And next, driver's licenses

Today the girls had a little graduation ceremony at pre-school. I can't believe they'll be in KINDERGARTEN in the fall!  No way! 

At every first and last day of pre-school I sat them on the front porch of our house and snapped a picture of them. I created a collage from '07 to today - click to make bigger! 

Just look at how much they've changed!  Super cute!

I took more pics from their graduation program which I put onto my Facebook page - I felt weird about putting pics of other people's kids on here! 

Pleasure in the simple things

Lydia can do the monkey bars at the park, and just look at that face - she's so PROUD of herself! 

Pretty flowers in a Ball jar

Aren't these gorgeous?  Yes I thought so too. 

Nine years of marriage!

Today my darling husband and I celebrate nine years of marriage!  Nine years - how did that go by so quickly?!  We've known each other going on 12 years, 12 years!  Wow!  He's my best friend, I love him so!  Check out these pictures - gosh, we look like BABIES! 

This was taken at our rehearsal dinner.

The wedding photo, awwww!  Isn't my bouquet gorgeous?!  My Aunt did all of our wedding flowers!

Such a happy day - and still just as happy - if not more - today! 

Etsy Favorites Wednesday - willow, leather and pottery

I'm told the traditional anniversary gifts to celebrate nine years are willow, leather and pottery. Being as today is our wedding anniversary I thought it would be fun to look through Etsy to find those things.  Willow was a tad difficult, but the other stuff was easy. All of what I found is pretty wonderful! 

Willow Art Print - I love the yellow tone of this artwork.

Stonewear Love Birds - I think this is sweet. And the yellow scrubbies are included, cute!

Clay Little Love House - I am loving these little clay houses - I've featured them on EFW lists before.

Leather Lilly - Clever!

Leather Camping Journal - PERFECT!  I am seriously going to buy this!

Antique festival finds!

This past Sunday we trekked down to Burlington, Kentucky for the Burlington Antique Show. It's a show that happens once a month and I've been wanting to go for awhile now. It was so great!  We got some cool stuff!  The girls went with us and they were very, very good - we walked around for a long time and they didn't complain or get tired. They are good shoppers! 

I had a goal in mind to find a glass milk pint ... I didn't know that they were so expensive!  I found some that were $25 and up!  I settled on this one, for $5. It's not a name brand one, I think that's why it was cheaper. It serves its purpose just fine though! 

Lydia found this E.T. pin and was very pleased to be able to wear it to preschool!  She's so darn cute.

I got "two scoops" of vintage buttons - perfect for an upcoming project!

Michigan does, indeed, rock!  It's a record.

Mike also found this Reds mug, which looks brand new.

And the BEST find of the day, I do believe, is this super creepy yet funny Bozo the Clown doll!  HAHAHAHA!  I got him for ONE DOLLAR!  His body is all ragged and his face is worn, but he's hilarious. I had to get him. I may make another body for him, or I might just keep him as he is.  I told the vendor that I was buying him just for his head and she was cracking up!

We keep hiding him in different spots around the house and it's hilarious!  The girls get a big kick out of it.  They aren't scared of him, which is good. 

Oy, but that's a little freaky.

He's a bit endearing, right?

Give-a-way Day at Sew, Mamma, Sew!

Wow, if you like winning free handmade stuff, and who doesn't?! then go check out Sew, Mama, Sew! They're doing their Give-A-Way Day today (actually it lasts a couple days, so you've got time!) through their blog. There are many, many, many, many bloggers participating this time around - so go check it out and enter some contests! I'm entering quite a few!

Arlene's Monster Story Book

So Arlene decides she wants to make a monster book. That's our girl!!  She proceeded to draw a series of monsters and then asked us to help her with spelling their descriptions. We were in awe of her creativity and were cracking up at her creations! The kid is truly talented. And this was all self-directed, she came up with everything, we just helped her spell the words out.  HOW COOL!  I'm going to laminate the book!  She says she wants Daddy to take it into his school so his students can read it "and be scared." 

It reads, "Skeletin monster. He eats kids. He eats people."  Hahaha! A little twisted, yes, but cute none-the-less. She told me that she drew this monster based off of Barrel, the skeleton kid from the Nightmare Before Christmas. Niiiiiice!

This one says:  "Turtle. Dududu. 9 eyes. Tic Tac Toe Monster."  She couldn't remember why she wrote "Turtle" on there but says that "du du du" is what the monster says.  A TIC TAC TOE monster!  HOW HILARIOUS! 

This one: "Tree Monster. Eats underpants. Nnnnnnnnnnn"
He eats underpants, of course he does!  I don't know what is funnier, that the kid thought of a monster that eats underwear or that she used the word underpants.

We were most impressed with Fry Monster. See the evil fry in the middle?  He has one eye and a sideways mouth - freeeaaaaky!  It says "Fry Monster. Eats Ketchup. Screams Loud. Has Crooked Mouth"

It says, "Spider Monster. Scary polka dots. 6 legs."

I guess some polka dots are scary!

This one is "Foot Monster. He has wheels." 

And also really big hands!

This one says "10 eyes. Booboob. Eats flowers. Pokie monster."

This is a pokey monster - as in, he's sharp and pokey. Haha!  He says "boob boob" too, tee hee heeeee!

 

Etsy Favorites Wednesday

Some lovelies I've spotted on Etsy this week:

Resin and silver pendant - I really like the bright pink color of the resin.

Typewriter Mug - My husband has an old typewriter that he got at an antique store. It needs a new ribbon but that adds to the charm of it - the type comes out light on the page or dark if the keys are hit hard enough.

Little tag book - So cute to just keep in your pocket or purse to jot down ideas.

Hanging bowls - How sweet would this look hanging in my kitchen?  Pretty sweet.

Dream girl - I like stuff like this - artsy clever dolls.

I'm quite spry for an 80-year old

A pretty good likeness

We participated in an art class offered through my work - we made hollow clay heads. The girls made clay versions of me and Mike and I made clay versions of the girls:

Arlene made by Daddy

Lydia made by Mommy

Mommy made my Arlene

Mommy made by Lydia

Well, that was short-lived

Well, our joy was pretty short-lived, that's for sure. We got word yesterday that the sales contract on our house fell through. The buyers couldn't secure their financing. To say we're upset is pretty much an understatement. We feel pretty dumb for getting excited about it in the first place and for announcing that we sold our house, but then again, how were we to know that the people weren't approved?  We were told they were. 

Deep down I never felt really and truly excited about the sales contract. I was excited and shocked but I was also very nervous from the get-go that something would fall through. Maybe I had a sense that it wasn't right?  I don't know.

It's pretty darn deflating to think for five days that we may have actually sold our house and now, nothing.  I'm trying my darndest to find the silver lining in this whole situation. What's keeping us in our house?  I can't figure it out.  I guess the good thing is that we did find this out now and not after we had started packing up boxes. But, why are we stuck in a house that we so very much want to sell?  When are we going to catch a break?

Ho hum.

That's all I've got for now.

What? It's Wednesday?

Wowweee, time is just NOT on my side this week!  I am this<>close to developing scientific proof that two hours in each of my days just slips by without my noticing. I think I may nod off for two hours?  Or perhaps go into another dimension?  I need a couple more hours.  Plain and simple folks.

Alas, there will be no Etsy Favorite Wednesday list this week!  Nadddaa! 

It will return, I do promise you.  And, as always, I take submissions.  Want to create your own list?  Let me know!  Want me to come up with a theme for you?  I can do that too. If I had more time today, today's list would have been about cars. For no particular reason. Just cars. Or perhaps books. Or libraries. Or vintage aprons. I gots the ideas, just nots the time.

Tally-ho!

Yellow tulips!

I found these gorgeous yellow tulips at Meijer last week and had to buy them. And I followed my own advice and put them in a Ball jar. When we were in Metamora this weekend I found a milk pint glass (similar to this) but the price was $12 for one - I thought that was a bit expensive for something I'd use as a vase. I'll keep my eye out for them from now on though because I really like them.