I Just Won 8 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

I Just Won 8 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

New Contest

We've had a busy and stressful past couple of months. But, I'm not up to posting about that right now, so I give you a link to a contest instead.
http://www.secularhomeschool.com/content/348-October-Giveaway-The-Homeschool-Reader-Series-1995-1999-Collected-Articles-from-Home-Education-Magazine

Crayola Color Wonder Giveaway

There's not much time left, but if you head over to: http://afewshortcuts.com today, you can sign up to win a Crayola Color Wonder pack.

How Do you Take a Picture of a Child Like This?

My Lydia, she just NEVER holds still!

Homeschooling Resource

I mentioned this in my last post, but I've been homeschooling my youngest daughter, Lydia since February. I've just begun to homeschool our oldest daughter, Arminda. Corey, of course graduated this year. (my baby boy...)

Anyway, I again wanted to mention a wonderful site I found for homeschoolers. http://www.freelyeducate.com/ This site is a WEALTH of information! If there is something you want to teach your child, look here, and Lori will show you where to find a free resource for it! I am constantly amazed at all the wonderful things she finds! Just today she posted about a free Phonics reading program: http://www.progressivephonics.com/ I plan to try it out with Lydia.

I tend to start at Lori's site first anymore if there is something I'm looking for. And, most times, I find it on her site!

Ancient Egypt, Dance Class...etc...

As many of you know, Brian and I decided to homeschool both of our girls. We started Lydia in February and I just started with Arminda. It's going pretty well. Right now, we are studying Ancient Egypt. Which, I have always found very fascinating and Lydia does too! Arminda isn't quite the history nut that Lydia is, but I think I can get her to come around! I'm considering making a mummy with the girls. I found some "recipes" online. We'll see about that though!

And, Lydia's lifelong dream has been fulfilled! She is now taking dance class!! At least for the summer. She is THRILLED!!! I am considering making her some leotards. I purchased Kwik Sew 2725 on the recommendation of a friend of mine. I really hope I get to it! I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you though!

What else... Oh, I posted a new tutorial over on my Disboutique blog, written by my friend Jeanne (like in the bottle). It's a really cute little skirt.

And, here is a great giveaway on one of my favorite sites: FreelyEducate It's for Summer Bridge Activity Books. She's giving away five. And, while you are there, look around her site, it is WONDERFUL!

Have a great day, and don't forget to vote for me for Sewing Idol, you can vote every day. Click the link over in the right sidebar. (the one that should be sparkling and says "Sewing Idol")

Pook A Looz Giveaway on Chip and Co.

Cip and Co. is having a contest to give away a cute little Pook A Looz. I'd never heard of these before I saw this, but they are cute!
http://www.chipandco.com/2010/04/disneys-pook-a-looz-giveaway-from-chip-and-co/trackback/

Big Box of Sewing Goodies!

I spent the afternoon today at my sister's house. My cousin Tracy came over too, and brought me a huge box of sewing goodies!!! So many zippers that I don't know that I'll EVER have to buy another one! Buttons, snaps, hooks, thread, pins, Velcro (Heather is pretty sure it is form when Velcro first came out!)among other wonderful things! And, to my delight, a SEWING HAM!!! WITH A STAND!!! I've wanted one of those since Mrs. Mac Donald's Home Ec class in 7th grade. Oh, the wonders of a sewing ham! I will have to take some pictures and post them!

Why I Should Pay More Attention To My Kids

The other week was a busy one for me, trying to sew up all the dresses. So, I guess I was distracted when Lydia was talking to me.

"Momma, I want to make a kite."
"Ok Lydia, that's nice."
"Momma, I need some fabric."
"Ok, Lydia."
"I'm going to use some out of this bag, you said it was scraps, so I can use them, right?"
"Uh,huh.."

"OOOH, pretty!"


10 minutes later....

"Momma, LOOK at my new kite!"

"Nice Lydia..."

"NO, Momma, LOOK!"


"OH! That's my Sis Boom fabric..."

"I KNOW! Isn't it pretty!"

"Yes, Lydia it is VERY pretty!" (and very expensive....)

So, with no further adieu, here are some more pictures of Lydia and her kite.






What would Jennifer think???

These Amazing Friends of Mine

Last Friday, my sister requested that I be at Mom's house by 6:00 for our weekly Family Pizza Night. Mysterious little sister. She had me curious, I must say! I asked Corey if he knew of any special programs on TV at 6?? He didn't. I had just finished up my Dress Marathon week, and was a bit sleep deprived. On top of that, it was a hard week for me, because Monday had been the 14th anniversary of my second baby, Quinn's birthday and a few days before that was 13 anniversary of the birth of our third baby, Gavin. Neither one of them survived to their birth.

So, I was having a stressful and I'll admit a "woe is me" kind of week. I was very much looking forward to Pizza Night, so I could relax with my family.

So, around 6:15 or so, my sister, Heather, went into my parent's bedroom. Five minutes later, she returned and handed me a phone. I was confused (nothing new)as I heard familiar names coming from voices I had mostly never heard before. It was a group of my online (but oh so real) friends.

Shannon was appointed spokesperson, and she started out by saying that there was something they all wanted to say to me.

"Uh oh" I though, "it's a fabric-addict intervention!"

But, no as she continued, she told me that they had all decided to nominate me for the "Sewing Idol" contest being held on Sew News.com (go ahead and click on the link to view what she wrote, and go ahead and vote for me if you like!). She read me the most beautiful and touching tribute that they had all collaborated to write about me. I was stunned, I was in tears.

This is one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me, and I thank you my dear friends, Shannon, Cathy, Carla, Marlo, Stephanie, Mindy, Tom, Heather, Tifani, Stacey, Jessica and Jeanne you guys are the best!

I Just Won 10 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

I Just Won 10 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com

I've been doing Swag Bucks just over a month and have earned $20 in Amazon gift certificates!

Disney's Give A Day Get A Day

I went to Joann's today and bought some fleece for the family to make blankets for Project Linus. It's a project I've been wanting us to do anyway, so when I found out it was one of the organizations offering free Disney tickets for volunteering, I figured this was a good time to do it!

Lydia picked out a really cute Strawberry Shortcake fleece for her blanket, then since the other kids didn't think a trip to Joann's sounded like a fun way to spend their day off of school, we picked out everyone else's too. Arminda will be making a zebra blanet, Corey a dinosaur, Brian a hunting dogs blanket and Lydia picked out a cute golf fleece for me to make something with.

It was so much fun picking out things we thought other kids would like. Lydia put a lot of thought into it, and we talked about how nice it will be for the kids to be able to cuddle up in the blankets we made. I was glad that Lydia saw that the free tickets were really secondary to helping out someone else. (although, the free tickets are a very nice bonus!)

I will post some pictures when we get them made.

Time for a change

Like my new background? I thought is was cute too. I found it at Shabby Blogs
The best part? It's called Lydia's Apron!

I just finished sewing up a few things. I am a tester for CarlaC and I just sewed up this adorable springy dress for Lydia. I used SisBooms Casey Scroll in this fabulous pink! I added a sash to the dress. I'll be making more of these! You can buy the pattern at CarlaC's site or on YouCanMakeThis .

Then, yesterday, I made a dress for my niece, Tessa, for her Father Daughter Dance. My sister is a wonderful sewer herself, so I was honored that she asked me to make it!

I used CarlaC's "The Precious Dress" pattern (which I like to think of as "The Lydia" ) unfortunately, the card reader on my computer is not cooperating with me at the moment, so I don't have a picture. I'll update with one as soon as I can. For now, you will have to take my word for it that it was pretty cute!

Edit: My sister uploaded a picture of the dress, so I stole her picture!