Recover an Ironing Board

Here is how I recovered my Ironing Board:

1. Selected my fabric. I needed two yards because of the length of my board and I choose a bright cheerful yellow so the task of ironing wouldn't seem so dull. My fabric was on the JoAnn's clearance rack for 2.50/yard.
   
2. Selected my wine. I needed a nice crisp white wine because it is still 108 degrees at 7:00 p.m. here so I choose a Pinot Grigio by Kate and Cassie (mostly because I loved the label). The wine was purchased at Target for 8.99.

3. Take a look at your old ironing board cover and realize that might be the reason you never really took to ironing in the first place. Pour yourself a glass a wine and pull the cover off.


4. Grab your seam ripper and rip out the cord.
5. You should end up with a full piece of elastic cording and a "template" for your new cover. You might want to iron the old cover flat (if you are into that sort of thing). It makes it easier to trace.

6. Trace the old cover on the wrong side of your fabric. I used a fancy yellow Crayola marker. You might have a washable fabric pencil. First trace exactly around the whole cover. Then trace an outline of the cover about an inch out from the first line.

7. Cut your fabric using the outer line you traced.

8. Now is the tedious part so take a sip of your wine. You will use your iron (I know!) and fold the edge in a 1/4" first and iron flat. Then fold and pin so the fold is on the first line you drew. This will leave enough room to thread your elastic cord back in.

9. Go to your machine and stitch around the cover leaving a 2" or so gap to thread your cord through. Don't forget to back stitch at the start and finish.

10. Bring your wine and go sit in a comfy chair. Take apart your elastic cord from the little holder. (Very technical - I know.) Thread your cord through the casing and then reattach to the holder the same why you took it apart.

11. Fit your new cover back on your ironing board and hang in a pretty spot.

12. Finish your wine ;)

Linking up to:

First week of School

If you read my last post you would know I left off waiting for the bus...

Well, it came and dropped off Audrey at the corner I was NOT at... then it proceeded to drive by me with Carissa still on it! Apparently I was standing at the wrong corner AND they won't let your Kinder off the bus unless you are standing there. Justin ended up chasing the bus down and the rest of our week kind of went down hill from there.

The kids came home famished and tired everyday. I tried a new techinque everyday to help ease the transistion but nothing seemed to work. We ended everynight with someone in tears (Audrey or Me) and started every morning with more and more anxiety (Carissa and Me).

Did I mention I had bloodwork on Wednesday and fainted and Justin and I aren't drinking this week? (Who's idea was that?)

By Friday morning I probably had the whole week written on my face and Carissa could feel it. She announced right away that she didn't want to go to school and I just couldn't find it in me to be upbeat anymore. We both ended up crying in the school hallway. UGH!

Thankfully my neighbors walked by and one of them (a sweet angle from God) convinced Carissa to go back into the class and then they told me to go home. Good advice. I was a wreck.

To end the week Audrey was stung by a scorpion. Really? Yes. Here is my advice. Put the number to Posion Control in your phone. You never know when you will need it. She is fine her foot just remains asleep.

My one glass of wine Friday night did me in and I was so thankful for it. Sometimes it is best to just curl up and go to sleep. Carissa asked me this morning if Saturdays are like "Pretend Summers?"

Uhh no, we call this a Weekend - but don't worry - they are just as fun. Phew TGIS.

School Year is Here

It is so quiet here.

I have finished all my work.

I ate lunch.

Only 3 more hours until the bus comes.

You should have seen me this morning. I was so brave - Justin surprised us and came home so we could take the girls together. We dropped Audge off first to 3rd grade. She was all smiles taking her new room in. I just know she is going to love it.

Kissa was next. It was kind of hectic and crazy in her room (with 30 students and their parents!) She seemed a little overwhelmed. The teacher said we had to leave in 5 minutes. So we hugged and chatted then all of a sudden she said we had to go in 1 minute. My baby held back the tears so I just gave her one last squeeze and left.
Thankfully I could spy on her through the window. She looked so little but actually really big all at the same time.

I wish I could go there right now and check on her again. I could just spy on her through the window again... But Justin said she will be fine. He said to think of all the times they bugged me. But that just makes me really sad.

Oh good. Now there is only 2 hours and 45 minutes left.

So Long Summer

Just in 3 short days school will be back in session. I had high hopes for this summer and for some wierd reason I feel like it didn't go exactly as I had envisioned. Instead I got something far better - something not even I could have planned.

We were blessed with Justin getting a little 2 week job in Flagstaff - which happens to be one of the coolest place you can be in Arizona. The girls and I were able to join him and stay at the KOA.
Audrey snapped some shots while we were there on her new camera. We rode bikes and hiked. We breathed in the fresh air and just had a great time.

The rest of July the girls kept me busy. We had a neighborhood "Summer Bash" and lucked out because Lola was able to be there. We had the chance to spend a great Saturday with Gramps and Gram where I learned about the fine art of frying pork chops and family dynamics all at the same time. While I had to spend more hours working on the computer than I planned I was enjoying the soundtrack of my girls playing, playing, and playing some more. Justin and I were even able to sneak out for a few date nights.

This summer the girls really were each others "built-in" best friends. While I can't say it was all roses, for the most part they were inseperable and didn't mind it. I can see them changing everyday and I know that it is time, once again, for me to follow suit.

I can not put in words how thankful I am for my life. For the opportunity I have had to stay home with my sweet daughters for the last 6 years. On Monday, I plan on putting on my brave face, pulling up my big-girl panties, manning up... I can do this. I can drop off my baby to Kindergarten and know that if I am not there to put the straw in her juice box someone else will. Heck, maybe she will even be able to do "myself".

I will let you know how it goes...

Great Eight!!

Dear Audrey,

I feel like I just wrote you a letter a few days ago when you turned 7 and now here you are 8 years old!! You will be starting 3rd grade soon which is just so crazy to me. If I close my eyes I can picture you the very first time they put you in my arms. When you smile I can still see the same look in your eyes when you were 3 months old. It is so wonderful to be your mommy!!

Thank you for taking such good care of your sister. She loves you very much and looks up to you. I hope you continue to look in the mirror and know the girl staring back at you is so special. She is beautiful and loving and has a heart for just belting out a song.

Remember to continue to be a cheerful giver and a friend who listens. If you keep laughing and singing your way through life I know you will make be able to accomplish anything.

I Love you,
Mom

Texas in June

The cousins live in Georgia and we live in Arizona so we thought we were pretty smart when we decided to hop in the car and meet in the middle. San Antonio, TX, home of the Alamo, Riverwalk, keep away from rattlesnake signs, and a very very hot sun. This would mark our 3rd annual summer trip.

It didn't take the kids long this year to remember each other and they started hanging out right away. Brynn & Carissa were super cute to watch together.

Our first outing was Sea World and we got there when the gates opened and left at 9:30 when the gates closed. One of the highlights of the park was the all you can eat food wristband we bought everyone. They thought it was so cool they could go into any restaurant and get however much they wanted, whenever they wanted. Here they are on the side of the dolphin pool. The pool actually has dolphins in the water but they were more interested in hanging over the edge - go figure.

We learned this trip that the only dare-devils are Justin, Audrey, and Aunt Cecelia. They thought it would actually be fun to go on this roller coaster ride called Steel Eel. The sane people just watched.

After the ride Audrey said it was super scary... I like this picture with Byrnn looking up contemplating the ride. I have a feeling when she is tall enough she will join them.

The Rio Loco ride was actually the best. The Dad's took the kids first and rumor has it the kids were bummed when they had to come back and go with the Moms. But we proved them wrong. The line was so short we took a short cut and rode the ride 2 more times - making us the cooler parents (at least for a few minutes anyways!).

SeaWorld was really fun and the shows (Azul and Shamu Rocks) were really neat. There was a terrifying few moments when we lost Brynn and Carissa. They decided they could ride the Shamu Express without any parents and the crazy thing was the teenagers running the rides would have let them! But we ended Day 1 on a good note!

Day Two brought us to the heart of Texas - San Antonio Riverwalk. Did I mention Texas in June is Hot? This was not my best day. I could post more pictures and dwell on how HOT it was, how Justin told all the kids to get in the fountain (and they had tennis shoes on!), how we watched the 4D Skies Over Texas movie and every kid cried, or how went to the top of the Tower of America and it made me nauseous. But instead I will show you highlight of the day - Icees in huge Vegas style cups in the shade - ahhh.

Day 3 was the Natural Caverns. Underground and cooler then above. I really love these places especially when they start saying things like "this straw formation was formed 6,000,000,000 years ago, all right?" (Our 15-year old tour guide said all right - ALOT!). That is a large number and my eyes start to glaze over because I just can't comprehend it. I think Audrey's did too because once our guide said we couldn't touch anything - that is all she thought about.

It was relaxing and enjoyable and a great way to spend part of our last day. I will have to just mention here that on the way to the caverns I squished an ant in the car. I thought it was kind of weird but let it go. A few minutes later I squished another ant and happened to investigate a little further. Come to find out our whole car was infested with ants. It is crazy and annoying to watch a million ants forage for every goldfish and graham cracker crumb in your car. Glad to report a Wal-mart was near by (imagine that?) and Justin sprayed enough ant killer to keep our car pest free for the next 18 years.

After saying our tearful good-bye to the cousins we headed to Padre Island, TX for some beach time. On the second day there we decided to explore a dock that had a posting for a bird lookout. The parking lot looked into a fenced yard marked Alligator Habitat. I casually commented that I wouldn't want to enter and was glad there was a fence.

Off we went down the dock passing a large marshy area. My mind was telling me that it looked a lot like a place an alligator would love to live. Wouldn't you know it but the alligators did not stay behind the fence! They did live there. And we had the lovely privilege of walking right over one... How Does That Happen?

We didn't stay long.

The rest of the time was spent lounging on the beach. Watching the girls when they knew we were looking...

And when they didn't....

On the last day we ended up driving from Padre Island, TX to Buckeye, AZ in one day. It was a 17 hour drive and we were ready to be home. At the end of crazy trips like this I wonder why we do it? But, I think Carissa summed it up well in the sand...

Too much social media!!

Wow - I am really lagging on this blog posting thing!! The truth is I just can't keep up. Between Facebook and texting and blogging I just can't choose. There are pictures on my camera phone and pictures on my camera. I can post a picture here but can't get if off there. Too many updates and status changes and posts. There is digital scrapbooking vs blogging and it is just getting to be too much!!

I want to do what will matter most. I want to preserve memories but not be so caught up in tracking the memories I am not making any. The girls just had a Dance Recital and they did excellent. Audrey was in a Hip Hop number and she was straight gangsta' the whole day. Carissa did a tap routine to the Pinocchio song "Got No Strings".

The minute my child started to dance I attempted to film. Ha! Who can do that? I gave up in about 3 seconds because I was missing it!! I opted for the live show once instead of the playback forever.

Maybe I will look back in fifteen years and wish I did a better job of documenting each moment. **I really do want to tell them the whole story and not miss a detail.** But I am realizing I can only do so much. Some events will just have to be left up to the storytellers memory...