What We've Been Up To

Hello Friends!

As I'm sure all of you can relate, life has been busy lately, and the start of the school year and the holidays only means that it will stay busy for quite some time to come. That's ok ... busy is good. It keeps me out of trouble (for the most part)!

Here's a quick snapshot of what we've been up to:

1) The kids started school, including Mr. Dexter who started kindergarten! So far, they are all really enjoying their teachers, and we are all settling back into the school routine. It's just me and Calvin at home, which is definitely different. It's very nice to have some one-on-one time with him.

2) Jay and I started a second Etsy store in July called Orange Dot Vintage. (As you can see, we have a theme going.) We figured we might as well take our love of garage-saleing and thrift store shopping, and see if we can put it to good use. We're having a fun time with it. We've had a few sales (and have sold some things on Ebay, too), so it's going well. You can see some of our items on the sidebar. ---> Below is one of my favorite items we currently have listed. Vintage hand embroidered owl? Oohhh baby!

3) A little backtrack ... before summer ended we took another trip to see Grandma in Monterey. We had a great time, of course, and the kids are still talking about sliding down her ice plant hill. We spent one afternoon in Monterey, eating junk food on the wharf, checking out the view, going to Dennis the Menace Park, and of course, going on a family bike ride.

4) My original Etsy store is doing well and keeping me very busy. I am trying to stock up for Christmas but I admit, I'm having a hard time keeping up at times. It's a good problem to have, though. Here's my latest (and one of my favorite) creations - a Supergirl costume, just in time for Halloween.

So, there you have it ... a small sampling of what we've been doing with our lives. What have *you* been up to? 

The Beach: My Favorite Place! (Can You Sense the Sarcasm?)

Well, the kids start school very soon, which means summer is quickly coming to a close and I have yet to blog about anything we did. Oh well. We actually didn't do too much... I like a lazy summer. I used to start off the summer with complicated and ambitious plans about all we'd get accomplished during the break, but this year I finally gave that all up and decided to let summer break be summer break.

One thing we did do was visit grandma, and take a little trip to the beach. It was a blustery day to say the least, but the kids didn't seem to mind. They took a break from the waves to do a little seashell collecting (their collections ended up much larger than this):

Calvin mostly ate fruit and played in the sand ... 

As evidenced by his face... 

I'm not much of a beach person myself, but the kids (and Jay!) were having a blast, and that's always fun to watch, even from my huddled up position on the beach chair. :) So we soon say goodbye to another summer, and three of the kids will be in school shortly. I'm not sure I'm ready for Dexter to start kindergarten. It will be quite a change for all of us, but he couldn't be more excited. And Cal and I will just have to have a lot of little adventures on our own!

Oh, and I Have a 10 Year Old

Natalie turned 10 at the end of June - double digits, baby! She has been looking forward to this birthday for a long time, because it meant one thing to her: pierced ears.

I didn't get any pictures of her actually getting her ears pierced, but she was a trooper. Luckily Claire's had two employees there that day, so she was able to get both ears pierced at the same time, otherwise she might have ended up with only one done. She has been faithfully cleaning her ears everyday and is excited to be able to start switching her earrings just in time for school to start.

The day before her birthday she had a small party at the lake. The weather was great and, besides hundreds of geese, it wasn't crowded. She and her friends had a fun time splashing in the lake, playing games, and eating snacks.

And that was that! Now she's 10, and there's no going back. She's already counting down the time until she's old enough to start attending Young Women's class at church. I have a feeling the next two years are going to fly by.

Happy Birthday to our first baby ... we love you!

On a Mission to See Some Missions

Because Natalie studied missions this past school year, we've tried to fit in a few mission stops on some recent roadtrips. We basically zoomed past Mission San Jose De Guadalupe (which was the mission Natalie reported on), but didn't stop due to time constraints. We did, however, get to stop and look around Mission San Juan Baptista.

Here are my fab four in front of a gorgeous mission door ... 

And here's Cal, practicing his "most shy" pose, in case he is ever nominated as such during high school. (Chances are slim.) 

We had a fun time looking around the mission, reading all the plaques and taking pictures in front of the statues. And I just had to take a picture of this sticker, though I don't think Jay found it as funny as I did.

What can I say? I'm easily amused.

More road trip pictures will follow one of these days. (Don't get excited, don't lose your head!) But for now, it's time to do something productive, like switch the laundry. Whoo hoo!

Some Childhood Obsessions Never Die

So, as you may or may not know, I grew up with a slight obsession with Nancy Drew. My grandmother had given me all of her Nancy Drew books when I was young, and I devoured them all, over and over again. When friends would come to play, I would usually talk them into playing "Nancy Drew" with me, which basically consisted of us running around the apartment complex pretending to solve mysteries. Oh, what I would have given to run into a *real* mystery! Of course, I was always Nancy Drew, and my friends were Bess and/or George. I don't think I ever gave anyone else a turn at being the teenage sleuth herself.

Fast forward to adulthood. I still love Nancy Drew, but for years my beloved books were locked away in a "pie safe" cabinet. They looked nice in there, but they weren't exactly being displayed as befitting a much-loved collection. Enter my husband, who loves me enough to not only agree to display my books, but to design, make, and hang the needed shelving. He's pretty awesome.

I was looking for a "before" picture, but the only one I can find is way before, like right when we moved in. I guess I had no reason to take a picture of that corner of the living room since.

So here's the result:

It reminds me a little  of the Apple newsstand. I love how all the books fit, and that the covers serve as art for that corner of the room.

And, side shot! We were originally going to put the books in the shelf "trough," but due to a slight curve in the wall and varying book thicknesses, many of them would tip forward and fall out. Putting the books on top of the shelves solved that problem, and allowed us to see the whole cover. I love happy accidents like that. 

You can also see my new, modern, print of the Oakland temple. I adore it. I purchased it on Etsy from a  store called Kiki & Company. I still want to hang a few prints above and below the temple print, just to fill in the space. I'm in love with the prints from Pop Rocks Design ... church related prints with a 70's touch? Did he read my mind?!?

As you can see, I love how it all turned out. It's so fun to choose a book, sit in my little corner, and bring back childhood memories. I can't wait until my girls are ready to meet and fall in love with Nancy Drew, too.

Another Beautiful Day

On Saturday, June 2nd, Beatrice made the decision to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ by being baptized! She looked beautiful and felt excited and happy for her big day. She had been looking forward to it for a while.

Normally in our church, all the kids that turned 8 the month prior all get baptized on the same day, assuming they have made that decision. This time, Bea was the only one getting baptized, so it was a nice, intimate gathering and she was surrounded by her dearest family and friends. She was disappointed that none of her school friends or teachers came, but her favorite Primary teachers did, so that soothed her troubled heart a little. (Well, that and the cards and gifts her school teachers sent, too.)

The program was lovely, with talks by Grandma Betsy and myself (though I don't know how lovely I was), and a song sung by Natalie. Bea was baptized by Jay, of course, with grandparents, siblings, friends, and extended family looking on. It was a very sweet experience, and hopefully one she will remember forever.

Squinty Smiles! The sun was right in our faces, but we did our best

Congratulations, Beatrice! We are so proud of you for the sweet, wonderful girl you are, and your decision to be baptized. We love you! 

Who Knew I'd Love Avocado Green So Much?

Well, after a short lull, we were bit by the home improvement bug again. I guess the projects really are never-ending around here, but they vary in intensity and they come in spurts, and it feels like it's been a while since I've had one to share on the blog. Lately, we've been working on our living room, and I'm excited to show you some of the changes we've made there. But, that's not what I'm showing you today. (I know, I'm such a tease!)

Before I continue, there is something you need to know about Jay and I.... we are the world's worst gardeners. It's true. I can barely (never) keep plants alive. Thankfully, I'm much better with humans. Anyway, because of this sad reality, Jay and I long ago removed the majority of plants from our front yard. A few remained, however, and they were starting to take over our front yard, stealthily creeping onto our front walkway. It was embarrassing, and we finally said, "Enough!"

This is what the front of the house looked like when we bought it almost three years (!) ago:

These are the changes we made about 1 1/2 ago ... I think. We had removed a lot of plants and had cut back the ones nearer the door, but trust me, they came back in full force.

And this is the front now:

Basically, we removed the rest of the plants, added pavers and about 20 bags of pebbles, and added some colorful flowers. Oh, and we painted our door and added a bench! There's still a little more work to be done, especially in the flower department, but I am very happy with it.

Here's my adorable bench, built by Jay. I like to sit here and watch him play "pickle" with our kids and their neighborhood friends.

Bench close-up! No more overgrown plants! Just some rocks, pavers, and Pippin.

Our "color block" pots, the idea for which I stole from Pinterest. Or, rather, from a blog post someone pinned on Pinterest. It's very complicated. Anyway, I adore them. Nothing like a little paint to gussy up cheap planters!

And, the front door before & after:

We went a little more "mid century" with the flat panels and the single doorknob. I'm thinking about adding some retro house numbers vertically on the left door, but Jay is not sold on the idea, so we'll see. I feel like it still needs something. Maybe the flowers just need to grow a little more... I don't know. I love the color, though. ("Spritz of Lime", though it looks more avocado.) It gives everyone a warning about the color combinations they are about to encounter on the inside. :)

So, hopefully the entryway feels a little more welcoming now, and people are less afraid of being attacked by a bush or a rouge yellow garden hose. I know I feel better!

Can't wait to show you what else we've been up to!

Classic Movies that Scare My Children, Plus A Birthday!

Last week, Beatrice turned 8 years old.

She choose to have a "movie night" with a few of her friends. They watched Annie, ate cupcakes, popcorn, and full-size candy bars, and sang "hard knock life" at the top of their lungs. It was quite cute.

Now before you ask, no, it was not the original Annie with Carol Burnett, it was the 1999 made for TV version with Kathy Bates. I know, I know, I am a horrible mother. But in my defense, we actually own the original Annie and my girls don't like it. They are scared by the helicopter scene, and they may have been emotionally scarred by Carol Burnett, only time will tell. Jay, on the other hand, loves the original, and has been known to quote it from time to time.

"Punjab, get me a drink!"

My children also don't like the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory as much as they like the Johnny Depp version. I realize that admitting these things is akin to confessing my failure as a parent, but it is what it is. Gene Wilder frightens them (which is sort of the point, I suppose). Natalie also hates the blueberry part, no matter what version we're watching.

They do like The Sound of Music, though, as long as we skip "Climb Every Mountain," so I guess I am doing some things right.

Ok, back to Beatrice. She had a lovely party, and then the next day - her actual birthday - the celebration continued. It was our last day of baseball (insert slightly guilt-ridden whoop of joy here), and then we had a very mellow family party in the evening. Bea's Primary teacher came to her last game and held up a birthday banner while simultaneously attacking her with purple silly string. It was fantastic (though I don't think the parent in the background approved of the whole situation).

The silly string is flying! 

Bea with her fantastic Primary teacher and her teacher's sweet husband

At home, we were supposed to have Bea's favorite meal of tacos, but I was frankly too tired and hot to cook, so we had leftovers instead. Thankfully, Bea does not hold that kind of thing against me. We did have a "baseball cake" and Giants-themed decorations, so all was not lost. Plus, Grandma was there, and she gave Bea a much-longed-for present: walkie talkies.

Note the towel on Grandma's shoulder. This is a Pierson / Fear habit that has made its way into my life. In fact, I'm sitting here at the computer with a dish towel on my shoulder as I type. It's like second nature. One day I'll have to make a picture book with only pictures of family members sporting the shoulder towel.

Because Bea turned 8 and will be getting baptized in a few short weeks, our present to her was her own set of scriptures, complete with a sparkly pink scripture bag. She was very pleased with them and is happy to have her own set. It has made her much more excited for family scripture study!

So there you have it. Life is moving pretty fast but I'm trying to enjoy it and be more "present" every day. It's a struggle for me, I admit it, but I'm making strides. I'm so proud of my sweet children. They are good kids... even if they are scared of Gene Wilder.