Quick project

One of my dearest friends just moved from Austin to Chicago. Sniff, sniff! But lucky for all her folks are in Buffalo which is 2 hours from Toronto. They are visiting for the next week or so and we have plans to go to Buffalo for a visit this weekend. I made some number shirts for her kids upcoming birthdays this September and next June to take to them.

There are a ton of tutorials on how to do this so I won't bore you with too many details. But even if you don't sew you can make this. You need heat and bond from the fabric store.

1. Just enlarge your font of a number, shape, or letter to correct size with your computer and print off your pattern.

2. Next cut out the pattern and reverse it.

3. Trace it onto your heat and bond, make sure you refer to the directions on how to use the product.

4. Then you iron your fabric to your newly traced design onto the heat and bond.

5. Now cut out your design and follow the directions to iron onto the shirt.

I did a simple running stitch to hold the fabric in place. You can get really fancy with your applique stitches but I didn't want to use a lot of thread.

If you don't sew you can still make a quick shirt for a party for the birthday kiddo. But over time and washing the heat and bond glue will loosen. Still it is an inexpensive way to make a cute and personalized gift. You can jazz up onesies for new babies or add to a plain canvas tote, a tea towel, or a banner. Lots of possibilities with projects. One more suggestion is I prewashed the shirts and fabric to avoid shrinking or bunching. You could cover up stains on kids clothes with this technique as well!

I will definately be making more of these as this was a fast and simple project. I love the fabric I used and think my kids and all their friends need a dozen each!!! (Sorry this is a really wordy post... if anyone wants me to take pictures of the process I'd be hapy to do so.)

Bento resources

So the other day I posted a picture of a bento lunch and a new friend was super excited at the possibilities. This in turn was very refreshing as it inspired me to keep talking and blogging about it. By the way it turns out she wasn't too far from bento heaven known as Daiso. So without further ado please visit Jana at Sugar, spice, and a little bit of life for a fabulous post about entering the world of bento addiction. It will have you laughing! As will the rest of her blog.

Here are some of my photos along my journey into the process.

Amazing what you can fit into a bento!

So another great resource for what to pack in a bento lunch is over here at Wendolonia. Be sure to check out her categories on the sidebar for more bento posts. She also has a bunch of fun crafts and projects she has done. Her posts are super fun to read and she has a Daiso post too!

Another fabulous resource for bento to really up the cute factor and knock people's socks off is here at Hawai`i's Bento Box Cookbook, Bentos and More for Kids. I got her book for my newphew's 11th birthday. He wants to be a chef! Now I want this book for my birthday. Hint hint to the Dear Hubby. Wink wink!!! What inspiring ways to make edible art for your toddlers!

Thanks Ladies for your permission to share a little bit of what I love about bento!

Bling Bling

The super saver thrift store had a boat load of indian bangle bracelets for cheap. Miss Stuntwoman is all about the bling! Here she is modeling her fisher price baby links and her bangles. She likes to mix it up and be bold with her fashion savy self. I called her Auntie Kathy last night to let her know that at church last week she was playing with the little tikes workshop and power tools. I knew her Aunt would be super proud and would get a kick out of this next story.

Yesterday while on an errand a lady was charmed by the cuteness of my daughter and was socializing with her. Stuntwoman was chillin in the stroller but sat up and exclaimed to the woman "You have bling bling." The woman didn't understand 2 year old speak so I translated. She likes your earrings! To which the lady laughed and proceeded to show her nails with glitter to her as well. Thank goodness she wasn't impressed by that! I wish I had taught my young un the term necklace or pretty pretty which she will repeat but her first choice is to say bling bling and it is rather eye opening and hair raising when she shreiks loudly for it. It is fun to see her have a girly girly side and yet be a stuntwoman daredevil keeping up with big brother.

Sunday mornings

Okay people bear with me this is long and I have to be fussy and get a complaint off my chest. Every Sunday morning no matter what I do to get ready on time..... we are always late to church. It. is. so. annoying! It doesn't help matters that we happened to select a church that is 25 minutes away when we were "church shopping" upon moving here. However I do love this church and it feels like our church home back in Austin but on a much smaller scale. How could you not want to go to a church when your first visit the pastor's message was about Love and he stated that since he couldn't throw Love into the congregation he'd just throw fudge! Can I get an amen here?

On a side note about our church here in Canada, God not only transforms lives he transforms buildings as well. You see our church used to be a strip club and now it is A House of God. I didn't know this at the time we first visited, it wasn't until we had been going a month or so that I heard about the building's background. (my girlfriend in Austin was like, "ewww, I hope they cleaned everything really good" - Yes they did and they prayed over every inch of that space!) Anyhow I love how I found out about the church too. Not from my hubby's organized spread sheet referencing all willow creek affiliated churches in the area. We had tried a couple other places that weren't a good fit. One was a transient church meeting in a school and one was just too formal for us. Last June I happened upon a garage sale around the corner from us at a local church and thought, "Wow this is 5 minutes from the house. This would be great!" But they were too charismatic and so not my comfort zone. As I briefly chatted with the lady manning the church sale money box about our plight of having moved here from Texas and our search to find a Willow creek affiliated church like our church home in Austin, she mentioned the name of a church in the next town over and told me her niece was on the worship team. Well I went home and googled it. It wasn't on our spread sheet but that Sunday we went and have been back every week since. As soon as we visited we felt like we were home. You see I had been praying that day I went to the garage sale that I would figure out where to go to church as dear Hubby kept saying "Where are we gonna go to church this week, pick a place please". So you see you can even find a church at a garage sale people, or in my case God knew this might be a way to get my attention!

Whew, I got a little off my original topic. But I love that story about our church and how we found it. Yesterday morning I was trying so hard to be ready and on time but it was like the adversary had other plans. Hubby started getting kids in car seats and I was getting the diaper bag ready. He said "Where are the keys?" I had driven his car the night before. I thought I recalled taking them from my purse and putting them in his spot he stores them. I tore the house apart for the next 10-12 minutes. Only to discover he had put them in his pocket and forgotten. And who is the forgetful or disorganized one here?!? I was beyond irritated and did not behave like a mature Christian woman. I am so tired of being late, dropping my kids off late to child care and missing the worship part of the service which is like water to my thirsty soul.

I feel like I miss the message by being late and distracted. However we made up for the worship part today as we drove to the gym for yoga. The kids were belting out Veggie Tales Sunday morning songs at the tops of their lungs! Where was my video camera when I needed it? These are the most precious moments I want to bottle up and remember always. And the message was there in the music for me too. "My God is so big, so strong and so mighty there's nothing my God cannot do!" After I heard these words I reflected on how I continue to strive for the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I would just like to get the Love and self-control part down since they are the meat and potatoes part, seems like the rest is just the gravy in between and would go in line with those fruits. So I'll probably keep being late to church but will work in my fruit of the spirit and continue the worship in the mini-van because Lord knows I need to hear these simple songs and words over and over because the message is beautiful and true.

Colorful

Last Sunday after church we headed over to Unionville for lunch. They have a cute little main street with historic charm.

On our preview trip to find housing we looked at this area for houses that would be within walking distance to here. We never found a good fit.

Our agent who is from the area mentioned this main street and the historic houses is the opening scenery for the Gilmore Girls televison show. I have not verified this information but thought it interesting to note.

You see that building with the tower looking thingy and red accents? It is the Old Fire hall and it is now a confectionery full of fudge and ice cream and sweets! After lunch Master picked mint chocolate chip. I think he must have thought the green color was appealing!

Anyhow back to my discussion about our house hunt in March 2008. We noticed that some neighborhoods had some brightly colored garage doors.

Our agent explained that some cultures like this bright colors on thier houses.

We actually toured a house with mint green doors and garage and inside the carpet was mint green through out the entire house!

We decided mint green was not for us. Young Master may have liked it based on his ice cream selection though.

I just had to take a bunch of pictures so you could get the full effect!

I'm guessing the lady of the house picked this color out!

Hmmm, wait a second these people are just University of Texas Longhorn fans! HOOK EM!!!

Check out this Giveaway!

Rae Gun Ramblings is having a giveaway !

Head over to see more adorable japanese fabric at her etsy fabric shop for some fabric eye candy.

Also be sure to admire her adorable kids clothing (if only they came in my size!) I would so dig an apron like the retro ruffler! Visit her kids clothing at her etsy shop here.

Lunch

It's been awhile since I posted any bento lunches. I haven't been doing anything too fancy but thought this would still be fun to share. Master's is on the left half a ham and cheese and some veggies, fruit and a marshmallow as a filler and there is sunshine dip (aka red french dressing) in the little blue container. I also sent a juice box and a mandarin orange cup. He didn't eat the oranges until we got home. I considered only sending one sandwich and doing a different filler like pretzels, sunchips or goldfish but didn't mess with it.

Dear Hubby has a ham and cheese wrap in a corn tortilla chipotle wrap, with veggies, fruit and some wal-nuts. The wrap was kinda small so I felt good about balancing it out with all the other healthy munchies. Some times I stick a piece of gum or candy or chocolate in as well!

I never know if the lunch is going to be eaten. Today's was a winner. Possibly more so because I couldn't get the kiddo to eat any breakfast. But thought I'd share how the container looked upon arriving home.

How I just spent the last 45 minutes

My daughter has a little people princess dance and twirl castle that she got for her second birthday. It came with a tiny wand for the little people princess figure. She carries this all over the house and says "my wand". I knew she would really get a kick out of a wand her size so I whipped one up during part of her nap time today.

Finished just in time to present to the "awake" beauty.

Love that nap time hair do!

Checking out the button in the center.

I think she likes it.

Giving it a kiss!

She then started saying "Poof" and imitating Abby Cadabby from Sesame Street. Now I will have to make a wand for brother. Maybe a blue star with a lightening bolt on it.

Ohio Cousins

Technically this set of cousins is from Tennessee. But they are originally from Ohio and since we were visiting Ohio we called them "Ohio Cousins". As you can see we had a fun visit and the kiddos had a great time. I hope we can do it again soon. I really appreciated my in-laws for taking me to see my Mom, sister and her kiddos and my brother. A big Thankyou to them for getting us there and home again.

Here is a short 6 second video clip of the chaos of trying to get a group photo!

I Love a Parade!

We got to go to my hometown parade which was fun. At first Young Master did not want to go until he caught on to the fact that there was candy being thrown to the kids.

My cuties waving their flags.

Happy 4th of July

My sister made this awesome collage of the parade.