the simple life

a napping place

this might not be the most interesting, but I've had a few people ask to see the pillows, so here you go :)

these are the easiest, most basic pillows ever, and are really just made out of necessity.  Later on I may try to do some cute round ones or whatever, but I'm a little burned out on pillow making right now.  ;)

(click to see bigger)

Here are a few favorites.  I did a few with one big piece of fabric (like these flowery ones).  This fabric is my favorite!  i love the browns, and it's soft flannel.  I bought all that they had and hope I have enough to use for a small bag or something.

Some of them are made with two different fabrics that I think look nice together, like this one.

I LOVE this grey/pink polka dot corduroy.  Jo-Ann's had it 60% off last week, so I bought a couple of yards.  This pink floral print is from a little fat quarter that I bought months ago. 

This brown is also from a fat quarter, and I used the blue/white polka dot (FAVORITE) on the backside.  The blue pillow behind it has a soft white velour type of fabric on the backside.  I love it, but the velour was a PAIN to sew b/c it was really stretchy and hard to pin into place. 

So that's all for now.  I will be moving these around the house and would like to do a bunch of greens and pinks for Spring, so we'll see. 

I was really feeling bad today, so I bribed the kids to watch a Christmas movie in my bed, and I retired to the comfy couch with a quilt and a heating pad.  It was one of the best naps of my life.  It was my new pillows....I'm sure of it.  ;) 

my little snow princess

annabelle, originally uploaded by mindibartell.

colorful paper chain

colorful paper chain, originally uploaded by mindibartell.

the kids made a colorful paper chain to put in our dining room. i love it :)

it's made from a pack of papers from Target's $1 spot.

my favorite part is that it's not Christmas papers, so we are probably going to keep it up all the time, like our sparkly stars and twinkle lights! (unless Ezra destroys it tomorrow. we'll see.)

safety first

Juju:   “Mama, what does a chimney mean?” Mama:  “A chimney means that a person has a fireplace or a wood stove or something inside their house.  The chimney is where the smoke escapes when the fire is burning.” Juju:  “Oh.  Mama, I was thinking of how Santa gets in chimneys, when you don’t have a chimney.  I’ve got an idea and my idea is safer.  Why doesn't Santa just start using the front doors?” Julian, you are wise beyond your years.  Safety first, Santa.  Safety first.

 

PB Kids and PB Teens paint samples color chart

attn: color geeks

I created these hexadecimal color charts based on Pottery Barn Kids and Pottery Barn Teen's Benjamin Moore Paint Colors for Fall/Winter 2008. 

(Click to see it bigger)

 

free to use if you'd like.  :) 

my tree bag!

my tree bag! , originally uploaded by mindibartell.

so i finished my bag a couple of days ago!

I'm currently using this one to hold some yarn for a few crochet projects.  I would like to take a nap inside this cozy little colorful bag.  It is definitely one of my happy things right now.  :)

and then i finished a SECOND bag!

 I'm working on a third now, and I also sewed about 4 pillows for the couch. I'm replacing the main pillows that have never been comfortable, but now that Ezra covered them with toothpaste, they're simply unacceptable. So, I have to make at least 3 more pillows for the couch, but I'll show you those in a few days.  

Very easy, simple, basic beginner sewing projects, but I have to start somewhere, right?

Woohoo!

cookies and a tag :)

My friend Katherine tagged me to post the 4th photo in the 4th folder on my computer, and this one was in my "2008.Cookie" folder.  Doesn't everybody have a folder for cookies?  oops.  ;)

But this works out great, b/c I recently updated some things around here, and this gives you an excuse to click through your blog readers and poke around.  

First of all, I removed the orange and grey Autumn scene, and "winterized" the place a bit.  I so wish I could hang twinkle lights around my blog, and pipe the smell of hot cocoa through your speakers somehow, but I can't.  yet.  But when I CAN, expect to smell coconut suntan oil and chlorine  in August!

I updated that 52 Happy Weeks project, and there's only one photo left to post for the last week of December. (I got a little ahead of myself)...I'm thinking about turning that project into a Blurb book soon.
 

I finally uploaded my cookie photos to update my Year of Cookies project!  :)
December will be my last cookie, and I haven't decided what I want to bake yet.  Dustin wants me to make his favorite macadamia nut/white chocolate because I've never made those before, but I kind of want something more...festive.  We'll see.

Also, see that new pink and blue button on the right?  That will lead you to the Blanner Retirement Village...it's kind of cute.  I've been thinking about a way to save the cute Blog Banners that I've been using, and this seems appropriate for now.  :)

I'm also about to create a page to maintain some photo albums.  I don't create many, just a few from when I have several photos to share from a holiday or a trip or something, and I'd rather keep them to their own little Album home than running down the side of the blog, so look for that in the next week or so.

So I guess that's all for now.  Better go feed the monsters...goodnight :)

oh wait!  I have to tag some of you people to share your 4th photo in your 4th album. 
I'll tag:
1. my BFF Katie, because she doesn't update her brand new baby blog enough...
2.  Crystal, because she has a real new baby, and she needs more crap to do.
3. Kristy,  because you love to update your blog and i think you like to be tagged.  :)
4. Kara, because I like this "names that start with a 'K" sound" theme I have going here.  Katie, Crystal, Kristy, Kara, cool. Oh, and Katherine, who tagged me!  hee hee!

spy kid

Juju:  "Mama, I was trying to learn how to make a magnifying glass.  Do you know how to make a magnifying glass?"

Mama:  "No Juju, I don't.  Maybe daddy could help you."

Juju:  "Oh, well, I wanted a magnifying glass because I want to learn how to be a SPY!  Do you know how to be a spy?"

Mama: "Nope, I don't have much spying experience."

Juju:  "Well, isn't there a SPY.COM you could go to and learn how to be a spy???"

Mama:  (chuckling) “Juju, you're probably right.  I’m sure there is a spy.com to teach you to be a spy.  We’ll look it up when we get home."

I love Julian's simple reasoning.  There must be a "dot com" for everything, and there usually is. 
We learned that he needed binoculars, a magnifying glass, a secret video camera, a special listening device, a fingerprint kit, and a secret notebook, among other things. 

He's pretty sneaky, I have a feeling he would make an excellent spy. 

i'm sewing!! finally!

i'm sewing!! finally!, originally uploaded by mindibartell.

i've been trying to learn to sew for years. last night i just decided to quit "trying" to learn and just start making stuff. even if it's horrible and wrong, just do it! and i am!

my stitching is crooked, i don't understand most of the terminology, everything is coming out just a little "off" in the sizing, but i'm doing it and i'm so happy. :)

this will be a very simple little tote bag, and it's not finished (need to make a run to JoAnn's) but I just wanted to share my happy dance with you all!

Austenbook

Austenbook

This is so cute.  It's the story of Pride and Prejudice told through facebook updates.
If you are familiar with P&P and facebook, you will love it.  :) 

Be back later, just had to share. 
*mindi*

cotton ball tooties

Ezra's little pouty face, originally uploaded by mindibartell.

This is one of Ezra's pouty faces. Yes, he has more than one. He's like a french woman with those pouty faces. ;)

This one is when I tell him NO and he thinks I will change my mind if he gives me this pouty face. While doing this, he makes little sniffling noises, like he's about to cry.

Sometimes it actually works. He's so precious. :)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I have to share a couple of quick funnies from tonight.

We were wrestling on my bed, and I jumped on Julian, and then Annabelle and Ezra jumped on me. Well, apparently Ezra farted and we all started laughing and saying "Ewwwww!" over and over. (because right now farting is one of Ezra's favorite "jokes". Farts and boogers, which he calls "bookies". such a little boy, i know)

Julian tried to blame the fart on Annabelle, and she said, "NO WAY! That was Ezra! It was too quiet, it had to be Ezra! It was so quiet, it sounded like a little cotton ball, falling out of a kitten's mouth."

WOW. THAT is quiet. So descriptive, right?

I asked her, "Well if Ezra's farts are so quiet, what do yours sound like? Bricks falling out of dog's mouths?"

She said, "No, my tooties sound like beautiful flowers, blowing in the wind."

That girl cracks me up. :)

The other funny was tonight before dinner, I asked Julian to clean up the dining room, and said, "Tell Bella to get a damp wash rag and wipe down the kitchen table. Julian, damp means it should be a LITTLE bit wet." (Because normally you can wring buckets of water out of their wet wash cloths).

Julian turned and yelled, "Annabelle!! BRING MAMA A DAMN WASH RAG!"

I love these kids.

a few of our ornaments

pink sparkly piggie, originally uploaded by mindibartell.

this is the newest ornament this year.
she is lovely :)

sorry i've been missing, i'm sick and have been entertaining a house guest (one of Dustin's friends), and freezing my toes off and losing my voice. The kids are really taking advantage of that. Also: microwave broke. boo.

Earlier this year, I was reading a lot of earthy/granola type blogs, and was tempted to get rid of my microwave, for a lot of noble, environmental reasons I'm sure.

Screw that. I want my microwave back! I never realized how much I used it until it's been gone. I finally lugged it downstairs to the scrap pile, and now need some kind of clock/timer in the kitchen. Or a new microwave, obviously.

The bummer part is that it's almost Christmas and I'm sure I can get a new one for Christmas or whatever, but that's SO not what I wanted.

This one was a Christmas gift a couple of years ago, and at the time, I was SO excited to have it (you should have seen the Goodwill clunker we had before this one!). I just wanted this one to last a little longer, you know?

Anyways, enough whining, here are a few pictures of some favorite Christmas ornaments. My tree is still making me deliriously happy. Despite the fact that another ornament was broken today. Those rough Bartell boys were behind the destruction, as usual.

Happy Sunday :)
Taco soup for dinner, I have a lovely 6 pack of Grape Crush soda (in the glass bottle, very important!) to drown my sorrows in, and big plans to bake something terribly sweet after the kids go to bed.
Hope your Sunday is restful and refreshing! :)

 

 

 

 

 

mama and ezra

mama and ezra, originally uploaded by mindibartell.

my littlest guy, my last baby, turns two tomorrow.
very very very bittersweet day for me.

must. have. boots.

must. have. boots., originally uploaded by mindibartell.

i love waking up to new snow. :)

however, i am not so great at functioning in it.

do i seriously have to take my child to school EVERY day?

cozy

cozy Christmas, originally uploaded by mindibartell.

our new white tree :)
i love it SO much, and am tempted to leave it up all year. Dustin probably wouldn't be too pleased with that though.

the ornaments are mostly blues (aqua) and pinks, with a little red.
i'll share a few close ups later :)