Jessica McCash

Valentine's Day Shelves

2012-01-26T06:36:00.000-08:00

We've had our Valentine's Day shelves up for almost a month already and have enjoyed the bright cheerfulness they bring to the house. Pinks, reds, and crisp whites have been a fun change to the green and ivy from Christmas! : )

This is my photography assistant.

His job is to ensure every photograph has the perfect balance of natural and artificial light.

He works hard and actually requires little very pay!

I feel really lucky to have his knowledge during my photo shoots!

And here is our Valentine's Day flag, braving the snowstorms of January. Poor little naked baby. Brrr!

I wasn't sure how the shelves would work out, but it sure beats redecorating my mantle every single holiday!

Oh, I can't wait to show you the cute Valentine Cards we've made! : )

Homemade Donuts {almost}

2012-01-21T19:29:00.000-08:00

If you have been following the weather, we in the northeast have been getting hammered with snow showers. With nowhere to go most days, I am usually at peace, one with the snow. I did, however, have to drive to a doctor's appointment last week and was a nervous wreck, but they have a million snow plows in operation here and thankfully, it can snow a foot and you won't find much on the roads anywhere.

Yesterday, we got around three inches in as many hours. You will be fined here if you don't shovel your sidewalk and drive within 24 hours, so David spends a lot of time outside.

Sadly, David is on day 15 of working straight- not a single Saturday or Sunday off in 15 days. Poor guy. We are thankful for the work load and knew this new job came with a lot of hours, but we still miss him terribly. He is at his office at 6:00 am sharp everyday {even weekends} and home by 5:00 pm, but goes to bed by 9:00 pm. We try to make our evenings as a family special!

Homemade donuts are my secret weapon in making everyone happy
{mainly by inducing a carbohydrate coma!} : )

Now, be fair warned.. a lot of the recipes I will post are southern comfort foods, because, well... that is where I come from. These are bad for you in every which kind of way.

So I'm sorry. But, you're welcome! They are so good and easy, it's a crime!

They look impressive and require so very little.

1. Vegetable oil for frying {See! Bad, bad, bad for you!}

2. Large biscuits, but don't buy the ones that say "flakey"

3. Melted butter in a bowl

4. Cinnamon and sugar in a bowl

If you have a tiny cookie cutter, pop the centers out.

I didn't,

{well, actually I did, but it was covered in play dough and I was too lazy to clean it. Just call me honest John.}

so, I just used the bottom of a little Tupperware container and a knife to cut it out.

Heat your oil on medium and when water sizzles on top of it, carefully drop your donuts in.

Fry them until they are golden brown on both sides.

Hint: if you under cook them and find dough on the inside, pop them in the oven at 350 for five minutes. Don't refry!

Lay them on a paper towel to drip dry {Oh, my, I wish you could smell this!},

roll them in butter on both sides, and coat with your cinn/sugar combo.

While my boys fill their tummies full of good-for-nothing-sugar and the all evil white flour, I sneak away to the computer.

They will never notice my absence... for they are in a carbohydrate coma!

You should try it sometime! : )

Our Playroom

2012-01-17T20:12:00.000-08:00

I must have the kindest hearted blog readers anywhere around! You ladies sure know how to give a compliment! Thank you, sincerely, for the sweet comments. : )

I had planned on showing you all the Christmas cards we received this year with pictures of all of my updated scrapbook pages. However, I'm not entirely sure you want to spend five minutes of your life looking at my ridiculously cute friends and family whom you probably don't know any of! Who knows though... seven degrees of separation, right? Maybe you would know someone... a long lost cousin?

Anywho, I think the year 2011 finished off my Holiday Album fo sho! It just can't handle another page. That means 2012 will be starting with a brand new album.

Lucky for 2012, it's already been purchased.

I would really love to document all of my cards from this year, so don't be disturbed if you see a post about it, oh, you know.. this Spring! Ha! : )

With Christmas down, I put together a winter mantle.

Okay.. a Spring mantle. You caught me!

I figured it wouldn't hurt to you know, push things along.

I need to choose and develop a picture for this cute frame. One of my best friends, Brandy, bought it for me this past September as a birthday present when I traveled home to Arkansas.

It is clean, simple, and uncomplicated.

It feels just right for this time of year, especially since I am still finding Christmas glitter in the carpet.

Anyone else in that boat? : )

Speaking of finding grime on the floor, I was totally serious when I said Harbor loves to vacuum. He really, truly does. If he even hears me utter the words "dirt" or "glitter", he is after that vacuum like wet on water. : )

It really is the sweetest gesture.

Whatever Christmas glitter remains in cracks and crevices isn't for lack of trying!

After all his hard work, he likes to slip on a pair of knee boots and stroll the house, you know, to stretch his legs and such.

{I think I will show the above picture in Harbor's senior slideshow and title it,

"Mama's Little Wooden Soldier." What do you think? : )

A few of you have asked in recent weeks about how I keep my living room picked up and how we store toys. We have two systems at work.

We keep a lot of toys in the living room, actually, but they are stored in baskets and on a wire shelving system that is Harbor's height. I found it at Target and it has been a great tool for every item having a place. I promise to take some photos and really show you how I organize those areas. Let's face it, between birthdays, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter, and "just because", kids naturally have a LOT of STUFF! It is a job to keep it organized.

Our second system is our basement playroom.

We feel really blessed to have three full stories in this precious old cape cod of ours. We have really utilized the basement. A guestroom, bathroom, laundry room, storage area with long aisles {David built these}, craft room, and playroom are all down there. It is just one huge open room, the entire size of our main floor.

But, we have worked hard to create separation.

I know I'm not likely to stumble across these images on Pinterest any day soon, but we are thankful for this space. By hanging colorful curtains, we have been able to create a fun space for Harbor to spend some of his days. It is perfect for when I want to get some laundry done or craft a bit.

We have a few rules about toys when they become too much clutter.

We either: store it, donate it, or move it to the playroom.

By the way, I did see a few pictures from my blog on pinterest a few days ago and got so tickled! I told David my detergent had been "pinned" and he gave me the, "Why are you going on and on about this?" look! Obviously, he doesn't have a clue, right? Haha! : )

Happy Organizing!

Worm Hill

2012-01-15T10:37:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day in the last three days that we haven't had snow falling, so Harbor and I bundled up to check out the neighborhood for a few minutes.

Our neighborhood is really such a picturesque place to spend our days.

Tree lined streets, historic homes, and snow blowers.

I still can't get over how close the houses here are, but it is growing on me. The last house we owned was one we custom built,and we purchased an acre lot. Quite a change! Ha!

Snow days mean less running around, less time at the library, and less shopping outings. To fill our time, we play lots of games. Harbor is also at the age now where he likes to help fold laundry, unload the dishwasher, and vacuum the floors. I hope he continues to think those activities are "fun!" Ha!

In order to get dinner started, Harbor played "Worms in the Worm Hill" {pipe cleaners in a strainer}, and this game is one he plays a lot. He asks for the "worms" several days a week. I like to keep it up out of his reach and only pull it out when I need to do something alone, like chop veggies or boil water. It keeps him busy for a good half hour and I can get a few things done.

I try not to blog very often about the many packages and boxes we receive from friends and family because I know that can get boring fast, but I want to make sure our loved ones know how much we appreciate them! Living 1,000 miles from home can make getting a simple card a reason to dance! : ) For example, a week after Christmas, one of my very best friends in Arkansas mailed a darling vase and a new Coach purse- super generous of her! We never want to take for granted the love of our family!

Thanks for the generous care packages!

Harbor spent the next few days working all his new puzzles and reading books!

I've been spending much of my days cooking.

Between breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, I seem to live in the kitchen. But not teaching full time has given me a chance to really get comfortable cooking, and I'm grateful for that. About a week ago, I started snapping pictures of our daily meals. I'm considering posting them with the recipes.

I'm not a gourmet chef by any means, but I'm like you- trying to make a delicious dinner every night without killing myself in the process! Would you be interested in having me share some of our "staple" meals, the ones that David requests, or I fall back on as tried-and-true?

Gotta go! Our peanut butter blossoms are ready to eat! : )

You Asked!

2012-01-11T19:48:00.000-08:00

{* Lynn, I'll answer your question from the comments here. : ) To hang the wreath you made, I just used a piece of blue painter's tape and stuck the ribbon to the back of the picture. I hope that helps!}

Thank you for all the kind messages regarding the house! It has been fun to share this journey with so many of you, friends and family alike.

I've received a few emails and Facebook messages regarding several projects, so I thought I'd do a short post since you asked.

I didn't take very many pictures of my Christmas card holders as I assembled them, but I do have a few. Some of you asked about them. I bought the trees at Hobby Lobby marked down to a few dollars a piece. The tag on them is actually a sail boat picture, so I'm assuming they were meant to be boat crafts.

I used paper and Mod Podge to cover them.

I had help, of course. : )

I then covered lots and lots of clothespins using double stick tape.

I made a hole in the bottom layer of paper for the tree and covered the stand, as well.

I plugged up my glue gun and glued the clips to the backside.

I made circle tags that told what they were and put that they were from the McCash Family. These I clipped right at the top. I avoided using gift bags or having to wrap them.

With the little tags, I just directly passed them out.

They won't hold all of your cards, but it is a fun way to showcase a few favorites. : )

I had lots of questions about the Christmas tree swags David made a few years ago, so when I took all of our Christmas decor down, I made sure to take a few pictures of them.

David used these long beaded garlands to zip tie the ornaments to. If you can't find these, just use deco mesh or even greenery type garland.

We have a few extra that I use in other decorations, but you can see a side by side comparision.

They are a good 2-3 feet long.

David used zipties to arrange the ornaments.

Moving down the graland, he ziptied them in a cascade.

They look great draped on the tree- easy to put up and take down!

I blogged briefly about my tree skirt some three years ago, but I wanted to tell you about it again, just because it is such a cheap way to get a great skirt!

This is the bottom of an old foo-foo prom dress, ripped off at the seams!

Because of the tulle and layering, it makes a great rounded tree skirt!

So, the next time you see a big ol' white wedding dress with a great skirt at a thrift store for like $20.00, snag it up, take it home, and rip that big skirt off! : )

Cheap and pretty! One of a kind!

{Can you see the ornament garland swags?}

We have been pretty low key around here for the last week or so. In fact, yesterday was the first day Harbor and I had left the house in about a week. We went to a thrift store, out to eat for lunch just the two of us, to the library, to the park by the pier, and then met David after work for Chinese.

We are still enjoying new Christmas toys and having lots of fun playing games and reading new books. I've been baking a lof of goodies {blueberry muffins for David to take to work and thumprint cookies with grape jelly. Thanks for the recipe, Liz!}

I have, however finished my Valentine's Day shelves! Harbor knows when I take one holiday down that another is coming and he says, "Mommy, what we doing up there next time?" : )

We work on them together, so it is a fun activity for us both!

A little preview...

Have you started any Valentine crafts yet?

A New Vision

2012-01-06T22:13:00.000-08:00

I've yet to tell the story of how this house became a home.

It looked nothing like it does today when we bought it. It was in great shape, but their was certainly no grand vision presented in that first walk through. But, I saw her potential.

David had to return to work immediately after a week long vacation in Arkansas to retrieve Harbor, Gigi, our dog, and me. He left us every morning after 5:00 a.m. and we were on our own.

I spent two days painting while my mom, thankfully, kept up with Harbor.

We had nothing.

dishes, silverware, furniture, internet, computer, dining room table, lamps, chairs , couch, dressers, or a television to watch.

We were waiting on the movers, due to arrive in days.

Thankfully, waiting in Arkansas to close on the Detroit house gave me plenty of time to figure out fabric, paint, and a very loose furniture arrangement plan.

Remember, David made an offer on the house before I ever laid eyes on it in person. I was seriously in the dark for much of the decision making, but thankful I married a man who could handle such a big decision alone.

I was without him in Arkansas trying to prepare sub plans to cover the rest of the year.

In fact the first time I walked into the house, we were days from closing.

And then the movers arrived.

And David was busy tackling big clients and new projects at work.

So, I had to handle it all. All by myself.

The unloading instructions. The decision for where a million boxes were to be placed. The assertion and direction needed to direct a crew. The financial end of paying them.

Telling them to be careful when they scratched the hardwood floors.

Just the week before, I was in a classroom, teaching.

My mom chased Harbor and our dog, and I put on a very brave face.

I recall feeling so overwhelmed.

At that point in time, I didn't even know our zip code by heart, let alone where the grocery store was.

I hadn't driven by myself alone in our neighborhood, not even once.

It was both a wildly freeing and petrifying experience.

And the house piled high with boxes.

And David kept working and mom kept chasing.

Everything to unpack and organize rested with me.

I didn't eat lunch. I didn't stop. I didn't take breaks. It was insanity.

And Harbor was a typical two year old, looking for something familiar.

We had left my career, our home, our state, our friends, our family.. all in one fell swoop.

The smell of cardboard boxes was a very real reminder that we had done something extraordinary.

Within two days, I had delved an organizational plan and got to work.

I was determined to have it all done in a matter of weeks.

And I did.

But, I still stopped to read books and play. Harbor needed all of our attention.

To know that the entire world wasn't turned upside down- on the contrary, just our house.

And David worked 10 hour days and came home and painted the entire house night after night, sometimes getting only five hours of sleep an evening.

Remind me of that when I get irratated at him from time to time. : )

Thankfully, he had some help.

Good help is hard to come by when you don't know many people in a new state. : )

And within three days, things slowly came out of bubble wrap. Three stories and ten years worth of "stuff."

Aren't the first few days of decorating so very painful?

And with a dining room table, we quit eating on the floor.

My mom was sewing drapes from bolts of fabric I had prebought as fast as the fresh paint was drying.

And Harbor explored tent city, overflowing with mazes, nooks, crannies, and places for losing little race cars.

And David kept painting, giving me the chance to hang curtains and decide on paintings.

My mom was the real hero. A full time babysitter, for both Harbor and the dog.

I was a machine who bulldozed through four bedrooms, a living room, a sitting room, a kitchen, a dining room, a foyer, a craft room, a playroom, a laundry room, a basement.

Kids are so resilient.

In chaos, the familiarity of my mom's cooking, my laughter, David's strong hug, it was as though Harbor had no real idea that anything was out of place. He just kept on. He had us.

And you won't believe it {well, maybe you will..} but in only two weeks, we had the entire house painted, unpacked, and decorated.

In two weeks time, we welcomed house guests from Arkansas and entertained.

Everything was hung, sewn, cleaned, arranged, and ready.

Now, brace yourself, folks.

When we walked into the house together for the first time, this is what we saw.

Now you can see it, too.

The previous homeowners....

The dining room before:

and after:

The fireplace before:

And after:

The dining room before:

And after:

Hold on to your hat...

The living room before:

And after:

The living room into the dining room before:

And after:

The master bedroom before:

And after:

The master bedroom before:

And after:

The master sitting room before:

And after:

The master bedroom before:

And after:

So, if you feel the urge to sell your house because it doesn't look they way you dream...

grab some paint and simply realize that it may not be the bones of your house that need adjusting.

I'm sure your house in and of itself is already fabulous.

Just try a new vision. : )

Finding the One

2012-01-04T13:21:00.000-08:00

When my parents made their trip to see us in September, we agreed to have a photo shoot so each family could begin the process of eliminating, debating, and deciding on a Christmas card picture. It was the same day we drove into Windsor, Canada to sight-see, so we had a time constraint, but still managed to take around 500 pictures {how is that possible??}

These pictures are all straight out of the camera, but you can imagine how time consuming it was to narrow 500 down to even 50.

I wanted to show you a few favorites {and outtakes!} from that day.

{and in case you're curious, I chose the roll of wrapping paper for my cards first and then decided on outfits.

I just work better going backwards like that.}

But, alas, this one was the winner!

The photo shoot took around three hours, give or take. Harbor kept giving us big smiles, but we had a bag of tricks. Mainly, balloons.

My dad was always in the background, blowing them up and letting them jet out of his hands, soaring just above the camera lens.

A few of them made appearances.

But I held my ground.

All in the name of a great picture, right?

: )

Making the 2011 Christmas Card

2012-01-01T16:17:00.000-08:00

If you have followed my blog for very long, you know that I love cards, especially handmade and photo cards. Every year that we have been married {over 10 years now}, I have handmade around 160 Christmas cards complete with a newsletter and family photo. Choosing the color scheme, outfits, ribbon, brads, card stock, and vellum is such fun for me! I love that I have every single year documented.

In addition, I save and scrapbook all the Christmas cards we receive.

See my Christmas scrapbook album here.

See Christmas cards from previous years here:

2010 card design here and step by step of how the 2010 card was made here

2009 card design here

2008 card design {at the end of a long post} here

2007 card design here

I wish I had blogged the making of all of them, but you can see them here in the album I use to scrapbook them. This post is from 2007, but I do showcase all of our handmade Christmas cards from all 10 years if you want to look through this post here.

Now, on to this years 2011 card!

This years card started with the inspiration from this wrapping paper roll.

All 160 cards were made with only one roll of paper, so it was a pretty cheap paper backing choice.

I used black envelopes and black card stock to create a 5 x 6.5 vertical folded card.

I cut broad curling ribbon to use as a closure piece.

Each card received two printed 4x6 photos- one on the front and one inside.

The curling ribbon came in bulk and I didn't even make a dent in it. Perhaps in four or five more years, I'll use it for another Christmas card. : )

All things are made possible by my professional paper cutter. I have two of them, and David sharpens my blades periodically. They don't love wrapping paper as it is slippery, but with patience, it cuts just fine.

I had our picture taken by my mom in September and began work on my cards the end of September. Starting months in advance requires me to make only about 25 a week, which is easily doable in only about half an hour a night.

My first step was to cut the wrapping paper only a centimeter or so smaller than the black card stock, affix a picture to it and affix the picture inside.

Each newsletter was four computer pages long {8.5 x 11} and I cut them down to size. They were a bit longer in length than usual, but this year has been a busy one and I had lots to document!

Each finished card had a newsletter of seven pages, but they were cut down to size at 4x6 to fit.

As I cut them, I layered them to make sure I kept each newsletter separated from the others to make it easier for the next step.

I used small black brads to affix them inside the card.

The card on the left side was a picture of Harbor on Belle Island with our new address at the top.

I used my Crop-o-Dile hole punch to make a small hole. David bought this for me several years ago and it's a life saver- easy to use with lots of size options.

Meet my handsome helper, Harbor! He sure made card making a lot more ~~work~~ fun! Ha! : )

After the interior picture and newsletter with brad were attached, I folded it into shape and added a second hole for my blue curling ribbon.

Repeat 160 times per card! : )

And box after box they pile up!

Lots of cards, carefully designed and assembled with love. : )

I love the process start to finish and find inspiration in so many places!

Even with making a card every year in bulk amount, they are never the same color scheme or design. It is fun to find new ways to design them year after year!

Do you make your own cards? Do you receive creative cards? Did you receive our card this year?

Tell me about them! : )

I'll be Home for Christmas!

2011-12-28T21:33:00.000-08:00

What a busy, busy week we had in Arkansas!

We drove home the day of Christmas and the roads were empty.. so empty in fact, that we made our best driving time ever. It took 14.5 hours from Arkansas to Detroit, and it took us 17 hours at Thanksgiving.

Quite a difference!

I've been playing catch up with mounds of laundry, some back from Niagara Falls, so that is keeping our laundry room busy. I've unpacked suitcases and
opened about 65 Christmas cards in the last two days alone
{the post office had held our mail so they all came at once! So fun!}

I've got plenty to post about, so I need to recap Christmas before I forget! : )

During our last few days in Arkansas we, :

1. Made a gingerbread house with Gigi

2. Bagged my Christmas candy for gifts

3. Celebrated Christmas with my parents

4. Celebrated Christmas with my mom's side of the family

Woopsie!

That's better! : )

We have an annual tradition running that the girls in our family exchange homemade gifts.

{Cathy made everyone burlap stockings for their front doors}

{Rachel painted Mason jars as Razorback pencil holders}

{I handcrafted Christmas card holders out of wooden trees and clips}

{my mom made fabric covered magnet boards}

and my granny made all the girls fancy headbands with bows. : )

Fun tradition!

5. Celebrated with my dad's side of the family

This is my dad with his two brothers, sister, and his mom.

One brother passed away many years ago.

and because I love my country, Arkansas roots..

this is my Grandma, shooting her gun on Christmas in the yard! Ha! : )

Don't mess with us, Southerners, ya hear!

6. Attended the Byrd family Christmas Eve party

7. And lastly, attended the McCash family Christmas party

{at this point in the game, poor Harbor was recycling through Christmas "wear" for all the parties!}

This is David's oldest sister, Susan. Of the six kids, Susan is the oldest and David is the baby. : )

Whew! Like I said, it was a busy few days!

Five Christmas parties in five days, all while out of town, living out of suitcases.

It made for a perfect, festive Christmas! It sure was fun!

I plan on posting again in a few days to get caught up with my pictures. : )

Up next- the making of our 2011 Christmas Card

I know you are holding your breath! Ha!

Christmas in Arkanas

2011-12-21T10:21:00.000-08:00

We have recovered from our fast and furious road trip to Niagara Falls {see that trip here} and have been enjoying the nice weather in Arkansas. Just being up north for even seven months has made coming to Arkansas feel like summer all over again. They had temps in the 50's yesterday- so nice!

Harbor loves seeing familiar faces. It makes me sad to know we have nothing familiar yet in Detroit. We are working on a "new" normal there, but nonetheless, there is nothing as joyous as seeing a room full of 50 people who know and love you.

In the last few days, we have:

1. Gone out to eat as a big family

2. Taken a family ice skating trip where Harbor ice skated for the first time.

3. Decorated Harbor's very own tree in his room at Gigi and Poppy's house

4. Cooked many dinners at home

5. Continued with our nightly Advent book reading {we packed them all and brought them to Arkansas!}

6. Snuggled with our dog and spent hours playing and coloring

7. Made our annual "Gigi and Harbor" trip to the mall to add to our Santa picture collection.

8. Melted chocolate and Andes mints to make Christmas candies

9. Played at Harbor's "park" at my parents' house

10. Went out on a date- the first since Thanksgiving that we have been alone! We went to Target and a movie. Just perfect! I adore movies, so a movie night is my idea of a good time!

My parents recently bricked an interior wall in their kitchen, added granite counters, and travertine back splash. I need to take some pictures and show you how pretty it all is!

The next few days look to be very merry and bright!

Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada

2011-12-18T18:23:00.000-08:00

We have been in Arkansas with family a full day and today we took Harbor ice skating for the very first time! I know I will get behind on my posts with all the fun activities we are enjoying here, so I want to go ahead and document our trip to Niagara Falls.

Believe it or not, driving from our house in Michigan to the Falls in Ontario, Canada took less than four hours. When I say we live close to Canada, we really, truly do. The drive was smooth, though getting through customs was long. After being questioned, we were sent to Immigration, told to get out of our Jeep, and go wait in a waiting room while we were processed for a second time. I guess we looked suspicious. Harbor was in his pajamas with no shoes. Poor kid!

Once we were finally cleared, we enjoyed the drive along Lake Huron, up the coast, and into Niagara Falls. The weather was perfect at about 42 degrees. Cold enough to bundle up, but not cold enough to actually get cold.

The Falls were unbelievably gorgeous. They were breathtaking. Everyone says the best place to view Horseshoe Falls is in Canada, not New York. They weren't kidding! We had the best views.

It was a day to remember! I brought my tripod and we had a fun time taking photos.

Such a beautiful place!

Loving these Lazy Days

2011-12-15T21:29:00.000-08:00

We have been enjoying our visit with Rachel immensely! I have cooked a homemade breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day and have found I'm rediscovering my love for cooking.

While I taught and worked out of the home, cooking was not high on my bucket list. In fact, it typically made me want to kick the bucket.

I've made omelets, candied apples, croissant breakfast sandwiches, and poppy seed muffins with lemon glaze.

I made a quiche today for brunch from scratch and it was really yummy on a cold Michigan morning.

Rachel and Harbor have made snowmen out of cotton balls and snowflakes to hang.

The next three days are going to be wild. There is no other word for it.

We wake early tomorrow morning with birth certificates and passports to cross the border and spend a day in Canada at Niagara Falls. We have never been and are excited to see something new and beautiful. We then have a trip to Arkansas the next day. Lots of drive time!

We have visited the library, strolled the arched bridges at Elizabeth Park, shopped for clothes together, rented three movies, made cookies, and Rachel toured a Victorian home today built in the 1890's. We've slept in late, stayed up late, and worn pajamas all day for two whole days.

Perfection!

Harbor and Rachel have also spent many hours on the couch together.

Ha!

Tonight, we celebrated Jesus's birthday with our little family and Rachel.

And the day after we return from Niagara, we load for the 17 hour drive to Arkansas. We have a full week to spend this time, and David has been able to swing a week vacation to stay with us. He is so thankful for the time off as he has been working hard for months and months on various projects and for clients.

Looking forward to reporting back with some pretty waterfall pictures! If you happen to think of us tomorrow, please pray for safe travels across the border and back!

Fort Gratiot Lighthouse

2011-12-12T07:39:00.000-08:00

Rachel flew into Detroit Saturday night, and we wasted no time hitting a great restaurant on the Detroit River with a scenic view, driving through our neighborhood to see Christmas lights, and making a small road trip up the eastern coast of Michigan to see the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse in Port Huron.

Rachel has been pumping me full of praise and compliments- mainly about how great the house looks and the guestroom, craft room and playroom- which might make me brave enough to actually photograph the basement.

Harbor loves having a new playmate as we stay fairly isolated here for months on end.

We are having fun despite the cold, cold winter weather.

The buildings in the background are in Ontario, Canada. A big hello to my blog readers there! I wish we had the time to have stayed longer to meet! Maybe next time! : )

We ate dinner downtown at a fancy Italian restaurant.

Rachel said it was the best pasta she had ever had, hands down.

I had to agree! Ahhh-mazing!

At home last night, Rachel read our nightly Advent book. It was fun to have her join in our traditions!

And before I forget, I wanted to share Harbor's Christmas tree in his room.

We have lots planned, so I will try to check back in with you {and all of our friends and family in Arkansas} soon!

If you want to see our last house in Arkansas decorated for Christmas, you can click on these two links for different years! It is a house we had custom built and can show you the difference we have experienced in housing moving from there to here! But, we sure do love the history and charm of this 1920's charmer!

Here and here

Have a great week! Be merry!

Our Christmas Tree

2011-12-08T11:11:00.000-08:00

Our living room and mantle have been decorated for almost a week, but I have been busy finishing Christmas Cards and haven't had time to post. The good news is that all 160 are in the mail and will be arriving in Arkansas tomorrow! : )

When you live close to family, you take for granted that they will see your Christmas decor and enjoy spending quality time in your home. Now that we live away, my email is always full of notes. This past week, friends and family sent emails wanting to see the tree!

Without further ado, here is our "first" Christmas tree {2011} in Detroit!

Harbor and I collected sticks from the front yard to create fun centerpieces for the mantle.

This Santa bucket will hold our Christmas cards.

A few couch pillows

This is the same shot, but I used a different shutter speed.

A few years ago, David made ornament swags for our tree. It helps add to the look that our tree is really full! I'll make sure to take pictures of them when I take the tree down and share them with you.

I cranked my ISO up to 1600 and took a few "flaming" Christmas tree pictures!

I hope you have a great weekend!

We are going to have the best weekend since Thanksgiving!

Why?

Rachel flies into Detroit tomorrow night to stay with us for a FULL WEEK! : )

Christmas Wreath

2011-12-06T09:28:00.000-08:00

Spending the winter in an 82 year old house is one thing.

But in Michigan, where it gets cold and stays cold nine months out of the year, is quite another.

The hardwood floors creak and squeak. The rooms are drafty.

Secrets abound.

{We found paperwork on a family who lived here in the 1920's hidden behind a built-in in the master bedroom, and found a child's name carved in an old ceiling joist in the basement.}

We have contemplated adding our own family history complete with pictures

and hiding them somewhere ourselves.

This house is overflowing with nooks and crannies

and the appeal to add to the rich history of the house is tempting.

I would leave my Christmas wreath for someone to discover, but, well.. I made it and want it!

Maybe a few pictures of the house on Christmas morning would suffice! : )

Christmas Shelves

2011-12-04T19:42:00.000-08:00

Decorating for the holidays has always been fun, but after having children, I feel like it becomes something more special altogether.

Harbor, David, and I are all enjoying the changing of the seasons, and since Valentine's Day is in February, these Christmas shelves may be here to stay for a bit longer. : )

And for fun, here are the shelves from holidays past.

And then my picture taking was cut short for a cookie break. Double Layered Oreos, that is.

What a great idea, Harbor! Mommy was hungry after all that work!

Our {homemade} Christmas Advent

2011-12-02T07:53:00.000-08:00

We had a great trip to Arkansas and finished our visit off with a family birthday party for Harbor

{more than three cupcakes on an island this time! Yippee!}

and had Thanksgiving with David's family.

Our drive home took 17 hours and poor David only got four hours of sleep before having to go to work in the morning. I prayed so hard for him all day that he would be safe back at work!

It was a bit crazy, but we never once regretted our trip. : )

Christmas has arrived!

We have had tons of projects going on around here, but I wanted to share our Advent first.

I gathered 25 Christmas books and thankfully, we didn't have to buy any.

I printed numbers and cut double layers of card stock to mount them.

I made sure that Christmas day itself was the story of Jesus' birth from Harbor's bible.

All the days preceding Christmas are also books about who Jesus is and His birth.

I kept the Christmas books about snow, Santa, and Christmas trees at the beginning of Advent to really bring home the concept that those things are fun and fine, but Christmas is really about Jesus.

Harbor and I spent a good hour wrapping each book and tagging it.

It was a fun project for him to help with.

He is just old enough now to understand that we open one book per night and read it as a family.

I like it for three reasons:

1. Harbor loves opening gifts and this makes him so excited to be able to open a new "gift" every night!

I think it will help keep him away from the presents under the tree!

2. It teaches him about Jesus Christ and the real reason for the season.

3. It provides our family a chance every night to snuggle up and do something together.

It allows for so many teachable moments!

My Christmas shelves are finished, our tree is up, a slew of handmade gifts that I want to show are finished, and my Christmas cards are almost ready to mail!

Whew! I guess that means I need to start blogging every other day! : )

Thankful for Arkansas

2011-11-25T14:58:00.000-08:00

We planned the best surprise for my family in Arkansas! Everyone thought we were missing Thanksgiving lunch and coming in the next day due to David's work schedule. But, we cooked up a very tiring, but very fun surprise!

We decided to leave right after David got off of working a 10 hour day {he worked 5:00 am-4:00 pm}and drive all night long without stopping {15 hours} and show up right in time for lunch anyway! They had no clue!

We called my parents at 9:00 am {right off their driveway} and said we were just passing through Indianapolis and would see them 15 hours later. And then we had Harbor ring their doorbell! Hahaha! Oh, the look on their faces was priceless!

Then, we hid in a back bedroom and when all of our family showed up for lunch, my parents told them they found the neatest thing at a yard sale. Everyone came to the back room to see it and we jumped out! Oh, there were tears and screams! So much fun!

We have been exhausted, but it has been worth it for Harbor. After a full night's rest, we have decided that night driving may be the way to travel! Harbor slept 11 of the 15 hours. : )

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!

After lunch at my granny's house, we went to see the lights around our downtown square, which are always so beautiful!

Hoping your Thanksgiving was filled with as much love as ours was.

If you laid all of our blessings out, they would stretch from Fayetteville, Arkansas to Detroit, Michigan. : )

New Chalkboard

2011-11-20T19:41:00.000-08:00

Harbor and I spend about a solid hour a day working in our preschool workbooks. I typically break the lessons down into 20 minute sections, but he seems to be able to focus for longer amounts of time now as he has gotten older. As a former teacher, I know what is ahead of us in kindergarten, which makes me want to work as hard as possible to make sure he thinks learning is "fun."

When I sense he is tired or frustrated or bored, we close up the workbooks or learning games and go do something else.

I recently bought some chalkboard paint and painted a huge picture that I have had for several years.

I left it out, floor level with chalk, for about a week for Harbor to play with.

And when the novelty of its newness wore off, I moved it to our preschool table.

It has been a fun addition to our everyday lessons.

I try really hard to keep this area organized and I often find Harbor trying to put his books back where they belong. He seems to naturally like order and organization, which helps a lot with cleanup time! Does anyone else have a toddler like that?

Harbor will "work" at his table alone for about 15 minutes as a time, coloring, working mazes, or dot to dot activities. Those are his favorites! I really think that he loves his preschool activity books because I am there, sitting close, side-by-side, giving him all of my attention, praising his efforts. I think all kids just want our undivided attention, even if it is just 15 minutes a day. To them, that is love. : )

I wanted to point out that the container I use for his crayons is an empty dish detergent container. I washed it out and soaked the labels off. It is clear, deep, and has a huge snap lid. I liked it initially, though, because it was green. : )

Harbor, at three years of age, you can:

count to 50 alone, tell me the sounds the letters make, write all of your upper case letters without help or seeing a sheet to show you what they look like{"M" and "W" are still tricky for you, though,} spell a handful of words from memorization, and spell almost anything phonetically that I sound out slowly.

We are very proud of his hard work. It is amazing what just 15-20 minutes of lessons a day can accomplish! Of course, I was a Literacy teacher for six years, so I definitely have the background for it, which helps. Even if you aren't in education, you can still work with your child. Start slowly with a fun workbook, show interest, and give lots of praise for any and all attempts. : )

The table and chair set were a gift from my parents. They are from Pottery Barn and have been the perfect size for the two of us. My mom actually found them used at a thrift store!

I'm glad we have a nice, quiet, sunny place to work everyday.

While we are warm inside, we have already had a few nights like this!

My car has never seen snow this early in the season!

Anything new going on? : ) Have a great week!

Harbor's 3rd Birthday {Party for 3}

2011-11-17T09:10:00.000-08:00

This was the easiest party I have ever thrown.

A party for three doesn't require too much. : )

No invites to design, no postage to buy.

No crafting for days and days.

No cupcakes to design and order.

Just a table, a few pieces of fabric, a little cupcake stand, and some balloons.

The city backdrop and the seagulls were free. : )

It was simple. It was easy. It was a party for three.

Happy 3rd {windy and cold!} birthday, Harbor William!

This is a wall of graffiti we pass in Detroit every time we go to Belle Isle. Detroit is full of graffiti, which comes as no surprise, but we love this wall.

Yes, Detroit, we enjoyed our day. Thanks. : )

For those who have the time and feel like browsing down memory lane, here are links to Harbor's other birthday parties.

Harbor's first birthday party here.

Harbor's second birthday party here.

David has to work Saturday and Sunday, and we are pretty sad about him being gone seven days this week, but we have a few Christmas crafts in the works!

Have a fun weekend!

Thanksgiving Cards {and Q & A}

2011-11-15T20:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you for all of the lovely comments on Harbor turning three! Many of you left comments for the first time {So nice to "meet" you!} and all of them were very heart-warming. I love my blogging friends and appreciate your kindness!

There were many comments on my homemade laundry detergent post. There seemed to be a great deal of interest on the subject and I will tell you what I can.

The recipe came from the Duggar's first book, 20 And Counting. I'm assuming because they use it for their family, it would not prove to be harmful to a baby's skin. They have a couple of babies in their household, I believe. : )

Yes! It is safe for your HE washers!

You can read about it from a few other bloggers here and here and here.

Harbor and I love a little project and there is nothing better

- am I right-

than receiving snail mail from a friend?

So, we made a handful of Thanksgiving cards.

Harbor loves any project that involves sitting and creating something with his hands.
He is at a fun age!

Harbor loves to help- whether it is crafting or cooking. He wants in on the action!

Tada!

We were both pretty proud and are excited for friends and family to see how "big" the turkey is!

Harbor's hands are growing a little tiny bit everyday. : )

Happy Thanksgiving!

We recently had Harbor's 3rd birthday party and it was fun, but very windy! I hope to post those pictures soon.

In other news, we have made a last minute decision to travel home for Thanksgiving. We will be driving 30 hours round trip with a three year old and a dog to spend 48 hours in Arkansas, including sleeping time! Eek! It will be a lot of driving, but so worth it for two afternoons and nights with our loved ones.

Three Years Ago

2011-11-12T22:12:00.000-08:00

Three years ago,

life was all about me.

On November 13th, 2008 I labored naturally, without an epidural, for six hours.

And it was hard work.

But it was a moment that defined my life

I know this picture is graphic and I debated back and forth over sharing it, but it was a moment that changed the course of my life.

When I look at it, my eyes bounce back and forth in between Harbor's face and David's tear.

And our family grew.

All my life, I had never heard the cry of my own child until that hour.

And I never quite understood that our entire family would change and grow to accomodate a new person.

It affected everyone. A joyous change.

I looked into his face and saw myself. And David. And my mother. And my grandmother.

It was all there- in the eyes and nose and mouth.

It was unbelievable.

And we were so unsure and tired and running on pure love.

Before I became a mother,

I never knew what it meant to become selfless.

We never dreamed that it could it could feel so good, so right, so perfect to put someone else first.

I watched my husband of seven years at the time,

become a leader, not of just his home, but of his family.

We prayed for this child,

sang to this baby,

rocked this boy.

We read books about what not to do,

and I really believed I would never get dressed and leave the house again with makeup.

But, I slowly learned a new routine.

And Harbor thrived in our care.

And we kept saying, "He is still breathing. He is still growing. I think we really can do this!"

And he learned to laugh and smile.

And we felt like we were doing something right.

Life became better, sweeter, happier because we had someone to share it with.

Holidays we had forgotten became new and child-like to us again.

And we brought him home, to our house.

And we wondered how the dog would react, how much sleep we would get, if he would latch and feed without our saint of a nurse watching my every move, if I would ever recover, if I could ever go back to teaching, and if life would ever be the same.

Life never was the same. But, that's the good news.

We somehow figured it all out. Wisdom came so fast, so quickly. We felt like naturals.

We had so much help and support.

Three years ago, I became somebody's mommy.

I'm still nervous. I still worry. I still hope. I still wonder.

But Jesus has taught me that He has the whole world in His hands.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Harbor William!

I know we live 1,000 miles from home, and that there will only be two people at your party today.

But know you are loved. My goodness, son, you are so loved.

Money Matters | Homemade Laundry Detergent

2011-11-09T20:25:00.000-08:00

I hesitate to blog about our use of homemade laundry detergent because, well... it may be pushing the envelope for some of you on what you feel comfortable doing. : ) I was a bit skeptical myself, so if you you are thinking, "Wow! That is weird. I would never do that!", that is okay. : ) I'm not out to make a believer of you, but wanted to share in case any of you have ever thought about it, but haven't had the nerve to buy the materials and try it.

We made our first batch at the beginning of the summer and I wanted to use it for several months before reporting out on my feelings, likes, pros, cons, etc.

Before I share anymore, let me tell you how this came about. David and I both are very "green" in many areas of our lives. We like knowing what things are made of and, if we can save money making something that works just as well, we have no problem with that. I have always wanted to try to make laundry detergent and I'm not sure why or when the idea first came to me. It may have been when I was pregnant with Harbor four years ago.

In any case, let me clarify for you that we are not making our own detergent because we can't afford to buy a name brand product. We obviously can afford to buy what we need and feel very blessed for that. For me, this is more of a fun hobby. But, that being said, you will save lots and lots of money by making your own!

For our family of three, the batch we made this summer will last a full year for less than $10.00!

You will need: {follow the links to see more information}

1. A Fals Nepthar soap bar They cost around $1.12 and we found ours at Wal-Mart

2. A box of borax We found this at Wal-Mart and it was less than $3.00

3. A box of washing soda Also at Wal-Mart for $5.00

4. A large bucket with lid -we bought one at Lowes for $5.00

5. An empty laundry detergent container with a spout

Here is the recipe:

Get your boxes out and ready to go!

Grate the entire Fels Naptha bar until it looks like cheese. : )

This bar smells really citrusy, like lemons and limes and adds a wonderful "Fabreze" scent to your loads.

Put the grated bar in a sauce pan on low heat, cover with water and cook until all the soap dissolves.

In the meantime, measure out 1 cup of the soda and 1/2 cup of borax and drop into the bottom of the empty, clean bucket.

{It is a family affair and I like to pretend we are the family from Little House on the Prairie. Ha!}

Keep a careful eye on your simmering soap bar!

Your house will smell like lemons and limes at this point! Love that fresh, crisp, clean smell!

Add the hot soap/water mixture to the bucket right on top of the borax and soda.

Fill the bucket up to the rim with hot water and stir.

You are almost done with a year supply of laundry detergent

{just like your great grandma would have made it!}

Once well mixed, place the lid on top and let the mixture sit overnight. This gives the chemical compounds a chance to react to one another forming a very powerful, stain fighting detergent.

The next day, use a funnel and a cup to fill your empty detergent container 1/2 way with the soap mixture. Add water to fill it the rest of the way up.

This soap is very light and resembles a gel. Don't be surprised when it doesn't resemble the usual thick, heavy goo we are all normally accustomed to.

Close the bucket back up and refill your old detergent container in equal portions with water as needed.

And there you have it!

Homemade laundry detergent that will last David, Harbor, and I a good year. All for less than $10.00

Our clothes smell fresh, clean, and stains come out just as they did with store bought brands.

Do we have to make it? No, of course not, but I love feeling like I know how.

There is just something magical to me about the lost art of homemaking.

Anyone thinking of giving it a shot? : )

Have a good weekend!

Thanksgiving Shelves {and a new chandelier!}

2011-11-06T20:04:00.000-08:00

I really lucked out with my Thanksgiving shelves- I only had to buy two things.

1. a bag of candy corn

2. the barn painting for $3.50 that I painted in my last post.

I had everything else in our basement warehouse.

{Speaking of which, I really need to blog about. David built several floor to ceiling aisles that are actually long enough to walk down for all of my holiday decor!}

I printed letters for my banner off of Word Processing.

And used a few mason jars from my collection. I think I own somewhere around 50

{My family cans a lot of soup, so I have plenty of my own for when we get together to cook. They come in handy!}

And here are my Thanksgiving 2011 Ikea Shelves.

Harbor enjoyed helping more this time, even though it took me twice as long. : )

I changed out my hydrangea arrangement for something more "Fall" like and used my pumpkin to hold coasters.

Doesn't my "new" painting look great repainted! So happy to have found it thrifting!

We have a bag of fake apples in a great deep color that work so well for these type projects.

For anyone who has been following my blog since we custom built our last home, these dining room drapes are actually from Harbor's baby nursery {you can see them here and here}. Recognize them? : )

And we also put out our Thanksgiving flag.

In a neighborhood of close houses, David always knows just where to turn home! : )

And in case you missed it, I finally, FINALLY, decided on a new chandelier for the dining room. We have been looking for months. I finally found this one and it was the right price with the right look- somewhat Restoration Hardware without the big price tag, but old world, yet fun enough to hang beside chevron. : )

I'm thankful that Thanksgiving comes before Christmas.

It gives us a chance to be thankful and reflect, which is a good thing to do before Christmas!

And for fun, here is Halloween and Thanksgiving, side by side.

I hope you have a great weekend!

Five on Friday {a list}

2011-11-04T09:36:00.000-07:00

What a week!

David worked seven days last week- Monday through Sunday, every day. He goes out of town for work at least two days a week and sometimes more. I'm not complaining. This is what we signed up for when we moved here and David accepted the job, but we are happy for weekends when he is home!

Here are five things on Friday I want to share!

1. My $3.50 painting from a local thrift store

As soon as I saw it, I knew exactly where it would go. I spray painted the frame in my favorite color, Heirloom White, from Rustoleum.

And it looks perfect on my Thanksgiving shelves. They are finished and were so much fun to put together. The barn/farm scene is so bright bright and colorful and really makes me feel like Thanksgiving is coming. I'll share the shelves in a few days.

2. Blue Painter's Tape for playtime

We always have lots of blue painter's tape around with our painting projects being plentiful. It is perfect for sticking to an area rug and not damaging the fibers.

Harbor enjoyed creating his own city and driving his cars around town.

It kept him busy for a few hours! Bliss! : )

3. Homemade beef stew in thick, brown gravy

I will admit that when I usually make stew, I disregard the recipe and throw everything into the crock pot. But, it never tastes "amazing," so I decided to actually find a good recipe for stew, and well... follow it. : )

It boiled and simmered and stewed for a good five hours.

The gravy was incredible.

Made from a homemade stock and thickened with flour, it made the house smell wonderful.

And to make it even more fun, I served it with Cheddar biscuits from Red Lobster!

Oh no you didn't?

Oh, yes I did!

It was a splurge, but perfect!

4. Library Day

We both love a good shopping/library/park/McDonald's day.

We take one once a week, just the two of us, and it fills me with happiness- sail boat watching on the pier, fall leaves, and McDonald's sweet tea almost make me forget how far from home I am. Almost.

5. Chinese Take-out

And when we don't feel like cooking, having Chinese delivered to your front door in 20 minutes, hot and steaming, is like nothing else on earth. Man, I love living in a big city where everyone delivers! : )

Hoping you have a wonderful weekend with your family!

Marvelous, Marvelous Mail

2011-11-02T10:53:00.000-07:00

We have been so blessed these last two weeks!

It seemed that every other day or so, the UPS man would knock on the door with a package for us. And each package was a complete surprise! I wanted to blog these gifts, not to brag, but to let our family know {and see!} how excited Harbor is to receive and open them. Your generosity is so appreciated!

We were so excited to open something from Arkansas!

And even I got a few things

{a purse and a Citiscapes Magazine, which is an NWA production from back home. I love Citiscapes!}

Looking in his new wallet! My mom filled it full of pennies. : )

Thanks, Gigi and Poppy!

And a day later, we were so surprised to receive a Halloween box from Rachel in Arkansas!

Harbor was so happy to have a package from his Rachel!

We love cards with long messages- they make great additions to my Everyday Album!

You can see how I organize cards by following that link.

Harbor loved all his treats and I loved getting another new Citiscapes Magazine!

Does my family know me or what?? : )

A few days later, another sweet box arrived!

Opening care packages from home on a rainy day makes our hearts smile!

Harbor loved his new books and we spent a good part of that day reading and rereading them all.

Harbor loves the big bay seat in the living room and sits {climbs} there everyday.

Thanks so much!

David is the baby of six children {all biological from the same mom and dad- a wonderful family.}

One of David's older brothers, Doug, is a lawyer in Omaha, Nebraska, with a wife and three children. They also sent a very sweet package last week. It was full of spiders, skeletons, and bugs!

We feel so, so, blessed!

We love and miss you, Doug, Liz and kids! : )

So thankful for your kindness!

And we received one more package last week from Gigi and Poppy, but I didn't take any pictures, just a video. I thought our family would enjoy hearing Harbor's voice. : )

We feel so blessed to have family who loves us and hope they know what a huge difference it makes for Harbor, as well as us, to feel connected back home.

We love you and appreciate you!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-30T15:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween from the McCash Family!

Q. Why did Dracula take cold medicine?

A. To stop his coffin.

Q. Whats a ghost's favorite type of car?

A. A boo-ick

Q. What do you get when there is a witch in the desert?

A. You get a sandwich.

Q. What do you call a witch's garage?

A. A broom closet.

Q. What did the mother ghost say to her kids in the car?

A. Fasten your sheet belts.

Q: Why didn't the skeleton cross the road?

A: He had no guts.

Q. What instrument do skeletons play?

A: Trom-BONE.

Hope your Halloween is fun and safe and spent with friends!

We're spending ours at church and then with the movie, "How to Train Your Dragon," of course! : )

Harbor Writing {35 Months}

2011-10-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

This video is mainly for our family back at home to see and hear Harbor, but for those of you that have been following our blog for a long time, you might enjoy it also!

Have a great weekend! : )

Our 2011 Christmas Card {A Sneak Peek!}

2011-10-27T11:31:00.000-07:00

The colder weather has really put me in the mood for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thanksgiving is a bit of a dark cloud, however, as we will spend it alone in Detroit. But, like the song says, "I'll be home for Christmas!"

I've been hand making hundreds of Christmas cards every year for the last 10 years {our entire married life} and love to plan them, design them, and construct them lovingly night after night. When I taught 5th grade for 6 years, I always finished them in the summer, since I had the time off.

But, now, I can start them in September/October.

This is the color scheme for this year- black and white houndstooth with turquoise. Though my paper cutters hate slick wrapping paper, I chose this wrapping paper roll as the base.

And this large bolt of slick ribbon to coordinate.

This design included two printed photos, which is a first for me!

When I showed my mom the design, she made Harbor a coordinating longall in houndstooth and monogrammed it with an "H" in turquoise!

Is she an amazing seamstress, or what??

His outfit matches the theme of the card so well! Thanks, Mom!

I can't wait to reveal the photo shoot and final card. : )

These pictures are from our Christmas card photo shoot at the end of September. And would you believe that I have my cards about 85% finished? All 160 of them! So happy!

In other news, David finished remodeling and tiling the back steps off of our back porch.

And we purchased Harbor's first pair of outdoor ice skates! We have several outdoor rinks here in Detroit, and are looking forward to a few family outings on the ice. I know Harbor will outgrow these toddler size 8 skates so soon that they were probably not worth buying, but they are so small I justified using them in Christmas decor later down the road. : )

It rains here every other day. It feels like Seattle or Portland weather. I guess when it is cold enough, it will all be snow. We have had so, so many rainy days that we have just put on rain boots and gone out anyway. : )

Harbor's and Mommy's rain boots

Heading out to the library for some rainy day fun!

With all the rain, we are usually desperate for an adventure!

Later that day, Harbor and David had a little soccer game on the driveway.

And Harbor found and picked the last remaining rose of the season. And gave it to me. : )

As I found a place to display it {in the kitchen on the fruit platter,} I couldn't help but wonder, looking outside through the kitchen window at all the rain and wind, how we will handle this first winter.

Winter looms over us, full of snow and with it, a promise of adventure.

The kitchen is warm and cozy, but that last remaining rose makes me wonder what is around the bend.

Hope you are warm and happy and full of thanksgiving!

We love you, friends and family {and blog readers, too!}

Slipcover for Sitting Room

2011-10-24T19:03:00.000-07:00

When my mom was here visiting, before she caught her flight back to Arkansas, she made a slipcover for the the ottoman in our sitting room out of some crisp cream fabric I had been saving. The ottoman is a great dark leather and the matching chair is actually in the guest room, but I wanted the ottoman for our master sitting room. I felt the leather was too dark for the space, so my mom was kind enough to whip out a pretty ruffled cover.

It looks so happy and bright in the sitting room now!

She made a slipcover for our living room as well, but for this one, instead of box pleats, she made a ruffle. Don't you love ruffles? Oh, they make me so happy! : )

She used my sewing machine and taught me a few new tricks, as well. Living 1,000 miles from home {and help} will make you listen very, very carefully to sewing advice.

She did get a few pointers from a little guy with a lot of sewing experience.

I know she was so appreciative to have been an audience for his surging and seaming wisdom. : )

Thanks, Mom.

Though I rarely have time to relax in our sitting room, I do put makeup on and get dressed there and I sure love seeing that pretty slipcover.

Speaking of my little helper, he "helped" himself to my Sonic drink that I thought I had hidden away up on a tall counter.

Guess not! Little rascal! : )

{I've added this post to my "Tutorial" page on my bar if you want to try your hand at making one for yourself!}

Good

2011-10-22T21:18:00.000-07:00

We hope your weekend was a good one!

McCash Family, Fall 2011

{We are old pros at using the self-timer on the camera now! Ha, ha! Poor us.}

Here is the template I used to create our Halloween critters for the stairs! : ) Enjoy!