Have no fear... I'm still here

For the few readers that I still have I'm sorry I kind of just left. How did this happen you ask? Life got in the way. Big time. I'll spare you the details mostly because I'm just not ready to go there.

So the last time I turned on my sewing machine was for Halloween costumes! Now that is just not acceptable. What's worse is I haven't stopped fabric shopping. I mean who can resist Anna Maria Horner's new fabric line? 

Interested in all the exciting things that go on around here? No problem... I'm on Instagram, username sascharomeo. I document all the pointless crap that happens in my life.

I miss creating. A lot. I hope I can find the time and energy to get back into my crafti-self. Until then...

  

Holiday Cards

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I absolutely love getting holiday cards in the mail. I anxiously check the mailbox every day starting December 1st. After the holiday season is over I keep them in a box. I've been collecting them for about 10 years now and it's so fun to see families growing and changing. I recently saw a great idea by Jess for keeping cards organized by year. I'm totally going to do this!

p.s. if you read my blog and recognize your card and wonder why your child looks quite alien it's because I blurred out all the faces.

Enjoying this time of year...

 It's been a long time since I've visited my blog. Boo on looking at Halloween pictures. Here are a few of the pictures I took for our Christmas card this year.

 We struggled to find the perfect backdrop for the kids until I remembered the place that I go running has beautiful trees that were perfectly timed to show of their Fall beauty.

I hope everyone enjoys a special holiday season and I'll see you in the new year.

Bat Hat on Access Hollywood

Second doorbell ring... adorable little girl in my hat!

Little House on the Prairie

Luca chose Laura Ingalls Wilder for Halloween 2012...

I'm pretty happy she chose this costume idea because I have such a soft spot for not only the books but the 1970's t.v. show. We record the old episodes and watch them as a family. 

I used McCall's Costumes pattern M9424. Easy sewing instructions but sized a bit large. Would definitely recommend. The only alteration I made was to make the sleeve hem with a ruffle. 

I shared some of the process on Instagram. 

Roar

Last year I pinned a costume that I just had to try and recreate. I love this version and I see that she has one for sale this year. $225... I totally know why. It is a lot of work. 

A. Lot. Of. Work.

Max from Where the Wild Things Are. 

I used McCall's Costumes pattern M6181 with minimal alterations. I'm not used to sewing with big four pattern companies and I was a bit nervous because I've heard some negative things about the sewing instructions and fit. This pattern was really easy to follow and the fit is great. I made a size four but I wish I had made a size three (Vinny is an average sized 3 year old). I was just being cautious. 

I spent the better part of this year hunting down the right fabric online. The sherpa was pretty hard for me to find. The fur isn't exactly what I wanted but close enough. I'm pretty sure this is my one and only time I will sew with either of these fabrics. Not fun.

The whiskers are fake leather jewelry cord. I just knotted one end and poked it through the fabric and hand stitched on place. Although I didn't get a good picture of them they are one of my favorite details. 

I'm pretty sure just about no one will know what he is but I don't care because I love it! I'm furiously finishing up Luca's costume. She is going as Laura Ingalls Wilder and I'm pretty sure there will be a large portion of the community that has no idea who she is either. Rocco is going as Einstein... let's see who can figure that one out. Actually he's wearing a crazy white wig a lab coat and carrying a clipboard with E=mc2 printed out so let's hope our community can figure that out. If not we are hopeless.

Bat Hat

 

A few months ago Parenting magazine contacted me about making a bat hat for their October 2012 cover. In all the craziness that's been going on around here I actually forgot about it until someone kindly emailed me the link to this cover. I wasn't sure about which size they would need so I made them three. I also had no idea how the rest of the outfit would be styled and I love it. 

Now I need to find a copy of this magazine which has proven very elusive in my neck of the woods. 

Future Cookbook

A certain brilliant mommy came up with the idea to create a cookbook with her family's favorite recipes and adorable photos to go with each. Totally brilliant right? 

 

{Bon Jovi Vinny helping with banana bread}

I promptly decided to copy the idea even though I really can't cook. I even started a board on Pinterest to try and collect some recipes to try out. We'll see how this all goes. I'm sure there will be some indigestion involved. 

Thanks Carolyn!

Preschool Day One... and many awkward moments

Wow! The day FINALLY arrived. I really, really love my kids but I needed some space. I finally got a few hours of me time. Vinny only goes two days a week but it's a start.

So here's the first awkward segue of the day. A lot of people are commenting on the Jon Bon Jovi hair that the little rascal is sporting.

Yes. There is definitely a resemblance, But I am glad that when Chef cut Vinny's hair we didn't end up with this result.

Awkward segue number two...

We are so fortunate to live in a rural setting but within close range to big city lifestyle. 

 {just down the road from the preschool. Complete with "no hunting/trespassing" signs}

I love our local preschool for so many reasons but the first is that it focuses on play based learning. On day one they had a huge water table set up, a finger painting station that looked like a paint factory exploded and a play-doh table piled so high the kids couldn't see to the other side. Most of the days are spent outdoors which is pretty awesome. There is no limit on water play (I guess they know my Vinny), if your child gets soaked that's what spare clothes are for. Actually we have two extra sets in his cubby.

So what did I do with my first day of freedom in 3 years? I contemplated going home for a nap. Seriously. What I did was almost as good... I went and got my nails done! Yay me. The last manicure/pedicure I had done was about 3 days before Vinny was born (I like clean toes for the whole birthing process). 

{Photo via Instagram}

Did you just catch segue number three? Awkward I know. I joined Instagram about 2 years ago and set my photos to private. I liked to use it as a photo filter app and my sister was my only allowed viewer. Well recently I've been looking at the great photos all you guys put out there and decided to go public! Yay me again. All in one blog post. Pats self on back with happy new nails. 

So if you are on Instagram and wish to see pictures of the Romeos in day-to-day life, my user name is sascharomeo. Wow, simple. Just like my actual name. 

p.s. Before I went public I deleted a few photos of the kids that would be inapropriate for general audience *read: in the bath full monty*. If I missed any and you notice please let me know so I can get them out of the public eye. Thnx.

The Deck *shakes fist in air*

Our deck needs major TLC. The kind that can really only be remedied by, oh, let's say $8,000. Srsly. The entire deck needs to be replaced. It's 32 year old redwood and it's HUMONGOUS! So instead I pretend it's not rotting under our feet and try to pretty it up.

Yay! It's amazing what some patio furniture and an umbrella can do. I bought the rug at Kohls a few months back when it was on clearance and had those Kohls cash things and and additional whatever they were giving away that day. I bought two rugs and it barely covers the splintering mess. 

Our back deck is really big. Like probably 1,000 sq. feet big. Not really sure since recently I tried to measure for the cost of replacement wood and I quickly gave up. We have two other decks that are also in dire need of replacement. Ugh. Damn you dry rot *shakes fist at sky*.

The umbrella is from Costco. Probably last year, but I think they carry them every season. We've been through a few because we are careless assholes. If you take care of yours I'm sure they last longer than one Summer and I highly recommend this purchase.  Fire pit is clearance from Target like 5 years ago. Copper and aging beautifully. Has seen maybe one fire. Hello... it sits on a tinderbox ready to go up in flames at the slight mention of a match.

Ahhh, my Adirondak chair. Or should I say the kids Adironak chair. Yup... it's childs size. I bought this at Ace hardware about 8 years ago and I lurve it. Not enough to actually use some sealer or anything but enough to make a cute little pillow for the dern thing.

Here's his big brother who I apparently don't love enough to recover his cushion. This is the original cushion it came with and I'm saving it for a template. One day. *shakes fist at sky*.

I recently made this ottoman by using some old outdoor cushion fillers that were rotting before my eyes. I just wrapped polyfil around the 4 square cushions and measured to make a square cover. I did manage to brush off the mouse poop. Yes, it was covered in little dark turds. I needed to add two zippers to squeeze the filling into the cover. It worked! Yay me.

 

Here it is being demonstrated by my lovely and willing assistant. It's comfy.

I also made a little succulent arrangement. Hope it doesn't die. It's cute. It's also been three months since it was planted and has stayed the same size. Is this normal? Feedback anyone.

Oh and the whole reason for this post is to say I planned on making a Moroccan pouf but Fabric.com sold out of the fabric I chose and the square pillow fabric was meant for a square pillow so now I've put that project off to the side most likely until next Spring even though where I live it's pretty close to Springtime year round. I saw this pouf tute and thought to myself "hey lady, you can surely do this in no time". And by no time I mean have NO time.

Soon the deck will rot beneath my feet and I will have no worries about how to best pretty up this outdoor space.