Frankenweenie!

Oh I CANNOT wait until this October!  Well for many reasons but for sure because that's when Tim Burton's stop-motion animation movie Frankenweenie comes to theaters! The web site for the movie launched this week and it's pretty darn awesome. The movie looks spectacular - I cannot WAIT! Check out the trailer! 

Handprinted fabric swap: my cheery chevron fabric

I participated in the Handprinted Fabric Swap hosted by Leslie Keating and yesterday I sent away my packs of fabric to four wonderful creative ladies. I can't wait to get fabric from them in return!

I had debated and debated about what to do for the fabric swap. I settled upon making a chevron/stripey design. I've been into chevron lately; I'm making a crocheted afghan with a mulit-color chevron stripe. So, for the swap, I started out by carving a very simple V design into a Speedball pad and got to work this weekend printing on fabric. I'm quite pleased with how it turned out.

I chose a cheery pink and yellow ink. I'm in love with it.

The fabric pieces for the swap measure 18" X 20". They have three stripes of each color.

I printed the stripes horizontal, but they could go either way.

Rolling on the ink.

I tried to take 'in process' photos but they turned out a bit weird. Here I'm pressing down the stamp.

Pealing off the stamp. The stamp I carved was pretty small so I had to repeat it a bunch of times. It lined up pretty well though.

Lining it up.

The packs of fabric that went out in the mail to my swap-mates.

Close up - I included a fabric swatch of my lollipop stamp too. 

I plan to use the stamp again and to print more fabric. I ended up with one extra bit of fabric that I put into my Etsy shop too!  It's for sale here. 

Big-eyed mascots

For forever now I've loved the Cincinnati Reds' mascot Mr. RedLegs. He's got a huge moustache and hilariously huge blank eyes. I finally got to meet this weekend, wahooo! 

Arlene and I went to a Mascot Homerun Derby on Saturday. {Lydia couldn't go because she had baseball practice! She's playing ball this summer - first game in a few weeks!} The Mascot Derby was so HILARIOUS! I find mascots, especially the Reds mascots, to be so incredibly hilarious. I giggle whenever I see them. I think it's their huge heads and huge eyes.

Rosie Red sure is a cutie! 

The furry mascot is Gapper.

During the Derby (we were in the dugout, hence the fence). This guy's name is Mr. Red. Basically the same as Mr.RedLegs but without the 'stache. He won the Derby! I think he could see the best - the other mascots had a hard time seeing the ball through their monstrous heads.

Look at Mr.RedLegs! HAAAAA!  

Summertime writing journals

The girls are at an excellent age now where they can write about their days and what they did and accompany their stories with darling illustrations. The resulting stories are incredibly cute and I cherish them! {I've featured a lot of their school journal writings here on my blog, here and here, for example.}Now that the school year is over, I thought they could use a little prompting to do some writing at home, so I created little "Summertime Adventures and Stories" journals for them!

I printed the back and front cover (one piece) on cardstock and used yarn to tie everything together. 

Each page has a space for writing and a space for drawing. 

The girls were all into it! Yay!  

They told me that at school they were required to write five complete sentences, so that's what they wanted to do in these journals.

I created a PDF of the journal design so you can make one too for your little one, if you're so inclined. The journal is girly with flowers! Sorry boys.

To make a journal: print out one copy of the front and back page (the first page) and as many copies as you want of the inner pages, fold them up, use a paper punch to make holes and use yarn to tie them all together. The journals I made had 12 pages inside.

I've included the PDF of the writing journals below, however, feel free to email me at twostartwins{at}{gmail}{dot}{com} to request that the PDF be emailed to you directly. I'd be more than happy to email it to you.

Summertime Adventures and Stories Journal -

EFW - bearded men

Since this Sunday's Father's Day I thought I'd do a round up in this Etsy Favorites Wednesday list of the bearded man stuff I liked on Etsy. Makes sense, no? I talk my husband into growing facial hair about this time each year {because he's a teacher and he's off in the summers he's more apt to want to grow facial hair in the summer, although really that doesn't make much sense because it's hot in the summer. Annyyyywaaaay.} He looks dashing in a beard, I do declare, which is why I request the beard growth. I'm happy to report that he has about four days of hair growth on his chinny chin chin. 

Bearded man paper puppet - this guy is rad.

Bearded man print - he looks so pensive: "hmmm, what can I chop down next with my mighty red ax?"

Lincoln tie - I don't know when you'd find occasion for an Abraham Lincoln tie, but, here you go. I like how Abe didn't have a 'stache, just a beard. Have you read Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter? I just finished the book and I'd like to see the movie this coming weekend.

Beard beanie - if you can't grow it you can fake it.

Beard painting - now that's a beard. Rather, that's an impressive 'stache that has overgrown that man's face.

First and last day school photos

This progression of photos of the girls through their school years is simply precious. I added the last two photos - their first-day of first grade picture and their last day of first-grade picture. I can't believe they are going into second grade in the fall!

Click to make larger:

I'm mad at myself because I didn't grab my digital camera for their last-day shot; I only took a camera phone picture. Oh well, still cute:

Losing it: an update

Way back toward the end of March, I announced that I was going to go on a fitness and calorie-counting kick. Here is that post. Well, I'm happy to report, I did it. I kicked myself into gear, started counting calories and exercising in earnest. It's HARD. Very, very hard. But, we've (my husband and I are doing this together, he's my partner in crime in this weight-loss spree!) done it, we've kept it up, and we've seen progress. We've counted calories using the Livestrong app on our Iphones. (We were using the free LoseIt app but found it a bit lacking. The paid ($3) Livestrong app has a lot more in its database and we find it easier to use.) The biggest thing? We bought an elliptical! This has been KEY, especially for me. I'm more apt to go down into the basement and get on the elliptical than I am to walk outside or do any other type of activity. The elliptical about killed me for the first week, but it's a good workout. Gets the 'ol heart pumping! 

To date, I've lost 12 pounds. I've lost inches too, which count for more, in my opinion. My upper torso has lost the most inches, which is odd. I've lost inches all over but the most of my inches have disappeared from my torso. (isn't that weird?) I took my measurements about five weeks into this and checked them five weeks later. I'm glad I did that, because I was stuck and not losing any weight for about two weeks. When I realized that I had lost inches I felt much better. 

My clothes are fitting better, although I haven't really gone down any sizes yet. The skirts that I sewed last year? Those hardly fit anymore! I have still been wearing them though because I really like them, but they're a bit too billowy and the elastic waists are too big. This is a good thing, but, I'm sad to see all of those skirts go! I have a new skirt pattern that I'm waiting to try out - it is a bit more form fitting than my current skirts. It's incredibly frustrating trying to shop for new clothes now because I'm in between sizes. Things are either large or just a tad bit snug. I think once I lose another 10 pounds I will be able to fit better into things. My husband has done excellent - he's lost a whole bunch of inches and  a total of 16 pounds. He mixes up his exercises - playing basketball, doing the elliptical, using the weight-lifting machine and riding his bike for 25 or more miles. He's much more active than me! 

I have a lot more to lose. Slow and steady is going to win this race. My goal is still to lose a total of 75 pounds. I want to be at least five dress sizes smaller when all is said and done. I know it'll take awhile to do this - my goal is to lose the 75 pounds within nine months, by the end of this calendar year. However! I have a new motivator! In August, we're going to Florida, and we want to have beach-ready bods! Today, we have eight weeks until our trip. Our plan is to really work hard and to lose at least 1.5 pounds a week for the next eight weeks. I want to be able to buy smaller shorts and skirts before the trip and to be comfortable in my bathing suit on the beach! Also? I want to be able to buy this dress from ModCloth! In a smaller size, to wear in Florida!

This has all been incredibly challenging, but worth it. I feel better and some days I think I look better. I have days where I feel really dumpy and gross and days where I feel good and active. A lot of times I wish this was all faster - that the weight would just melt off. But I know that I'm doing it slow so that I can keep it off for good. We've definitely changed our lifestyle as far as eating and fitness goes, and that's the most awesome thing about this. Calorie counting has made us examine what we eat and has forced us to make better choices. Overall, we're both healthier, which was the number one goal of all of this. We want to be healthier and more active to keep up with the kiddies! 

I will report back right before we go to Florida. I hope I will report a 10-pound loss and I hope to be able to have that ModCloth dress in my closet! Maybe I'll be able to take a picture of myself in the dress and feel confident posting it here! 

Handprinted fabric swap

I couldn't be more excited about participating in the Handprinted Fabric Swap hosted by Leslie Keating! I am swapping one printed fat quarter with three other printers and will get three fat quarters in return. I haven't yet started on my fabric but I have some time - my deadline is June 25. I will share what I come up with!

Silly photo outtakes

I have been taking quite a few pictures of the girls lately and I always giggle when I'm going through the lot to edit them because there are so many bad, blurry goofy-faced pictures among the good frame-worthy shots! I had to share some of the recent ones. They're just too silly to keep to myself. I'm sure when the girls are older they'll love me for sharing these, teehee!! 

This is the classic, 'Mommy had the camera in air conditioning and the lens was all fogged up when she brought it outside shot.'

The ever-present, ARLENE PUSH YOUR GLASSES UP! shot.

Arlene's a tad bit overzealous. And her glasses are down. She actually looks kinda cross-eyed here. Ha!

Arlene is a shadow dweller.

Does Lydia not look just absolutely dejected here or what?! 

This is Lydia's, 'I'm DONE smiling and taking photos for you!" smile.

No eyes!

Perplexed. Or seething.

They used to love posing like this - but now-a-days whenever Arlene tries putting an arm around Lydia this is what happens. Ugggg. Exasperation. To the MAXXXXX. 

Who's Arlene's waving at?

Arlene is most likely annoying Lydia.

Well now this is just plain silly.

Fly away, fly, fly away!  And hide behind sister. 

Arlene's got crazy eyes. 

Less crazy eye but still crazy eye and goofy grin.

Now eyes looking UP! 

Now eyes half closed.

Now Lydia thinks that's really hilarious.

I couldn't even tell you what she's doing here.

A train! No more photos! It's a train!

This shot of Lydia I LOVE. Keeper!

Look Mom! Glasses in the proper place! A decent smile!  The dimples are out! Yay!  This one's a keeper too.

 Oh, my silly, goofy girls. I love them so.