Summer To-Do list-Revisited.

Today I am revisiting the project lists I had put together at the beginning of Summer. Wasn't that just yesterday?

So we had some bigger things in the works;

TEARDROP TRAILER-Status-So close to completion! It will have to be wrapped tightly and shipped to our new home to be finished. No prob, we are so happy to be able to bring it along. (Teardroppin' update coming soon...)

MOTORBUG-Status-Completed! Very well used and very dirty all the time. All of us ride it. Even Minna gets rides with her Dada. Even I ride the thing! I can't be sure, but whenever I am on it I seem to hear the distinct sounds of hysterical laughter above the buzz of the engine.Hmmm... maybe I am hearing things.

COMMAND CENTER-Status-Completed and well used too. I think I talked about it already and mentioned that I don't totally love it but it is super functional and doin' me just fine.

I had some smaller projects listed too, but the only one worth mentioning is my wearable skirt goal. I made not one, but two! I have worn both many a time out and about and I still really like them. Sadly, my projects in the needles department have been really lacking otherwise. Not much time at the machine the past few months-nor with needle and hoop in hand.

The museum trips didn't really happen, and the perfect lemonade will be had someday. The house hasn't been full of sand or shells, and the lighthouse at the bottom of the stairs waits for us still.

We did make a beautiful origami patchwork but one of us wishes more paper folding had occurred. At least that is an all season craft, right Sully-boy?

Not that this summer was a bust in any way though. That is an impossibility when you have these little folks around.

Besides, we have our annual house boating trip just around the corner ready to make up for any missing sand.

Did you have a full, satisfying summer?

Kodiak Move: Phase 1-COMPLETE.

So we were near the docks today shipping off our truck. She is Kodiak bound and I am faced with the reality of it all.

(Yeah, we are moving. It's real Natalie.)

Before we sent our gal on her cruise we gave her a new look.

It was unanimous in the decision to get a camper shell. Dry groceries and a warm, dry dog seemed like nice things to have in Alaska.

So, she got her sleek new (mismatched) shell and we all like it. The kids love (loved) playing in there,

and Miss Roo seems to like it best.

Bon Voyage Truck! Have a relaxing trip and don't worry, we will be reunited in a month or so.

What's happening next?

Phase 2-Ship Household Goods
Phase 3-Ship Dad and Dog
Phase 4-Ship Mama and Babes

There is a lot to do and a lot of precious cargo to get over there safely.

Oh my. It's real.

Happy Monday!

sunday

saturday-going away party kick-off...

This Moment.

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

-Amanda Soule (SouleMama)

(that's our yarn shop.)

Have a great weekend!

Garden O' Hope.

Well, the word "garden" is used very loosely here.

The almost-garden I speak of consists of several dried, sad potted plants that haven't been watered since I found out we are moving. The poor things look even worse after the past few freakishly hot days. Oh so sad! I didn't dare photograph them.

But there is some hope out back. Past the shriveled roses and unidentifiable clusters are three huge tomato plants that have been watered and have many nice, smooth green tomatoes too. They will turn red. They must turn red. There are even a ton of blossoms that survived the heatwave. I see some hope in those yellow blossoms and non-red tomatoes...

I had three hopeful little ones team up and gather pears. They are almost ready and we are hoping to eat some tomorrow. I see hope in those pretty pears picked with eager little fingers...

And look how pretty their harvest is! Edible or not, they sure look good.

All the while we were crunching around in a zillion little leaves. They were blown and scattered about the other night during a wind storm creating a blanket of green. They are giving us a glimpse of Fall. I see hope in those grounded leaves and in those sassy, independent stripes of hers.

There is a new season ahead.
In more ways than one.

"Embroidereading".

I read about a neat contest and I am going to enter!

I don't usually feel compelled to enter these sorts of things but for some reason I just had to do it this time. I heard of it through the So September blog. I love Corrine's work and neat patterns.

Before I even made it over to Checkout Girl to find out the official rules, I had my design in my head, words picked out and my purdy blue linen hooped up.

The idea is to embroider a poem, original or quoted, and embellish it a bit while being sure to make the words the real subject of the piece.

I decided to stitch a snippet from a song called "Far Away" by Ingrid Michaelson that kinda makes me think of our soon-to-be life on a certain chilly island. I hope song lyrics are acceptable. Hmm? Too late now. I am going with it.

To frame the words, I doodled some dotted lines like the ones found on a map key and I roughly drew in some rugged lines that I hope resemble part of Kodiak's coastline. I thought I needed some frill, so I looked up Alaska's state flower, forget-me-nots by the way, and drew a few of those on.

For being last minute, and not doing any sketches and not being a smarty about poetry or beautiful words- I really like it so far. I will show you the finished project when I am done.

Wish me luck!

Gotta get back to stitchin'...

Pub Food!

I got to take some photos today!

Some photos of FOOD!

With crazy life going on these days it was fun to play with food for a bit
and try to capture it. I can see why food styling and photography is a specialty.

Not easy, but it was fun anyhow.

I hope I got some yummy shots that end up
being used in the club menu out here.

We will see.

The fries must have looked pretty good to somebody
because I noticed a few missing here and there.

I discovered the culprit as I started to edit.

Uh-huh...
Those are the precious little fingers of my trusty assistant.

I will be sure to dock her pay... ;)

Just When I Thought...

It was less than 24 hours since I posted my new "Ready For Anything" header that I was struck with the feeling that I just might not be.

I certainly was not really ready for SCHOOL TO START TODAY! The boys were though. They happily strutted right into their new classrooms, casually waving and high fivin' their friends. Both were so excited to have cool top-open desks, nice!


I wish I was struttin' my way through all the details of our impending move. I thought that by this point things would be clear, settled and less complicated. I feel that things are getting more complicated. That's not fair, is it? I need something neat like a cool desk right now I think.

Well, these are certainly not "Life's Not Fair" Days, or the "I'm Grumpy!" Days, so I better get on with things right?

I will, don't worry.

Hope your Monday was great and that all your kiddos out there were high fivin' on their first day of school too. :)

sunday, last day of summer vacation.

saturday

It's Friday Night and This Moment.

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

-Amanda Soule (SouleMama)

Happy Friday!

With these little guys hangin' with the grandparents-
Jeff and I got to sneak off to another sweet wedding tonight.

Love, friends, family and dancin' equals a great night.

Hope yours was great too.

Fancy Feet.

I stumbled my way to the computer just to check in and wish you a good day!

I am practicing walking and looking normal in my new fancy dancin' shoes. I got these pretty silver things for one of my oldest friend's wedding tomorrow! I don't have photography duties because they hired a real photographer, so I just get to dress up and stand by the beautiful bride. Gonna be a good time.

I will leave you with some savory summer shots from yesterday. I tell you it sure feels like summer right now. First time in a while that it's nice and warm.

Off to practice some more, wha-whoa! (wish me luck...)

Have a great day!

Pokin' Around The Yard.

The kids were playing outside today, soaking up their last summery days before school starts on Monday. (Monday! I know.) While they were playing with the hose and aiming water balloons at me, I poked around outside with my camera and tried to soak up what are technically our last summery days here in Two Rock all together. Staring to feel a little sad and a little more real each day.

I checked on my tomatoes, as I do everyday ready to see some red. I would even accept orange at this point, but no. I keep hoping for one little harvest before the move. Come on tomatoes! The plants are big and bushy and smell lovely. I really have been good about watering them too. I admit that some of the other poor plants out here have been neglected since I found out about the move. Maybe the tomatoes are having sympathy pains for their less fortunate planter box neighbors.

This little bunch of roses on a very small bush that I thought was done for the season was a pleasant surprise. There is some orange!

And these guys are so persistent, even with the crowding and lazy watering I have subjected them too. They just aim for the sun and keep blooming. Not a bad way to go about things.

Here is a little sign, made by my sister Jill. This little sign has moved with us several times and has hung proudly on many gates and posts and is now about to move again.

Think it's up to Alaskan climate?

I think so.

Hope you had a Happy Wednesday pokin' around too.

Will Work For Pyrex.

I was super excited and honored to take pictures at my sister's wedding, what a fun day! My folks wanted to pay me which was ridiculous of course because...

A.) It was for my sister.
B.) I am not a professional photographer.

Really I should have paid them to let me do it.

Well, because my parents are so sweet they surprised me with a bunch of Pyrex refrigerator sets and some other neat Butterfly Gold stuff to add to my collection to show their appreciation. Sneaky Mom and Dad!

I tell ya, come dinner time when I set everything out in my pretty dishes and we sit down to eat, it's better than cash money.

My Dad is really into the thrill of the find I think. He is even into it when it's not a find for his personal collection of goodies. I call him my Pyrex scout now and he has found me some neat stuff.

Thanks guys! You can hire me anytime.

Blackberry Walk.

As much as I would like to take credit for the photos today, I ca-aaan't! They are Sully's! Aren't they lovely?

We walked out to the big blackberry bush the other day. Some one's little legs got tired on the way back so Sully carried the camera, while I carried a little girl who was carrying a bowl full of berries.
There were plenty of ripe ones that I was hoping would make it into a pie. Sadly they didn't. To further prove that my baking luck is non-existent these days, we ended up with purple hockey-pucks that were supposed to be muffins instead.

I better get my baking-mojo back because I feel I am going to need it in Alaska.

No matter, it was a fun walk and it was fun to pick. All the kids gathered and nibbled the whole time.
Plus, I must admit it was kinda fun to be in front of the camera with one of my favorite models.

(Sully took this one as we were just walking along. He only took one. I guess he is that kind of photographer that gets what he needs in very few takes. More advanced than me already:)

Happy Monday!

sunday

(w.w. cheat-Minna's hair was blowing in the wind at the beach.
Can you even believe it? :)