Fred&Toots

Oh Me Oh My!

I can't believe I'm actually posting something...  I can't believe I even remember how it's been so long!  I'm going to have to ease myself back into blogland so I'll start off with something simple.  I first saw this over at DaniBeGood and on doing it too I see it has become a popular thing, the 'needs' meme.  You type in "(your name) needs" into your search engine. 

This is what I came up with:

• Sarah needs to get her life back and establish herself as the person in charge
• Sarah Needs Us
• Sarah needs to kick him in the nuts
• Sarah needs your help
• Sarah Needs to Vent
• Sarah needs to play
• Sarah Needs Batteries
• Sarah needs her mother
• Sarah needs someone to pick her up at the airport around 4

Takin' a break...

My blogging has come to a standstill. I'm still making my rounds, popping in to see what everyone else is up to. I've just run out of steam so taking a break. Thanks for all the inspiration fellow bloggers - keep at it! See you soon, xo s.

Oh, the drawing above is by Miss Z. If you look closely you'll see a someone inside the figure. I'm not sure if that was intentional or if there was a decision to make her person taller?? I do wonder though. We looked through her baby album recently and watched some video recently of when she was a baby. She tells me that when I was a little baby, I was in her tummy and that she looked after me! Perhaps in another life?

True Loves Wednesday on Thursday: Hand-Made Quilts

Here are some more details from the quilt my Grandma made for me:

I love how in every quilt she made, every piece of fabric has a story.  Most of the fabric in her quilts were from dresses and other things that she made.  My Grandma belonged to a quilting group.  A couple of the members owned large quilting frames.  They would rotate whose house the frame would be set up at and would rotate whose quilt they would work on.  I think they would meet once a week when there was a quilt on the go.  Their stitching was impeccable.

More quilt details over at flickr!

rambles, rambles and more rambles

The TV/computer ban continues to go well.  The kids haven't asked for either once!  On Friday they will be rewarded with a Webkinz and will be asking for computer time so that they can play with their online pet (oh please don't judge my parenting!!).  There was a deal and I'll have to follow through.  All I know for sure is that computer time will have to be carefully monitored from now on.  Every session timed to the minute.  I'm thinking 45 minutes a day (apparently it's what Bill Gates does - I can hear my Dad cursing right now, he's not a BG fan).   As for the TV, I'd like to keep it off forever!  Movies are fine every once in awhile, a special treat on a Friday night.  There's a time limit to a movie and you have some idea of what the content will be.  TV is just bad for all of us. I don't know how many of these findings can actually be proven but they all make sense to me.  Now I don't want to come across all high and mighty because if I admitted to how much TV I've been watching till the wee hours of the night lately, not to mention what I've been watching, I'd just have to go hide my head in the sand.   Well enough of that...

D's comment on my last post brought back some memories.  I had a Donny Osmond doll and my sister had the Marie doll.  Look at how happy I am in this picture, hangin' in my room.  That's Donny in my hands...

It's funny, I never realized that my daughter's room has a similar layout not to mention the same bed and quilt!  The bed belonged to my Dad or one of his siblings and the quilt was made for me by my Grandma O in the late '70's.

Tumbling Tumbleweeds

Well I wasn't planning on a blog break but it just kind of happened.  We've got a no TV/no computer rule going on in our house when the kids are awake.  I can check emails or look up something but replying to emails and making my rounds in blog-land has to be done when the kids are asleep.  So without the ol'boob tube to entertain the kids I've been filling in leaving me with no energy to post at the end of the day. 

It all started with my son's strong desire for a WebKinz (they are all the rage right now and every one of his friends has one - even three year olds in my daughter's preschool class!)  A stuffed animal that comes with a code so you can look after it in a virtual world on-line, ugh.  I told him 'never', 'they're a waste of time & money', 'you have your own real-live pets you can play with and look after' and the list goes on.  Well, J.T. (softie!) said he'd buy the kids each a Webkinz if they could do no TV/no computer for 3 weeks.  It has been a couple of weeks now and my kids are getting along better then ever and their play is so much more creative.  We are on a roll but unfortunately part of the fun of a Webkinz requires going on the computer.  I'll definitely be controlling 'when' and 'how long' much more then I used to.  As for TV, the kids don't miss it a bit.  Before the TV/computer ban Mister C was asking me like one hundred times a day if I would buy him a Webkinz.  I'll be interested to see how great he thinks it is once he's got one.  I don't remember wanting any toy that badly.  I don't think I had lots of toys (my mom may beg to differ?)  I guess I would of liked an EasyBake Oven and there were Barbie things I would of loved but nothing I begged for...you?  Was there a toy or something you just had to have? 

Happy Valentine's Day

These would go good with a nice cup of coffee!!

 

COFFEE!

It's never good to do anything in a rush!  I so badly needed/wanted a cup of joe the other day but was doing several other things at once.  Forgetting to put the basket in after rinsing = coffee all over the counter and none in the pot!

On visiting So Sylvie's site the other day there was a link to a song that is just so fitting to how I feel most afternoons.  The Coffee Song, I immediately ituned it.  I've never heard of Ralph before so nice to be introduced to children's music that's fun for adults as well.

A couple of my favourite children's albums are:  For the Kids (there are two) & Nicolette Larson's Sleep, Baby, Sleep,

Well must be off.  I'm doing several things at once at the moment and before one goes the way of the coffee I best be on my way. 

Mini-Swap Sneak Peek

The kids & I had great fun today getting our package put together for mini*swap2.
(more peeks over at my flickr)

True Loves: Beatrix Potter

The way Beatrix Potter brought such character to so many little animals is truly magical!!
(My Mother-in-law won the 'Squirrel Nutkin' figurine in a school competition and she  passed it on to me!!!)

'Peter Rabbit' and 'The Tale of Two Bad Mice' are the most popular in this household. 

There are many times when Miss Z and Mr. C could be mistaken for two mice the way they whirl through this house turning everything in sight upside down!

 

(Potter is in the air - I was just looking at Little Birds Handmade, check out her adorable Beatrix Potter inspired items!)

Damaged Goods

I finally finishd the Jess Hutch Robot I was working on. 

He was a special request from the mysterious M (a.k.a. Marsha or you know who) who had spotted it over at CRAFT.  I was able to borrow the pattern from Gwen (whose Mum had the foresight to purchase a booklet as a gift for Gwen!!).  So it all turned out pretty good but my intarsia needs some work.  The special delivery took place over a legendary combo at the White Spot and as I handed it over I noticed a stitch that just wasn't right.  With the tine of my fork I attempted to smooth out some stitches when out popped a loose end.  No problem.  I just got out my trusty swiss army knife and snipped it out of the way.  I'm still not quite sure how I managed it but 'Pogo' the robot ended up with a hole in his centre!!!  He's undergoing surgery at the moment.  I will never attempt to smooth out my knitting again with a fork.  I will take a good second look before I go in with the scissors.  I will never hand over a gift that I am less than happy with.  Lucky for me, M has known me for 25 years so I'm not totally mortified...'Pogo' will be just fine.

Speaking of damaged goods, check out what Miss Z found on a recent walk.  The top of a figurine.

Such a mystery!  She looks like a Hummel???  The closest thing I found as to what type of figurine she's from was this.  This poor little head now rests on Miss Z's shelf but someone is not amused...