New Years Resolution

What you say? It is nearly April? Oh I am a little late. Well tough you take what you can get around here.

So one of the things I love about this house is my craft room. I love having a craft room. Before we moved in I pictured myself whiling away the evening hours in there- watching an old musical while I scrap booked, or sewing on a sunny afternoon with little boys playing with their fire trucks below me. But here is what the room looks like:

I admit this picture makes it look worse than it is and It would be relatively straightened with an hours work. I am starting to think of it as the room of unfulfilled dreams. There are many many semi finished or never started projects lurking in this room. See those closet doors- shelves and shelves full of patterns and yarn and notions.

So here is my resolution- no more new projects until I finish all that is in my room. This means specific projects started not necessarily using up all of my yarn stash. The sad part is as I started to make a list of projects they are almost all gifts for others. Because i suck at finishing gifts- it is pitiful really. So look over there at the side bar- coming soon will be this list I am working on and as I finish projects I will take pictures, post them and then cross it off the list. And here is Alma's favorite part: No more buying of craft supplies unless it is needed to finish a project or is for a preschool activity with Coen.

I am strangely excited about this new recycled challenge!

Andrea Made Me Do It

This is the wall paper (the one on the left- not the boring ivy) I am dreaming of for our master. I actually prefer this one- but I thought the more boring palate would appeal to Alma.
Alma hates wallpaper- and I would agree except for when it comes to big giant 60s floral prints.
Alma seems to think that is even worse.
So do I just put it up one day when he is at work and get rid of the strange mint/sage green walls in our master?

Aptos

We went to Papa Ray's 70th birthday bash. It was a week long event so the boys and I spent the week on the beach and Alma joined us for the weekend. I didn't bring my battery charger so I didn't get many pictures. Also being the only parent at the beach with to fearless naked boys swinnig in the waves dosen't really make for great picture taking as you are constantly running in the water to fish out you r little daredevils. I did love seeing them on the beach and how much they love it. Susie kept trying to use this as leverage to get us to move closer to her.

I did get pictures of the boys at the playgraound at the big house. This was a frustrating activity for Beckett as this is a big kid play ground and he couldn't keep up with Beckett. But Coen was fearless, as usual. He has been climbing to the top of the 20 foot structure for a year now. But finally was brave enough to go down the giant slide. This is a play ground Ray had made out of all the neglected outlawed dangerous playgounds of our childhood. He then put all these bits on stilts and lifted them to SCARY hights. The boys love it.

We also went to Santa Cruz as a family, but I didn't get to see Zoe- which was sad.

Some Pictures from the Valentines Party

Well the party was a success. The kids had a blast. The cookies were decorated. The Luv Bugs were glittered and stickered. The kids were adorable. I can't wait to get the crowd together again.

Clove Family Preschool

I have been trying to do some preschool type activities for Coen every week. I have had a lot of fun making matching games to play as a family and finding art project to do with Coen. I am hoping that with this, music class, and story time at the library he won't be missing out on too much of the preschool experience- since his mother was just not ready to send him away from home yet.

Here was some of our snow art work. He had fun flipping through Grandma Clove's magazines looking for pictures of a house- he ended up choosing a light house, a school house and some New England farm houses (mostly thanks to Yankee Magazine). We also made snowflakes out of puff balls.

This was Coen's idea. He asks of sushi at least twice a week for lunch- so one day we made peanut butter and banana sushi and some turkey avocado sushi. This was a big hit!

So-- I Craft a Little Too

I have started knitting again after a long break due to my back pain. I started with a little project that went well (both pain wise and cutness wise) so I have started a bigger project (ming you none of my projects are big because I have the attention span of a knat and therefore only make things for little tiny children). No pictures yet, but soon.

I made some little bug valentines- but I will put pictures of them in the Valentines post.

I also made these paper flowers to decorate the bulliten board. I loved how they turned out, the colors and textures. Many hours into the project I realized it was a bit much for something no one will notice- but Coen and I had a blast making them.

I also made this Tis the Season sign for Christmas. I had all the stuff and had wanted to make it all Christmas season, but didn't get any time until Jan! I didn't get any great pictures, but you get the idea right? I am not sure I ever took pictures of all my Christmas crafts this year, or did I?