National Novel Writing Month Update

So, NaNoWriMo is in full swing. I went last night & wrote at the library. Then went to Barnes&Noble, wrote some more, & then rewarded myself with a yum hot coco.

I wasn't sure about it at first, but I love the NaNo website. They have a handy way to track your word count.

According to the graph I have about 4,000 words to write tonight. Luckily Scott has a "guys night out" tonight so once the kids are in bed I'm writing (& tomorrow morning I'm going to have a little writing marathon at the library) Wish me luck!

Soda Dessert Toppers

Now, I like DP, Crush, & A&W.... but I saw these ice cream syrups at the store & thought, "bleh".

Am I alone? Has anyone tried these?

Booster Seat

This gave me a laugh.

The "stand up cutout" you can buy at the store...

When the picture was actually taken...

Ha, ha! I guess, Jacob/Taylor needed a little boost.

Holga Shots

Oh, my Holga, my love...

I developed 3 older rolls today. Here are a couple of my favorites:

1) taken on our way to the zoo in SLC 2) taken at the apple orchard
3) taken during our Yakima rode trip 4) & 5) from this fun afternoon
6) Syd's fancy lady costume

Lovely Provo Temple Print

I saw this print at the Provo City Farmer's Market at the beginning of the season & thought about it everyday since. I love that it's bright and in such an original style (not your typical Provo LDS temple pic)

I finally went back on the last day the market would be open to buy it. SOO glad I did. I wish I had the artists contact info to share. I searched on google for a while. If I find it I'll let you guys know!

Love Songs

I've never really been a fan of love songs (I think I might have had a couple boyfriends who over used love songs to placate me) and I think there was a good chunk of time that I was a love song hater (a lot of them make me roll my eyes & say 'oh brother')

And then I met Scott. He never used music to convey his emotions. He used actions. My kind of fellow.

But there are times when a GOOD love song just hits you right in the gut. You know what I mean?

Here are my top 5 love songs:
1) Ben Harper - My Beloved One
2) Pearl Jam - Wishlist
3) Van Morrison - I'll be Your Lover Too
4) Flogging Molly - If I Ever Leave This World Alive
5) Sting - Fields of Gold

Why am I bringing up love songs if I'm secretly a romantic music hater?

I am in need of some "love songs" for some current writing inspiration. So, what are your favorite love songs? Doesn't matter what they are about just that you love them.

I'm going to look up & listen to every suggestion & who knows, you could be the one to break this strange little writing block I've been having (I'm writing around it, but I need something to kick start my brain again)

P.S. the last song to give my writing a lil' jolt was Monica- thanks again!
P.S.S. Current word count 3,302 (I'm behind I've got to nearly double that tomorrow. Major writing marathon will be happening at the library on Saturday)

Funny Berto

Let me start with the fact that I really don't like masks at Halloween. I think I must have been traumatized as a child or something.

So, when Berto's Spiderman costume came with a mask I hid it & instead let him wear a Spiderman beanie.

Now that Halloween is over I decided to put it in the dress up box & he put it on yesterday.

ME: "Okay, Berto let me take your picture. Show me what Spiderman does."
BERTO: "Okay, like a Spiderman!"

And he strikes this pose....

Yes, he folds his arms like we're saying a prayer and tilts his head in a passive aggressive sort of way. Literally now every time I ask what does Spiderman do he poses like this.

I'm guessing that what he's really doing is crossing his arms across his chest & tilting his head in a tough gangster sort of way.

P.S. Am I alone with the mask thing?

New Payless Half Off Shoes

My lil' furry moccasins from Payless...

I kind of have a crush on them (I think I've worn them everyday since I got them)

What's with my one wrinkly leg of my pants?

You think I might have noticed that, but alas no, I likely walked around all day like that.

Felt Play House

I've been reading the 'Homemade By Jill' blog for a while & I'm always blown away by some of the things she makes.

This felt table playhouse just floored me.

You've got to check it out. All fours sides... amazing. She answers every ones questions & posted templates. Someday I'm going to try this out. My babies would go WILD for it.

P.S. Not this month... currently my word count is only 645- I've gotta a lot of work cut out for me.

Re-Reading New Moon

Currently, I am re-reading New Moon in anticipation of the movie coming out (and because I don't have any books to read right now. Any recommendations?)

I know a lot of people didn't like New Moon, but I actually really liked it a lot.

And, hey, has anyone listened to the soundtrack yet? What do you think?

My opinion: brilliantly indy, but a tad mellow for my taste. However, I think it'll fit the movie perfect.

What's for Dinner?

Okay, guys I'm having a COMPLETE mental block on dinner lately.

What are you guys having for dinner tonight?

What are some of your favorite recipes?

Please share or else my family may be eating Spiderman Mac & Cheese or Hamburger Helper (yes, it's that dire).

P.S. Yup, there's my BUCKET of garlic that I put in everything.

Confession (or a very long post)

Alright, so I have a confession for you guys...

And this one is a REAL one. Unlike other confessions on this blog.

I've been writing.

Why do I write?

Well, there are lots of reasons for this...
1) I have always loved to write. When I told my mom I started writing she nodded sagely & said, "You just tell those publishers that you won the 'Best Creative Writing Award' in 9th grade". Thanks mom- I'm not talking to ANY publishers, but if I were I'm sure that would sway them.
2) When you're a mom almost nothing is your own. That's where writing is helpful. It's just for me. It's a creative outlet that give me an excuse for alone time. My babies are so much fun, but they also eat food off my plate, wear my shoes, & follow me into the bathroom when I pee. As a mom there isn't much that's just yours.
3) I REALLY enjoy it. I've wanted to rip my hair out a couple times & then there are moments of clarity where I literally laugh out loud when my fingers can't type as fast as my mind is going.

Why have I been keeping it a secret?

I'm not sure. It seems such a presumption to think I could write something worth reading. For someone who is a perpetual "over share-er" I get really shy about sharing some parts of me. This is one thing I almost cripplingly shy about. I gotta get over it.

Why am I tell you now?

Well, I WAS writing a lot. Slow at first, then I was flying. I got about 1/2 through my story. Then stopped. Re-wrote the WHOLE thing to about 1/2 through. Then got off track & started something else. And now I've been in a non-writing slump for about a month & 1/2. My hope is that by sharing I will feel more "helpful pressure" to keep writing.

What am I doing to get my groove back?

A little something called NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). It's a great little motivator website. The goal is to write 50,000 words in a month. I'm probably going to pick up where I left off on my very first try at my story. One thing I learned at my writing conference was to just finish. The act of finishing a story is important to get to writing the next thing.

So basically...

I'm writing a lot this month. So, if posts are spotty or short I apologize. It's going to take a chunk of time (though most of it will be late at night & early in the morning when everyone is sleeping). I will probably post a word count occasionally (I need to be accountable somehow). It's something I love, a favorite thing, that I hadn't yet shared with you guys.

So, there it's out in the open. I'm writing.

Here are a couple pictures of the journey thus far...

(TOP: Jan, Feb, & March, MIDDLE: April, May, & June, BOTTOM: July, Aug, & Sept) Yes, I took at least one picture of me writing every month.

Church Halloween Party

We went to our ward Halloween party on Friday. They had a big dinner & then Trunk-or-Treating afterward.

I wanted to wear a costume but didn't have too much time to think about it. After some thought I constructed a head dress (out of a headband & a bat decoration) & then dressed up in black & red.

Hip, hip for Halloween! Hope everyone had a good one!

Trick or Treating

Oh, Dinner & Trick-or-Treating fun! We had a blast at the Pincocks with Linds & the Parsons. Yummy soup, homemade bread, & then lovely weather for scouring the neighborhood for candy.

For a while Rob said, "No Spiderman! Don't want to wear Spiderman pants!" He was so angry. But once we got him in them he did much better. Syd was elated over her costume- thank goodness!

The kids did quite well Trick-or-Treating. It helped that there were other kids so they could just kind of follow each others lead.

There was one door step that had a full sized skeleton scary guy. All the kids refused to go up to the door except Rob. He pushed past them all saying, "I want to see scary pirate" (he randomly calls skeletons pirates) & went right up to the skeleton & stared it down. I sure love that Berto Carter- fearless child.

We had a Harry Potter, a Power Ranger, Tinker Bell, a teacher, a BYU football player, & Spiderman.

I sure like Halloween

Because you see things like this...

Micheal Jackson helping you out at Wal-Mart.

Happy, Happy Halloween!

Payless & Oprah Coupon

As some of you may have heard Oprah is offering people a 50% off coupon for everything at Payless for yesterday & today only. I just wanted to spread the word to anyone who didn't know. Sorry this is a tad late.

I bought the kids each a pair of boots, me a pair of cute shoes, some kiddo socks, & a spiderman backpack for Rob for Christmas- all 50% off. Check it out!

Did anyone else enjoy the sale today? What did you get?

Pumpkinland

We went with the Parson's clan to Pumpkinland today(last year here). It was FREEZING but we trekked out anyway & the kids had a lot of fun. Walking through corn, animals to pet, tunnels to crawl through, & a lil park at the end.

What are you guys doing these couple days before Halloween? Anything fun planned?

Sewing

I'm desperately working on Syd's Halloween costume & it's taking forever... maybe I should have just followed a pattern?

Making it up as you go along takes a lot of trial & error.

After working on it for hours last night I went to bed with a sore back & Berto promptly threw up

(I think the youth fed him too many cookies at their activity last night b/c he seems just peachy this morning).

And then I had a nightmare that Syd told me she hated Tinkerbell & wanted to be an octopus.

No really... it was a nightmare.

Rugs

I've been eyeballing some rugs lately. They are just so lovely!

This blue one is fantastic (I pretty much love all the colors it comes in), A nicely priced Ikea one, a romantic yellow lace one, my favorite Moroccan (but I can't find it anywhere to buy), this adorable Macy's polka dot one, and a light (not child friendly) striped one.

Why do they have to be so darn expensive?!

Spiderman Underwear

Dear Grandpa,

Berto almost had a heart attack when your package arrived & there wasn't just a homemade Spiderman shirt (which is so cute!) but also Spiderman Underwear (which Syd calls boy panties).

Now he not only has Spiderman emblazoned on his shirt, but also his tush (& his head too, I guess).

Thanks for knowing him SO WELL!

Love, a happy mommy

Halloween Storytime

The good ol' Provo Library has a great Halloween storytime the week before Halloween. The kiddo's costumes still aren't done (though I worked on Syd's for a bit last night).

So, here's our 4th "made-up" Halloween costumes of the season...

Can you tell what they are? (A ballerina & a cowboy) Both had a blast in these outfits too.

Storytime is just a blast. They tell Halloween stories, sing songs & have a little parade. This year they didn't do the dancing (for which I was greatly dissappointed- check out last years fun) but the kids still had fun together!

35 mm adapter for Holga

My wonderful father bought me this great little adapter kit for my Holga. It allows me to shoot using 35 mm film. I love shooting in 120 film, but it's quite a bit more expensive to buy & develop. It's nice to have the option to shoot with something different.

I realize after my practice roll that it shoots & frames MUCH differently than 120 film. Here are a couple of my experiments...

I'm not sure if it's the way it's developed or if it's how it frames but either way they came out interesting.

Haunted Bean Museum

The Bean Museum, one of my favorite places, had a lil' Halloween shindig tonight. Costumes are still not ready, so we did some made up outfits again. Syd wore a fairy dress up & Rob was a basketball player.

We met up there with my new friend Susan & her little guy. The kids had a blast together & wore each other out enjoying the animal heads & other kids in costume.

The best part though ended up being an impromptu leaf fight outside on our way to the cars. Moments like that are what make life SO GOOD.

Have I mentioned how much I am loving fall? I'm living up this last week before Halloween!

Found: Treasure at the DI

So, I went over to DI thrift store to see if I could find a plain white sheet for my halloween costume. They didn't have a white sheet (they did have 70's flower designs, stripes, & snoopy sheets, but no white ones)

Instead I came home with this... (picture in my hand is me wearing it as a kiddo)

Can you believe it?!?

That's the same Halloween costume as my favorite Rainbow Brite one growing up. It's made from this McCall's pattern in the 80's (pattern on the left, adorable baby Liv on the right)

Since Saturday, I've searched everywhere for the pattern but they are sold out everywhere.

Seriously though, what are the chances of finding one just like it? I happily paid the $5 for it & tried to explain to the cashier why I was so excited. He just nodded with a blank look on his face. But I'm in heaven!

I'm thinking I'm going to have my dad help me restore it for the ol' Syd-o. It was a happy day!

So, what are your favorite childhood Halloween costumes?

Sunday & Talented Family

Do you see this lovely dress & cute Halloween tie Rob is wearing? The dress was made by my dad. Isn't it adorable & if you saw it up close you'd see how well made it is too. The tie was made by my mother-in-law (it only looks misshapen because of Berto's refusal to get dressed this morning).

I got compliments on both the dress & the tie at church & I have to admit they do look terribly cute. Thanks family for thinking of the kiddos & making them such lovely things.

P.S. Rob does wear shoes to church, we just couldn't get them on his feet until we actually got to church. This kid HATES clothes (sound familiar?)

BYU Homecoming Parade 2009

We went to the Brigham Young University (the alma mater of both Scott & I) homecoming parade.

It's a great family tradition- 2007 here & 2008 here.

It's always the best- they give away candy, coupons, & the kids just LOVE it.

Syd, Rob, & their best friend Robby wre cheering, clapping, & chowing down candy!

By the end the kids were happy, sugar filled, & pooped out. Our favorite kind of fun!

Pumpkin Carving

Oh, pumpkin carving! One of my very favorite Halloween activities. This year we invited the Schmitts over for treats & cider while we carved & the kids painted the pumpkins.

The kids had so much fun & I think I might have at least tied Scott this year for pumpkin carving. Past years I've been dominated by his carving skills (2007 here & 2008 here) but at least this year our pumpkins look cute together.

Pumpkins

We went to the good ol' grocery store to get pumpkins. The kids had fun & were just so cute. There is nothing that makes holidays more fun than lil' kids & their excited faces.

Baby Backpack

So, I think I might have found the first Christmas present I want to get for the kiddos...

Adorable backpacks (sans characters) that are small enough for Syd & Rob. There are times when we go out that I think they'd love to carry their own stuff (& I sure like that idea!)

Disney Store Halloween Party

The Disney Store had a little Halloween parade, giveway, & party where kids came all dressed up. Syd & Rob were so excited to go- but I still don't have their costumes ready yet.

So, we raided the dress-up closet- Rob was a pirate & Syd was what she called a "fancy lady". Not only were they adorable, they had so much fun.

Discipline Reward Jar

I've been trying to do a different approach to discipline lately. I just felt like I was constantly saying, "NO!", "Stop!", & "Don't do that!". Instead we reward puff balls in a jar for doing good things.

It helps them be rewarded for good things & it helps me notice good things they do. They wanted to earn pajamas (Syd picked Tinkerbell & Rob picked Spiderman). They finally earned it & were SO EXCITED!

Hymnal Singing

We had Robby over the other day, which is always so much fun. The kids always find something to keep them entertained. This time it was small church hymnals & singing pretend songs at the top of their lungs! Rambo even joined in.

P.S. Notice Rob is still in love with his monkey.

Bold Wall Colors

I went through my picture folder called "home design"- just a collection of pictures I've found & wanted to keep for when we own a home someday.

I noticed that along with my "bold colors for arm chairs" I might have something for bold colored walls...

I apologize that I have no idea where these pictures are from. If you know, PLEASE leave a comment so that I can attribute them.

Frilly Skirt

Syd would go crazy for these lovely skirts. $55 seems a tad steep (ie: ridiculously priced) so I'll have to recruit my dad to help me learn to make one like it.

Because I want one in every color...

P.S. Would it be wrong if I wanted one for me too? I might be that in love with them!