Friday, April 27, 2007


So after reading some of my favorite blogs this morning, I came across Skirt Month at Sew,Mama,Sew! Sewing Blog. You have to check it out! It is a whole month dedicated to sewing skirts. Now I am not a big skirt fan, but recently I have been wanting a few more skirts in my wardrobe for summer. This is going to be ideal.
Growing up, my grandmother has influenced me in a lot of ways. I remember her always wearing a dress. Even working out in her yard. She had more dresses than anyone I knew. She had all 3 of her bedroom closets full. And her bedroom closet was a walking closet. One of my favorites that I have seen.

This summer season will be fresh and new for me. I have been reinventing myself the last couple of months. Trying to make a better home for my family in the process. I haven't been much of a homemaker lately, if ever, and that is something that I need to change. My family needs me to be here for them.

I am very excited! I received Amy Butler's In Stitches yesterday. I sat down and went through the book twice. I was getting ideas of what I wanted to make first. I still haven't decided. I want to make everything in the book! They are wonderful ideas. If you have never had the opportunity to see any of her patterns, you will love this book!

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

A Day at the Beach





We took a trip to the beach yesterday morning. I loaded up my 5 year old that you see in the picture above and my 18 month old and went treasure hunting. We were looking for intact seashells or any rocks that caught our fancy. It was such a beautiful day! At this time of year the tourists haven't arrived yet so the beach is empty except for the few runners and a few quiet strollers. The perfect time if you want to enjoy the effects of the ocean and the breeze. It was a little more chilly than what I had thought. Next time we will bring a few jackets.




As I was looking for seashells the call of the waves were answered by my two. They just couldn't resist! They would run into the waves as they rolled onto the beach and then run back to the shores. It was such a sight. The water wasn't that cold yesterday. Last summer I remember the water being freezing. Even just stepping in the water with just your feet was like stepping in ice.



I love this picture. It was amazing how the light from the sun reflected off the water! When you look in our ocean here on the beaches here, you can see gold flakes. It is so beautiful that you literally just stare in amazement at the water.

In all this fun, I did manage to find 3 big seashells that were not broken! It's so hard to find them not broken. I put them in a dish when I got home and rinsed them clean. We will do this again in a couple of weeks. We had so much fun!

Monday, April 23, 2007

Mornings at My House

Monday mornings at my house are like Sundays left over. It takes me a while to get going while the kids run around the house playing. They keep each other entertained which is wonderful for me.

Tuesdays are like my Mondays. I get my cleaning done on this day. I can get more loads of laundry done on this day than any other. I don’t know why, but that seems to be my cycle. I just go with it instead of fighting it.

Wednesdays are my mornings that I spend cuddling with the kiddos. They really like that I do that with them on this day. They don’t like it on other days. I know. I have weird kids. But I like them that way.

Thursday and Friday are my toughest mornings. I drink a cup of coffee extra than normal on these mornings. I spend a little extra time at my computer on these mornings also. I need a little extra to get me going on these days. More often than not, Fridays are my pajama days. I don’t get out of my pajamas on these days and stay inside on these days.

Saturdays are my Fridays. Except my husband is with us on these days! He’s not working his long hours or sleeping in between his long shifts so he is spending his time with us!

Sundays are family days. We lounge on the couch and watch kid movies with our kids. There’s no going to the store on these days. No games on these days. No going outside to play with friends. It’s the day we spend with each other.

I have not achieved a routine yet, but I work on it every day during the week. Tuesday is the peak of my week. This is the day I have the most energy and get the most done in a day.

I’d love to hear how your mornings are!

Thursday, April 19, 2007

This past week has brought up many issues that we have with our society. This whole ordeal with the incident that happened at Virginia Tech just brings to light the loopholes in our education system. But is doesn't end or begin there. There are so many issues tied into this one incident.

There were a lot of lives lost that fateful day. They will be mourned. There will most likely be a memorial set up. I grieve the lives of those people that were shot that day. I also grieve the gunman student also. This young man clearly needed intervention. Many warning signs were brought up. Many people expressed concern for him. And yet, only one doctor had the opportunity to diagnose him. For all those people that voiced concern, a second doctor was not let the opportunity for a second opinion.

My kids are not old enough for college yet. However, if I pay money for my children to leave my home and live under their roof, they should follow their guidelines. I will NOT pay for my child's privacy. If my child gets suspended or expelled, I want a phone call. The same goes for any mental health evaluation. If many people feel that the safety of my child is at stake (as the one doctor clearly stated) then they should be taken care of. If it is medicine they need, get the medicine. If it is time in a hospital, then admit them. Regardless if my child is willing to accept the help. They are still young enough to not realize when or if they need the help. Or even mature enough to know when to admit they need help. And need help recognizing and dealing with their help. It gets complicated for a grown adult to handle yet we expect our kids to just jump in and swim.

I do not know what is going to take place at the campus now. There are a lot of suggestions as to what should take place. Should there be metal detectors placed at all the doors? Should there be more armed guards walking the corridors? Who is going to pay for the guards? The expense of universities and colleges are already too high for the majority of Americans. Almost all of us Americans cannot afford to pay for college and take out loans and apply for grants. We cannot afford our own education that is our right.

The school has a lot on their plate right now. I do not envy them. A lot of controversy surrounds this particular incident. Mainly people are wanting a someone or something to blame.