Tradition

2006

2007

2008

2009

Olea knew what day it opened and was totally counting down. This year they had a new face pop picture op and it was the perfect fit for our little family.... Just a little photo editing to get us all in the same spread. Gary and I Love Halloween.



That would be Genève's head, not.... what it might look like.

And the picture of the night:

Olea has been having a hard time lately and it seems like Gary and I are always getting after her. Sometimes her choices' consequences really suck. Like when she chose to wear pants that were too long after being asked to do otherwise. During the duck races she stepped into a large puddle and it got totally soaked up in her long pant legs. She was put out because she wanted to play in the corn box but her pants were too muddy. She sulked off to this bumpy tube and I caught this winner. It is so perfect in so many ways. A few: She looks like she's sitting on the moon, (her name means moon) and the visual isolation shows what she was feeling. It's worth clicking on to see it bigger.

This little piggie is going to Market!

Hey, all those who live in the Utah County
or anywhere else who wants to make the drive.
(I meant to do this post sooner... but that's life)



Poppies at Play Craft Market

Saturday Sept. 26th

10:00-5:00

2056 E Cedar Trails Way

Eagle Mtn, Ut.

84005

Click here for a Google Map

I'll be there with my Tatties, as well as a whole bunch of other fabulous vendors selling stuff from peg boards, jewelry to cakes. Check out the blog at Poppies at Play Market.

Cash or check only and if you hurry and RSVP on the site you can get a 10% off coupon to most vendors. I accept the coupon. There's also complimentary refreshments, though how long those will last I don't know.

If you can't be there, don't fret, you can buy them online or come visit me.

It's easy. It really is.

I finally did it. I was told it was easy to make jam and it is. It turned out good too. I was one cup short of pears (had too many from Costco and they were ripening faster than we could eat them) and I was told that you can fill that gap with 100% fruit juice. Apple is best because it doesn't take over the flavor, but I only had orange. It worked quite well. And it is "beautiful" as Cyndi would describe it. It really is.

unto myself

Finally got Z down for a nap.
Tried to fix Olea's tinker box.
Tried to sand the dresser drawers, ran out of sandpaper.
Olea won't chill...
made a quick new header for the blog
Happy birthday unto myself.

Sheath, Scabbard

So, i have a little princess...


who also LOVES princey things like swords and such; I attribute this to Narnia and the fact that she is the adventure type. So the other day when she asked me to mend her princess dress and leave open a little of the hole so she could put her dagger in (hole was in the waist line), I knew it was high time we made her a sheath for her dagger.

Call it green, call it cheap, call it ingenious, call it brilliant, go ahead. :) or call it pack rat. Whatever.
When we moved into our house we installed all the blinds ourselves, so probably a year later or more when Gary decided it was time to get rid of the extra slats that have been chilling on our window sills the past year (still attached to the rest) I asked him not to throw them out.
"WHAT FOR?" (he thinks I am a pack rat)
"To make swords for Olea."
"Oh, okay, that's a good idea... a really good idea."
So Gary used his tin snips to shape swords out of the blind vinyl. At first he made really nice long broad swords, but Olea broke them off at the hilt too fast so now he makes machetes and daggers etc. ehhehe sounds really bad doesn't it?
So we have a stash in the garage and when ever one breaks off Gary goes out and makes her a few more and wraps the hilts with duct tape (a nice leather look right?)

So Olea needed a sheath right? well I figured that can't be hard. Remember the pants that exploded? Well before throwing them away I mined a few things off of them, buttons, ties etc. and the belt loops.
Call it green, call it cheap, call it ingenious, call it brilliant, go ahead. :) or call it pack rat. Whatever.

I pulled out the belt loops and some brown felt and had Olea trace her little dagger sword on a piece of brown felt.

Then cut out at least a quarter inch wider (seam allowance), cut another piece just like it
trim off the top of one so it is a little shorter and at an angle.

sew belt loops on to the back ( I did this after sewing it together and realized that it could be a problem if your beltloops were long enough to get in the way of your scabbard opening)

Then sew the two pieces together. ( don't look at the sewing, it will hold but it's not pretty (good thing it's on the inside) I was sewing with Zurich on my lap)

turn right sides out and decorate if desired, I was in a hurry and so was Olea so we kept it pretty simple. Thread on a belt (Olea happens to have a real cool one with a horsey belt buckle that we picked up second hand).
TADA! (or as me and the kids say: Tadasana!)


"That's really cool mom, thanks!"
I know.