PuRpLe!

I'm smitten with Purple!

I've got this idea in my head... NO pattern... 

But this sweet pattern I want to make for a Quilt.

I drew it out... I sewed some pieces together... Ha, I need more fabric.  :)

I'd call this my Grape Striped Concoction!

It's going to be yummy!!  

Dreamy - Appliances?

YES!  

Appliances can be DREAMY!

There was this sign in Agritopia for designer jeans - 

So of course we stopped by!  

There were a plethora of cute bling jeans but the house...

WAS A DREAM! 

Mine Eyes have Seen the Glory!! 

In Wisconsin Butter Yellow no less!!!  

Delicious!

I looked those appliances up and they come in Aqua, Lavendar, Pink... (gasp!)

Look what they did w/ this long awkward wall!  I have this wall!  

I WANT this shelf!!  

They guy said if I bought the wood, he would come put the shelf in!

ha ha ha!  He said he'd done it for like 4 other ladies in the 'hood! 

I just may take him up on that!  Yippee!

Pancakes, mmm

I LOVE homemade Pancakes!

I don't really like to eat out breakfast, it's so much better home cooked!

Growing up my Dad would make: 

Egg-in-a-hole w/ honey

French Toast, (his were cooked as hard as hockey pucks)

Buttermilk Pancakes

or his specialty...

Sour Dough Waffles!  (from 30 yr old starter!)  DELISH!

(I'm not mentioning the 7 grain hot cereal we HAD to eat, ick)

I was not a fan of eggs, once when I was little, I wouldn't eat my eggs before school.

Ever frustrating my Mom, she put me in the shower and dumped the eggs on my head!

ha ha ha ha!

As we got older, Dad figured out that adding cornmeal to the pancakes made them thicker, and he thinks healthier.  EWE!  Ok, they aren't bad but, Buttermilk pancakes are the BEST!

Yesterday I told him he could make Pancakes, (ha, of course I have no cornmeal in my house)

So, I get him out a pan, (of course it's some shoddy ancient pan)

They came out brown, not very puffy but, doughy in the middle.  

eek!

So the 2nd round, he cooked at a lower temp... still doughy, ick!

The 3rd batch, we were sitting at the table waiting anxiously... They looked great!

One bite, 2 bites, then the middle... dough.  I took a guzzle of milk, Jesse discovered the tender center and made this frustrated, sick face... my Mom and I laughed SO hard!

So hard, I blew milk out my nose!  HA HA HA!!!  

He stomped to the pantry and says, ok, what kind of cold cereal do you girls want?!  

He prides himself on his yummy breakies!  hee hee!

As Jesse was fixing my weather stripping on my doors - to keep those ever evil bugs out - 

I was upstairs madly making PJ pants for his Birthday!

I found this sweet fabric w/ Indian chief's and wild horses and Buffalo's on it!

 (He was just named a Buffalo at WoodBadge a couple weeks ago!)

He kept coming upstairs to ask me stuff and I would run to the door and try to lock it before he could peek what I was doing!  His sneaky, 'trying to figure out what you're up to' face is SO GREAT!  

He smiles, his eyes crinkle, he laughs and tries to be a good spy!  

Love this guy!  

I finally had to give up, b/c he likes to hang out while I sew, and he figured out they were pj pants.  

As I'm sewing the final seam he says, "did you put a fly in them?".  HA, no, why would I think to put a fly in pj pants?!  LOL.  

I made a pair for him years ago that he still wears, they have Knight's on them!  On horses!  In armor!  Cute huh?!  Perfect for HIM!

The Adventures of Jesse... & Michele

My DAD... is like, the CoOLeSt guy around! 

(So's my Mom for that matter!)

People Loooove my Parental Unit

They are Funny, Kind and CARE about people.

I'm a lucky girl!

I have a friend that gets mad b/c I'm always bragging about my Mom... and the sweet, kind things she does.  

My Mom complains that my Dad talks to everyone... to much... he's too Friendly!

My Dad, loves a project and has the cutest quirks!

This week my parentals are in town for Thanksgiving... AND to lay some pavers and make me a patio!

Cool!  

They love coming to AZ for Thanksgiving b/c it's nice and warm!

I'm sure, as usual, many'a good stories are going to come about this week so, I will relay with no delay.

One of my Favorites happened a year or 2 ago.  Well, my Mom thinks my Dad was an ESKIMO in a previos life and was always cold.  He has a fear of being cold and as a Scouter, is ALWAYS prepared!  So much prepared that I counted how many coats he had last Christmas... 48 coats, 28 'vests' (fleece or down)
(He should be an Eddie Bauer model!)

(this guy's sexy!)

Um, that's a LOT!  Remember how I said they like to come to AZ b/c it's warm...  Jesse STILL brings like 3-5 coats in the car.  (ok, if the car broke down while driving in the winter, I can understand).  But, he wears them in 70-78 degrees even.  The best part, he brings them in the house from the car... b/c he's worried someone will break into the car and steal them!  Um, REALLY?!  Aaahhh!  So I have a pile of coats on my chair in my living room for a week!  Stop!  I told him, "Dad, NO ONE WANTS YOUR COATS!!! THEY DON'T NEED THEM HERE!"  ha ha ha ha!  Aaaah, SO funny.

One of my friend's came to pick me up for a date at Christmas time and asked my Dad if he was keeping warm wrapped in one of his Navajo Indian blankets?  (b/c he collects them and they hang on the walls), HA!

I'll take a pic of their COAT CLOSET that is 8' long and PACKED!  

Ah, what a hoot!  More to come!

Jumped off the Roller Coaster

This weekend was a roller coaster! 

Oy vey I say! 

But here is what I'm grateful for and some funny bits!

Bunco on Friday - A Blast!  Love these wild girls!

Sat. - Mar, Kate, Crew & Bennett came by, Kate in a wedding dress & veil! 

Um, cuter 4 yr old, nay I say!

Crew in his Batman outfit... inside out.  HA! 

We got hot chocolate & sat on my porch, The kids played on the grass.

Then, Crew saw the witch on my porch, Kate asked if she was taller than the witch.

Crew came up, tapped my arm, "um, Chowsa, Halloween is over! 

You need to put the witch away!".   Awesome!   from a 3 yr old no less!  HA!

I went on a drive to Tim-Buck-2, took some good shots in the gray skies!

love gray skies!

Sat. nt - Stopped by the Steele's & man, it's always a party there! 

We played JUST DANCE!  St. Thomas made curry, yum!

We lept off the couch at 9:00 to go get pie at Village Inn! 

The girls were silly & in rare form, giggles abounded, as well as 80's music that we all belted to in the car!   Cara said to St. Thomas, "does it feel like we have 3 kids back there?!" 

def! 

Sunday started out shady & ended bright & sunny and happy with good food and new friends!  yum yum, bubble gum!  

Today, Monday... I took the witch and Halloween wreath to the garage. HA! 

Be Grateful!

I recognize my blessings & truly am blessed with fabulous people in my life! 

xo

Oktoberfest

I am a LOVER of Oktoberfest!

I usually go home to the mountains of Snowbird for this festivus!

This year, Mel asked me to help with her booth at Oktoberfest, how could I pass that up!  

Music, dudes (ha), and the Polka... 

Aren't we a sisterly pair!  

These guys were dressed to the 9's!!! 

LOVE the German Guido Polka outfits!  

I asked Guido #1 and he said he made their hats!  

He is very familiar w/ Hobby Lobby!  (Now that's a real man!)

I had to give him props for creativity!!!

Only one bad was any good... Dry River Yacht Club

kinda folksy and hip!  Dance-able (my #1 qualification for good music!)

The guys were plentiful - which made for a fun day!

Reading, Reading all the day...

I've always loved to READ!

My Dad used to read to us every night when we were chicklets!

I always saw my parents reading.  

In college it was really hard to not read fun books - I don't think I ever completed a text book tho.

Presently, I'm in 3 (yes 3) book clubs! 

How does one accomplish this... whilst working out 5 days a week and working full time...

Some I get at the library on cd and listen to while sewing or cleaning (let's be honest, cleaning?!) or while doing mundane tasks at work like invoicing and entering bills.

I think I got thru (reading and listening), 4 books a month - since July.

I love updating my Shelfari and adding books I want to read that people recommend.  

I love that it makes me organized and remember what I've read.  

3 notable selections as of late are: 

People of the Book

It was recommended by my friend Carrie and IT IS WONDERFUL!!!!

Amazing story of an ancient Jewish book and how this old book has clues about where it has come from.  Then the author flashes back and tells the story about the clue.  

i.e. The butterfly wing on the front - found a wing in the binding, the story of how the wing got there, is beautiful!  

LOVE LOVE THIS!

2nd:  The Book Thief

My Mom recommended this one, it's over 500 pgs and finally, someone did it for book club.

It's BEAUTIFULLY written - the language is very unique and how the story is told from the point of view of 'death', I like to think of him as Mr. Death.  He really becomes a character and has a heart.  Takes place during WW2 and it's about a little girl who loves books! 

3rd:  The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit

AH!

I loved this, it was recommended by 2 gals I work w/ at ASU, one prof, one a gal from Egypt!

This book starts in Egypt, told by a daughter and is a TRUE STORY!  

About a family from Egypt, and inthe 60's when the Jew's were driven out and they had to either migrate to the US or to Israel, leaving behind EVERYTHING, centuries of family heirlooms etc.

It's a story of what we make of ourselves.  Read it,  you'll love and admire your Dad!

I cried on the plane at how much I love my Dad and how amazing he is!

Reading is great, I highly recommend it.  

To me, it makes my daily life and trials slip away for a bit :)

Top 12 Tuesday - Random cell pics

I've been photo-ing a lot lately.  

Here's the Top 12 from my cell for the month!

Cute Toesies w/ Kirsten - She gets to take her new cute toes to Italy and Paris!!!

Mel and I at Bryn's ward Talent Show!!  Brynnie did SO great on her solo!!

Melanie's Birthday!

Is this fog???  Sunshine?  No, too much Misters at the mall!

Jupiter!!  In the North sky from my farmhouse!
It's HUGE!

What would possess me to buy this HUGE soap... that I can barely hold in my tiny hand?
Ridiculous

The Dollar Store is very entertaining on a Friday night!

Even diet DOTS are $1  They must work like a charm!

The perfect OREO dipping tool to not get your fingers dunked!
A Shrimp Fork!

This GORGEOUS (almost Fall) Grey Cloudy Sky!!!
Look at the Light Hole!!!
So cool!

AZ Sunsets really can't be beat!!

Aaaaaand.... The UTES smooshed the Cougars!!  Whoot!


hope you enjoyed my 'eyes'!

Decking the Halls is hard to do... in September

I'm trying to plan ahead...

and make a Christmas Quilt!

It's hard when it's not Christmasy outside or without Christmas music....

Mom has this Halloween strip quilt she made, 

so I'm taking the pattern and making it Christmas!

And... Chelsified - ya, making it up, modifying, doing some math...

Using up my HUGE Christmas stash from pillowcases past.

Just a teasing.

Sedona!!

This place is GORGEOUS!  

EVERY time I go... I am in AWE!!  

It's almost like Moab... <3

But, different!

I went on a run thru town out to the Hwy

I went to Sedona in March a few years and there was a SnOwStOrM!

Gorgeous on the Red Rocks!

We went on a Jeep Tour and got to get up close on the back roads!  

As we came up on this Mtn, I thought,

"this would be a great wedding spot"

And the tour guide said this was the most popular spot in Sedona!

Craftin

I've been getting crafty around here!  

I should be finishing projects that my Mom thinks I've done - before she comes next weekend!  

oops!  ha.

I've had these wooden bats from the Wood Connection in SLC for a year now and decided to get a jump start on Halloween and get them done!  

I took my gear to Cara's to paint while the kids played one Friday night.  

But... They wanted to get crafty too!!!  

Abby and Griffin did such a great job on the black BATS!!  

(even thru my old clumpy paint!)

Little Beady Sparkle Eyes and... Creepy Bats!  Voila! 

I think Halloween is everyone's favorite holiday!!! 

Happy Birthdays

Today was my favorite person's Birthday!  

MK!  My Mother!  

Happy Happy Birthday Mother dear!!

I found these cute shoes to 'honor' her!  ha.  

Purple!  quilted!  with a big MK emblem on the toe!

So us chicklets all went in and Austin picked them up and wrapped them beautifully!  

Our Mom taught us to wrap real nice!  ;)

I pondered these... 

But seriously, who wears a size 9 1/2?! (sorry ladies!)

Lately, my little lady mouth has popped off - a lot!  ah!  

So I've decided to make a swear jar.

I'm gonna have to keep it at work...

It will be too heavy to carry home daily.  HA!

Saturday night for Suz's b-day we were going to go Night Swimming at the lake!  

How fun is that? !!

Well, it was pouring!  Seriously torrential rain. 

( I just wanted to say torrential! ha) 

We went to Cheesecake Factory instead - drenched I might add.

This dude at the bar was ALL over his date. 

Pulling her shirt down, kissing her back, playing with her hair...

and throwing her head back to kiss the front of her neck.  

SICK!  We're trying to eat here buddy.  LOL

I see this gal walk up and say something to him, he gets SO mad and then... 

storms out!  Leaving his date sitting there.

I realize, it's a gal from our table!  HA!  

She went up to him and said, 

"Could you please not rape your date at the bar in public, while people are trying to eat?!"

Ha ha ha ha ha.  Awesome!  Gutsy!

Sweatin to the Oldies

Last night was FUN

Tuesday night, Date Night w/ CJS & Miss. Abby

They were swimming, I had showered after working out

Good thing I didn't swim, too many chem-chem's made them itchy

I've been ITCHY and BuMpY for 2 weeks now - 

FOOD ALLERGY

Abby wanted to do 'JUST DANCE', this FUNN wii game

Good Music!!  Fun songs!!  (could I say Fun any more?)

Abby said, "I don't want to do it w/ Chelsa"

Cara said, "Why not?"

Abby, "She's looks better than me"

Um, NOT TRUE!! At ALL, um... Me vs. a 7yr old gymnist?  YA

I said, "Abbs, it's just this song, just b/c this is how we danced in High School".  

Baaaa ha ha ha ha ha!  True that... Madonna, Cris Cross... LOL

So, we danced 5 dances.  I was SwEaTy!!

The fan wasn't cuttin it.

Cara said, "come outside I'll spritz you off with the hose!"

Um....

I walk outside and she hoses me off like a dirty piglet!

Well, what's a girl to do, standing there drippin... 

Jump on the WET TRAMPOLINE!  

Then come inside, wrapped in a towel and lay under the cool fan!  

I was 104 degrees at 9pm.  Hello Summer!

Top 10 Tuesday

(Cara Jane - I'm copying your format today!)

listenings:

The Scarlet Pimpernel for book club

eatings:

Roasted Turkey, Tomatoes & Lemon Vinagrette

drinkings:

water, water, water

wearings:

Bling Jean shorts, white V-neck, yellow striped scarf

feelings:

Cheery

wantings:

New Running Shoes

needings:

to Drop off my 2 quilts to Jody

thinkings:

tomorrow I HAVE to wake up early & wash my hair!

enjoyings:

my clean Kitchen - Thanks Olivia!

wonderings:

what to do for Labor Day weekend?!

The Happiness Report

Yesterday was just... such a NICE day!!

Not anything special or spectacular... Just - HAPPY!

I woke up and went to hear my friend speak in church - it was fabulous!  Uplifting!

Then, I went for a drive up the I-51.

There are mountains all around (in the city) and it's peaceful on a Sunday!

Listened to my "KIDS of 88" cd from New Zealand! Oh I've missed you kids.

Talked to my Abb-ster and she said, "I want to see you today"  (50' high smiles)

I stopped by to say Hi and was greeted with the usual running leap into my arms - Huge Hug and a Kiss.  (Man, that is PRICELESS!)

Then I had to go home and see my Dixie-doo as she was SO frightened from me setting the kitchen on fire while trying to make breakfast.  (Did I forget to mention the smoke infested kitchen?)  Note to self:  Don't turn the burner on high with oil in it and go to the Loo and start texting.  oops!

I worked on finishing my orange Zig-Zag quilt.

Sat on the couch and watched a great movie full of song and dance.

Ate some healthy dinner... 

That's about it.  But my HEART was just FULL.  Happy!  Just... peaceful.  Knowing I had good friends, I got outside and saw some different scenery, didn't eat crap (ha), enjoyed my cozy house... Just NICE.  

Somedays, I think... Could Life GET Any Better Than THIS? 

It's pretty good since I've been looking for the GOOD. 

You have the Power

A Good Think...

Yesterday, was SO crappy.  Ick, Yuck and Blech!  Daily, I think of fun blog posts and how I need to get my feelings out and just write!  But, I'm lazy, and for the last month or so only seen the yucky in everything.  Which is kind of what I wanted to see.  My parents raised me to be very positive and find the good and to let things roll off my back.  Which is exceptional and I am so blessed b/c I feel like it's helped me get thru lots of stuff.  But yesterday, my friend's comment rather put my 'Vacation Hangover' in perspective.  (I always get trunky after a fabulous vaca!)

The day started out with a message from my most recent beau of 4 mo. saying that he's engaged!  GAG!  WTH?!  He met her the week after we stopped talking and LESS than 2 mo's later, they are engaged and getting married in September.  WTH!  I really don't believe this crap happens.  "Ah, we saw each other and we just knew... I knew he was the one on our 2nd date... I just can't describe how it feels... I can't believe this happened to me, if it happened to you - I wouldn't believe it was real either!"  Really, these are things people say, I am more level headed I guess.  Ya, I'd like the Knight on a white horse but... realistically ya gotta to know someone.  Peeps are crazy these days.

Work crap - I'm everyone's 'GO-TO' girl and do it ALL!  Literally.  People I work w/ are rude and ridiculous.  THEN... my car.  My beloved red Volvo - I try to take such good care of you Aidan (my car) but you keep being SO high-maintenance, and I'd really like to keep you longer than your brothers and sisters!  I got my car aligned and the oil changed and washed and drove to Cali 2 weeks ago.  Now, my car is shaking when I drive over 45 so I take it in to get the tires balanced and rotated (every 4-6 mo) and dude tells me I need 2 new tires and I'm gonna have a blow-out any second b/c the back 2 are worn down to the metal on the inside.  Basically - someone did a shotty job on aligning my car.  I've bought tires now 3 yrs in a row!  What happened to tires lasting 30K miles?  Anywho... on to the perspective.

I was venting to my friend who has a lot of trials herself.  i.e. Someone stole parts of her car totalling $4K, then at a work function - her hub caps were stolen, health issues w/ the fam etc.  She said, "I keep praying for this to be over".  Over?  All of 'this'?  um, that seems a little dramatic to me.  So I went home and pondered that.  Pondered deeper than I usually like to go (ha).  Car problems, bike accidents, illness, discontentment w/ friends and/or family is NOT worth wishing the whole world would end.  I thought, there are SO many things to be happy about.  Good friends, your favorite tv show, a manic wagging tail when I come home every day, kisses from kids, knowing who we are, serving others, new shoes, Fridays... etc. 

So I decided to put my happy pants on.  No more moping and griping and I will work on the not being bitter part.  hmmm.  So I decided to wake up happy today.  I decided to put on make-up (it's been awhile!).  I decided to think of how I could ease others burdens.  I decided to try to mend friendships.  I decided to pray for others instead of thinking about my crap.  Today I said to my friend, "thank you for your comment about wanting this all to 'end', it really made me think."  She said - "Oh, I didn't mean it thaaaat way!  Just that I was at my limit with trials".  HA!  Well, they way I took it is what I think I needed to hear.  It must have been that that's what I NEEDED to see my way out of the fog. 

So, not that things are all better over night.  I just WANT to wake up happy and not think MY trials are so huge.  

Here's to TRYING!!

What's goin on over there?

Projects, projects, projects.

That's what's been going on over here!

My side yard leaves much to be desired... but it's a work in progress!  

Miss Dixie loves to go out and run in the grass AND, the new house has a dog door!

So, grass it is!  (I loooove green grass!)

Mom thought we could do it ourselves... 

Ya, i'm kinda tough.  But we should have started

at 6am instead of 11!  HOT!

 

SOD!

My car got a little scratched and a LOT of dirty!

(Dirtier than normal!)  These were heavy!

And, since it was so hot... I had to only wear my sports bra and shorts, ha!  Let's just say I had scratches on my stomach from the crusty dirt.

Here's the before!  It's about 5' x 11'.  And it was... DRY!  and... ROCKY!   Rake, RAKE, rake...

Mix in 2 bags of soil and some vitamins... Rake, rake, RAKE...

Haul the sod over, unroll, butt up against the house and mesh rows together

And watch your pup ENJOY!!!  ha ha ha!  As soon as we had one row down, Dixie was ALL OVER IT!!  Scratching her head and rolling in the grass!  Pretty quick return on investment I'd say!  :)

All done!  It took about an hour, may 90 min. total!  Whoot!

Then...

WATER, WATER, WATER!!!! 

This is almost 2 weeks later, 2-3 sprinkling sessions a day and... it almost needs a haircut!  Def taking root and the rows are meshing together nicely!!!  

SO HAPPY!!!  

I think Dixie is using it during the day... hopefully!