Why is it when you get your house on the market then you don't want to leave?

Just realized I haven't posted in forever!  I am actually getting back to a little sewing and with our pending move for husband's new job . . . I am thinking of blogging on a regular basis even if it is just for me and a family diary of sorts.

Turning 48 yesterday and also the passing of a high school classmate after a long battle with cancer, made me think about life.  My friend was a glass half full kind of person all the way and in some of the comments on her passing yesterday, one really stuck out to me . . . Lets celebrate the time we had with her and know we were better off for it, then dwell on the fact she was taken too soon.  That is really my moto in life and I am really working hard to instill it into my three kids.  I sat and really thought about what the next couple of years before turning 50 would look like for me and realized I have 100% control over them.  I made both some personal goals and some family goals.  Returning to blogging is high on the list and staying connected with friends, while working hard to make new ones.  When I look back in a couple of years, I hope to find us happily relocated and everyone thriving in our new environment!

I am choosing to think of this move from a place of gratitude . . . we were lucky to spent 9 years in a wonderful town, raising our children and having tons of time for them.  We were blessed to live in our spacious new home that we and the kids love for 9 years.  Now we are onto new challenges that will come in living in the metro new york area.  Our house will be a lot smaller and the pace of life will be crazy . . . but we will carve out a niche for our family and thrive.

I do want to share the link to the website with the photos of our current home (mainly for you mom, click the link and then on the top, click the "photo" tab to see the photos they took) The professional photos are better than the shots I have taken in the past when we rented the house out for track season.   www.19lizann.info

This has been a wonderful family house for us and one I am thrilled to have called home.  Yesterday while swimming with the two younger kids, they each caught their first frog of the season in the yard and went crazy creating a habitat for them for the evening, promising to return them to the "wild" in the am.  It made me think of

House for Rent - Track Season

House for Rent - Track Season, a set on Flickr.

Lots of shots taken on a dark and rainy day. More to follow, when sun shines!

Most photos have been taken in last couple days.

Painting 95% finished
New carpet/hardwood in master next 2 weeks

100 Days Project - Fake Cake

Ellie has been wanting to make a pretend felt cake for awhile and I kept thinking we would get to it.  When the 100 days project came up to mark her and her brother's 100 days of school, we decided now was the time to go for it.  Nothing real complicated to this project, but when I was looking for inspiration, I found one example, but had no idea what the fake cake was made of.

Here is how we made ours!

I went shopping at the craft store and bought some assorted styrofoam items, wreaths and circles.  We used regular craft glue, scrap booking paper, tooth picks/wooden skewers, washi tape, candles and embellishments.

         


We chose which paper we wanted for the various layers and then started tracing the wreath shaped
parts.  Then cut them out.

   


We pieced the two round circles for each tier together by using skewers.




We measured how tall they were and then cut strips of paper, mine were 2 inches wide and I had to cute three 2" x 12" pieces.  We secured them with toothpicks and glued the overlap to keep them secure.

     

We then assembled it, doing each layer this way.  We got a little lazy on the bottom outside layer and used washi tape around the circle, it was even easier and I love the black and white polka dot tape we had.



Once you have the layers how you want, then Miss Ellie, counted out the candles and we got to town inserting them into the cake.  On the bottom layer I used a seam ripper and made an x shape for each candle to be inserted through.  On the middle ring, we used a whole punch after gently folding the wreath circle in half.  Decorate any way you want, this was where we almost got too carried away and lucky Ellie got bored and wanted to finish!



We used huge skewers to secure the final top layer to the rest of the cake, so it wouldn't shift around.  We also used tooth picks to secure a row of flowers around the cake.




We added some fun with a banner made of washi tape over baker's twine and strung onto skewers to spell out "congrats".  Ellie wrote her name and also "Days of School" on notebook paper to give it a school flair.  We love how it turned out and she is thrilled to bring it into school on her 100th day!

Pillow Talk Swap 8 - Ready to Send

Okay I think the only thing I blog about anymore is the Pillow Talk Swap . . . this is the eighth pillow I have completed for this swap.  Each time I don't think I could love a pillow anymore!  Each time I learn something.

This round was not any different.  I finally mastered paper piecing!  I now own an add a quarter inch ruler and I know how to use it!  The most important tool however is a simple piece of card stock to fold against.

This pillow is ready to ship.  I will soon be sending it on its way!

I have been putting zippers in for quite a few rounds now, but must admit I am pretty darn proud of myself this time.  I didn't pull out my notebook from middle school and follow the steps at installing a zipper into a pillow - progress!

I must admit I am crazy for the back of this one.  I really love the chevron print in aqua.  Couple it with the hot pink washi print and wowza!  I wish the chevron came in a home dec weight and it would be the perfect pillow fabric!  Hope my partner likes this one as much as I do!