ornament - how to

A while back for a Super Saturday with our ward in Alaska, I was asked to come up with a small Christmas craft, and I opted to make felt ornaments. I even was going to cut out all the templates and organize all the thread and beads together so people would just have to come and sew a few beads and sequences on, and a good blanket stitch around the stuffed pieces. Little did I know that one: it would take longer than a quick moment, two: not as many people signed up would show up and three: what I signed up for would require my attention. 

I don't know what I was thinking, but to make up for what I didn't do, I thought I could lay out right here, what you need to do for these felt ornaments. 

What you need: 

felt

embroidery floss

beads

sequence

cereal box

pencil 

scissors 

rick-rack

First is to create the template using the pencil and cereal box, eyeballing the shapes and sizes. You can do it! Just be sure to add a 'tab' to each felt template so you can tuck the under piece into the upper piece. Make sense? Good. It'll help it hold fast. 

Second is to cut the felt out using the template. I can never mark on felt very well, so if I'm careful, I can just hold the template on the felt and cut around it; it's kind of slippery, but the more you do, the better your holding/cutting skills get. By the end of cutting out 18 or so of each, it was going pretty quick for me. 

Third step is to sew each side of the tree together; if you're doing the deer, there's nothing to sew together! Once you have each side, sew the beads and sequences down. For the deer's rump I used all sorts of different sizes and shades of colors. For the tree, I only had 2 alterations, to make it more uniformly like snow. With the trees, I alternated colors quite a bit, even throwing some cream in there. The smaller one was actually my favorite ( see below ). You can use any sort of embroidery floss color, and for the deer, finish up the sides of the deer by embroidering the eye, nose, and hind leg lines. 

 

Fourth step is to sew the majority of the ornament together. When you get to the top of the ornament, put the rick rack into the seam line, about 1/4" deep, then sew the blanket stitch over it so it is secure. When you're almost to the blanket stitch's origin, stuff the ornament with the desired amount (I like mine pretty flat), then finish off the stitching. 

All done and ready for hanging! Lots of busy hand work, but I have loved looking at these now for the last two Christmases, and you am anxious to make more someday. They are very easy, and you can make anything and any color of any size. 

squash the healthy, up the spice

While in California over the summer, a local fruit stand sold some gigantically delicious yellow squash that I went back every Thursday for. I have always liked yellow squash, my mom used to steam the slices then top it with a bit of butter, salt, pepper and parmesan. I didn't have a steamer in our ill-equipped kitchen, but I did have an oven. So baking them is just what I did (broiling them would probably have been pretty tasty, too). Here's what I do when I want a spicy, deliciously healthy snack:

1. slice 'em up nice and thin. 

2. salt and pepper where you're going to lay them down

3. in a single layer, spread the slices out

4. spice them with: salt and pepper, garlic powder, cayenne powder

5. top with shredded parmesan cheese

6. bake at 375 for about 13 - 15 minutes

... if you try it, hope you like it!
* see the empty spot with the fork resting there?
I couldn't even wait until I took a picture;
forgot what I was doing!

you better watch out

you better not cry.. 

better not pout, I'm telling you why.. 

Santa Claus is coming to town!

 jingle jingle jingle!

oh, Christmas tree!

The day after Thanksgiving, we set up our tree while my parents were still here. This is our little Emmy's first Christmas, and she is determined that she is not going to miss a thing. She's not mobile, but somehow she gets to wherever she wants to go (I can't figure it out either), and most of the time it's right up next to the Christmas tree where the jingle bells have fallen from being shaken from their boughs, courtesy of Montster.

pretty in pink

We got a new camera half way through the move a few months ago and sold our Nikon. This new one is quite a bit of fun to use, and very much back to basics. Emmy is a pretty good test subject and model for us. 

Here she is in all of her happy pink pajama glory: 

We just love this shrug.

blog roll

Blogs:
Ali + Vinnie Bongioanni 
Aimee + Pete Olsen
Amber + Mark Leck
Amy Shlauder
Angie + Dustin Hall
Ashley Oblad
Ashton + Brian Scurr
Aubrey Annie 
Beth + Paul Bernard
Beth's Properly Pink
Brian Stucki
Brittany + Kevin Brazell 
Candace Stucki
Candice + Craig Carter
Carli + Mark Lewis
Carlie + Ryan Skinner
Carolyn + Curtis Townsend
Celina + Aaron Tingey
Cheris + Sean Sizemore
Christina + Steve Dixon
Christy + Derrick Wilson
Corin + Seth Lucas
Crista + Tim Dennis
Darci + Devin Buhl
Hairy Shoe Fairy 
Holly + Curt Smith
Holly + Dan Pike
Jamie + Trevor Mattson
Jessica + Josh McDaniel
Jessica + Phillip Goodwin
Jordan + Ross Griffiths
Jordan + Zach Moss
Julianne + Brandon Mackay
Julie Hoover
Karen + Chris Melander
Kasey + Matt Henry
Katelyn + Matt 
Katherine + Dan Clarke
Kathryn + Trigg Randall
Katie + Blake Aro
Katie + Corey Emerson
Katrina Ferebee
Kris
Lauren + Ted Brimley
Leslie + Shane Rogers
Lindsay + Steve Peterson
Lindsey Christensen
Lisa + Jason Smedley
Lucy + Braden Galloway
Mauri Johnson
Megan + Jared Speaks
Melanie + Kip Facer
Monica + Tyler Murset
Naomi + Steve Vestel
Nicole + Isaac Hipple
Nicole + Brady Petersen
Rachael Wynn 
Rachel + Josh Harris
Sarah + Brad Thomas
Stacey + Nate Eaton
Stephanie Cope
Tanya + Matt Wonderly
Taryn + Andy Gray
Terra + Curtis Bingham
Tessa Judd
Tiffani Bleazard Benson
Tiffany + Alec Runyon
Tiffany + Greg Winder
Toni + Pete Ludlow
Tory + Mo Reeder
Whitney + Eric Larkin

Private Blogs:
Amy + Tony Rodriguez
Chelsea + Sven Lundberg
Emily + Thomas Steffen
Jamie + Rod Smith
Jessy + Aaron Larsen
Laura + Jeremy Tippets
Melanie + Brian Willis
Mindy + Tyler Ellison
Rachael + Dan Wynn
Rachel + Dave Young
Rachel + Tyler Lybbert
Riis + Chris Larsen
Valerie + Tyler Kukahiko

Extra Blogs:
Amanda Jane Jones
clean wash letter press
c jane enjoy it
laura gunn's paint in my hair
Love Taza | Naomi Davis
NieNie Dialogues 
progressive pioneer
Rebekka Seale art & illustration
you are my wild

over a month of thanks

I just realized this Thanksgiving morning that it has been over a month since my last post. That is unheard of here on my blog. After a jolt to my blogging motivation, we moved, and I haven't posted since.

We traveled high and low, short and long to get to our new home in North Dakota, thankful for our safe travels and well-operating car. Setting up house has taken the majority of our free time, and sleep the minority of our free time. We've moved into a base house and after having free reign in our Alaska house, we knew it was going to take some work getting it to where we want it. We're almost there though! A month later and we only have 3 bathrooms left to paint,  some furniture on its way here, and lots of light fixtures that we switched out. It's been fun work. The lights here were pointless, and dark.

Pictures of our trips, travels and trimmings will be uploaded soon and the sharing will begin soon after.

For today, my family and I will enjoy the turkey, vegetables, creams and pies. Tomorrow, we shop.

Happy Thanksgiving!

trap 'em

Today is my dad's birthday! What a guy my dad is.. I love him so much. He makes us all laugh and he makes us all proud. Love you, daddio.

And while we were able to talk face to face, while being miles and miles apart, using the technology that often traps our attention for hours at a time, I still liked this video.. ha! How ironic.

Setting ourselves free the last few days while being with family has been so nice. We've visited, played, wrestled, baked, harvested the garden, and laughed a lot. It's nice to unplug every now and then. But then again... it's so fun to plug right back in and see what's going on with everyone. Happy surfing, internet friends!

Here are some quick pics from today:

 don't know what face this is, but I love his pjs!

This has been happening more often lately, and I love it beyond belief. 

Somehow, these original doors from the SLC Tabernacle have taken up residence in the Reeder's; Stacey remembers going through these doors during General Conference breaks to go say hi to her Grandpa Benson. What special memories these doors hold.. I love that I can see them every day here! 

And my little monkey is really turning a corner, I think. He has been so sweet, fun, gentle and hilariously rambunctious this last week. Hearing new, more complicated words are just so fun coming from him. 

10 hours

Donner's Pass, CA

Wednesday morning of last week was the day we made the long drive from north of Sacramento, California to Salt Lake City, Utah... we were ready for 12 hours in the car, but somehow made it in only 10, and hit some inclement weather along the way, too. The kids did so wonderfully, I can hardly believe it. Very little crying, if at all (can't even remember right now), and lots of excitement.

Lake Bed, NV

The landscape was absolutely beautiful in the shadows of the clouds. Clouds make everything that much prettier, so we were in love with all that we saw. I took all these pictures from the back seat while Mark drove for the first half and last hour or two of the trip.

More of the same

When the kids napped for a few hours in the afternoon, I hopped in the drivers seat and subtly changed the 'noise' to my music, and enjoyed my time to myself while Mark caught some shut eye too. I love driving... I love it! And good music makes it even that much better.

Nevada's flat lands

 I did get nervous when we neared Utah and hit some wet snow. It felt so much different than Alaska's snow.. it was thick, and the car would lurch when the wheels would hit it on the road. I slowed significantly and reminded myself that I could do it.. I have to say, I miss Alaska's ice and dry snow.. I was used to it. Wet snow is a different ball game.

Hills of the Sierras

 When we passed the Nevada State Line, my heart sped up a bit and I sang as much as I could remember of the state song, "Home Means Nevada" - my dad can sing / hum it much better than I can. I loved driving through the beautiful hills of the Sierra Nevadas... beautiful (see above picture and below).

Pre- Rockies / Sierra Nevadas

 There was a lot of different weather, and as we would rise and fall with the altitude, we could really see the change in patterns. Snow to rain, to partly sunny. It really made the drive more interesting.

The Great Salt Lake

I think Mark called these parts of the banks of the Great Salt Lake. There were people wind surfing on these rough, windy, and shallow waters. The colors were fantastic, though..

Utah's Rockies

Entering the Rockies was a lot of fun, too. Seeing Northern Nevada was really exciting for me, as I spent my entire first 18 years in the southern part of the state. My mother had a photography book of the Nevada cowboys, and the country always looked so beautiful as I'd turn the pages.. now I've seen it for myself.

moving day has come again

image

Mt. Williamson of the Sierra Nevadas by Ansel Adams

I am up far too late (11:11 pm - make a wish!) for the eve of yet another moving day. Today we met up with some great friends for a brunch at Awful Annie's (it was far better than the name deludes - I am so impressing myself with that word.), I ate 1.5 of my 3 buttermilk pancakes and all of the bacon I could. And Patty even gave me (okay, us) a lb. box of See's chocolates! She had read on facebook about my little addiction and inability to share. She is a chocoholic like me and had compassion on my poor suffering soul.

Back on track. After running errands, and calling Security Forces (a story I may or may not share... both sad and embarrassing) to clear something up, and lots of laundry, we set out for the mall so I could splurge again on some more eyeshadow... NARS is quickly becoming a must have for me. Have you seen it in all its sparkly glory? It's beautiful! But I'm done buying it - 2 duos is enough for me. I now have light and dark shades, glittery and non-glittery. Also, I have completely worn down my Toms after a year+ of usage... I really think they should last longer if we're giving them to active children in third world countries, but I'm not in charge, so I'll just support and buy another pair. So that's what I did. I bought the navy this time and I'll keep my grey, holy ones for my 'days off from dressing.'

Back on track. We grabbed some dinner for Mont (french fries and apples from old Mac's), then made the drive home watching the Jungle Book. When the kids were finally asleep (at 8:30), Mark and I set to work packing up everything in boxes and bags, then Mark braved the chili rain and loaded the car up as much as he could. What is left are kitchen odds, and other ends.

Our gas tank is full, and tomorrow we set off down a new stretch of highway [for me, at least - I've never driven through Northern Nevada, even if it is my home state] soon after the kiddos wake up, and brave the 12 hour drive to Utah. I'm excited to see some family, fall foliage, and friends. Perfect triad. Also pretty excited to swing a tennis racquet around.

an old show new again

In the background of this afternoon, after sliding the glass door wide open to let in the fresh fall air from outside, the TV was turned on to The Dick Van Dyke Show somehow.

Watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang nearly every day for the last 4 weeks or so, I've become quite the fan of Mr. Van Dyke's, and have been curious to see this other show of his. Well now was my chance; granted, it was in between feeding both children, going outside for walks, and fun on the backyard's slab of concrete, and also picking up toys. Fortunately for me, there were a few on back to back, so I caught a few minutes here and there.

I loved it! Mark came home and the last show was wrapping up. We sat down and enjoyed the moment with our two babies and had a laugh at good old American Television.

Have any of you seen it? He has a certain allure about him on screen that makes you laugh and want to watch more, without him being overly silly or obnoxious. I think it's charming. And Mary Tyler Moore is so pretty, not to mention stylish. Her character is very cute in this show, and I love the old fashioned relationship between television husband and wife. Their bedroom set up, and how he tries to scare her even after he turns off the scary movie before bed, then he ends up having the nightmare?

Or how he found a grey hair on her and she is so frustrated with him and her grey hair, that she bleaches her hair which turns into a regretful all day fiasco? All so fun.

If I could find the box sets, I may have to add this to the list of shows/movies to introduce to Mont. So far, he likes the old stuff too.

random 'i likes'

First of all, thank you for everyone's nice comments on my last post. Wether it was a comment left on the blog, or on facebook, I really appreciated the nice things you said! Thank you a thousand times.. We've had several good days in a row since then, and I am seeing a light at the end of the Terrible Tunnel. : )

I have so many things running through my head, so here is a hodge-podge of all that circles in the abyss of my mind this evening. ("abyss" doesn't have to be empty..)

• this may be my new favorite song.. and used as the opening theme to this particular show makes me giddy and cataclysmically full of excitement. I love this show...
• found this little video on a blog tonight, and like her, I love the dancing and music. All the outfit changes and segment set ups must have been intense. But the result is so worth it.  Mark, will you do this with me? Yes? You're the best, but I think we better go shopping.
• it's general conference weekend!!! what a fun challenge it is to watch it with two little ones. Here is what they did while we tried watching today: 

(and yes! I'm fully clothed.. goodness... sorry for the scare... 

but I love this picture, so, sorry)

• fabric for a very 'plain & easy' quilt I'm planning on making for Emmy. It's only 2 fabrics: 1 fabric for each side. It'll hopefully go on her bed when she's a bit bigger, reversing sides when we're tired of one or the other. Now I just have to hope that the next time I have the poppy fabric in my shopping cart, it will stay there. Last time I was checking out, someone stole it right out from under me! Didn't know that was possible online.. 

• Disneyland! We went down to the happiest place on earth last week and had an absolutely exhilarating time. Mont couldn't hug us hard or often enough; it was the cutest thing. Pictures from here and Santa Cruz coming soon. I can't believe I haven't posted them yet!

a ding-ding??

Wow... tonight I feel like a terrible mother! It really is nothing big, but I have to share it because I keep having this image in my head of my little sweetheart, and I can't get it out... so here I am sharing it, hoping to get a new thought in there.

This weekend, on our way to Anaheim, CA, we stopped at a Target to get a replacement sip-cup for Mont because he chewed a gaping hole in the one he drinks milk from. Thinking they had the same colored one, I was disappointed as I looked through the rows, finding a slightly different combination (the lids are different colors from the main body). I grabbed the yellow one, thinking it would be fine.

Today proved that it was not going to be fine.

In an effort to get him to just drink from it already, I offered him a 'ding-ding' (which means 'special chocolate' in Mont language, as the 'special chocolate' resides in a tin trolley that his sweet aunt gave him for his birthday filled with 'special chocolate'; we've just kept it going), but told him that he first had to drink the milk.

When that ended with crying and screaming, I offered him to just drink milk from a cup. Still no go. By this time, we were both frustrated. He was really rearing now, getting mad and throwing himself on the floor. I didn't think my request was unreasonable, so I asked him, "do you want to go in a room by yourself?" This has worked on getting him to do as we ask on other occasions, wether it be pick up his toys, stop throwing his toys, or to be nicer. He continued with the tantrum, so I walked him to the bathroom, clicked on the light, and shut the door behind him.

Talking to him through the door, I still didn't get a "yes" when I asked him if he'd drink his milk, so I opened the door.

This is where I just felt my heart break in half.

He was standing there so small and sad; tears were streaming from his eyes down his red cheeks, and his nose was watering as well, all the while asking in his raspy, sad little voice, "ding-ding?? a ding-ding?" It was so pitiful and sweet and sad all at once. I grabbed a tissue, and got down on his level, hugging him  and retelling him that he had to first drink his milk.

I wanted to give him a special chocolate, I did! And I told him so... then I thought, I might as well tell him, so I spoke my next thought out loud: "I want to Mont, but then you will have won... and I can't let you win this one, or you'll win the next one, and the next one." Yes, I felt dumb, but I felt mean even more.

It calmed down after a few more minutes of pleas and crying, telling him that he will get a ding-ding tomorrow, and that we were going to go upstairs (nearly had to pull him, even still) to brush his teeth and go to sleep. Which he did quite quickly; he was pretty dog-gone tired.

Well would ya look at that, it did work. I do feel a bit better having typed it out, but I'm still sad I couldn't just give him a piece. I almost did; more than once, even. But I did it. I pulled through as the tough one. He almost broke down my fortress of fortitude with that one sweetly sad look.

He's probably dreaming of ding-dings this very moment.

While this is a picture from last month, it reminded me of how he was standing when I opened the door. 

Just picture a much, much sadder face. He just looked this teeny tiny standing there. My little sweetheart.

cooling off

Mont found the perfect place to cooling down Saturday evening at the Security Forces building...

This picture makes me laugh:

Hopefully it was potable water.. right? 

iphone pics

Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey

The circus came to town!! We heard about it Thursday, Friday Mark got tickets, and Saturday we headed to the Pavilion that's home to the Sacramento Kings (Jimmer!).

We couldn't miss the opportunity for a big top, even if it's not a tent.. I think the kids loved it! But probably not as much as I did.

The elephants were probably my favorite, but I did love the tigers. They were huge, probably over fed tigers, but they looked soo so soft. I would have given one a pat if I could have. ... maybe. Here are the elephants walking out and around to their spots. Doesn't this remind you of Dumbo? I love how they hold on to the tail of the one in front of them.

Before the circus started, we were able to go down to the floor and get get up close to the clowns, the jugglers, and even an elephant! It was amazing being so close to one. Granted, it's no ride on an elephant (Mark.), or even like hugging an adorable baby elephant (Mark again!), but I loved it!!

In this picture you can see the tight rope (right above the pink-lit half circle), and the bikes that they rode on it with, and the 'whisker' things to help them keep their balance. I'm not sure what they're called. But wow that was high! Doing flips and jumps, and all sorts of tricks on it was a little risky.

What a circus!

iphone pics

zoo gone wild

This week, Mark was loosely scheduled with the flight desk, so he and I took the kids Tuesday morning out to San Francisco again. We love that city; it's architecture, history, culture, access to the arts and other museums, etc. It's all around, unique. We decided to go to the zoo this time, and see what Mont's tell tale reactions would be to the animals. First up, were the giraffes, zebras, and ostriches. He chomped his mouth in response to "What's a giraffe say?" Clever, eh?

Next were the gorillas.. It's not every day you get stared down by the silverback, and certainly not every day you see a silverback walk right up to a female and start mating. Ooooh my goodness. What an animal! They are so eerily human like; I promise there's like an electric charge when he made eye contact with us, it was so ... unexplainable. Very cool animal.

There were all sorts of monkeys, but I don't believe I've ever seen this kind in real life, and now I cannot remember it's name (edited: I thought at first it was a baboon, too.. but it is a Mandrill! who knew..?). It looked like it wanted to rip my face off:

Next was the hippopotamus. Or "Eppoh" as Mont kept saying. What a show this guy put on for us! Ryan (the hippo's name) would linger near the water's edge, then slowly splash his way down the steps, then submerge completely and glide under the surface, then rise with the bubbles up to break through the water. With a huge stretch of his mouth, he'd force water up with his jaw, nearly splashing all his admirers, then force water to splash again with his jaw coming back down to smack the water. Those teeth!! Wow, those teeth. No wonder why they're so dangerous, but what a strange animal. After lumbering his squatty self over to the dry area, it backed up to a rock, then relieved himself (both at once), while swishing his tail back and forth at such a speed, that it went absolutely everywhere. It was both disgusting and hilarious. Another that deserves the "What an animal!"

here's the closest pic of the splash we could get:

Other animals included:
- black swans (the female on the nest, the male in the water. His tail feathers were so lovely - each with separate waves. I can't quite explain it.)
- stork (named Walter)
- grey seals
- polar bears
- grizzly bears (from Montana - they were a lot smaller than AK brown bears.)
- tarantulas (I had no idea they spun webs; just like something you'd see in movies. ewww!)
- anaconda
- parrots, owls, peacocks, hawks, lovebirds, and all sorts of others
- rabbits and guinea pigs (hilarious little things)
- anteaters
- lion (it was male, but it was sleeping, with it's skinny bum in our direction. It's mane looked so feathery soft.)
- snow leopard
- tigers (The same enclosure where two guys were mauled when they stayed after hours, taunting the tiger and it jumped out over the wall and got 'em! There were signs up with so many warnings, and even reinforced caging.)
- horse, sheep, goats (Didn't want him to touch them though.. recently he's been copying Emmy in putting his hands in his mouth. It's really proving to be a hard habit for us to break him of, dang it!)

Mont and Mark rode the little steam engine train while Emmy and I just watched and waved. His joy was beyond measure, laughing, waving, and squealing nearly the entire time. He was a good sport about riding it only once, even though he kept asking "again? again?" because he would get excited again whenever it would race passed us around the zoo.

We were so impressed with this zoo! We went at a perfect time; a weekday, during the school year, and supremely cool weather, we could stay forever because it was not melt-into-the-concrete-hot. The visibility to the animals was wonderful. The glass on the big cats was a little foggy, so I would hold my camera up to the rope fence and just shoot through there, but all the other animals were within a clear view of maybe 10 to 15 feet. If you ever have the chance, you have our endorsement! ... just be sure to have a fully charged camera.. mine died half way through.

balancing act

This week Mark has begun his online Master's program, and I have to sit on the sidelines, while he does all the fun school work. ha! I know he wishes he had my love for school. But really, I only crave school when I'm not in it. I bet there's a few of you who know what that's like? You love school until you have to do it, then you wish you could play all day instead? Maybe he could just dictate something to me so I can feel all scholarly..  

let the games begin!

sun dappled orchards

I took a wrong turn about a month ago while trying to get to the city's airport, leading me to these ancient walnut orchards. In addition to being old, they simply dwarfed everything else I had seen so far in California.  Just look at these beasts. It looks like another very old tree had been there once before, with these newer grafted trees on top.

In a small bit of research, it seems that walnut trees do not take well to being transplanted from a planter where it grew from seed, to an open orchard; something having to do with a deep taproot. It's so amazing that something so young and small, can be added to something so old, established, and deep. It certainly works wonders, though.

Silly enough, we are about to be transplanted again as Mark wraps up his training on his new aircraft. Just a few more weeks and I will say adieu to this lovely homegrown place in Wheatland, CA. The fruit stands here are to die for.  And these black walnut orchards will soon be memories.

up with the sunrise

I read somewhere once that being able to witness the sunrise, being outside in that pure, early sunlight will bring enhancement to your day. Today I felt it, that energy and excitement of the day ahead. Nothing out of the ordinary was planned, and really, it was going to be a long day of work for Mark, which meant a long day of work for me with the kids; but I didn't mind. 

After dropping Mark off at class, and mailing off a letter at the Post Office, the three of us came home, threw open the kitchen window and made pancakes. Successfully this time. 

Before I knew it, we were dressed with minty fresh breath and headed for the park. The rest of the day has continued to go quickly, as I have had sufficient energy to keep up with it. I must credit the early morning sunshine; getting up and outdoors early really does have a nice affect on me. 

It's no wonder why my parents have always been early risers. I used to be... until I hit my teenage years, when the pillow held more allure for me than eggos with my dad. Why do teenagers have to be so impertinent? (I'm really just talking about myself) As a girl I used to love getting up early with my dad, waiting for him to get done getting ready after his swimming, then we'd sit at the kitchen table together. He'd cut up my eggos into small squares, and I would watch him read the newspaper. Those were the days... 

Now pancakes are a bit different than Eggos, yes, but I hope Mont and Emmy will look fondly back on these early mornings with their mom.