pumpkin smashing, chemistry style

doug took a sword to our pumpkins. maybe next year we'll try one of these.

child number 3

 

whoever dubbed the term "morning sickness" was sadly misinformed. it's more like all day, all night, purple people eater sickness.

so anyway, see you in about four months.

a thank you

for all the well wishes and prayers when isaac didn't miss the ground.

i think i have gotten back to normal (for me.) isaac is walking fine, his scabs cleared up a few days later, and he says he won't fall out of aunt meggy's window again, because it was scary.

they might be giants on homestar runner today.

isaac liked it except in the middle where it got a little loud. and strong bad was deciding who got french fries. anyway, here's the link

if you give a mom a muffin

by Kathy Fictorie

If you give a mom a muffin,
She'll want a cup of coffee to go with it.
She'll pour herself some.
Her three-year-old will spill the coffee.
She'll wipe it up.
Wiping the floor, she'll find dirty socks.
She'll remember she has to do laundry.
When she puts the laundry in the washer,
She'll trip over boots and bump into the freezer.
Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan for supper.
She will get out a pound of hamburger.
She'll look for her cookbook ("101 Things To Do With a Pound of Hamburger").
The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.
She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow.
She will look for her checkbook.
The check book is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two-year-old.
She'll smell something funny.
She'll change the two year old's diaper.
While she is changing the diaper, the phone will ring.
Her five-year-old will answer and hang up.
She'll remember she wants to phone a friend for coffee.
Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.
And chances are…
If she has a cup of coffee,
Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

my sister sent this by email. and it is the story of my life.

miracles

my son tried to fly out of a second story window. the miracle of it, is that he is okay.

my husband wrote about it here.

and i am still twitching. and not letting him near any windows.

stress reliever

try this out. how beautiful.

lazy days skirt

IMG_2664, originally uploaded by ebakkis.

this is a free pattern over at the oliver + s blog (just look in the sidebar). and i absolutely love it. it is very, very, very easy. it took under an hour easily. and miss mal loves skirts. perfect. (there are more coming, just to warn you.)

fabric is corduroy and came from jcaroline creative. and i don't remember the line. but it is mint green and brown, and i was going to use it for a bag for myself, but mallory talked me into a skirt for her. which surprised me because it wasn't pink.

chillin'

IMG_2635, originally uploaded by ebakkis.

now the question is, has anyone been able to post more than one picture using flickr?

all three together

IMG_2677, originally uploaded by ebakkis.

in whatever corner we may chance to grow

i have started a giveaway blog, where i will list giveaways from other people's blogs. you are more than welcome to check it out. however if you win something that i wanted, i will NEVER forgive you. just remember that.

anyway, in honor or maybe because i want to add some excitement to my life, the first person who can correctly tell me where the title of this post comes from, i will send them something lovely in the mail. don't know what it is at this point, but you will like it. because it came from me.

my torrid love affair with oliver + s continues

IMG_2297, originally uploaded by ebakkis.

i originally intended to make this for mallory's birthday last year, but it wasn't finished in time. so i finished it for christmas.

puppet show dress view with the pockets

IMG_2662, originally uploaded by ebakkis.

i added the pockets to the puppet show dress dress (the pockets were from the shorts if you did the tunic and shorts version)

and if you look closely at the bottom of the dress and at the collar, you will notice that the animals are upside down. which is why you should pay attention while you are cutting out your pattern. or you should make sure you have more than enough of your fabric. (i went back for more, after i discovered the mistake, and yep they were out in all of southern idaho. luckily i had enough to cut enough out for the top, but i had to add the bottom edge...and i was too lazy to switch the collar.

oh and another thing i learned from this dress? make sure you prewash your lining, along with your regular fabric. yep. the lining shrunk and makes funny puckers.

the animal fabric was joann's and was a nice soft corduroy. the green polka dot was from a fat quarter from a quilt shop, i think the line was chelsea boutique?

apple dolly

IMG_2361, originally uploaded by ebakkis.

and I made her a black apple doll to match.

(i tried to imitate how she drew her faces, b/c my drawing skills are lacking. i used crayon and pencil, which needs to be redrawn.)

a better view of the black apple doll and the toothbrush

IMG_2358, originally uploaded by ebakkis.

back buttons

IMG_2685, originally uploaded by ebakkis.

i used fabric covered buttons, with the red on green fabric and vice versa. someday, i intend to make a hair clip with one of the extra buttons on it, but it will probably be done when she has outgrown the dress.

back view of the puppet show dress

IMG_2308, originally uploaded by ebakkis.

oliver and s tea party dress

IMG_3589, originally uploaded by ebakkis.

I first got hooked on oliver and s because of their paper dolls. they were and are the cutest things and mallory loved to play with them. i made this dress in july of 2008 and i still haven't taken a great picture of it. oh well, the time has come just to blog it and be done with it.

the pattern is the tea party dress, and they have a playsuit. muahahaha....i get to match my children to my heart's content. i never finished isaac's matching suit to this one, however. i ended up not liking the fabric. have i mentioned that boys are hard to sew for?

anyway, the pattern wasn't very hard. the only hard part could have been avoided if i listened to the hints she gave in the pattern, but i would get going and think i could do it. nope. i would recommend using this for beginners, because it is well written. unlike some i could mention.

the fabric came from Joann's when it was closing down in the town i used to live in...kind of sad, but i got some great deals. i used some to make a dress for me, too, which i started in july of 2008 as well, but i still haven't put in the sleeves or hemmed it. probably by the time i finish it, mallory will have out grown this one. oh well, probably a good thing for her mental health.

this picture was taken on the Star of India in San Diego, when we went there this spring.

more pictures of oliver +s tea party dress...

IMG_1423, originally uploaded by ebakkis.

up close

IMG_2665, originally uploaded by ebakkis.

tea party dress

elephants are made of elements

Meet the Elements



they might be giants from Here Comes Science

our unwed teenage cat

had kittens.

and they act like their mother.





we have a flabbergast, a bella (named after the cousins' cat, but turned out to be a boy. oops. doug says it's named after Bela Lugosi now.), an abernathy whose nickname is patches, and a bobtail.

anybody want a kitten?



(just kidding, we do have homes for them. though getting them to their new home is taking us almost as long as it is taking us to get the momma to the vet.)

you would be free to rename them stenotrophomonas. or diapedesis. or apoptosis. all wonderful names. or weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth.

most of these came from doug, by the way. my children don't stand a chance.

change

i fiddled with the family blog today, if you want to go check it out. doug doesn't like it, so it might not last long.

anniversary

this was one of my engagement photos. and can you believe i didn't use it for the wedding announcement? i would have now. probably a good thing we got married when we did.

something i want to kill

a baby kimono pattern by martha. my befuddled mind can't handle interpreting sparse directions right now. grr... (yes thank you miranda for tempting me.)

anyway, on a positive note, found this site via how about orange and i found something for mallory to print off and put on her wall. probably by the periodic table.

curious what i want to put up?

this and possibly this for isaac.

oh and my friend jillian posted a note about free sewing patterns. use guest for login and pattern for the password.

and a picture to make this post even more random:

i was going to do an experiment with those green bags and see if they really live up to their claims. this was the before picture. and i forgot to take an after picture. so the jury is still out on those. anywho. i think i will go to bed. goodnight to anyone still up.

smelling the lilacs

walgreen's is offering 20 free 4x6 prints today. you can select pick up at your local store and don't even have to pay for shipping.

death to morning glories...

i believe they have another name, but they are definitely cursed around our house. mallory picked these. and wanted me to put in water. dandlelions fine, morning glories are another story. (but i thought they were pretty grouped up like this...i am a confused soul.)

another note, my mom sent this thought by email.

from GM Jerrard:

There are things that all men know are true on their face, things that require no explanation and no justification....We know, for example, that kindness is good and that cruelty is bad. There are other things that we learn from our own experience, from trial and error, truths that affect how we treat others. Moral truths.

There are scientific truths, tried and tested formulas that are true--at least for the moment--but which may be replaced with something else tomorrow. Researchers go to great length using the scientific method to eliminate error and to prove their hypotheses in an attempt to get at the truth. Through experimentation and trial and error, they try to discover truth. These are operational truths--assumptions and conclusions that are true to a 95% level of confidence with some possibility of error, give or take 5 percent. We use them as long as they are useful or until they are replaced by "newer"--and more accurate--truths.

Finally, there are revealed truths, specific knowledge given to man from a higher source. Sometimes they come as "the dew from heaven distilling," or as a still, small, even inaudible voice. Often, they come in a flash as an instant understanding of a concept inarticulated. On rare occasions, truth comes as a booming voice from heaven or in a vision brighter than the noonday sun. "The spirit enlighteneth every man through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spsirit."

Revealed truth dawns upon us when we are obedient...As we are obedient, God confirms to us that our actions are correct, and we are blessed with greater understanding. We call this testimony...

In other words, faith is essential to learning and recognizing truth. It is the essential first step.

Obedience brings more light and knowledge as a blessing to the obedient. Conversely, sin chases away the Spirit and our minds are darkened.

One of the reasons we came to this world is to learn to distinguish between the various shades of gray.

"When a man is getting better, he understands more and more clearly the evil that is still in him. When a man is getting worse, he understands his own badness less and less. A moderately bad man knows he is not very good; a thoroughly bad man thinks he is all right. This is common sense, really. You understand sleep when you are awake, and not while you are sleeping. You can see mistakes in arithmetic when your mind is working properly. While you are making them, you cannot see them. You can understand the nature of drunkenness when you are sober, not when you are drunk. Good people know about both good and evil. Bad people know about neither." CS Lewis

"Evil may not be referred to God for its origin. He is not its creator; it is one of those independent existences that is uncreate and stands in the catagory of qualities of eternal things...evil exists in the balance of natural forces...It is also the background of good, the incentive to good, and the trial of good, without which good could not be...No virtue could exist without its corresponding evil...In a world without evil-if such a world be really conceivable-all men would have perfect health, perfect intelligence and perfect morale. No one could gain or impart information, each one's cup of knowledge being full. The temperature would forever stand at 70 degrees, both heat and cold being evil. A world without evil would be as toil without exertion, as light without darkness, as a battle with no antagonist. It would be a world without meaning." BH Roberts.

a smattering

i think i missed this one if it made the email rounds, but isn't this gross?

a cool new battery.

gourmet fast food.


what isaac needs in his room (it will match, someday). ok, so i pretty much want everything in this store. "If you're a nerd, there's a pretty good chance that your babies will be nerds too. Why fight it?" my type of store. on a side note, mallory has the first few lines of the sun is a mass of incandescent gas down. 'twas a great project to do in the car.

and how great is youtube? i found the original sun is a mass...

fabric hair clips

i made these for a friend last year. i think it was for her birthday. or Christmas. probably both.

i used this tutorial for the hair clips. except i used mod podge instead of hot glue. i have no idea how they worked or if they held together. but i think i will used this hand-sewn clip tutorial the next time along with the hot glue and compare. i might even do a scientific experiment on them. sounds like fun.

the necklace was from a kit i got off etsy. super easy.

the fabric i got from a thrift store. which was sad because i wanted a lot more of it. enough to do a cathedral window quilt out of it. like this one. sigh.

sentimentality

what do you do with your stuff that means a lot but is broken and probably should be thrown away?

i am a bit of a packrat.

this is a picture of porcelain doll that was once my grandma's. and i loved playing with it as a kid. and mallory really liked it too. but the arm was broken off, and it really wasn't safe for the kids to play with.

so i took a picture and then threw it away.

someday i will have my dream contemporary home with minimal belongings.

brotherly love

i thought this was sweet.

sheep + LED lights

love the pong.

shirt to dress

this time i wanted to try a western shirt. i have been seeing them at thrift shops and thought the details on the shirt would make a cute dress for mallory.

the only problem was that it needs contrast. so i have been following the seams and topstitching with hot pink thread, hoping that it will stand out. haven't finished it all yet, tis on the to do list.

and the sleeves. they are on the to do list too. somehow they came out wonky. i think i will try a little shirring and see if that helps.


as for contruction of the dress, i did it a bit differently than before. i wanted the pockets on the front of the dress and the collar so i changed the style and had to do arm holes. which wasn't as bad as feared. but still have to figure out something for the sleeves...

sheesh, maybe i should quit...

doug reminded me i had already posted that picture of isaac's gram stain. i had forgotten it. oops.

a gram stain

i think this was from a swab of isaac's throat (poor kid, i know). big glob in the middle are two epithelial cells, small dark purple specks are gram positive bacteria.

afgan i made for mallory

actually i made this baby blanket in north dakota, before i was pregnant with her-- but i loved it so much i saved it for my first child.

then i added a ruffle to feminize it a little. but she still ended up loving pink.

oops

 

bought this and then read it. made me laugh

another quickie dress

the fabric came shirred and hemmed on the bottom. digustingly easy. we'll see how much mallory will wear it since it is not pink.

Winco's Old Fashioned Oats

again, another recipe for winco bulk:

oatmeal

2 cups boiling water
1 cup rolled oats
1/8 tsp. salt

add oats to boiling salted water, cover, cook 5 minutes.

curtain decision

i really loved the fabric on the left with our wall color. but it didn't match the couch. so i chose the one on the right--the flowers surprisingly matched the flowers on our couch.

easter

for easter doug filled out my families are forever frame. it was one of those projects on my list that required several other projects to be completed before i could finish it (have you ever read patrick mcmanus on sequences? that was exactly what this was), so i was so glad that he just did it for me. because otherwise it would have taken me until i had finished scrapbooking. and i don't know if i will ever finish scrapbooking. or even ever start. sheesh.

couscous

winco is great, bulk is great, but i have a tendency to lose the recipes/directions for their bulk food items. so here is winco's recipe for their bulk couscous so i can find it at 5:30 when i am making dinner.

bring 1 1/2 cups water or broth to a boil. add 2 tablespoons butter, 1 cup whole wheat couscous, 1/2 tsp. salt, stir. reduce hear, cover and cook for 3-5 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. stir to fluff up and serve. makes 5 1/2 cup servings.

space book for my sister...

Click here to view this photo book larger

i made it for her family for christmas

update: password is snotto

and the making of the space book:

i wanted to give her a photobook, but needed something to make it special, rather than "oh i thought this picture of your family was cool." so i debated between an abc book of her family or writing a story and putting pictures of her family in them. luckily my mother in law said that a story would be much cooler. since some of the presents i made her family had sort of a space theme to them, i thought i would send her kids to space. i had pictures from what she sent out by email (the green st. patrick day wigs were a great plot help) and some from our family photographer. working with pictures from email meant that the resolution on some of them weren't great, but since i only used head shots, i think it worked out well. oh and i didn't have photoshop, so i cropped out their heads with a circle tool, but i think it worked-- it kept me from trying to make it perfect. the space pictures were copyright-free pictures from NASA. it was a lot of fun. i want to do it again. so watch out world.

i liked the quality of shutterfly, however, the color of what was on my screen was not exactly what was printed. and i really don't know how to get around that.

password...

so if you actually want to read the words to the book, here's the password: snotto

silly me, thinking that they would just let you see the book.

if only isaac were a little bit older...

i would sign him up for one of these little league teams...

i hope they do it in about 5 years from now.

New Math

i think doug would think that was appropriate...

here's another one of my favorites:



and here's the link for lots more.