Summertime

It is now unofficially summer, I love this time of year, for the most part anyway(I could do without the extreme heat in July and August). Because I homeschool, this is summer break for me as well as the children. 3 months to just be lazy and enjoy the long days. I have more time to enjoy my hobbies and to enjoy my family. We probably won't be able to afford our yearly vacation to the Alabama coast, gas and food prices are just too high, and going higher ::::sigh:::: Feeding my family costs a small fortune, and our 15 passenger van is far from fuel efficient. I am really thankful that we have a pool in our backyard, we can have our own summer fun, without any extra money : )

We were truly blessed with this pool. My dh did some work for a guy who just didn't feel like taking care of his pool anymore, so told Chad that if he helped him move the deck to his house, we could have the pool. It was alot of work for dh to take down and then reassemble the pool, but it was so worth it. We did have to buy a new pool liner and pump, but for around $500, we have a huge pool for the kids! Then, his uncle decided to take down his pool and told dh that he could have all of the wood from the deck. Dh had built this deck for him years before. So, God also blessed us with most of the wood to build a nice deck. My children and several neighborhood children enjoy it all summer long. Once the heat really starts kicking, it is the only way to enjoy being outside.

Here are some pictures from Memorial Day, my Mom and Dad came over and we barbecued and relaxed, while the kids swam. And of course, we had watermelon, you have to have watermelon for Memorial Day : )







My babies having fun.....



This is how my big girls play on the new swingset. They climb on top and sit there and read, here is Isabella doing just that. I can't imagine how much pain I would be in if I tried to do that LOL



I am not doing very well with the post a day in May LOL It is funny how when you start a challenge like this you are all gung ho, but when you get to the end you kind of run out of motivation. I really did enjoy pushing myself to post more often, however. I don't think I will be able to keep doing a post everyday, but I do hope to keep posting more often than I was. My goal is going to be at least 3 times a week, hopefully 4. I know I have enjoyed reading everyone else's more frequent posts : ) I hope y'all have enjoyed mine. I know years down the road, I will enjoy looking back on these posts, blogs are our modern day journals.

Oliver + S Swingset Tunic and Skirt

I finally finished and took pictures of the Swingset tunic and skirt. I love this orange fabric and paired it with white linen. I machine embroidered the linen with bright orange rayon thread and added yo yo's to the straps. I also covered buttons with the orange fabric. I think it came out really cute, I love the hippy chic look of it. The tunic was a little tricky. The instructions were fine, it was just a little fiddly to put together. I will definitely make it again though, I am planning one for a friend's little girl. She passes all of her daughter's clothes down to Ava, so I figure I can make her a few cute outfits as a thank you.

Sorry, I took a bunch of pictures : ) Did I ever say how much I LOVE digital cameras!













Here is a closeup of the machine embroidery that goes around the skirt and across the bodice.





I thought these two pictures of Samuel and Ava were precious. I think I may print and frame these. I just wish Sam didn't have those big, orange arm floaties on LOL

A new swingset

Here are some pictures of the swingset being put up. I even got a picture of child #2 Parker, who is somewhat camera shy, helping his Dad. Please excuse the ugliness of the backyard. We just started cleaning up yesterday, and this is the part of the yard that hasn't been beautified yet LOL The other little boy is a neighborhood friend. He spends most of the summer with us, we call him our adopted child LOL









Samuel and Ava had fun playing in the boxes LOL What is it with boxes and kids?!






Here is an idea I thought I would share. We needed new beach towels for the kids. Instead of spending $10 apiece for cheap *beach* towels, I went to Anna's Linens and got these huge bath sheets for $4.50 each! They are big and thick and came in great colors, for a much better deal. There were seven of them , Austin took one to the golf club with him, so he could swim afterwards, his is dark blue.



My dh loves the squirrels in our back yard and built this feeder for them. He keeps them supplied with corn. The cardinals also enjoy the corn. I got this picture yesterday, I am hoping to get a picture of one of the cardinals soon. As you can see, I went wild with the camera yesterday : )


I did finish Ava's top and skirt, I will post pictures later this evening. It was too late to take pictures last night. I think it came out really cute, I figure I will post twice today, since I forgot yesterday : )


This is my first try at adding video to my blog. It took forever to upload this 30 second clip! I am going to have to get Parker, our resident computer whiz, to help me next time, I know there is a quicker way! I have been enjoying Mommycoddle's videos, so thought it would be fun to share some of mine. This is Ava and Sam swinging on their new swings, Chad isn't done yet, but you know kids, as soon as a swing was up, they were playing on it.

I lied

I feel bad, but I lied about finishing the Oliver + S outfit today. I didn't even get to sew today : ( Dh decided he wanted to go to Walmart and pick up a new swingset for the two little ones. The one we had before pretty much got destroyed by the 5 older kids LOL Then we went on a date and ate shrimp poboys and Maggie Moo's ice cream. I *should* be able to finish it tomorrow, I really want to, so that she can wear it to church Sunday morning.

I was tagged by Kelci from Crafty Mama Creations. She makes the most fabulous handbags that she sells on Etsy. Of course, everyone here probably already knows who she is LOL

So, here are the rules

1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog .

7 Facts

1. I got my blog name from my dh. For years now he has called me Puddin as a pet name. Yes, very Southern, I know. Seriously, he rarely calls me Tonya LOL Well, when Ava was born, he referred to her as PuddinPop. So, when trying to come up with a name for the blog, I thought that was kinda cute. My 16 year old son thinks it's stupid, but I don't really care what he thinks :p

2. I am probably not done having children. God willing, I would really like 1 or 2 more. I know that I am getting older, so this may not happen, but I would be really happy if it did. Even though they drive me batty some days, I love having a houseful, I really think I am one of the luckiest women in the world.

3. I wash my hands constantly, and I can't stand to have anything like lotion or cream on them. Baby lotion is the worst!!!! I hate that because I can't use it on my babies even though I love how it smells.

4. I love Soap Operas. I don't watch them anymore unless I am sick in bed, but they are very comforting to me if I am having a rough time. I remember watching them with my Mom and Grandmother when I was little and they bring me back to that time. Only the ones on CBS though LOL

5. I am very nostalgic (see no. 4) Dh and I were in the drugstore tonight, and I smelled a shampoo that I used to use when we first got married. I felt like I was back in our first apartment. Also, my exboyfriend in high school wore the cologne Drakkar Noir, to this day I cannot smell it without thinking of him. Dh is forbidden from every wearing it! I am the same way with music. Everytime I hear the song "Afternoon Delight" I am about 7 years old and we are driving to Galveston, Texas with me singing the song at the top of my lungs. My parents must have been cracking up, I had no idea what the song was REALLY about. I thought it was about rockets LOLOL

Ok, I am cheating, but I cannot think of 2 more things right now. Y'all have probably heard enough of my weirdness anyway.

Oh, and I didn't charge the battery, so no pictures either. I really need to get on the ball, don't I?

Fabulous new recipe!

I tried this new recipe from Sharleen over at 2 Cups of Coffee! It was a huge hit! I love when I find a fairly easy recipe that makes LOTS for my big family and that everyone loves. I used pepperoni instead of sausage (only because I don't like sausage) and Asiago and Romano cheese instead of parmesan because the only parmesan at my Albertson's was $18 for a small wedge! I will be making this often for my family. All you have to do is add a salad and some garlic bread and you have a meal. I made two 13" x 9" casserole dishes for my family, which means I doubled the recipe. It was enough that we had leftovers, another bonus! It is also a great recipe for making to bless someone else, which is Sharleen's reason for sharing the recipe : ) Go check it out, you won't regret it! Enjoy the rest of her blog while you are there, she is a teacher and has some great ideas and book recommendations : )

I also have more recipes I am wanting to try from Vanessa at Butterfly Impressions and Heidi Ann from Foxgloves Fabric and Folly. I love to try new things!

I have been working on the cutest Oliver + S pattern for the past week. It is for Ava, and I am going to try some embellishing and some more of my machine embroidery stitches on it. I think it is gonna be really cute when I am done. At least I hope so, I sure have spent enough time on it LOL I was gonna show ya'll a picture, but my camera battery is dead . I should finish it tomorrow, so I will have Ava model it.

Bad Bad Blogger

Sorry guys, I was a bad blogger, I missed my post yesterday. We had a busy day, and by the time I remembered, it was really late and I was tired.

I havn't really done much sewing since Saturday. I get grouchy when I go a few days without my sewing fix. So today, I made sure I turned on my machine. I didn't really get much done, however I felt a whole lot better! Poor little Samuel has been asking me when it was his turn for me to sew him something. He just doesn't understand that once a little boy is past 3, there aren't many options for boys,at least not fun ones. So, I made him an old stand by, some pajama pants LOL He picked out this green snail fabric. I havn't decided if I will make the top to go with them, he usually only wears the pants anyway. He was hamming it up, most of the pictures he has a silly face, this was the only normal one LOL





Oh, and I forgot one of my Target goodies the other day. I found this hummingbird feeder on clearance for $6.99. Once you put the hummingbird food in, you have turquoise and red : ) I hung it right outside my kitchen window, this way I can enjoy it while I do the dishes.




I had a few more new blooms today.
My first gladiola started opening.





and a pink calla lily




Oh yippeee, just before finishing this post, Samuel managed to overflow the toilet in my bathroom. And it was poop : [ And Chad is at his guy's poker night..... Calgon, take me awaaaaaaaayyyyy!!!!!

Why I love Target!

I had to go shopping today for baby wipes and laundry supplies. So, of course, I went to Target : ) Here are some reasons why I love this store so much!

This oven mitt set was in the Dollar Spot for $2.50!!!! The colors are perfect for my kitchen, and the cherries are so cute!



This sheet set was on clearance for $9.98!!!! I have been eyeing this print for weeks, and today I scored! I will be using these for fabric, not as sheets : ) This is one of Jona's secrets for great fabric at cheap prices, buy cute sheets!



They had these stainless steel pet bowls at the Dollar Spot as well, for $1 apiece. They have little rubber grips on the bottom too, so that the bowl doesn't slide all over the place. Great deals, I tell ya! They even had decent sunglasses for a dollar!



Here are some flowers from my yard. I love hydrangeas, these are called Endless Summer and they bloom all summer long.


This is also a hydrangea, I think it looks like lace, it is called Red Lady because when the blooms fade they turn a pretty maroon red.

A pretty white lily.

Tagged!

Here are my girls and I before church this morning, they all wore their new clothes LOL What a way to make a mama feel loved : ) Oh and Samuel, he HAD to be in the picture, even though I told him it was just the girls LOL


Trish from Briar and Thistle tagged me Friday, I really enjoy reading other people's answers, you always find out something interesting. I am not gonna tag anyone, but if you want to, take a turn on your blog. If you are doing a post a day in May, this is a godsend on a day when you have no idea what to post LOL

Attached or Single: married for 17 years!
Best Friend: I have a couple, first of all, my dh. I love doing things with him, or just hanging out drinking a cup of coffee. The other one is my Mom. We really have an incredible relationship, I know I am very blessed : )
Cake or Pie: my husband's pecan cake. It is his late grandmother's recipe and it is to die for!
Day of Choice: I love lazy days when I have nothing I have to do. I really love Saturdays when dh doesn't have to work and we have nothing planned.
Essential Item: Something to read
Favorite Color: Aqua/turquoise
Greatest Accomplishment: Definitely my seven children.
Hometown: Lafayette, Louisiana
January or July: Definitely July
Kids:7
Life is incomplete without: God and my family
Marriage Date: December 1, 1990
Number of Siblings: 1 brother
Oranges or Apples: oranges
Phobias or Fears: I am deathly afraid of heights and roaches! LOL
Quotes: Treat others how you would like to be treated.
Tag Five Friends: Whoever would like to do this meme, feel free : )
Unknown Fact About Me: I wasn't one of these girls that just loved children, I actually didn't know for sure if I wanted any. Wow, how things change LOL
Very Favorite Store: Target, I could live in this store!
Worst Habit: I used to bite my nails until they bled. I quit last September. I still have a bad habit of staring at people. I don't realize that I am doing it until dh tells me to stop. I just really love people watching.
X-ray or Ultrasound: I guess ultrasound when I am pregnant, i can't think of any fun reason to have an x-ray LOL
Your Favorite Food: Mexican and Greek
Zodiac Sign: Aries? I am not sure if this is the right answer, don't know much about astrology LOL

Isabella's turn

I found this vintage Butterick pattern when I went antique shopping a few weeks ago. It was the perfect size for my girls and so cute. I am guessing it was from the 70's. Bella picked it for her next top with some Joel Dewberry fabric and linen. It really was a simple pattern, but the directions were terrible. I fought with the yoke for over an hour last night. Once I figured it out, I felt kinda stupid because it was very simple. Even after putting it together, the directions still didn't make sense LOL Anyway, she was very happy with the result. The girls are so funny, they ask me to take their picture now because they know I am going to put it on the blog LOL




I also tried a flat fell seam (I think that is what you call it) for the first time. I am really enjoying all of the articles on the Sew Mama Sew blog, lots of great information. I love how the inside looks as nice as the outside, you have to really look to see which side is the right side. I will definitely be using this seam finishing again. The picture is the inside of the top.

I'm Losing My Mind!

Or my memory at least LOL I can't remember anything lately. I was on the way home from a trip to Joann's and thought of something that I wanted to write in the blog. Well, my mind wandered to something else and then I thought, oh wait a minute, what did I want to say on the blog? I could not for the life of me remember what it was LOL I think of all sorts of things to write about throughout the day, but when I sit down to write, I can't remember any of them. Y'all have missed all kinds of great posts because of my poor memory ; ) My mind races from one subject to the next, and then thinking of everything I need to do. I often walk into a room to do something and when I get there, I can't remember what I went in there to do! I guess it is Mommy brain or old age, but whatever it is, I don't like it! I need to start carrying a notebook around with me to jot things down when I think of them LOL

Isabella has been asking to bake homemade bread all week. I used to make it all the time, but have been lazy about it lately. So, after I put Ava down for her nap, we ground the wheat berries and made bread : )

I make mine half whole wheat flour and half white flour. I also added some flax seeds. The bread is healthy, but not as dense as a brick. I used to do it all by hand, but kneading 4+ loaves of bread is exhausting, so dh bought me this Bosch mixer. It makes baking bread oh so easy : ) Which means I really have no excuse for not doing it more often.

Fresh yeast LOL Samuel lovingly told me "Mom, it looks just like your fat belly!" Well, thanks so much Samuel : / Don't you love how kids tell the truth? LOL



I had enough dough to make 5 or 6 loaves, but I made 4 and let the kids play with the rest. They made their own creations. Excuse my messy house in the background : )










Here is the bread before.....



and here is the bread after. One of the loaves spilled over the edge a little *ooops*



They have already eaten 2 whole loaves, plus *their* bread. Fresh bread doesn't last long in my house LOL

BTW I still can't remember what I wanted to say LOL