Thumbs Up Thursday

Thumbs Up for Pinterest!  So I'm a little obsessed with Pinterest these days. What is it, you ask? Why, I'll be happy to tell you for those of you not in the know!  Have you ever been scouring the Internet for something in particular?  Let's say you are re-doing your bathroom, decorating for Christmas, planning a wedding or designing your nursery.  You are in search of inspirational pictures and ideas and, as you come across them, you wish you didn't have to either waste printer ink and kill a tree by printing them out to place them in a folder or try to store the image in the deep dark crevices of your brain.  Welcome your online bulletin board.  You can create different categories and save your images in one place as the inspirations find you.  You can also see what inspires other people and let me tell you, there are some pretty sweet pictures hanging out there in the online world.  As the Squirrel's first birthday is coming up, can you guess what one of my categories is???  If you want to join in on the fun, shoot me an email at peekinourworld@gmail.com with the subject line "Pinterest" and I'll be happy to send you an invite to join.   Doesn't it sound exclusive???

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Thumbs Up for the AquaPac Case.  With the Texas heat looming, just about the only way to escape it is by submerging yourself in a body of water.  However, you like to be connected and unfortunately, iPhones don't take too kindly to water so what's a girl to do?  You get the AquaPac!  It keeps your phone agua-free and allows you to still access your screen while its protected.  I had this handy dandy little pouch on the boat while we were at the lake.  Jared and I were taking turns out on the boat while the Squirrel napped so we were able to still stay in contact without worrying about ruining the phone. They also make AquaPacs for iPads.

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Thumbs Up for the return of CostCo's Key Lime Pie!!!  I am a little stupidly excited about this but, I must say, this is seriously the best Key Lime Pie I've tasted.  They didn't have it available last summer but in the words of Poltergeist....It's baaaacccckkkk.  Get it.  Eat it.  Love it.  Do it.

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I receive no compensation for these products - I just like 'em.

A little red, white and blue

Since our national colors take over a few holidays during the summer months (Memorial Day, Flag Day, 4th of July and Veterans Day), I decided my front door needed a little splash of festiveness.  I think it turned out pretty well if I do say so myself.  Therefore, I'm sharing the details with you!

Materials: 
A total of 3 1/2 yards of fabric - I used 5 different fabrics
21" wire wreath form
scissors or rotary cutter
hot glue gun
needle and thread
ribbon - optional

Step 1 - Cut fabric into 1 1/2" x 7" strips. 

Step 2 - Knot individual strips around wire wreath until wreath is 95% full.  Leave a small section open.



Step 3 - Take a long strip of fabric and wrap around the remaining open section of the wreath.

Step 4 - Time to create a bow.  I layered a fabric bow and a ribbon bow for extra pop.  To make a bow, you use the same steps for fabric and ribbons but make the fabric bow a little larger.

4a - Take the end of the ribbon, leaving about 2 1/2" and pinch it in the middle. 

4b - Make a loop with the ribbon and bring the end back and pinch in the middle.

4c - Continue this process, making four total loops.

4d - Now push a needle with thread through the center pinched part.  Leave a small tail of thread hanging, wrap the thread tightly around the middle and then tie the tail and the head of the thread in a tight knot. 

4e - Make a second bow with ribbon.  

4f - Hot glue the two bows together.

4g - With a small piece of ribbon, tie a single knot. 

4h - Wrap around the middle of the glued together bows and hot glue in the back.

4i - Make two fabric bows following the same steps listed above. 

4j - Hot glue the ribbon bow on top of the fabric bow. 

Okay, now that your bows are finished, you can attach to your wreath.

Step 5 - Remember that fabric that you wrapped around the open section of the wreath?  Hot glue your bow onto the front of this fabric. 

Step 6 - Use a wreath hanger, hang from your door, stand back, admire and sing the Star Spangled Banner!



The great news is that you can make this simple wreath for any holiday.  All you need is the festive fabric!

Lake LBJ 2011

Please excuse our absence over the last week.  We were too busy relaxing at the lake to be concerned with the daily routines of life.

 Harper's first summer on the Texas lakes....

Miss USA 2035

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We were unsuspectingly flipping through the channels last night, unwinding after a busy Father's Day weekend when - BAM! - I got blindsided.  There they were, staring right back at me, just daring me to change the channel...all 50 candidates vying for the crown of Miss USA 2011.  No!  Not again!  I had things to do and productivity was calling my name. Jared lasted a mere ten minutes and couldn't take it anymore but there I sat, in a trance-like state for the next two hours.  Perhaps it was the blindingly white teeth, the sparkly dresses, the horrible emcee commentary or the "did she really just answer that question that way?" but I couldn't change the channel.

I've always had this type of relationship with Miss USA.  When I was in elementary school, I'd host viewing parties, complete with our own talent and evening wear competitions.  I'd put all my hopes in my favorite Miss winning the crown at the end (almost always rooting for our girl from the Lone Star State).  I'd practice the walk - hips thrust forward, sway, sway - the wave, the poise.  I'd get excited every year and couldn't wait for that one magical evening of glamour.

But in all of my enjoyment of the pageant, I never actually wanted to be Miss USA.  I realized early on that:
A)  I liked cheeseburgers too much to try to be that skinny
B)  I have the gracefulness of a rhinoceros
C)  My fine hair would most likely fall out with all of that teasing and hairspray
D)  I liked rolling around in the dirt and playing WWF Wrestling on the trampoline with my big brother too much - pageant girls don't have bruises and scraped knees.
and E)  I had no desire for my skin to be the color of a sweet potato.

So as I saw the crowning of Miss California (by the way, Texas was robbed of the title!), a small bit of terror crept into my heart.  The older my daughter gets, the more I realize she is going to be a girly-girl.  I know, I know - she's only 10 1/2 months old.  But I kid you not, I can already see the pink princess spewing on the walls of my future.  Harper is very dainty, she won't touch a finger food that will leave her messy, she LOVES her baby dolls, she gravitates towards pink and purple and she crosses her legs when she drinks her bottle.  All of this is ingrained within her being and her delicate nature is becoming more and more apparent.  The realization hit me that she could end up wanting to be one of those girls with the fake smile plastered across her face. 

Suddenly, my future flashed before my eyes - sitting in the audience of an Econo-Lodge Hotel Conference Room, wearing my screen printed t-shirt with Harper's glamour shot, making kissy facials as Harps pranced on the stage and yelling at the top of my lungs "WORK IT GIRLFRIEND!!!!"   Yes, I've seen Toddlers and Tiaras and it scares the crap out of me.  If this is my future, you might find me curled up in a corner in the fetal position, rocking back and forth as I whisper, "jazz hands, jazz hands, jazz hands.....".  I am not made to be a stage mom. 

So perhaps last night was the last of my Miss USA Pageant watching days.  If she doesn't see it, she can't know it exists right?  Oh, I can't do that.  It is, somewhat, a right of passage for a little girl.  So I'll compromise.  As we watch Miss USA, casting our votes for our favorites, I'll let Harper know that one day she, too, can wear a sparkly dress....just as long as its for her United States Presidential Inauguration.  Okay, Miss President???

Happy Father's Day!

  

"He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.
-Clarence Budington Kelland

Happy Father's Day to my amazing husband!  We're figuring out this thing called parenthood together and I wouldn't want anyone else by my side.  I fall in love when I see you with your baby girl.  She lights up when you walk in the room and I am so thankful to have you in Harper's life and mine.