Two for One

I really was planning to make a lovely post yesterday. But, I got a little bit sidetracked with my sewing machine and Branch. We played around and in the end decided on making a baby doll dress. This dress was made for her bigger (around) baby baby doll, not one of these more grown up looking dolls! But, it seems it works out for both!!

So, this happy girl played and had a great time with her doll dress (and the bloomers as well!) and I enjoyed working on a sewing machine again - after a year or more of no sewing!!

I do not like the machine I was working on, though. I bought it 8 or 9 years ago and it was a cheap Singer sewing machine. My good ol' faithful machine acquired a fair amount of trouble in our move (since the movers didn't put it in a box... note to self - never ever ever let any moving company take any of your items out of the home and into their possession without them being in a box!). It is an old machine. It was my mom's trusty companion when I was a child. Now, I will have it cleaned and reconditioned and see if it will still work ok - and then maybe my Branch can enjoy working on it. I, will be looking for a new machine... any of you sewing people out there have a machine to recommend?? I want to be able to change the tension, stitch length, the amount of pressure that the presser foot exerts on the fabric and feed dogs, straight and zig zag stitches, bobbin winder, I would like the spool of thread to sit vertically on the machine - EASILY. I want to not have to work hard to change these things. I would like a few extra stitches, but they aren't necessary. OK - any suggestions?

As for that post I was working on yesterday... here it is!

Sunday was Super Bowl Sunday!! We like to make plenty of bowls filled with super food! So, Here's what we enjoyed all afternoon and into the evening:


Fresh Strawberries and Purple Grapes

Celery and Carrots

Homemade Salsa

Homemade Pico de Gallo

Homemade Guacamole

Bacon-Wrapped Cream Cheese- Stuffed Jalepeno Poppers

Delicious Barbecued Bacon-Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Seasoned Steak Bites

It was a delicious day. I think that there was a football game on. I am certain that there was a Madonna performance. But, really? I liked the commercial for shoes where the puggish looking dog outran all the greyhounds... TOO CUTE! Chevy showed up with many great ads, too. I also like the Clint Eastwood/Jeep/Dodge/Chrysler ad, too. That was a classy ad. Did you watch?

7 Quick Takes - (volume 9)

--- 1 ---

OK, first up - here's the deal. We are potty training. It is going ok. BUT, Bump is not like any other that I have known!! I have tried to take him to the potty every 15-20 minutes and help him and bribe with rewards. It only frustrates my little Bump. He says, "No, mawmaw. Potty all gone. No more." I ask again and get an "All gone, mawmaw. No go potty." So, that isn't working.

He is wearing his big boy underpants. He knows when he has to go and goes to the potty chair. He sits right down with his underoos still up around his own little bum. He goes. He is excited and claps for himself. He comes running for me and says, "I went potty mawmaw!" His pants are all wet, so I wonder where I will have to clean up... NOPE! Only change his underpants - the potty chair has plenty in it! He EVEN made some well... "other stuff" on the potty chair, but in his underpants.

I have helped him get them down. His siblings have tried to help get the underpants pulled down. We have all taken many a turn showing him how WE pull our pants down before we sit down. It isn't seeming to help. I am excited that he is getting to the right place - but am a little tired of the wet pants that we keep changing! ANY ideas??? PLEASE HELP!!!

--- 2 ---

We have a serious bout of some kind of yuck going on in our house again. We did this head congestion, stuffy nose, sore throat thing back at the beginning of January. Now, its baaaa-aaack. Not thrilled.

Drinking water. Trying to get rest. Anyone have a "magic pill"!??

--- 3 ---

I have been busy around the house this week. That means that MAYBE next week you will get some interior photos of this house! More boxes have disappeared. More things are on the walls. More stuff is in an organized fashion. I am loving that!

--- 4 ---

I have the sewing "itch." Pops is out of town right now, but will be coming home tonight. I hope that he will afford me some time with the ol' sewing machine without child-like interruptions! I soooo wanna sew something! Got any ideas for something quick and cute??

--- 5 ---

I am wanting a new pair of slippers. I want them to be soft and cozy. I need them to have a hard sole to walk outside. I want them to slip on and off quickly and easily. Any good ones out there that you know of?

--- 6 ---

I am feeling quite guilty. This is the first year in ... 10 years? That we have not sent out our Moravec Family Glossary at Christmas time. We didn't even send out generic Christmas cards. Sheesh. Pops and I wrote most of our letter on our flight to Vegas and the NFR. I can't find the paper that I used. When I do... Do you want to see it here??? It is a bit late to send a Christmas letter, don't you think??

--- 7 ---

I keep looking through old pictures and can't resist sharing! So, here we go - focus on a little magic and go back to look at some magic from the past!

Just spending a little time remembering this trip to Bandon, Oregon one year and one month ago. We stayed in a lovely resort cabin and took a drive down to the beach before the sun was totally gone. Bud wanted to dig a "huge hole" so, he spent the whole hour or so digging. It was the first time that we had taken Bump to the coast where he could walk on the squishy sand. He was not too sure of it all at first! I miss the ocean (well the sounds and smells of the coast, and most definitely those friends who live nearby the ocean! Hugs to you all out there in Oregon!)

If you've enjoyed these 7 Quick Takes, maybe you'd enjoy more here!!

Spykie ("That's his name," say the girls!)

We've seen this little critter skulking around lately. It was snooping in our boxes and loose things that were still waiting to be unpacked or put away on the front porch.

Apparently, this little guy is HUNGRY!

Oh, don't you wink at me you furry feline! You don't even know I am here taking your picture from inside the window.

In your great big hurry to consume as much of that fat-laden suet, yes, you are dropping big pieces to the ground.

You know, I didn't fill that feeder for you. So, I don' t much care that you don't like the roof of the bird house feeder.

It's seed... For THE BIRDS.

I filled it in order to watch those pretty little songbirds while I rocked a sleepy child for nap time.

Hmmm. You must not understand. That suet is FOR THE BIRDS! If you are so hungry, I think there are some varmints you can chase over in the shed. Go on, take your leave from the tree and go find a critter to keep out of my house!!

Oh, no? The lard in the suet is fine enough? Well, we'll see about that!

If I were nice like my mother-in-law, I would bring you a big bowl of table scraps instead of sneaking up behind you while you are perched precariously in a tree.

Alas, I am not so nice to kitties. I don't like your sneaky ways. You are stuck-up and don't act like you need me. So, you will not get anything from me. If you'd just sit there and stare at me through the window with some pathetic droopy eyes and a little wagging tip of your tail... I would feel sorry for you and give you an old hunk o' something out of the fridge.

So, you run and don't even try to find out what I have to offer or not. You just turn tail and RUN. Hide. There's even CREAM in my refrigerator you silly kitty. Blossom would bring it to you by the bowl full. But, you don't even get cozy to her. You skulk around the yard and hide. Just today, you find the suet. I hope you have a belly ache and leave it alone for the birds, now. And take a few notes from your friendly four-legged counter-parts, the canine (they don't sink to eating the bird seed due to their prideful ways).

Love, ELM - the tree by which you crouch.

(a sort of) Wordless Wednesday: FUN!

Pinterest is a virtual pinboard to

organize and share the things you love.

It is FULL of Wordless Wednesday Wonders!!

Have you joined? Do you need an invite to join the fun??

Let me know... I'll invite you!!!

(But, don't blame me if you get addicted and can't stop!)