Counter Space

Kites in January!

2012-01-26T18:47:00.000-06:00

Say what?! Yes, as most of the midwest is experiencing above average temps, so is Colorado. Even if we get a little dusting of snow coming down from the mountains, it has not been sticking due to the sun and temps in the 50's. Over this last weekend, the high was 60, and it was VERY windy. Perfect for kites.

It was amazing to see how excited these two girls were over watching something float in the air above them.

Fly kite! Fly!!!! We can help you!!!

This nice, and genuinely happy man was there with his family. He called the girls over to help him fly his, bigger, fancier, cooler kite. They took turns holding and steering the kite. He seriously laughed as the girls held on with all their might to this large kite that was flying higher than ours ever did. The girls were in awe.

We can never leave this park with out a little playground play.

She is spinning. She loves it; giggles the entire time. When she gets down, she can't walk straight, stumbles, and maybe appears to have had a spiked drink of some sort.

Stella is becoming quite the climber and her balance is only improving with gymnastics. But, does anyone else get extremely nervous when their child climbs to the top of the jungle, octagon, tower thingy?

p.s. Since the girls enjoyed the kites so much, we did buy a better one!

Large and Cheap!

2012-01-25T22:37:00.000-06:00

I have been wanting a large piece of art for above our fire place. There are two grates on the wall above the mantel and no matter how I decorate, it still looks busy to me and kind of ugly. I have found pieces I like, BUT they are expensive. I have a big problem with investing in things to fit a space that is temporary. What if I can not find the perfect space to fit my new nice art when we eventually move? So, of course, I did a little pinterest searching. I found a few ideas I liked from three different bloggers, and sort of meshed them all together.

First...Home Depot scrap pile! I bought four pine scraps for $2.00. Then I picked out a gray color for and little sample paint pod.
When I got home, I put my boards together with some screws from our "tool junk" and wood glue. This is one of the ideas I got from another blogger. This is my canvas.

I then put a coat of white spray paint on the front and sides for a sort of primer coat. Scrap boards are marked green sometimes and I wanted to make sure that did not bleed through. Plus, I had not decided if I was going to distress this. Yes, I spray painted with a little snow on the ground.

I covered it with my gray sample paint.

Once, that dried, I taped off some trees. This is the second idea, I borrowed from another blogger...the style of the trees. I liked the idea of the mix of modern, sharp trees on the rustic canvas.

I then painted with some acrylic craft paint I have. Here is the third borrowed idea. Different shades of the art for some depth and texture. Now the original idea involved different shades of the same color and multiple applications over TIME. I do not have that kind of patience. For me, that means multiple nap and after bed times. I, instead, did two-three coats of paint on the trees and chose one tree to only have one coat.

Once that was dry (10 min), I lightly sanded the trees horizontally to give the trees more texture and a bark like effect. I loved how the pine grain came through a little as well.

Final result:

I really LOVE it. Ugly, unused grates covered. Cool art displayed. And I spent just over $5! (I had most of the supplies already.)

Fun in the Sun/Snow

2012-01-23T11:09:00.000-06:00

In the Sun or in the snow? Best of both worlds here in the backyard.

Let's stomp in the snow!

Or, let's dig in the Sun!

Callie is just happy to have someone in her domain. "Sure, climb on, I will show you around."

Art Display

2012-01-20T15:12:00.000-06:00

Ok, project time. I have seen several different versions of this and have always wanted to make it. I have a big blank wall and realized this project would be perfect to fill space, de-clutter my fridge and keep tape off the wall. Ready? Here it is...

Very inexpensive, and I really, truly love it. So do Ben and the girls, especially Stella.

A little how to explanation?

First Stop: Home Depot. I bought an 8 ft birch strip of wood (3 in wide) for under $5 and had the saw it in half. Now, I could have saved money, even would have gotten pine, if I had bought the 50 cent scraps. But (!), they only had 4 in strips and I was feeling particular about the 3 in.

Since, I did get a cheaper type of wood,

I lightly sanded it removing the rough spots around the knots and edges.

Then I painted it with paint we had on hand. It was either black, white, or red. Knowing this would eventually go in a play room when we move, I went bold!

Once dry, I screwed on the frame hangers.

Next up for supply list. I chose regular bulldog clips, but they make different kinds now, extra large, square, colored, etc.

As you can see, I spray painted mine. I thought they were a bit too shiny for the bold red. Then I measured out where I wanted them and Gorilla Glued them on.

I couldn't help it. I am very particular about distressing things. It has to be the right piece and there can not be too much in one room. I had this sample paint left over from a year ago and it was love at first sight.

Voila! Now, had I not insisted to myself that the clips needed to be painted, this project would have been under $15!!! Had I found wood scraps I liked, it would have been under $10!!! Now go...go to Home depot and make a mini one or an extra large one for your office, or kitchen.

I think if you took the time to layer the wood to make it look like molding, it would be pretty snazzy in an office holding reminders, calendars or photos. Right?!

Ice Ice Baby

2012-01-19T22:36:00.001-06:00

My Mom came to visit a little while ago and we took the girls ice skating. One in four of those with blades of glory on had actually been ice skating. I have been plenty, but decided maybe it should be on the list of things not to do when you are pregnant. I opted for picture taking instead. The girls LOVED it. They were terrible, not graceful at all, BUT kept on going. Esme shuffled her feet along veeeerrry slowly. Every time they passed the gate, I would go to meet my Mom or Ben to retrieve a child. I was surprised to find every time, either Esme would cry and kick "No!" Stella would just keep sliding along...singing her song. Pete the cat anyone?

Stella would occasionally use the walker. Mom may have too. Ha.

Then there is Esme. If she could have, I think she would have left Ben behind.

She does not accept help easily.

You only see the good shots. This little girl fell so much, I was convinced

her bum would be blue the next day. It wasn't. I was sooooo proud of her. She kept getting up after every fall, ready to go more.

She bit it right after this picture. Stella did.

So much fun! Wheeeee!

Concentration faces are the best.

After Esme came to sit with me, this trio worked out very well.

Sorry, too pretty not to post.

And finally...the two ice princesses who have been asking to go again. Side note, Esme was making this face on purpose. The thought it was funny.

ABC's

2012-01-13T12:47:00.000-06:00

I completed some sewing projects right before Christmas, some for the girls, some as gifts.

We had left over white shirts from our family photo/Christmas card. I NEEDED to put something on them. I mean, seriously, my girls can never keep a white shirt...white. But, they love wearing their letters.

Esme calls it her "E for Esme" shirt.

I love sewing these for gifts to new little ones.

I also completed some number tees, but did not picture them.

Would you buy these?

My Oopsy Daisy

2012-01-11T10:06:00.000-06:00

Okay...I think it is only fair I share my mistakes. I get so excited to show you my projects and how easy things are to do yourself...I never show you my trial and errors along the way. Oh, and there are some.

I had such great luck with RIT dye for Halloween, I thought I would try it on Stella's curtains. Wait, let me back up and give you the long story. I finally broke down in October and painted some walls. I painted any wall that had this terrible yellow on it. The catch is, most likely I will have to paint it back before we move, so I am keeping it to a minimum. After watching me paint a couple rooms, Stella started begging for a pink room. Nope, not going to do it. If I do Stella's room, I have to do Esme's, and then I have two more rooms to paint back. Soooo...I thought it would help if she had MORE pink to settle her want. The curtains she had in her room were actually really pretty and really cute shower curtains I picked up from Target on clearance. It is hard to want to invest in things like window treatments, when these will not be the windows she will have say in a year. Now, back to the RIT dye. I thought I would give it a shot and see if it worked.

Well, it didn't. I mean BIG did not. These were once a pretty light aqua blue with light pink flowers.

Here, they are a purple-y, pinky, blah, yucky yuck mess.

What was I thinking, right? Well I wasn't. I should know better with a pattern especially.

Stella loved them; even cried when I started to redo them.

Bleh.

I bought some pink canvas from JoAnn's with a 50 percent off coupon and got to sewing. Since the original curtains were shower curtains, I had picked some fun "sparkle" rings to hang them on. I wanted to reuse these knowing how much Stella liked them.

I actually sewed the tops of the original curtains to the fabric on the back side so that the new curtains could hand the same way on the same rings. I did not have to worry about creating any holes

this way and also keep mistakes hidden.

So much better. Of course the little one here, took the opportunity to bounce on her sister's bed while I was taking pictures. Stella has gotten over her loss and now loves her new curtains...since they make her room glow pink when they are pulled shut.

Warm Winter Days

2012-01-10T22:21:00.000-06:00

Lately it has been averaging temps in the 50's here is super sunny Colorado. It is nice, although strange to be taking the girls to the park and on walks/bike rides in December and January. When these shots were taken, there was a little cloud cover. But if you look in the distance, you can see the blue skies are on their way in. I know, I am a bit strange I guess. I like winter to be winter, spring to be spring, etc. I also really enjoy a gloomy day every once in a while. Despite my weather wishes, it is always worth seeing the girls play together and laugh outside. They are so free.

A Girl's Best Friend

2012-01-04T09:43:00.000-06:00

It is really Callie-dog that Esme connects with and dresses up, climbs on, pets and coddles. But, that does not mean she ignores Phoebe. She gets very concerned when Phoebe ("She-bee" to Esme), does not eat, or is not covered up, or is left outside too long. Let me explain the dogs' eating habits. Her fave, Callie, is an "eat the entire bowl of food when it is put down" dog, and Phoebe is a grazer and especially does not like to eat from her bowl. She has to remove mouth fulls and then eat piece by piece. Esme decided this was not acceptable and yelled for "Shee-bee" until she came over to eat.

I love how Esme knows that Phoebe will not eat more than one piece at a time.

And so it went on and on...until the bowl was empty.

Then there is Callie. I just don't think she cares anymore.

Seriously, she maybe sat looking out the window for squirrels for about 10 minutes. She didn't even try to remove the silly headband. Hilarious, right?

Stella could not let the photo opportunity pass.

Christmas Break

2012-01-03T23:32:00.000-06:00

Yeah...ok...I may be the only blogger out there that took a Christmas break. I mean we are talking from the computer completely. The only internet access I had was through the phone. It was nice. But, it is time to get back into the swing of things. Ben went back to work today, Stella school...I cleaned...and now it is time to blog. I think Esme may start a new session of 'nastics tomorrow? Crud, need to check. Well, you will have to suffer through my late Christmas post...

We ventured to the Wildlife Museum's Winter Wonder Lights. It was very cool. There was a path through lights, reindeer, a little village with Santa and elves, the original Grinch in the IMAX theater

and of course hot chocolate.

Stella was very concerned about these Reindeer missing their magic...they weren't flying.

I absolutely LOVE how much the girls, especially Stella, believe in everything with their entire heart. I would catch her whispering to our Elf, Theo, everyday.

Along the path on the Winter Wonder Lights...

Hot Chocolate...yummy in my tummy. They had these little stations along the way that offered hot drinks...and there was the option of having a little something special for adults.

An Irish Coffee would have been perfect.

Daddy...holding his girls up to the heater to warm up some while waiting to see Santa.

Some of the little village...so cute, right?

Okay, we are not usually "wait in line for Santa" people. We have have been lucky enough to see Santa twice before this night. Once at an outlet mall, there was no line. Santa even read Esme a book! Then we saw Santa at a park during a Winter festival that happened to have only two people waiting. I have to explain Esme LOVES visiting with Santa. In fact, every night when we would say Goodnight, Esme would exclaim, "Santa hold me Mama!" "Santa read to me!" "I sit on Santa's lap!"

During both previous visits, we could not get Stella to go near him. She said she was "too shy."

BUT, this time she was ready. Grammie held our spot through most the line as we walked through the wonderland. I was beginning to wonder if it was going to be worth it. It so was.

Santa was AMAZING. We have to visit Santa here every year, he was so amazing.

He insisted Ben and I sit on his lap as well. Can you tell I am cheese-ing it big time?

Peeking in some village windows...

Okay, I am just going to cram it all in one post instead of several. Here are our Gingerbread Houses this year. I repeated the hot glue and graham cracker construction this year. Until the kids are older, I will do this. It is so cheap and if something breaks, no biggie! Plus, I can spend more money on candy.

Check out Stella's jammies. The pants are red and white stripes. She insisted on wearing them all day on Christmas Eve. I didn't argue. I thought is was cute.

Ben did have to help Esme along. She was quite distracted with eating the candy. Can you tell he helped? Rock Chalk!

Just a couple shots from Christmas day. This was Stella's favorite gift from Santa, her Leapster Explorer. I am a big fan too. Don't worry, she was only like this for a few days. I was worried we would have to put a time limit on it, but she limited herself (thank goodness!).

Esme with her new camera. She finally stopped sleeping with it this week.

p.s. Don't you love her little hands? I love toddler hands just as much as baby hands.

These were most popular on Christmas day, but the girls have been excited about all their gifts. I was super excited too. As a parent, I feel like I need new things to play with too. I found some really great things this year I would like to share with you parents if interested. Yes, I actually researched toys, educational value, popularity, critic review etc (Ben, my researcher, was proud). I also did amazon for almost everything! I got free shipping and great deals. I will do it again next year.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and Happy New Year!

Red and Green

2011-12-22T21:25:00.000-06:00

Stella's pick for nail color this week.

Our Christmas project this week: hand wreaths.

First, we painted paper plates green...

Then we outlined our hands and cut them out.

We glued our cut out hands onto our plates...

...and decorated the bows.

Last piece...and then completion!

Now, I am sure you all know, that a wreath isn't complete unless it is adorned with princesses.

A Puppet Show

2011-12-21T14:15:00.000-06:00

The girls have this felt monster puppet kit. It is so cute and keeps them occupied for a while. Honestly, I love it because it is not messy but, Stella considers it a "project." This last weekend, Stella decided to put on a puppet show for us. She sang Christmas songs. Esme clapped after each song and smiled the entire time.

Jewelry Project

2011-12-20T11:41:00.000-06:00

I was inspired and decided to take on my first jewelry project. I ordered most of the supplies and then headed to Michael's for some scrapbook paper.

Like my Holiday snacking? Keeps the mind sharp, right?

See where I am going with this?

So fun!

Here is a finished result. This one, I made for myself. I may have made some earrings too.

I can't show them all, though...these may be Christmas presents. Also considering putting some of these in the shop I would like to do (after the Holidays). Would you buy them?

And...just because she was watching me and asking questions...

Yes, we can not, will not, go through the day without some sort of dress up clothing.

Tis the Season

2011-12-19T22:40:00.000-06:00

Stella's first school Christmas program was last week. It was so cute. I laughed so hard watching the toddlers to three year old classes sing/yell/stand there. Stella's pre-K class preformed wonderfully. They sang Meke Kalikimaka wearing sunglasses and some choreography. Hilarious. Then got serious with Silent Night along with sign language!! Stella has been singing it around the house the last couple weeks and Esme has picked up a few moves and words/sign language.

There she is, red candy cane dress.

I didn't get many pictures as I chose to record it instead. I could definitely hear her from where I was sitting...far away. Esme was so excited to see her "Stelly" on stage she started to run towards it.

My Little Monkey

2011-12-15T23:36:00.000-06:00

Esme just completed her first round of Gymnastics. She LOVES it so much. Of course, she still wants to do ballet like her sister too (I am going to enroll her in her first ballet class in January along with the gymnastics). But, this is where she belongs. These are shots from her last class.

It is kind of like Gymboree on steriods. The age group is one and a half to three in this class, but the instructors do introduce a new foundation skill every week.

She swings her legs up there with out any assistance. The girl has abs.

She never fell. She loves doing the high beams but gets so mad at me for touching/spotting her.

Ummm...my future goal.

Waiting patiently for the flying machine.

I think she may have cut a few kids that were on the fence.

ARGH! My camera was on the wrong setting and I didn't check it once in the five shots I took of her "fllying." At least you can see the pure joy on her face here. This was the first time they did the flying machine...she was so high, and she LOVED it.

Ok, now a little something more project related...

I received a package today with some craft supplies! I will be busy and of course will be sharing! Yea, I'm so excited, this is a new one for me. It's not like I don't have a few other things to work on...or anything.

The Grinch Gift

2011-12-14T15:00:00.000-06:00

Every week I take the girls to story time at one of our libraries. They love it. The librarians are so great, they sing songs in between the stories to keep the attention of the little ones and there is a separate story time for Stella's age group, so they get longer stories and more challenging songs. Today I tried a different location...Pottery Barn Kids. I get these emails all the time to come join and this week was The Grinch. I thought, ok, we'll give it ago. First of all, I love me some PB. I usually stalk their clearance (especially online, have I ever shared with you the secret prices?). Although, I have never taken the girls there before, they LOVED this store. Well no kidding, you have to go through five "bedrooms," three kitchen sets, a few dolls and strollers, and a vanity with a pretend blow dryer (ok, I admit, I really enjoyed watching Esme pretend to do her hair), JUST to get to the corner where the story time takes place. Once there, the kids get to sit in the cute comfy chairs and listen. Stella of course was glued and Esme lost interest about halfway through. The Grinch is a long story with not very many pictures, in mostly black and white no less. No worries, she climbed into a bed and pretended to go to sleep while looking at a Batman book. Following the story, the kids were able to gather at a table and color Christmas themed pictures. It was cute, go five times and you get $10 off (per child). But, still, I enjoy the library better.

My real meaning to this entry is what happened after we arrived home. We were given cute Grinch wrapping paper that Stella assumed her own. She decided that she needed to use it to wrap her own Grinch book.

She told me this was to be her friend, Isabelle's, Christmas gift. I tried to convince her that we could go to Target and pick out something new for Isabelle.

"NO Mommy, this is perfect. She will love this book in the Grinch paper."

OKaaaayeeee.....this Mama knows when to just let things happen (well until she forgets, hopefully).

She loves a good pose, when she hears the camera shutter.

So proud.

Let's Talk About Comfort

2011-12-13T22:19:00.000-06:00

How about bedtime comfort? I just need to be cold enough to snuggle under blankets and that is my comfort. The girls' have other things in mind.

Here is Stella's Bed this morning...

Oh, excuse my manners, let me introduce you. This is Dolly, Blanky (which she has actually slept with since about 10 months old), bunny, Rapunzel, Rainbow Dog, Unicorny the pillow pet and last, Pink Unicorn. Stella sleeps right there in the middle. Do you see that little spot? This is the order they have to be placed in every night as well.

Not to be out done, is little sister Esme (who HAS TO DO EVERYTHING her big sister does)...

These are neccessities, Singy, her Water, Violet (which is the only original sleep item from about 6 months old), OX, Bear, Cinderella, Belle, and ball (do you see it?), and of course her pillow pet actually used as a pillow named, "BUG." To be completely honest, this picture is missing "Baby," which is lugged everywhere and is the reason for missing the photo. Also missing are the books. I have already been in and picked up her room this morning, but she usually has a good amount of books piled to the side that she likes to sleep with. Occasionally, she feels the need to sleep with her Lightening McQueen car.

Should I mention that both girls also fall to sleep to a Children's CD?

A Few Favorites

2011-12-08T20:55:00.000-06:00

I have a few winter favorites to share. I just love them so much, I feel the need to tell you.

If you like a little cinnamon on your hot chocolate...you will LOVE these.

Portion control does not exist here.

Since moving to CO my skin has been dryer. I did not expect my feet to get as bad as they did but let's just say I had to buy some new socks. This stuff is amazing. I love it because I didn't have to do time consuming steps to get pedi soft feet again. A little goes a long way and this tub is quite big. It makes my hands really soft too. Ben may also be using it on his elbows.

And, just because I recently started burning this again...my favorite winter candle. Such a good scent. I love it because it is crisp yet wintery and cozy but not so much that you couldn't use it the entire season.

I burned this until March last year and it still felt appropriate.

Kids Acitivities

2011-12-07T16:24:00.000-06:00

So I found this website through Pinterest. This fellow (BRILLIANT) blog mommy does home schooling and has little ones. I found some simple activities to try with the girls. They were so entertained, I had this guilt moment. Like, why didn't I try this before? How did I NOT think of this? Seriously? I spend eight dollars at the Dollar Tree and Esme played for 40 min! Stella takes it to "quiet time" every day. I already plan to go get more supplies. Okay, enough suspense, I will share with you.

I bought a divider dip like tray, some pom poms, dinosaurs, Christmas erasers, magnet numbers, and some plastic tongs.

Pile one group of items in the center, then sort. I helped Esme the first time and she watched Stella once. She now will pick an item, dump it in the center, and sort all by herself.

I love the Blog Mommy's use of the tongs to sort. What a great way to work on fine motor skills.

Once Esme finishes a group, she gets so excited, "I DID IT!!!" She puts them away and then dumps a new group starting all over. For Stella, I have been making it more challenging by creating certain patterns or groupings. I am looking for marbles for her to sort too.

Then the same Blog Mommy also had a sort of treasure hunt game that I also love. I mean, please tell me I am not the only Mommy out there not to think of these simple activities? I cannot believe how LONG this keeps a two year old occupied.

Bury your letters or numbers from a puzzle in a tub of rice.

Then have them treasure hunt for the items to put away.

I didn't have a number puzzle, so I picked up some magnets for the D-Tree. Then, I made a photo copy of the numbers in order (I would like to figure out our printer to make color copies so

they have to match the color and number).

I like the idea of the word recognition with the numbers. It would be nice to laminate these sheets. You could really photo copy anything and bury it in the rice. So fun!

How many of you are headed to the good ol ' D-Tree?

Snow Day

2011-12-06T16:48:00.000-06:00

We had a snow day last Thursday. We usually do the library on Thursdays, then the park next to the library, maybe a little Target, sometimes a girls' date at Starbucks. It is a day that Stella is home, so I try to have some out of the house activities. BUT, we had a pretty big snow day AND it was cold, so the girls couldn't play outside (even though they asked...a lot).

Since we couldn't make snowmen outside...we made them inside.

Esme did not care for the cotton balls sticking to her fingers.

Of course, Stella was in ultra concentration mode.

We got serious about the weather with some hot chocolate.

Stella helped Esme with her TAG, then they pulled out the "Big Girl" TAG and did them too.

**By the way, this is on my favorite things list. For you Moms reading...buy this.

We did a water activity at the sink. I just gathered some things from drawers and the bath tub. Messy, BUT well worth it. The girls played together at the sink for more than 30 min. That is what I call a great activity.

Note to self...another thing I would take from this house...the sink.

I filled the sink with warm water and added dish soap (I use the "pure" and natural lines so it wasn't harsh for the girls).

Away they play.

We did lots of winter and holiday themed puzzles.

We had "dry erase" time. I am not sure why, but these markers are sometimes more entertaining for them over the regular ones and crayons. I have found washable dry erase markers (especially for Esme).

SO....this was all before nap. I did not take pictures of the normal play in between. I was grateful for nap time. Afterwards, I gave in to TV, but keeping with the theme we watched POLAR EXPRESS. It was a fun day, but I am thankful that snow days are not every day.

Hanging with a Disc Man

2011-12-05T19:13:00.000-06:00

When Stella is at school, Esme LOVES to hang in her big sister's room. She found Stella's disc man the other day and jammed out for a while. She just had this smirk on her face that was priceless.

In case you are wondering...she is getting her groove on to Wonder Pets.

Yellow Dress and Make-Up

2011-12-01T14:28:00.000-06:00

I was cleaning out some clothing bins and reorganizing. Esme saw this yellow shirt and claimed it as a yellow dress. Yellow is her favorite color right now, so this was very exciting for her.
Let me tell you about this yellow "dress." It is really a maternity shirt. A maternity shirt that I have only been able to wear when I am 10 months pregnant and swollen from a Kansas August, otherwise it was always too big. Esme insisted on wearing it. After watching her struggle with tripping on it and realizing she was not going to take it off any time soon, I tied the back up.

She wore it to play in.

She wore it over jammies to sleep in.

She wore it for three days straight. She wore it to Target. Hey, you have to pick your battles.

She wore it to cast spells and eat Yogurt in.

She eventually moved onto the red sparkle shoes. This is our second pair of shoes to attach to.

The first - pink boots. She even napped in them.

Stella found my make up. She said she put make up on her eyes just like mommy.

Hmmm...I didn't think I did smoky eye brows.

This and That

2011-11-30T16:29:00.000-06:00

I have a few projects I am working on. When I am not using nap times for dates with Felicity on Netflix while on the treadmill, or reading a library book, or getting sucked into pinterest, I have a few things that will occupy me that do not involve tearing out drywall (is it strange that I miss paint in my hair or the application of grout?).

Pink Fabric. I may have had a little mishap with a dye project.

Once I can redeem myself with this, I will share the oopsy.

It really isn't this gold and bright. It is the same color I used on the chalkboard frame in our previous kitchen. I am debating on black/oil rubbed bronze or pewter for hardware. Hmmmmm....

I wish I could tape record myself or Ben in order to share with you the voice we use for Callie dog.

But she was seriously talking to me here.

Oh Daddy...hope you can hold them in until the girls look.

Ummm....be sure to note the "yellow dress" Esme is sporting; more on that later.

Sledding Down the Mountain

2011-11-29T13:44:00.000-06:00

Ok, not really a mountain. But, Stella thinks the foothills are mountains and with this being one of the largest hills she has ever sled down...she did refer to it as a "baby mountain."
It was so much fun getting pics of this. I love every shot.

I did not envy Ben carrying baby girls up this hill.

Getting ready. He figured it was best not to start at the very top.

You know, get a feel for this baby mountain first.

I love how Ben's feet are stuck in for breaks and Stella looks like she could go faster.

Still not the entire hill. Just Stella this time.

Action shots.

It just makes me laugh.

Just Esme.

"Daddy, look!! A snowball!" (As Stella and Ben are sliding down the baby mountain)

Stella doesn't play in the snow with out leaving her mark. Snow Angels!

She started to cry when she sled down the hill. She started to cry when she was left behind. She told me she was coooold. When we decided to leave...she sat down on the sled and cried that she didn't want to go.

Oh, the life of a two year old.

Thanksgiving in Winter Park

2011-11-28T23:03:00.000-06:00

According to my reading list of blogs, I may be one of the only bloggers who took a break for Thanksgiving? Well here is my delayed post.
I love the mountains, and we were lucky enough to spend the Holiday in Winter Park with some good friends. It was soooo pretty. Not too cold. It even snowed a tad.

Ummm...yeah...the view from the giant windows in the condo.

Stella, experiencing some static electricity. The camera does not do it justice.

At first, she seriously looked like a Medusa.

Kara, this is just for you. There may have been a two step mishap with the pecan pie. A pan was missing under the pie, so a little Karo syrup mixture may have over flowed onto the oven floor. When a pan was place on the rack and the pie was entering the oven to it's new home...half the pecan goodness may have slipped over and out! No worries, a little spatula work saved and returned most of it. Still tasted great. Ummm...remember the yummo Karo that was crusting on the oven floor? Well did you know that creates a good amount of smoke if baked? That is the story of the Thanksgiving Pecan Pie of 2011.

Shove it in my pie hole! Yummmm yum nummmy yum!

Stella was so excited to be on a "bonk" bed.

LOVE this pictures of the kids. Pretty fitting. The two older girls together and Esme looking at Tobias with interest..."What are we going to do to disrupt this two?"

Love Mountain towns.

Nap Hair

2011-11-22T12:54:00.000-06:00

Esme woke up from nap and came down looking like this...

Some of this is not surprising, I need to do a post regarding what these girls sleep with. But, the shades and the hat, those are new and I have no idea, if she actually slept in them.

She did play in them. She looks a little reggae.

That is better, see this is what you should look like after nap time. A little disheveled.

Quick Art

2011-11-21T10:23:00.000-06:00

Esme's wall needed a piece of art. I didn't want to buy anything yet, as I haven't found the perfect piece. Her room carries a color theme but the art is more eclectic, which I love. Stella's is a little more put together, the way she likes things...matching. I was looking through my art closet, which happens to hold gift bags and wrappings as well, and came across this cute bag. The colors were perfect.

I also pulled out a girly, ornate, frame, and a double picture matting. I needed another cutesy to frame. I remembered this owl that my good friend, Betsi, sent Esme. Perfect.

I cute up the bag and was able to give the owl picture the same back ground as the cupcake.

Esme loves it. She calls it her "Happy Birthday Cupcake."

Monsters VS Aliens

2011-11-18T12:13:00.000-06:00

Do you know that movie? Are you familiar with the Halloween special with the Monsters vs mutant pumpkins? Ben picked it up from Best Buy super cheap knowing that Stella liked it last year. Esme may have been a little too young for it this year but, we are running into that often these days. Just like she crawled, walked and jumped sooner than Stella, she also experiences different foods, toys and media sooner that Stella did. I mean, seriously, Harry Potter at two?
Well, she may have been a little spooked the first time she watched this Halloween movie and as a result, Stella took it upon herself to be ultimate protector and comforter. Just to mention, it was only the first viewing that Esme seemed uneased, anytime following that, she had started laughing at it. Stella reacted the same every time.

"I must protect and comfort my little sister!"

So Many Leaves

2011-11-17T10:14:00.000-06:00

If I could take anything from this rental with us to the house we buy, it would be the yard...ok, besides the mud/laundry room. HOWEVER, there are a few trees on one side that have dropped a lot of leaves. A LOT. We've done leaves before. Our first house was crazy. But, yard work gets harder with kids. Since the girls have started playing together more, I thought I would get some bagging done. They thought it looked like fun and ended up taking over.

We don't have one of those leaf clamper/grabber things, so I used both the girls' little rakes to scoop up large amounts. Stella took them, and attempted the same method.

Then there is Callie, who decided the pile of leaves I raked was actually a bed.

Gather...scoop...

...and deposit into the bag.

Do you think she is proud of herself?

Then little bit decided she needed to take part in this activity. Of course she did.

She can't let Stella do anything without doing it herself.

I think she lost most of the leaves before actually making it to the trash bag.

My progress definitely slowed, but the girls had fun. Esme was easily distracted by a stick, I mean wand,

she raked up.

Martha's Home Latte

2011-11-16T14:50:00.000-06:00

I love Lattes. I love the foam on top. Unfortunately it can be expensive and inconvenient to frequent the coffee shops all the time. I happen to catch Martha a month or so ago sharing her tips on making the perfect Latte at home if you do NOT have an espresso machine or a fancy milk frother. It works for me!

First, pour your milk in a microwaveable container with a lid.

I used an old salsa jar, we try to not to microwave in plastics.

Then you shake, shake, shake, so you get bubbles, bubbles, bubbles.

Then, take lid off and microwave for 45 seconds.

Pour into your espresso, coffee or in my case Chai tea.

Ahhh...Latte at home with airy milk done cheap.

Brushing Callie

2011-11-15T15:01:00.000-06:00

Callie is Esme's dog. I may be Callie's "chosen human" but she is Esme's dog. Esme climbs on her, pulls her ears, shoves things in her mouth and Callie just accepts it with a dogs' grace. She even lets Esme brush her. This is impressive given the typical struggle Ben has.

The Squirrel and the Pumpkin(s)

2011-11-10T10:40:00.000-06:00

Two pumpkin patches and four pumpkins through October. We did not get to carve pumpkins this year. We were victims of vandalism.

Here is the culprit...

Shortly after I took this picture, he turned to me and started chattering. I ran inside.

He was really starting to look a little chubby. This was all in one day.

Do you see that belly???? This was right after he crawled inside the original hole, got stuck, apparently panicked, knocked the pumpkin over and squeezed himself out.
Why I did not think of spraying the other pumpkins after this incident, I do not know. The next day (Sunday)...we came back after running errands in the morning and afternoon to find our three other pumpkins had been attacked as well. He brought friends.
After the girls' nap, we went to four different stores near by to get some new pumpkins for carving...they were sold out. Not even a baby pumpkin to be had. No carving for us.
Esme didn't know what she was missing. But Stella was pretty sad. Nothing "Spooky Buddies" couldn't fix.
Darn Squirrel. Next year, I will come out fighting.

Coupon!

2011-11-09T10:11:00.002-06:00

Hopefully this works for you all! You may have already received this email but if you didn't....here is a coupon for $10 off when you spend $30. Good for Christmas gifts or yourself, like myself...hey it is dry here in Colorado! Enjoy!

http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/category/index.jsp?categoryId=11764585&cp=4090263&cm_mmc=CH-_-20111031RDMWEB2-_-01129334-_-m2PC10of30&cm_lm=amanda.counter@gmail.com

Halloween!

2011-11-09T09:57:00.000-06:00

A Pony! A Unicorn! A Fairy Princess! Rapunzel!

These are all proclamations at one time or another of what Stella wanted to be for Halloween. A couple weeks before, she finally settled on Rapunzel and wanted Esme to be Pascal, the chameleon friend. Since Stella was a green dragon a couple years ago, we decided that could pass for Pascal on Esme. Rapunzel was easy enough...or so I thought. I just didn't like the Rapunzel costumes at the stores for $25-$30. Maybe the Disney store's version of the dress would have been more...substantial. But that was $40...with out any hair!
SO.....I checked out Goodwill and found this dress for $5.

I bought some RIT purple dye and some plain purple fabric. Then got to cutting and sewing.

This is at her school party. I cut off all the gold frilly stuff, put a purple layer around the skirt and a panel with the pink ribbon crossing over the bodice. I may have also made the sleeves short. Stella brought her doll down to compare after every adjustment. "Mommy, there needs to be a pink bow RIGHT here."

Pretty close...Stella did mention that Rapunzel "has flowers on the inside part." Good thing distraction still works on her.

The hair was tricky. I knew that there was no way Stella would keep an itchy wig on. So instead of spend $10-$20 on a real Rapunzel wig, I bough a cheap plain blond one. I cut it up into sections and hot glued it onto pony tail holders. Stella LOVED it; said "it looked like Rapunzel's hair when she and Flynn Rider went into the village and danced." (Whew!)

These were all taken at Stella's school party. It was a little crowded and hard to get good pictures. But here is Pascal. Esme could have cared less what she looked like this year...as long as she was dressed up in something. She insisted on wearing the paws/claws to the point of trying to eat in them.

Yup. That's our trick-or-treating group. Two princesses and their dragons.

Hmmm...

2011-11-08T14:49:00.002-06:00

Is it just me or is the header smaller than what it used to be?

I'm Baaaaaaaaack!

2011-11-08T14:35:00.000-06:00

After a fairly quick relocation (as in STATE to STATE), and a broken computer...I am back.

As a result of a new opportunity for Ben, we are blessed enough to have relocated to the beautiful state of COLORADO. I feel like we are finally settling in a bit and it is time for me to get back on track. I miss blogging and projects and am ready to dive in.
Fortunately, our KS house sold in 30 days (tear...miss that brick colonial). After living apart for over two months, Ben and I decided to get the family back together vs looking and looking for a new home. As a result, we are renting a house in CO for our first year here. Also a good idea, considering I have crossed out a hand full of suburbs I do not want to live in that were originally on the list. But seriously, what is the fine print with this? I can NOT paint the cabinets here, or replace counter tops or paint freely! I know...I know...this is somewhat a tragedy for me. Don't worry...I am still finding ways to express creativity.

I also have a few things in the works for the blog. I would like to set up a little shop and a favorite recipes link. With the changes blogger has made we will see how long this takes. I am not the biggest fan of customizing and rewriting computer language!

In the meantime, I hope you haven't forgotten me, keep visiting, and check out some pics of the girls!

I want to share with all of you that have wee little ones...Four. Four is the age that you will see the official change to "girl" or "boy." You catch glimpses of it at three...but the toddler officially fades at four. It is so bittersweet. Be sure to keep a journal of conversations you have when they are four because it is also when the imagination really starts to kick into gear!

Our first snow in Colorado. The weather has not been very different from Kansas (minus the HUMIDITY). However, apparently there is a big snowstorm every October; the natives count on it. Sure enough, 8-10 inches came and went. But it was fun wet snow...the girls loved it!

We are so blessed...they really LIKE eachother. Esme adores Stella and will model and follow her everywhere. Don't get me wrong, though...there are still some good sister fights.

We may have let our two year old watch Harry Potter (1&2). Was she scared? NO. She LOVES it. She calls him "Harry Hopper." When playing outside...every stick is a wand. This fallen branch was the biggest wand yet. She yells, "AbraCadabra!!!"

Drinking and posing with some apple cider at a Pumpkin Festival.

If children dressed up, they were free admission. They didn't have costumes at this point, but dress up clothes work all the same. That is not cheating the system...is it?

pre-occupied.

2011-03-09T15:23:00.000-06:00

That's me. My mind has been pre-occupied with other thoughts and possible changes. I am trying to take pictures and busy myself with projects. But...I would rather make another list and attempt to plan and eat too many hot tamales. I will be back on track soon. Promise.
I have a pro bono project I have been working on that I can not wait to share. Soon.
Someday, maybe two years from now...Ben and I would like to grow our family with one more. However, I just looked through old pictures while trying to find a new dump (not sure how that got mixed up), and I saw pictures of myself on the day Esme was born...before she was born. Hmmmmmm. Maybe my pregnancies are so easy because of the amount I swell. I swear my eyes shrink and my nose triples in size.
In the meantime enjoy these shots of the girls...

Esme's first painting.

Stella, in typical fashion.

Outside in. We had a bubbles and chalk afternoon one day.

Stella would blow the bubbles and Esme would pop them.

Playing pirates. I should have taken a picture of Stella's map. X marks the spot.

Reading with Aunt Kate.

It was a great opportunity to take some updated shots of baby feet.

"Don't look at my feet Mama!"

The girls were playing a game Stella made up. She would tuck Esme in, "snug as a bug in a rug." Then, they would wake up and start all over again. Esme thought it was the greatest thing ever. Daddy took this picture, so I am not sure what is in the corner there? Love you Ben.

One more for cuteness sakes....

LOVE-ly Day!

2011-02-17T14:05:00.000-06:00

Stella and Esme made Valentines on Valentines Day. Stella named who they were for but said they were to stay on her fridge and were not be mailed. (???) Esme is continuing to follow her sister and demands to do everything Stella does. Monkey see, monkey do. If Stella comes home from dance/tumble class and shows me her new twirl on her toes and a somersault....the 18 mo old also twirls on her toes and attempts to do a somersault. They brush their teeth together, they climb and jump together, they dress up together and they even cry together. Things are not always perfect between them. Stella was so mad at Esme yesterday, for not helping her pick up the mess they made, that through real tears she declares, "Esme! You are such (huff, huff, tear) a STINKY BUTT (sniff, sniff, tear)!!" On V-day, Esme did NOT want Stella touching her new toy (a big gumball machine with about 12 balls). Stella even tried to trade toys, and at one point tried to convince Esme that they could play together. Esme decides it was worth not actually playing with the toy, in order to hold it and walk around the house with it to keep Stella from playing with it. Later that night...she brings Stella her blanky and milk and hugs and kisses her. Last night, we were working on a puzzle and Stella says to me, "I love Esme so much."
Oh...sisterhood.

A Fresh Take

2011-02-17T13:35:00.000-06:00

We were given this bookshelf a few years ago. While it fit in our spare bedroom in our old house, it doesn't in our new house. Ben has a thing with wood semi-matching or complimenting each other in the same room. So, to take advantage of some additional storage, I decided to give it a fresh take with some paint.

Some white paint and then painter's tape to mark off a design.

And then some brown paint.

Aaahh...love it.

Oh, and some new hardware. I love that 50% sale at the Lobby. I wanted to stay true to the lines of the bookcase so went with a vintage glass look.

Hmmmm. Do you see that? I had a little help from a 17 month old. The girls are ONLY allowed to use washable crayons, paint, markers, etc, etc, etc. However, Mommy has her own stash of markers that are not so washable. Good thing baby girl only decided to decorate this door that can easily be painted.....again.

Hanging out and Superbowl Fun

2011-02-10T15:03:00.002-06:00

Her new thing (besides shoes). Sunglasses.

She will wear them all day, or at least until I can hide them during nap time.

Looks like we need a hair cut soon.

The girls had so much fun hangin with the Wittmers for the Superbowl. So much fun, that they both cried on the way home. Stella was begging to stay the night. Too cute.

They were ready to eat.

Esme was back and forth all night between the "big girls" and a baby girl closer to her own age.

In Her Shoes

2011-02-10T14:27:00.000-06:00

As in Mama's shoes, Stella's shoes, and dress up princess shoes. Esme loves shoes.

We were on our way to getting jammies on when she decided she needed some heels.

I LOVE wearing Mama's shoes most.

Stella's rain boots. Three different days, three different pairs of shoes.

And...just because...

Isn't she lovely?

The Girls and Cabin Fever

2011-02-01T11:34:00.000-06:00

I have been absent. I admit. We had two snow storms and temps in the teens/twenties. It was too cold to really play outside, and too cold to have desire to bundle up the kids and go to Target (whoa). So, lack of activity, equals lack of pictures, equals lack of blogging. Submerging myself in a book series did not help either. I read ten books in nearly two weeks (naps and evenings). But, the snow is melting and I started a couple small projects. Of course, I still snapped some shots of the girls around the house these last couple of weeks. Still beautiful.

Sharing.

Dancing and twirling.

Being a princess.

Being a princess should NOT involve climbing on a table.

We are at a strange point with the girls' ages and doing activities. Stella LOVES "project" time with Mama. She LOVES art. Esme wants to be a part of everything she does. I usually do project/art with Stella when Esme is napping. But we are in transition to one nap a day which does not leave any time to spare. Esme doesn't appreciate project time yet. In other words, she tries but lacks the attention span and then gets frustrated that Mama and sister are not playing with her. So...I am getting more creative and am in search of creative activities that she can take part in too. I found this activity through Ashley's fab blog.

Both girls really enjoyed this activity. Esme used her little hands and her fine motor skills as best as she could and then ate as many marshmallows as she could. Stella, would yell, "Esme! NO Thank You! These are not for eating!"

Ben was gone for four days. The girls sat next to each other every night while he was done.

Fun Visit and Early Birthday

2011-01-31T09:18:00.001-06:00

Grammie and GP visited recently and everyone had a little fun! Ben and I even got to escape a night to see Harry Potter (awesome!).

I am blessed enough that I received an early Birthday present that I have been wanting for the last two years. Now I just have to learn how to use it. I certainly have good subjects! Thank you Grammie and GP!!!!

I think I have a new favorite flower and color. Maybe it is just seeing these beauties in the white kitchen, but this flower in this color could adorn my table every day and make me smile. They also happened to be great subjects for the new lens. (big smiley face insert here).

More Snow Pics!

2011-01-28T22:25:00.000-06:00

These shots are right before our second big snow storm (from last week). The weather finally entered into the 30's and the girls were begging to go play again. BUT, the snow was still soooo dry. We tried and tried, but all of our snowballs kept turning to powder. Were able to construct this small little snowman. Stella insisted on a carrot for the nose and we struggled to find any rocks and used wood chips instead for the rest of the face. Every time Esme fell, she would roll back and forth waiting for someone to pull her back up.

One for Me, One for You

2011-01-11T11:47:00.000-06:00

The dogs love Esme. She gets away with more than Stella ever did. Maybe this is why.

I know, these three shots look close to identical, but how do I choose just one to post?

Everyone gets a turn. They are so patient and gentle with her. It was a "melt my heart" moment.

SNOW DAY!!!

2011-01-10T20:42:00.000-06:00

I woke this morning to a little tap on my shoulder and a whisper..."Mommy? Mommeeeeee?"
I said yes as a question and opened my eyes. Once she could see I was looking at her, she grinned and threw up her hands like a cheerleader and said "IT SNOWED!! A LOT!!!!"
"Can I go outside and build a snowman, snowballs and make snow angels?"
It took a while to convince her to wait a while and maybe eat some breakfast. She stared out the window watching the the snow fall periodically in between building blocks and playing with Play-doh.

Finally, Esme went down for a morning nap and Stella and I bundled up and headed out to play. This girl LOVES the snow. So different from last year, when she did not want to touch it. Better yet...she got to go out again when Daddy got home and Esme got to join her! She rolled in it, she jumped in it, she ate it, she stomped it, she tried soooooo hard to build with it, but the snow was just too dry. Once she yelled (in Tangled fashion), "BEST DAY EVER!" Now...to just explain to her what 15 degrees means tomorrow or the next day....

Girls in a Tub

2011-01-05T09:28:00.000-06:00

Not a bathtub....a toy tub.

Some Christmas

2011-01-02T15:31:00.001-06:00

I am so glad the computer is up and running again (no thanks to myself), but instead of post tons of photos, I will just share some!

Reading a new book from the Wilkoffs!

Seriously, isn't that one of the best Snowmen you have ever seen drawn by a three year old!??

I love that they love the chalkboard wall AND that they always draw together.

Stella has looked like this every day, at some point during the day, since Christmas.

Hanging together in the tent from Santa; another favorite this year.

Look at that face. She is always up to something.

Yes, your eyes are not mistaking you. That is a viewfinder. With the old discs and all. One Mommy and Daddy's favorites this year!

This picture is not to show myself, but my little helper. Every time I vacuum now (which is often with our 80lbs dog), she runs to get her own vacuum and works right along side me.

Esme playing with a new dress up hat...

Here I am!!!

Crown Center and Union Station

2011-01-02T15:19:00.000-06:00

Ben and I LOVE going to Crown Center and Union Station. We haven't taken the girls during Christmas time before, but it was wonderful!

Scoping out the gingerbread wonderland. I was surprised they enjoyed just watching so much.

Through the link from Crown Center to Union Station. Oh man did they love that.

Stella danced to the live Christmas Music.

I am so glad Esme is fascinated with trains.

We took the girls through the Dinosaur exhibit at Union Station. Stella - scared. Esme - fine.

Stella loves dinosaur movies and play figures, BUT she did not like the exhibit. She was clutched to Ben the entire time. The exhibit was really awesome though. They made sounds and moved by the push of a button.

There was a large train exhibit too. It filled an entire room with different train sets, towns, and villages. There are more pictures but this post is long enough!

The Week of Christmas plus Other Stuff!

2011-01-02T15:07:00.000-06:00

So, these are pictures that would have been posted the week of Christmas had the great computer crash of 2010 not happened. Literally the computer crashed to the ground and we had to buy a new hard drive. Thank goodness we did a back up on the computer the end of October and I do save/not reuse SD cards.

The Week Before Christmas...

We made Gingerbread Houses. I knew that Esme would want to take part this year, so instead of buying two or three Houses I borrowed Ashley's idea and hot glued graham crackers together. It worked perfectly! The girls had so much fun!

I think Esme may have had more candy on this night that in her first 15 months of life.

"Candy for my house, candy for me, frosting for my house, frosting for me..."

Ha. Really no point in sugar free hot chocolate, but that is what we have!

This is Stella's house. I LOVE her candy cane chimney on the roof!

We made treat bags, ornaments, and decorated Christmas trees...

These will come up later, but I picked these up for $1 from Goodwill! I only had a few Christmas Cookie Cutters and was about to spend $10 for a few at Target until I found these.

Stella got some special glitter glue and put it to some good use on a Christmas tree during art time.

Do you think she has enough to choose from to decorate her tree with??

I loved this idea from Meg. Sooooo cute. Stella really loved it. Esme was not very happy about having paint on her hand.

We made and frosted cookies!

She wore her animal backpack the entire time we made cookies. It was full of her wooden play sushi.

Stella spent most of her time decorating this one cookie.

The best decorated cookies award goes to Ben this year.

Yes. Then she ate that cookie with all the frosting and sprinkles on it. Yes, and we let her. Hey, it was Christmas time.

I was so glad we made a small batch.

It May Be a Little While

2010-12-16T11:09:00.000-06:00

...until I have a post with pictures again. I may have dropped the computer and it may be injured. Maybe.

Tears.

Stella is really into Christmas this year. She is amazed by Santa and his capabilities. Her favorite movie right now is Disney's Prep and Landing. She and Esme have sat together with a cookie and milk for the last four nights to watch this 30 minute made for TV special. Esme lasts through about halfway. I love watching them snuggle together taking in Christmas, both with cookie on their face wearing footy jammies.

Ben and I have definitely been using "Santa" in our benefit as well. Stella is picking up her toys, washing her hands, sharing with Esme. Although...sometimes I wish she would stand up for herself more against her one year old sister. We stressed so much in the beginning to "be gentle with Esme." "Do not HIT, BITE, or PUSH the baby!" "Come tell Mama or Daddy if the baby does something you don't like!"
How do you tell your three year old NOW, it is ok to do these things in defense but NOT tell her to? She came to me several times to "tell" me what Esme did. I would respond by telling her to "go get it back," "don't let her hit you," "stop her before she tries to scratch you." Hidden in that language is me really saying, "HIT her back, Yank it back, PUSH her away!!"
Yesterday, after Esme had attacked her (granted, Stella was not sharing the little table chairs), I heard Stella yell, through tears, "ESME, NO THANK YOU! YOU ARE BEING NAUGHTY AND SANTA IS NOT GOING TO BRING YOU ANYTHING!!!!"

The Dining Room

2010-12-14T21:21:00.001-06:00

OMG. I am in love with our dining room now. Our little project has created an entire different look. Unfortunately, I can not find any before pictures of this room from our walk through. This room was one of the few that did not have wall paper, so besides being painted a purplish-mauve color and having a terrible light fixture...it wasn't that bad.
At one point over the summer, since we had sat in the room once since being in our home for a year, I thought we would convert it into a reading/project room. Create a spaice I could sew, paint, craft etc. Ummmm, why I didn't realize that the having some of those things in such a public space (meaning no doors to shut) was a bad idea...I don't know. The girls wanted to craft with my stuff too. Hmmm...back to dining room. We had painted it a lighter gray to make the room brighter (when it was a reading/project room), but it wasn't really working as a dining room for me. How can I make it light but still bring a little drama? Have you seen the many batten board tutorials out there? I have too. Hee, hee, hee.
Ben groaned when I said my wheels had been turning again. But when he saw how cheap and easy it was going to be, he was on board. Now that we are done, I keep catching him in the dining room staring and smiling.

Here is a before the batten board project shot:

During...

By the way, I really did the majority of this one. Officially not scared of the nail gun, but still not a fan of the saw...any type. So my cute little hubby stepped in to cut ALL the wood.

He was also great at helping to level all the boards.

AFTER...

Don't you love that chocolate?

But it is still so light with our new white Batten Board!

Would you believe me if I said we did it for under $75?? I know, I can't believe it either. BUT, we didn't buy any paint...this is all left over!

The Biggest Tent

2010-12-09T10:25:00.000-06:00

...at least so far at our house.

Even Callie Dog liked it.

Stella thought it would be fun to play a game on the phone...

...until Esme decided she also wanted to play a game. There are no more pictures after this shot. Little Stinker Baby did everything she could to overtake the i-phone, Mama had to step in.

Girls Will Be Girls

2010-12-08T14:46:00.001-06:00

Stella wanted to play dress up today. After she dressed herself, she dressed Esme. She then told me they had a "Dinner Connection" to go to. (What's a "dinner connection?")

Running Princess!

(Yes, that is an Old Navy tag on that cardigan, she dressed herself this morning and would not let me remove it!)

Some Stella Art

2010-12-08T14:32:00.001-06:00

I think she makes something every day. It is so fun listening to her tell her story as she draws or paints something. The Chalkboard wall is continuously filled with Christmas images right now. Her drawn "people" are getting more and more details, like shoes, hats, scarves, eyebrows etc.
I try to give her something different to every once in a while. This day she used a glue stick to put together a snowman from pieces I cut out. Taking these pictures will never get old.

She is such a ham lately...always posing and asking me to "take her picture."

She is getting used to this camera in her face all the time and is embracing it.

The Christmas Program

2010-12-04T14:33:00.001-06:00

When we enrolled Stella in an introductory dance class through the city we had no idea that there was going to be a Christmas Program at the community center (yea!). It was possibly one of the cutest things we have seen her do. I laughed so hard I was crying.

Stella waiting for her group to be gathered. They supply the little skirt and hat - so cute!

Esme waiting patiently for her sister to perform. OK, so patiently after we gave her a back up reinforcement - aka sucker.

Stella is the very last one...in mid dance.

Keep this in mind...she is the very last one...you will need to know who to watch during the video!

Stella cuddling with Daddy, asking to go see Santa. After last year, we said we would skip the whole Santa thing going forward. However, this Santa was free AND, there was a short line!

We asked her what she told Santa she wanted...a guitar. She also told me a Toy Story 3 skate board with Lots-O-Huggin-Bear on it. This is the same girl who's favorite color is pink and loves having her nails painted.

No, Santa, I really do not think she is going to take her eyes off of you...

We thought she did great! Stella is the youngest one in the class - only made it in by a few weeks. Those poor little girls had no idea what was going on. This is the first time they have experienced any audience (parents aren't allowed in the practice room to watch). Ben and I have watched the video three times since last night and probably will some more before the day is over. Not sure why the video is so grainy on blogger - we may move it to YouTube and then post it on here later!

I Knew This Day Would Come

2010-12-02T10:00:00.000-06:00

The day when Stella would want to start picking out her own clothes. For four days in a row she has picked out her own clothes, but I have been there to guide her. You know, I will say "oh, it is too cold for that," or as she is pulling out different pants, "that would match!" She came down the other morning, with clothes in hand (before I could be there to guide her). The only thing missing was underwear; although she would say different. Seriously. She set her clothes down, surveyed them and looked at me with surprise, "OH! MAMA! I forgot my leg warmers!!!" So, she ran back upstairs to get her leg warmers. But these are not the kind of pants you wear leg warmers with...they are boot cut, so we had to tuck them into her leg warmers. She was so PROUD of herself.

Crafty Christmas

2010-12-01T10:11:00.000-06:00

After six years of setting up Christmas, Ben and I have accumulated quite a lot of decorations. I certainly have my favorites and also try to mix it up every year. This year, I wanted to get a little crafty. I have not done this previously and have had a couple things in mind the last couple of years. So, I got the supplies out.

The Branch-Twig Tree
I have wanted to do this for a couple of years. It was so easy, I am not sure why I didn't. My dad gathered (or maybe cut down) a nice branch for me that I then spray painted a warm white. You could leave it natural too. I glittered some of it, then stuck it in a $2 pot (which I also spray painted, sanded and glittered). Then I added some 50 cent and $1 ornaments.

I am trying to keep the dining room neutral with golds, silvers and whites. I added a book theme (you'll see) so I put this potted tree on a couple of books borrowed from the spare bedroom.

The Pottery Barn Book Wreath
OH MAN. I saw this in their catalog last year and have wanted to make it sooooo bad. It wasn't for sale, it was just a prop in one of their bedrooms. I found a great tutorial here. It was so easy, I made two. I love it so much, I may find somewhere to keep them all year.

Supplies gathered, a pizza box, a 50 cent book from Goodwill and some liquid fuel...oh and a glue gun.

A colorful treat always helps the creative juices flow.

Lastly, the Better Homes and Garden yarn ball wreath:
Seriously, I have never been a wreath girl before. This will be the first time we have had one hanging inside our house. We typically keep to the Christmas door wreath. But, when I saw this wreath, I thought it looked easy, cheap and my Mom convinced me it would in fact go with "our decor." I love it. Stella even tried to help me make yarn balls. It was cute, but I have no pictures as the battery died.

You can't see in the picture, but some of the yarn balls were made with a silver, sparkly yarn (fun!).

Turkey Day

2010-11-30T10:49:00.002-06:00

eI hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving with lots of "Costco Hugs"! We had a beautiful day.

***Note: In case you are wondering what a "Costco Hug" is, I will tell you. A week or two ago, Stella was jabbering about something and then began talking about the "biggest hug ever." Ben asked about the biggest hug ever and Stella informed him that you can get them at Costco where all the big things are. Presently, we receive and request "Costco Hugs" from her at every bedtime and every good-bye. They are really great and feel amazing coming from a little three year who uses all the strength she has to warp her little arms around you and squeeze with all of her might. SO, I hope every one had a "Costco Hug" on their Turkey day.

What do you get...

2010-11-24T09:07:00.001-06:00

...when you take the iPhone from the Stinker-Baby Monster?

Give it back Mama!!!!

I really love my electronic flash cards and Baby Einstein!!!

THE Chalkboard

2010-11-23T08:55:00.001-06:00

Sooooo....Esme has recently started coloring, drawing and chalking with Stella. She also started fighting with Stella over the chalkboard in the kitchen (there may have been a push, bite and hair pull involved). Poor Stella, the girl just wanted to draw a ghost and a pumpkin. Esme just wanted to play with her sister and if that meant practically sitting in Stella's lap to draw with chalk...she was going to do it.
SO. Well. I fixed it. With a giant chalkboard WALL.

This has really been so much fun. The girls LOVE it. There have been several times already where all four of us are drawing together on the wall. I am so excited to draw a Christmas theme above the photos where baby girls cannot reach! Hee, hee.

Tiny Dancer

2010-11-23T08:52:00.001-06:00

Sometime, recently, our little baby girl has turned into a little girl; no more baby. I can see it especially when she gets ready for her dance class. She loves dance class. It is an introductory to dance/tumble through the city for 3-4 year olds. The parents are not allowed in the room where the girls dance, but we all huddle around this little square window in the door trying to get glimpses of our child. Every once in a while, a girl will spot her parent in the glass, get distracted, and the teacher shoots a dirty look. But it is soooo worth it. Although, we have seen the teacher embarrass a grown man, so Ben and I are careful.

Man, I wish this photo was in better focus.

The Kitchen

2010-11-22T16:36:00.002-06:00

So the problem with before and after photos, is that the room has to be clean for the "after" pictures. I should say, the the room is typically always this clean, our problem is clutter. There is usually a paint brush and paint can next to the sink (because apparently that is my ultimate happiness), and usually mail clutter or a newspaper adorns the island and the kids' sippy cups are normally scattered around the counters or island. However, I put every thing away for some pictures! I am also left thinking, "that was really not that hard, I should put away clutter more often."
So here are some before shots taken during one of our walk throughs.

This picture is taken from the family room. My brilliant Mom suggested we take this bar out to create more of an open space. I love the idea of it, but the sink with in 10 ft of the kitchen sink was silly and being 10 months pregnant, I was on board for the idea of more space. Ben was a little more cautious, advising us to wait. Of course pregnant wife wins. Ben will say now, it was one of the best decisions we made when changing the house.

We made a lot of changes to this desk area. Having had a desk in an apartment, Ben and I already knew we would never sit down here or use it for a desk. So, you will see later, but we added storage in the open space underneath and I tore out some of the wood divider in the mail sorter in order to fit some baskets. Storage baskets make everything look neater.

Light fixtures. Yuck. My Dad and Ben took down the big light box that housed fluorescent bulbs. Then my Dad rewired and did the whole dry wall thing. (thank you!!!)

Notice the backsplash here. Square cream tiles. Not terrible, but this was something Ben and I knew we could do without any help and inexpensively.

We tore out the sink and replaced it with a craigslist purchase (LOVE craig). And I tore out the appliance garage there in the corner. Ben was surprised when he came home to see that - but it made the counter space seem so much larger. Also notice the decorative lattice across the top of the cabinets on the ledge. That was a quick and easy tear out. I love it when I can do something without asking for some "man strength" and this was one of them.
What you can't see from the pictures...the condition of the counter tops and the true color of the cabinets. They really had an orange tint as well as needed some special attention. If we didn't paint, we were going to need to sand and re-varnish them at the least.

Better with the bar gone, right?

Oh the chalkboard. The girls and I love it. This was a Mandy project. Ben did help with the saw (not a fan of those).

Officially the art station. Every drawer and bin has coloring books, paint, stickers, paper, markers, etc. I found some fun knobs from Hobby Lobby (of course) to add color. I LOVE this; probably my second favorite part of the kitchen. The baskets above is the mail center. The open slot...the official camera space. It is easy to grab and out of reach from the girls.

Another view to show how open it is with out the bar.

Ok, here is probably my favorite thing in the kitchen. My $7 find at a garage sale down the street from us. It just adds so much personality.

The backsplash. Occasionally we wonder if we should have gone with a gray grout to make the subway tile stand out more, but we were worried about it looking too "busy." I think we made a good decision. It is classic.
Some things we still need to do is scrape and paint the ceiling (you can still see the ring where the box was). And, eventually we would like to tear out the floor and replace it with wood. BUT, who wants to do these things? We have done both before and it is labor intensive, so we are in NO hurry at all.
Inspiration...watch commercials. With infinite funds, Ben probably would have chosen a dark wood with glass tile and I may have still chosen white cabinetry. BUT, we started noticing this white trend everywhere. It is in IKEA, Pottery Barn, Martha Stewart for Home Depot and many others. We figured we could create this classic look with a paintbrush. We LOVE it. It feels fresh and clean. That is hard to get when you have two little ones running around all the time.

*Martha Stewart

*Ikea

More from Stinker Baby...

2010-11-11T22:30:00.000-06:00

These are my "too cool for you" shades from the Cheerio box. Don't worry, I will not share with Stella. I will make sure to pinch her or pull her hair if she even thinks about it.

Like my pig-tails? For some reason they make me feel "stinkier" than normal. Watch out Mama!

So...I found this bowl in the only cabinet that my Mama will let me open in the Kitchen. Not sure why you would use it for a bowl when you can use it as a stool! Now, I am just high enough to open this drawer and pull stuff out...just to throw on the floor!

Fight Face

2010-11-11T12:45:00.000-06:00

Have I shared Fight Face? Well here it is. Esme's fight face. Her bottom lip juts out and over her top lip and her eyes get serious. I think in most babies you would think she is pouting. NOPE. Not this one. We see this face often when...she is trying to climb on something that it too high...she is trying to take something from Stella...when Stella took something from her and she is preparing to attack Stella (not cry)...when we will not give her a bite or our food. It is her face when she is fighting or working hard for something. Usually if we see this face next to Stella, Ben and I are now trained to say "Stella, move now!" "Esme, no thank you!!!" Why do we yell at Stella to move? This is to prevent Stella from being pinched, scratched, bitten, or her hair torn out. I should also say that Esme is one of the most lovable and sweetest babies ever. Seriously. She cuddles more than Stella did and when she is sweet she is like a bowl of frosting. BUT, the girl is a strong independent, second born. She wants to do everything WITH her sister and everything her sister does. Esme does not care that she is two years younger.

GIVE ME THAT CAMERA MAMA!!!

The Hungry Caterpillar

2010-11-10T09:56:00.001-06:00

I try to think of something creative for Stella to do every week other than just painting and drawing. She loves to have art time, but she is definitely more engaged with a goal. I found this on another blog and thought it would be perfect for her!

What's that? You noticed that the top cabinets have finally been painted too? Oh, yes, that is one of the things I have been working on! And we have finished all the kitchen but scraping the ceiling and repainting it. Soon, before and after pictures. Soon.

Halloween!

2010-11-09T10:27:00.000-06:00

Stella's favorite holiday two years running. The girl loves anything related to Halloween. Esme is following right behind her of course. Through out October, every time she spotted a pumpkin on a doorstep, she would kick her legs and point to the pumpkin with her own gibberish. When we trick or treated, poor Esme really wanted to walk with Stella and knock on every door with her. We eventually put her in the backpack, which she prefers over the stroller and that seemed to make her happy....of course with a sucker here and there too.
We started the festivities a couple days before at "Enchanted Forest" at a park down the street from us. There was nothing scary, lots of lights, music, puppet shows, an owl display...candy. Stella loved it. We found out that Esme doesn't care for puppets...at all.
We are just over a week from Halloween (sorry for the delay...I have been a busy lady...I have lots to share too!). Stella is asking if we can go trick or treating again. She is also asking when the ghosties will wake up (all the decor on the houses in our neighborhood). Poor girl. She doesn't understand when I say she has to wait a entire year. So...Ben and I are trying to talk about Turkey and giving, but I think we may have to go to something more exciting like Santa.

Enchanted Forest

By the way, Stella is a cupcake and Esme is a cow (warmth!). I made Stella's costume copying Pottery Barn Kids cupcake. They wanted $60!!! This is such cheap fabric, I bought extra and only spend $18.

I think I did okay.

HALLOWEEN! How lucky is Stella, that she got to go Trick or Treating with Woody and Jessie from Toy Story??!!?

Until Next Year...

Kerby Farm

2010-10-29T18:27:00.000-05:00

One of our favorite Pumpkin Patches is in Bonner Springs. It is smaller than most but is perfect for smaller children. We can just let them go and enjoy the activities and is never crowded. This was our fourth year! Stella searched and searched for the PERFECT Pumpkin with her Papa this year. When she found it, she tried to carry, then roll it back to the tractor. Today she asked if it was time to carve her PERFECT Pumpkin and turn it into a Jack-O-Lantern.
*Note: This time of year is my favorite time to take pictures, so watch out, I just can't stop.

Poor Sick Baby

2010-10-28T22:56:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago, we had a vicious flu move rapidly through our house. Esme first, then Ben, Stella and finally, myself. I was arrogant enough to think maybe I would escape it. No. I also think the last one may get it worse and is also the last to feel better. Stella was a trooper. She was down for maybe four hours. She didn't even seem to mind "getting sick" and seemed proud when she got it all in the trash can. Watching Esme, was break your heart, sad. She had know idea what was happening; scared, hurt, sad. But, how PRECIOUS are these shots?

Outside with Stella

2010-10-28T22:44:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, Stella and I played outside during Esme's nap time. We collected acorns and watered her Mums. Stella was very particular about the acorns. "We only want ones with hats Mama!" Okay, got it Stella!

(Don't worry, I threw the acorns away. Although, I wish I could have kept them in a jar - stupid worms.)

I Love Scarves

2010-10-13T22:22:00.000-05:00

I really do. I love them instead of necklaces. They are cheap, trendy, and dress up a plain t-shirt. Esme has apparently grown a love for the same accessory. I think she may LOVE them more than I do.

You can't hear her, but maybe you can see the giggle.

One last shot of Little Miss Sunshine. The other night at dinner, Stella pretended to sneeze..."ACHOOOO!" Esme started laughing; like really cracking up. So, like any comedian who gets a good laugh, Stella did it again...and again...and again. Esme continued to laugh and laugh and laugh, so hard she seemed out of breath. Ben did get the video camera out and get some live footage. Esme smiles all the time, but she doesn't share her laughter that easily. Most of the time, she just does a little growling giggle. Stella seems to be the one who can make her laugh the most. It was such a great moment, we had trouble eating dinner afterwards.

Dress, Dance, Daddy

2010-10-13T22:06:00.000-05:00

A sparkly dress, TWO tutus, a pair of heels (she calls them her glass slippers), and a pink ribbon (later a pair of glasses).

Oh baby, let's get a closer shot of this.

Hello Baby! Check me out!

Daddy's home!!! Esme loves giving us kisses, but she is selective. Ben was lucky enough tonight, he got three!

Dancing to a little Dave Matthews. What is he going to do once they get a little bigger?

I love seeing "joy" on their faces.

Just Another DIY

2010-10-13T21:55:00.001-05:00

Ok, as you know by now, I love making my own, cheaper Pottery Barn "looks." I saw this cool wire display for walls and thought it would be the perfect solution to my fridge problem.

Stella loves hanging her art as much as I do, BUT I am not crazy about the way the fridge looks, plus they fall down if the right magnet isn't chosen.

So I bought this...all for under $10 (yea!)

I strung the clips on my picture wire...

...fixed the wire to screws...(sorry Ben, I know you hate putting holes in the wall, but I am the one who usually patches them anyway!)

There are so many ways you could make this pretty. I saw some people (in the blog world) use knobs. I chose these because they were half off, cool looking, and the 'C' and '7' just happened to be in bright colors.

Yea for Art!!!

Weston's Applefest 2010

2010-10-04T22:00:00.000-05:00

One of our favorite fall festivals every year.

Stella danced to the Irish singing, banjo player, for about 10 minutes. I loved watching the people around us smile at her.

The BEST apple dumpling you will ever have. We taste this only once a year and can't wait until apple dumpling 2011!

We love you Daddy!

Enjoying the beautiful day outside.

I'm gonna get you Mama!!!

"But I don't wanna leave Mama!!!! I want to go back to the pumpkin farm!!! PuhhLeeeasse!!!"
Do you see that sad tear? She did fall asleep on the way home.

Daniel Boone Wilderness Camp

2010-10-04T21:46:00.000-05:00

aka Ben's Aunt Debbie and Uncle Dave's backyard bonfire. Family gathered on our coolest day yet this year for fire roasted hot dogs, wagon rides, s'mores, and campfire guitar. The girls had lots of fun and were very busy!

One of the only shots I got of Esme. Yes, it is blurry, but probably best represents her time spent. The girl walked all over the place, back and forth, back and forth, all around.

We let her since it was a special occasion, but Stella had so many sweets. I was actually thankful she only took "a bite" of about three different cookies, s'mores, and apple cobbler.

Stella LOVED the chickens. She is still talking about them, two days later. She got to feed them and help gather eggs. She asked if we could get a chicken. Hmmmm.

Blowing out the flame on Stella's first S'more!

A little pumpkin decorating.

Sisterly Love

2010-10-04T21:31:00.000-05:00