I'm (not) ready for my close-up, Mr. Deville......

The Lily Belle at Disneyland

This was one of the highlights of our Disney trip; after all the times (probably over 20) that I've been to Disneyland, I'd never ridden the Lily Belle, nor really knew anyone could. I had seen the trains of course; it was Dorian's favorite pastime to ride past the "dinosaurs" over and over again. Before we boarded the train one morning, James pointed to the Lily Belle; which was attached to that particular train, and said; "I want to ride in that car! He asked the conductor how to go about getting a ride, and was told that we needed a reservation; and that the resevations fill up fast! So the first thing the next morning, we went to Main Street Station to make a resevation, and found that allthough it was only 9:30 all but three spots were taken!

I just did some research and learned more about the Lily Belle; as well as reading This article


Shortly after Disneyland opened, Walt told his wife Lillian that he would like to build a parlor car. It would be great to ride outside on the Santa Fe and Disneyland Railroad studying landscape, buildings, etc. Maybe have lunch on the train, discuss plans for future ideas of Disneyland. All of this came as a result of Walt's great enthusiasm for trains. Now the open car from the first passenger train has been converted into an elegant parlor car, or the President car, so named in honor of the first president of the Disneyland Railroad, who was Walt Disney.

A picture of the Lily Belle interior; taken some years ago and not by me!

Waiting in Main Street Station for the train

The last day we were at Disneyland was dreadfully hot; at least for our standards; and we were tired, but we still had a memorable day. We started the day with beignets and mocha's (thank goodness!) at the Mint Julep Bar; and then after we baked in the sun a bit and were really getting quite cranky; found our way to the Dole Pineapple bar; which I had somehow managed to avoid ever going to! Mmmmm; fresh pineapple juice in the heat was glorious! I fulfilled my life-long dream to have a drink with an umbrella by ordering a pineapple float, which was fresh pineapple juice and pineapple soft-serve ice cream! Just what the doctor ordered! And Elvis shared with me and cooled down his poor flushed cheeks! Since it was our fourth day and we were out of gas; we had a laid-back day involving riding the train around the park several times for a break for our poor feet; and shopping, which I learned was my favorite ride! We had bought each boy (except Elvis) a gift card to use at Disneyland; and James sister was soooo generous and did the same! So each boy had plenty of money to buy what they liked. Andrew was determined to buy a genuine leather fedora, like Indiana Jones; and found one at a store in Frontierland. At over $50; it is not something that he would have ever had the opportunity to buy otherwise; but after talking to him a bit and urging him to sleep on it to make sure it was what he really, really wanted; it was nice to see his excitement after he was able to wear it out of the store. Later the same night; a family we met from Australia complimented the hat; and it turned out the dad of the family purchased that very same hat! To Andrew; this convinced him of the value of it; because everyone (apparently) knows that Aussies are the authority on leather fedoras! I got a sparkly pink Minnie Mouse travel coffee mug, and two tops; I had to convince James to spend money on himself; but he got a Pirates of the Caribbean (the ride, not the movie) beer mug, an apron that makes him look like Mickey Mouse, and a wire whisk for his famous breakfasts. I also saw a darling Alice in Wonderland tea set; and bought a teacup and saucer for my best friend, who adores all things Alice; and has never been to Disneyland!

After being at Disneyland from 9 to 6; I was completely exhausted, and while I love Disney; I was ready to leave while I was still on two legs! The boys were fired up about getting their last kicks in, so after walking Elvis and I to the hotel to collapse in bed, my poor tired husby brought the other four boys back to Disneyland for a last hurrah. They went on more rides, and stayed to watch the fireworks; which was an excellent ending to the vacation of our dreams!

The title refers to the fact that I am only a few weeks away from my market debut; and feeling very much like a scared starlet! What if they don't like me? What if I flop? This is my first time selling my products face to face; and I really don't know what to expect. I met a lot of the vendors today, and they are a friendly, home-spun bunch!  I just hope I can fit in! One dear older lady who sells knit wares, came up to our table and introduced herself and gave us great advice for having a shared booth, and we met the face painter, a young woman just out of college; who does the market with her father.  Everyone was very welcoming, I just hope I don't disappoint! After the vendor meeting my best friend and I took a shopping spree to a craft store to buy displays and booth decor. We had lots of fun, and I think the booth will be great!

I found fabric for the sheer train on my mom's wedding dress, just waiting on the silk charmuese, and I will be sewing away!

I hope to have a relatively productive evening, since last night I put my hair in curlers, laid down "for a minute" and was dead to the world until morning!

Have a great Sunday!

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes.....

Dorian in his mouse ears, meeting Donald Duck! 

The words from the title are from a classic Disney song, that I actually learned when taking voice lessons as a teenager, and at the Disneyland hotel they had throw pillows on the beds that spelled out that phrase; I love that song and it's the perfect theme for our vacation.

As a couple who had a "teenage wedding" way back in 1999; and have been busy raising a family ever since; James and I have often felt a little guilt that we were not able to provide certain niceties for our children; like vacation and loads of toys. I should say, James has mostly felt guilty, because he was raised by parents who were...poor, there's no other way to say it, and he never had a nice bedroom, or toys, or clothes that were considered acceptable by his classmates. I think growing up the way he did, he always saw children who's parents had those things, and felt that his life would be better if there were more money in the picture. I, on the other hand, was very lucky in that I had not only my own room, but my own bathroom, and went on vacation every year; often to Disneyland, and had clothes that were the envy of all the girls I knew. I know, unequivocally, that money does not buy happiness, and I don't fret about buying surpluses of toys, and feel that our children are lucky, in far more important ways. But still, I would often feel wistful when seeing all the commercials on TV about the happy family with the wondrous children seeing Mickey for the first time.

When we decided to take this vacation; and knew that we would be able to manage it financially, it was a dream come true; we almost couldn't believe it! We talked for weeks about how the boys would react when seeing Disneyland, and the ocean for the first time; the anticipation was almost the best part! Almost.....

My sweet Dorian loves Mickey Mouse; he was so looking forward to seeing Mickey, and when he did; Mickey had an appointment to keep and walked right by! Poor Dorian; it was so sweet and sad and cute how heartbroken he was! He had on his mouse ears and everything! (don't worry, Mickey and Dorian made up; he actually "met" him later in the trip). We had such a great time; you would never think we could have had such a great time with the two of us and five boys, but it was! James and I joked that we were actually in a fitness camp, because we walked miles every day, pushing two strollers, and eating was few and far between because we were so busy; I'm telling you, vacation was actually good to my waistline!

We went on several rides as a family, Pirates of the Caribbean is one of my favorites; I brought both Andrew and Bentley on it when they were babies, they both fell asleep; and lo and behold; Elvis fell asleep both times we took him on it! I even got talked into going on the Hollywood Tower of Terror; which was probably the least pleasant part of the whole trip; for the uninitiated; that ride involves sitting in a metal chair in a metal cage, buckling up and then being dropped like a hot potato for several stories....then shot up like a rocket and dropped again. And again! My poor Bentley cried, and I wanted to! At least I can say I did it!

I have enough memories from our vacation to last a while; I think I will be sharing some more stories on many blog posts to come.

On the sewing front; I found gorgeous 100% silk charmeuse in a lovely pale, pale yellow color for my mom's wedding dress; can't wait to receive it! It will be so wonderful to get the chance to work with such gorgeous material! I also received my final approval to sell at a Farmers' Market, and am going to my first Vendor's meeting on Saturday. I ordered spiffy new business cards just for the occasion, it will be fun!

Wow, Friday already in most places; in a half hour for me; still need to unmold some soap and cut out material for my mom's reception dress; Happy Friday!

Blogging is a Girl's Best Friend

Thank you all so much for all your well-wishes during my vacation! I'm so happy to be back, we had quite a harrowing experience on the drive in, we ran into both a torrential downpour near Provo, Utah; which when combined with some road work delayed us a bit, and an actual blizzard, which threatened to derail the whole trip! I was driving from outside Salt Lake City, when the rain began to pour. Strangely, there was tons of traffic; couldn't figure out why, because it was 8 pm on a Saturday night! Finally, after white-knuckling the steering wheel for a few hours, the rain became so heavy I couldn't see which lane I was in! I pulled over and switched with James; thank goodness! Shortly thereafter, the rain turned into snow! Semi trucks were creeping along, and we saw lots of cars pulled over and even a huge accident. It was terrifying! We made it safe and sound; albeit with snow covering the bins of clothes on our luggage rack! I didn't get to sleep until 5 am, but James let me sleep late, so I'm reciprocating by letting him snooze for a bit right now.

I feel like I've gained a lot of perspective while I was gone. Although I love my etsy shop and plan to be successful, it's not the be-all and end-all of my life, nor even of my soap career. I think I spent too much time obsessing over it, and feeling like a failure when I didn't perform to my own expectations. I was surprised to find that when I was separated from my computer; what I missed the most was blogging, which I do strictly for my own pleasure; and I hope the enjoyment of others! I was able to do some soul-searching as well, and some of you wonderful followers may have sensed there's more to me than the proud mother and wife I am now. After a lot of considering and thinking, taking into account possible ethical and legal ramifications, I've decided to start another blog; anonymously; which tackles some tough subjects. It will be both darker and more inspirational that this blog, which I love and will continue to do. I felt the need to have it anonymous, in order to avoid either embarrassing or libeling people involved; I still have to consider how best to promote it without connecting it to this blog, or to me personally. Any ideas would be welcome!

I'm now on to working through my huge bins of dirty laundry, and grocery shopping, and I hope; making a nice dinner for my boys and men after so many days of restaurant food! I also lost a crucial part to my sewing machine in the days leading up to our trip, so I have to go about replacing it before I can begin on my new projects, of which I have many! Including, by the way, a wedding dress for my mother, who announced her upcoming marriage in May; and asked me to make her a wedding dress that is not too formal for the beach, and both stylish and age-appropriate. I found a wonderful champagne-colored silk/satin; which will look great with her complexion; and honestly; her figure is more youthful than mine! We even joked that I should pass on my size 4 wedding dress to her; since I have no doubt it would fit her!

Happy Sunday, I hope you all have had a great weekend!

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.....

La Jolla Cove; San Diego

Dorian resting after his ordeal!

Hello, everyone! I noticed I've picked up a few new followers in my absence; I feel very honored; thank you!

I'm afraid I'm a little too tired to wax poetic tonight, but wanted to share with you all a few of the high and low points of my vacation so far; and let you know I'm still here!

We've had an absolutely memorable, wonderful vacation; just finished our third day at Disneyland; and it's been worth all the planning and worry and work!

Seeing my children's faces as they experience Disneyland magic for the first time is absolutely the high point; I feel like I've finally stepped into that point of maturity and motherhood where my enjoyment is completely secondary; seeing the world through their eyes makes me happier than any experience I could ever have! Hearing Dorian say; "I don't like ghost-es" after going to the Haunted Mansion and Bentley telling me that the ride I suggested and went on with him was his favorite ride he'd ever been on; makes everything worth it.

The low point was last night; we had just returned from all day at Disney and an excellent dinner when we heard Dorian cry from the adjoining room; the bad cry, the one all parents dread and recognize immediately. I reached him first and found him on the floor between the chair and the window. I turned him upright and started comforting him, thinking that he was fine because I couldn't see a scratch on him. While I was staring confusedly at this red substance that was pouring onto the chair, James calmly informed me it was the back of his head. He took over, applying pressure and ice to the wound. After a few seconds he told me, still calm, that Dorian was going to need stitches, so while I frantically handed him towels and called the front desk, he took care of Dorian and stopped the bleeding. I feel absurd that I wasn't more help, I'm usually quite good in a crisis, but I don't think I acquitted myself well in this circumstance. James completely took over, inspecting the wound  with the nurse when she arrived, and carrying Dorian the mile to the car, took him to get stitches and his prescription, while I flailed about miserably and ended up being very sharp with my other children. I know that when the time comes, James will be an excellent fire fighter; I know if I were to be in an accident, I would wish for someone so capable and calm to care for me!

All is well now, Dorian got three stitches and returned in good spirits. He enjoyed Disneyland very much today, even though I held my breath whenever he was even close to tripping or bumping his head! I know that with five boys, accidents like this are inevitable, I just need to learn to not become so shrill and frantic when they occur!

We have great plans tomorrow, and I know it will be fun!

Happy Thursday, all!

Viva, Las Vegas.......(and San Diego)

Did you see the snazzy new picture on my sidebar? It's a award given by 1950's Atomic Ranch House to all the bloggers that read her blog ; I have had the pleasure of getting comments on my blog by her, so I feel honored....and I love the button!

Well here we are....San Diego!

This taco shop was what James has been waiting for! We enjoyed a nice lunch there, and he even went back in afterwards to tell the staff how much he enjoyed his Chipotle fish taco, and how glad he was that the food was still the same!


The weather's been a little iffy; I think we brought a little Idaho with us, because we were greeted by a monsoon while driving down the I-15 from San Bernardino, and the sun has been hit and miss. Yesterday when we left my father-in-law's house the sun was finally shining, and it was beautiful!

We spent the afternoon driving to all of James' old haunts, and we discovered that sadly his childhood home is all boarded up and about to be demolished. He wanted me to take a picture anyway, but I won't post it because it's sad. Seeing his old hometown made him nostalgic and introspective, and he wrote this lovely piece about it. I hope I won't embarrass him too much by publishing it, but I'm proud of him and want to share:

Boise vs San Diego

by James Arnold on Friday, March 25, 2011 at 6:55pm

I love living in Boise.  Transplanting my family from San Diego to the "City of Trees' was the best decision I could have made.  But being in San Diego still feels like home.  These are my people.  They're a crazy, rude, impatient lot.  I'm pretty sure its more important for them to try and kill themselves and each other on the interstate than to get where they are going.  In Boise, turning on your blinker lets the person in that lane know that you would like to move over, and could they kindly allow you to do so.  In general, they do.  In California, a blinker means, "Go _____ yerself! Let me over and I swear it'll be the last thing you do, you jackwagon!" 

I drove past my High School (Go Titans).  Its a little different now, but I remember almost every day I spent there.  We went to go see the house I grew up in.  Its on a little dirt cul-de-sac called Sycamore.  The tiny house I have so many memories of is boarded up and sad.  The front deck is gone.  The yard, not nearly as big as I remember, is overgrown and muddy.  My next door neighbor, and best friend, on Sycamore is dead.  He was about a year older than me and he died in a motorcycle accident about 8-9 years ago, his name was Matt .  The house he grew up in is gone.  There exists an empty lot where the 2nd house I grew up in used to stand. 

The point is, I sat there in my Explorer saddened by the state of my childhood stomping grounds.  The best years of my childhood were spent on Sycamore.  I'm not "from" this state anymore.  I don't recognize the parts of it that were the most important to me.  Those parts exist only in my memories. The things that are most important to me now, are all with me here and they're from Idaho.  They change, but only for the better.  I have friends and family in Idaho, and I love them all.  Idaho is my home now.  San Diego is just a bitchin vacation spot.  I like it that way.

Isn't that sweet and sad? I'm so happy we were able to visit, it's been almost five years since he was able to come back and visit, and I know he sometimes misses it. I've often been afraid that he wasn't happy in our poor little Idaho home and that he didn't feel like he belonged yet. I'm glad to know that he considers himself an adopted Idahoan! 

Ok, I can no longer avoid doing this; I've been talking about my new clothes forever; it's time to woman up and post a picture of myself, although the very idea makes me cringe! After a few failed attempts to get my son Andrew to take a picture of me while I was not talking; and since James refuses to take pictures of me because he claims I'm never happy with them....I took a ridiculous picture of my reflection in the mirror. High-tech, huh? Well, I felt absurd, but I love my new wrap skirt and sweater. And my green shoes, though the quality of the picture is awful:

Our messy hotel suite is in the background, and I think the glare from the window adds a nice touch. Oh well, the skirt is really comfy and has pockets! I'm also thrilled with the versatility of the sweater, I'll be wearing it constantly, I'm sure! Underneath, I'm wearing a nursing camisole so it's a pretty baby-friendly and comfortable outfit! 

Oh, I almost forget what I intended to post about.....Viva Las Vegas! Yes, because I'm an overachiever and possibly a masochist, I've decided to tack on an overnight stay in Las Vegas to our return trip! When we drove through, at 3 am; the boys were amazed at all the bright lights, and it seemed like an opportunity too good to pass up; it's not often we will be passing though Las Vegas, and it will also break up what is a grueling drive! Circus Circus, here we come! 

Have a great weekend!

Vacation! And Jean Harlow.....

I was going to take a picture of all the chaos around my house; and my pin-curled and covered with a scarf head...but I decided Jean Harlow is much prettier!

For a classic movie aficionado, I've somehow managed to avoid ever seeing a movie starring Jean; probably because my taste in classic film runs more to the mid-to late 40's Film Noir up to the early 60's; and poor Jean died at the absurdly young age of 26, in 1937 (a fact that I had to google, after trying to figure out why I had never seen a Harlow film). Last night, while folding laundry and packing, I watched a movie I had DVR'd; "Hold Your Man" which starred Clark Gable, whom I love. It was a very early film, 1933; and I was amazed to see the styles of hair and clothes, and how much life has changed (and not changed) in 78 years. The vernacular was too funny, several characters, including the train conductor said Cincinnati like this "sin-sa-NA-ta"; which is something I've never heard before and found interesting. Could those two people act or WHAT! The chemistry was amazing, I love Clark Gable and hated him in "Gone with the Wind", because I think it wasn't the best casting choice, both for the fictional Rhett Butler, who I heart, and Clark Gable, whom I also heart to pieces.

Anyway, I'm standing here in my kitchen, blogging; when I should be loading the car; but I wanted to pop in and post because I probably won't be doing a whole lot of blogging in the days to come. Although, who knows, I may blog my head off about Disneyland!

Have a great week everyone, and wish me luck while I drive for 16 hours with five children across the wilderness!

It's good to be the (consignment) Queen!

Our vacation is fast approaching, so all my boys need some spring/summer things in advance of when I usually buy them. Last weekend, I did the dreaded task of sorting through all my bins in the garage that hold out-of-season and outgrown clothes, so I knew what I already had. I found that strangely enough, one of my children had ten pair of shorts, and one had zero pairs! I made a little mental list of who needed what (Andrew; shorts, Bentley; pajamas, etc) and headed to the consignment shop with Elvis in tow. He insisted on being held, so as I grabbed up clothes as fast as I could, added them to a stack on the counter, then went back for more, I had a little baby trying to grab everything off the shelves! I had store credit, from the last batch of clothes I consigned, so I ended up getting practically everything I need, including hoodies all around and shoes for Andrew; and the big hit of the trip; a Boise State hoodie for a lucky Bentley Jeffrey! I love the little terrycloth beach cover up for baby Elvis! It was only 2.95 and perfect for keeping him warm poolside and at the beach! After my store credit was deducted; I bought 28 items for $47.97! Not bad!

I posted earlier about needing summer sandals for myself, and I went to Payless to look for the shoes I have pictured, tried them on, and found that they were the kind of shoes that slip off your heel continually while walking! No good! So I sort of fell in love with the green wedges with the flower on the toe, and as it turned out, I didn't even need the wide width! I also picked up these blue sandals with a buckle and again, the flower; I couldn't resist these, and I wanted to have some flat sandals for Disneyland in case the wedges prove too high for walking. I love colorful shoes! To me, almost any color goes together; and since I know have a blue pair and a green pair; I can't think of a single color that would clash with both! Payless was having a BOGO sale, so I ended up getting two pairs of shoes for myself and shoes for two of my boys for $60. Not quite consignment prices, but not bad for shoes!

This morning we had the unwelcome surprise of having Callan wake up with a croupy cough; it's been exactly a year since my little Callie scared the daylights out of me and his daddy by developing a life-threatening case of croup, which led to a two day hospitalization and sleepless nights for both of us whenever croup is afoot. Fortunately, the usual remedies helped tremendously, and we're hoping for an uneventful night. We will probably sleep with one ear out for him and clothes laid out for a quick getaway to the hospital if necessary. I've learned that with so many children, sickness is inevitable, and I don't waste a lot of time worrying about what could happen, I'm just thankful we live in a day and age where they have effective treatments and that we live only 5 or 10 minutes from the hospital.

I was thinking about that yesterday, when I was practically shaking with exhaustion at the grocery store, since I'd been up most of the night. I think a person's happiness depends a lot on their level of thankfulness, although I occasionally have bad days, I always know how lucky I am; I've known loneliness and sorrow in my life, but I always knew it was not forever, and the pain had no portion in me; I always could see this life, the one I dreamed about, and knew it would happen. So even though I'm often overwhelmed, and exhausted, and have many things I could spend a lot of time worrying about; I am a content and thankful person. I wish that peace and happiness for everyone.

I have a busy day of laundry today, with hopefully some time to work on my sewing; have a great Sunday!

Big Girls Don't Cry.....

I just realized today that we have exactly two weeks before we go on vacation. Where did the time go? And me with a half-finished swimsuit and not a wrap skirt to bless myself with! And my etsy shop is really picking up, which makes me worry about putting it on vacation mode; I'm still leaning towards "not"; just putting up a notice that says that shipping will be delayed until I return; which I think effectively dissuades a lot of people, but you can't have it all!

Up high on the list of the things I can't have right now, is the tan, toned body, I envisioned myself in on the beach...I considered getting a spray tan for about half a second; then decided to be true to my paleness. I'm not fooling anybody with the fake tan, and I actually like being an oddity in a sea of the perfectly tanned. Sure, I'd like to look great; but having an orange-y glow is not my idea of beauty. So I'll just go out with my fair skin, flashing like a beacon for the world to see! And the toned part it not necessarily happening; I've been rather neglectful of my gym membership lately, because I've been so, so, busy; and having five 9 and 10 pound babies is not conducive to a bikini bod! Cleansing breath! The only thing that matters, really; is having a great time with my family; I don't care if I look like a beached whale and everyone is blinded by the glare coming off my snow-white thunder thighs! I remember last time we visited San Diego; although I had lived there for three years and only been back in Idaho for three; I couldn't believe the contrast in the culture! Where in Idaho, I'm a fairly stylish and put-together person, I confess I felt like a country bumpkin! I remember my husband, a native San Diegan,  remarking while on the freeway with cars whizzing by us, "why is everyone in such a hurry?". Quite a culture shock, even for the initiated.

So, big girls don't cry, right?! I will not cry, no matter how many things I have left to do; my sleep deprivation, my dwindling soap stock, my white legs, or my Idaho style!

I'm going to wake up every morning, put on my new perfume and lipstick, and slog through my miles of housework and the ever-present laundry. I need to start putting less pressure on myself; no one except me expects me to have an immaculate house,  five children, and and etsy shop, but I do find it discouraging when I work so hard all day and seem to never make a dent. But, as my husband always says, my real job, my only job, is to take care of our boys, and any day that ends in them being happy, safe, and healthy is a success. 


On a much more fun note; I'm due for new summer shoes, and have been looking around for something to go with my vintage summer wear. I also have a wide foot, so finding something in a wide width is difficult; but here is what I found:

I think these are pretty, and since I'm accustomed to walking in higher wedges than these, I think these will be comfortable enough for at least one day at Disneyland. I love the white, I remember when white shoes were "in" and then most horribly out; so the white is fresh and eye-catching. I love to wear white shoes for some reason! I think I'll go and try these to make sure they're truly "wide", and then buy them!

Have a great Friday, everyone! 

You Say Obsessed Like It's a Bad Thing

Ok, before I blog about something more mature; I have to point out my awesome new blinkie bloggy thing; the one right
HERE........I do adore it; Twilight it my guilty pleasure and I make no excuses!

Now I'm going to attempt to act like the staid, settled, 30 year old that I am.....The picture is the lovely springy flowers my sweet husband had delivered to the house on Friday! He knows that I like roses; but much prefer a beautiful bouquet of colorful flowers, especially yellow and white flowers; and this bouquet also has snapdragons, which are his favorite and just happen to be the flower for my birth month, August. As I was typing this, I just thought of something I haven't thought of in years and years. When we were engaged, my 19 year old fiancee James used to bring me a fresh bouquet of flowers every week! And at the time, we didn't have much money (much like now), but he loved making sure I had fresh flowers! In the intervening 12+ years, the frequency of flower-bringing has of course diminished significantly; which I don't mind, because I always feel kind of sheepish when he gets me flowers; I'm a practical person by nature; and I hate money being spent on me. I know that he enjoys getting flowers for me; so I love it for that, and the bright colors are so cheerful!


On Saturday everyone got a little cabin fever because it rained, so we packed up the whole crew and went to the outlet mall; it's a bit of a drive through no-man's land; but worth it because there's a Lee outlet where I buy all of James' clothes. He hates it when I buy him clothes, but he was overdue, and has absolutely no summer clothes that haven't been worn to shreds. I also was on the hunt for some knit tops to go with some of the vintage pieces I've been making; my paisley wrap skirt in particular; and some of my capri pants. I was able to buy James several pairs of shorts, some Polo shirts and found myself some great breezy, pretty tops; all for a very reasonable price; I spent only 3.98 each for the tops I bought, and was able to find James name-brand shorts for less than 8 dollars!

Tonight we're having our usual Sunday Salads; and the usual giant pile of laundry! I'm looking forward to a very busy week; and hoping that Spring will finally make it's appearance!

Love Potion #9.....

I blogged a few days ago about my big splurge of the decade; a custom blended all natural perfume by the wonderful woman who owns Mermaid Lane Perfume. After sending her a questionnaire about my preferences, she blended a perfume for my approval. I received it today; what an experience! I feel so lucky to have someone blend something just for me, based on my likes, dislikes and quirks! I excitedly opened the package; would I like it? My first thought, as the top notes of the blend made their way from my olfactory senses to my brain was....oooh! FANCY! At first I wasn't sure if I liked it; was this really for me;  the often overwhelmed and bedraggled mother of five? Could I be this woman, the one who wore such a..a..sexy, alluring scent? I decided to "live with it" for a while before making my decision. I was on my way to the post office, so I dabbed it on my pulse points and went about my business. Within moments, the notes that I found a little fussy on first whiff deepened, became warmer. As I stood in line at the post office, I started to feel like one hot mama. As I chatted with the clerk regarding my shipment; a bar of soap to England (my first international sale), he leaned forward, actually sniffed the air, and said "Either you or the soap smells really good"...Hilarious! And it wasn't the soap, that was encased in layers of bubble wrap! How funny, I don't recall ever being given that particular compliment before; and not ten minutes after applying the perfume; someone comments on it! Then I got to pick the bottle and the size I wanted; I'm telling you, I felt downright queenly! It's so rare for me to be able to treat myself to this extent, and I know this perfume will give me years of pleasure; so it feel right.

I actually had a pretty great day; I finally gritted my teeth and went through every single bin of boys' clothes in the garage, to see what they have and what I still need to get them for our vacation. I also was able to consign lots and lots of stuff; made $44 dollars in store credit, which is more than enough for one boy to get everything he needs; if I shop carefully, I should be able to get about 15 items, success! Since I started consigning, I've definitely learned what they want and what will sell; this time I was so close that out of two boxes of clothes, they only passed on four items! It definitely helps to have the consignment option. when you have a limited budget and lots and lots of boys to clothe!

Have a great Sunday; everyone!

Can I?

Wow, what a week! A week in which all my plans have gone awry in some way or another, a week in which I had all sorts of plans to stay up as late as necessary...and instead ended up crashing immediately after the boys went to bed! I now have the daunting prospect of a huge vacation to plan for, and I'm in the horrible stage where it's too soon to do some serious packing, but I have terrible packing anxiety because I'm afraid that once it comes time to pack; I'll suddenly realize it can't be done. Yes, that's my fear; that is actually can't be done; I mean; whoever said it was possible to take five children several states away, in a car that seats the amount of people we have, for a week. A week. I'm now wondering how few things I can get away with bringing. They have clothes and baby food and diapers and shoes and toys in California, right? I can just imagine myself, though; in some seedy laundromat in Southern California, frantically doing laundry before I get mugged. However, I believe they do have laundry facility at both hotels we're staying at; including the rather posh Disneyland hotel. My other fear involves the rash plans I made to make my clothes for the trip. Will I ever learn? Probably not. I have my bathing suit about halfway done; and I've made the decision to only do the "must have" items, like the bathing suit and a wrap skirt, which should be quick (no, I'll never learn). The rest will just have to go into the ether until later in the year. I have lots of soap projects that I'm behind in; which leads me to my other concern: putting my shop in vacation mode or not? It's not as though I'm getting daily orders, so I think I'll just take my laptop and do such work as I can in the evenings; (here I go again!); and just tell any customers that I may (or may not) have that all shipping will be done once I get back.

I'm hoping (as always) to get plenty of work done tonight, and to really buckle down; including going through the dreaded bins of boys' clothing, and consigning all the items I have saved up to consign. I probably will need to buy quite a few summery items for all the boys and for James; and most likely will need to fill in deficiencies in my wardrobe as well.

Can you tell I'm worried and stressed? I feel rather ramble-y tonight; I'll just keep repeating to myself, "I think I can, I think I can, I think...."

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes...and Jane Russell

I heard yesterday that Jane Russell, brunette foil to Marilyn Monroe in 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes', passed away at age 89. This is a bit of a departure for my blog, but 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes' is one of my favorite movies, and I just had to comment. I grew up hearing that term, and saw the movie poster many times, but I didn't actually see the movie until I was an adult. It is one of those movies that "they" just don't make anymore, a truly funny comedy with a great plot, and Jane Russell made the whole movie work! As much as I loved Marilyn Monroe, she was not the greatest actress and needed someone like Jane, with her sarcastic quips and impeccable timing to act as the "straight man" for her character, which was the usual ditsy blond. As a lover of vintage fashion, I also love this movie for the clothes; and since it is in Technicolor, the fifties' odd color combos are on full display, including a rather obnoxiously purple dress on Marilyn's character, which somehow manages to work; as well as my favorite outfit; a chic black bathing ensemble which Jane's character wears during a musical number. I only wish they made bathing suits like that still; this black number acts as it's own girdle, and flattered Jane's famous figure perfectly. I also loved, loved, loved the character played by a fantastic young actor, who dryly delivers some of the best lines in the movie. Whenever I see the movie, I always wish I could adopt this boy; nevermind that he must be in his sixties by now! I have this movie on DVD, and I think I will watch it again in honor of Jane Russell.

Enough of playing at movie critic, what is really on my mind today is how much I have to do before leaving on our vacation on the 24th! It is rather alarming; including minor details like sewing several pieces of clothing, going through all the summer clothes for the boys, buying any deficiencies, buying clothes for James, figuring out how to fit enough luggage into our limited cargo space, car tune-up.....and on, and on, and on. I will just have to triage, do what I can do and not worry about the rest!

I am also thrilled that it is March; winter feels over, although March is a notoriously blustery month in Idaho, it is still much better, because it holds the promise of Spring!

Happy Wednesday!

Mr. Sandman.....

So remember my pledge not to stay up past midnight? We'll that's all gone out the window now that I realized I only have barely over a month until our vacation, and several pieces that are a must sew. The bathing suit pattern I cut out the other night is on the top of my list; I would hate to wait seven years for a vacation only to end up at the beach in a threadbare, stretched-out, five year old,  I've-worn-it-through-two-pregnancies-and-never-liked-it-anyway bathing suit!

So last night I buckled down (at 11pm) and got to work; movie on the laptop; boys and husband in bed. After all my enlarging/reducing/reducing I found that I had made the shorts gigantic! I mean, really big! I stitched them together as cut because I didn't want to lose the lines of the pattern; tonight (if I survive that long), I'll try them on and reduce by taking in the side seams. I have to adjust to the fact that they are meant to be rather flowy, drapey shorts, as was the style, and I don't want to lose that. However, I also don't want to be drowning in fabric. I think it will all work out; I did have to change the pattern size significantly, and it's natural for there to be differences in fit with a vintage pattern compared to modern expectations.

I hope, hope, hope to be back on track; sleep-wise soon, as soon as I catch up a little (promises, promises). For tonight, I feel rather exhausted, and may or may not pass out completely as soon as a finish this post!
I do have a great weekend coming up, and I'm excited about tomorrow being Friday!

Have a great night, everyone!

I Heart Free, Day-Old Baked Goods.....

My blog has a new look! It's totally revamped; I'm liking how bright and cheery it is! There's a not-funny story about that......*embarrassing*. Let's just say, I'm a bad, bad, blogger! So any of you tech-savvy people see me k do anything (else) that violates the Internet Laws That Everyone Follows Except Me, please let me know before I get into any <more> trouble!

Enough about that, look at the fun cake in the picture! It was free! Every week or every other week, we are the recipients of the baked goods from a local bakery; the ones they can't sell. There's a lady who works there that distributes them around town to anyone that can use them, and of course; we can use them! Some weeks it's lots and lots of bread and rolls, but my boys love it when there are lots of "treats". This being after Valentine's Day, there were lots and lots of treats; this cake, cupcakes, etc. It was a much-needed surprise, since yesterday I committed the capital offense of forgetting to make a dessert, and having a bunch of things in the freezer helps out immensely on days I can't get it together to make bread or rolls for dinner, much less a dessert. I've even come up with ways to use the items that are stale; I make garlic bread or little toasts with the baguettes that have seen better days; last time I was out of garlic and made an artichoke spread, then toasted the rounds in the oven. You can make French Toast with stale sliced bread; and for the donuts; James makes an awesome donut bread pudding that uses up tons and tons of stale donuts; although it is not exactly health food, so we save it for special occasions!

I have a hopefully productive weekend of sewing and soaping ahead of me; I've decided to switch my sewing strategy and start with the "must have" items for my vacation, since it's only a little over a month away! Aaak! I received that darling pattern I posted about earlier, it will make a great everyday dress, and I hope to use the fabric I already have for it.

Happy Weekend!

Vintage Success....one down, LOTS to go!

I posted a few weeks ago about a vintage sun suit I was making for Baby E, along with lots, and lots, and lots, of projects I intend to finish before our much-anticipated vacation at the end of March. I've been trying, and trying to find time for my sewing, but lately it has been difficult to fit it in to my ever-busy schedule. Tonight James had a late soccer game, so I was able to do some of my other chores, like making more Crunchy Mama soap for my etsy shop while he napped. I was so close to being finished with the sun suit, I only needed to do the dreaded buttonholes, and of course the normal hand-sewing and trimming thread duty that I despise. So here, at long last, is the finished 1955 sun suit; with shaky atrocious buttonholes! Fortunately, I found adorable buttons with anchors on them to lend a nautical air, and to hopefully disguise my usual wretched buttonholeing when the suit is worn this summer! I loved this pattern, straightforward, simple instructions, and a new twist, a technique I've never encountered before; flat-fell seams, where instead of sewing the side seams with right sides together, which makes a seam allowance on the inside; you sew the side seams wrong sides together, then on the right side, trim one of the seam allowances, then lap the other allowance over it, making a clean line, then top-stiching over all. I love to learn new (old) techniques, that's what makes vintage sewing so interesting, you never know what kind of instructions you may find, and it challenges your skills as a seamstress.

Also, I am at this moment, defying my self-imposed curfew, but since James is out playing a soccer game, and it is a weekend, I decided that it was allowable! No pumpkin-ing for me! I hope to be productive while I have this little opportunity, and perhaps even sleep in just a bit in the morning!

Let the Planning Begin.....

I made the final, final, cross-my-heart-and-hope-to-die reservations for our vacation today! Four days in Disneyland, three days in San Diego, 16 hours in the car with five boys, and lots and lots of Starbucks double shot + energy. Not in that order. I'm already plotting ways to outfit five boys for Spring in Southern California in Winter in Idaho. Fortunately, my favorite consignment store; Kidz Again, turns over their inventory at the end of January, which I always have marked on my calender anyway, since the cream-of-the-crop summer items are gone by February! I also have Donna from Vintage Treasure Huntn on the, well hunt, for vintage beachwear patterns suitable to my age, budget, and waistline, I'm excited to see what she turns up. I also received in the mail today my order from her, my wonderful vintage dress pattern, with the lovely 5 yards of black and white check material, and am itching to get started! It will be quite a challenge to outfit everybody in style on such a tight budget, but this is the kind of challenge I live for; I love regaling my family with tales of my $5 brand-new dress and .68 sweater! So I have three months in which to wallow in sewing,  plotting to overthrow retail stores, and strategising packing methods! Such fun!

drumroll please.....VACATION!

I have very, very exciting news...at long last, after nearly seven years and three boys....we have made the decision to make the long and arduous drive to go to San Diego, James' hometown, and then spend three glorious days at "The Land" as his stepfather calls it! That's right, Disneyland with five boys ten and under by ourselves. Undoubtedly it will be difficult, expensive, and tiring, but it will also be a special family vacation that our boys will remember for the rest of their lives. We can only hope that the very fact that vacations are so infrequent for us will mean that they will be all the more memorable. I can't wait to see the look on the faces of the younger three when they see the magnificent Pacific ocean for the first time; and really, Bentley was only 9 months old the last time we were there, so it's the first time for him as well. Also, the looks on the faces of their Grandparents, both of whom have yet to see Elvis, and haven't seen the older boys for over a year, will be priceless. It will be a very special time! Now, I only have less than three months to figure out how to fit five boys, plus all their goodies in one car...hmmm. I also have been browsing vintage patterns sites (again) for swimwear patterns and cute shorts and dresses that will be breezy and comfy for our trip. I have a little "mad money" set aside (a very little), but if I'm careful, I should be able to find what I want at my favorite consignment store and make the rest! Oh for my sister's hairdressing skills! Alas, she is too far away to help my poor, drab hair! She's also forbidden me to touch it myself, and since I don't have the budget to have it done professionally, I may just have to figure out some cute ways to do my hair the way it is now....I really should do a wet-set more often, but I really dislike sleeping on pin-curls and curlers. I'll have to browse some how-to tutorials. However my hair looks, it will be so, so sweet to see my boys enjoying a vacation, I'm really looking forward to a whole ten day adventure with lots of wonderful family time!