Little Tech Support

Quick story time!

I was in Clover's class this morning for a little bit helping out.  The teacher was saying how her computer was broken and she couldn't see anything on the screen.  I offered to take a look at it and Clover came out of nowhere and asked

"When was the last time you rebooted it?  That means turning it on and off again.  Sometimes you have to do that and it will work just fine!"

I had a good chuckle.  She is her father's daughter.  It also reminded me of the IT Crowd.

She is a little more enthusiastic than that but the hair is pretty spot on! 

Oh, Monday

I thought we were pals?

Today you handed me an injured husband and a broken dishwasher. 

I spent two and a half hours at the doctors, another forty five at the pharmacy.  I was late picking up my kid and still had to make a Target run.  I fixed the dishwasher, made a hot home cooked healthy meal for dinner, took out the trash, got the kiddo in the bath, got hubby and kid in bed and managed to get a load in the wash. 

All while wearing lip gloss. 

See you next week Monday. 

I Made Another Thing

This time it's a Customized Framed Magnet Board! 

It can hold all sorts of stuff including pretty little pots full of sparkly eye shadow.  I brainstormed for a few days about the best way to tackle this.  I wanted a magnet board but I wanted a pretty one.  I didn't want to over think it because I wanted to be able to find materials here in town and not custom order something online.

 

The frame is from Wal-Mart and has been in the cabinet forever.  The magnet board is from the teenybopper/locker part of the back to school section at Target.

 

Step one, disassemble the magnet board.  

I took the cardboard off of the back of it.  I just had to pry the corners over and it slipped right off.  I was worried I was going to have to saw through this but as soon as the cardboard came off the metal was flexible enough to cut with scissors.  

 

Cut to fit the 5x7 frame.

 

 

I took some scrap fabric and covered the magnet board with some overlap on the back and hot glued the ends down.  Then put the back of the frame on.

 

I found these magnets at Orchard and had them left over from another craft project so I took those and hot glued them to the back of my pots.  

 

Ta-da!

Overall the project was about five dollars out of pocket since I had most of the components laying around.  It took about ten minutes AFTER I figured out that the backing comes off the magnet board.  I did spend about twenty minutes looking for the saw and glue gun before I started. 

 

My finished set up. 

It looks nothing like that now.  I found some spooky books when I was picking up something from Orchard so I subbed those out for the gray books. 

 

So Scary! 

Nature of the Giver

We were talking the other day and I asked one of those not so simple questions.

What do you want to be remembered for?

I don't give this question much thought.  When the question was turned back on me I answered it pretty quickly.  I just want to make someone happy.  I know there are people out there with huge goals of changing the world.  I'm not looking to take on the stress of all that.  I just want to make the people around me happy and spread some love.  I don't aim for big things.  I like to be helpful wherever I can.  If I can make someone's day a little bit easier I am all in.  Sometimes it's bringing cookies or cracking a lame joke to distract someone from their stress for a minute or two.  As a matter of fact I think it's the smaller things that matter.  Let's just revisit my favorite quote, shall we? 

"I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love."  - Gandalf     

Such is the nature of the giver, I suppose.  You never know how that small act of kindness can help.  Sometimes those acts go unnoticed as the person is so wrapped up in themselves that they are too distracted to notice.  Then there are the ones that take so frequently that they come to expect it.  Both of those thoughts are discouraging.  As my favorite six year old in the whole wide world told me today...

"That's just life Mom!  Sometimes it's just like that"

Sometimes we just have to shrug it off and continue on because you know I am going to wake up and do it all again tomorrow.               

But, What If I'm Not Ready

The other night Clover was getting snuggled in bed.  Everything was in order.  Her book was picked out and her crocheted rainbow blanket on the bed.  She popped out of under the leaf that hangs over her bed to tell me "Mom, I'm six now.  I'm a little old to be sleeping with stuffed animals in my bed.  Dontcha think?"

The voices started in my head.  What?!?  No?!?  You're still a baby!  You can sleep with whatever stuffed animal you want to sleep with!  But I heard myself calmly say "If you feel like that is what you want to do than that is fine"

She thought about it for a minute.  "Yeah, Olivia can sleep on the side of my bed.  She doesn't actually have to sleep WITH me."

Yes she does!  She has slept with you since forever.  Her neck is all wobbly from where you put her in a headlock every night! 

We read her story and snuggled before I turned on her lullabies and kissed her goodnight.  Olivia was still tucked into the side of her bed.

I'm not too sure I can handle my baby deciding that she is over this stage in her life.  Yes, I know realistically that she is going to grow up, but why does it have to be so fast?

When I peeked on her later in the night she had pulled Olivia out and had her in a headlock.  I sighed a heartfelt sigh of relief.  As I walked down the hall all I could think was that I'm still not ready.        

Obsessed With

I've been catching up with my Youtube subscriptions.  I've been watching a lot of beauty vloggers.    One of the things I find funny is the lingo a lot of these people use.  "I'm like obsessed with it" and "I've been in love with this forever".  I'm taking a shot in the dark and guessing that you mean that all figuratively and not literally.  Because I think it would be hard to function while that blush is preoccupying your mind continually, intrusively and to a troubling extent.  It's blush, it's pinkish or coral or orange and you put it on your cheeks.  I'm finding it hard to comprehend how you are thinking of that to a troubling extent.  You could just say your found something that you really really liked.  See the two reallys mean you double like it, or love it.

With that being said, I found stuff that I really really love!

First is an independent make up company called Shiro Cosmetics.  I have tried the eye shadows.  They do loose powders and have just started selling pressed as well.  They have beautiful colors and they have some very creative color names.  Some of them are on the geeky side but honestly that is what drew me in.  The quality is what made me place a second order.  You can also turn any eye shadow (as long as it is lip safe) into a lip gloss which I also did for Wild Flowers and it's my new favorite thing ever!  

 

The two that started this endeavor.  Up all night to get Loki and Jareth's Tight Pants. 

 

Hubby bought me a mini haul for my birthday.  He's a good hubby.  

 

Hurried swatches on my hand because I was so excited to open them!

My other favorite thing I actually bought awhile ago.  I managed to scare my husband half to death with it while in San Francisco.  He walked into a dimly lit bathroom and saw the goblin king on the counter.  "Honey why is creepy thing in the bathroom?"

 

He just happens to be my makeup inspirations so why not put him on a makeup bag?

 

Makeup:  It doesn't look that hard...

It's harder than you think Sarah!  So while browsing forums I came across a company that will custom print bags.  It's called ArtsCow and they will pretty much custom print anything from tiny key chains to large tote bags.  If you want it on a bag you can get it through them.  Every now and then they do some really cool sales.  The printing on the bag is really nice.  It's fabricky and not plasticy and I have traveled with it a bunch for the last couple of months and it's held up pretty nicely.

P.S.  Jareth is not creepy!

Although I did just realize right now that he was in my makeup and on my bag so maybe I am a little obsessed with the goblin king?  Maybe even literally.                

Lightning Millie Cuteness Crystal Diamond

I found myself with some extra free time this afternoon, after volunteering, running errands and grabbing some pho for lunch.  I'm sitting here with a whopping forty five minutes before I have to start the trek and hunt for a parking spot to go and pick up my kid from school.  Part of me was wondering if I felt like writing.  Sometimes I am in a writing mood and other times I don't want to write something that isn't going to be up to my normal wordy standards.  Part of me just wants to sit here and pet the lazy cat that is in the office chair next to me.

Yes, after being petless for almost five years, we broke down and got a cat.  Clover asked to go to the pet store and look at the animals.  I told her no because I knew if I saw a cat in one of those tiny cages waiting for someone to come in and take it home, I was going to be that sucker.  And then she laid it on thick with those cute eyes and then came the "Pllleeeeeeeeaaaasssseeeee?" and as you can see my resolve didn't last long. 

So we went in.  Wouldn't you know?  There was a cat in there.  One.  One small white and black cat who needed a home.  Then the nice girl asked if we wanted to pet her.  So we did and Clover called the cat over and she came to her and my mind was made up.  But I couldn't just bring her home.  We had to decide this as a family.  So by the time I got home my husband was asking me why I just didn't bring the cat home.  I thought he was joking when he said to bring her home via text message. 

So we went home empty handed.  The next day I decided I wanted this cat.  So we went back and it turns out that there is an adoption process.  They go through a local shelter and it is up to the shelter if they approve your application or not.  I was not aware of this.  Clover was bouncing up and down and singing about how we were getting a cat.  I felt horrible when I told her that that we had to once again go home empty handed.  I went home and submitted the application and three days later we got the call to arrange a day to come and pick her up. 

Here is Lightning Millie Cuteness Crystal Diamond.  Clover was told that she could name her anything she wanted so she picked out all of the cute things that she liked.

 

Helping the tiny human with her numbers.

 

Kitty likes Imgur.

 

Watching Youtube with the human that gives her pate. 

If ever there was an award for being a chill cat, this cat would win hands down.  She is so patient with our six year old who can get in her face quite a lot.  She doesn't make a crazy amount of noise at night and has not once woken me up.  I think we are going to get a long just fine.

 

Her tiny human taking a picture of her.

 

Waiting with Olivia for the tiny human to get home from school.  

I have become one of those people who post annoying pictures of their kid all the time and now I post pictures of my cat too.  What can I say?  They are both really really adorable! 

Getting My Tie Dye On, Vol. 2

Earlier this Summer, like a month ago, we tried out some tie dying experiments.  While Clover was busy working on her creative t-shirts, I was working on my own creation.  I was trying to recreate this bag I really like.  I like it because it looks like the universe but I hate the straps on it.  They suck.  They don't fit around my arms and I end up carrying it on my wrist which takes one of my hands up.  So my solution was to try and make my own. On to the pictures!

 

 Took two of my husband's undershirts and chopped the sleeves off.

These are Medium.

 

I also cut out the neckline and rounded out the bottom.

 

Using the sleeves as pockets.

 

Pinning the pockets (sleeves) down.

 

I sewed the two shirts (purse and liner) together with a zig zag stitch.

 

Starting to get my dye on.

 

It looks really really dark.  

 

Even with the gloves this stuff stained my hands.

 

Resting in the bag.

 

Rinsing and trying to take a picture without dropping my phone in the bucket.

 

After rinsing.  

I used a scrunchie sewed in between the purse and lining as a closure.  I just have to sew the button on the other side.

 

I splattered some bleach to add some "star" looking effect.

 

After the bleach was rinsed and dried.

 

Up Close of the final product.

It's big enough to hold a lot of stuff.  The pockets are nice to keep track of the little stuff.  There is a little stretch to it because it's made out of a two t shirts.  If I was going to do it again I might use a more stiffer fabric for the lining.  Over all I am pretty pleased with the results.  I might make another one but I think my husband has started to hide his undershirts.  

What is Your Back Story?

It's weird waking up and thinking about how over half of the year is over already.  It seemed like just yesterday we were planning our first 5K run and excited over Spring Break.  Then there was a birthday party and all of those celebrations that go along with it.  Like my annual "Hey My Kid is Still Alive" celebratory happy dance and cookie that I enjoy after my kid goes to sleep and the party mess is cleaned up.  Although that didn't happen this year.  Because things weren't okay.  Instead of a cookie, we were eating the middle out of some Costco chocolate cake in the back of a truck that smelled like pickles in a hospital parking lot.  That entire sentence sounds like it need a back story.  

So where to begin?  We did a Super Hero Costume birthday party for Clover this year.  It was fun up until the last ten minutes.  My darling daughter did one leap too many off of the trampoline and landed on her arm.  Yes, that is right...my kid broke her arm...on her birthday...at her own party! 

There were tears and Hubby knew just by looking at her that her arm was broken.  He had quite a few broken limbs as a kid.  So we threw literally everything that was left over from the party in the backseat and headed to the ER.  She had fallen asleep on the way there so I thought maybe we had dodged a bullet but that was not the case.  She was just exhausted.  So medical stuff and mumbo jumbo and about three hours later the xray confirmed that she did indeed break her arm.  They patched us up and sent us home with follow up appointments.  So when we got to the truck we did what anyone with half a chocolate cake in the backseat would do.  We ate it.  It just happened to be sitting next to half a bowl of giant pickles that Clover wanted at her party. 

Several months later it dawned on me that I never got my cookie.  And seeing how my kid is still alive and we survived everything I think I still deserve one.  Better late that never, right?

Something, Something About Food

So remember this post about that special sauce from Disneyland that I absolutely love?  Yeah that one? The Banyan Sauce from the Bengal Barbeque!  Well as it turns out, Google was holding on to that recipe for me.  All I had to do was search for it.  Go figure. 

So I found this site called The Disney Diner and on that site was a recipe and video for the Banyan Beef Skewers. 

Since I was going back and forth on what I was going to make for dinner anyways, I figured I would try a new recipe.  If it sucked, I still had plain beef skewers which are still pretty tasty.  So I fired up the grill.  While the grill was turning some lump charcoal into a rip roaring fire, I started on the sauce.  Which was pretty easy to make.  I did make some adjustments.  Instead of the chopped red peppers I went with some California Chile powder.  I wanted a mild/medium heat so I could enjoy it and not a burn your mouth off hot.  I also used a lower sodium soy sauce since it calls for a whopping cup of it.  I also added a little more garlic powder to up the flavor.  It came out delicious.  While that was cooling, I chopped some sirloin into chunks for the skewers.  I brushed them with a little garlic olive oil and sprinkled some adobo seasoning on them.

I grilled them on a hot fire and kept turning them.  I wanted a nice char on the outside.  When they were nice and charred I moved them over to the side and grilled up some corn.  While that was cooking I also threw on some sliced fresh pineapple. 

If you haven't tried grilled pineapple, you should.  I chopped mine up and served some Coconut Milk Vanilla Bean Ice Cream on top for dessert.  

I was being stubborn about grilling.  I wanted something yummy.  Grilling outside in triple digit heat is not the smartest thing to do.  So in between flipping everything I took a dunk or two in the pool.

 

Mmmmm Sauce.

   
I wasn't impressed with the sauce by itself but once I tried it with the beef, I was in heaven.  My husband loved it.  He said that since I knew how to make the sauce we wouldn't have to go back to Disneyland.  Silly boy! 

Besties

Sometimes I am privileged to the most critical of conversations between two best friends.

Clover:  You can't give your heart away because then you wouldn't be able to love anyone.  Then I wouldn't be able to love my parents or you or JayH (poor poor JayH has been the kid of my kid's dream the entire kindergarten year).

Her BFF:  Who is JayH?

Clover:  *heartfelt sigh*  The boy I am in love with.  When I turn 18 I am going to marry him.

Her BFF:  When I turn 11 I'm going to Hogwarts.

I guess I forgot to mention that they were six.       

Life, Mistakes and Coloring in a Library Book

Life is full of teachable moments.  Most of the time I have a hard time recognizing them and then second guessing things when I look back.  "I should have done this, or that" are frequently muttered in my own head.

We stumbled on one of those teachable moments this week.  So before I go any further let me just say this:  If you learn anything from me, besides how to read really long sentences with smilies.  I hope it's this:

You are absolutely going to make mistakes in life.  That is a fact.  We are human and we are faulty.  It's just the way things are.  Life isn't about being perfect and NOT making mistakes.  It's about how you go about fixing those mistakes that helps determine who you are.

Or at least that was speech I gave my daughter this week.

This week, she got her very first library card.  Within a couple of hours of bringing everything home she colored in a book.

Gasp!  She did what?!?  

In her defense it was a workbook for a phonics kit.  The only problem was that it belonged to the library and was a reference book.

There were many tears when she figured out what she had done.  She wanted to know if we still loved her and if she was going to get yelled at by the library.  We explained that we were going to have to pay for the book and that she was going to have to do chores to pay us back.  Dinner was awkward that night because she basically cried all the way through it.

So the next morning we brainstormed and she wrote a letter to the library.  We talked about how sometimes it is easier to write stuff out than it is to say it.  So she wrote out an apology letter and we took it and the books back to the library.  She was very nervous and wanted me to hold her the entire time.  She choked up and handed the letter to the librarian.  The librarian read it and the translation on the back just in case she couldn't read first grade handwriting.  The lady was very sweet.  She told Clover that it was an honest mistake and she could see how it could happen.  She also told her that it was the sweetest letter they have ever gotten.

I think the both of us were a little relieved.  She then asked us if we had signed up for the reading club and went on as if nothing was wrong.  I could see Clover starting to loosen up when she figured out that the world wasn't going to end and she wasn't going to get yelled at or barred from the library forever.  However we have temporarily suspended her library card for the time being.   We are going to visit the library (it's air conditioned, and it's hot here) but she will not be taking any books home for awhile.  I reapplied for my library card so I might bring a book or two home.  Finding time to read them is another story.  At least I know I wont be coloring in them.  And with everything that happened this week, my daughter knows that too.     

Dyeing Summer

On with the Summer fun activities! 

I ordered the Tulip Tie Dye Spray kit from Walmart and it sat on the shelf for a couple of days.  As much as I wanted to bust it out and start dyeing stuff I knew there would be some fall out from the dye. 

And this is why I told her we had to wait until after dance class before we played with the dye.  Just so you know, a couple dips in the pool will wear out the dye on skin.

 

Setting up the kit.

 

She saw every shirt as a blank canvas.  

 

I think her favorite colors were red and orange.

 

Unfortunately, I can't say that I can recommend the kit.  The spray bottles are good ideas but they clogged very easily and just left big dye spots on our projects.  

 

Our projects all bagged up and waiting on curing.  We waited six hours.

 

My dyed hands.  I wore the gloves but every single one I put on had a hole in them.  

 

Shirts after rinsed.  Hung to dry.  

 

Some of the different colors. 

 

I let her use sponges.  This one came out a little scary.

 
The box says that the kit will do about 21 projects.  But the instructions say not to let the dye sit more than 24 hours or it will lose it's color.  Which I guess will work if you want more subdued colors.  Not to mention that the gloves were horrible and didn't work.  Next time I will just buy liquid dyes and put them into bottles myself.  It would probably be cheaper. 

Even though the kit didn't turn out to be that great, we still had fun with it and that is what matters.  We also have a new Halloween shirt to wear in October.

Exit Stage Right

I wanted to write a post about how hectic this week has been.  Not just with Dance stuff but with every day junk muddling up my week.  The stove broke and Clover got sick and a bunch of little stuff in between.

But that is not what I am focusing on. 

For every minor annoyance I put up with this week there has been little moments of absolute joy to balance things out, and for that I am grateful. 

Whether it was the good news I heard from a friend or helping our Dance studio behind the scenes, the joy I found in those little moments helped keep me sane this week. 

I really do enjoy playing my part as a Backstage Mommy.  I think the best part is watching my little girl do what she loves.  She has a passion for being on stage.  She waits all year to be able to get up there and dance in front of her supporting friends and family.  This year she got to dance on stage with her Daddy.  She was so excited.  They spent so many evenings practicing the lift and dance moves.  It was very sweet to see the both of them up there.

I didn't know where our journey would take us when we had Clover.  I certainly could never imagine how much she would love to dance.  I had so many worries when we brought her home.  Would she have any physical limitations due to the tumor?  She proved very quickly that she wouldn't let anything get in her way. 

When she started dance, I worried about kids seeing her scar.  Once while we were on vacation, she noticed her scar in the mirror and asked me about it.  I jokingly told her it was where the stork bit her and then she wondered why the stork would do that.  I will admit that I sort of panicked.  I hadn't really prepared myself for what I would tell her.  So I told her the truth.  That when she was born she had a tumor and had surgery to remove it.  She looked at it, nodded, and then walked off.  As if we were talking about what we were having for breakfast.

Every step of this journey has been different than I expected.  Instead of tripping over doctors appointments and monthly blood tests, I am tripping over tap shoes left on the carpet and costumes laid out all over the house.  Her biggest worry lately has been whether or not she is going to do her roll on stage.  She did and she totally nailed it (twice).  She was very proud of herself.  Seeing how much she had struggled with it this year, we were all very proud of her.

I have said it before just how much I am in awe of her.  Standing on the side of the stage watching her from behind the curtain, my heart was filled with so much joy.  I'm so happy that we have made it this far and grown stronger as a family.  Of course that moment was about three minutes long because after their song was over we were responsible for getting the kids off the stage and dressed for the next number.

It's not easy getting seven kids to Exit Stage Right.  Glow stick flashlights help with that though. 

  

Tiana Inspired

We have already established that I was not doing what I was supposed to be doing this weekend.  And we have already established that Tiana is my favorite Disney Princess (along with Merida, Repunzel and Anna). 

Since I already had my beading stuff out I decided to go through my stash and work on some things that I had planned on making but never got around to it.  I also unpacked a lot of stuff and put it away in my bead containers. 

 

Apparently I have a lot of blanks.  I need to get crackin!

 

 

 I had some left over spoons and forks left over from a Tinkerbell inspired bracelet I made so I thought about turning them into a Tiana inspired charm bracelet.  The "You Never Know" charm was part of the Frog charm set that I turned into a necklace.

The little frog is even wearing a crown.  The charm is cute but kind of hard to see on the necklace.  I added the green crystal dangley for color.

I'm not sure when I will wear these but it made me happy just to work on them so it's a win in my book.   

Creating a Time Piece

My brain is wonky and we have already established this fact.  Take this weekend for example...I should have been making alterations to three adorable costumes for Clover's recital.  But I really didn't feel like sewing.  Instead I felt like beading and working on some jewelry and other pretty things.  It's hard for me to get into something if my brain isn't there.  So instead of doing something half committed, I put that stuff aside and worked on stuff I wanted to work on.

The theme for this years recital is all about time.  So I found this pocket watch looking piece in the scrapbooking section of my local craft store and decided to use it.  It will more than likely just end up on my name badge holder.

I put some glitter on the back to make the charms stand out.  I just sort of picked through what I had and threw some clock charms in there, a keyhole, a butterfly (because time flies) and some pink crystals to add some movement.  I glued the back down with some E600 just because it was a scrapbooking piece and not really a wearable piece.  The back popped off very easily so that you can add whatever you want inside of it.  So just for an added measure, I glued that sucker down.  I like the way it turned out and Clover loves it because every ten minutes she asks me if she can have it.

Kinda Like A Hard Drive

In the morning, I am waking up and getting things started.  Usually laundry.  I get everyone fed and sit down on the computer and wait for my brain to spin up.  Then by the time it really gets going I am already about my day busy doing things I can't remember.  The afternoon hits and then the evening.  By the time I have a minute to sit down I feel like my brain has stopped spinning and all I want to do is look at pictures of cats on the internet.

I'm sitting here listening to my secondary drive spin up and all I can think about is how my brain seems to do the same thing lately.  So it would be the platter kind of drive.  Not the flash.  Just to clarify.   

8:30 AM on a Thursday

My mind is telling me that it feels like a Saturday but I know it's actually Thursday.  Normally at this time of day Clover would be settling in her class and starting her table work.  Usually a worksheet in the morning while the kids settle down and then they go into announcements and looking at the calendar as a class.

This morning she is in the pool already with her Daddy.

At the same time last year I was freaked out that my little baby girl would be starting kindergarten.  I knew that she would fit in just fine.  She is one of the most social kids I have ever met so I knew she would warm up quickly.  I don't know why I was so freaked out.   

Her teacher this year was amazing.  I knew that first day when she said good morning to each child in line before starting their day that I would like her.  She was kind and firm and exactly what Clover needed.  We got a little excited that she might transition into a first grade teacher next year, so Clover would have her two years in a row.  Then we found out yesterday that she is switching schools.  She did help ease the pain by telling me that she will make sure that her students go with good teachers.  We've had good luck with the teacher pool so far that I hope that next year is more of the same.

For now we are headed straight for recital week.  For the third year in a row my baby girl will get on stage and strut her stuff.  She waits all year for rehearsal week because that's when she gets to get on the big stage and show everyone what she's got!  This year she get's to share the stage with Daddy for a number.  She is super excited about that.

This Summer looks like it's packed with dancing and swimming and I don't think she would want it any other way.  Oh, and video games because according to her it's not a Summer vacation without some video games.  And considering it gets to be triple digits here, I think we can accommodate that.

Let the Summer begin!  

Some Cool Pictures

Every now and then I get my pictures off of my phone and notice that I take a half decent picture. 

 

My cool selfie-artsy like picture I took while at Disneyland.

 

Took this while walking.  

 

The proper whipped cream to strawberry ratio.

 

My Clover's essay on her Mom.

 

Out on a family walk.