Santa Claus is in River Heights.

Mexican Riviera Cruise 2009

What To Do When The Snow Starts Falling...

Tuesday marked the first official snowfall of the season. I can't believe how much snow we got! Davis said it looked like we were inside a snow globe when we looked out our dining room windows. I agree. It was beautiful the way the giant snowflakes floated gracefully down from the sky. And even better, I got to enjoy it from the comfort of my warm home. The kids, however, had another idea:

So cute! But what's missing from our snowman?

If you guessed arms, you win a gold star! Sean came up with a creative use for the bamboo that grows in our front yard. I knew there was a good reason that was there!

Like it or not, winter is on the way!

Winter in October

Fall in Cache Valley cont...

Fall in Cache Valley

More Furniture Rehab

Last week, I went to a local thrift store and came home with a couple of pieces of second-hand furniture that needed some TLC. I brought home this:

And this:

And I turned them into this:

And this:

I'm pretty sure Sean came home and thought I was nuts, but I think the bench fits nicely on our front porch, and the chair found a home at my sewing machine. But I enjoyed a beautiful day outside (minus the paint fumes) and got two "new" pieces of furniture for under $40.00.

For more inspiration, head over to A Soft Place to Land for DIY Day!

Layer Cakes and Jelly Rolls

And no I'm not talking about food--I'm talking about fabric, of course! In case you don't know, a jelly roll is a set of 2 1/2 inch wide by 44 inch long strips of fabric all cut from a single fabric line and then rolled up sweet-roll style--all ready for you to use for your next scrappy quilt project.

A layer cake is similar, except you get a stack of 10 inch squares rather than a roll of 2 1/2 inch strips. The thing I love about jelly rolls, layer cakes, sweet rolls, turnovers, charm packs, (yes, I'm still talking about fabric) is that you get a little sample of each piece of fabric in a whole line without having to buy a lot of yardage.

Now that you've had your fabric lesson for the day, here's the reason I'm posting:

Lila Tueller is hosting a generous giveaway at her blog. She is a fabric and pattern designer, and I absolutely love her work! Her newest fabric line is called "Eden", and she is giving away a layer cake, jelly roll, and a couple of patterns. Go check out her blog to enter the contest and to get some fun ideas and see some gorgeous fabric! Here's a sneak peek of "Eden".

Extreme Chair Makeover

When we moved--it's been almost two years now--we kept a couple of my grandparents' chairs. I had no idea how old they were at the time, but I've since seen pictures of me when I was almost 1 year old, and those chairs were in the pictures. So even if I lied and told you I was perpetually 29, these chairs would be pretty old. The frames are still in great shape, but the upholstery is starting to wear (more thanks to my kids than to my grandparents, no doubt).

Anyway, about a year ago, I decided it was time to do a little rehab on the chairs. I bought the fabric and it has been sitting in my closet for oh...about 365 days now. Last week, I got the bug to finish (or start) this project. I started by pulling off the old upholstery and cleaning off the frames. I painted the body of the chair with one coat of primer and two coats of brown spray paint. The lattice work below the arms was starting to show some wear, and the paint evened that out nicely. Then I recovered and replaced the seat and made a new pillow for the back. It really didn't take too long, and here are the before and after pictures:

The gold '60s chair before...

and the after...

And I'm participating in the DIY Day party over at A Soft Place to Land, so head there for more inspiration!

Ready or Not...

...here she comes!

Today was Jessi's first day of kindergarten. Needless to say, she was ready. She missed the deadline for kindergarten last year by 2 days. She has been looking forward to this day for a long, long time. I thought I had been looking forward to it, too. But, as ready as she was, I found out this morning I was not.

The first realization was when she asked me repeatedly this morning if she could just walk in by herself. She kept telling me she knew the way to the classroom and I wouldn't have to come with her. I finally told her that it was a rule that moms had to walk in to kindergarten with their kids on the first day. She seemed to accept that, and I decided that it was indeed a rule in our house. Because I'm the mom. And I needed to take her in.

She was the first one there--even after we waited and watched the clock for an excruciating minutes at home before we left. She was ready. When we went inside the classroom, she remembered the procedure that Mrs. Orme explained from the assessment last week, and she followed every step perfectly. She found her name at the table, sat down, then looked at me and said very matter-of-factly, "Bye." I gave her a quick hug and hurried to the car. That's when I lost it. I don't want my baby to grow up.

At least I have this fabulous mural she painted hanging on our entry wall to remind me of her while she is gone...

Allow me to translate the mural for you (from left to right): swimming pool with diving board, temple and flower, mini temple, 3 person swing, monkey bars and swings, and finally an ice rink, roller blading rink, and skate park. Fantastic!

Poppies

For a few years, Jayme has been trying to get pictures of Leah and Jessi in a poppy field. But poppies are only in bloom for a short while, so we've missed the opportunity. This year, we actually did it. Here are some highlights of the girls in a poppy field near Mantua.

Jessi wasn't very excited to be there because of all the bees, but she managed to smile for a few shots.

After we were finished with the poppy pictures, we headed to a nearby rope swing for some fun.