Happiness is...

Today I folded and folded laundry, sorting out clothes that don't fit the girls. Boring right? I did promise to post some of my new craftiness. Here is all of the fun fabric I am using to make aprons. Inspired by Melly's handiwork and all of the cool aprons I've seen online. I'm going to be a sewing fool. Of course I'm making the one with cherries for me yummy right?

Speaking of yummy...I'm planing to gift a few little girls with aprons and the Kids in the Kitchen cookbook by Gooseberry Patch. My girls love to make the french fry recipe. Oh and don't forget the fondue.

Hope I didn't make you too hungry.

Just so you know happiness is fabric, french fries and fondue!~Susan

Busy? Heck yes!!!

Some days are the best...especially when you receive two packages in the mail. I love my friends. Thankyou Melly for all of your time your spent knitting! You have amazing SKILLS! Emily I miss seeing you and smelling your candles more often my house is all gingerbread-a-licious now! Thankyou! Thankyou! Thankyou! It almost makes me feel like mailing a package. Okay so not really but I did think about it.

I have been BUSY. When you are gone from your house seven days a week for 7 to 10 hours a day for 2 1/2 years a LOT of stuff can accumulate in your house. I have been creative lately which has been so fun. But I'm still cleaning. So here is todays great accomplishment. I forgot to take a before picture,but needless to say we had to shovel a path to the door. Yeah now we can have Christmas!!!

I'm trying something new and hopefully you can see these fun pictures of Paige and her new favorite candy Tic -Tacs. Check the top right of the blog. I couldn't figure out how to embed html code(that's why I have a Melly! Ha!) so I did a side slide show. Say that three times fast.
I will post my crafty things tomorrow but until then I BLOGGED today!

It's done.

Today I started out knowing that I would have to pack up the last of the paper trays, take down one more display and pick up all the odds and ends that were left at "the Paper". John was already there and working. I was frantically loading up two very busy little girls into our car (named "Larry Boy" after a famous superhero from Veggie Tales...no wonder Syd likes to eat vegetables so much.)

Okay focus, focus. I started to drive down the street. Suddenly I saw all of these papers flying out behind my car, in the ditch, in the street, in a couple of yards. "I don't remember seeing them when I drove through there a second ago." I know ha, ha it really did take me a few seconds to realize that the confetti behind my car all belonged to me. I have my store paperwork, home paperwork all organized into neat folders in the binder that I happened to leave on TOP of Larry Boy while buckling in Paige. It was fun watching my life fly all over the neighborhood. Did I mention that today it was WINDY with a capital W.

So I pulled over and went to work. A man that lives in our neighborhood drove by with the front part of his rig and leaned out, "That's gotta stink." Duh buddy...he was of no help but rigs do make papers fly around even more. I debated between laughing maniacly or crying and then decided this was too good of a story so crying would have to be out of the question. I should have known something was going to happen. Since starting out the day I was soooo proud that I had taken a shower and shaved for the first time in a week, the shaving was the big deal, not the showering. Then to find myself not an hour later in our neighborhood ditch with mud on my feet, in my shoes, on my legs...I tell you why do I still bother to try to clean myself.

After collecting half of the paperwork that was still blowing this way and that did I realize this might be a fun game for Sydney. At age four running around neighbors yards, under bushes and repeatedly hearing me say..."not the street Syd. I'll get the street." What more could a little girl ask for? Mission accomplished, papers picked up, Mom still mostly sane, and one little girl pretty proud that she helped her mom and her only request when we got back in the car. Mom can I choose the Cootties song on the Hairspray CD. I loved that!

Sometime I'll have to tell you about our temporary paper tray storage solution (hilarious, ingenious a very John Rapp solution)...but not tonight. I am now off to bed. I don't have to go to "The Paper" tomorrow and I'm a little sad, a little excited but right now I'm just working on having peace. ~Susan

P.S. Sorry I didn't take any "Susan's life flying all over the neighborhood" photos, I was a little distracted. Like a good scrapbooker should I at least journalled it for posterity.

One of those weeks...

Today we spent organizing and cleaning out our home away from home for the past two years. I can actually say it was just one of those weeks.

You know the days that are good... wish you could have been there for the bouncy ball games we have had in our empty classroom this week. Just picture all three girls, mom, a couple of friends and three extra bouncy little balls rolling, skipping, and landing anywhere and everywhere for the most laughter I've had in a long time.

Then again there are the not good days like today which we spent packing and cleaning...okay anyone who loves me knows that I can clean, will clean, but frequently find it on my list of things to let fall to the side. I'd rather create, play with my girls, read, read to my girls, or be with my friends before I would choose to clean. On the other hand I can't leave my little store a mess...knowing that my friend Julia will be using the space after me. So we have packed and organized and can proudly say we are almost done. I love that soon I'll be home creating again.


So tonight to celebrate I finished a book I've been trying to read for a couple of weeks(Thanks Phyllis! It's good to know an English teacher.) Usually this book would have taken me a day or two to finish but I've been busy. The story has really touched me so I had to put it down before I cried, happy tears but tears none the less. A few tissues later and I'm done. Here's one my favorite quotes from"Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral" By Kris Radish hope you can stop for a minute and find this book, it's worth it.

"I fill my house with guests to help pay the heating bills but I also do that because I like people and what the familiarity of family brings to a life," Lou tells them, closing her hand over the six keys. "Family does not mean people with the same last name or the same DNA. It means people who care about you, who you trust, who you care about - people you can count on."


Thanks Kris for writing an amazing book, for putting my feelings into words and special thanks to all of my sister friends out there I appreciate your love, laughter and support.

~Susan