I have been playing with some washi tape and thinking about how in the world Mrs. Duggar does it.
Seriously, how???
While I will never ever be able to figure out that riddle, given it may or may not have to do with wearing denim skirts, I am comforted in knowing that for the most part, nobody has it all together.

At least I know that I don't.
Best be getting some denim skirts.

A little peek into the simple and happy of our week.

 1.  My husband the comedian.  Yes that is Taylor Hicks.  Of whom I am not a fan.  Yes, it led to an awkward conversation with one of my girls:  "Mommy, what does hot mean?"  Ugh.  On the fridge no less.  2.  A drive thru Chick Fil A run and a get the wiggles out at the fountain session is one of our favorite summer nights.  3. Vote with me:  which is more horrid?  Moon Sand?  Or ginormous stuffed animals?

4.  Quilting!  Not quitting!  5.  Because this guy is tired of laying on a girly quilt.  6.  My goal was to finish the top by his one month pictures.  Goal accomplished.  Now on to finishing the backing and sending it off to the long arm quilter.  Yay!

7.   Things I have learned from the OldBooth app:  I am easily entertained and I will never cut Halley's hair short.  Ever.  8.  We have been doing a little bit of pre-sewing lessons with these sweet lacing cards. 9.  I decided to start an outdoor project on the hottest day of the summer.  Thus the outdoor project moving indoor and taking over the kitchen.  Smart, I am.

1.  Otter Pops.  They are exempt from my popsicle ban because they have no sticks.  But they are not exempt from my food coloring OCD.  They are relegated to consumption in either the pool or bath.  Issues.  2.  We all had a VERY VERY BAD day.  The kind of day that can only be cured with cookie baking during naptime.  BAD DAY.  Good cookies.  3.  Really good cookies.  The kind that make you forget that you dropped an egg on your foot and the floor.  Or that your baby didn't get the memo that it was nap time.

4. Late night and early morning feedings have led to informerical watching.  Informercial watching has led to infomercial buying.  The Ninja 1100 just came and let me tell you, WE ARE IN LOVE.  Crazy stupid love.  With an appliance that actually is just as great as the infomercial states.  I don't work for them, but I totally would.  It is epic.  Like a ninja.  5.  Bakers twine.  I could marry it.  It makes everything prettier.  6.  Tell me you fill cupcake tins with batter in a Ziploc.  Because if you don't, you should.  No mess.

7.  Rolled tacos are fun to make for five people.  They are CRAZYTOWN to make for thirty.  One job I hope to never, ever, ever have is that of fry cook.  Those guys do not get paid enough.  8.  Pancake art is a happy way to start the day.  Inspired by Ashley Ann's pancake post.  9.  Cake batter and sprinkles.  Yes.  Blondies.  Hello.

Happy weekend to you.  Have anything fun planned?

I'll be honest, all of your planners, you super organized people, filling your Pinterest boards with fall and winter inspiration make me crazy.

Let me live in summer for a few more weeks.  Fall will come in all of it's drabness soon enough.  Then right on it's heels will be the crazy that is Christmas.

I'm just not ready.

But when my sweet Star Wars loving friend Marcela, told me about this beauty, all of my protesting flew out the window.

Yes.  A Star Wars Lego Advent Calendar.
Which is en route to this very house as we speak.
(Can I get a what what for internet shopping?  How did we survive before it?  I can't even seem to haul myself to the grocery store to buy milk, but I've got our Advent plans all worked out.)

Would I have bought it last year?
Maybe...
But now we have a really good excuse.
Yay!!!!

By the way, can you handle the Jedi awesome on my little guy?
Ashley Ann and Angi are my nerdy favorites who hooked him up!

Hello again Friday.
So nice to see you.
Here is a recap of our uneventful adventures via Instagram.

1.  Crunchy noodles are a great time passer. 2.  I keep meaning to post the color of our kitchen.  It's called Surfer by Behr.  I could totally marry it. 3.  Worst fortune ever.  Made even more worse when opened by my sensitive seven year old who CAN READ what it says.  Fail.  Drama.  Tears.  Confusion.  Apparently it's a Ghandi quote.  But it still should not be a fortune. (It reads First they ignore you,  then they attack you,  then you win.  Wha???????)

4.  Flat tire number seven on the Swagger Wagon.  We have really good luck.  If there was a competition to run over nails I WOULD OWN IT.  5.  Took the little guy on a date to the tire shop.  Starting to do manly things with him early.  6.  Jeannett.  Killing me with a text mistake.  Killing.  Anyone have a size 0-3 months purple velvet coat and fedora with feathers?

7.  I did not burn down the kitchen and I did cut glass.  Boom.  8.  Love this piano girl's skillz.  9.  Shane's quilt is cut out.  This is the sixth quilt I have started.  I have only finished two.  Quitter.  Not quilter.  That needs to change.

10.  Wet sidewalk chalk is rad.  If you like messes.  I struggle with messes.  A hosing down was involved.  Then a toss in the pool.  Serenity now.  11.  Night swimming.  It only costs 99¢ to be the cool mom.  12.  Freshly sharpened pencils is one of the best smells. It should be a candle.  You hear me Scentsy?


That's that.

When you get asked to participate in something so fun as What would YOU make?  hosted by Lil Blue Boo, you don't say no.
You just don't.
You get a little scared.  A little intimidated.  Then you dig through your brain to come up with a project worthy of the gorgeous fabric that landed on your doorstep.

I hope that this little project quailfies.  It sure makes me happy, but most importantly, it makes my girlies happy.

We are on the go a lot.
A lot a lot a lot.

The girls color a lot.
A lot a lot a lot.

We have been using cookie sheets as little lap desks in the car forever.  Useful?  Yes.  Cute?  Not so much.  Plus the pens and crayons fly off and fall under the seats.  All the time.  If I have to mediate another THE PINK MARKER FELL BETWEEN THE SEATS MOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!! meltdown, I just might have a meltdown of my own.

So what is one to do with cute fabric, spray paint, glue and some magnets?
Change car art forever.


Here is what you will need my friends:
A large-ish cookie sheet.  Big enough to fit a full size piece of paper or coloring book.
Spray primer (not pictured but MANDATORY.)
Spray paint.
Magnet discs.
A can.
Strong glue.
Fabric.
Mod Podge.
Foam paintbrush.

First you need to prime your cookie sheet.
I didn't.  Dumb mistake.  Usually I have great luck with just a coat of spray paint, but the nonstick nature of the cookie sheet had other plans.  If you are a little OCD and like your projects to be durable do NOT SKIP THIS STEP.  I on the other hand am impatient and ADD and am just chocking the chippy paint to the shabby chic vibe.

After the primer is dry, paint the edges and bottom of the cookie sheet with your happy color spray paint.
I am a huge fan of Rustoleum Ultra Cover.  It is by far the best spray paint out there.
Trust me.  I've tried them all.
Let dry.

While the cookie sheet dries, get working on the can caddy.
It will be the saver of your sanity and the keeper of the pens, crayons and pencils.

If your little one is more of a crayon user, look for a shorter wider can, as opposed to a soup sized can.  Perhaps a nut can, which have the added benefit of an attached lid.

Remove the label.  Measure the can and cut a piece of fabric accordingly.
Brush a thin layer of Mod Podge on the can and smooth the fabric around it.
When dry, brush another smooth layer on top of the fabric.
Set aside to dry.

By now the cookie sheet should be dry.  Measure the interior and cut a piece of fabric accordingly.
Brush a thin layer of Mod Podge on the cookie sheet.  Smooth fabric over it.
When dry brush another layer of Mod Podge on top of the fabric, as well as over the painted areas of the cookie sheet.  It will dry clear and be an extra layer of protection from coloring accidents and crazy children.

Pair it with a coloring book, cute journal, or if you are the sewing type (or would like to become the sewing type) stitch up a matching personalized composition book cover.
They are really, really easy.  Pinky swear.

Then throw in a rainbow set of sparkly new markers that thankfully won't fall under the seats.  Yay on all levels!

This happy set would make a very special and affordable gift for the young ones in your life.
Plus I have a feeling that their parents would love your forever for it.
Road trips have never been easier, when my girls are armed with a fresh composition book and new markers.
They have even been utilized on hurried morning drives school to finish up last minute homework assignments.  I mean, other people do that....

 DVD player?  Who needs one?

Thank you so much Ashley and Lisa for asking me to participate.  It was so much fun!
Visit Lil Blue Boo to see the other amazing projects and for a chance to win two yards of this gorgeous fabric!

What would you make?

It so does.
Not taking over the world stuff, but little things.  Snuck into naptimes, squeezed in during quiet early mornings.

Laundry.
Too many batches of toffee crack on crack.

A car seat tent to keep the sunshine and tiny ugly germs off of the little man.
(Contemplated using his sister's.  That got shut down.)

Made something fun for Lil Blue Boo's What would YOU make? Here is a sneaky peek.

Arrived at to church (early) with all four kids.  BOOM!
Reading.  Pinning.  Instagramming.
School supply shopping.
Surf camp.  (Without the surfing or camping part.)

But mostly I am sitting on the couch with a happy hungry baby.
Life is pretty rad.

Happy Friday!
I hope you had a great week.
Our little family is still settling in.
Here are some highlights from our adventures.

I fell in love with this chair from Urban Outfitters forever ago.
The price isn't too bad, but I wanted a bigger chair, a cozier chair, a chair that a little one or two or three or four could snuggle and read a book with me in.

So what do I do?
Buy a bunch of this fabric.

Throw this promising guide into my Paypal cart.
Because I'm lazy and I'm a girl, so it must be perfect for me.
I'm scared, but I am going to put my big girl skirt on and try, try, cry, try.

If all else fails, I might rope my mom into rescuing me (ready Mom?).
But if it goes well I will be reading, snuggling, and taking Shane's monthly pics in my brand new (to me) chair.

We will see...

How are you?
How was your week?
Here's a recap of what has been going on in this hood via Instagram.

 My parents gave me a Kindle to keep me company in the hospital.  While there I was too sick to read, but since coming home it has been a great companion.  I am finally reading The Help.  The Kitchen House and Molokai are up next.  Love it.

My last meal before the c-section?  Red Robin obviously.  Those fries.  The salt.  The ranch.  Sigh.  So so so delicious.  The best part?  Jason and I split his free birthday burger.  Talk about sticking it to the man.

Lots of swimming equals lots of sleeping at night.  Win win for all.

 Summer means a huge tomato harvest from my suburban farmer dad.
All of the benefit of a garden with none of the work.

My campout each and every day.  Baby boy in my arms, junk on tv, Kindle, trying really hard to stay put and not to go crazy.

 Love friends that swoop in to save the day,


Blog friends are real friends.
Sweet Jessica sent us dinner.
This little world is smaller and nicer with people like her.

Aloha.  Can someone make her stop growing?  Each and everything that she owns is too short.  I have never had that problem a day in my life.  Pretty sure she will be taller than me by fourth grade.  Crazy.

 Looks like I might have a cute little lefty in the house.

 Rainbow butterfly matching happiness.

Please tell me that I am not the only drama queen after having a baby...
I am smack in the middle of that crying for no reason, crazy, hormonal, exhausted, overwhelmed stage.
The stage that can best be cured by eating my feelings.