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vacation – part two

August 26, 2015

the house that we were in was just up the beach but also had a stream next to it (way down a high ledge) that fed into the lake.
so everyday we would come out to the beach and see how the stream had changed.
it was different everyday because of rains at night.

our rental house is the dark one in the trees just above annie’s head.

i brought my rainbow sun hat that i got in gulf shores alabama. 🙂

talby
everyone’s favorite thing to do in the water is wave crash.
we had several days of good waves.
of course i prefer it calm but i don’t ever get in the water so i doesn’t really matter.

one night we packed up and drove to the La Porte Co. Fair for some entertainment.
we watched a pig judging contest, a lawn mower demolition derby, a figure 8 race, gambled on mouse roulette, ate at a church fundraiser and ate funnel cakes. it was good old fashioned fun!
fair

we always go bowling.
always.
because it’s inexpensive… it’s fun… and all ages enjoy it.
bbowl2
Team Hot Moms win again!
no dishes for us!
bowl1
big kids are so silly.
i didn’t think it would be very fun having a house full of big kids… i love babies so much.
i am so glad i was wrong!!!
they are so much fun!

bowl3
and we always play wiffle ball.
this year they played on the beach!

selfies! seany

wrestling.
why do boys love to wrestle so much?
wrestle
please notice how empty the beaches are.
that is the only family we saw all week… and they were leaving when we got there.
people walk by throughout the day but there is NO ONE at the beach.
and that is why i love michigan.
i LOVE that there are no crowds and it is gorgeous every where you look!

football on the beach passed a lot of time for scott.
being 17 on vacation with your family may not be the most fun thing you could be doing but he was really fun to be with!
i liked hanging out with him… almost like another grown up was there. football2 annieheart annie found me so many heart shaped rocks!
i came home with a pocketful!

on our last day we had craft time because it’s ME!
we kept it simple and painted sticks, rocks and pinecones from the beach.
🙂
rocks

it was easy and sweet.
we came home with some pretty souvenirs.
every vacation we take a group photo.
oh my goodness have they grown!!!
dave and jenny!!! you guys are the best!
thanks for being such a sweet friends… for sharing your vacation time with us… for being hilarious… for loving our kids…. and a hundred other things. we love you!

we packed up and drove the 12 hours back home.
it’s far.
and we get tired.
but it is SO worth it!
taking time away together is something we are very intentional about with our kids.
every trip has meant so much.

(and YAY for waaaaay less hiking this year compared to yellowstone! ha ha ha)

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Elisabeth - So, I’m pretty sure you were on the beach where I grew up. And maybe you rented from the Allegretti’s? Dark little cottage right? Was there a beach shack with a Swedish flag on it a couple beaches south? Small world. Love that spot. My original happy place.
We live in Minneapolis now and go to a different Great Lakes beach in th U.P. that reminds me very much of all the childhoods I spent on the beach in your pictures. So happy you visit every year and love it there. Thanks for sharing your memories and pics.

Rebecca Torzewski - Looks like you guys had a wonderful time and the pictures are gorgeous! Thank you so much for posting this as it inspired me to possibly stay at a lake house next year with our family and have actually already started looking. (I’m from Indiana about 45 minutes from St. Joe, Michigan). It gave me such great ideas. I have been following your blog for so many years now and honestly cannot believe how much your kids have grown, and even though they have grown it is so nice to see that they still all want to be together and spend time with their family. Your family has really given me a lot of inspiration for my own and after I read your blog each time I always feel so motivated. So thank you and thanks for sharing your lives and pictures with all of us 🙂

Rachel V - Loooove that you come to Michigan for vacation! My hubby and I are from Grand Rapids — about 30 min east of the lake — and we feel so lucky to live in such a beautiful place! So glad you love it! 😊

teresa - I’m so glad you had such a fabulous time in Michigan – It’s where I live! I would have loved to stop by to say “hello” (not too long of a visit – wouldn’t want to interrupt your family vacation).

Sive - I enjoyed reading this so much, reminded me of your posts a few years back. I love that you can enjoy a vacay with your teenagers, my kids are very small yet but it kills me to think we couldn’t holiday together in ten years time…anyway, beautiful photos, Great post, hope the comedown wasn’t awful!

Kirsten - Perfection. Can you email me the rental information? It looks perfect.

Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - This is so awesome! I love the painted rocks. You made me want to go to Michigan!

Amy K. - I never dreamed that you could have a beach and a stream right next to each other like that – my kids would LOVE IT!

Gina - I love to see your vacation photos!! We have always stayed in a beach house on the NC coast but I am intrigued about Lake Michigan. The salt water bothers me and there’s that whole “shark” thing too. :/ I had no idea the lake could have waves until I saw pictures (maybe yours 🙂 ) a couple of years ago. Just curious how cold the water is? I may not ever make it a week long vacay since it is farther that the ocean but I would love to visit some time in my life. 🙂 I love following 33shadesofgreen on Instagram for her photos of lake Michigan!! 🙂

Amy M in Indiana - Great Vacation! We were at the LaPorte Co Fair one night –I would have freaked if I had seen you –it would have been like seeing a celebrity!

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vacation 2015 – part one

August 24, 2015

my favorite week of the summer is vacation week.
i get craig and my kids all to myself. 🙂
we get to just hang out with our kids all week and do only fun things!
no chores! no work! no sports!
it’s a sacred week for me.
i look forward to it for 51 weeks a year!

our kids had been begging to go back to The City Museum in St. Louis so we decided to stay one night in St. Louis on our way to Michigan. The City Muesem is SO COOL! Our kids were off running around the whole time and i literally sat in a chair and chilled… for hours. I had no need to go down a 10 story slide or crawl under floors. They came back soaked with sweat and happy as can be.
if you have never gone to the City Museum… YOU HAVE TO DO IT.
i mean it.

city2
that is sean… up in a tiny wire cage 11 stories above the ground.
i was having heart palpitations just getting this photo.
he said “WHY? You’re not even up here?!”
fear of heights is a weird thing… it’s not logical.
but it’s so crazy real!

we also had a very VERY hot and sweaty trip to the St. Louis Zoo… along with about a million other people.
we didn’t last too long.
it’s a BEAUTIFUL zoo! AND it’s FREE!
but it was soooo hot and soooo crowded that we took off pretty quickly.

annie had been looking forward to going to Fitz’s for their famous root beer floats again.
they did not disappoint.
🙂
fitz1
we went late afternoon and every one got their own HUGE float and then we ate pizza at about 10 PM.
so it was basically ice cream for dinner.
(another thing i love about vacation…)

mine was called the Loop Da Loop – root beer with coffee ice cream & chocolate sauce.
dang.
i loved it.

drive
in the morning we loaded back up and hit the road towards Michigan.
the big van we use for Craft Weekend is so good for vacation!
everyone gets their own row!
but sometimes they share a spot to play games or watch dvds together.
the boys just lay down and sleep.
not complaining about that one bit.

everyone asked on every instagram picture “where do you stay?”
and we all thought it was funny because anywhere along the water all the way up michigan is awesome.
it’s all so nice.
we tend to stay near St. Joseph area because it’s what we know best.
we get on vrbo.com and find a place… like a year ahead of time.
its always a gamble… and this year the house was less than stellar in MANY ways… except the location could cancel all of the other things out.
we were right on the beach!
we didn’t have to go up or down 213 stairs to get to the beach or the house.
that was really great!
within minutes the kids were in the water and happy as can be.

we share a house with our friends from Illinois when we go to michigan.
it’s a special friendship when you know you can handle a week in close quarters with 6-7 kids.
this was our sixth vacation together!

the first thing we do is go get groceries… without kids or dads.
we figure out what we are cooking for the week and work through our list.
it takes forever but then we are set for the week!

all these kids just keep growing up!
so rude.

we almost always end up going on vacation over the week of sean’s birthday.
so on his big 15th birthday we let him choose our activity.
GO CARTS!
and then he even beat everybody! they definitely weren’t letting him win either.
everyone was trying really hard to get in front but sean won on his birthday.
i like that.
gocart gocarts3 gocarts2
and then we played mini golf too!
for all of our activities, Dave had us pair up in teams to compete for washing the dishes that day.
ha ha ha
no one ever chose to be with me or with Jenny! i guess because we are the moms? but guess which team won every ativity?!! Team: Hot Moms! That’s right! We dominated at all activities and were off Dish Duty all week. 🙂
golf golf3 golf2
on our way we drove by this crazy place and i begged to stop.
because… duh.
it was part statue store – part junk yard.

i was in love with the old signs!
#jesusselfie

i’m trying to convince scott to use this for his senior photo in the year book. 🙂

we went to Chili’s for sean’s birthday dinner and rushed back to have birthday cake on the deck before the sunset.

i sure do like that 15 year old guy.
he is nice. he is considerate. he is funny. he is a big teddy bear. 🙂

that’s my view for all of our road trips… that smile and saying funny stuff to me all the time.

my girls learned to play card games at camp… in particular… they learned to play B.S.
talby calls it Bologna Slices.
and that brought a whole new element to vacation.
jake and abby already knew how to play.
it was so funny listening to them try to trick each other.

now that our kids have all gotten older – they all sleep in!
and they make their own breakfasts!
and even have dance parties in the kitchen.
i like big kids!

the dads leave super early every morning and go golfing.
(whatever… that sounds horrible to me!)
then jenny and i get up hours later and make coffee and sit outside to talk.
and slowly slowly slowly the kids wake up one at a time and peek out to say good morning.
then they would each go back to their electronic device of choice leaving us to talk some more.
around lunch time the dads come back and we all head to the beach.
DREAMY!!!

skipping rocks is a vacation must.

jake brought his Spikeball game.
My kids had seen it on shark tank and were excited to play.

more vacation to come… but this is already long enough.

🙂

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Annie - Thank you for sharing-an iconic summer vacation! This made me nostalgic for a weekend I spent at Cape Cod. Time slows to a crawl, ice cream floats (amazing by the way…) are what’s for dinner, and all schedules are thrown out the door like Fred does to Dino in the Flintstones! You are blessed with such an active, vibrant family. This was such a joyful post. God bless you!

Katie - We live here and love it!!

Susan - I’m a Lake Girl who loves Michigan Lakes! You have to go to Traverse City it’s a Michigan must. Do you look for beach glass on vacation? We love the hunt!

Becky - I used to live in St. Joseph, MI! It is beautiful there but the winters were COLD! We rarely swam in the Lake because the lake temp was never really that warm. We worked near the lighthouse and would eat our lunches there. Loved the drive into Chicago and stopping at all the local art galleries along the way. The sand dunes along the shore line were also awesome. It has been almost 20 years so I’m sure it has changed quite a bit, but it brings back great memories!

Kimberlee Jost - That picture of Dave and Jenny om the shoreline is gold. Blow that up and mail it to them for the anniversary. BEAUTIFUL.

Laura in Sacto - Amazing and dreamy pictures! Coffee, blanket and that view! Amazeballs.

jamie - and if you haven’t been to saugatuk or grand haven, you really must. you will fall in deep love.

jamie - doesn’t lake michigan just make your heart skip a beat? the hubs and i had a rare overnight alone so we drove straight down US12 west three hours from our house {we live right off of US12} and stayed in new buffalo. famous burgers {for me} and fabulous breweries {for the hubs}. we found off the beaten path little towns with great shops and beautiful trails in the middle of the forest. so happy you enjoy michigan!

Lynette - Sounds like a fabulous vacation. you’ve inspired me to be more intentional about planning a vacation with my family next summer!

Talia - What a great trip! Looks like it was loads of fun.

Toni :0) - I live in Michigan and love the St. Joseph area. We’ve stayed many times. We are in Empire right now just south of Sleeping Bear and it’s cold, rainy and cloudy. So not beachy weather and we are sorely bummed out. Must have bought a boogie board and beach cart and can’t use any of it. :0( Glad you had nice weather on your vacation.

marcie - The house may not have been great but “location, location, location!!” So beautiful. I haven’t been to Michigan or the lakes since I was young (Southern gal) but it looks fabulous. And get Talby a modeling gig – or lock her up for a few years LOL – what a pretty young lady!!!

Stephanie - Wow. That actually sounds like vacation. Some day! Thanks for sharing this!

Katie - Looks like so much fun!!

Sabrina - Your vacations give me hope!! Every year for the past five years since we’ve been married, we go to Michigan. And every year we seem to add a new kid. 😉 We now have 3 boys under the age of 5 and it does NOT feel like a vacation. Yes, it’s fun to see family and friends and go to the beach and play. But vacationing with a baby, toddler and a preschooler is brutal. The struggle is real.

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last week of summer

August 13, 2015

so… i feel like i was JUST writing about being ready for summer and now it’s over.
time is so dumb.
i decided to just dump a bunch of pics here and talk about what’s been going on.

this summer i let my girls into the world of starbucks.
until this summer i have always said no to them getting Starbucks and i have no idea why but i caved and now it’s a special treat for the girls when we are out and about. we don’t have one in our town so it’s a rare treat.
and the Smores fraps are already gone which means summer is over right?

we have been to all the restaurants everywhere.
we have visited the water parks.
and the pools.

i have enjoyed a full month of morning coffee right here while my kids sleep in or watch cartoons.

i helped scotty dye his hair for no reason other than total fun.

these four were hired as helpers at the craft house. 🙂
the boys have been working for almost two weeks… the girls one afternoon.

i finally finished the back stair way with a final coat of white and three coats of varnish.

treats at the craft house for hard workers.

Annie tried to pick her favorite color at home depot while i tried to pick a replacement color for the purple on the outside of the Craft House.

the previously brown bedroom is now “Painter’s White”
Sean, Scott and Craig have power washed, scraped, sanded, primed and are now painting the house.
SO MUCH WORK!
i am super proud of all of them.
we dreamed for a weekend about painting the whole house white.
it would be GORGEOUS!!
but in the end we knew we just didn’t have the time it would take to re-do everything.
we recalled that we have five kids, two homes, two jobs, football season, volleyball season, and a life AND its a THREE STORY house… so we decided to just fix what is there. 🙂
except the purple is going navy.
making grown up decisions is a a bummer sometimes.

we looked on craigslist for a few more chickens to add to our flock.
we didn’t know what we were headed into (like usual on craigslist) and we came home with these weirdos!
Talby’s is Cecelia…a silkie.
Annie’s is Pearl and we think she’s a silkie mix.
Sean’s is Sadie and she’s a show girl.
they are the crazy looking chickens!

i can’t not be outside this summer.
it’s my calm and quiet place.
every morning and evening.

these two are becoming expert grasshopper hunters.
they eat several every morning.

my parents came to stay the night for talby’s baptism.
we about passed out from the heat eating out there.
it must have been the hottest day we’ve had!
OH MY WORD!

talby stood up in front of our whole church family and gave her testimony.
she said she wants to be a missionary when she grows up.
and then she was baptized.
i was crying the whole time.
i am so proud of her.

we named this chicken Big Bertha.
she’s bigger than all the other girls and no one likes her but me.
i love her black beak and black feet!

this is why the dogs are getting so good at catching grasshoppers… because there are a million!
this ginormous spider is hanging out in the fenced area of the chicken coop.
she’s smart enough to be too high for the chickens to get to.
and a place where her web stays uninterrupted.
i’m terrified of her but totally intrigued and curious.
i like to check on her everyday.
Pearl’s eggs are SO TINY!!
it’s hilarious.
my friend said two eggs = one regular egg but i can’t imagine that to be true.
these are bitty bitty.
like an american girl doll kind of omelet.
ha!

back to the craft house today for more trim paint for me, outside paint for the boys and curtains need to get finished.
and school starts in FOUR DAYS!! yikes!
my only concern is getting up in time to get out the door!
how will this possibly happen?

we may be late the first month of school…..

#thestruggleisREAL

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Eliza - Aloha – I stop by once every so often here on your blog, and this may be the first or second time commenting. Let me offer appreciation of the ongoing sharing of your family life here – all the aspects chosen to be public.

I’m a bug lover, so I can tell you that your spider is an argiope. It is a big family of spiders, and we have a variety over here in Hawaii. Kansas has two. Yours is a Argiope aurantia. They’re on a site if you look up “Spiders of Kansas”. The boy spiders are very very small and live on the other side of the web. That way, they share meals. There will be an egg case tucked somewhere so they’ll come back next year. They are very shy with humans.

Enjoy your fall season. Peace to you & yours. Eliza

Lori - Loved seeing all your pictures ❤️

Lisa - ok, don’t get mad but…the Craft House screams “PAINT ME WHITE!”
thanks for sharing your Summer pics! I agree, it went too fast!

Rachel - Im not sure where the summer went either, but I am ready for the Fall for sure. Lets just hope it brings some cooler weather.

Anna - the picture of you dyeing Scott’s hair…..he could be an avett brother! he looks like Seth. which by the way, thanks for talking about them on your blog. I’ve fallen in love. I went to their concert at red rocks this summer…..best concert ever. EVer.

Angela - Oh meg, I love it when you dump a bunch a pictures!!!!!! It looks like you all have been having an amazing time! I can’t wait to see the pictures of the craft house with the new trim paint, I bet you’re happy to get rid of your most unloved color, purple!! lol So happy and proud for Talby, it’s such a special moment in her life, you’ve done a good job Mama!

Sarah Lahrman - Love all your summer pics. Isn’t it nice to hold tight to them…summer days just seem to pass by too quickly (especially in Indiana). I adore your chickens. A co-worker of mine have some exactly like yours and they have named them after opera singers! Enjoy those last few days…our kiddos started back this Wednesday.

Chris - I love seeing all your summer pics – especially the dogs and chickens. Thanks for sharing your summer fun!

Sarah - I love reading your posts and I’m still enjoying all the color in your great life. 🙂
We’re back to school in a couple weeks and I am so not ready!

Elma - Awesome pictures and what a wonderful summer!! I can’t stand that it is time for school again!! Now with the new chickens did you just put them with the other ones and no problems with them all getting along??

Ranee - and the rest of your summer and photos are so great! long live summertime.

Ranee - I don’t know why, but the American Girl sized omelet…can’t.stop.laughing.

bekkah - congratulations on Talby’s baptism!! that’s so great 🙂
I would love to spend a little bit of time in a town with no starbucks. i’ve got city fatigue over here in The Bay area.

Julie - What a great summer you have all had. Those grasshoppers are huge, so glad I don’t see things like that in New Zealand.
Enjoy the last few days before the madness of school rushes start.

Maggie - looks like a great summer. Are the donuts from Drubers? I grew up in Newton and miss those!

DB - Looks like a perfect summer to me! Being able to relax outside like that is adding fuel to my dream of getting out of the ‘city’…
I love that black and white striped skirt!

sharon / theprincipledtype.blogspot.com - . . . all those darling summer freckles.

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first quilt

August 10, 2015

first order of business – the WINNER OF THE 31BITS NECKLACES!

winner: “Kristina – Love it all. Especially Persimmon bracelet!”

Kristina… i need you to email me your address so i can send you these beauties.
my email is in the sidebar under my (very outdated) profile photo.

🙂

and now… back to the regularly scheduled programming.

last summer talby and annie started on their first quilts.
quilts take a lot of time and after we made what felt like a million strips… we lost steam.
IMG_7768(pp_w775_h775)
(but look how cute and little the girls are in these pics from last summer!) IMG_7791(pp_w775_h775) IMG_7744(pp_w775_h775)

so now… a year later…. TALBY FINISHED the front of her quilt!!!

i mean… have you ever seen anything cuter?!
all the colors!!!
it’s just plain dreamy.

are far as HOW we are making this quilt… we are making it up as we go along.
it won’t be perfect but we don’t really care about that.
🙂
we care about learning to love sewing.

we use the SINGER Heavy Duty Sewing Machine for all of our sewing projects.
and we use these at the Craft House too.

81Maa6mLwUL._SL1500_
the girls can thread it themselves.
it sews very smoothly and it is EASY to use!
i highly recommend this machine!
it’s $136 on Amazon with Prime Shipping.

i think that is a total score!

as soon as Talby finished Annie asked “Can i sew today Mom?”

i am so happy they like sewing!!!

we are still deciding on what to put on the back and how we will “quilt” it.

ALSO… if you are looking for great books to encourage your girls to sew or just to inspire them… i highly recommend these two books!

We Love to Sew: 28 Pretty Things to Make: Jewelry, Headbands, Softies, T-shirts, Pillows, Bags & More
and We Love to SewBedrooms: 23 Projects Cool Stuff for Your Space

We have both of these books and they are REALLY good.
they are written for the kids – really great photography, styling and projects.
it’s written so they feel like it’s THEIR book… not their mom’s book.

and when i went just to find the links for those two books i saw she has TWO more books!
i immediately ordered them both because DUH!
Annabell Wrigley is a rockstar.

We Love to SewGifts: Fun Stuff for Kids to Stitch and Share

a48f9f0ade72dc8856908d7321c72a52

We Love to CraftChristmas: Fun Stuff for Kids 17 Handmade Fabric & Paper Projects

02da98ac7daa39e66ea2a74f343b5b5e

my mail box is going to be so happy this week!

i am making curtains for a bedroom at the Craft House… the fabric is a bright yellow damask!
swoony.
are you making anything right now? sewing or not sewing?

let’s hear it!

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Loto - I love that you are teaching your girls to sew! Talby’s quilt is beautiful!

Southern Gal - I’m sewing curtains and a seat cushion for my daughter-in-law’s kindergarten class room. Next are clothes for my grandchildren and a quilt for my son. I love the scrap quilt. She did an amazing job!

Maria - So so cute! Guess I need to stop pinning quilts and just make one already!

Alicia - That is adorable! So happy! My daughter and I just started on a duvet for her bed. The husband and other kids are going out of town tomorrow and leaving us to makeover her very first room to herself. I think I’m as excited as she is!

Sue - Sewing. Always sewing. I make comforters for relief work around the world, for domestic violence victims, for people who lost belongings due to natural disasters, always to give away for a variety of causes. Talby’s comforter is amazing! She’s got a good eye for bright and fun!

I knot my comforters using something called the Decatur knot. It leaves an X on the top, and one stitch showing on the back. I enjoy that process more than struggling with a bed-size comforter through my sewing machine!

Erica - With my older kids I thought a shopping cart cover was a waste of time and money, but my youngest puts her mouth allover everything so I whipped up one out of fleece. Now she’s standing up in her crib and so I’m making a crib rail cover

Kathi - I’m going to order these for myself. I took sewing in Jr.High School a million years ago, and haven’t done much on a sewing machine since. I think these books would be just my speed 😀

KWolff - I love the colors of Talby’s quilt. It is very fun and looks like something that will be well loved for years to come. Thanks for the tips on the books. I have a daughter (14) that loves to sew but she gets so discouraged when things don’t work out right. I think one/some/all of these books would be good motivators for her to get back into the swing of sewing and actually have fun with it.

Jen J - Right now I am working on making a purse for my friend and I also have an order for a checkbook cover. I plan to work on making that today 🙂

My daughter recently learned to sew. She is taking a quilting class right now from a lady that goes to our church. I get to tag along to the classes and I have learned so much! I have never wanted to quilt before, but I do now 🙂

jen - Her quilt is awesome! I’m working on a quilt as well. Finally cut in to a bundle of Joel Dewberry fabric I bought about 5 years ago.

Lisa Perry - I am re-doing my little Jack and Jill bathroom…I aways buy two shower curtains and turn one into a sink skirt and curtains to match the actual shower curtain. Going with blues and greens and attempting painted stripes on the walls.

Julie - When I’m not working, gardening, cooking or reading, sewing is what I do. Currently I am making a scrappy sampler quilt – no real plan as yet, Here is a progress shot of the blocks I’ve made so far. Fingers crossed that when it is finished it looks as good in real life as it does in my head.

http://justjulielou.blogspot.co.nz/2015/07/wednesday-wip.html

Very impressed you are making more curtains – I have never attempted those.

phyllis - I love her quilt top!!!
Want! 😀
I am about to try Shibori… tie dye in indigo …probably on pillowcases to start since I snagged some at Goodwill.

Becky Kindel - I sewed fabric bunting and paper bunting for the kitchen and craft room in the new craft retreat I’m building!

KirstenP - I got the Singer Sewing Machine you mentioned for my birthday. I’ve been checking out quilting pages on facebook for pattern ideas and how-tos to make my very first quilt. I found a pattern I like and I’m tweaking it with a couple of my own design and fabric ideas.
On facebook’s Quilting Club page I saw this awesome quilt that reminded me of your love of color. It’s too difficult for me now but someday I plan to make it. http://www.craftsy.com/supplies/riley-blake-basic-variety-star-bright-quilt/14787?ext=FB_QC_PP_Ecomm_Activity_Ecomm_Purchase_14787_20150810_1400&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social%20Engagement&utm_campaign=Quilting%20Club-Ecomm%20Activity&initialPage=true

Amy Woods - What a beautiful, happy, lovely quilt! Absolutely perfectly imperfect. I love it!

I am currently crocheting a little beach bag that I started before our trip to the beach earlier this summer and didn’t finish. 😉

And, I’m working on a rag t-shirt quilt for a friend. It’s kinda giving me hives because I am now at the sewing stage, and sewing on t-shirts is making me nervous. I’m just going to have to jump right in!

Love that you sew with your girls.

Jackie O M - Just back from a week at Club Fred ~ spent with our grandpetites.
We had great fun doing projects. Petit #1 made a request to knit a new scarf (she began knitting at Granny Camp several years back). For this scarf, we both had to learn the seed stitch ~ not at all difficult. Petit # 2, the Vegetarian, wanted to make noodles by hand. And pesto. And Caesar salad ~ which she did at table;awesome. Petit #3 wove a small pillow on a cardboard loom, round and round as opposed to back and forth, no seams. He also learned a four strand round cord to use as a handle. On our field trip to Shipshewana, we scored knitting looms. Petites #2 & #3 along with granny are loom knitting! And paper banners!

GB Jost - Our Girl will be sewing her first apron!

Jody - LOVE the quilt!!!!

Books to inspire girls AND boys!!!! Boys love to sew too. :))

kim - After making lots and lots of headbands for my little girl, I’ve taken the ever so slightly more complicated step to…pillowcase dresses 🙂 Slowly, but surely, making my way into a hobby of imperfect sewing! Love your blog!

Nikki - I’m crocheting a shawl right now, but looking at Talby’s quilt is making me so happy I think I will go home and start cutting up my old stash of fabric to make one for myself!

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loving the deck…

August 1, 2015

since the beginning of july i have spent every evening (and morning) out on the deck.
all the heart eyes!

so this was our deck….BEFORE.
last summer and this summer until the beginning of july.
it was so depressing.
literally.
i would go out there and feel cruddy.

i started with flowers.
i went to find some… and in july in kansas it’s not an easy task.
Just like with most places you are supposed to start in late spring.
but i was not motivated then… i was motivated now!
so i started at home depot.
they had Pentas and basically everything else was dead – SO DEAD.
so i bought the pentas.
then i went to Menards… they had cladiums.
then to Lowes… they had black eyed susans and petunias.
then walmart… they had vinca plants and zinnias.
then to my local nursery and got all the vines and draping plants and filled in with more vinca.
i went to world market and found cushions 50% off because it’s JULY!
and target for the fun picnic blanket that i turned into a tablecloth.

i found this old cornice at an antique store in our town and thought “YES! This will help with character!”

craig hung it up for me the same day!

i blogged about our white table HERE.

the lights were also from target in the home & garden department.
to hang the lights…i could not find gutter clips in july either.
they claim they are seasonal (christmas) but i claim that is dumb… because it is.
after much discussion with a dude at Ace Hardware we decided that maybe some heavy wire would work?
and it did!
i bent wire into S shapes and bent it over my gutters and then strung the lights through.
i would have hung more but i didn’t think we had a ladder tall enough and craig wasn’t home to show me where the tall ladder was…
🙂

with all those cute details you barely notice the gigantor speakers right? (ha ha ha)
those speakers are not attractive but they ARE effective.
they are awesome for our movie nights.
maybe i will paint them?! i mean why not?! recover the black speaker with cute fabric?
anything would look better than giant black speakers.
but like i said… they work great! so they stay.
that old metal office cabinet i also found at an antique shop.
i want to paint it bright yellow but i haven’t had time yet.
and it weighs a TON so i have to be very ready because the men in family won’t want to move it twice.

i really like having mirrors in outside spaces!
they reflect more light and the views are always pretty.

i had LOTS of containers from when we redid the patio at the farm house.
(it was soooo cute and i miss that yard a bunch!)
almost all of my containers are old and junky that were other things originally… lard cans, galvanized buckets, trash cans, a bread box and a wash tub.
i bought a few BIG bags of dirt and got busy planting every container i had.

this white cabinet has been everywhere in all the houses.
it originally was an old built-in in our Illinois house basement.
it came with the green glass knobs!
for awhile it was annie’s dresser, then held our games.
it was in my craft room… the living room… my bedroom…
and now it’s on the deck!

and i am guessing some one is going to ask how i hung things up on the siding?
well… i tried to find siding clips and couldn’t.
so i decided to just hang it like i would inside… and i put a nail in the wall.
that is making most of you cringe and pass out but it’s not aluminum siding… it’s wood.
and life is about more than having perfect siding.
so i did it.
the end.
ALSO… the small signs are hung with 3M command strips.
which could be one of the worlds best inventions ever.

having chalkboards outside make for silly stuff that the kids feel like writing… right now it says “Justin Bieber 4 Life” and no one even likes Biebs anymore here so it’s just funny what will be written here.
the rainbow pillow cases were from IKEA.
the polka dot cushions are from Target… i just ordered even more.

animals
everybody loves the deck… even the grasshoppers.
🙂

every morning i wake up and have my coffee out here.
it went from the worst space in the house to AWESOME.

and i trash picked that white iron lounge chair over 10 years ago.
🙂

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Becky Kindel - I love how you’re able to make spaces so colorful, inspiring, and inviting. And that lounge chair is the best thing ever!

Lori - Meg- I would live on your patio if I could. The transformation is amazing! I just love it!

Your blog was one of the first I started reading years ago, and it is still one of my favorites 🙂

Melissa - Love love love – it’s amazing how much color and flowers can trasnform a place

Chris - This space is so happy! How you manage to keep all those flowers looking beautiful is like a miracle to me;)

chrissi - best deck ever.

Heather - Wow! I have serious porch envy right now.

Beth - O.M.Gee I have a major girl crush on your deck right now! We have a patio space that I have been milling over ideas to make it more enjoyable and homey. This post inspires me. I’m making it happen in the coming weeks. #goals

Karina - I love your deck. I would spend all my time out there too! (Where did the cornice go in the after pic? Please tell me it didn’t fall!)

Linda - You have an amazing ability for putting together space. I love it! I wish I knew ho to pull things together like that!

Mickie - Love, Love, LOVE it! I love to spend time on our patio too but I have to admit that yours just looks SO happy! And, I can always use happy. It just makes me want to hang out there with my coffee in the morning and wine at night. The perfect beginning and ending to a day!

jen - It looks great! Now will you please come to CO and do mine? 🙂

Rachel - Absolutley goregous! I LOVE it! Toally love your sense of hunour too x

Lisa - Of all the pictures you’ve posted on Instagram and on here I never noticed the speakers until you pointed them out. Haha! I guess I’m not very observant. Or they really aren’t that noticeable. I’m sure you’ll come up with a cool way to cover them but even if you don’t they really don’t stick out.

Lisa - Love what you have done out there, it’s beautiful!

Kristin S - Fly to NC and redo my BORING deck. In five years I’ve sat out there maybe… twice?

Renee - Do you have any advice on planting so many different flowers, especially when they’re sharing a pot? And keeping them all so alive and vibrant?

amyjupin - looks amazinnnnnggggggggg!
let’s layout and work on our tans and drink taladas!

Erin - looks great!! I love every thing! Almost bought that picnic blanket at target today. It was marked down. Now I want to go back for it. Lol!

Jenny B. - Meg, you amaze me! It looks wonderful! I actually did not notice the giant speakers until you pointed them out. Then I laughed because, hello… they are huge! 🙂 I was more interested in the fact that your electrical outlet is up high, as if it was put there just for stringing lights! This post makes me want to go out and decorate our back porch! It also makes me think about using some stuff outside that’s not necessarily made for outside (like mirrors, chalkboards, and school chairs!). Love all that stuff… Also, I remember when you got the Trex patio furniture, and I searched for it on Walmart’s website, and it directed me to a giant T-Rex lawn ornament. HAHA! 🙂

El - Where are your cropped white pants/jeans from that you are wearing with the green shirt in the 4th picture? Love the beautiful flowers!

deb meyers - …and those of us who bought oodles of potted color in spring may or may not have just heaved the sad and crispy remains into the compost…

ann a - We ate at a Mexican restaurant recently that had speakers up in the corner next to the ceiling. They were painted with big bright flowers (right on the black stuff). Your deck is unbelievable! (Except I believe it bc everything you do is awesome.)

Jeanie - I think your yard is wonderful. We enjoy our deck so much too. I just ordered a cow print and am anxiously waiting on delivery. I have to admit that I saw your family last night a at Stearman. I was so freaked out. It was like a celebrity sighting. Ha! My husband said. “You could tell her how much you love her blog”. But I was too star struck. Anyway, cute green dress and your family is darling! What nice teenagers you have. You are exactly the way you represent yourself on your blog and that is neat.

natalie - i am OBSESSED. girrrrl, this is SO GOOD. p.s. i buy plastic light clips at the thrift store because you’re right – they’re seasonal & that’s just plain dumb.

Kristen - I think it looks amazing! I love all of the little touches you added, but pretty much everything you create is amazing. 🙂

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Annie’s first pie

July 30, 2015

craig was gone for the weekend and i mentioned to annie that we should surprise him with an apple pie when he got back.
i said “you could make it yourself… he’d be so happy!”
and that was all it took.
🙂

who doesn’t love to use the Apple Peeler-Corer ?
all kids love this kitchen tool!
it’s a fact.

we use the Pioneer Woman cookbook Perfect Pie Crust recipe.
like the original first cookbook from way back when.

funny side note… apparently we don’t have a rolling pin anymore?
it’s now on my grocery list but i guess i left my rolling pin at the CH so we used our can of cooking spray as a rolling pin to make do.

we used the apple pie recipe from The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen cookbook.

SO BEAUTIFUL!!!

it was totally delicious.

craig was super impressed with annie’s baking skills and effort.
we made homemade ice cream and invited some friends over to enjoy it with us!

and it made the world’s best breakfast… hands down.

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Deb Meyers - Flaky Crust is the gold standard for pie baking and SHE DID IT. Just look at those flakes! great job Annie… it looks SO good.

Kathleen W. - Beautiful pie Annie !! Apple pie for breakfast is the best, enjoy !

Lori - So awesome! I’ve always wanted to make apple pie from scratch. Way to go Annie!

Jenny B. - I love it!! I have seen several kids her and my son’s age do some amazing things lately. They are growing up so fast!! I showed him the picture of Annie with her pie, and he said, “Wow, if I married her, I wouldn’t have to cook!” Ha! He is always thinking ahead. 🙂 By the way, my boys think they will do the cooking when they have families of their own because my husband is the cook in our house (you are welcome, future daughters-in-law). 😉

beth - that looks amazing! Love how she piled it mile high~ : )

Aimee - Next time if you don’t have a rolling pin…use a chilled bottle of wine…the dough doesn’t stick to it!

Kelly - Love that Annie made it on her own! My Mom makes amazing apple pies, and I love having a slice for breakfast!

Bridget - Great idea on the breakfast … it’s basically a better-for-you pop tart :o)

Bethany - Pie for breakfast is the best!

Julie - Great looking pie – love having leftover dessert for a breakfast treat:)

Lisa - Love seeing kids bake and cook! where did you get that adorable mug?

Amy Woods - Ahhhnnnnd now I’m needing apple pie. And coffee.

But Annie, you are awesome girly!

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meg’s week of summer… part 2

July 23, 2015

chicago2
it feels like a long time ago already but my super-fun-week-of-no-mom-business continued after the beach with my girlfriends. I got home at 11:00 pm on a tuesday night and left again at 11 am the next day with the Mr. for Chicago.
we had gotten U2 concert tickets waaay back in the fall with our chicago besties & the date had finally arrived!
i love going anywhere with craig and a U2 concert is icing.

he used priceline and got us a hotel room right in the middle of the city. 🙂
we are fancy like that.
i tried not to push for it (staying downtown) but it was definitely what i wanted.

i felt like the art work in our hotel was surely an original and hung just that day for me.
hee hee hee
i did really love it and made myself believe that no other rooms in that hotel had the same painting as mine.

i could sit and watch this view for hours.
and at night… ummm people don’t close their curtains.
so i got to watch all kinds of stuff in all those apartments… HA!
the city is so awesome! 🙂

we wandered around pretty much every where in chicago.
we looked at buildings and fancy cars and i people watched every second.
at one point i said to craig “can you PLEASE pay more attention to the people?! i have no one to share my thoughts with if you don’t see anything that i see.” 🙂 we look at different stuff. he’s noticing architure and i am thinking “where would a dress like that even be sold? it’s so interesting!”

and then it was TIME!!! (worst picture ever but the only one of all 4 of us)
dave & jenny took the train into chicago from the suburbs and met us for dinner before the concert.
this is at least our fourth U2 concert together!
our love runs deep.

i didn’t mean to cover Adam.
or did i?
he’s not favorite.
although i have never actually heard him speak… so that is probably why.
silent people make me slightly nervous.
like maybe i talk too much??
not like he was actually standing there… or ever going to talk to me anyway… just saying why he is my least favorite of the four.
and i promise i would talk to him if we were ever together.
he would probably end up being my top favorite because i am usually wrong about the quiet guy.

you guys… this is how close we were.
that is bono.
he walked right past us.
and then climbed up on the stage right in front of us and it felt so surreal.
we had floor tickets for the first time in all the concerts we’ve been to (which is more than 4 because we have been without dave & jenny too) someone figured out that where the best place to be was and we did that. we were against the wall in front of the stage!
FRONT ROW.
it was amaaaaaaazing!

another horrible picture but showing that the only space between Bono and me was that security guard.
and that really is bono – not a hologram all lit up.
i clearly needed to change my camera settings but i was too into the concert.

they had two ends of the stage and went back and forth the entire time.
the screen was HUGE and went up and down and from see through to full screen.

they pulled this girl up on stage and sang “Mysterious Ways”
she was totally shocked to be up there but not shy at all.
i always joked that i wanted it to be me up on stage but once i saw her… young and wearing the U2 t-shirt and dancing SO FREE!
she was perfect!
i kept thinking what an amazing memory this is for her.
i felt like a mom.
and she reminded me of my Lauren.

THEN Bono gave her a cell phone and it was hooked up to the huge screen and had her film them to the song California.
and she knew every word!
she moved all around and was singing her heart out the whole time.
he asked her name and she said “Katelyn.”
and asked her about chicago and she said “i actually came from mississippi for this concert tonight”
i mean… what could be better?!

you can see bono’s huge face on the screen above… bono loves the close ups.
that piano came OUT OF THE FLOOR!
the floor just opened up and the piano came up from a laying down position!
like it hinged up.
it was CRAZY!!!

best craziest most awesome night!!
so glad we came and got to experience it all again with jenny & dave!

one thing we do on our no-kid trips is get dessert to go.
we are never hungry for dessert after a meal anyway but at midnight… YES!
so if we see a dessert we like somewhere we get it to-go and enjoy it as late as we want.

we explored ALL over (walking in flimsy glittery flip flops – poor planning on my part) the city the next day.
we walked for about 8 hours straight.
craig never loses energy.
i do.

chicago4
we had lunch at Quartino.
we had walked by it the day before and it looked perfect so we came back… and it was!

if you go to chicago… you should eat there!
we sat outside because i LOVE sitting outside on a nice day especially with the city as the back drop.
but then i went inside for the bathroom and it was by far my favorite restaurant bathroom EVER.
i am a weirdo – i know.
but it was beautiful! i would like duplicate all of it at my own house!

that is craig’s favorite building… it is very creative!

we walked and walked and walked.
chicago3
and ate and ate and ate.

i never get to go inside a Blick Art Supply store so when i saw it i was all over that!
we found these faux vintage anatomy posters for lauren.
she was so excited when i texted and asked if she’d like these.

chicago5
so craig got his exercise and architure fix and i got to look at paint and color.
win-win!

as the sun was going down we searched for a spot to eat (outside again)
and we found Streeterville Social because it was literally the building right in front of us.
ha!
it was a really beautiful place… and it was brand new!

we have been married for 20 years.
it doesn’t feel like that.
i love getting away with him… no kids and no work.
it’s truly different.
being at home with the kids & regular life is good too but something changes when we can be all alone together for more than an evening.
we have been doing little trips every few months for a few years now.
a big long trip would be wonderful but for right now this is so good too.
i love these trips.
and him.
🙂

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nakcus - Ooooooh I feel like I was there at the U2 concert! Thank you sharing your pics and your amazing seats! Love this and everything else you post 😉

Kimberlee Jost - Bono!!!!!!!!!!
I have decided I must go to a U2 concert before I die.

Melissa - I’ve been reading for years and years and have never commented, but I had to comment on this one! I’m a Chicagoan, and Quartino is my favorite restaurant in the whole city. Looks like you had an awesome visit!

I don’t remember how I came across your blog, but I liked it right away for all the beautiful color, and also because my husband is from Clearwater. Your Kansas pictures always make me so happy because we don’t get there to visit nearly often enough.

Kathy - You are so cute! Thanks for sharing the whole concert experience! I feel like I was there! minus the actual music. 😀

Angie - Thank you taking so many wonderful pictures of Chicago. I lived there all my life until I moved to the suburbs. I don’t get to experience the city life as much as in my younger years. Makes me want to take a little staycation downtown this summer…mmm

Michelle Erstad - I LOVE that sink from the restaurant bathroom~designing my dream lake cottage in my head and that is the sink I WANT!!

April R - haven’t commented in awhile but i just had to here – this is deeper than walking and eating and concert attendance and I’m so inspired. Marriage should be treasured and celebrated! we’ve never really had anyone we could trust to watch the kids (military moving around so much) so we don’t do anything like this as a couple – sad – but reading this i know we should do something for just us…something, I’m going to pray and brainstorm and google to find some things we can do.

I’m so happy for you and admire you and the Mr. for building and growing your marriage – congratulations on 20 and thanks for sharing and inspiring <3

Patty - Meg, I have been loving your blog for a long time. I rarely comment, but always look forward to and appreciate your posts. This one, though, I have to thank you for. My daughter moved to Chicago an year ago, and I have not yet been able to visit her. She shares an occasional photo, but I have no sense of the city she’s in. Thank you for giving me a glimpse of the world she’s inhabiting. And, happy twenty years to you and the mister!

Tiffany - I love this! My husband and I just celebrated our 10 year anniversary! We had 2 nights in St. Paul/Minneapolis, and I was smiling through reading your post, because it could have been mine. Many of the things you wrote I was like- yep! That’s us! We hadn’t been away from our kids for 2 nights in a row for 4 1/2 years! We loved our time just us so much! Hopefully it won’t be another 4+ years before we do it again. So happy for you that you had a wonderful time!

Lori - I’m glad you posted about your trip. Beautiful and looks so fun! Happy for you!

Christy - It looks like you had a fabulous time! I sure hope that was a chocolate cake shake in your cup from Portillos! They are AMAZING!

Erin - I love seeing my beautiful city through the eyes of tourist. I’m glad you enjoyed your time together. good choices on the Giordano’s and Portillo’s. :o)

nora - I just saw them at MSG on Sunday night – on the floor, too! It was soooooooo goooooooood! Larry is my favorite.

Jenna - LOVE these pictures!!! It helped fill my Chicago fix for a little longer till I can go back. Thanks for sharing and making my day … So glad you got to go!

Lauren - My friend and I just took a girls’ trip to Chicago last weekend and it was amazing! By far one of my favorite cities ever!

Jenny B. - P.S. I gave the bunting I bought from your shop a few months ago to a friend at her baby shower tonight. She’s having her 5th child – her first girl! She loved the colors (lots of pink and orange and green). Love your shop! 😀

Jenny B. - Love!! I thought of something to comment after almost every photo, but as soon as I thought of something new, I forgot the one from before… So… I do remember thinking that your seats were awesome and The Edge was looking right at you in that last concert pic! 🙂

Dana Powell - Love this, and your hair looks great! You have been on my mind lately (long-time reader but infrequent commenter- sorry!) We normally live in France and went to a restaurant in Versailles right before we left (we are planting a church there). It’s called Le Cheese Club and it looks just like your house (subway tiles, green stools, etc.)! They were also playing, ‘All About that Bass’ in the version you posted on your blog a while back and I finally leaned over to my husband and confessed that my blogger friend Meg would love this place. 🙂 He definitely thought I was a weirdo at that point. To add to the weirdness, we just got back from Chicago and Michigan last week and I actually thought I saw Waffle there and then a family that looked just like yours from far away. When we got to the US, I was so surprised to see that you had been both places and around the same time even. We also stayed at a former scrapbooking house in IN that reminded me a lot of the Craft house. It was all so bizarre, maybe one day we’ll actually cross paths in real life. Ha!

Michelle from Australia - I transited through Chicago on my way to Buffalo last year. On my ‘completely on my own leaving my family at home in the other hemisphere trip’ 🙂 And then we all transited through Chicago on our way between Denver and Virginia Beach in December.

So two flights in and out of Chicago but haven’t yet made it out of the airport.

Maybe on the next trip to the USA? Here’s hoping!

Lisa M - We love Chicago! Beautiful and clean. A great walking city!

sharon / theprincipledtype.blogspot.com - omgosh. i follow you because of course, well, you are just awesome. but now? with the ‘you’re-intense-people-watching-and-why-isn’t-hubby-doing-the-same-thing-so-you-can-gab’ scenario? —we are like, brathars’from a different mothar!! (except sisters 🙂 🙂 🙂 )

Jenn - Love the pics, love, love Chicago! Its such an awesomely cool, funky, fun city. I love U2 too! What a fabulous experience.

chrissi - one of my favorite posts ever. thanks for sharing.

Kelly S - You are the CUTEST. Your hair rocks. It’s so long. Great post with fun pictures. There is a train that goes from my town (Lansing, MI) to Chicago, and it’s really a blast. It takes you right downtown by the pier. I can’t wait to do that again some day. Did you see Oprah? 🙂 Thanks for sharing your trip. I’d love to see what books you have been enjoying lately.

Kelly - Amazing pictures!!! My husband and I saw U2 in Dublin 6 years ago…best concert of my life! In the perfect city to see U2!! I have felt like we can’t top that one, but we would looooove to see them again and try. We also love to see the Avett Bros as a “couple hobby” since they tour around us more, and we have more chances to see them. Have you listened to Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors? Also a favorite. Try their Good Light album if you haven’t heard them before.

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