Super long time no see!

Okay, so I have not updated this blog in over year. Yikes! Why now you ask? Good question, and the reason is simple.

I miss being inspired and creative, and let's face it, there is not a better place for inspiration than bloggersville.

A little backstory of what I have been doing instead of blogging for the last year: we moved from Montana back home to Wyoming where we have been living at my mother-in-laws while trying to buy a house, which has proved to be a much more difficult task than it was a few years ago.

I have also started working part time as a head lifeguard and swim lessons instructor as well as attending school full time for my degree in Elemenary Education. In the last year, I have finished my associates degree!!! Yay for me, just a few more years and I will be a teacher!!

Knowing that we were really close to purchasing a home, we started trying for baby number 2, which will be born the end of July. I suppose you could say that with a new home and baby in our future, I have become re-inspired and I am ready to start this new chapter of our lives, in style I might add. So, I hope you will forgive my absence and join me on the journey to make a house into my dream home as well as returning to a stay at home mom of two children under 3. I hope I can inspire all of you as much as you inspire me!!

photo album!

 
This is the cupcake costume I made Olivia.  It was so much fun this year because it was the first year she actually grasped the concept of Halloween! 


My little thumb sucker, any ideas to break the habit...

I am in love with fall, it is so beautiful here during fall.




I love making fabric covered invites and cards, I made these for a 1st bday party for the little boy I babysit.

 
It was our first snow of the year, and Olivia loved playing in it. She was too little to play in it last winter, we can't wait for more snow here.

Trick or Treat

Well, I can not believe it has been over 1 week since I posted anything.  I am sorry, it has been crazy busy with me working 2 jobs. I babysit during the day and work at a local pizza joint at night (which by the way has the best pizza ever)

Some crazy things have happened-

Our car finally was "fixed" after almost 2 months of sitting at the mechanics.  I had been getting more furious by the day as the the weeks progressed.  Why the quotations you ask, well, the mechanic did not even have to fix it, nor did he charge us a dime.  Several weeks ago, he did the diagnostics on the vehicle and confirmed that no gas was getting to the gas line, so I ordered a fuel pump and when he went to go put it in, the car started right up.

This would not be such a big deal except that we have been with out a car for several weeks, and then all of the sudden it's not broke anymore. Who know how long it had been sitting there, ready to drive, and meanwhile we are riding around town on our vespa. What the hell?? So now I have a $160 fuel pump, and a car that is all sorts persnickety. Fabulous!

My Subaru is finally in the shop because it needs a new engine we are thinking?!?! Wouldn't it be fabulous if it just started working!!

Today is full of sewing as I finish up Olivia's cupcake costume and my Pez dispenser costume. This should be fun!  I will post pics once they are finished but just to give you an idea, this is where my cupcake inspiration came from... Lemon Tree Creations and Pottery Barn Kids

This afternoon will be filled with pumpkin carving and lots of it, my hubby decided that he absolutely needed this giant 40 lb. pumpkin?!?!  I have never seen such a big pumpkin  : )

Well I have a lot of stuff to finish today, but I will be back with updates and pictures, but until then please enjoy my new favorite song by the ever so fabulous Taylor Swift. I am in heaven now that her new album is out, it is her best ever, and I have so much respect for her for writing all of her own songs, being true to herself, and always holding herself up with so much class despite people always trying to bring her down.




This song is pretty similar to how things have progressed through the years with me and the hubby. I love this song as well as "Never Grow Up" but there was no video yet that I could find.

Just Call Me Chef

I have recently expanded my cooking horizons, you see I don't normally cook.  It has always been the hubbys job to cook dinner.

The other night, I made a delicious Butternut Squash Pizza. It was a play off of this recipe from allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

• 1 cup thinly sliced onion
• 1/2 butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 (16 ounce) package refrigerated pizza crust dough
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Place sliced onion and squash in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with rosemary, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil; toss to coat.
2. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until onions are lightly browned and squash is tender; set aside.

1. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). On a floured surface, roll each ball of dough into an 8 inch round. Place the rounds on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal (you may need 2 baking sheets depending on their size). Distribute squash mixture over the two rounds and continue baking for 10 minutes, checking occasionally, or until the crust is firm. Sprinkle with cheese and remaining tablespoon olive oil. Cut into quarters, and serve.  

Now, the above recipe is where I drew my inspiration from. I however, used a premade pizza crust that was on a super sale  in the bakery dept.  I then made a garlic paste using minced garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little bit of flour for thickness.  

Spread that onto the crust, then put on the butter nut squash, onions, more garlic, rosemary, and just because we wanted a fancy pizza we put some feta crumbles and some prosciutto. We topped it off with nice thin slices of tomato.

 


I hope you enjoy this, we sure did, especially with a fabulous bottle of red wine. MMM!


I also made caramel apples the other day, which everyone else like but I could not eat. I tried but for some reason it bothered my teeth.





Hope everyone is enjoying the last of beautiful fall days. We sure are, this is my little princess sporting her father's orange hunting vest from when he was that age.  His mom made it for him 26 yrs ago.

 

We have been taking lots of long beautiful walks through the town and even hit up some thrift stores where I purchased the flannel shirt I am sporting. It is a Ralph Lauren in the men's section and was only $3.00 and is super comfortable.

Have a great day everyone!

FAIL!!!!!!!!!!!

GIANT FAIL.

HUGE FAIL.

MEGA FAIL.

FAIL. FAIL. FAIL.

Please tell me that I am not the only one who experiences this while crafting away yet again another genius idea!?!?

Let me submit the evidence, and prove to you this FAIL. that I speak of.



This was my take on an owl hat for my daughter, it is also before I could stomach finishing the ears off because it is such a giant FAIL. that it simply belongs in the trash.

First off, I made the pattern just a tad to big on the sides, and a tad to small on length.  I also thought it would be fun to do a funky print, but I now believe it is in my best interest to stick to normal owl like patterns and colors.

Secondly, the applique is just God-awful.  I used interfacing with it and tried to stitch it on there, but it just looks sloppy. ( My applique is not great, I would appreciate ANY feedback)


Let me tell you a little secret......


Are you listening closely??

All right, I have committed myself to making only handmade presents for Christmas and I am in dire need of a sewing tutor, or mentor. I realize that in the blogging world that means it would not be in person, but I am so new to this, and there is no one where I live to help me.  I have asked the (only) quilting store around here, and have not gotten much help.  I really want to be a great seamstress, but I feel like I am just failing miserably at it.  I need some help, so please if there is anyone out there willing to take me on, I promise to try my hardest, and be great.  : )

Hopefully I will be back tomorrow with some caremeled apples, and an easy butternut squash pizza!  YUM!

Pouring My Heart Out

  

This is new to me, I have never participated in one of these but it sounds almost therapeutic. Don't you think?

There are a million topics right now that I could pour my heart out about, but I will try to keep from writing a freaking novel.

My biggest issue in life at the moment is that I absolutely hate where I am living right now.  It will be 2 yrs in December that we moved to this dinky little town in the middle of Montana. My husband transfered with Albertsons and got into a manager position, it was a good move for his career and we both wanted to try life away from where we had grown up.

Days before we were supposed to officially be in Montana, I had a surprise positive pregnancy test, we moved without telling anyone because we just wanted to get settled first.

Upon first impressions, it's a cute town with a lively Main St. and has the overall appearance to be a great place to raise your kids.  Although I missed my friends and family back home, I agreed to give it 1 yr before making any irrational decisions.  That 1 yr has come and gone, and I am more than ready to be closer to home. 

I have made no solid friendships here, I have not met any mothers with children the same age as my daughter whom I can have play dates with, and we have no support system here.  It is not feasible for me to go back to school here because of the cost of child care and travel involved with the school located here.

We don't want to move back home, but definantly closer, like 2 hours away closer instead of 12.  The town where we want to move has a great college, and a descent job market, along with the perks of small town living. (I am so not a city person)

All of this would be much more doable if we weren't having to put $3,000 into our cars at the moment. Hell, for that amount I could probably buy a better working car, which is pretty bad considering that our cars aren't bad, old, or misused vehicles. We are just having some rough patches, and I know that in a few months everything will (hopefully) start falling back into place.

Just That Kind of Mood

You my friends, are about to get a sticky note novel!

Aren't you excited??








  

  In case you were wondering what a vino scooter is, this is our current means of transportation. My car needs a new engine, we have the means to pay for that- just need to find one, and my hubbys car needs a new fuel pump.  Long story short in the sticky note novel. :)





This song totally sums my mood up for the day.  They are a fabulous band called Mumford and Sons!

I hope you enjoyed the song :)