Monarch Post

bark duty

We've named it "bark duty" around here. The window staring  patrol that goes on everyday to protect our home against such threats as villainous preschoolers, other dogs (gasp) and cats.... (oh horror of horrors). Yes, it's a big job and it's an important job... and Winston and Greta are always up to the task of keeping the Henderson household safe from ominous threats to the Henderson way of life. Woof woof. Ha ha.

( Sophey kept him company and woofed along with him last week. Nice slobber all over the place. Sheesh. I cleaned it.)

Where where we...? Ah, baskets.... Done. Finished. Out the door. All nineteen. Yay.  And all of that crafty fun last week in between a child's sprained ankle, a husband in Europe, and very scary banging sounds coming from the basement every time someone flushed a toilet in the house. Thank you Spiers Plumbing- you saved us last week. That was freaky.

 I pretty sure I'm suffering from craft burnout this week. I am repelled by the sight of wool, scissors, hot glue guns, and fabric... well, sorta. But I'm almost over it. I'll have a cute little yellow chick mini-tutorial idea thing for you on Monday. And then I'm stepping away from the computer for a week because it's Spring Break and Holy Week (not in that order) and I want to shift my focus for a bit....

XOK

 P.S. If you know of anyone who does Typepad blog design I would love to know. I've had two people lined up who can't redesign my blog and it's getting to be almost as embarrassing to look at this poor blog as it is the dog slobber in those photos, but I'll keep working on finding someone to give this blog a makeover!

congratulations... it's a teenager :)

Hi!

I'm here... really.

Just working away on Easter baskets to sell to my shop.

Jesse celebrated his birthday last weekend with a four hour party with his buddies at this awesome fun center.

And he told me no pictures and couldn't wait for me to get lost at the fun center.

He wasn't rude and didn't say he didn't want me hanging around, but I got the message...

and he didn't want balloons or crepe paper decorations either.

BOOHOO.

He turned 13, so this explains the party-pooperness.

Hate it when they grow up.

But I still made small goody bags- with whoopie cushions because I couldn't resist whoopie cushions in the party store.

So not many photos... I had to sneek the few I got.

Like this one.

And then I started looking in files and found these photos of him.

Mr. Cute.

Those eyes are the sparkliest blue eyes.

And THOSE dimples.

And THAT smile.

The jr. high girls have noticed too.

They have called the HOUSE...

And I am getting worried ;)

We LOVE you Jesse Ryan and we think you are amazing-

whatever you do, you always put your whole heart into it.

You are light in our lives!

And I CANNOT believe you are already thirteen years old.

------------------------------------------------------

K- gotta get back to work.

The kids and I had a bug Monday and Tuesday and I am behind, again :(

Back in a couple.

Have a great day!

 

XOK

the DIY party planner

Saturday we had a birthday party for Sophey's eleventh birthday.

It was the easiest bday party ever... she did almost all of  the work!

She wanted to throw it herself and she wanted an art party.

So art birthday party it was...  I took orders and shopped for it.and the week before we shopped together for party favors, plates and cups.

She likes polka dots too... except in pink, of course.

The cute party treat buckets are from Hobby Lobby.

The ceramic cupcakes were ordered online... I need to ask her the website and I'll add it to the post later- I've lost the address.

She had five girlfriends over- two others couldn't make it... but a half-dozen eleven year olds is a perfect size for an art party.

The girls painted away for over an hour... with lots of talking and giggling.

The cupcakes were already kiln fired... I sprayed them after they were painted with a gloss sealer, so they would be ready to take home after the party.

Painting butterfly suncatchers was the gathering activity.

Hobby Lobby 2/1.00 specials!

Sophey spotted a cupcake art palet on Pinterest somewhere, drew up a pattern and asked her Dad to cut it out of wood for her... so he did :)

She baked the cupcakes and iced them for the decoration and dessert.... and made up the games to play- Bingo and a treasure hunt through the house.

I just sort of hung out and blog surfed... tried to look like a cool hands-off Mom and helped when I was asked to help... very different for me... but it was so easy and nice for a change.

It was the best three hour birthday party I never threw... can't wait to see how she throws her own bridal shower someday- ha! ; )

What was your weekend like?

XOK!

beautiful day

Last fall after Ainsley and Jeff's wedding I said when the photographer posted her wedding photos I would let you know...

Well, looks like they are posted now.

Better late than never, right?!

(Scroll past the first blog entry, Ainsley's wedding is next.)

So here's my eye candy prescription for you today-

especially if you live in Utah on this gray, February day.

Wishing it was seventy-five degrees and glorious today, like it was this September wedding day!

Brrrrrr.

Stay warm, friends!

XOK!

(Such gorgeous photos... I want to take a class from Terra one day)

happy merry birthday christmas season...

We did my "official" birthday celebrating Saturday night.

It was sooo much fun.

The whole fam went to see the Muppet movie at the new theatre in our town.

HILARIOUS-

that's if you think dancing chickens in sequined bikinis singing "forget you"

is hilarious...

Ainsley and I do.

Laughing/crying funny.

 

We want to go see it again next weekend. 

It was like meeting long-lost childhood friends again...

Oh ya, I remember YOU!

 

And Kemit hasn't aged a bit...

(What a hunk).

 

And I totally scored on the birthday goods...

Mike spoiled me with a Kindle and an iphone.

Ainsley and Jeff gave me a cool iphone cover.

Corbyn bought me a RED Kindle case.

 

Yes, I finally got an iphone.

Technology and I are not the best of friends.

I am always scared of new gadgets.

I wait along time before jumping in...

But I LOVE it!

And this sweet girl made me a homemade cake.

She made her first icing roses

and "drop lines".

I didn't know what those were.

But she does... those are the swag lines on the bottom.

(She's the serious cake-boss-watching-future-professional-baker around here now).

Jesse gave me the best smelling candle ever: CYPRESS SAGE.

It smells like a really clean Christmas tree.

I give it five stars. * * * * *

(He told me Target.)

Sophey made cute art for my studio.

Cupcake liner petals.

Ta Da!

And Mike gave me a Santa from his trip to Germany last week.

Isn't he a gorgeous guy?

Mr. German Gandolph wizard Santa ;)

 

See, I told you I scored...

I have such the sweet fam.

The kids bought their 'friend gifts' and wrapped them this weekend.

And we bought a real tree for the family room. 

I did the lights.

(While Mike recovered/snoozed away jet lag).

The kids did the rest.

I left them to it...

(I have finally learned it doesn't have to be perfect to be perfect, you know?)

Pizza for the Saturday birthday dinner

and turkey meatballs

with veggies

And Mr. Newman's sauce for Sunday dinner.

(I miss Paul...)

 I decorated some more...

And got my husband off for another week away today.

Boo.

 

It's been a long month of business trips

I miss him...

 

How about YOU?

What did YOU do last weekend?

 

(ps. and um... just in case you wondered... I messed up my blog... trying to change things a little and now it's really messed up and I can't fix it myself... will have to wait for the I.T. guy er, husband to get back in town :) 

bewitched

     It's become tradition for my girls and I to celebrate "Witches' Night Out" at Gardner Village near SLC.  It's quite the extravaganza at this historic converted mill.  Witches of every size and shape shop, dine, and cackle for prizes.  And they dance up a storm under the moon!  We like to have dinner, shop, and mostly just witch watch.

    I had a hard time getting a good photo because it's so packed, and there must be at least five hundred witches here for the evenings' hijinks.    Giant witches decorate the shop grounds.  Each witch has her own theme-- this one I related to...

    This witch is flying through the air on her bicycle-- her legs actually pedal.  Clever witch designers.

    Well, that's about it for my October weekend fun.  Yesterday, I came down with a nice October cold-- feeling really ugh and unproductive today. *sniff, sniff*  But Friday, while I supervised, my kids made this pumpkin cream cheese spread.  It seems like when they help make the food they're more inclined to eat it!  So here's the recipe for you and your little goblins:

PUMPKIN CREAM CHEESE SPREAD

1 8-ounce pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/2 C canned pumpkin

1/4 C. sugar

3/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Beat all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.  Makes 1-1/2 C. It's good with club or graham crackers, and it would probably be good with apples and pears.

Take care and see you soon!

xo Kelly