Gettin' Crafty Wit It

We have three birthday parties this weekend, so guess who's been crafty this week?

It's been quite a while since I did any little critters, they are so fun! Except for the hand cramping doing the tiny parts, that sucks.

For birthday boy #1:

This cute little turtle! Of course now my kids want one too. He is pretty adorable, if I do say so myself.



For birthday girl #2:

Pirouette! She is into ballet, so this should make her smile. My favorite part is the tail, so cute!





For birthday boy #3:


This hat, modeled by Hannah. I really love this pattern, it's a keeper. Probably the most "professional" looking hat I've ever made, and it's super thick and warm. Plus, the texture is awesome.


Phew! I think I'm ready for some birthday cake.

Sick Of Potato Salad?

Give this salad a try instead! It's super tasty and great with grilled food. Makes a giant batch, nice for a potluck.


Curried Rice Salad with Artichokes

• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups uncooked white rice
• 3 (6.5 ounce) jars marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 5 green onions, chopped
• 1 green red pepper, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Combine chicken stock and rice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Cook until tender, about 20 minutes. In a small bowl, mix together artichoke marinade, mayonnaise, and curry powder. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine artichoke hearts, green onions, bell pepper, parsley, and celery. Mix in cooked rice, then mix in reserved marinade mixture. Cover and chill overnight. Serve cold.


From allrecipes.com.

New 'Do

I absolutely love Hannah's new haircut - it suits her perfectly!






Now she's all ready for back to school in a couple weeks. Well, almost ready - there is shopping for clothes, shoes, and supplies to be done. Yikes!

Speaking of supplies, I guess I'd forgotten how much college textbooks cost. Jordan's books for this semester would have been over $700 (even for used books at the school bookstore) if I hadn't spent hours finding them on ebay and various other sites for a fraction of the cost. Seriously? I know what I'll be selling on ebay in a few months...

Paddlin'

Check it out, I'm in a boat! Nothing too wild, we just paddled out in the marina to watch the Women's National Wakeboard Competition up close and personal. Those chicks get some mad air!





The beginning of this video is super shaky so hold on to your guts!

Spidey Blanket

Evan's blanket it done at last! Actually, it only took a couple weeks, and it was fun to make. I got the pattern here. I chose orange and red to match his room, and I think it looks pretty cool!





The photos are kinda crappy but you get the idea. Next up: those lunchbags and a Hello Kitty ballerina for our neighbor girl. (really) Oh, and an earflap hat for Jordan's friend. I am not a machine, people!

Supastar!

Thursday morning Shane got up before dawn for a special live news broadcast from the new Rock kayak park here in Sparks. Apparently, it's all about "the love of the sport". I had to record it off the TV so I apologize if it's funky.



I think he looks pretty cute - and that change at the end from "fer sure" to "definitely" really classes it up. Nice job, Babe!

Busted

Most mornings before we leave for work, I write a chore list for the kids. Stuff like: water the garden, do the dishes, pick up the family room...

Well, the other night we couldn't find the remote. You know the routine - instead of walking to the cable box and turning the channel manually, we began an intense search and rescue operation. I got down to look under the couch and discovered that apparently someone's idea of picking up the family room is shoving everything under the sofa.




(The cat wasn't actually under there, she just came over to see what we found.)

When we called the kids in to clean up this mess, Shane said, "tell me you didn't just shove all that stuff under there on purpose." Hannah answered, "I didn't just shove all that stuff under there on purpose. What? You told me to say that!"

Oh, those silly kids.