Monarch Post

FYI

    

 Mike gave me a HUGE  bouquet last weekend. I didn't see much of him last week. And this week he's at company headquarters in Buffalo. Like so many others, his company is navigating through rough waters right now. Layoffs happened last week; he felt so bad for the workers who were let go. Right now, we are grateful for employment, but so much travel is hard for both of us. I miss him. The kids miss him.

What can you do but make the best of things?... I've been a little unfocused the last few days. Nothing much to show and tell about, but I thought I could share what I'm gathering ideas for, and setting my crafting sights on now.

It's local, but if you're not, and happen to have anything handmade you would like to donate, email me for my address, and I'll get it to the MothersWithoutBorders  boutique. This is now their fourth annual charity boutique, and one hundred percent of sales will be donated to help build a Family and Children's Resource Center in Lusaka, Zambia. This group is doing amazing work. I'm joining.

Dates are: Friday, November 6, 2009 9am-9pm

                Saturday, November 7, 2009 9am-6pm

Their boutique is in two locations this year, Layton and Lehi Utah. If you're lucky to be a local :)

Take care! xoxo~Kelly

 

pink giggleiciousness

 It's back to Girl Scouting time here. This year, I'm the leader (gulp) and my leader is now the coleader. We're off and running, and now we've got some stylin' hot pink shirts to wear when we meet. 

   Our girls are such a blast. 

Each one

  a unique          

     work of art

                                                                                                       just like

    their shirts.                                                

 After every last giggling Girl Scout had driven off, I noticed I had MORE energy than I did before they arrived. That's when you know it's all good. We have quite the crew.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! xoxo~Kelly

so what's new?

This morning I couldn't think of anything to blog about. So I asked myself, "So what's new?" Then I remembered the yard sale I accidentally ran across on Saturday, the mums and peppers I planted on Saturday, the apple pie I made for our guests from Costa Rica who came to our house on Sunday...

Ya, there are new things here to blog about, little changes followed by little changes. Fall starts like that, doesn't it? 

How long before I kill those new ornamental peppers? I hope they last a month.

Sophey and I had a girl's day out, a couple weekends ago. We ate at a new/old restaurant. We split a panini, which was a new thing for her. We both loved it.

So then we just had to go and buy a panini maker. Mike recently gave me a coupon good for $50.00 at Kohl's.  Free panini makers from Kohl's are definately the best. So far we've made Italian paninis with pesto and marinated artichokes. And the kids new favorite: cinnamon bread, peanut butter and banana dipped in raspberry peach jam (ahem, homemade). It's yum.

Since Kohl's is conveniently located right next to Pier 1 here, we had to stop there too:) And we found just the perfect chair and little ottoman for our master bedrooms' corner. It works with that old print we need to hang up...

I think if you had to buy the chair to get this pillow, I would have. Altogether now, say: I'm in LOVE with this pillow. Thanks for the pillow love:) Had to buy another one for the bed.

It's a bedroom that still needs lots of finishing touches mind you, but it's beginning to get it's own vibe.

A three foot tall Buddha with a "Keep Calm and Carry On" necklace certainly says something(?) Crazy, maybe, but in a nice crazy way, right? (Just raise your eyebrows and say, riiigght Kelly...)

Hey, with those fabulous yard sale butterfly lamps I found a few weeks ago, how couldn't this bedroom be getting it's groove on. The lamps don't work yet, but that's another story :) What should you expect for $4 bucks?

And a stylin' metal toile magazine holder found for $5 buckaroos on Saturday! I know, I know. The garage sale Force has been with me :)

Also found a Buckingham palace plate AND a Silver Jubilee commemorative ER teacup for the dining room hutch, all for a whopping $10 bucks. I mean, the garage sale FORCE was with me. I was in tune, man, in tune. Just happened to see the sale driving by...  Made the Anglophile in me happy, happy to find the British goodies:) See, I'm telling you-- I was good on Saturday.

Oh ya, and those terrier salt and pepper shakers? Another passerby estate sale this summer. $5. Those puppies will need to be pried from my cold, dead fingers someday... In the meantime, makes a nice arrangement altogether, don't you think?

And I'm working away on some licensing submission ideas today, I think I might even get finished today, if I stop yapping. Long process... but I'm hopeful. Tell you more when I can. (It's the thing above with the white lettering on it :))

Well, for not being able to think of anything new to post this morning, we did okay, eh?

What's new with you? xoxo~Kelly

make new friends, but keep the old

She's on her way to CRAFT HOPE charity headquarters. Mademoiselle Emilie, (Sophey picked her name) the sock monkey is this week's extra fun, extracurriculur craft project. Why didn't anyone tell me sooner how much fun sock monkeys are to make? ;) The pattern is so simple; the body only took about an hour to sew and stuff.

 

Dressing her was another matter... It's was way fun to feel like my eight-year old self, who loved nothing more than dressing baby dolls all day long :)

P.S. Don't you love my estate sale vintage sewing basket I found this summer? All it needed was a fresh coat of red paint to be cute perfection ;)

Beret on (have you ever made a beret for a sock monkey? Well, the ears just needed to show, so this is what a beret looks like on a sock monkey!). Mary Jane's on. Sweater, check. Satchel for travelling, check. Love note for new playmate, (most important check) check.

Take care, sweet Emilie. Bon Voyage. Have a safe trip, and enjoy your new sunny California home. We hope your new friend loves you as much as we do :)

Speaking of friends... My Sophey is so happy this week. A week before school started, she learned her best friend (who would have been in the same class) was moving. They've been best friends since diaper days. After weeks of tears, her best buddy is back in Sophey's class.

I love Sophey's first piece of schoolwork out of the backpack:

"I treasure Love becuse it's all you need"

"I treasure life becus life's opertunities that we get to do"

"I treasure Friends becuse they help you trugh"

She's a wise little thinker for eight. I couldn't agree more.

Have a lovely weekend! xo~Kelly

Mamalove

  

My Dad emailed this photo to me yesterday. Motherhood in the animal kingdom. Lots of sweet photos, but this one melted my heart. Look at that face on the baby elephant, and the Mama. Pure BLISS. I hope to be that evolved someday. The things animals have to teach us.

Well, this is my completely random photo for the day... I just had to share. It's the loveliest image that's ever landed in my email! 

I'm off to go create something to share!

Happy Tuesday!

xoxo~Kelly

pivotal

 

PIVOTAL

adjective

1. Of, relating to, or serving as a pivot.

2. in which something turns or depends; central, crucial, critical, etc.

How many books have you read which you would describe as pivotal?

I've read hundreds and hundreds of books by now, I'm sure. But only a handful I'd call pivotal.

Creativity, by Matthew Fox is one of those few pivotal books for me. It turns me upside down, inside out, and back around again, like a kid playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey... And when the bandana comes off, I'm where I should have been all along... I've read it twice this summer. Lots of new ideas for me, but at the same time it feels like a HOMECOMING. I know I will read it again.

Here's one quote from Creativity:

"It is our creativity itself that lies at the essence of our humanity. This creativity is so powerful that with it we can create or destroy. Like the Scriptures say: "I put before you life or death. Choose life." What is before us is the power of creatvity-- it is a life-and-death-power. What is also before us is choice. It is a daily choice, an everyday choice, one that arises in all our relations from parenting to grandparenting, from work worlds to educational ones, from religion to economics, business, politics, and citizenship in all its forms. It affects what we eat and what we throw away; how we live and what we choose to say no to. This is the power of creativity. "Creativity" may be the nearest one-word definition we possess for the essence of our humanity, for the true meaning of "soul."

There's a great youtube clip of Matthew Fox talking about his book. Someday, I'll figure out how to put it here ___ ! But for now you can type in, Matthew Fox "Creativity" and watch it!

My other PIVOTAL books include:

Simple Abundance Sarah Ban Breathnach

A Woman's Worth by Marianne Williamson

Beauty by John O'Donohue

The Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd

Gotta run and do something creative today... What books have been pivotal in your life? I'd love to hear!

xoKelly

 

I will remember

Today, I will remember the saddest day of my every year.

Today, I will remember Sept. 11th.

Today, I will remember how God-given creativity was turned inside out, into pure demonic evil, and destruction.

Today, I will remember how we responded to that evil; returning hate for hate, evil for evil, an eye for an eye.

Today, I will remember that evil and destruction killed over 650,000 members of Mother Earths' children; children, women, and men-- Iraquis and Americans.

Today, I will remember images of towers falling, of burned-out cities, of bodies falling through the air, and bodies of children lying in the desert streets.

Today, I will remember a news story of a little Iraqui boy, proudly telling his mother he wanted to be a Jihadist when he grows up.

Today, I will remember all the drawings from my daughter's first-grade class of children who want to be soldiers when they grow up. Drawings of tanks, bombs, guns, killing, and dead people.

Today, I will remember the largest church in Utah, sanctioning this war.

Today, I will remember my own church and the minister who dared, at the beginning of this war, to say we should not have fought back. I remember all the people who hated what he had to say that day about war, and Jesus.

Today, I will remember the hatred of those who turned Islams' teachings into hatred.

Today, I will remember bombed and burned-out mosques.

Today, I will remember sitting on my couch, watching my television, holding my own six-month old holy child, and saying, "Oh, my God" "Oh, my God" over and over and over, as the towers fell. Knowing other mothers' holy children were dying right at that moment. And wondering, into what kind of life, we had brought our new child.

Today, I will remember an American President who delighted in calling all this "Shock and Awe".

Today, I will remember a new American President who promised to end this war soon. When will soon BE, Mr.Obama?

Today, I will remember I didn't want to write a political or religious blog. And today, that just doesn't matter.

Today, I need to remember, and I need to write, and I need to let all the pain, all the pain caused by hate, fear, and ignorance wash over my heart. And settle into the crevices. If I let all the pain go, I might not remember to remember. I might forget. Because if I don't remember the pain, and if I don't write it out here in black and white, I might forget. I don't want to forget. I want to know, God, how can I serve you, in any way possible, to help in any small, possible way, to stop this evil and madness? What can I do for YOU?

Today,I will remember that I still don't know all the answers to my prayer, but for now, I will continue to celebrate life, and beauty, and joy, and hope, and love. Because they are YOU, and YOU are stronger than hate and evil.

.

she's really here?!

 

My big girl is here this week! Ainsley's Eiffel Tower photo from her French apartment window... She's travelling with best girlfriend, Blair and a crew of "older" (read that as my age) ladies. Ten days in Paris. Eight females. One bathroom. Can't wait to hear the stories.

I've been doing my best this week to KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON. When she told me of her plans to go to Paris last summer with this group, I was reassured knowing it would be more than just our two gorgeous,  young ladies travelling alone around Paris. Until today.

She called this morning... Blair and I are pretty much doing our own thing now... We've mastered the Metro system. We've seen Chartres Cathedral, The Moulin Rouge district, The Louvre, Notre Dame. 

  

Yikes! Oh my goodness. These two young things out and about in the The City of Love?! And I always thought it was hard sending my kids off to kindergarten.

 Have the time of your life Ainsley, and come back home soon... Safe and Sound. And hopefully, not engaged. xo Mom

P.S. My excitement for the day? I went to the Post Office.

 After mailing my package,the Postmaster said "I really don't want to embarrass you Kelly, but you might want to go home and change your jeans before you go anywhere else today." I reached around my jeans to discover a six-inch hole running down my bum. (Fortunately, I wear undies.) I felt my face burning, as I hurriedly explained that these were my painting jeans, while at the same time pulling my T-shirt down as far as I could get it to go. Which then caused me to again flash the postmaster, this time with boobs. He said, "You might need to get some new painting jeans!" Oh my gosh. Mortified. Who needs Paris for a peep show when I'm around? I'm home now. Whew. That was bad.

I'm, too sexy for my fur... too sexy for my fur...

 

We found a new dog groomer a couple weeks ago... Goodbye Ruffledales, HELLO Paw Spa... Introducing the Winston cut. (Look out Jennifer Aniston, you are so over ;-O) It's fun. It's carefree. It says sophisticated, yet still puppyish. We love our new haircut.

 

Winston recently learned that Honeybear (our neighborhood Airedale terrier), has modelled for Purina. Yes, it's true. Honeybear has been on the Purina dog food bag cover. Winston thinks he's better looking than Honeybear now. He says he could be a dog model too.

See disarmingly handsome profile photo above, he says.

 

See sexy, wistful, who's-that-lucky-dog-on-a-leash-outside-my-window photo above, he says.

 

See that svelte, full-length, perfectly-proportioned spots shot above, he says.

He's thinking about calling Purina himself to talk about a modelling career. Or at least to pitch their dogfood. Isn't that what every other celebrity does these days when they lose weight? Yes, the Purina healthy weight formula diet has been working... down five pounds. Slim and trim these days. Too hot for fur, he says. He, he.

 

Photo shoots can be soooo exhausting.

...I'm too sexy for my fur, too sexy for my fur... Oh, on the cat dogwalk,on the cat dogwalk, I'd like to shake my little tail on the dogwalk...

I need to stop now.

**Mike is halfway around the world on a business trip today. Last week he said there are more pictures of the dog in my files than of him. This is possible. Some days I get bored. Winston is right beside me while I blog, edit photos, etc.

 Mike just got a new haircut too. He looks really nice. But he's in Lithuania. Next time I'll show your haircut, honey. Don't worry. I love you the most. You're much more handsome than the dog...And you could be a model too. We could start with a Paw spa makeover-- Mike with a nice, sleek German shepard look. Isn't he going to love this post?

Hope your Labor Day is free of labor and full of FUN! xo Kelly

monkey business

    

 Yesterday I found a kit at the craft store for making sock monkeys. A very timely find-- considering I signed up last month over at CRAFT HOPE for their next project of making sock monkeys and haven't started yet! I've wanted to participate in past projects, but just didn't have the time. This will be fun! All the info is over at CRAFT HOPE for this good cause; it's not too late to sign up to make a sock monkey yourself-- the deadline is Sept. 18th. 

The kit I found is the original Rockford RED HEEL. It's made by Fox River Mills, Inc. Osaga Iowa 50461 USA. Couldn't find a web site on the packaging, hope that helps. I found mine at my local Ben Franklin craft store, so you might find more sock monkeys hanging out at other Ben Franklin craft stores. You can make two monkeys per package. With a 40% off coupon, that means two monkeys for about 3.50 each. Such a deal :)

Sophey looked at the pattern yesterday, all wide-eyed excited, and asked if she could make one too. She's my girl. So we'll be starting out with the traditional sock monkey, then I think we'll be moving onto sock monkeys in pink and wild florals... That's my girl too.

See you soon!

xoKelly