tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11059429697640381102024-03-19T01:26:39.130-07:00My Cotton CreationsNancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941419382266955299noreply@blogger.comBlogger234125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1105942969764038110.post-46923276171230944162014-02-21T09:55:00.001-08:002014-02-21T09:55:17.274-08:00Playing Catch Up<div style="text-align: center;">
I thought I'd give you a summary in pictures of what we have been up to the past 6 months so we are all caught up. Despite my last post, where I claim to only be doing a whole lot of house work during the day and nothing else, we really have been the busy family we always have been.</div>
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A little blurry, sorry. Sometime I like to just take a picture of my kids room when they are clean, because it is an amazing and rare sight. </div>
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The kids had to say goodbye to their first beloved pet, our little rat, Chrysanthemum :(</div>
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The Boy turned 12 and celebrated with his best friend at the new LEGO store grand opening.</div>
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Our last minute Halloween costumes. I borrowed the shirt from The Boy.</div>
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I liked Bruce's costume as Walter White better.</div>
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I crocheted 2 Rainbow Dash hats for the girls for Christmas. </div>
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We took the kids to their first theater experience to see A Christmas Carol.</div>
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Christmas morning, everyone with their new hats and toys ready to go to Grandma's house. </div>
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The Boy got a Sonic Screwdriver, just like The Doctor. Probably his second favorite gift, behind the new Kindle Fire.</div>
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In 2014 I decided we would have family only birthday parties and continue on doing an every other year system for large parties with friends. This didn't stop me from making it fun for her though, it just simplifies my life a bit more.</div>
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And lastly I'll end with C's dance recital. She did great!</div>
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Well, now we are all up to speed, right?</div>
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Yeah, there is a bunch in between. My kids are the smartest and cutest kids in the whole school, my husband is the greatest lawyer that ever lived and I never forget to make dinner in the evenings and end up making bowls of cereal for everyone (one of those isn't completely true). </div>
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Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941419382266955299noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1105942969764038110.post-89461856751650959382014-02-18T14:38:00.000-08:002014-02-18T14:38:27.956-08:00Oh, there you are!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Oh, hello. You're still here? Me too. </div>
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Where have a been? Home.</div>
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No, not much exciting happened.</div>
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Why haven't I blogged? </div>
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I have no idea.</div>
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Well that's not entirely true. I do think I figured it out. The last time I blogged was September, shortly after I sent the kids to school. All 3 of my kids to school... for the entire day. So you would think I would need some interaction, some one to talk to, an outlet while the kids were gone. As it turns out (and I didn't really understand this at the time I was writing frequently) that my blog was an escape for me while I was home with the kids. I needed someone to talk to, I needed something else to do besides take care of little children all day, I needed to show off my talents a little bit. While I was writing my blog I was daydreaming about the day I would send all my kids to school and have days to myself to write and create. </div>
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But they left, I sent them off to school and the last thing I wanted to do was be at home. If you read my blog you know I love my kids. My kids and sewing is really all I talk about. But with my kids safely tucked away in their classrooms I was free for 6 hours to spend however I chose. However I chose usually meant a lot of housework, because that needs to get done and now I can do it without the kids under my feet, but it also means getting out of my house without a bag full of snacks, potty breaks and noise. So up until the time that winter set in and it got horribly cold (because it does that where I live) I was out and about and not at home on my computer or even at the sewing machine, even though I still love to create. The kids kept me at home a lot and though we would fill our days with a lot of fun and a lot of growth and learning, I still needed an outlet, and that was blogging and sewing (Mostly. Also a lot of Netflix).</div>
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I have to pick the kids up in 15 minutes and I miss them. I miss my husband too. My house is very clean and quite (for now... in 20 minutes it will be littered with backpacks, wet boots and homework) and I've crossed off everything on my to do list that was important to do. And yet, I feel like I've accomplished very little today. I don't really want to go back in time and relive when they were young, that was hard. And I probably wouldn't tell my younger self to "appreciate it while they are young because you'll miss them when they are gone to school". Because she knows that already, and she also knows that what she is doing right now (the diapers, the crying, the messes) is dang hard and she would love a break but she has to get back to work, she is needed. So despite the fact that I haven't done much in the way of molding and shaping the live of 3 little ones in the past 6 hours, I am proud of my success. It's silly, I know, but I feel like a survivor! </div>
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It's good. Summer will come eventually and they will be home ALL DAY and I will wonder how I ever did it before. In fact in about 4 minutes I'll wonder as I'm shuffling papers from school and starting dinner and telling them for the 15th time "NO computer until homework is DONE". So really not much has changed, I am just able to process my thoughts, clean my house, get my shopping done and have a cup of tea all in a much more organized and quite manner.</div>
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P.S. If anyone knows of a part time job between the hours of 9am - 3pm, let me know... it does get awfully quite around here sometimes :)</div>
Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941419382266955299noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1105942969764038110.post-59238810828508542722013-09-25T11:47:00.000-07:002013-09-25T11:49:51.977-07:00This Family's Electric Run<br />
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Over the summer The Boy participated in a track program. He did really well. Because of his ADHD I think it works well for him because it's one sport that he doesn't really need to concentrate on but instead just run until he's all out of energy. As a sort of reward for a great track season I signed the family up for a 5k called the Electric Run.</div>
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We had an amazingly fun time! The kids called it the "best night of our lives!!!"</div>
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We came home with dozens of free glow sticks!</div>
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And in the end it was a pretty big party! That night they were filming an episode of The Bachelor. We got to participate in the fun of that and at one point along the race route P got to give Juan Pablo a fist bump and a kiss on the cheek. I'm so totally jealous! :)</div>
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We are definitely doing this race again when it comes to town! I loved that we were able to show the kids how being healthy and active can be so much fun! Later that night I reminded The Boy of this and pointed out that there was no drinking, no drugs, and yet we had a really awesome time and partied way past bed time :)</div>
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<br />Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941419382266955299noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1105942969764038110.post-80195119781038890092013-09-22T20:46:00.000-07:002013-09-23T14:05:59.145-07:00Hobbit Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here's my promised Hobbit Party post. Pretty fitting since September 22nd is Bilbo's and Frodo's birthday!</div>
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In years past the kids and I have celebrated Harry Potter's birthday (see my post <a href="http://www.mycottoncreations.blogspot.com/2012/07/family-life-harry-potter-party-free.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> for Harry Potter party ideas and printables). It was just a fun way to cure some boredom in the middle of the summer. Us Fransons can get a little geeky sometimes... ok all the time. </div>
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Here we are at the Salt Lake City Comic Con a few weeks ago...</div>
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(Not LOTR, but Doctor Who...another Franson favorite)</div>
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I've always loved the Lord Of The Rings books. I first read them in high school, and when I met my husband and we were discussing books I recommended he give them a try. When he told me how awesome he thought they were I knew he was the man for me :)</div>
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This year I decided to skip Harry's party (we did still make a birthday cake for him) and throw a Hobbit party instead. We took the kids to see the movie when it came out last winter and they loved it. They came home and watched each of the LOTR DVDs. I was worried, they are pretty violent, but the boy was then inspired to read the books which made me very happy!</div>
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My favorite part of our party was my dinner table, which I actually thought resembled more of a dinner at Elrond's home in Rivendell or maybe Galadriel's meal by the river (oh jeez, I'm embarrassing myself with how nerdy I am!)</div>
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I created some invitations to give to the kids in the morning before we started our party day. Daddy was at work but he joined us later in the day. I took the wording for the invite from the contract the Dwarves gave Bilbo before they set off to reclaim their treasure from Smaug the dragon.</div>
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It reads...</div>
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"Thorin and Company to burglar [child's name], Greetings!</div>
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We accept your offer of personal assistance. We have proceeded in advance to make requisite preparations, and shall await your respected person on [date of party] at the Green Dragon Inn, Bywater at [time of party] sharp. Trusting that you will be punctual. Terms: cash on delivery. All traveling expenses guaranteed in any event. Funeral expenses to be defrayed by us or our representatives, if occasion arises. We have the honor to remain yours deeply, Thorin and company</div>
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You can find some pretty cool, free Hobbit fonts<a href="http://www.dafont.com/search.php?q=hobbit" target="_blank"> HERE</a>.</div>
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So for our first set of adventures we headed to the backyard for some games. I picked up these cute little dragons at the dollar store for prizes for the kids...</div>
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"Part of your share of the Lonely Mountain treasure" You could also have some chocolate coins waiting for them. It was a super hot day so I didn't want a chocolate puddle on the table.</div>
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I found a LOTR map online and added some of our games for the fun of it with photoshop.</div>
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"Flight of the eagles" See how far you can jump off the swing set...</div>
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"Spider web rescue" 3 legged race, we pretended we were tied together with a spider's web....</div>
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and "barrel roll escape" we did summersaults across the lawn...</div>
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After playing outside for awhile on a very hot summer day we headed inside for a snack, lunch, and to watch the Hobbit movie. For lunch we had "second breakfast" ... Eggo waffles, and for a snack during the movies we had some Gollum's goodies gummy worms...</div>
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I actually wanted to attach gummy fish but couldn't find them at the store that day. Worms are yuckier anyway.</div>
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After the movie daddy came home from work and he got to join us for the rest of our party. My kids have recently taken to archery and so we created some quivers for our arrows from some mailing tubes and duct tape. We also learned how to write our names in Elvish (thank you internet) and added those to our quivers. </div>
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By this time I'm feeling a little burnt out so I hand the kids their next Hobbit snack, Bilbo's trail mix, and send them off with daddy to the field near our home for target practice and to defeat the dragon Smaug.</div>
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Bilbo's trail mix "It's a dangerous business going out your door. You step on the road, and if you don't keep your feet there's no knowing where you might be swept off to"</div>
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The kids on their quest to defeat the dragon. Bruce carried the heavy target for them.</div>
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While they were gone I started on a true Hobbit style dinner...</div>
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We had pot pies for our main course, sausage, cheese, apples, root beer and apple pie for desert. </div>
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My picky eaters refused to eat the pot pies so they got fish sticks instead. Their loss.</div>
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After dinner and on their way to put on their pajamas they had one last task: to cross through to the other side of Shelob's Lair....</div>
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I pulled out the box of Halloween decorations and some yarn to create a super spooky hallway.</div>
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Before bed we had story time, like the elves do after dinner in the evenings. We read a picture book created from one of Bilbo's poems called Bilbo's song. After that we tucked the kids in bed a cleaned up a big mess from a fun day.</div>
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Today at dinnertime when I told the kids it was not only the first day of autumn but Frodo and Bilbo's birthday they were seriously disappointed we didn't do more to celebrate. One of the greatest things for me about being a parent is sharing the things I love with my children. </div>
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Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941419382266955299noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1105942969764038110.post-8615286266727526892013-09-20T11:44:00.000-07:002013-09-20T11:44:34.050-07:00Football Weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Tomorrow football will be on our TV. I'm sure my husband, Bruce, wishes he was going to the game. Instead I'll try and make a good time for him here at home. </div>
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Bruce went to both of the biggest universities here in Utah, The University Of Utah for his undergrad and Brigham Young University for his law degree (he also went to Utah State so we get to watch ALL the football). Tomorrow they play each other. My husband will probably route for the U of U, I seem to side more with BYU, maybe because that the school that made us the most money ;)... we also owe them the most money though so it's a bit of a draw.</div>
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I was checking out some ways online this morning to the game day extra fun for our family tomorrow and this is what I came up with...</div>
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(these are all completely FREE!)</div>
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My favorite were these Utah printables, I loved the hearts!</div>
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<a href="http://www.iheartsaltlake.com/2011/09/free-university-of-utah-party.html" target="_blank">I Heart Salt Lake</a></div>
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<a href="http://mandydouglass.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">BYU Party</a></div>
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I thought these were the cutest and I liked that they aren't team specific...</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UQSniHULHaE/UjyR_FxuclI/AAAAAAAADto/ybEEAehpwHo/s1600/image_5097_500_340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UQSniHULHaE/UjyR_FxuclI/AAAAAAAADto/ybEEAehpwHo/s320/image_5097_500_340.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.hwtm.com/themes/the_big_game/fun_and_creative_big_game_bash/tabletop" target="_blank">Football Party</a><br />
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My favorite treat idea were these chocolate strawberries. I could watch the game for hours enjoying these...<br />
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<a href="http://products.berries.com/chocolatestrawberry/6-handdipped-football-berries-30005405" target="_blank">Chocolate Covered Strawberry Footballs</a></div>
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It's hard for me to watch football on TV but going to the games with my husband is one of my very favorite things to do. I love how excited he gets!</div>
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Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941419382266955299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1105942969764038110.post-26303909742480537702013-09-16T18:59:00.001-07:002013-09-16T18:59:19.415-07:00Summer Quilt #2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oful90jbB5M/Ujeyw__jO7I/AAAAAAAADss/q9TmE2bJS64/s1600/IMG_6163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oful90jbB5M/Ujeyw__jO7I/AAAAAAAADss/q9TmE2bJS64/s640/IMG_6163.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
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Here's the big project of the summer I talked about. My mom and dad recently moved and mom commissioned me to make a queen sized quilt for her bed in their new home. </div>
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The pattern for this quilt is called a disappearing 4 patch and it's actually really simple. (you can find it for free <a href="http://thetinwhistle.blogspot.com/2012/09/disappearing-four-patch-quilt-wip-9-of.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>) It just took me so long to make because of all the many things we had going on this summer. But I was able to wrap it up quickly when the kids went back to school and my mom loved it.</div>
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<br />Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941419382266955299noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1105942969764038110.post-15548248421465125612013-09-11T14:31:00.002-07:002013-09-11T14:32:03.924-07:00Mini Charm Pack Project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nSkHjyFDGw8/UjDYcpgj4AI/AAAAAAAADqc/uNvllfw4BoU/s1600/trick+or+treat+bag+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nSkHjyFDGw8/UjDYcpgj4AI/AAAAAAAADqc/uNvllfw4BoU/s640/trick+or+treat+bag+cover.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
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Mini charm packs... so dang cute but what to do with them? Is that really enough fabric for a project? </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vBUR2-Kj46U/UjDYjDIB76I/AAAAAAAADqk/d5LX38fXt0I/s1600/IMG_6031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vBUR2-Kj46U/UjDYjDIB76I/AAAAAAAADqk/d5LX38fXt0I/s640/IMG_6031.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
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I've bought a few of them simply to stack on my shelf, but I decided I needed to come up with a plan, especially if I wanted to buy more. My first thought was a small table topper, but I have a lot of those. While looking at it I realized there was enough there to make a little Trick or Treat bag, even something cute to hold a few candies on the counter (because now a days my kids go out with huge pillow cases and don't return until they're full).</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-knrhbMB7ISc/UjDYoNgOYXI/AAAAAAAADqs/Ljy0z_pVhlk/s1600/IMG_6032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-knrhbMB7ISc/UjDYoNgOYXI/AAAAAAAADqs/Ljy0z_pVhlk/s640/IMG_6032.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
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To make the bag...</div>
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Sew all the tiny squares together, 4 rows with 11 squares each, and then add some batting on the back to make it stiff. I quilted a few lines to hold the pieces together. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y6NYtzSELUo/UjDYvf2BdGI/AAAAAAAADq0/UIHZdyq-JK0/s1600/IMG_6081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y6NYtzSELUo/UjDYvf2BdGI/AAAAAAAADq0/UIHZdyq-JK0/s640/IMG_6081.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
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After that cut a lining piece the same size from a fat quarter...</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WlMuEP0-AY8/UjDY3Igh6lI/AAAAAAAADq8/VrvJj53TtVs/s1600/IMG_6084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WlMuEP0-AY8/UjDY3Igh6lI/AAAAAAAADq8/VrvJj53TtVs/s640/IMG_6084.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
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You'll need a 7 inch circle for the base. Cut 2, one for the outside and one for the inside of the bag.</div>
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Join the 2 short ends and sew your squares into a tube shape with a 1/4 inch seam allowance.</div>
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Attach batting to the circle that is going on the outside with a little spray glue. Then as you can see below, pin the circle to the bottom of your tube. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bN4x7tVpcTk/UjDZE4tvHqI/AAAAAAAADrM/V1YuLrmS7tE/s1600/IMG_6087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bN4x7tVpcTk/UjDZE4tvHqI/AAAAAAAADrM/V1YuLrmS7tE/s640/IMG_6087.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
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Sew your circle in place and turn the whole thing right side out.</div>
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At this point you'll basically make the same thing again, only out of the lining pieces you cut earlier...</div>
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Leave a little hole in your seam to turn your bag right side out.</div>
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Leave your lining piece WRONG side out for now, and slip it over your outside piece. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n7jo8h15eCQ/UjDZfWbh4AI/AAAAAAAADrk/x0ste5RKp38/s1600/IMG_6092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n7jo8h15eCQ/UjDZfWbh4AI/AAAAAAAADrk/x0ste5RKp38/s640/IMG_6092.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
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Sew the two pieces together all the way around the top...</div>
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Pull the outside piece through the hole that you left in the seam of the inside piece...</div>
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And tuck the lining into the bag...</div>
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You can top stitch around the top to hold the lining in place and give it a finished look.</div>
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I thought it looked cute with the top folded down while it's sitting on the counter.</div>
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Almost as an after thought I added handles. These are just top stitched to the side of the bag.</div>
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Opened up it can actually hold quite a bit of candy. </div>
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Now I have a use for those adorable and affordable mini charm packs. Wouldn't this make a cute gift basket out of Christmas fabrics, or an Easter basket out of spring fabrics!</div>
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<br />Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941419382266955299noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1105942969764038110.post-83025365243265104852013-09-07T11:44:00.000-07:002013-09-07T11:44:01.311-07:00Our Summer re-cap (late... I know)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This blog post is late in coming, I know. School started weeks ago and now we are on to thinking about Halloween! I can't keep up. 2 reasons for this... first, my internet connection was having trouble. We finally got that fixed and then my laptop was put to better use by my husband, which brings me to my second excuse... Bruce started his own law practice! So he commandeered my laptop for work and I rarely get it to myself anymore. It's Saturday so it's relatively free right now, though the kids keep asking me when they can have a turn. Anyway, check out my husbands new website <a href="http://www.brucefransonlaw.com/" target="_blank">HERE</a> and be sure and send work his way! We are super excited and optimistic about this new phase in life, but we need all the help we can get! :)</div>
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So besides the regular trips to the museum, parks, swimming pools, and ice cream there were a few highlights that I think we'll remember most from is summer. The kids had their first lemonade stand. For some reason I was feeling generous that Saturday morning and told them to go ahead with their plan to have the stand and if they made enough money I'd take them to the theater to see a movie. They made enough and then some! We headed out that afternoon to see Despicable Me 2.</div>
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My parents moved this summer, building a smaller, one level home. It's beautiful inside and the lack of stairs will be nice as they get older. I'm going to miss their big back yard for awhile though, until they get the new one put in.</div>
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We took one of the biggest hikes we've done with the kids to the Timpanogos Cave. The kids thought it was pretty cool and hiked all the way to the top with (almost) no complaining.</div>
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Remember last year when I shared my ideas and printables for our annual Harry Potter birthday party? I had done that for a few years and the kids loved it but I decided to shake things up a little and do a Hobbit party instead. Yes we can get a little geeky over here. In fact we had an awesome time at Salt Lake City Comic Con last night! I'll share these few pictures with you but I fully intend to make this a full blog post with all my ideas and printables... next time I get my hands on the computer. </div>
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This year we discovered a pretty little reservoir just a few miles from our home and spent a lot of time there. It's been there for awhile now, I just didn't know about it. I think we spent more time here this year than at the water park. The kids loved playing in the sand more than anything. </div>
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And our last and biggest adventure this year... Girl Scout Camp! I had a blast with my girls! Of course memories are always better than real life and it was a lot of work too. I got a terrible headache one day, there were spiders in my bed, and I hardly slept but I went with good friends and a great bunch of girls. We will definitely go back next year. </div>
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My favorite thing about this summer was just spending time with my kids before they all left for school. I had a nightmare last night about driving on snowy roads and I woke up with dread. Luckily it looks like it's going to be a beautifully warm fall!</div>
Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941419382266955299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1105942969764038110.post-80245990475915030802013-08-29T20:20:00.002-07:002013-08-29T20:20:40.665-07:00Back To School<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I sent the kids back to school this week.</div>
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I can remember when I had my hands full with 3 little babies, wishing for the day when I could send them to school. Babies are hard. When they were little I desperately needed to find just a few minutes to myself. I rarely ever found it. Now that life is more or less wonderful, breezy and fun I'm having to send them away and I'm left alone during the day... wishing for my babies back. Well, not so much "babies", I LOVE the stage in life my kids are in. Dare I say it?!... I'm not overly fond of babies. Don't think I'm a terrible person. It's just that caring for a baby is a whole lot of work with very little daily reward. These days I am reaping the reward earned through long sleepless nights and lots of tears while they were young. Raising school aged children is a pure joy. Don't get me wrong, it's not easy! It's rewarding. There's a difference. And it's fun, we go on a lot of adventures. They are my little pals. </div>
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This year The Boy started 6th grade! Big man on campus.</div>
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Our little genius P stated 4th grade!</div>
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And yep, that's right... our baby is a first grader! Amazing.</div>
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What's also amazing is how smart she is. Third time's a charm :)</div>
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What am I going to do all day without these short little buddies of mine? </div>
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Pictures provided by the awesome <a href="http://www.camerashy.com/" target="_blank">Camera Shy Photography</a>! </div>
<br />Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941419382266955299noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1105942969764038110.post-3160013481511568052013-08-28T11:39:00.000-07:002013-08-28T11:42:01.104-07:00Summer Quilts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I made 2 quilts this summer. Both were from this line Happy Go Lucky by Thimble Blossoms, yes I love it that much! </div>
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The first quilt I'll show you is this whirly gig quilt in all the gorgeous blues, green sand greys from the line. This color way is what drew me to the fabric line in the first place. I LOVE pink, but really... it doesn't look good in my home. This is a quilt that matches the décor in our home and incidentally is my FAVORITE color scheme at the moment. Particularly that aqua and navy blue combo.</div>
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But before I could hang it prominently I had to break it in with a little nap :) </div>
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I looks so bright and fresh hanging in our stairwell! This whirly gig pattern is so easy to make, which is why I chose it because most of my summer was spent working on quilt #2, a queen sized quilt for my moms brand new home! At the moment it's being bound but I can't wait to get it finished, not only because I LOVE it but also because I've been working on it for so long! </div>
<br />Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941419382266955299noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1105942969764038110.post-81313859288482434112013-08-15T21:38:00.000-07:002013-08-15T21:38:05.764-07:00Family Life... New Glasses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I noticed P was squinting a lot lately. Of course it was important to take her in for an eye exam before school starts and.... yep, she needed glasses. Not a big surprise. I was hoping she could put it off for a few years like her mom and dad just so she could be more responsible for her glasses, but it wasn't to be. She does look adorable in them though!</div>
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To help her keep track of her glasses, and to help her get more excited for them, we took the plain brown cases the doctor gave her and decorated them with fun duct tape. Totally cool!</div>
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They turned out so cute! The addition of the handle really set them off. </div>
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Hopefully with these bright and unique cases she can keep track of her glasses at school this year. Crossing my fingers!</div>
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<br />Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941419382266955299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1105942969764038110.post-56762842977841347552013-07-28T21:28:00.001-07:002013-07-28T21:28:38.031-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last week I ran in my first real race (if you don't count a couple little 5K's I've done with the kids). Bruce and I ran together in the Deseret News Classic 10K. We have both been running for about a year and it was time to push ourselves a little more. </div>
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I have a bunch of friends and family who run half marathons and even marathons often... like several times a year! They say they do it for the challenge and for the love of running. I admit, we started running to loose a few pounds. And it work great! Bruce and I have both met our goal weights and are working on getting stronger. </div>
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I'm not completely convinced that I have fallen in love with running but it felt really good to set a goal and reach that goal! I didn't walk across the finish line, I ran. And in fact I ran the whole 6.2 miles and didn't stop once. I'm proud of us!</div>
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Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941419382266955299noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1105942969764038110.post-47811469803216266162013-07-23T15:30:00.000-07:002013-07-23T15:30:47.235-07:00Tooth Fairy Wand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just a quickie little project I made late last night... right in time for the tooth fairy to show up :) My little girl had an especially hard time with one of her teeth so I felt like she needed something special to take to the dentist with her. The dental assistants squealed when C walked in with her tooth wand!</div>
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I used this super cute tooth fairy printable <a href="http://www.handmadecharlotte.com/free-printable-tooth-fairy-notes/" target="_blank">HERE</a>. The wand was made very similar to<a href="http://www.u-createcrafts.com/2013/07/classic-play-wand-tutorial-and-pattern.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+u-createcrafts%2FOlHW+%28Ucreate%29" target="_blank"> THIS</a> wand, only with a simple tooth shape instead. </div>
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Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941419382266955299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1105942969764038110.post-88657566521841929562013-07-17T09:44:00.001-07:002013-07-17T09:44:51.673-07:00Tea Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Recently my girls hosted a tea party for their friends. They had so much fun with this! P got really excited, making pretty invitations, having everyone wear their fanciest dresses and whipping up a batch of sugar cookies before the party. We also served these super yummy ice cream bars...</div>
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My favorite was the Royal Dark but the girls agreed they liked the English Toffee best. I wasn't expecting these ice cream bars to be soooo yummy. The chocolate coating was super thick! Yeah... I might have finished off the box of dark chocolate myself. </div>
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Most of the girls hadn't tried tea before. P chose mint herbal tea (which is my favorite). I had some lemonade on hand for those who didn't like it :)</div>
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Everyone dressed in their finest and on their best behavior. </div>
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Thank you Blue Bunny Ice Cream and Cadbury for providing such a fun party for my girls! I'm off to the store for more dark chocolate!</div>
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<em><span style="color: #888888;">This post is part of a compensated campaign with Blue Bunny Ice Cream and Mom Select. All opinions are my own.</span><br /></em></div>
Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941419382266955299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1105942969764038110.post-37343824169918331782013-07-10T15:53:00.000-07:002013-07-12T12:46:08.397-07:00Quilting On The Cheap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Quilting is expensive. I am currently working on a queen sized quilt for my moms bed, cutting every expense I can and I still estimate it's going to be over 200$. </div>
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When I worked at a quilt store I watched the same women come in regularly and spend hundreds of dollars on projects that they openly admitted to never having the time to finish. I found it all a little weird and wasteful but I did learn a thing or two how NOT to over spend on quilting. </div>
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That being said, I have my fair share of unfinished projects! I have 4 large storage bins filled with collected fabric, pieced but not finished quilt tops, and lots and lots of patterns. Quilting, and shopping for quilting supplies, is therapy for a lot of women. But when tackling a large quilting project it's smart to know how to get the most for your money. You can take these tips and just apply one or two on your next project, or if you're on a tight budget try them all. As a stay at home mom of 3 I know I need all the money saving tips I can get!</div>
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Tip 1: Don't use precuts.</div>
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I know they are really cute! I buy them... I do! But not when I'm tackling a big quilting project. They are marked way up in price. What I DO love about precuts is getting a piece of every fabric in the line. What I don't love about them is paying more for those pieces. In the average jellyroll you get forty 2.5 inch strips. That comes to 100 inches of fabric, or 2.7 yards. At 10$ a yard that should come to 27$ worth of fabric. The last jellyroll I purchased was 40$. Not a good deal. Instead buy 1/8 of a yard of each fabric. Most fabric stores give you a little wiggle room and I can usually get two 2.5 strips out of an eighth. If you can't, I wouldn't go back to that fabric store :( I also buy 1/6 of a yard if I want 5 inch squares (charm packs), or 1/4 to 1/3 of a yard if I want 10 inch squares (layer cakes). Honestly I don't usually love every piece of fabric in the line so I'm happy with just picking my favorites and saving quite a bit of money in the long run.<br />
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Tip 2: Buy batting at chain stores with a 40% off coupon.</div>
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I hope you're lucky enough to live close to one. I'm down the street from a JoAnns and I always buy my batting with a coupon. You can usually use these coupons online too. </div>
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Tip 3: Use a sheet on the back</div>
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No it's not as nice as using a piece from the line but remember we are on a budget here. Just an FYI, Walmart has twin sized sheets for 5$-7$ in all sorts of colors. The last sheet I used on the back of my quilt washed up even softer than the front. If your trying to save money, this is huge. </div>
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Tip 4: Quilt it yourself.</div>
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My last tip is my favorite tip. I LOVE to quilt my own quilts. With a little practice it's not that hard and I feel a huge since accomplishment when it's done. Have you ever gotten your quilt back from the quilter and hit the floor when she told you the price? I have. </div>
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Check out my tutorial on how to quilt your own quilts <a href="http://mycottoncreations.blogspot.com/2010/06/quilt-it-yourself.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>. </div>
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Just a couple other things... I made my first few quilts on a 100$ sewing machine I bought when I was first married. They turned out beautifully, were displayed in my local quilt shop and I still love them today. You don't need to spend 2,000$ on a machine to get started. I did eventually want to upgrade my machine though. </div>
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As far as thread goes, I use the cheap stuff to piece and the nice stuff to quilt. It does make a slight difference to use the nice stuff throughout. Your seems lay flatter and it doesn't tangle as much, but it's not enough for me to justify the extra cost and I've ever had anyone complain that my quilts were "bulky". After they are washed they all feel the same to me. </div>
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The one thing I WON'T skimp on is quality fabric. I use the nice 10$ a yard stuff. Mostly because I love the prints, designs and colors, but cheaper fabric can rip, fade, and shrink. My favorite brands of course are MODA, Michael Miller, Robert Kaufman... even Riley Blake feels a little cheap sometimes but I think they are getting better. Choosing quality fabric is the most enjoyable part of quilting for me, another reason I have to try and save money everywhere else!</div>
Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941419382266955299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1105942969764038110.post-50351999683467429282013-07-10T11:36:00.006-07:002013-07-10T11:36:51.421-07:00Insta-vacation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Isn't getting away for just a night so refreshing! My husband is an attorney and needed to visit to courthouse in St. George Utah, about a 4 hour drive from home. The kids and I decided to tag along. </div>
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I took a bunch of pictures of our little trip on my new favorite thing, Instagram.</div>
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We spent the night in Mesquite, Nevada. It's about 30 minutes outside St. George but the hotel rooms are super cheap, I'm sure to try and get you to spend your money gambling instead. The one time Bruce and I thought we'd try our hand at gambling a few years ago we lost 5$ in 15 seconds and realized what a complete waste! </div>
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Our room at the Casablanca Resort and Casino was about what you'd expect from a 40$ a night room in a tiny NV town but the kids thought it was fantastic. The pool, water slide and extra bouncy beds were worth the money. </div>
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Afterwards we headed back to Utah and into beautiful St. George. I love this town! We spent a winter in Ivins Utah when Bruce was fresh out of law school. It was hard to leave. </div>
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While daddy did his thing in the air conditioned courthouse we explored the red cliffs in gloriously hot 102 degree weather. </div>
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On our way home we stopped at <a href="http://www.lds.org/locations/cove-fort-historic-site" target="_blank">Cove Fort</a>. I didn't get any instagram pictures :( but it was a perfect little rest stop on our way home. The tour lasted about an hour, the friendly tour guide gave our kids a little souvenir pioneer toy to take home and overall it was very interesting. Next time your driving through the middle of nowhere in Utah I suggest you stop. I do have to say I wish there had been a gift shop, I could have used a big icy soda at this point in the drive!</div>
<br />Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941419382266955299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1105942969764038110.post-40086653994167595592013-07-04T18:06:00.002-07:002013-07-04T18:06:59.592-07:00Happy 4th Of July!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941419382266955299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1105942969764038110.post-50604635398724388652013-07-01T20:13:00.002-07:002013-07-01T20:13:58.287-07:00Our June<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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June 2013 may go down as one of the funnest months in history for our kids, and we went to Disneyland in May! I was so excited for summer to start this year I haven't been able to stay inside.</div>
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We've been so busy I couldn't possible post all our June pictures here. Curious about how we spend our summer? Follow me on Instagram at nanfran1. </div>
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June started off with this little girls first ever dance recital. Poor little C had been working so hard on her dance and the morning of her big day she woke up sick. She's such a trooper and performed anyway!</div>
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Daddy makes her feel a little better.</div>
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I got the family water park passes again this year. Not a week has gone by we haven't gone at least once. I'm getting an awesome tan! :)</div>
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The Boy has been busy with track and field 3 days a week. Today I watched him run his heart out in 103 degree temperature! </div>
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Have you tried the free kids projects they offer at Lowes and Home Depot stores? We had a lot of fun one Saturday morning making wooden Monster U boxes, after watching the movie at the theater the day before. </div>
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I've rediscovered this year that P loves to climb. She was a climber as a baby and scared me to death. At least now she wears a safety harness. </div>
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We finally took out P's Christmas present for some target practice last Saturday. Guess what? I actually hit the target! Ok, we did have it set pretty close for the kids.</div>
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Besides taking the kids out on adventures everyday, I also finished a quilt top!</div>
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I used all the blues, grays, and greens from Happy Go Lucky by Timble Blossoms. </div>
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I'm currently working on another one with all the colors from this line for my mom. They are building a home right now and I'm trying hard to get it done before they move in next month... oh wait, no! This month! June went by so quickly!</div>
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In the month of June Bruce and I also celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary! We spent one very lovely evening at the Grand America hotel in Downtown Salt Lake City. </div>
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13 incredibly lucky years with this handsome man!</div>
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My Mr. Franson :) Goofing off at the shops around town.</div>
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There are so many other adventures we've had this month but these are my favorites. Above all else it's just been so nice to relax and spend time with my babies. I hope July passes a little slower!</div>
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<br />Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941419382266955299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1105942969764038110.post-10335160228728245652013-06-24T13:52:00.000-07:002013-06-24T13:52:05.686-07:00Pioneer Bonnet Tutorial<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here in Utah on July 24th we celebrate our states birthday with a holiday called Pioneer Day. Utahans are very proud of their pioneer heritage so this holiday is a BIG deal. Most people get the day off of work, have BBQ's and celebrate with extended family, eat lots of food and spend the evening watching fireworks in front yards and parks across the state. </div>
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We even have a "historical theme park", I guess you'd call it, named "This is the Place State Park" where you can experience life as the pioneers would have when they first arrived in Utah. </div>
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This Is The Place State Park</div>
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Little pioneer washing machines</div>
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Plowing the fields.</div>
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The old school house.</div>
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Old fashioned printing press.</div>
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So last year I created some bonnets for my girls to wear. It's not unusual to see people dressed in period clothing for Pioneer Day.</div>
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Enjoying fireworks with all the cousins at Grandma's house.</div>
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Even their favorite dolls got one. I just shrunk the size of the pattern down to fit a doll's head. You could use these bonnets for any "pioneer" celebration from American Girls to an adorable Little House on the Prairie birthday party!</div>
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I was able to get one child sized bonnet from a fat quarter if I cut carefully. Fat quarters are 18" x 21". </div>
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Cut 2 brim pieces 3.5" x 18"</div>
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Cut 1 crown piece 14" x 14"</div>
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Fold each piece in half...</div>
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and round the corners of each...</div>
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When you open up your pieces again they should look like this...</div>
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Tip: I attached a medium weight fusible interfacing to my brim pieces to keep the brims stiff and crisp. This is an optional step but I think it adds a lot to the bonnet and helps keep the brim curved.</div>
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Fold over 1/2 inch and iron the bottom, flat side of your crown piece to create a seam. Top stitch along the seam to hold it down. </div>
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Using a gathering stitch, sew all the way around the curved side only of the crown piece.</div>
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It should look like this when you are finished...</div>
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Set your crown piece aside to work on your brim.</div>
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For the ties you can use a piece or ribbon or bias tape. To make your own bias tape fold a long strip of fabric in half and then fold the edges in again towards the center.</div>
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Sew a straight stitch along one side of your bias tape.</div>
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To make the optional ruffle on the brim, cut a long thin piece of fabric (or ribbon) and fold it in half. Using a gathering stitch create a ruffle.</div>
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Pin the ruffle to the curved side of one of the brim pieces. Line the raw edge of the ruffle to the raw edge of the brim.</div>
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Lay the second brim piece on top of the first, sandwiching the ruffle. Pin well. </div>
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Sew along the curved side of the brim and turn the brim right side out. Press it flat. Top stitch along the brim if desired. </div>
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Now you'll take the crown piece and sew it to the brim. You'll want to make sure that they will fit inside each other. Pull on your gathers to adjust the crown piece to fit inside the brim.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kw0MC7ZuNY8/UccqiBirH8I/AAAAAAAADec/MuiklCE0I7s/s1600/IMG_0680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kw0MC7ZuNY8/UccqiBirH8I/AAAAAAAADec/MuiklCE0I7s/s400/IMG_0680.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Slip the crown piece (ruffled side) in the open side of the brim 1/2 inch and pin...</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dOpCr7QRKk0/UccnR-JybiI/AAAAAAAADdg/CE4MXgF_To4/s1600/IMG_0681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dOpCr7QRKk0/UccnR-JybiI/AAAAAAAADdg/CE4MXgF_To4/s400/IMG_0681.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Top stitch the two in place.</div>
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Your bonnet should look like this when your finished.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xKsXEcdI8Lc/Uccqkc8VjFI/AAAAAAAADes/QRWiGcutUw0/s1600/IMG_0683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xKsXEcdI8Lc/Uccqkc8VjFI/AAAAAAAADes/QRWiGcutUw0/s400/IMG_0683.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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At this point you can add your ties to the side as well a little piece of elastic to the back to help form it to the head.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ya4mbGAz-Vk/UccqmaxOneI/AAAAAAAADe0/Y11oH6ij9hQ/s1600/IMG_0684.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ya4mbGAz-Vk/UccqmaxOneI/AAAAAAAADe0/Y11oH6ij9hQ/s400/IMG_0684.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Tip: I noticed it help curve the brim around my daughters head when I attached the ties to the sides of the brim pieces rather than to the sides of the crown piece.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zybk8DuNzTA/Uccw8HSD8bI/AAAAAAAADfE/yA5vYTeXgvk/s1600/DSC02783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zybk8DuNzTA/Uccw8HSD8bI/AAAAAAAADfE/yA5vYTeXgvk/s640/DSC02783.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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These little bonnets took no time to make and I ended up creating 3 of them for 3 very special little girls and matching bonnets for their dolls. My girls would pull their bonnets out throughout the year to play with them and they always look so precious.</div>
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<br />Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941419382266955299noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1105942969764038110.post-57804966386856709932013-06-22T13:23:00.000-07:002013-06-23T18:56:51.607-07:00More S'mores Recipe Round Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
S'mores go with summer like lemonade, checkered table clothes, and American flags. The only problem is it's not always convenient to light a big camp fire every time we want this delicious, gooey treat... and I want them often in the summer! </div>
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That's why I'm so excited for all the alternative s'more recipes showing up. Here's a few of my favorites all in one place. </div>
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<img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FboFpaWWpXw/UcX-h9H5UTI/AAAAAAAADZk/-GUcxyu4dTM/s640/dip.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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<a href="http://www.bakeaholicmama.com/2013/01/smore-crack-dip.html" target="_blank">S'mores Dip</a></div>
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I made this dip for a summer BBQ at our house a couple weeks ago and it was a big hit!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mPHv1EHlWKc/UcX_Dm6_qkI/AAAAAAAADZs/5GeShdMTJIE/s1600/untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mPHv1EHlWKc/UcX_Dm6_qkI/AAAAAAAADZs/5GeShdMTJIE/s640/untitled.png" width="512" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/336491/smores-cookies" target="_blank">S'mores Cookies</a></div>
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I loved these cookies for how easy they made it to get that delicious cookie, chocolate, marshmallow combo.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xIHNdbdgKd8/UcX_dE2E2LI/AAAAAAAADZ0/fOKfubkHNYo/s1600/smores-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xIHNdbdgKd8/UcX_dE2E2LI/AAAAAAAADZ0/fOKfubkHNYo/s640/smores-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://cookiecreatives.com/blog/?p=1063" target="_blank">Gourmet S'more Bar</a></div>
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These different flavored marshmallows are just so pretty together!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SB8lw_jvJKE/UcX_1QNgq9I/AAAAAAAADZ8/qb5nn4JH5Jg/s1600/smores-pie-tall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SB8lw_jvJKE/UcX_1QNgq9I/AAAAAAAADZ8/qb5nn4JH5Jg/s640/smores-pie-tall.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/smores-pie/" target="_blank">S'more Pie</a></div>
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I am definitely bringing this pie to our next family gathering.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cY5thlffq2U/UcYAMt23nZI/AAAAAAAADaE/F_TUvl74xkA/s1600/photo+15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cY5thlffq2U/UcYAMt23nZI/AAAAAAAADaE/F_TUvl74xkA/s640/photo+15.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://savvystylemindfulhome.blogspot.com/2013/06/backyard-camping-party.html" target="_blank">S'more Pops</a></div>
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These s'mores pops would be perfect for the kids while they watch fireworks!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o1VORdf1sZM/UcYAmHWgDSI/AAAAAAAADaM/50mYZOAWG_8/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o1VORdf1sZM/UcYAmHWgDSI/AAAAAAAADaM/50mYZOAWG_8/s640/6.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://sucreshop.blogspot.com/2012/12/eat-drink-have-smore.html" target="_blank">S'more Pintable</a></div>
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I had to share this one for the cute free printable. Now I'm inspired to throw a s'mores party!</div>
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Want even more s'more ideas and recipes? Check out my Pinterest board <a href="http://pinterest.com/nancyaf/smores/" target="_blank">HERE</a>!</div>
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<br />Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941419382266955299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1105942969764038110.post-84230809712203324402013-06-19T21:46:00.000-07:002013-06-23T18:57:10.331-07:00Tween's Room Floor Pillow<br />
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I looked up "Tween" online to make sure my daughter fit the category and laughed out loud when I read Urban Dictionary's definition of a "Tween"...</div>
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"A creature that is said to be between 9-12, who for some reason have immense 'confidence' in themselves"</div>
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Yes, my daughter is a tween. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-THrqm0mG7CA/UcJ8Pdk9mFI/AAAAAAAADYo/R4_EHLjta-A/s1600/IMG_4727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-THrqm0mG7CA/UcJ8Pdk9mFI/AAAAAAAADYo/R4_EHLjta-A/s640/IMG_4727.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
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Though I do have to say she's a pretty awesome little tween, and it's no wonder she wants everyone to know it. I can't think of a better age to be a girl (maybe 33, I'm having quite a lot of fun right now!). She's old enough for sleepovers and nail polish, but young enough for teddy bears and kisses good night. P's favorite things are her best friends, earrings, Harry Potter books, and webkins. It doesn't get much happier than that :)</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vIOW9ueFvwk/UcJ8c5maWJI/AAAAAAAADYw/rQJoQCy3o9U/s1600/IMG_4739.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vIOW9ueFvwk/UcJ8c5maWJI/AAAAAAAADYw/rQJoQCy3o9U/s640/IMG_4739.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
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Recently P moved out of the bedroom she shared with her little sister and into her very own room. She's having to share closet space with me and all my sewing supplies but she loves having a place to call her own. A big comfy floor pillow for her and her BFFs is just what her room needed. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7SDPdxxHOt8/UcJ8sNh9kqI/AAAAAAAADY4/8F6ECuzCy6Q/s1600/IMG_4737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7SDPdxxHOt8/UcJ8sNh9kqI/AAAAAAAADY4/8F6ECuzCy6Q/s640/IMG_4737.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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After making this I decided our living room could use a couple too, as well as The Boy and Little C... it's that comfortable! Of course what makes it the softest pillow you ever felt is the minky fabric. I used bright pink chevron and turquoise dimple cuddle fabric from <a href="http://www.shannonfabrics.com/" target="_blank">Shannon Fabrics</a>.</div>
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For this project you will need...</div>
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1 yard pink chevron cuddle, </div>
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1 yard turquoise dimple cuddle, </div>
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6 yards of white jumbo rick rack,</div>
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2 yards stiff fusible fabric interfacing,</div>
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a big box of polyester fiber fill stuffing. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7TtEwX7Yqvc/UcJcyJ2SS1I/AAAAAAAADXA/K2AJFEDZgZI/s1600/IMG_4334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7TtEwX7Yqvc/UcJcyJ2SS1I/AAAAAAAADXA/K2AJFEDZgZI/s640/IMG_4334.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
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Your first step is to create a pattern for your circles. I used the backside of a piece of wrapping paper. I folded my paper in half to find the center, then using that center point and a piece of string and a pencil as a compass I measured out and cut a half a circle with a 15 inch radius (you only need a half circle, you can line the straight edge up with the fold of your fabric). </div>
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Next pin your pattern piece to your fabric. Line up the straight edge of your circle with the fold of your fabric.</div>
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Cut our your circle and open it up...</div>
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You'll need 2 circles, one for the top and one for the bottom. Shannon Fabric's cuddle fabric is 58-60 inches wide so I was able to just barely get two circles with a 30 inch diameter each.</div>
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Now from your blue fabric cut two 12 x WOF (width of fabric) strips. </div>
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Attach your interfacing to the wrong side of your blue cuddle fabric according to manufacturer's instructions. This will hold the side together and help the pillow keep its shape. </div>
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Next sew your strips together, end to end. Pin your blue fabric carefully around one of your circles and sew it into place...</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-weFz229g7FY/UcJdWJH_DaI/AAAAAAAADXg/CR_BCSopixY/s1600/IMG_4542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-weFz229g7FY/UcJdWJH_DaI/AAAAAAAADXg/CR_BCSopixY/s640/IMG_4542.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
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According to my math (ok, not MY math... my 5th grade son's math, he's top in his class!) you'll need approximately 94 total inches of blue to go around your circle. Make sure you have an extra inch on each end for the seam, so a total of 96 inches. If you need to trim a little off as you get near the end of your sewing it won't be a problem. I finished off the ends of the blue cuddle by folding it over to create a seam and sewing the seam down with a straight stitch to finish it....</div>
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Now that the bottom is sewn in place you'll do the same to add the top circle except you'll add the white rick rack in between the pink chevron and the blue dot. Make sure you pin it in place very well so it doesn't slip as you catch the rick rack in the seam while you're sewing it together.</div>
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You can see how well I've pinned below to keep the rick rack in its place. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7pS0utqDDZ0/UcJdxBmQWAI/AAAAAAAADX4/B4TMKBl-bdU/s1600/IMG_4547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7pS0utqDDZ0/UcJdxBmQWAI/AAAAAAAADX4/B4TMKBl-bdU/s640/IMG_4547.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
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When you are finished your pillow will look like this...</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qZ6L-wyDp-c/UcJd8QR0dEI/AAAAAAAADYA/jKonbSbI0Cc/s1600/IMG_4549.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qZ6L-wyDp-c/UcJd8QR0dEI/AAAAAAAADYA/jKonbSbI0Cc/s640/IMG_4549.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
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Now it is time to get out your big box of polyester fiberfill. I got this 5 pound box at JoAnns. Regularly it was 21$ so don't forget to use a coupon. It took the whole box to stuff the pillow ... something I wasn't really expecting.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TbacTFvG9IU/UcJeDUa1ViI/AAAAAAAADYI/sXso_MwkZqU/s1600/IMG_4714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TbacTFvG9IU/UcJeDUa1ViI/AAAAAAAADYI/sXso_MwkZqU/s640/IMG_4714.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
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Stuff your pillow nice and stiff. Over time the fiberfill will flatten out, so you may need to re-stuff once a year or so. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5IuZJuOgtkI/UcJeJ5zRT6I/AAAAAAAADYQ/qcjdZCnea3o/s1600/IMG_4716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5IuZJuOgtkI/UcJeJ5zRT6I/AAAAAAAADYQ/qcjdZCnea3o/s640/IMG_4716.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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After you've stuffed to your heart's content, sew up your hole. I used a long needle and 2 strands of strong thread. </div>
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Now this last part is the hardest part... deciding who's going to try it out first!</div>
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And then you have to convince them to share. I won't pretend that P's little sister isn't very jealous. Oh well, back to the store for more fabric. I think I'll make one for me too!</div>
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<br />Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941419382266955299noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1105942969764038110.post-63238800997106504232013-06-17T14:34:00.000-07:002013-06-17T14:34:38.457-07:00FREE Microsoft Summer Kids Camps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Do your kids LOVE computers as much as mine? </div>
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I was so excited to find these FREE summer camps from Microsoft and wanted to share the news with you! We've only been to one so far but there are tons and I've signed us up for all of them. On the first day they got a bag filled with treats, bubble, a t-shirt, and a memory stick for keeping their projects saved. Each class is 2 hours long. They are held at Microsoft stores across the county. You can sign up online <a href="http://content.microsoftstore.com/summercamps" target="_blank">HERE</a>. </div>
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This month we are doing the Digital Movie Making classes and next month we'll start the Game Masters class where we'll learn how to create our own computer games! The kids can't stop talking about how fun it was.</div>
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Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941419382266955299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1105942969764038110.post-20062604969766525772013-06-16T10:19:00.000-07:002013-06-23T18:57:26.382-07:00Happy Father's Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy Father's Day! </div>
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Feel free to use this printable for the great Pop's in your life. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ci6lVSihCGc/Ub3qYQy2GlI/AAAAAAAADWc/k34K6WZY7k0/s1600/great+POP!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ci6lVSihCGc/Ub3qYQy2GlI/AAAAAAAADWc/k34K6WZY7k0/s640/great+POP!.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My husband claims that being a dad is cake compared to being a mom. This is completely untrue of course. What about the many, many times I've called him at work asking him to come home early because "I just can't anymore" and he showed up soon after with a bag of take out food.</div>
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Or the times I've rolled over at 2am and said "it's your turn", even though it really wasn't, and he got up anyway.</div>
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Or the times when there was 2 minutes left in the game and he turned it off to tuck the kids into bed. </div>
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Or the fact that I can't handle the post puke clean-up so I bathe the kid while he cleans up the mess. </div>
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Or all those times when he's put in a full day of work and I'm waiting, car keys in hand, in the drive way to take off as soon as he comes home. </div>
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Or when he's carried all 3 kids at the same time up to bed... because he's just that strong! :)</div>
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Or like last night when he took them to the store to buy my dads gift because I dropped the ball, and left me home alone to relax... and I know he spent extra time walking around the store just to keep them out a little longer. And even though I'm home alone he sends me little texts and pictures of the kids because he understands that just because I'm not there it doesn't me I don't love them and miss them.</div>
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Or all the times that he's played with them, disciplined them, read to them, cleaned up after them, fed them, washed them, and hugged them... and all the times that he's wanted to be doing that but has been at work instead, providing for them. </div>
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Dads are amazing, dads are strong, dads are needed and dads are very loved... everyday.</div>
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<br />Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941419382266955299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1105942969764038110.post-45181072627815596292013-06-12T20:09:00.001-07:002013-06-12T20:09:35.671-07:00Summertime!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's no secret that Summer is my FAVORITE. Honestly I feel like all I do all Winter is complain (sorry!). It used to be that Fall was my favorite season, but that was before I had kids in school. If you're looking for a good laugh <a href="http://jenhatmaker.com/blog/2013/05/30/worst-end-of-school-year-mom-ever#.UagKgLpieY0.facebook" target="_blank">THIS</a> had me in tears the other night! I think every mother I know feels this way at the end of the school year. As I was looking for pictures to add to for this post I was amazed how much we've done already... and the kids have only been home a week!</div>
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We wrapped up the school year perfectly, with great grades and lots of accomplishments. P got a special award at school for going above and beyond this year...</div>
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The Boy got an A on his state report and finished off with great grades...</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mw0MA41fPZ8/UbkyXipMqeI/AAAAAAAADU0/Q6U7l9j9p8Q/s1600/IMG_4275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mw0MA41fPZ8/UbkyXipMqeI/AAAAAAAADU0/Q6U7l9j9p8Q/s640/IMG_4275.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
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And I am completely shocked at how much C has grown! Here is her Preschool graduation picture compared to Kindergarten...</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mesZKerkwSQ/Ubkzz1y6qSI/AAAAAAAADVE/d_HKEGudnzc/s1600/963877_4221994087256_1336135387_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mesZKerkwSQ/Ubkzz1y6qSI/AAAAAAAADVE/d_HKEGudnzc/s640/963877_4221994087256_1336135387_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I am happy to say she is a reading machine like her older brother and sister ( I think she might even have them beat when they were her age) and is loving school.</div>
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So instead of class today the kids were here...</div>
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Summer is lazy and I LOVE it!</div>
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P.S. What do you think of the new blog design? Ok, if you don't like it... don't tell me! It took me 5 hours just to get it to look this decent. :) I have some tweaks to work out still so bare with me for the next few days. </div>
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<br />Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941419382266955299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1105942969764038110.post-5087601055941310952013-06-09T10:43:00.000-07:002013-06-09T10:43:26.210-07:00Simple Disneyland Countdown<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In order to countdown until the days we left on our Disneyland vacation, I made a SIMPLE countdown paper chain for the kids. There are 2 things I liked about our countdown. First, every chain had a fun fact about Disneyland so the kids could learn a little bit about the place where we were going. My kids are getting older and it's fun to see how interested they are in trivia. As we walked along Main Street Disneyland they would remember the things we learned leading up to the trip and get excited to tell me all about it. I got most of my facts from <a href="http://www.everythingmom.com/travel-guide/15-fun-facts-about-disneyland.html" target="_blank">THIS SITE</a>. </div>
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The second thing I liked about our countdown is that it didn't look like this.... </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R5XmzfuKuCI/UbS3Zum5ajI/AAAAAAAADSM/pJeBKMNy5n0/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R5XmzfuKuCI/UbS3Zum5ajI/AAAAAAAADSM/pJeBKMNy5n0/s320/Untitled-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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You can find these <a href="http://mama-of-all-trades.blogspot.com/2012/03/disney-vacation-countdown-shes-crafty.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>, <a href="http://www.alittletipsy.com/2012/11/disney-countdown.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>, <a href="http://craftingmisfit.blogspot.com/2012/03/disney-countdown-calendar-and-gifts.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> </div>
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Whoa, they have some serious time on their hands. Ok, those are all super cute and I took inspiration from each, they are the reason I even considered doing a countdown in the first place. But faced with such time consuming crafty cuteness I was intimidated. So I scrapped those ideas, printed off a clipart Mickey, some facts on colored sheets of paper and called it good.</div>
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In the weeks leading up to our trip P had to do a book report at school on a famous artist. A fun idea before a Disney vacation is to have your kids read this little chapter book... </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uOEVS9a_nlA/UbS7W-LS1BI/AAAAAAAADSc/t2KyhK7eLgg/s1600/9780448450520_p0_v1_s260x420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uOEVS9a_nlA/UbS7W-LS1BI/AAAAAAAADSc/t2KyhK7eLgg/s320/9780448450520_p0_v1_s260x420.jpg" width="223" /></a></div>
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Find it <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/who-was-walt-disney-whitney-stewart/1100310165?cm_mmc=googlepla-_-book_under5-_-q000000633-_-9780448450520&cm_mmca2=pla&ean=9780448450520&isbn=9780448450520&r=1" target="_blank">HERE</a></div>
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They really enjoyed it. </div>
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And lastly I found this gem on my husband phone this morning, I forgot he took this photo. I thought it was a pretty good one considering the heat that day!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IKzn1sKGsTs/UbS0FwgBnRI/AAAAAAAADSA/SqWgGQNdAV0/s1600/IMG_1143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IKzn1sKGsTs/UbS0FwgBnRI/AAAAAAAADSA/SqWgGQNdAV0/s640/IMG_1143.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
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Alright, I'll be done with the family vacation photos for now :) Thanks for putting up with me!</div>
Nancyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12941419382266955299noreply@blogger.com0