Wherein you meet Fluffy and Mittens

First, let me be perfectly clear. I am not a creepy, crawly kind of girl. When I was little, I didn't mind bugs. I can remember gathering potato bugs at my grandma's in a plastic sandwich bag so I could take them home. (For some reason, I never caught on to why they didn't make it too long.) Lady bugs were always fascinating. And I'd even pick up a Daddy Long Legs on occasion. Since then, I've come to the realization that I don't like bugs. As a general rule, I just leave them alone and go on my way. Except for spiders, which I detest. With a passion. I will go out of my way to squish one. (Or have Erik do it depending on the size. It just creeps me out the way their legs shrivel up when they get stomped. *shiver*) With that preface...

About a week ago, I came home from work one day and noticed a HUGE spider web in our patio. It was the epitome of a spider web. I honestly expected it to say Some Pig... I took a look around, trying to find the huge spider that must go with it, but I couldn't see anything. Against my usual instinct, I left it alone so I could show Lily, who thought it was amazing. Then I forgot all about it until I headed out for my nightly stroll with the dog. A car was parked across the park, and its headlights hit the web just right, and I saw the spider that made it. And I was right...it was big! Meet Fluffy:

 

I showed Erik, who was altogether unimpressed although he did admit it was pretty big. I'd never seen a spider like this, and he wasn't in my house, so I left him alone - totally against my character - and took Laddie on his walk. When I got home, I decided I needed to know what kid of spider it was. After looking at pictures of a dozen or so spiders native to Utah, we decided our eight-legged friend is a Cat-faced Spider (hence the name Fluffy :-D). Completely harmless, so I decided he could stay.

I wanted to show Lily, but he kept disappearing during the day, and I was determined to find his hiding spot. Finally, I saw a leg poking out one day. So we got a good daytime view and Lily was sufficiently impressed.

 

A couple days later, I noticed the web was torn up and I figured he must have moved on. After a quick glance around the yard, I saw a web on the other side and figured he'd just changed location. That was until Laddie and I headed for our walk that night and there was Fluffy on his usual side of the fence. Apparently, our yard is very hospitable, because Mittens had also moved in:

So there you have my new pet spiders. Erik thinks I'm a loon. And I probably am. I even chased some kids with a jar out of my yard a few days ago. They can find their own spiders, dang it!! Well...I didn't really chase them. I just opened the door and asked what they were doing in my yard with a jar. They said "nothing" and skedaddled. What I'm really hoping to see is something land in their webs. I might need Lily to catch me a grasshopper (which she does on a regular basis).

For now, they're safe. But hopefully they realize as soon as one hairy foot steps in my house, they're goners...like their cousin here. He ceased to be soon after this picture was taken...

Read more...

To Do Update

Blog more than twice this month? Check.

Finish the book I've been reading for over a month? Check.

Add pictures to Lily's wall? Sort of check. The frames have been painted and hung, and there is a picture in  one of them. Baby steps, baby steps...

Finish organizing downstairs closets? Check.

Make door mat? Check.

Make a new headboard? Another half check. The frame is assembled. Now on to sanding, priming, painting (which would involve actually choosing a color), and making and attaching upholstered panels. But hey...the frame is assembled! And Lily was very helpful at cleaning up the sawdust:

A pretty productive month, I think.

Read more...

To do...

1. Blog more than twice this month. (1/2 way there!!! Yeah!!!)

2. Finish the book I've been reading for over a month.

3. Print and hang new family picture that was taken in...November. (Um...yeah...I'm that behind.) Also, possibly completely redo wall arrangement with the family picture. I think I need a trip to Tai Pan for inspiration. Anyone want to join me?

4. Repaint living room so walls stop clashing with new couches.

5. Rearrange Lily's room and finally hang some art on the wall. (Actually, I already did the rearranging, so just the artwork part...oh...and buy a new bookcase.)

6. Finish organizing downstairs closets.

7. Make this door mat:

Via

8. Work onTimothy's scrapbook so I'm caught up by his first birthday...maybe it won't get printed three months after the fact. :)

9. Go through the mountain of toys at our house and decide what can go.

10. Make a new headboard similar to this and repaint the rest of the bedroom furniture:

Via

Read more...

My Nerdiness

Those who don't do the whole Harry Potter thing probably won't care, but I thought this was funny...

Read more...

The Gutter

The other night, Derek asked if Lily wanted to join Daxton for some sledding. Since she was still getting over a nasty cough, we decided it was probably better for her to stay inside. So we opted for some bowling instead. It'd been a while since our balls had seen the light of day (or a bowling alley), so we were both a little rusty. In fact, Lily's score almost matched ours. There were a few tiffs over whose turn it was since Lily and Daxton had a hard time understanding that they got to go twice before the other person did, and I spent a good portion of the night reminding Lily that her hand needed to stay as far away from the ball return as possible (visions of King Pin were flashing through my head). But based on the fact that we had a MAJOR melt down at the prospect of returning her awesome bowling shoes, I would say she had a good time.

There are a few things I want to point out in this picture. One is my awesome bowling ball. There's nothing better than having your ball smile at you as it rolls down the gutter not hitting a single pin...which it did a couple times that night. Remember, I said I was rusty. The second is the lovely form Erik has. I like to call it The Fountain.

Read more...

Our Little Olympian

I don't ski. I went once. If you could call it that. About 10 years ago. I spent most of the time on my rear end cursing Erik for letting him talk me into trying it. And the next day? I could barely move. I refuse to go again.

But Erik convinced Lily that skiing is the best thing ever and had her so completely excited about its prospects by the time they headed up to Beaver Mountain this week that I was sure someone's high hopes were about to be crushed, especially since she wouldn't even let them buckle the boots when Erik took her to get fitted for them.

Luckily...I was wrong. She LOVED it. Before they went, Erik worked with her on what to do if she fell down. "I jump up and try again!" And it must have worked, because she had a great time. They went with Buzzy and Carson (who is about a year older than Lily). The guys did some skiing on their own while the kids had a lesson and then they did a couple runs with them. She's super excited about going again, and was sure to tell everyone we saw that she went skiing. I see a gold medal in our future... :-)

Now if only Erik could convince her to get on her little snowmobile...

Read more...

The Green Ones

For Mother's Day, I got a patio garden. The top was for growing...stuff. And you put tomato plants in upside down out of the bottom. I was so happy the day I found a little green tomato had appeared on my plant. (We won't discuss what happened to the other stuff that was planted on the top. You forget to water for a measly week 'cause you're caught up in having a new kid and what happens????) Then, a couple more popped up. I was going to successfully grow tomatoes!! I was thrilled. That first little green one turned red, even if it was a little small. But then I noticed that about half of it was missing. It didn't really look like it have been eaten. More like it had never fully formed. I was totally bummed. But I still had three other green tomatoes in the running.

I watered faithfully so I wouldn't lose my last hope of proving I could garden in some capacity. Then one day, during my usual inspection, I couldn't find any tomatoes. Had someone taken them? Could the wind and rain the night before been enough to knock them off? I was completely flummoxed. Until Lily joined me on the patio and shared this bit of information:

"I took the green ones off for you, Mommy."

Said like this was perfectly normal and the best idea she could have ever had. Bitterly disappointed that my hope of fresh tomatoes was now laying in the grass, I explained that we usually wait until tomatoes are red before picking. Filing that bit of information away in her "good to know" section, she went on with her day.

And I picked up my prematurely picked tomatoes and sadly went back inside hoping that the few flowers still on the plant might be promising. Nothing yet...

Read more...

Continuing the Tradition

With a mom who liked to bake, I was usually involved in the process when I was little. And being the curious little person I was, I wanted to try everything. This included butter, pickle juice, vanilla, and on and on. Apparently, vanilla elicited quite the amusing face, and I don't think I ever wanted to try it again. Butter, on the other hand, was good enough that for years after, I would sneak a finger full when I could. Disgusting, I know.

Now, years later, I love to bake myself, and for some reason, I've been doing it even more than usual with the pregnancy. With Lillian, I craved spicy foods. This time around, it seems to be sweets. I've tried to keep my sweet intake in check since those pounds won't come off by themselves once the baby's born. But rather than deprive myself completely, I've allowed myself to bake something yummy once a week. This week's concoction was Banana-Chocolate Chip bars because I had an entire bunch of bananas that was quickly turning brown and squishy and I had just made banana bread last month. (Maybe we should stop buying bananas?!?)


Lily has figured out that once the mixer comes out, I'm doing something fun, so it's not long before she's pulled a chair over to the counter to help. She likes to help pour everything in and stir when she can. Yesterday, she also helped mash the bananas, which seemed to be a lot of fun. I've been waiting for the day that she asks to try the vanilla, just so I could keep the tradition alive, but I haven't had the chance. Until yesterday. Suddenly, she was very interested in what I was actually putting in the bowl. First, she asked what the brown sugar was. When I told her, she informed me, "I don't think I like brown sugar." I asked if she wanted to try it since I was pretty sure she'd find it pretty tasty given the chance, but that was a no go. She was SURE she didn't like brown sugar. Then came the vanilla:

Lily: What's that?
Me: Vanilla.
Lily: I think I like vanilla.
Me: You do? Do you want to try it?
Lily: Yeah!

After she licked the measuring spoon, I watched her face. No real reaction, so...

Me: What do you think?
Lily: I think I like vanilla. (very hesitantly)
Me: Really?
Lily: No. I think I need a drink.

So no funny face, but I think she said it all. Definitely a great addition to the family legacy of moms allowing their daughters to get the full experience of baking.

Read more...

Sewing Adventure

This weekend, while Erik was enjoying some guy time in Jackson Hole at the Snowmobile Hill Climbs, Lily and I headed down to Springville to spend some time with Nana and Grandpa Len and sew some baby kimonos. Lily spent most of the day with Grandpa watching Dora. I think he realized his mistake in introducing the Dora videos around the second hour, but he'll know better next time. But it must have worn her out. She fell asleep on the way home and was pretty groggy when I put her in her bed. This was the conversation we had as I tucked her in:

Lily: I want to read two stories.

Me: I'll go get your blankie and I'll be right back to read them.

Lily: Ok. But I'll fall asleep any minute, Mommy. So you better hurry.

She was asleep before I came back with the blanket. But don't think I got out of reading that story. I was woken up at 4 a.m. to read a story, put her jammies on, and get her two drinks of water.

While Lily was home with Grandpa, my mom and I headed to Joann's to pick out fabric and made a stop at Babies R Us to see about some monkey accessories for the nursery. Then it was back home to start the sewing. The pattern was from the Martha Stewart website, and looking at the picture, it couldn't be too difficult, right?


Oh, boy...was I wrong. The directions were pretty confusing and the visuals weren't much help. We had trouble with the very first step while trying to get our loop turner to turn the bias tape ties right side out. Then there were references to dots on the pattern that were nonexistent and some measurements were wrong. But about 8 hours after we arrived, I finally left with ONE completed kimono. I'd bought enough supplies for four. And of course, like most do-it-yourself projects, the cost of supplies for the project was probably far greater than if I had just bought four kimonos while we were at Babies R Us.

But looking at my cute little baby kimono shirt, there's a definite sense of accomplishment. It will probably be a little while before I decide to tackle the other three, but now that I know what I'm doing, it shouldn't be too bad. I hope.

Read more...

Update to moon shots

Ok...so my shots didn't turn out quite as good. I guess I should have grabbed the remote shutter release once I realized I was still getting some jiggle, but I think mine have more character... :)

http://www.wingmakers.co.nz/Moon%20&%20Venus.jpg

Read more...

Amazing moon

When we left dinner tonight, I noticed how cool the moon looked, complete with planet. Once we got home, I grabbed the camera and took a couple shots before I froze enough to come inside.

Read more...

So many books...

Caution: if you are planning on reading Marley and Me and don't want the ending spoiled and you haven't guessed it already, skip down a few paragraphs.


Anyway, I just finished reading Marley and Me, and I wonder why people write books where animals die. It's just cruel...to me. I just can't handle it! Yet I read them anyway...

Ok...so granted, this one was a true story, and unless he completely changed the ending to "...and Marley lived happily ever after for ever and ever with no arthritis or twisted stomach and was able to always hear the birds chirp and run up the stairs after his owner and best friend," it had to end the way it did. And I guess I should have known how I would react, which included all-out weeping that started 40 pages before the dog actually gets put down...yes: weeping. When Erik got home from work, I'm sure I was a complete sight to behold with mascara and eyeliner making me look like some crazed raccoon. My only justification for reacting so intensely is that Marley is Laddie. Some of the neuroses were just a bit different, but for all intents and purposes, Laddie is the same, ill-behaved dog. But we love him just the same.

This was the start of my new dedication to reading. I used to read nonstop; I always had a book going. Lately, it seems I've been slacking. I received a couple books for Christmas and got some hand-me downs from my mom, so now I have a nice-sized stack on my nightstand, just begging for some attention. There's a nice mishmash of titles: a spy-spoof by Dr. House (Hugh Laurie) that I just had to try, a romance-slash-mystery, a 16th century murder mystery, and a novel based on the post-war Japanese imperial family. Should keep me entertained for a while.

I've decided there are no excuses: I will get back into the habit every good English major should have. Maybe I'll try Cheryl's approach to make sure I get a good variety going as well as ensure I'm reading something that could actually make a difference in how I see the world, but first I'm going to finish the stack I have and start on the list I made of ones that look interesting. It may take a while, but I'm willing to make that sacrifice.

Read more...

Note to self...

Don't mess with a perfectly good recipe and don't procrastinate homemade Christmas presents until the last minute. (If you're buying the present at the last minute, that's perfectly acceptable.)

Ok...so I'm going to be a little vain for just a second and say that I think I usually come up with some great gifts for the people I work with. In fact, I keep my eye open all year for something that would be fantastic and the start working on them months before hand. One year, I decoupaged boxes (apparently I like to decoupage :-D) and filled them to the brim with a flurry of homemade Christmas cookies. One year, I cross-stitched snowflake ornaments complete with beading. I've made little candy dishes and another round of cookies, etc., etc., etc. It's entirely possible my office mates don't think these gifts are a wonderful as I do, but I always have a good time doing it and it gives me an excuse for a fairly large project that keeps me busy for a while and, sometimes, a chance to try a project I probably wouldn't have attempted just for myself.

This year, not so much...mostly since I have a project named "Lillian" who keeps me busier than I could have ever hoped for. I had a great idea for these cute bags made out of t-shirts, but I couldn't decide what I could put in them so it wasn't just a lame bag. I thought of doing some lotion/body wash stuff in a basket made out of a towel and wash cloth, but you never know what scent people like, so I scrapped that one, too. As Thanksgiving approached, I realized I still didn't have an idea for my office gifts, and I was running out of time.

Then, my Kraft Food and Family magazine came. Inside was a recipe for Simply Sensational Truffles. With two ingredients and only three steps, I decided I could handle that. I put the recipe on the fridge so I could find it later and moved on. About a week later, I remembered I needed to find something to put the truffles in. Through my digial scrapbooking sources, I found some templates for gift bags and boxes. I printed a couple off to get a better idea for size and decided on one. Once again, I moved on.

Then, on Monday, I realized this was the last week everyone would be in the office when I would be and I needed to get their gifts to them. I grabbed the ingredients on Tuesday night and got Step One done and in the fridge to firm up. I figured I could finish them up Wednesday, along with putting the bags together (which I'll talk about next), and take them in on Thursday.

Even though I knew I had a couple hours of work ahead of me Wednesday night, I agreed to go to the gym with Erik. We got home around 8:30 and I got started. My first batch was a disaster!! The recipe was only for regular, semi-sweet chocolate. But I like white chocolate truffles better and I like them flavored with something. So I'd made two varieties of regular - one plain, one mint - and two varieties of white - one raspberry, one lemon. I started rolling the raspberry, and they were so soft. When I tried to dip them, they melted enough that they were no longer balls. And they weren't very well covered. I put them back in the fridge hoping I could dip them a second time and be ok, but I wasn't very optimistic. I pulled out the plain chocolate next. Hard as a rock, as it should have been. They turned out great. My first thought was maybe the flavorings had caused firming issues and I was going to have three horrible varieties and only one that worked. But the mint ones turned out great, too. So apparently, the mistake was using white chocolate. I would think chocolate is chocolate and they should have set up equally as firm, but I thought wrong, I guess.

Now the bags. I decided to print them at work on our fabulous color printer. But after the first one came out, the color was all wrong. I did a quick cleaning adjustment and tried again. Better, but still awful. They printed great at home, but this fancy printer didn't like the colors used, I guess. Luckily, I have photoshop at work, so I quickly download some new "papers" and changed the design completely. It wasn't nearly as fancy or detailed, but hey...I was on a time crunch! It printed fine, and I thought I was home free.

That was until I was sitting at my kitchen table Wednesday night at 11:00 still cutting out cardstock bags and taping them together. What was I thinking? It was not nearly the quick project I thought it would be.

I was able to dip the raspberry ones again and they worked well enough that I put them in the bags. The lemon ones were rolled in powdered sugar, so they're still really soft and almost squishy. But at least the sugar keeps them from being sticky! And they all tasted delicious, so that's all that matters, I suppose.

Next year, though, I think I'll go for something much simpler. The people I work with always give great gifts, too, and I'm sure they don't agonize over them quite like I do. We all end up eating so much crap over the holidays, so I think I'll go back to the non-food gifts like decorations or yummy smelling candles. Maybe I can even get them something useful...like a set of screwdrivers... :-D Yep...that's my plan for next year.

Read more...

Latest Project

Here's my latest project for Lillian's room. Decoupage is a wonderful thing!

Read more...

Scrapbooking

A couple months ago, I read an article about digital scrapbooking and decided to give it a try. I'm having so much fun with it! I can't imagine doing scrapbooking any other way, especially since you can delete and redo something as many times as you want. Here's a few pages I've made.

Read more...

New Curtains

Since Lillian's crib will probably be converted to a toddler bed in the next few months, I decided I wanted to get her some new bedding. I was just going to buy it, but I found a pattern for a nursery bedding set and decided to just make it. So we're keeping with the frog theme, but it's not quite so, umm...babyish, I guess. I've finished the curtains and will be making a comforter and bed skirt. I was kind of scared since this was my first major sewing endeavor since the quilt I made when I was 8, but they didn't turn out too bad, even the pleats. The big picture is kind of dark (sorry, the light from the window made it really hard to get a good picture) but the shade part is yellow gingham. You can kind of see it in the close up of the valance. I'm still playing with the ribbons ties; I think I might be too much of a perfectionist for this type of shade. You can never get them even! :)

We originally had the quilt/wall hanging from her crib set covering the electrical box. Why they couldn't have found a better place to put it than smack dab in the middle of a bedroom wall, I don't know. But I covered it in peel and stick tile and then found some cute metal frogs to hang with it. I was pretty impressed myself. They weren't sticking all that great while I had it off the wall, but once it was back flat on the wall they've stayed great (except for the one that fell off, but that's easily fixed).

Read more...

A Night Out

Last night, Erik went paintballing with the guys and I went to Mama Mia with the girls. (Lillian got to stay with Buzzy and Carson.) It's been a while since I've been able to go out sans husband and baby, and it was kind of nice.

We had a pretty big group of girls, and we had a good time. Although, I do think it's kind of interesting that we called it a girls' night out. I mean, we went out, but we ended up sitting in a dark theater for a couple hours and then pretty much went our separate ways after the movie. Next time we'll have to go out for a treat before hand or something.

Now on to the movie. I LOVED it! But then how can you pass up a movie where Colin Firth ends up, yet again, in a wet shirt? He's not quite the Mr. Darcy he was 10 years ago, but he's still one of my favorites. :) And Julie Waters...what a ham! I love anything she's in. She's great as the odd balls like in Mama Mia and Harry Potter, but she does great in perfectly normal roles like Calendar Girls, too. But I think the best part had to be the disco dancing right before the credits. What's crazy is I think people actually wore stuff like that. What will they think about our fashion in 30 years?

Speaking of Harry Potter (you remember that brief mention earlier, right?)...The teaser trailer for Half Blood Prince was released on Tuesday, so now I'm counting the days until November 21 (112 if you're wondering). I know I'm a nerd; I've come to accept it...

Read more...

Snowmobiling

So I finally let Erik talk me into a snowmobiling trip. Erik's mom watched Lillian for the day while we went with Jared, Ashley, and Buzzy. I'm the first to admit that I'm the biggest whimp when it comes to motor sports, so I felt like I was holding everyone back the whole time. Buzzy claims he was glad I was slow since then he didn't feel the pressure to go faster, but I think he was just being nice. ;)

Despite the cold and getting separated from the group at one point, I had a good time. But I never need to go more than once a year...

Read more...