refashioned tee shirt

With the arrival of summer I've been looking for creative ways to dress up my comfy tee shirts. Our Southern California summer's can get really hot really fast! This week has been especially hot with highs in the triple digits...on Saturday it got up to 110 degrees. Before starting my tee shirt project, I searched pinterest for inspiration. I found this cute tee shirt refashion and decided to try it for myself.

I apologize for the poor quality of the photos. I was juggling the camera, on a tripod, with Denny and Lucas underfoot. I followed the instructions provided by Merrick's Art. For the base shirt I used a target tee shirt that was already sized for me. The fabric was from JoAnn's fabrics.  

Stenciling Project Phase #1

 Before: 

After:

Lately, I've been oohing and aahing over designer stencils projects on pinterest. I love the look of all over wall stencil, especially in small spaces. Designer stencils are beautiful, but pricey ($50 +). I decided to do some research. I found several inspiring bloggers who designed and created their own stencils. However, in the end I found an inexpensive stencil at home depot that fit my needs. It took several days to complete the project. I had to work around Lucas's nap schedule and I had to wait in between each stencil to allow the paint to properly dry. I'm really happy with the results.

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day. 

Pillars of the Earth and World Without an End

One year ago, my husband introduced me to books on tape by audible. My life was changed forever! Back in the olden days, pre-baby and pre-housework, I had time to read and finish books. Now, I'm lucky if I am able to read a chapter or two per night. However, on a positive note Lucas's ever growing love for books does ensure that I read "Go, Go, Cars" and "Dig, Dig, Digging."  

I recently finished listening to "Pillars of the Earth" and "World Without an End" by Ken Follett. Each novel is approximately forty hours long and took several weeks to complete. "World Without an End" was written as a sequel to "Pillars of the Earth." However, the novels (in my humble opinion) could be read in any order, or stand alone as individuals.

The novels take place in the fictional town of Kingsbridge, England.  In "Pillars of the Earth," Follett weaves together a 12th century narrative surrounding the events of the building of the Kingsbridge Cathedral during a time when England was in a civil war. One hundred and fifty-seven years later, "World Without End" takes place. The novel incorporates the start of the Hundred Years' War between England and France and the Black Plague.

I read "Pillars of the Earth" first, and I'm glad that I did. It had a better story, the characters were interesting, and I liked how the author used the building of the Kingsbridge Cathedral as a framing device. The first half of "World Without an End" was too similar to "Pillars of the Earth." However, towards the second half of the novel things start to pick up when the black plague hits Kingsbridge. Compared to "Pillars," the character development isn't as good in "World Without an End." 

Overall, I'd give "Pillars of the Earth" 9 out of 10. And "World Without an End" an 7 out of 10. 

Memorial Day

Memorial Day weekend flew by too quickly. The weather was beautiful. To kick things off, my husband decided to repair the sprinklers in our backyard. I snapped this picture of Lucas helping his Daddy. I'm surprised Denny didn't jump in for a photo bomb. He usually does.  While father and son worked, I was able to do some gardening myself. I'm excited to watch my baby plants to grow...in a few months the back yard is going to look beautiful.

 Sabbath was spent at the beach. The plan was to stay and build a fire, but by the time we arrived the pits were all taken. We made due with a picnic instead. It was also our friend Tyler's birthday. Sara, made some delicious cupcakes and cake balls.

 On Monday, Lucas went swimming for the first time. I wasn't sure how he would handle being in a swimming pool. He loves the bathtub, and the hose, but a swimming pool was uncharted territory. I worried for nothing...He loved the pool. He splashed and kicked around having a blast. I'm so thankful that Lucas isn't afraid of the water.  However, his lack of fear scares me...and I'm going to need to be extra careful whenever we are around the water. Swimming lessons are a must!

Lucas is asleep. Husband is fed. The house is mostly...(and I use this term loosely)...clean. My day is over, and boy was it a busy one. This morning, I decided to get a jump start on my day by going to the gym. Earlier this week I downloaded the Nike Training App on my phone and I have to say I really like it. Workouts are divided by fitness goals and by fitness level. Once the fitness goal and level is chosen, the app will provide a list of workouts to meet those goals. The workouts are guided, with detailed step-by-step instructions for optimal results. What I really like about the Nike Training App is that it doesn't require a whole lot of equipment. If I miss a gym day I am still able to complete a workout in the comfort of my living room.

My car is out of commission. After my morning workout, red faced, sweaty and really thirsty, I stood there in the gym parking lot for at least fifteen to twenty minutes trying to unlock and deactivate my car alarm. It was embarrassing. I hate the sound of car alarms. It aggravating, the worst sound ever. Thankfully, after frantically pressing the unlock button several times over and over, the car unlocked and I was able to get out of there and back home. My car is now chilling in the garage...without a door handle, but still alarmed....

I'm not a fan of dirty grout. Who really is? I found this grout cleaning recipe on pinterest. I'm happy to report that this concoction works! After Lucas's birthday party, my husband's graduation luncheon and the everyday wear and tear on my kitchen tile floor, the grout needed a scrubbin'. This recipe is cheep to make and the results are great.

Lastly, today my little man is 13 months! Yikes, where has the time gone?

one proud wife...

On Saturday, I proudly watched as my husband marched with his graduating class down the aisle to receive his diploma. He wasn't too excited about participating in the ceremony. However, it was important to me that he participate. I wanted the pictures, the memories and to have our family and friends there to celebrate with us. Finishing law school, earning a Juris Doctorate degree is a big deal! My husband worked hard for it, and I'm proud of him. :)