Friday, November 4, 2011

Lots of catching up to do...

I don't think I have been busy lately, but I guess I have been. I didn't accomplish nearly enough of my October goals and look here, it is already November. I took a lot of pictures on my iPhone in October. So this is going to be one serious Friday phone dump.

Since my last blog post, one of my best friends in the world visited with her husband of one year. She was in Washington for a friend's wedding and she tacked on an extra day so we could hang out. I met up with her in Portland for dinner and drinks. I found out, we're not in college anymore, even though we partied like we were. It was so much fun, we hit some empty bars on a Monday and talked about the past, the present, the future. I miss my friend and I am glad she came to visit. We went to Multnomah Falls and the Vista House at Crown Point. It was SO windy. We got out of our cars, snapped a picture and tried our darnedest to hang on to our cameras. Then we went to our favorite pizza place, Signal Station Pizza for dinner.



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i spiffed myself up and jeaux drove me downtown with the kids to drop me off at the restaurant.


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eric and kristi - eric is such a gentleman and kristi is a great person and friend. we met over 10 years ago when we studied in mexico together and i sat next to her on the flight there. friends ever since.

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holy windiness. luckily eric and kristi had their hair in ponytails so they were spared the hair lashing that i got. it was a beautiful day in the gorge but "high winds" was an understatement. joe got out of the car and rushed right back to his seat because he was afraid he would blow away.

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last stop was multnomah falls. this was where jeaux proposed to me in may 2004 all the way at the tippy top.



So after Kristi visited, my mind shifted to Halloween. We worked and worked to get Joe's Indiana Jones costume just perfect. We decided Sam would be an octopus. We thought about having him be Short Round to complement Joe's Indiana Jones but we just gave up on finding the stuff for the costume. Poor second kids!! So I bought him a bunch of knee socks from Target and I stuffed them and sewed them to a ribbon that I had in my craft room. I got my inspiration here. Wished I would have thought of it myself. Sam got so many compliments on his costume. It was fun and easy and different. I used some felt that I had to sew eyes to a hoodie I bought at Target. For the 7th and 8th legs he wore grey leggings from Target with knee highs pulled up. I hot glued some buttons to make the suckers on the tentacles.

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here's my guys. indiana jones and the octopus doing the downtown st. johns trick or treating thing.

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that's how you trick or treat. done.

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here is sam. you don't wanna know why he was just hanging out waiting for me to take his picture. the great thing about this picture was that it was the first time i bounced the flash off the ceiling, which gave me like a lot of hope.

So before actual Halloween, my friend and i were talking about going out on the Halloween weekend. She mentioned that another friend mentioned that McMenamins had an 80s videos dance party, Halloween style. I had always wanted to go to the 80s party and here was my opportunity to go as long as I could find a costume. Nicole mentioned going as a Zombie prom queen since she had bought a dress from Goodwill. I had a dress that could be prommy too (see friend above and her wedding) so I thought maybe we could go as prom queens or whatever. I had no idea her dress would be pretty similar to the one I had. I picked up some red patent leather wedges from Goodwill, fishnet stockings from Target that I made into leggings and gloves, and some bangles and red feather earrings. So anyway, we busted out our fake blood, our white/black makeup and our black knee length dresses (with pockets - thanks WHBM and David's Bridal) and we pretty much boogied to 80s music as Zombie promgoers. Super fun.

One thing I learned from Halloween this year is that every adult should dress up for Halloween. Even if you are a hater, just try it. It was fun to see the creativity that adults put into their costumes.

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zombie prom queen and the iron sheik!

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sea of people dancing and the two zombie prom queens.

that was my october. super fun.



Sunday, October 16, 2011

Apple pickin'

This weekend was beautiful. Warmer, dry and a little bit of sun. We decided yesterday morning to cross apple picking off our list and head to Mt. Hood. We got ready and on the road by 10 am. I still have not bought the boys rain boots but we were going to drive by Target so I thought we could pick some up there even though I usually don't like the styles they have. We got to Target and they had exactly three pairs of rain boots. In Oregon. In October. None of which were Joe's size. They had a whole aisle of snow boots, but no rain boots. Not sure what was going on with that. So we ran into Ross, Marshall's, DSW. No rain boots. So I googled on my phone and found a Stride Rite in Clackamas that we could go to. I needed to get Sam his first real pair of shoes too. They didn't have shoes for Sam that I liked but they did have Batman rain boots for Joe.

We wandered around the mall for awhile. I am not sure when the last time was that I was in a mall. Its been awhile. It was actually fun though. We got pretzels, we people watched. I did early Christmas shopping. We laughed. Then we decided to skip apple picking and go to Ground Kontrol (arcade in downtown Portland) instead. I remembered my October goals though and the weather was great so I kept us on course to go apple picking.

For the past three Octobers, we have gone to Draper Girls Country Farm in Parkdale, Oregon. They have lots of apples, pears, other fruits and veggies, an antique store, petting zoo. The drive is easy to get there and pretty. Drive through the gorge, take a right at Hood River. Head south 10 or so miles, you are there! We picked our basket of apples and pears, sampling along the way. I can never remember what types are good for eating vs. baking. This year I used my phone to remind me. I got Empire, Gala, Golden Supreme. Now I have to get started using them! I planned to start today but I have been feeling not so well so it was more of a lay around the house type of day.

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yeah, glad we got those boots before we went. it was muddy. lots of puddle jumpin' going on.


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apples beg to be sampled. this one was an empire, a cross between a macintosh and a red delicious. which is funny because it *was* delicious and red delicious is one of my least favorite apples.


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even sam got into the apple pickin' action. and the sampling action.


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look who is walking now all over the place. including apple orchards without proper footgear.


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our loot. i'm thinking apple pie, apple crisp, applesauce, apple butter, appletinis...


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our trip home along the columbia river


Thursday, October 13, 2011

Portfolio Building

So I'm dipping my toe into the world of professional photography.

A month ago, my friend had her baby shower for her baby boy, due the beginning of November. I got the idea on the way home from the shower to see if she would let me take some newborn photos for free. I could give her the digital copies if she would let me use them in a portfolio if they turned out okay. I had joined clickinmoms.com and was picking up a lot of great information. I just needed someone to practice it on.

I started picking up things here and there for props and reading more and more online, trying to get myself prepared. I figured 6 weeks would be plenty of time to get an idea of what I wanted to do. Although we all know that most of my studying was always done in the day before the test.

Imagine my surprise when I find out she had her baby 4 weeks early! Off I ran to IKEA to get some blankets, a bean bag, get my camera battery charged and more SD cards. I went to her house two days ago to take pictures of her sweet baby boy, Alex, age 5 days. Mama cranked the heat up to 78, I lugged my stuff in and after a few mishaps like a car accident turning I-5 into a parking lot that got me there about 30 minutes late and wrinkled blankets (thank goodness for a clothes steamer), we got started. I took about 500 pictures and didn't get through all that wanted. We got a lot though and I am learning.

I am still working on the editing. It is tough! It was my first experience so I'm noticed all kinds of things. Face sunk in the blanket, hand tucked under when I wanted to see those tiny fingers, underexposure. But there are some good ones too. I am wishing that I had known how to take these kind of shots for my own kids.

I'm really happy with how they are turning out so far. I hope Alex's Mama and Dad will be too.

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remember this quilt? i think he digs it.

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i love how he's nestled in there with his little legs crossed.

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look at that perfect little face. so sweet.

Anyway, its been a great learning experience from taking the photos through the editing process. I'm figuring out a lot of new Photoshop knowledge too. I can't recommend clickinmoms.com enough. Such a great forum for learning about all aspects of photography.

We're still plugging away on our October goals list. More on that to come. And more pictures of Alex too.

tara
xo



Monday, October 3, 2011

October goals

The weather is turning from sunny and warm to dark and cool and rainy, really quickly actually. Usually I put up with it through the holidays because they would not be as fun if it was 80 and sunny. Once they pass though, I just kind of shrink into my house and count the days till it turns sunny and warm again.

This fall and winter season I would like to try to embrace it a little more. So to start off fall, I made a list of fun activities for October with the goal of achieving a majority of them. I also want to complete my quilt that I got started this spring.

25 fun fall activities

1. decorate for halloween
2. pumpkin patch
3. jack-0-lanterns
4. jump in leaves
5. caramel apples
6. go to a halloween party
7. make and freeze soup
8. make pumpkin cupcakes
9. have fun with flashlights in the dark
10. pick apples
11. buy gourds
12. make bats
13. watch a halloween special with popcorn
14. make a black wreath
15. make costumes
16. gourd skulls
17. halloween lights
18. ghost candles
19. read halloween books
20. make apple sauce
21. go to a photobooth wearing halloween costumes
22. plant bulbs
23. go on a nature walk
24. make leaf art
25. make soup in a roasted pumpkin

You like how I did that? Made a list including a few things that I already have done so that I feel like I am on my way. Whatever it takes.

Number 17 is Halloween lights. My Halloween lights are just white Christmas lights that I hung over our windows inside with dixie cups attached every few lights. I painted the dixie cups with acrylic paint and a foam brush (make sure they are not waxed) and then made an X on the bottom of the cup with a knife. Then I just poked the light bulb through the X in whatever spots looked good to me. I have also seen them covered in scrapbook paper so that is a fun option too.

I did this for Christmas last year as an inexpensive alternative to string lights that come with those little shades and I loved them all season long. I loved them so much I wanted to keep them up through Valentine's Day. Okay, St. Patrick's Day too, but they went out and then I was kicking myself for not buying extra strands when they were available. This year I will buy some extra strands and hopefully keep them up longer. The light is so nice in the winter.

Tonight I ran to our little farm stand for some "me" time and got a pumpkin for making our soup (the Cinderella type of pumpkin is good for roasting) and I plan on using this recipe from this month's issue of Bon Appetit. I am kicking myself for not shopping there more often. The prices were the same as the grocery store but it supports a local farm and it was nice to hear the rain drops on the tent above my head. Plus they win points for having strand lights overhead and paper lanterns and no angry woman ramming her cart into me as I swiped my card through the reader at the checkout.


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the scalloped bunting is just paper cut in circles, glued over a piece of twine. last year i bought a fall pack of paper from joann or michael's and then i just went to town figuring out stuff where i could use it. This spring I bought a giant (3-4") scalloped punch from michael's. makes it so much easier.

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this little moth showed up in my house. he is still there. should we take bets on whether he is alive or dead? i'm certain that he was not there when i put the letters up over the weekend. i would have noticed that, i hope.

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i made these letters last year. i am kind of a letter freak. i have several Ms throughout our house. joe has J-O-E by his bed. sam doesn't but he's the second kid so everything is happening later for him. he will get letters. E-A-T in the kitchen. so I made B-O-O last year. i bought the letters at joann and then i painted them black with acrylic paint. i used more paper from the pack i bought. i picked out three patterns and rotated the patterns so each had a different front pattern and then the sides coordinated. i used mod podge to glue it all down but you can see the tear on the bottom of the middle O where it tore after sitting stacked on each other for the winter. so i need to figure out a solution for that.


I'm so lucky that my mom passed along some of my most favorite Halloween decorations that I loved as a kid that I can share with my own kids. Halloween is coming and I am so excited.

tara
xo







Friday, September 30, 2011

Friday Phone Dump

Finally made it to Friday, the best day of the week...

Hope you have lots of fun plans for the weekend. Mine include CPR training all day Saturday and hopefully some fall decorating going on. The best part is that I will be carless tomorrow while the shop fixes whatever they screwed up last week so I get to get some exercise walking to and from school with Joe. Hopefully it will be fixed by Friday afternoon because I am not a very good public transit taker.


here are some photos from my phone for the week. there are photos playing at school with Joe, fall walks, the perfectly good Barnes & Noble that was torn down this week and breakfast in bed from Jeaux celebrating our 6th anniversary.

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enjoy your weekend!
tara
xo

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Thriftastic Thursday

One of the fun things that we love to do as a family is go thrift store shopping. The key to finding stuff you love at a thrift store is going often, so we usually go to about 5-7 Goodwills a week. We will go a couple weeknights a week and then go on Saturday or Sunday or sometimes both. If we have too many days of not going, we get the itch. The itch to go, not some other itch we could have picked up from the goods at Goodwill. Believe me, this has something that I have been concerned with, but if you can get over the skeeviness of the 'will, you will find happiness there. Its called Goodwill for a reason, ya catch my drift? Just make sure you wash your stuff in hot right when you get home.

The thrill of the hunt is what makes thrifting so much fun. Joe loves going I think just as much as we do. Sam loves to reach out of his stroller and try to pull glassware, tchotchkes (yes, I looked that up), clothes, shoes, etc off the shelves. The debate is always whether I should put him in the Ergo so he can't reach anything (but neither can I) or put him in the stroller. Sometimes I do because I just love to see his little face right there in front of me. When we go in the store, we usually separate and Jeaux and Joe check out puzzles and games. I take Sammy and look for a certain pair of boots, or vintage stuff like linens/quilts, Pyrex, kitchen goods, artwork/needlepoint and recently added photo props to my list. Lately I will look for clothes if I am in the mood. I found a super cute black dress this week. Oh my goodness, I almost forgot kids books! If you ever want to start a library for your kid, hardcover books with jackets in great shape for $3-4.

There used to be a long list of things I wouldn't buy from a thrift store, but the list has gotten smaller and smaller. Still no bathing suits (ick), underwear (although a vintage slip would be a fun find), toddler shoes (unless they looked super new), pillows/comforters/duvets.

It feels good to get something cool and different for a bargain and bonus! it is green. A few months ago, I broke our coffee pot carafe in the dishwasher. I was thisclose to just ordering a new one from amazon for $20. Instead I decided to just keep checking goodwill for one. Within a few weeks I had found one. It was a little grimey looking but I figured for $2, it was worth trying to clean. I soaked it over night and with a little elbow grease it sparkled like new. All without the extra packaging and extra dollars that I would have wasted had I purchased it brand new. Plus I used a carafe that needed a home already. Goodwill gives jobs to people who need them, helps people find jobs and gives a refuge to stuff that might otherwise be sent to a dump. So that is all good in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, I do my fair share of shopping for new stuff, but there is just something about finding awesome, old stuff that makes my heart sing.

Jeaux likes to make up fake slogans for Goodwill. "Have you Goodwilled today?" "Find your fun, Goodwilling" "The thrift of the hunt: Goodwill" "gee-double-oh-dee will." We have mutual laughs whenever we sing that to the tune of the KFC commercials. We're easily amused.
Here are some of the things that I picked up this week:

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i grabbed this doll cradle because i thought i might be able to use it as a photo prop. if that doesn't work, back to goodwill it goes.

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i have a collection of vintage needlepoint frames that began with one i inherited from my grandmother. this one will hang in the collection near our front door now too.
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i grabbed this vintage scale to possibly use as a photo prop for kids. right now it is in my kitchen because it is so cute. i saw it at another shop for $12 and since i got mine for $4, i was kind of excited.

here are some more things that i picked up this week.
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tara
xo

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

nature is a hoot.

Tonight we blew off swimming lessons for Joe for something that we thought would be way more cool. A friend of our family (we won't say how we know each other because that would blow our cover and show that we are total nerds) is a volunteer with the Wildlife Care Center here in Portland. He emailed us the other day to say that he would be releasing two Western Screech Owls into the wild in SE Portland tonight. It was a no-brainer. I mean, really. Real live owls. Could not miss.

We made the trek to see an adult owl and a baby owl get released. The owls will hang together for awhile before the adult kicks the kid out to fly with her own two wings. The adult had been found stuck to a mouse sticky trap (those things are the devil! do not use!) which required a complicated cleansing process to get her free of the goo.

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this may be the first time this kid has smiled at the camera EVER. i don't care if it is fake, i am just happy to see it. i think he was just excited that i let him pee on a tree on the side of the trail. no bathroom that we could see + a kid who has gotta go when he has gotta go means sometimes he gets lucky and gets to go outside.

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sam was so squirmy. not into being held at all and unfortunately we didn't take the stroller because we were unsure of the terrain. he missed the release because we were pretty sure the other people were there to see the screech owl, not the screech baby.

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old friend sporting a Flint button honoring the lovely city of Flint, Michigan


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this was a pretty big deal. the news stations were there! i'm sure they stuck it in the end of the broadcast as the heartwarming story of the day.

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oh, let's see that owl. that is the adult. i had no idea the western screech owl was so small. and totally adorable.

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here we go! time to see if these babies are going to sink or swim. we thought horrible thoughts of what we would do if they got eaten by another bird as they flew away but they said there are generally no predators for these guys. other than sticky mouse traps of course.

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and off they went! they flew away flapping their little wings on to taller branches. it was pretty awesome.

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we headed back to our home watching a beautiful sunset over the west hills on the way. i didn't even see the hidden message in this picture till i got home and looked at it on my computer. now do it! you'll feel better. i promise.



tara
xo

Friday, September 23, 2011

the dog days of summer


We have been spending the last days of summer hanging outside a bit with the kids. It is sweating hot here and I am itching to bring out my fall decorations but I just can't do it when it is 84 degrees outside and 94 inside and the last thing I want to do is hall up decorations from the basement and schvitz hanging them up. The days of summer are going to end soon and I get a heavy feeling when I think of the gray and rain that is about to come. Fall is great here as it cools down, we get the rain that we have needed for about two months now and the holidays come upon us. The only problem is that those gray days last until June. or July. and that is tough to bear. This year I hope to get more of my creative juices flowing and improve my photography. I am looking forward to getting the kids new rain gear and get ourselves outside, in spite of the constant drizzle.

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Kelle Hampton started posting a Friday Phone Dump over the summer. I am going to join her with this tradition. I got my iPhone for my 32nd birthday in May and I absolutely love it. It is so nice to have a tiny, great camera with so much editing potential right in your pocket. I have taken probably 3000 pictures on my phone this summer. My favorite apps for the iPhone are Instagram, PS Express, Camera+, Hipstamatic and Labelbox. Here are some photos from this week.

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Thursday, September 22, 2011

my first quilt and a giveaway


I made my first quilt this weekend. I had a baby shower to go to on Sunday and I wanted to make the baby something but I was having some trouble getting inspired. I had planned on making a simple blanket with a cute cotton print on one side and a piece of flannel on the other and then tying it together with embroidery floss.

I wandered around the fabric store for 2 hours (it is a big fabric store) pushing an empty cart looking for something to strike me. Something. Anything. Finally I came across a print with my favorite color palette. Pale greenish blue, buttery yellow, bright light green, dark grey and red. From there I found another print and another and another and another. My simple blanket escalated to a quilt. With some help from the ladies at the store, I knew I would be able to get it finished. I might be up all night, but I would get it done.

I began the quilt around 5 pm and worked till 2 am. I woke up the next morning and finished the binding, stitching it by hand. I managed to do the last few stitches of binding, wrap a bow of fabric scraps around it and fling myself out the door into the car to make it to the shower ten minutes late. Here is Baby R's quilt. I made it about 42" square.

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A blog that I follow, Tea Rose Home, is doing a giveaway of some super cute Riley Blake Designs fabrics to celebrate their 3rd Blogaversary. Riley Blake Designs makes some of my favorite quilting fabrics. In this quilt, the yellow plaid and green gingham are Riley Blake Designs from the fabric line Farm Fresh. To enter the giveaway, click here!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Joining the Blogosphere

i'm here.  hopefully now i can think of something to write. :) see you soon.

tara
xo