Catio on the Patio

In order to explain this next home project I need to introduce you to the most stunning member of our family. This handsome fellow is Muggles. Do not let the name fool you, he is perhaps the most magical being I have ever met.

All of the beloved pets that have joined our family have come to us as their second family. Here is Muggles' story:

Muggles was a tomcat for his first year, but at some point he had adopted a young college gal. He would stop in for meals and snuggles. Then as the holidays approached and the young woman prepped to head home, she realized she would not be able to provide the care Muggles needed. So she took him to a near by veterinary clinic. It just so happened to be the clinic that my little sister was working at, at the time. My sister took one look at this gigantic cat and decided he needed to be a part of our family. Granted the fist moment my husband and I met him we decided the very same thing.

The one big problem, when Muggles joined our family, he was use to his freedom and constantly begged to go outside. At that time we lived off of two very busy streets and feared him being run over. Our solution at that home was to hook him up to a run line. He could tour the back yard but no farther. He was happy it was a very big back yard.

The next place we moved to was a much quieter neighborhood, but there was absolutely no yard. So we just let him roam free about the neighborhood. He was in good company as many of the neighborhood cats were out and about with him. Our biggest risk there was that he went missing for a few days a couple of times. One time he was gone long enough I put out missing posters.

Now, with our new home we are back to having plenty of yard but also to living off of busy streets. Muggles has come to love his freedom and breaks off any type of harness we try to put on him. So what to do? Because an unhappy Muggles is impossible to live with.

So the crazy cat driven solutions was to install a "cat" door and turn our back patio into a catio retreat. With a few 2x2 and 2x4 boards, a couple lengths of chicken wire, some nails and lots of staples we had the porch enclosed. This solution also allowed for our shy little indoor girl to also go out and enjoy a little fresh air and outdoors sunshine. Both cats seem happy with their new space and we are happy with their safety.

 However one windy October day the scary storm did chase a surprise visitor inside the catio.

 

Many blessings this fine furry day.--Kate

Personalizing the Furniture

Early last spring we knew, as a family, we were soon to grow out of our living situation and began to consider going on the house hunt. One of our biggest considerations was that our only daughter would not be able to share a room with her brothers for much longer, (that is if any of them slept in their own room.) At the same time I could not completely lose my sewing room. So the family joke is that we bought our new home for our daughter.

Finally having her own space meant my girl needed her own bedroom furniture. During one of our weekend garage sale shopping sprees we found a beautiful (3 piece) white French Provincial set. The set includes a dresser, a desk and a nightstand.

Growing up, my sister and I had a French Provincial bedroom set. So this discovery definitely scored high on the nostalgia meter. Thankfully my daughter also loved it.

It took at least another month before we were able to tackle the renovation project, that was new flooring and wall color, for her room. Thankfully that is finally done and the bedroom is put together. As we were moving her furniture in though, I had a brainstorm. I asked her if she would like to have her drawers lined with a faux-velvet fabric. This was something we had seen done in several of the  girl's bedroom sets at furniture stores. A feature that she had really liked. I also just happened to have several colors of this very same type of fabric from a Christmas sewing project I did 4 years ago.

The project was fairly easy to accomplish. All I needed were some accurate measurements of the bottom of the drawers to cut the fabric to the correct size and then some Elmer's spray craft glue. I sprayed the glue onto the drawer base and then waited a couple minutes so that the final hold would be firm but the fabric would not be permanently attached to the drawer. Then I left the drawers out of the dressers for 24 hours to dry and air out. The smell of the spray glue is quite strong. I recommend good ventilation when working with it. It is also a bit of a sticky project. It is a rather like putting contact paper down in a drawer, but with the sticky part on the drawer instead of the fabric. So even done carefully there were a few times I needed to reposition the fabric to get out all of the bubbles and wrinkles. So I definitely did come away with glue on my hands.

 

She chose a navy blue for the top row of drawers in both the dresser and desk. A deep purple for the middle rows and a dark green for the bottom 3 drawers. The nightstand has a warm brown colored fabric. The end effect is quite pretty and it definitely adds her personal flair to the set.

 

Be on the lookout for more posts about home renovation projects. There are several we have completed but also many more to do.

Many blessings to you this fine frosty night.--Kate

Mommy, Daughter Crafts

Happily, as my daughter grows she has become more interested in things that I also enjoy. One of our greatest loves is crafting. (Really she was doomed, with at least 3 generations before her of crafty women.)

All three of my kiddos are great shoppers at, my favorite craft stop, JoAnn and are just as well know by the staff as I am.  A typical trip involves a chorus of voices calling out "Mama you could make me this and you could make me that." However the last few months my daughter has added in the cry of "I would like to try making that too."

About a year ago she made her first venture into the world of yarn crafting with a crochet blanket. She did not make it very far into the project before she began to be frustrated and then lost interest. This past September we found this really fun pre-looped yarn and I thought perhaps this would be a great way for her to have project success. We started her out making a scarf and once again it did not take her to long to get distracted and move on to other activities. Once I completed my scarf though she decided she really wanted to make her own.

 

It took a few moments for her to remember how to do it, but a couple hours later she came back out of her room with a three quarters completed scarf. By the next evening I was showing her how to finish it off and weave in all the ends. Now she wears it out and about everywhere we go. Her brother even asked her to make him one in tiger colors.

The yarns we used: The purple variegated is a Bernat Alize Blanket-EZ yarn, called Thistle and my girls is a Big Twist Loopity Loops yarn called Seafoam.

Many blessings this fine fiber filled night--Kate

Like Sands Through the Hourglass...

So are the days of our lives.

My mind is boggled that it has been twenty months since my last entry. So much has changed and so much is just busier. I foolishly thought as my children aged and began to discover some independence, (or at least just started to do some things for themselves,) I might rediscover some time for myself. Instead we have just filled up our days with more things for them to do. Even though there have been many times I have wanted to start writing here again I just could not find (make) the time to do it.

Some highlights from the last 1.5+ years. My baby who was almost a year and a half is now 3 years old. His clever to cute ratio is way to high on both sides and he is probably on the fast track to being spoiled, but his siblings work hard to keep him in line. My middle has been doing karate for over a year now and has finally begun to look like he might actually be learning something. I suppose more importantly he has met his best friend by joining karate. My oldest is still a dancing dynamo. At this point she basically eats, sleeps and breathes dance. With classes in ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop and lyrical; as well as three competition routines we are at the dance studio more then we are anywhere else.

 The big event for our family was that we moved into what I hope is our forever home. We had seriously outgrown our old place and were faced with some serious choices. Our new home was the answer to all of them. The house is ranch-style with all of our living space on the main floor, but with a full basement, which provides room for storage and play. It was built in the late 60's and has some serious flair, including a full shuffleboard court in the basement. At a time when houses were popping on and off the market in 24 hours we could not believe that this house was still available. However, the interior looked as if a Pepto Bismol factory exploded. There were pink walls in the living and dining room and pink carpet throughout 85% of the main level. I think many had a hard time seeing past the pink, so the house was on the market for a long while before we happened upon it. It has been an absolute answer to prayer and has felt like home from the first moment we walked in. Though we have been slowly eradicating the pink.

Whew..so there are a few of the highlights.

I am hoping (once again) to make writing on my blog a habit, but of course no promises.

Many blessings to you this fine night--Kate

Warning, Mama Down

Sadly, I woke Monday with an awful head cold. I am feeling a tiny bit better today, but still struggling to breathe and everything I eat gives me heartburn. As soon as I can sit up without my head pounding from the pressure, I should be able to get back to creating.

Many blessings this fine, (is it bed time yet,) night.--Kate

A Down Town Hike

 

 

 

 

 We went on a really beautiful, but chilly and windy hike today downtown.

How was your Sunday?

Many blessings this fine, refreshing day.--Kate

Another Dance Competition

Today my girl had another of her dance competition, this time in the next state over. It was a much smaller competition at a quite large venue. This was the third time they competed and they did amazing, earning lots of awards. Since we were farther from home and there were a lots of dances before the awards ceremony we were able to watch some of the other dances from her studio. It makes me glad we choose the school we did. The senior dancers are amazing, earning tons of top awards, and several of the choreographers also earned awards and accolades for their routines.

She still has two more competitions this season. I am excited to see how they do. Every competition they get better and better.

Many blessings this fine, boogieing  night.--Kate

Pretty Cool Little Town

One of the thing I really like about where I live is that it has a lot of fun opportunities for kids. Our local library has lots of learning and creating programs. One of the gymnastics studios is open to the public for two hours on Mondays and Fridays at a very reasonable price. There are fun and fabulous seasonal festivals and parades and the community center has some really awesome programs and classes. My oldest two just finished their first round of swim lessons there. Which I found to be well taught and reasonably sized and they truly loved, (and can not wait for more.)

As I mentioned previously, this week has been Spring Break. Which does not really mean much to a homeschooling family, except that there are definitely some places to avoid, if you do not like crowds. It also means that the community center really ups their game, with camps and extra programs for kids. This whole week they have been showing movies for free. Yesterday's movie was "Big Hero 6". A movie that we all love as a family and I thought they would enjoy on the big screen. They definitely did, even the baby, until he fell asleep. It was the perfect outing for a soggy day. All in all it has been a very nice "Spring Break."

Many blessings this fine, "Spring" night.--Kate

Two More Projects Done

As predicted I finished the shawl just in time for spring weather. With all the rain it is definitely still cool enough to use it though. As I said when I first posted this project, this pattern is from one of the knitting mystery series that I enjoy reading, Maggie Sefton's, Kelly Flynn Mysteries.This pattern is called Easy Triangle Shawl from "A Deadly Yarn."

 

I also finished Olivia's pajamas. Of course my girl is already planning what outfit she wants me to work on next.

Many blessings this fine, misty day.--Kate

The sweet boys are feeling a little better.

Ill Little Boys

We have had a few quiet days here because the boys have caught a gross tummy virus. This was the best week to get sick, since it is Spring Break and the calendar is open. Poor boys though. It is awful to feel so miserable and to have to miss out on playing and eating.

 

 

Wish us luck! Let's hope the girl stays well. She has another dance competition this weekend.

Many blessings this fine, fevered night.--Kate

Olivia's Pajamas

One of the very first things we did when Olivia joined our family back in December, was go to the fabric store and find a pattern to make pajamas. Much to my daughter's frustration it has taken me a very long time to finally get around to making them.

Today, there was a women's craft day at church. Where you could either bring your own project or work on one of the projects they provided. Admittedly the projects there were super cute. A little herb planter made from a mason jar. Some spring themed projects like a little bird house, a garden sign and a floral felt coaster. As well as some Easter crafts, twine wrapped eggs, handmade Easter cards and a fabric cross. Though greatly tempted, I decided to work on the projects I brought, (much to the relief of my husband, I am sure.)

Though there was plenty of space for me to bring my sewing machine, I decided I would just work on cutting out the pattern at church and leave the sewing for home. Of course, even though I remembered my fabric, the scissors and even my marking chalk. I managed to forget the pins at home. It all worked out in the end and I did in fact get the pajama pieces cut out and ready for sewing.

Once home, I did get the pajama tops completed. My hope it that I will have the bottoms finished tomorrow and little Olivia with finally have some warm and cozy flannel pajamas for tomorrow night.

A huge thank you to Martha and Allison for hosting the craft day today. It was a lot of fun and a much needed (creative) time away from the kids.

Many blessings this fine, late night.--Kate

Sweet Brothers

The relationship between these two is so special. I hope that they will always be best friends.

Many blessings this fine, lovely night.--Kate

Easter Egg Planters

In our MOPS group we made cute little planters for succulents out of half of an Easter egg. It was a super simple project and a great way to bring some Spring into the house. Thankfully succulents seem to have a much higher tolerance to my poor gardening skills.

This project only requires a few items; Easter eggs, potting soil, and the succulents. Then a little piece of tile and hot glue to secure it. Finally you need your decorating supplies. Ribbon, lace, glitter, paint or Washi Tape to decorate the top edge, or what ever you would like to add your own personal touch.

The best part of this fun little project was that one of our Co-Coordinator's planned and purchased everything for this project so I was able to just be a regular participant.

Many blessings this fine, occasionally sunny Spring day.--Kate

Sunday's Adventures

We had a very full day on Sunday. We left the house at 9am and did not return until just after 8pm. Our day began with Sunday school and church. Then it was a quick stop at the theater to purchase our evening movie tickets before we headed out of town to meet up with Grammy at painting.

The paint project was hosted by Pinot's Palette, but they can not have painters under 21 in their building. So the painting event was in the gymnasium at the Girl Scout's building. It was a huge crowd, probably at least 50 people. The picture was an owl on a branch. It is always interesting to see how each person puts their own interpretation into the painting. I think my girl's turned out pretty great. Grammy was just there as the assistant this time. She was not sure if there would be other adults painting. There were probably as many adults painting as kids, so I would imagine that she will definitely be painting next time too.

While she was with Grammy, the boy (including their dad,) and I went out to lunch. Then all of the boys went to the Mobius Children's Museum and I went to pick up the girl. The children's museum is awesome and the boys stayed their until closing. They played the instruments, dug up some dinosaurs, tossed bean bags at targets, kicked some soccer balls, dressed up as firemen, played on the water table and pretended to be squirrels.

 

 

During all of their awesome activities, us girls headed back home to watch "Beauty and the Beast." We met our mom and daughter friends at the theater early, afraid that we might have to wait in long lines. Both girls got a little restless waiting for the previews to start. Everyone enjoyed the movie, maybe the moms more then the girls though. It is pretty much the animated version come to life. Which I loved, and my girl liked, but she did say "Mom, we have seen this before." The only thing is, if I was to watch it again, I would definitely do so in 3-D. The movie was visually stunning and of course the music was amazing. For anyone who loved the animated movie I highly recommend this one.

So that was our Sunday. Anyone else have any big plans?

Many blessings this fine, rainy, Spring night.--Kate

Fruit Kabobs

The girl was desperate to try another recipe from her birthday cookbook, "Cooking Class." Once again a breakfast recipe, fruit kabobs. These ones were made with banana, apples and mini oranges. It was another fun kid made breakfast, with dad acting as sous-chef. Thanks kids!

 

 

 Many blessings this fine night.--Kate

Day Packed with Fun

Today has been 12 hours packed with activities, excitement and wonder. Church, painting with Grammy, Kid's museum, and Beauty and the Beast. I have tons of photos and memories to share, but I am also exhausted. So all will have to wait until tomorrow.

Many blessings this fine, filled day.--Kate

Another Fun Sunday.

Almost exactly two years ago. We surprised the kids by taking them to see "Cinderella" at the theater. I figured my girl would be most excited about the "Frozen Fever" short at the beginning, but actually loved the whole experience. Her brother was probably a bit young and got quite restless before the end. Both were very well behaved and we took them to several more movies after that before their baby brother was born.

Well now, two years later, the new "Beauty and the Beast" is in theaters. This time the girl and I are going to go on a mommy-daughter double date with a dance buddy and mom who have both become good friends. This is only one of two activities my girl has on the calendar for tomorrow. She is also going to a painting event with Grammy. I am excited to share all the detail tomorrow.

Also the Sloths are done and will be hitting the road on Monday for their new home.

Many blessings this fine, misty afternoon.--Kate

Newest Restaurant in Town is Called "Red"

Thursday was a long, strange day, but it had the sweetest ending. My husband and I got to try out a new restaurant. It was not quite a date night as baby was at the table with us. The dining was casual, the seats were small, the menu was limited and the wait staff/owners were clearly trying their best, but could have used a bit more experience. At one point my husband had to go to the kitchen with them to wash a few plates and work the microwave. Boy were they cute though, and the effort was not missed by us. The menu was hand lettered and surprisingly easy to read. The decorations were hand crafted, and thankfully stayed put during the entire meal.

Though it was a bit rough around the edges, the entire meal was well thought out. There were complimentary chips and salsa waiting on our table when we arrived. The baby had toys to play with in his clever seat/corral and we had a nice selection of books and other reading material brought to our table while we waited for our meal. There were three entree options, spaghetti, pizza and sandwiches with a variety of vegetable sides and ice cream for dessert. We were offered "whatever was in the refrigerator" to drink, which actually boasted a fairly good selection. Once all the meals were warmed and brought to the table the wait staff/owners joined us for the meal, which gave it a really cozy "at home" feel. Sadly my husband and I did have to bus our own table and I did get roped into scooping the ice cream, but I can honestly say that it was one of my favorite meals. Hands down a wonderful evening, good food and charming company. I would highly recommend "Red" to anyone who loves their servers a bit short (and inexperienced), their meals to be leftovers and the intentions to be truly heartfelt.

 

 

Many blessings this fine, flavorful day.--Kate

One thing you must understand about my daughter, she spends much of her time dreaming up elegant events, moving musicals, touching theater and champion community celebrations. All of which "must" happen at the very last minute. In the last year alone, we have delivered Valentines to the block, had a lemonade/snack stand, had a Christmas concert (with Grammy and my sisters family), had a band concert, pulled all the dining room chairs together for a fashion show/dance performance, had a wedding for our two cats, (including outfits and photographers,) and so much more that I can not even remember right now. This girl keeps my life interesting.