Fall fun

With the crisper fall air comes all the fun fall activities. Here are some fun things that we did this past weekend...

Corn pit fun with the family! 

You wouldn't think a HUGE pit full of corn would be fun to play in, but it surprisingly is! Just make sure to check every pocket, hood, sock, sleeve and waistline for stray corn before getting out :).

Little girl. Big pumpkin gun.

Remember all those times you wished you could shoot tiny pumpkins out of a big gun? No??? You "never even dreamed of doing that" you say? Well, someone else imagined it, and now it is possible :). We had fun trying to hit targets, and wouldn't you know it, my girl hit the bulls eye on her first try... and she couldn't even see where the gun was pointed!!! 

Happy Halloween!

And of course there must be an adult halloween costume party to attend at some point... can you guess who I am?? It was very interesting to see which of my friends knew with confidence and which ones were way off. I got Aunt Jemima one time. Really??? 

Staycation!

This weekend, I believe I am living every mother's dream... a staycation at home - without the husband - without the kids... isn't it absolutely beautiful?!?!? This is the 2nd year that my husband has taken our kids away for an extended weekend, and I hope, hope, hope it becomes a yearly tradition. I was so giddy with excitement the whole week just thinking about the quiet... the peace... the serenity.

What have I been doing you ask? Well, whatever I WANT to do! Hee hee!!! As most artists who sell their work can relate, the fall is my "busy season" in which I make products like crazy in preparation for all the holiday shows. It's pretty much non-stop work, and it's great. The beauty of my work is that I have such a variety of products, so if I'm bored making one line, I'll just switch gears and make something else.

SO... here's what I've been doing the past couple of days...

Paint night with the girls!

Our finished mixed media projects! Bridgette didn't think she could do mixed media, and of course she did grrrrrrreat!

Holiday themed vintage paper wall wreaths.

Vintage book picture frames.

Making a mess, and loving it! And the beauty of it all is that I don't have to clean-up afterwards for fear of little hands finding something they shouldn't. I've even left out a couple of exacto knives (GASP!)

Enjoying some chai tea in my "munchkin mug."

Why yes, yes I do. (And so do you!!)

From sassy to oldie

For some strange reason, I was feeling the pull to find cute & funky cowgirl boots. I searched through online stores and was hesitant to purchase any because 1) they are expensive, 2) I can't try them on, and 3) I'd have to buy them new... which isn't really my style considering my business is using old materials and giving them new life. So what's a girl to do? CRAIGSLIST of course!!!

I searched and searched and saw a pair that were different, though I wasn't sure if they were really "me." They weren't located close to home either, and remember... Lulu = lazy when it comes to travel. I contacted the seller and asked about trying the boots on, and what do you know? She works in my town! She would bring the boots to me! Yahoooo!!!! It's as if they were meant to be. So... I tried them on, they were comfy, and I bought them! Plus, they're vintage! SCORE.

Ooh la la. So sassy.

There's nothing that can sap that sassiness out of you quicker than being reminded that your body is aging. I was unlucky enough to sprain my ankle playing in a volleyball tournament earlier this year, which had me out of commission for quite some time. I NEVER want to experience that again, so I purchased Active Ankles to wear when playing vball from now on. I used them for the first time this past week and... well... I honestly felt like a robot with stiff parts. 

Go go gadget ankles.

ZAP! There went my coolness. BUT, at least I'll be an ambulatory uncool mama. 

Little hands

My youngest child is still in preschool, which means that we are together every afternoon and all day on Friday (aka "Fun Friday"). I only have 2 more years of hanging with my gal, so I need to remind myself to enjoy it while it lasts. Sure, there are days that I want/need to work, but I also need to hold aside some days to spend with my little lady and to get in touch with my 4-year-old self.

But, do you know what's great?? I can combine these 2 needs into one, and it's still fun for all!!!

Here's my girl painting over a canvas that I found at the thrift store - she painted 4 total and had a blast! She also did a very good job. Mama = proud. Love having little helping hands. :)

Simple Joys

Being a mother has a lot, a lot, a LOT of ups and downs. It's finding the joy amidst the chaos that makes it all worthwhile. Here are some of my simple joys of motherhood that I experienced over the past week...

Going on my last preschool field trip to the apple orchard. I chaperoned this particular field trip with my 3 boys as well.

Peeling apples in preparation for making apple butter. The kids not only had fun racing each other, but the apples got peeled soooo much faster!!

Making caramel apples. These little helpers rocked! Too bad I burned the $(*# out of my finger.

And finally... the best simple joy of them all... making my son finish drinking his orange juice after he brushed his teeth. HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! A life lesson that we've all learned at some point, right? Ahhhh... I love motherhood :).