Dear Blue-Shirt-Grandpa

Did you know that they sell an exact replica of your truck at the dollar spot at Target? I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it! I begged my mom to buy it.

My pink-shirt-grandma is sitting in the passenger side, right in front of me. You're wearing a blue shirt, like usual, and you can drive. Ivy's in the back, too. I'll think of you when I drive your mini-me truck into the parking lots I make.

Please notice that this truck is gold...we know you think your truck is silver, but gold is what we had! sorry 'bout it!

see you soon!

love max

Not to leave anyone out

Of course I can't take any pictures of Ivy without taking any of Max...that wouldn't be fair.

he's silly, and I love him.

Scavenging is Illegal

This sticker on our dumpster makes me laugh every time I take the garbage out. I just wonder if it was specifically placed there to inform me that dumpster-diving is against the law.regardless of the sticker...I found this in the dumpster: {please keep in mind that I technically don't 'dive' but rather see things on the side of the road next to the dumpster, and rescue them from certain death.} It was rusty and chipped and dirty, but otherwise sturdy and awesome. I didn't need it, but all I could think when I walked past was: oh, the pictures!
So, I cleaned her, steel-wooled her, rust-reformed her, primed her, painted her, sealed her, and then posed with her...and I think she is sooo cute!

Ready for anyone to borrow my cute candy apple red bench for a picture session! Come over and get it. How about smack dab in the middle of the beach...sigh I think it's yum!

a couple more check marks

I have this box of unfinished projects in my closet. Rather, projects that I have all or most of the supplies to do, I just haven't started them yet. They are in one of those big rubbermaid bins {big}, all divided up in 2 gallon size ziplocks, ready to be retrieved. I've made a significant dent this week with the felt playhouse {which actually wouldn't fit in my bin}, a valence for the kitchen window, a little banner for Ives' birthday, a skirt for Ivy's 1 year pics coming up, and then another skirt for her to wear on her actual birthday...but I had two shirts to get crazy with. So, today, I give you two more check marks.

here's to emptying that bin!!!

My MIL gave me a box of vintage trims and ribbons a couple of years ago. I've always liked this orange one, and never wanted to use it, because I was saving it for some magical purpose. That means I just wanted to look at it. Anyway, I used it. I think the tank top turned out cute. I may add some more to it later, but for now, check.

Then I wanted to make Ives a little cupcake shirt to match her skirt I made her. Here is the she-devil modeling it, but you can't see the cupcake.

...and you still can' t see it, but she's stinkin' cute.

oops, caught her when she least expected it, but at least you can see her cupcake. I can't wait for her to wear it for one whole day. I still have to make the bloomies that go underneath it, but for now...check.

Happy St Patrick's Day

and that's it.

sigh...we own a cupcake bakery

I finally finished.

I completely copied this lady:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=41711997

and created: Ivy's Cupcakery

Kristy told me about these, initially, and I was in love as soon as I saw it. I was originally going to make it for Max, but since Ivy's 1 year birthday is around the corner, I thought I'd try to finish it for her. I have 2 things left to do, cut the opening in the door... will take me 2 seconds. and trim a little off the bottom because it's a little long.

So, the address is her birthday: 4/1/09...

there's a mailbox that you can put mail into, but can also pass through to the inside.

here's her sign...

A cake to put candles on and cupcakes to decorate...I'll make more colors eventually, but for now, we're good with 2 flavors.

flowers to pick/plant in the slots and a watering can...

and the cupcakery goods...sprinkle donuts, chocolate-dipped strawberries, sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies...

and a teapot and two cups for a tea party.

One day when I no longer have little kids, I'll have a room where this can just sit out permanently. For now, we can just fold it up and make it super exciting every time we bring it out! Now do you think I can wait for her birthday to give it to her?

First Beach Day of the Season!

Lucky for us, the day we planned to go to the beach was sooo nice! We met our friends Kim and Hudson at the beach for a fun day to play. I'm getting excited for lots more of these!!!

Max was very independent this year, thankfully he didn't run a mile down the beach, but stayed mildly close and played and played. The mister who no longer takes naps totally fell asleep once we got back in the car!

Ivy loved to watch Max, and more than that loved to chow on the sand. sick...but, she'll figure it out.

Here's Kim and Hudson...don't tell Hudson's surfer-dude daddy, he wanted nothing to do with the water. Kim was trying to coax him into getting within 50 yards of it. He had none of it. sad.

This was Max trying to rescue Ivy from the waves...we won't show the scene of what happened next, but he was a really big helper!

Such a fun day, can't wait for more!

because I can't wait any more...

to wish you a...

Happy Easter!{ keester style!}

Random Pieces of Fun

We got this idea out of Family Fun Magazine, too...{i told you i love that magazine!}

I wrote capital letters and lowercase letters randomly on squares in our backyard. We played a few different games with them, and it was so fun!

-I picked a letter and I ran to it, and Max had to find the matching letter

-Max picked the letter...and I had to find the matching one (there is a difference!)

-We played hopscotch and had to say the letter as we jumped on each square.

-We played hopscotch and when we hit each letter we had to make the sound...that was funny, and Max was awesome at it!

I'm sure there are more fun things to do with it, but when we only focus on one thing for 4.7 minutes, that's all we got in!

AND, here is a little ragamuffin girl playing with what the string fairy left after nap this afternoon, but what I'm so excited about is that...Ivy finally fits into her 'Chucks' we got her in TX in August! woo hoo!

Rainbow Cupcakes

We love Family Fun Magazine around here! I was so excited to try these St. Patrick's Day inspired rainbow cupcakes. So, while Ivy was taking a nap, Max and I needed a super-special uninterrupted Max and Mom project, so here it is:

We learned about mixing colors. Max helped me count the specified drops into each cup, and loved to watch them turn from just red and yellow into orange as he stirred.

The layering part was a little long for his attention span, but Grandma called in the knick of time, so it all worked out! (Max knows how to answer my phone, now.)

While they were cooking, we worked on following directions to draw a rainbow {I didn't help him at all...He even wrote his very own Capital R at the top..hee hee. and we learned about the order of the colors.

Out of the oven, we added a little white frosting cloud, and then ate 'em...yum! They were so beautiful, and such fun to make and eat!

Follower Giveaway

If you haven't already, go check out my new blog made by autie. I'm giving away this headband to anyone that becomes a follower. and if you purchase any of the other headbands, you get 4 more chances to win it. It's stinkin' cute, so go check them out!

{mustard and pale peach}

Flag Shirt

As we all know, Max is obsessed with Monster Trucks, like every other little boy. OK, Jeff and I are obsessed with the really cool ones, too. Anyways, they have started putting these little flags in each package with the truck's logo on it. Max loves them. But, really, what the heck am I going to do with a bunch of stinkin' flags? They haven't done it forever, so even though we have a lot of trucks, we don't have a lot of flags (but they are accumulating). I could make a peruvian prayer flag-like banner, I guess, but, then where would I hang that? not anywhere in my house!

Solution A: Make Max a shirt.

cute...makes him HAPPY! and there is now one less flag...now what do I do with the other ones?

(ps...don't mind the pirate teeth, he had just eaten about 77 frozen blueberries and his whole body was purple. )

Beach Towel Project

I'm excited for summer to come, and to go to the beach MORE than we did last year: it wasn't always so appealing for me to go last year with a teensy baby Ivy. We went, but not as much as we could've/should've/would've.

So, craft night last night, I whipped these babies up:

I just used scraps of fabric, wonder under that I already had...and actually, I already had the pink towel, so I just bought the turquoise one for Max. Super fun, super fast!

ps: I got the towels at Costco for like $8...they are HUGE! we love them for the beach.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

in honor of you, today we

read Green Eggs and Ham,

and then happily ate them for lunch!

and read The Cat in the Hat,

and made a silly hat out of ritz crackers, frosting and gummy savers.

ps...ritz crackers with frosting on them is peculiarly tasty...weird, I know, but I sure helped myself to more than just my hat. Dang!

Thank you for your fun books!

madebyautie.blogspot.com

several people have asked me about my headbands that I posted about last month.

I've decided to make a blog as a way to sell them to anyone that is interested.

I have posted a few that I have already made, but I will make any variation that you'd like, subject to the availability of fabric.

go check out madebyautie.blogspot.com

I have a ton more up my sleeve, so stay tuned for different styles and colors.

11 Months!

Here's Ivy, she's 11 months today! {am I on top of it or what?!}

(i love having a baby on the 1st of the month...sooo easy to keep track of!)

So, here's a little bit of Ives at 11 months:

Eats like a champ...pretty much anything that Max won't eat, Ivy will.

Loves to remove EVERY book from the middle shelf of the book shelf

Loves to gnaw on wooden candles from the birthday cake, pretend pickles and the rubber hippo.

Loves to wrestle with Max {much to my chagrin}

Loves to play in the plastic drawer in the kitchen.

Loves to watch Max play outside from the screen door.

Loves to play "Where's Max" and "Peek a boo"

Walks around the house like she's wandering the wilderness.

Enjoys playing trucks

Enjoys taking walks in the stroller

Has 1 tooth...just barely poked out last week!

If she cries...all you have to do is pick her up, and she just fine

sucks that dang thumb...

She is the most chill baby ever.

We love you, Ives! Can't wait to turn your car seat around and give you real milk!!!

woo hoo, we're on the countdown!

Buds!

I'm so excited! How fun is that?! We have ten or so little green strawberries already, just waiting to get huge and red and sweet! Can't wait. :)

Dear Paw Paw

I've been practicing my skills. We have this fence in our backyard, and aside from digging in the dirt with my trucks, this is my favorite thing to do. I can see why you like climbing so much! When I get to the top, it's the perfect view of the garbage truck when it comes next door. I can see EVERYTHING from up here!

I'm getting really good at climbing, and I even say 'on belay' before I start. Do you think that you could take me and my cousins on a hike or a climb sometime, if we all keep practicing?

It would make me really happy! Love you, Paw Paw. Say hi to dolly and vixie and willow and the kitties...

love Max

Seeing Stars

My friend Rachelle lives in Beverly Hills. I've wanted to go do the walk of stars with the kids, just so we can say we've been there, and with someone that lives just down the street, it was the perfect idea to go visit her yesterday! We had such a fun time, Rachelle is AMAZING with my kiddos...and so fun to be hang out with! We took a few pictures of my favorite stars:

From my favorite movie of all time...

This was us in front of Walt Disney...

And who doesn't love Julie Andrews...

Then Rachelle treated us to lunch at this really fun kids restaurant around the corner from her house. We walked there, and I was constantly on the watch for some super star...but I didn't see any. Dang! Anyway, the restaurant was called The Tree house...and it had a huge tree house inside for the kids to play on. There were slides, and a grocery store and a little mini house, a dress up room, with mirrors and music, an art room...holy! Both Ives and Max had soo much fun...

Thanks Rachelle for SUCH a fun day!!! we love you!