Give A Hoot

I'm not much of an internet surfer, well, I'm a lazy internet surfer. I get on to do what I want to do, get sucked into Facebook, go BACK to what I got on to do, then jump off before J's realized how long my tush has been in that computer chair. So I love when I can come across something inspiring without all the leg work.

I got onto this blog, Ucreate, to find a good pattern for an apron. And I come across this (the shirt idea, not the girls :) although, that would have been pretty cool. or creepy...) :

A pattern for little owl appliqued t-shirts?!? Yes, please.
The designer's name is Ashley and she has a business/finance background, Abbey has the same little dress her girl is wearing on her sidebar picture, and that's about where our similarities end. This chick is wicked creative, I love it. She's like Ashley Pace 2.0

I had never appliqued but heard it was easy. I did learn a few things, if you've never done it. If you have, you probably have a better method or think this is common sense. But I bought this stuff called Heat'n'Bond (an iron-on adhesive) because I didn't want the edges to fray. I wish I had ironed it to the fabric before cutting out the owl pieces. Would have made the project easier and life simpler, I'm sure. Then I just top stitched all the layers. And since I was in the mode, I made up an extra one for this adorable fairy princess:





Sam has a birthday coming up and wanted to give back to the 'Make-a-Wish Foundation' that made one of her wishes come true. Instead of gifts, she asked that people bring a gift to donate to the foundation. This little girl had me after the first time I met her and told her I loved her hairbows; she snuggled right up to me on the couch and hung out while we chatted. I thought it was such a generous thing for any little girl to donate her birthday gifts, but still wanted her to have a little something for herself.



They had this great face painter at the party and I was a little surprised Abbey was so into it. I hated face paint as a kid. I loved her look of enchantment when she looked at herself in the mirror. It was magic. Poor little Sam got so sick the night before the party and was inside most the time. When her mom brought her out in that sweet costume, looking so beautiful, to blow out candles, I think all the moms there were fighting back tears. I was.

i love sweet, little girls

Week Two

Straight from Joanie: Here is my 'something pretty'. Baking with my kids. Also the fact that my baby slept in until 7:15 today AND he napped for over 3 hours. Good day!

Did you know that little guy was actually supposed to be Hayden's twin? Seriously, he is the boy version of her. But Heavenly Father knew that they were hard enough one at a time and would do in any mother who had them both, so He split them up :) Joanie, one day they should meet, don't you think?

And then from the swell life, a link to this adorable mini first-day-of-school album. This just makes my fingers ache to do some scrapbooking. I swore off it last year, but I miss it. I really do. This might pull me back in.

{from elizabethkartchner.blogspot.com/}

How was your Monday? I'm still in my pj's, so pretty good around here!

Something Pretty: Round One

Someone pulled through! I got these thoughts and pictures from Jeanine late last night (who happens to be a tall glass of something pretty herself!)

And just as I was about to publish, another from one of my favorite people, Alisa! I met Alisa in high school and we played in a quartet together for years. All my guy friends begged me to set them up with the 'hottie orchestra chick' who just moved in. My fragile high-school ego could have easily resented her {as I was kind-a hoping I was the hottie orchestra chick}, but Alisa is the sweetest person I've ever met. Love that girl, can't wait to meet that little girl one day.

Thanks girls, you made my day.
Keep 'em coming!

You Get What You Get

Sometimes I just click my shutter as fast as it can go so that sometimes I can get lucky.

And sometimes I get this...

...which equals: SUPER lucky!
These made me smile the entire time I edited them.

{Hey, Al! Look at the third one down and think to yourself: "Loo-uise! Loo-uise! I took the liberty of ironing your homework."

It's An Illuuuuusion

A few posts back, I shocked my family and friends when I mentioned I drive a **mini-van**!!! Ha ha, I was surprised it was so surprising! Then another comment from an old friend about how my life 'looked so much more glamorous' than hers got me thinking.

It got me a-thinkin' about this ol' blog and how I portray myself, because if it is one thing I'm not, it is glamorous. If you knock on my door unexpectedly, it will be a mess. Hayden will be down to a diaper, most likely dancing on the table. My face breaks out, I can't shower as often as I'd like to, if you see me around six in the p.m., I'm likely on the verge of tears or a tantrum. That's life. That's my life. Trust me, you don't want to see it. But I wouldn't want to, and don't mean to, pretend it is something else. Last night some friends were in the backyard and mentioned they'd never seen the inside of my house. I chuckled and said "Not today!". A few seconds later I realized that was silly, so fake, and insincere. As we walked inside my kitchen covered in the remnants of lunch and realized it was a LOT worse than the house I remembered walking out of an hour earlier, one of them said "We'd be concerned if it DID look perfect."

The little group of blogs in my reader has made me acutely aware that the hard things in my life now are oh.so.small (but not to me!). I think I would feel petty posting those things on here amidst people's life changing problems. So I don't. And I'm not sure how to reconcile the desire to present myself sincerely and keep the mundane private. But you wanna know why I love this blog? Among a few reasons, it gives me motivation to find those bits and pieces of beauty in my life. And who doesn't love to wake up to a comment or two in their inbox? I love that I can crop and blur the mess and focus my lens on something (or usually someone) pretty.

So I do declare Mondays as my 'something pretty' day. To find something beautiful along the routine. You want in?!? I want you in on this, my friends. Find it, find what makes you tick this week and email it to me for next Monday. I would love to see and post your something pretty! Something you read, something you did, something you saw, something you made. If you don't know me, all the better, I'd love to meet you.

ashpace@gmail dot com

happy hunting

In For Some Trouble

Don't tell her I said so, but I have a hard time saying 'no' to this girl.

Something's in the Air

How the... When did this...Where was...How is it Labor Day already?!?

We ushered in Autumn yesterday with a barbeque. I hit the neighbor jackpot when we moved in and met my next-door neighbor, Jeannie (who Abbey insists on calling 'Miss Tina'). Soon after she introduced me to these ladies who live over the little bridge across the creek in our backyards (that's a lot of prepositions...)

The men smoked a pig, the kids played HARD, we sat and talked for hours and hours; that's my kind of day.

{Hayden will sit with anyone who will give her a little sugar :) }

Summer is over and I'm feeling a bit anxious. For the last four Fall seasons straight I have either had extreme morning sickness or extreme sleep depravation from a new baby. The chill in the air, the smell of spices and baking, the feel of my sweaters and jackets--all of it takes me back to that time and my body actually feels nauseous. Isn't that weird? But there is this beauty and deliciousness to look forward to: