She Made It!!!!

My baby is the youngest cellist in the history our local Youth Symphony (50+ years) to be offered a spot! Woooo Hoooo!! This is definately a proud mommy and daddy moment! She practiced 2 hours a day and played a Bach Minuet, C major scale and performed sight reading (she can read music quite well!). She has been studying Suzuki for 3 years and plays on a Rudolph Doestch German Cello! Go Baby Go!!!

Another apron with matching coasters and a botched french seam

I made this apron for 4th of July swap today, it turned out ok, but it isn't the greatest. I tried a french seam and totally botched it. I have issues with spatial relationships and reversing things - so that seam is not my friend yet. I made 3 darling coasters to go with it, but I didn't take any pics because I was out of time. They were soooooo cute that I am going to make a few more for me, and I think that they will be my signature item to include in all of the swaps!

It was a great Father's Day!

DD's new bazillion dollar cello suffered an unfortunate accident when a small stationary box fell off of a shelf and hit an unpadded part of her cello bag. We were confident that our USAA insurance would cover the cost of the repair... no such luck... this year our Disneyland tickets will go toward the price of a cello repair ($800) and a new hard case... tough break! Check your property insurance to make sure that this doesn't happen to you:(

We had a great dinner! DH did his normal steak grilling, we made eggplant packets with tomato and basil, his favorite cucumber salad and Ketel One martinis!! I got him some guitar tab books that he was coveting, some sports equipment and the funniest cards. It was a great day just being the Nolanders. My aunts adore him also, I thought that this was a great shot of my mother's sister and him sharing a poignant about what is means to be a Dad and to be present in your childs life:)

Grateful for the Dads in my life

I was swimming with my husband the other day, and he was crossing the 10ft deep section of the pool. It was the 1st time he had ever been in water that deep. As a young child, my brother and I always frolicked fearlessly in deep water. We thought that is was magical to sink to the bottom, push off really hard and shoot up to the top and take a huge breath... Mike grew up petrified of water - he was very much conquering a fear at that very second that I had never experienced.

Mike is a wondeful, caring and compassionate father. This is amazing because he didn't have a dad. Mike's dad left him to create a new family when Mike was 7, but he was gone a long time before he physically left. This weighs on him heavily, especially now as his children grow older nearing the age when his father abandoned him and his siblings. His gentle but firm hand in raising our brood is everything that a father should have. He gives them love, love of God, respect for life and a passion for fun. He works late into the evening, but ALWAYS walks in with a surprise for them. It's funny, my little boy suffers from insomnia and Mike for years has carried him into the living room for a light snack and TV - the insomnia has become the cutest tradition for the boys. He has taught his daughter to be a great musician and basketball player - she has a graceful aggression in all sports and excells at everything she touches - the determination she gets from me, but the grace and skill she has inherited from him...

I really love this man, and I can only attest to him becoming a wonderful father because I was raised by one.

When Mike and I were hanging on the wall in the 10ft, I flashed back to my brother and I treading water in the Atlantic way out past the breaking point, just swimming literally with the sharks. We couldn't see bottom, which was probably a blessing since we couldn't see what was swimming around us. I was talking with my dad and relaying this memory and he replied "Gene Autry was never to far." It was true, my dad was an incredible swimmer, my brother and I got our confidence in water from him - my mom can't swim. I had flashed back to this memory of my brother and I swimming out near the buoys many times over the past couple decades, but only when my father said this did I remember that most times he was out there with us, swimming at a distance to give us our independence, but never to far that we were out of reach... It was then that I remembered how unafraid and fearless I was as a child because I always had my dad...

We had an estate in Delaware while I was growing up, it was our vacation estate where my brother and I explored the woods, colonial history, graveyards from the 1700's and wildlife. My dad gave this to us. What a tremendous gift! I am working my butt off now to give to my children that same opportunity, but I often wonder, will they be as fearless as we were.

I was never afraid playing outside at night, sleeping with windows open, night swimming... just never afraid because I knew that he was always there, watching over us. I never realized it until he said "Gene Autry was never too far" - but I knew as a child that I didn't need to be afraid, because my dad is a hero, and his protection gave us our fins, gave us our wings - and let us fly! (and swim)

I love you Mike, I love you Dad... Happy Father's Day!

Sometimes the world is such an ugly place

I can't help but to be extremely saddened that someone could have so brutally taken the lives of those beautiful young girls in Oklahoma. I hope that the authorities find him and send him to face his maker - there is no room on this earth for anyone that viscous!

Jaded

Ok, about my yesterday post - but first sorry Jenn that I didn't fulfill posting photos and gratitude for the amazing aprons - but I had some serious cleaning today and hunkered down in a work apron and did some serious scrub a dub - and I painted 2 sets of drawers and a humongous bookshelf...


So now - 3 of my credit cards this year have raised my interest rate - mind you, it wasn't because I was late - they just did it. So when I threatened to cancel them (like all the shows say to do) they said - ok - that's it, my rates were raised from 7.9% to 28.99% because they have changed their criteria to higher levels than I can meet (due to an overwhelming amount of student loans) and so they won't reduce them - they say it is the economy and that they can't afford to offer people with just "good" credit the low rates anymore, how can I afford to pay 28.99% and 4.50 a gallon for gas and 2.90 for a dozen eggs... so Chase, Capital One, USAA - screw you all! When we get our cabin - I'm gonna get a chicken coop, a horse for basic trans and a milking cow - back to basics - except, can I ride a horse to SAKS for my makeup? I just can't live without my NARS:)

And now, I am jaded about the good ol USAF because DH has been trying to get leave since February - and they won't give it to him. They ruined 2 trips to Arizona, a trip to Baltimore and to Tahoe. The day after school let out, we were supposed to go to Arizona to see my family,but they gave leave to some other guys instead of my DH.

Boo hoo hoo right stop cryin? Well, I need to add that my dad had heart failure twice this year and I wasn't there. He's a pretty sick guy and I really need to spend some time with him since I know that it is limited - but a 15 hour drive with 2 kids by myself is not an option and plane tix for me and the kids are to $$... just give him the dang dong leave.

Tomorrow, I will post some decent pix, I swear... and I'll be chipper, I swear:)

In Love With Chasing Fireflies

I love clothes -it's an addiction to me. We were at the Arden Park pool and another mom had this catalog - OMG the clothes are fantastic! If we weren't on a financial fast due to gas prices, I would order several things... bastard gas execs... they are totally putting a bummer on my summer!

Hahahahahahaha the website I listed for Chasing Fireflies 1st was apparently some german woman singing in chains - Thanks Noelle:)

Below is the correct website - one little dash makes all the difference!

www.chasing-fireflies.com

And the winner is...

Giabella designs. DD drew her name out of a hat a few minutes ago. I will post a recap of all of the hints, pics of the fab aprons that I got in the mail this week, and update on the neverending bed, my pissed off'dness at the credit card companies and why I am officially jaded about the Air Force:)

Peace out!

Earth Apron Give A Way

I said that I wasn't going to do a give a way for my birthday - but I was angry today when I calculated that my family spends $12 a day to get my husband to and from work and that's in our economy earthfriendly - high mileage getting little Toyota. At Costco today, on bread, milk, cheese, fruit and eggs, we spent just under $100 - who can afford this? I am a health conscious, earth conscious, faith in God havin, normal American with a husband who has been serving in the military for 12 years.

I feel that we need to take action - and I know that we all already do in our own ways - so - to join this giveaway - post a comment with five tips on a) money saving tips for families suffering in this economy b) earth friendly ways to save gas or break our countries petroleum addiction c) tell me what you or your family is currently doing to better the economy or get through the gas crisis d) anything else that you think pertains and is socially and morally responsible e) are you going to vote?

The apron is going to be of recycled fabric, with a funky applique! I haven't picked the design yet, it will depend on who wins what I sew. The contest ends on the 6/9 at 10 pm!

Bummed Out About Hillary

I don't care how much fire that I may take on this, I am a Hillary supporter. She fought a hard campaign and really stood up to adversity, being the first viable female presidential candidate. I like what she had to say, her plans were well thought out - even if they were the unpopular thing to do! She was ganged up on in debates - double teamed and she stood her ground, I really liked her. Her stance on the war and foreign policy are sound, she bring with her experience that this world can benefit from, but... I guess tonight she is ending her campaign, and I am sad.

I used to know John McCain in AZ. I was in his campaign group and was a supporter. I waited on him several times while I was a waitress in college - he is a HERO, no doubt. I am worried about having ANOTHER republican in the White House. I am adamantly anti Bush - this country is in a real pickle, we all know the problems...

If Hillary is asked to be VP, I will vote for Barrack, but if not - my vote is up for grabs... oh the state of the world!

It's My Birthday!

Today is my birthday, funny, a day that my mother can't remember. My father tells me that they had a hard time waking her up after c-section the day is a total blur to her - don't feel bad Mom, I don't remember it either.

So all of my friends host give a ways on their blogs on their birthdays. I wish that I could, but I am sooo busy with the last week of schoolf or the kids, the never ending pirate bed (which burned Maria's hand to day pretty bad), cooking, cleaning, packing for one of our many summer trips an being Supermom, that I can not find time to sew something... I still have one more swap apron to sew:)

So, what happened today, well - at midnight just as it turned the 3rd, I felt the necessity to call all of my family members and wake them up and tell them it was Officially Donna Day - only my little sister Anna found humor in this - by I laughed my ass off!

When DH came home at 2 - he put a Happy Birthday banner across our bedroom mirror, my son rolled over in his sleep and sang me the birthday song - and my little girl was her normal snotty self:) So I woke this morning to wonderful cards, a new jewelry box that I desperately needed (before today, my jewelry was in a coffee mug) from DH and a gift card to the mall from the aunts.

Then, when I woke up for real at 7 am - the day marathon started - cooked breakfast, rushed the girl to school, drove to the arena to try to exchange BB tix, but they were closed, then made the hour trip to the base to pick up our delivery of an organic grassfed aged side of beef, then back to the arena to exchange the tix, then to drop the boy off to kindergarden, then straight to the 2nd grade picnic, then back to kindgergarden to drop of a picture for a project - then back home to work on the never ending bed project... I'm pooped! But, I have to do dishes, clean granite counter, take shower to go to birthday dinner - Dominoes pizza delivered with me sitting on my fat butt, feet up on the couch watching reruns is sounding really really really great right now!

BTW - we are still working on the roof facade for the bed, the murals and art work - all of the green wood grain that you see I hand painted and the middle pic is my aunt and me painting the wood planks. There will be stair and a platform on one side as well as a rock climbing wall on the other... never ending pirate shack:)

I did it!

Yeah, I did it! I went to IKEA and didn't buy a cinnamon roll! Woooohoooo! They aren't that good, but I can never resist the smell - then I eat it and run 3 miles to burn it off - I didn't want to run today, it's my off day (really every day is my off day, tee hee hee) soooooo, I resisted! Go me!