Menu Plan Monday -13 February 2012

Back home from a week in Toronto/Niagara Falls.  Fabulous trip of a life-time.  I'll share some pictures later in the week when I get them uploaded to the computer.

Ella's birthday party is Saturday.  I have to get ready for that and try to get the house back in shape after the window installations.

Monday:
pb&h
KFC
Tuesday:  Valentine's Day
grilled cheese -for my little Valentine
leftover KFC -for my big Valentine

Wednesday:
wieners & beans
roast chicken
Thursday:
French onion tomato soup
oven stew
Friday:
tacos
leftover chicken
Saturday:
leftover tacos
leftover stew
Sunday:
chicken sandwiches
shoulder chops

What's cooking at I'm an Organizing Junkie??

Farm Girl Friday -10 February 2012

Joining the Farm Girl fun this week.

Wow, look at this pair of babies  :)  We look so young, though the only difference with Colin is hair colour.  He's still so handsome.  If I remember correctly this is actually our first picture together.

Here we are today.  I found this one on Ella's camera.  She takes such good pictures.

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real -9 February 2012

I was wandering through some old pictures on the computer and thought this week's Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real would be the perfect time to share some.  They certainly make me pretty Happy!

Sitting on Daddy's giant pumpkin (day before 10 month 'birthday').  The weird-looking green things beside the pumpkin are our 'pumkimelons'.   Somehow Daddy's watermelons and the pumpkins crossed.  Daddy called them 'dragon eggs' and the kids loved them.

My little chief!  This kitchen that she got Christmas 2007 was one of the best gifts Santa could have got her.  It's seen many, many intense cooking sessions.

And here is some farmer ingenuity.  Tired out after pulling Ella around on her sled and hearing 'faster Daddy', he tied her sled up to the lawnmower.  Ella had a ball.  Momma wasn't so sure.

Ella and her Bitty Baby Lucy.  She's had Lucy since the 2007 Christmas too.  Momma and Daddy made a good pick.   Of all her dolls, Lucy is the one Ella plays with most often.  And I love this picture.

Yarn Along -8 February 2012

Some finished projects to share this week for Yarn Along.  Some Easter treats for Ella.

The top is a 'chocolate' Easter bunny.  It's knit in one piece which is always nice, no seams.  The hot cross bun was easy too, but I don't enjoy entarsia knitting.  I'd rather do fair isle.  Now I'm working on a duck-to-bunny toy.  It's like the bird-to-egg ones I made last Easter.  I'm working on these at knit night to keep them a surprise.

Farm Girl Friday -3 February 2012

 

Now what on earth could make a Farm Girl happy to find her living room (and most of the house) looking like this?

When it's the start of replacing these:

This house has such drafty windows.  We have (had) 2 original windows left.  One in the upstairs hall and this one in my 'sewing' room.  Colin was actually afraid this one would fall out one day.  Even the 'new' windows in the living room (solid windows installed by MIL in the 80's) let in so much air.  We usually kept the curtains shut on the west side of the room.

Ta da!  New windows -that actually open!!  yes, that means I can actually have a breeze in my living room in the summer!!!  Do you get that I'm a bit excited?!!!!

The guys took 4 1/2 hours to do the four windows.  Not bad I guess.  The house got down to 11C, which was a bit chilly.  I baked Colin a cake and that helped keep the kitchen warm  :)  Hmmm, speaking of the kitchen.  There's that big, ugly, heat sucking patio door that my MIL also had installed.  It used to be a wall with a long window (with windowsill).  Considering the kitchen has a door to the right and left of the patio window, it's not needed as a door.  I'd love to see it go back to wall and window.

I've just noticed the windowsills are too narrow.  But I'm very happy with my new windows.

Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real -2 February 2012

Joining the girls over at Like Mother, Like Daughter this week.

Not really a funny picture but certainly a fun one.  Ella got two sets of these blocks for Christmas (400 pieces) and hasn't stopped building.  This picture is her castle which is surrounded by a forest.  These blocks work well with her crane too.

Happy Ella!  A child that's not afraid to talk with her!!  Ella had  a new friend to skate with last week.  It makes the hour go by even faster.  This week Daddy was able to come out for a skate too, but I forgot the camera.  You know, people who worry about home schooled kids and socialization really need to take a look at public school kids.  The girl in the picture is the first kid in a long time that will actually talk and play with Ella.  Most of them won't even say hello.  Now tell me, which child is actually socialized?


And finally I thought I'd share our post-Christmas winter nature table.  My new winter silk from Beneath the Rowan Tree arrived yesterday and I love it.  I need to work on ideas for next year.  This nature table comes to us from Grandma.  She had some winter Cherished Teddies to share.

And now for the giveaway (sort of).  Candy, over at Lazy J Bar C Farm is hosting a Pay-It-Forward.  So now it's my turn.  Head over to At Home With Us for the rules and how to enter.

Yarn Along -1 February 2012 -Birthday Edition

It's a special Yarn Along this week since today is Miss Ella's 6th birthday.  Wow, 6 years with our little ball of energy.  Where has the time gone?

Here's my new hat.  This is the third pattern I've tried.  I'm beginning to think I'm not meant to have a new hat this winter.  This pattern is working out well.

I whipped up this little turtle Sunday evening.  I had been looking on Ravelry for something else when Ella saw the turtle go by.  She wished to have it and talked about it for days and how her turtle from the fair was lonely.  This was a very quick knit and Ella loves 'Shelly'.

This is the first year I've made Ella a birthday crown.  I've seen them all over the internet but never got around to making one.  They are very simple.

First you need a crown shaped template.  I folded the strip in half first, so the it would be symmetrical.  The strip of paper is about 18 inches long and 6.5 inches wide.  I should have made it a little wider with the applique I chose.

I wandered around at Wee Folk Art for quite a while trying to chose an applique for the centre of the crown.  I was wanting fairy/angel/candle sort of thing and finally decided on the angel with the flower wreath.

All the pieces cut out of felt (two crown pieces).   The heart pieces are for the fairy wands for the party.  I know there are some felt snobs out there, but my selection is fairly limited.  Some of the felt is very polyester, but most of the felt feels like wool (but isn't).  The pieces are embroidered together following the drawing. 

I worked blanket stitch around the crown pieces to hold them together (top and bottom), you could sew it on the machine too.  I cut a piece of waistband elastic 3 inches long and encase it in a material tube 6 inches long.  I sew this between the two short ends to form a circle.  The crown fits Ella and fits me.  It's very comfortable to wear.

Ella loves her present from Momma and Daddy.  We got her the Calico Critters Townhouse.  It came with a few pieces of furniture.  The Grandmas gave Ella money to buy some more furniture.  She can't wait till we get to Toronto, the money is burning a hole in her pocket  :)  Ella hasn't stopped playing or talking about the house since she opened it Sunday.

Check back tomorrow for a giveaway of sorts.