purple quilts

I made this full size quilt a couple of months ago with the intent of gifting it to a friend. However, once it was done I just couldn't give it away. It looked too much like something Alara would fall in love with. I was right. Purple is her favorite color and now this quilt is currently on her bed, next to Hundley with her special blanket. 

With the leftover scraps, I put together a doll size version of the purple quilt. I'm not sure which one I like more...the full size or the doll size. 

Watching Alara swaddle her dolls (and storm-troopers) in her little quilt, while wrapped up in her big quilt makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And since it is about 40 degrees outside that's saying something. Cheers to staying warm and cozy.  

Halloween 2018

Happy Halloween from Little House of Harrison! This year the kiddos went as Iron Man and Sky from the Paw Patrol/Princess Elsa. This was our first Halloween in our new neighborhood. It was a fun night, and packed with kids and families. I bought the biggest bag of candy I could find and we passed it all out! We had perfect weather for trick-or-treating and got to know more of our neighbors.  Now, I gotta figure out what to do with all of the candy we collected!!! 

happy 3rd birthday to my sweet baby Alara

My sweet baby Alara, who really isn't a baby anymore, turned three today. We celebrated over the weekend in California with family and friends. It felt amazing to be back in California. The weather was warm, but perfect compared to what we are all experiencing in Arizona. Alara asked for a purple breakfast Sky party, and between Dadi and myself I think we delivered.

After brunch, the kiddos and a few grown-ups painted some beautiful art. I think everyone did a fantastic job. I loved watching these kiddos get creative with their art. Kid art is the best.

A big thank-you to Alara's Dadi and Dada for allowing us to host this party in their backyard. And to all that came out to help us celebrate our sweet baby Alara - Thank-You! It takes a village and I'm so happy that our village is strong and full of loving people.

On our drive home, Alara slept hard blessing us with peace and quiet for most of the drive home.

Until next time.

Last Day of Kindergarten & Summer Plans

Summer vacation starts today, and Mr. Lucas couldn't be happier! Our summer breaks in Arizona are short, so we plan on making the most of it before Lucas goes back to school. We do have a couple of California trips planned to visit family and a wedding later in the summer, and we are hosting family and friends on different weekends throughout the summer. However, other than that, our summer plans are simple...to relax, and keep cool by the pool.  

Look at this guy, this is the face of someone who rocked kindergarten and is ready for first grade. 

Bonus: I've been collecting some quotes from Lucas..mostly from on our drive home from school. I can't help but smile when I read these..I apologize for the randomness of this post. 

Lucas: Mama, for my next birthday its going to be Bible themed. 

Lucas: I'm 1/2 spider man, 1/2 aquaman, and 1/2 Captain America 

Lucas: My head is round, why don't people have triangle shaped heads? 

Lucas: (Alara hit Lucas with a pool noddle) Ow Alara, that hit my heart!! 

Lucas: (Walking into Bas Pro Shop) Oh my goodness, if I had all of these toys I'd be so inspired! 

I asked the kiddos what their goals for the summer are...or what they would like to do and or learn this summer. I feel that by asking the kids this question it helps me plan our summer activities. 

Lucas: 

1. Learn to Read

2. Playdates with friends

3. One on one time with Mama and Daddy

4. Learn tennis 

5. Go to the beach

Alara: 

1. Play

2. Learn to ride a bike

3. Learn to write my name 

4. Eat ice cream

5. Go to the beach

All of these things sound reasonable to me. Especially the one about eating ice cream... 

special dress for a special girl

The Fancy Schmancy dress...or aka (as my husband calls it) the Mardi Gras dress.

This little dress was once a Indian shawl. The shawl was given to me a long time ago and just sat in my closet. The colors did not look good on me, and although I thought it was beautiful I didn't know what to do with it. One afternoon, I was suddenly struck with inspiration to remake this shawl into a dress for my daughter. She loves the dress because it is purple..which is her current favorite color and because "it's not brothers."

Win win.

girly room

Once, along ago I made a grand declaration that I would never paint Alara's room pink. Today, I broke that grand declaration and I'm in love. This room is so girly! I used everything on hand and I am really happy with how it came together. When I asked Alara if she liked her new room she said "I like it! It's pretty!" 

I'm not sure what to put on the wall above the dresser. Maybe a mirror or something personalized? Any thoughts? 

happy birthday Alara

Happy 2nd birthday sweet baby Alara!

This year we kept things simple with just close family and a few friends. I chose to do an afternoon/evening party which gave the birthday girl plenty of time for her nap and post-nap-time recovery before her guests arrived.

*Note*

Having a post-nap-time recovery is important and highly recommended when hosting a party for a 2 year old.

Trust me.

We took advantage the beautiful June weather and late summer hours, giving the kiddos extra time to play. My wonderful husband was in charge of the BBQ, and grilled up his famous burgers and hot dogs for a delicious birthday dinner.

Alara had a great time turning two!

I couldn't have asked for a nicer evening filled with close friends and family.

23 months

pc: Hollie Macomber 

I thought I'd do a quick baby update for Alara.

By this time next month she'll be two, and not a baby anymore.

Pass the tissues. 

• The terrible twos have arrived! The cutesy saying about "letting her sleep for when she wakes she will move mountains" have taken on a whole new meaning around here. Alara knows what she likes and isn't afraid to let us  know! 

• She's attached herself to one specific blanket. This blanket goes everywhere. She can't sleep without it. Originally, the blanket belonged to Dadi. I'm not sure when or how Alara decided that it was her blanket, but they are inseparable. Tears are shed when I wash it...and I usually have to wash the blanket when she isn't looking. 

• Mama is still #1...and I'd like to keep it that way. However, Daddy is a close second (and could easily take first place especially if Mama has done something horrible like wash her blanket). 

• I'm not sure if its personality, or a second born thing...or both...but Alara isn't afraid to push kids out of the way to get what she wants. She's a fighter. 

• She's a caregiver and often tries her best to comfort anyone who is hurting or sad. She gives a comforting "Uh-oh" and "sad baby" when friends and or strangers are crying. 

•  Lastly, this sweet little girl is growing up and I'm so blessed to be her Mama. I'm looking forward to celebrating birthday #2 with her in a few weeks. 

little girl's summer dress

I made this dress from the scraps of the national parks quilt that I did a few months ago. I'm in love with the yellow and teal combination. This dress is big, but my adorable model will grow into it. 😊 

rainy day dress

This sweet little girl is 19 months old. She is growing up so fast and has quite the personality! She's talkative, loves to climb and enjoys keeping up with her brother. Some of my favorite things she currently says are "Tar Wars" for Star Wars, "Mgoose" for Mickey Mouse, and "Nack" for snack. At 19 months, she's already demonstrated signs of the terrible two's. Her tantrums can be intense! She is sleeping in a toddler bed, and often visits my room during the night. And as much as I love her snuggles, I'm hoping that she goes back to sleeping through the night.

 Alara is modeling a dress made by me. This dress was my first attempt to sew using knit fabric. About a year ago I tried sewing with stretchy knit and it was disastrous! However, after watching several videos and reading sewing blogs, I understood what went wrong and what I needed to do differently. This little red dress is the result of much research and trial and error. I used an old shirt that I bought in college. The shirt had a stain and was unwearable for an adult. However, there was plenty of undamaged fabric for a little girl's dress and it gave me an opportunity to practice without purchasing new fabric.

I'm happy with how this dress turned out however before I go out and buy knit fabric I think I'll need to practice a little more.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from the Harrison Family 

18 months

Alara @ 18 Months

• She is a little monkey! Alara will attempt to climb anything and everything. She climbs in and out of her crib, up and down the playground equipment and all over our sofa. We haven't had any major spills yet - fingers crossed! She keeps me busy. 
• She loves to talk. Alara's vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds. I love hearing her call Lucas "brother" and now she says "hug," "brush" (toothbrush) and "I luve you." 
• She's an animal lover. Dogs at the park, birds in the sky and random stray cats never escape her notice. She gets so excited to see and play with animals. 
• Alara is 24 pounds and 14.6 oz, and is 32 inches tall. 
• She has been waking up in the night, and often early in the morning. I'm hopping after the newness of having her crib rail removed she will go back to sleeping though the night. 

new dress

Sometime during the summer I found this adorable fabric in the sale bin at JoAnn's and knew that it wanted to become a dress. Today, I finally finished that dress. I'm happy with how it turned out and I think it looks adorable on my little model.

something adorable this ways comes...

Happy Halloween from an adorable pioneer girl and a brave stormtrooper. We aren't huge fans of Halloween around here, but I do enjoy dressing the kids up. Instead of trick-or-treating, we spent the evening camped out at Dadi and Dada's house passing out candy to all of the neighbor kids and their parents. Both kiddos did a fabulous job ensuring that everyone elses kids were hopped up on sweets for the evening. 

And now on to a more enjoyable holiday...Thanksgiving. 

16 months

My sweet baby Alara is 16 months today. It's been a while since I did a baby update, so bear with me. 

• Her favorites activities are climbing - the more dangerous the better, pillaging purses and exploring the backyard. 
• She loves to sing. It's a talent that she didn't get from me. 
• She loves animals. All animals are "bow-bows." I really hope that she likes horses too. I'm looking forward to introducing Alara to the wonderful world of horseback riding. 
• Her favorite toys to play with are stuffed animals.
• She adores her brother. 
• She has a scrappy side. I've already had to pull her away from her brother several times...she grabs his hair, bats at him and when she doesn't get her way she'll cry loudly. 
• She can say "Mama" "Daddy" "Ball" "Go" "Uh, Oh"  " Stuck" and "Bye-Bye"