tattoo, but couldn't decide what to get or where to put it. When I decided, though, I would get one. Well, that stuck with some of the people on the team (maybe because I don't seem like the tattoo type), and they mention it every time we get together. So, this time, I decided to go for it. Baby Pluto (from Disney) on my ankle. Why Pluto? Well, Spidey in the black costume and Spidey in the red costume were the first two that came out of the coin machine, but those didn't seem to fit. The third was Pluto, and then I was out of quarters! So Pluto it is...at least until he rubs off.

Well, you're in luck. After leaving quite a few 5s and ts on this post (which I edited out for you), Friday left, so I guess I'll go brush up on my Christmas carols on guitar for tomorrow morning. I should have figured he would leave soon; it's T minus 5 minutes til I feed him! (A coincidence that he was typing 5s and ts???)

Thanksgiving 2007

Thanksgiving was a wonderful time with family and friends. It was good to enjoy the day in John and Karen's home, which was beautiful and inviting. Ken joined us for the first time, and it was great to have him.

November 2007 Camping Trip!

Here's the camping trip! The camera was passed among myself, Margie, and Jon. If you see a really great artsy shot, it's probably Margie!

Murder Charades

Here is a slideshow of one of the many reasons I love Jon. He's really great at charades!

We're playing Murder Charades on our camping trip, taught to use by a newcomer to the camping trip, Christy. What is Murder Charades? Let me 'splain.

Divide up into two teams.

Team 2 goes to a place out of hearing distance from Team 1. Team 1 decides on a murder. They have to decide three things: 1) Who was murdered, 2) Where they were murdered, and 3) How they were murdered.

Team 1 calls for one person ("Player A") from Team 2 to come over. They explain the scenario to that player. Player A then calls over Player B from Team 2. Player A proceeds to use charades to explain the scenario to Player B.

Then, the game becomes a little bit like "Telephone" we all used to play as kids, where we started a sentence at one end of the line, whispered it from person to person all the way to the other end of the line, and got to see how the sentence changed.

Without being able to confirm with Player A, Player B must also use charades to explain--this time to Player C--what happened. It goes like that all the way through the players on Team 2. The last player has to guess what really happened.

It's a lot of fun. In the slides above, Jon is acting out this scenario: PeeWee Herman was in Greenland when he was murdered by an icicle. Of course, I had been Player A and he was Player B, so he thought my version of PeeWee Herman was a baseball player...I'd tried to show a little boy on the peewee baseball league, but never could get the "Herman" part. Oh, well.

My first photo shoot

Yesterday, I went out to the park with Tim & Margie for my first photo shoot. It was a blast! Margie's very creative and very good with the camera, so her input was excellent. I'm really good friends with Tim & Margie, so we were all comfortable and had a lot of fun. I appreciated Tim for going along with what I asked, because I know guys don't always get into photo shoots like girls do. His mind was on the guys football game, and yet he didn't say a word when he was going to be late for the start of the game.

I got some good shots, and they've already made their order on my new smugmug page. I'm trying it during a free trial period, and we'll see how it goes! I hope it works, because I already have three other couples interested in taking photos! I'm so excited, and loving it all!

Spring Camping Trip 2007

So, last April our class from church went on a camping trip. I never really posted about it because I video taped it all, and that takes longer to put together than a photo slideshow. Well, we've got our next camping trip coming up, so to promote interest, I finally put together the video. I'm using music from MercyMe's new album (see previous post). I actually got this song from FreeCCM.com. It takes an e-mail and password, but otherwise looks like it's a free and legal way to download Christian music. I'll let you know if I get a ton of junk mail from it.

Without much further ado, here's the Camping Trip Video! Oh, and I hope you've got high-speed internet, because it's a big one...and you just need high speed.

Just call me YiYi.

Yesterday Sophie came to visit. Well, Holly and Grandma were with her, too, but it was Sophie I heard coming up the sidewalk. She was walking behind her pushtoy, something that looked a little like this:

As she rumbled up the sidewalk, I opened the door. Holly said, "She was so excited when she realized we were coming over here. And you have a new name. Yi Yi!" (Pronounced yee-yee, but that takes longer to write.)

Yi Yi! I've always wondered what kids would call me. Lydia is a hard name to say for kids. "L" is impossible, and three syllables can be a lot to ask. I thought maybe Wydia, but then it would degrade down to WeeWee when kids are just learning to talk. Yi Yi was an improvement I had not imagined. I was sorry that I missed hearing Sophie say it!

As the family was leaving, Sophie, leaning on her toy, looked at me with bright eyes and yelled out, "BYE!!" It was the first time I'd heard her say something with such intent; usually "bye" was just a mumbled response to our prodding, or an echo of our attempts to teach her. This was a sure, "Goodbye, we'll play tomorrow!" adios. That girl knew what she was saying, and her voice was so clear and cute! I responded with an elated, "Bye Sophie!" to which she again said, "Bye!!" This went on for a few times until Holly broke it up, coaxing Sophie to barrel back down the sidewalk on the handlebar of her push toy.

I bought her some markers and construction paper. She's coming over this afternoon, and I can't wait to play! Sophie's always been a fun baby, and now that she's one year old, it's even more fun to watch the daily developments: understanding the relationship of keys to doors and shoes to feet, seeing her brush a teddy bear's fur and finding pens and paper from all over the house so she can draw (hence the new markers and paper).

And I'm Yi Yi. Not too far off I'll be Aunt Yi Yi to another bundle of joy (though I'll have to wait a long time for him/her to say it). I think that's just about made my week.

80s Night!

Grab your leg warmers, stick your cassette tape in your boombox, and press play!



Last Saturday night, our class (girls AND guys, despite the song) had a blast at 80s night, where we donned every colorful piece of clothing in our closet and relived the crazy days of the 80s.

Everyone brought snacks, and someone thought to bring Fruit Roll-Ups. We had 80s music in the background, 80s games, and an 80s movie to end the night: Back to the Future.

Tons of fun! Here are the photos!