The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

...and no that is not winter or Christmas like the song says. It's Fall! I LOVE the fall! It is my very favorite season and sadly the colorful leaves only last a good month or so until everything starts to turn brown. It is about the refreshing crisp air when I can wear a sweatshirt and jeans, but still be ok to wear flip flops. When apples are deliciously sweet and everything pumpkin and cinnamon is the best! You know what I am talking about. Visiting the apple orchard/pumpkin patch is a must this time of year...and now that I think of it, it was the first time that I had ever actually gone out to the patch and picked a pumpkin myself. We all had so much fun!

    


  

{this moment}

IN SHOP- Go Hawks!

Come check out the headbands I have been making over at The Happy Scrap. All made with recycled t-shirts, just in time for football season!! Go Hawks!...and I supposed that I could make other color combos as well if you prefer. :)

Check out these fun cuffs too! 

Stay tuned for more bright and fun colors. You didn't think I could get by with out doing a rainbow one now did you?!  :)

Colored Sensory Rice and Noodles

I am sure you have seen it before; a classic sensory material. These colors did not stay separate for long. Will dug right in...but first he had to run a few cars through of course.

This was incredibly easy to make and so much fun!...well anything with color is SO MUCH FUN!...obviously. :) We then also tried it with noodles. I liked the way the color blended with the rice a little better. It had a much better consistency and Will enjoyed playing with the rice more too, but still fun.

Here is the recipe...

2 lbs. white rice (split evenly into separate bowls)
4 tsp. rubbing alcohol, one per bowl
food coloring

* I added the alcohol to each bowl of rice first and then added 6-8 drops of food coloring per bowl and stirred until combined. You can add more or less drops depending on how deep of a color you want. Then I spread the rice out on wax paper on the kitchen counter to dry for an hour or so. That's it! I then poured it into a tub and prayed that it would all stay in there once touched by my pre-schooler.

Once again, everything is so much more fun when color is added! :)

Love to Paint!

For those of you who did not know, one of my biggest passions in life is painting! There is something about the process that just makes me breathe a little better. It is relaxing, I feel like I am contributing creatively to this world, and it is so satisfying. I found a cool idea on pinterest to use vinyl adhesive letters; to paint over them and then remove them to show a quote/saying/verse.  So I put together these quick and simple paintings in an hour or so. I can not tell you how great it is when both kids nap at the same time and I am given a good hour or more to myself. This was a great day! I have wanted to put this verse above our door for sometime now. I thankfully had the perfect canvas upstairs to use. We are loving this!

And when Will woke up he shared my pallet. :)

Growing up

I know I know a week break turned into a couple. It is interesting how getting out of the groove of something totally throws you off. Well around our house lately I feel like a lot of growing up has happened. Will started pre-school a couple weeks ago and LOVES it! He tells me all about his friends he plays with and the songs he sings. I love to see his face all lit up when I pick him up. Here is a picture of him on his first day.

These two kiddos are hilarious together! Karlie suddenly thinks it is a blast to wrestle with brother and sometimes can not stop laughing at him. She just thinks he is the coolest. A few of them together on Will's first day of school before we left.

I think the day I realized that Will was growing up so fast is the day he learned to pump his legs by himself on the swings. Wow, it really hit me a few weeks ago when he finally caught on to that. He looks sooo big! The time goes by so fast. He also started playing in a fall soccer league. Here he is cheesing it up with the soccer pose. Go Will!

Karlie Girl

Ok, so I know it has been more than a week. I have been resting, and going through closets, and painting...you know all that good stuff. :) But Karlie just looked way too cute yesterday (like she does everyday) so I just had to take some pictures. You can view them all here, there are way too many fun and unique ones to share...but here are just a few.

P.S. If you are a professional photographer, please don't judge. I was just having fun. :)

Isn't she so pretty? :)