Here's Your Card!

Well, I was a huge slacker this month. There was so much that I wanted to accomplish this holiday season but, somehow the days just slipped by once again and I fell short on my list. I sound like a broken record - I know! We managed to fit in a few festive things - things I never bothered blogging about. Like: family/work parties, a family bake night, craft shows, visiting Santa half a dozen times, shopping, shopping and more shopping...etc. The one thing that I really wanted to do was to send out Christmas cards. I bought all the cards, had our pictures taken (thank you Colett!), but for some reason failed to get the photos printed and inserted into the cards and sent off. Below are some of my favorite shots from the photo shoot. So, here you go friends and family - here is your stinkin' lovely cyber card! Next year, I am doing my Christmas shopping in October and not stepping foot in a retail store the whole month of December! 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Holmes Family!

                                    

         

It's That Time of Year Again!

I know I say this all the time, but seriously, where does the time go!? I really want this month to just last and last and I want to savour each day of it! I am already loving December in it's beginning hours!

When Wes came to pick me up from work the other night, he brought me warm clothes to throw on over (and under) my work clothes and we headed to Temple Square to see the Christmas lights! I look forward to going to see the lights every year and we knew that if we didn't do it that night, it would be too cold the rest of the month.

It may be just my imagination, but it seems like they went above and beyond this year! There are just SO MANY LIGHTS! EVERYWHERE!

Apparently, whoever is in charge decided to go with LED lights this year. Maybe they figured since they were going to save money on the electric bill they could just go ahead and add another 5 million lights! It is so amazing to see them all!

We had Little E bundled up in his down coat,barely able to move about! I was so worried that he would get cold but he did just fine!

This is one of my favorite exhibits at Temple Square. I love that Mary, Joseph and Jesus are in the reflection pool with several dozen floating lights around them. So peaceful!

We of course had to take the token family photo to remember the evening by. Wes told me I didn't belong at Temple Square because I looked like a polygamist with my dress on over my jeans and that it was blasphemy! HA! That's what he gets for not packing me a hoodie! And why does he ALWAYS pose like this in our pictures?

Blushing!

As many of you know, the whole title behind my blog is to represent the good and the bad in all of life's journeys and happenings. Today is a poppies kind of day! I am honored and feeling quite thankful for the gracious post written about H is for Handmade on the fabulously popular bargain chic blog, Bargain Bex! This was quite a surprise to wake up this morning and read her blog that was written all about me! How nice! Thank you Rebekah for the sweet write up.....you and your bombshell red lips are really too kind! I will have to return the favor someday very soon!

Today I went into Little E's room and found him playing with these frogs. I bent down and asked him, "What are these guys doing?" He replied, "It's mommy frog eating baby frog!"

I guess I need to stop eating babies for dinner since it is setting such a bad example for him.

Want to get crafty?

Saturday was an all day long, all-you-can-craft day at my sister's house! It was dreamy (Lyndsey, we missed you!)! She has such an amazing art room that is usually in perfect order and tidy as can be, but this is what happens after only a few hours of us getting our craft on!

My sister, Colett, was making Christmas presents for her friends, Beehive Bazaar goods and this.....

I need to give birth to a little girl just so that I can make one of these too! I love it!

She had taken an old lampshade and removed the fabric from around it. Then she wrapped all the metal with thick green yarn. She got some twigs off her trees and placed them inside, securing them with twine and then added some silk flowers, leaves she made from felt, a nest and paper mache birds she made from old book pages.

(Isn't her daughter's room adorable?!)

As for me, I made a few things.

This being one of them:

You can get the tutorial on my craft blog H if for Handmade.

Be sure to keep checking in on my craft blog for great Christmas present ideas, wrapping ideas, or maybe just a few things you would like to make and keep for yourself!

And who knows, there may even be a GIVEAWAY in the near future!

Are you feeling lucky?

Serendipity

I know I should be blogging about my Halloween fun from last month. There are pictures to be posted, parties to rave about and events to be written of. I know I am behind on all of this. However, other exciting news has occurred that I feel free to discuss.

Today was an unusual day to say the least. This morning, I woke up and had to write a note to the lovely Beehive Bazaar ladies and inform them that I had to back out of the show. I was devastated. I was brought to tears. I was heartbroken. The bazaar was something I really wanted to be a part of and I was really looking forward to. Due to time restraints, some major repairs being done on our house and Wes working a lot of extra shifts while leaving me to survive as a single mom, there was just no way I could pull it all off and get everything done in time. I was so sad to miss out on such an amazing opportunity.

This afternoon, Wes and I were driving around looking at houses (that is another story for another day!) and decided to stop at Fashion Place Mall to walk around and let Emerson stretch his legs. While I window shopped, Wes took E to ride the quarter operated machines (Gross!). I noticed a fabulous little clothing boutique, door slightly propped open with a beautiful sign above it reading "Lucille Elaine". I peeked my head inside and asked if they were open. The nice girl behind the counter said they were not, but that I was welcome to come in and look around if I wanted to. I did want to! Of course I did! After drooling over all the amazing clothes and talking to the owner, I just blurted out, "Are you hiring part time work?" I don't know why those words escaped my mouth. I have not worked in 3 years and had no intention of working any time soon. After saying that, I thought to myself, "What are you doing!!?? Are you an IDIOT!" The Owner, Megan, replied that she did need to hire someone and she interviewed me right on the spot. Turns out I am a good fit for the position and am now an employed woman! 

When I called Wes to see where he and Emerson were at in the mall, I had to tell him that he needed to come and check out his wife's new place of employment! 

I will only work 1-2 days a week and the owner said she will let me work around Wes' shifts so that he can be home with E. 

So wonderful! 

Mom of the Year and Poor Hearing

Yesterday while doing some last minute Halloween costume shopping, I ran to Joann's Fabrics for some embellishments and ribbon. Right before I pulled into the parking lot, Little E decided to fall fast asleep and I could NOT wake him up! I had to haul him around in my arms the entire time we were there and it was getting so difficult to hold him, dig through the discount fabric bolts and tote around 3 spools of ribbon. My arms were tired and I just couldn't balance all three so this is what it resulted to:

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Not to worry, I was never more than 3-5 feet from him at all times! He got a good rest and I got the fabric I needed!

This was not the only humorous thing about this trip to the fabric store, however:

While waiting in line to get my fabric cut, there was a man and his 2 kids in front of me. The children were dressed up in costume and the woman behind the counter commented on how cute the children looked. The father was standing on his toes and looking about the store with wondering, concerned eyes and said, "I have another one running around here somewhere. He's dressed up like a Ninja!" The woman obviously misheard the man and laughed out lout and said, "A MIDGET!? That is so funny! What did you do about his arms?" (WHAAAAT!?) Then....the man who was not paying full attention to her, due to the fact that he was still searching for the child that was still roaming aimlessly around the store replied, "He just throws karate chops and punches with them!" This sent the lady into hysterics and also put wildly entertaining images in my head! Sadly the missing child made his way up to the counter in his stealth black hooded costume, naturally resolving all misunderstandings and putting an end to all my fun.

Thoughts in Fall

The fall season is very nostalgic for me. As a Utah transplant, I often get homesick and there are days that I would just rather be closer to my roots. The kind of homesick where there is a real physical pain in your gut and your heart aches. While growing up, this is the time of year that we would make several trips to northern Wyoming where both sets of my grandparents lived. Their firewood needing chopping and stacked, the leaves raked and burned, and the garden harvested and canning done. I loved our visits and being surrounded by so much family and good food! The other day I took my grandmother's orange carnival glass, that I inherited, out of our cupboard and displayed them on the shelves in our dining room. I wanted to be able to look at them every day! I love that they are now adding color to our room and also allowing my thoughts to be in a distant place where my body unfortunately cannot.

A Novel Idea

(you will need to turn the music off at the bottom of the page!"

Yes, that's right, you can go ahead and call me a genius! I had this thought the other day of how I could make little E eat his veggies. In previous battles with my son trying to get him to eat a balanced diet, I would have to say things like, "This peanut butter sandwich is made with Grandpa Wayne's special jam!" or "This is daddy's very favorite food that he eats when he works at the fire truck's house!" I found that if I use references to things that he adores when referring to his food, he eats it right up - because who wouldn't want yummy fire truck house food! So I thought if his food looked like it was fun and showed resemblance to things he favored, he may just devour it after all!

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Lucky for the world, Wal-Mart sells individually packaged veggies in the varieties of beans, corn and carrots. They also sell stickers in the shapes of lots of exciting boy-like things!

A little sticker here, a little sticker there......

And you may ask, "yeah, but does it really work?", and I will have to say, "See for yourself, you skeptic" !

Here is a little hint: Only apply the sticker to one packaged veggie (or other food container of your choice) and show your child just that one as "bait". Then prepare one that does not have a sticker on it. That way, you are not having to place a sticker on each and every piece of food you want your child to eat and the package of stickers will last longer! 

Tag! Me in the moment!

making: a bubble bath to pamper myself in! 

cooking: cream cheese-turkey bacon-broccoli stuffed chicken for dinner  

drinking: Carnation Instant Breakfast. Always.

reading: The Help by Katheryn Stockett. I cannot put it down it is so good! 

wanting: to make a T-Shirt that says "Satan is a Jackass" on it.

looking: at the stain on my shirt from last night and how it makes me want some chocolate.

playing: My Morning Jacket on iTunes

wasting: wattage. I like EVERY light on in the house so it doesn't feel so dreary!

sewing: a drawstring bag to contain all our plastic grocery sacks. So basically, a bag for bags. 

wishing: I had the money and guts to get a nose job. 

enjoying: wearing sweaters and boots for a change

waiting: for payment for all the work Wes did this summer so we can get things done on the house. 

liking: seat heaters in my car

wondering: how I can make some extra money for the holidays without having to work!

loving: Jeffery R. Holland's talk yesterday. Amazing!

hoping: that we get our new front door in before winter hits

marveling: at how my child can play with only one thing for hours! Bulldozers!

needing: new clothes. I am having a fashion identity crises. 

smelling: citrus and basil oil in my diffuser

wearing: the same clothes I have had on for 2 days straight....pajamas! 

following: Oddee. I could spend hours on this site...and do. Serious entertainment! 

noticing: How when I am the only one home, my house stays clean.

knowing: exactly what I am passionate about

thinking: how if it's going to be done, then it's up to me to do it. 

bookmarking: Nicolette Camille's Floral Design. It makes me want to get back into the floral design business!

opening: my mind to be more accepting of the female race.

giggling: at Wes lying to me about how much he spent at Cabellas. 

feeling: very grateful that I am not allergic to down bedding because I love it so much!

Good Bye August!

I think I just blinked a few times and the next thing I knew, August had come and gone! How did that happen? There are a lot of things you can say about my little family, but being idol people is not one of them. We keep busy and we like it that way! Although, it does make time fly by so quickly and I am having a really hard time accepting the fact that is almost mid September and the warm temps are leaving us all too soon. I feel like we can hardly keep up most days. A few highlights of our end of summer month that I don't want to ever forget, include:

Going to see Chicago in concert with VIP backstage passes. It helps to have band members as family members! 

Emerson getting a big new sandbox that his daddy built. I love to see his imagination at work while he is in there! 

Picnics in the backyard. The cooler evenings give us a nice break from the heat and let us enjoy some BLT's on the blanket!

Watching the sunset at the cabin with our good friends Tosha and Eric. I love that we have a little place to runaway to and escape reality for while!

Attending the Hot Air Balloon Festival. It was really amazing to see all the balloons, but the poor weather prevented them from ever taking off. 

Celebrating our 6th Anniversary! A beautiful bouquet of flowers and dinner at the Paris was exactly what I ordered! 

So long August! You were fun while you lasted! 

Blast Off!

I have launched a new craft blog! I know there are a million out there, but it was just something that I have been wanting to do for quite some time now. I will be featuring tutorials on inexpensive and simple craft projects, showcasing local artists/vendors and I will be advertising upcoming art shows in the area. Who knows...I may even throw in a few giveaways every now and then because people seem to like that! It's all still in the beginning stages, so please - don't judge! Have fun!

hisforhandmade.blogspot.com

Bang! Bang!

So Wes and I had a little bit of an "unconventional" date this week. We really believe in taking a few hours each week to spend time together with just the 2 of us, to grow closer, to bond, to reflect on our love for one another, to bask in the delight of being in each other's presence and.........

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TO SHOOT GUNS! 

(you really didn't think I was THAT sappy did you?)

We drove out to the middle of nowhere. It was hot and infested with flies and grasshoppers. It is no wonder no one lives out here. It's hideous!

I have never shot a gun before and never even really held one for that matter. Wes had to school me on gun safety and then proceeded to set up the target. I didn't want to walk in the fields because I was scared of ticks! 

He set one target up REALLY far away! I thought there was no way I was going to be able to hit it! Can you see his tiny little dot of a body in this picture?

I first tried the handgun. Blap - Blap, poppin' a cap! It was a lot of fun and I actually got 4 shots in the black area! Not too bad for a first timer!

(yes, my eyes are closed in this picture because a fly landed on my face right as I was about to shoot! I loathe flies more than you can even imagine! What is their freakin' purpose on this earth?)

Bows and Rifles!

Don't mess! I've got game now!

Embellishing: Project #1 Complete!

My first project from the "Embellishing Techniques and Projects" book is complete!  I am actually happy with the outcome for once! Usually, I will make something and then toss it into the pile of clothes to be taken to the thrift store because I don't like the final result. I was surprised at how simple, inexpensive and fast it was to do. If you are looking to update an old piece of clothing this is a really easy way to do it! No sewing machine necessary!

Here is a picture from the book used as inspiration:

The idea is to use vintage/antique embroidered linens and use them as an applique to a garment. So cute!

The book shows beading around the floral and ribbon applique, but I opted not to go that route since it doesn't really fit my style. I love how the edges are frayed!

I started with this linen table runner and cut it apart.  

Here is the end result!

I used iron-on fabric adhesive to attach it and then I hand stitched around the applique with embroidery thread, which is really easy to do!

A little detail on the back because a pretty goodbye is just as important as a hello! 

I found the linen shirt by Converse at Target for $4.95! The linen table runner was at an antique store for $4.00. Embroidery thread is .35 cents. 

Total cost of project:

$9.30

Total time to complete project:

1.5 hours

You can't beat that!

MT and Beyond - Part 4

This is the last one and boy, is it a doozie! There are a lot of photos here to cover the last portion of this trip! This may just win the award for the longest blog post in all the land!

Saturday: 

Since Cowley, Wyoming was settled by Mormon pioneers, the town celebrates on July 24th (same as Utah!) by commemorating it's pioneer heritage. The town rapidly grows from a mere 600 people to a few thousand! It is a day full of activities, fun and heat! 

The morning always begins with a parade. More candy is handed out than on Halloween! It is a small parade but one with a lot of heart! 

The nephews and nieces stand in form waiting to get pounded with sweets! Emerson caught on pretty quickly! 

I wish you could enlarge this picture! It is of my brother-in-law standing next to a ladies rear end and her shorts read "Who Cut the Cheese?" Look how happy he is to be in this picture! HA!

The old fire engine comes roaring down the street blowing it's siren and spraying water. Don't you love how Wes is using our child as a shield! Let me just remind you what my husband does for a living.......

After the parade most people attend a program held in the LDS church about various pioneers and their trek out west. After the program there is a picnic in the park, games for the kids, volley ball tournaments, a rodeo and golf tournament. SO many choices!

Later in the evening, there is a talent show in the old log gym. I love going to hear the talent, but also just to be in the old log gym. It is such a cool building and I love to sit there and think of how exciting it must have been to attend a basketball game there, gym class and dances! 

The sound is never very good and it is always about 100 degrees in there, but I love it!  

Sunday:

We woke up and got ready for the part of the trip that I was most anxious for! The Big Horn Mountains! I love these mountains with every fiber of my being and have so many good memories of the countless days spent camping here! If there was one thing I could say about what I miss most about home, it would be this! 

Off the highway, there is a hidden spring that shoots fresh ice cold water out of it! We always fill up the coolers and water jugs here. I have never tasted such good water in all my life!

It has been a very wet year on the mountain so the wildflowers were out in all their glory and it was so lush and green everywhere! It was beautiful!

This guy came into our camp. He wasn't really invited and I think he was a little embarrassed, so he decided to leave! Thank goodness!

We went fishing not too long after setting up camp. We caught some of the tiniest fish you have ever seen! It was still a lot of fun and hey, it's not how big it is that matters, just that fact that you got something! This was my nephew Nick's first successful fishing trip!

It rained on us while fishing and it sure made for pretty scenery! I'm telling you, this place is magical!

Later in the evening, right at dusk, my sister, Nick and I went for an ATV ride. It was probably the highlight of my trip! To see the mountain in this fashion is incredible! We saw a lot of wildlife and even had a moose run along side of us down the road like it was playing with us! A little scary, but more just hilarious!

Monday:

We woke up nice and early and had a big breakfast with my 2 aunts and uncle. I love a big breakfast on the mountain! We had to eat a lot to build up the energy for our big hike!

Bucking Mule Falls! The sign said 2 miles, but I am pretty sure it was more like 6! We have all done it several times but none of us remembered it taking as long as it did! I think it was 2 miles the way the crow flies, not the way Amy walks! It was worth every step! The view is breathtaking! The drop is nearly 500 feet! 

Our little family! Emerson fell asleep as soon as we got there and Wes being the trooper of a dad that he is, carried him the whole way back to the car. 

When we got back to camp, the clouds have moved in and it was starting to snow! WHAT??? Yep snow! We would have liked to have stayed one more night but we were not prepared for snow and had to take our journey elsewhere! We drove into Sheridan, Wyoming where more of our relatives live and we stayed there for the night. Warm and dry!

Tuesday:

My uncle lives right outside of Sheridan and works for a peculiar and extremely wealthy man who raises Falcons. Why...who knows? My uncle's job is to raise quail and pigeons that are to be used as food for the falcons. By doing this, he gets a nice paycheck and a free home. A pretty nice set up if you ask me! 

My uncle lives on a beautiful piece of land! This old barn is right out his front door! It looks nice in a photo, but it smells something fierce inside!

This is my uncle's bunk house that Wes, Emerson and I stayed in. It was also where I got the best night's sleep on the whole vacation! 

My uncle took us to the barns where he works. It was really neat to see all the birds, but sad just the same knowing they would just grow up to become devoured by a hungry bird of prey! 

A tiny little quail in my palm! I wanted to take him home and save him!

Fattening up! 

When I say "raised" I literally mean it! He is with these birds from egg to falcon belly! 

We later strolled the Main Street of Sheridan. The women did a little shopping and the men toured the legendary Mint Bar and the Lariat Museum! 

This was the last of our trip. We had such a good time and I really didn't want it to be over. Every day was full of some amazing experiences and everlasting memories...ones that I will take with me for the rest of my life. It was a trip full of love, beauty, reminiscing and learning. I miss it already and would go back and do it all again in a heartbeat!