Our Urban Village

One Little Word 2013

Sara — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 04:03:55 +0000

My One Little Word for 2013 is Open.

“Every work of art needs a spine – an underlying theme, a motive for coming into existence.” ~ Twyla Tharp

It is my spine for this upcoming year.

Looking forward to the journey.

I am taking part in Ali Edward’s One Little Word Class.

Best of 2012

Sara — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 19:31:03 +0000

Well, 2012 has been a bit busy – to say the least. I think I have learned that I make my life more complicated than it needs to be. We have a lot going on. I seek to simplify.

A Slice of the Best of 2012

5 Favorite Songs
Madness by Muse
Tongue Tied by Grouplove
Gangnam Style by Psy
Home by Phillip Phillips
Last Friday Night by Katy Perry

5 Favorite Books
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Fifty Shades of Gray by E.L. James
The Lux Series by Jennifer Armentrout
The Covenant Series by Jennifer Armentrout
Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

5 Favorite Shows
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
Girls
Newsroom
Vampire Diaries

5 Websites I Obsessively Check
Goodreads
Elise Blaha Cripe
Becky Higgins
Ali Edwards
Jennifer Armentrout

Best Moments
Loosing Teeth
Reaching 1 Year with Twins
A Day In Our Life
In Our Home
Celebrating 4 Years
Running and Running and Running!

Favorite Website Find
750words.com
***LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this site. It is getting me writing, which is all I’ve ever wanted to do.

Best Projects to Manage Do Something with all my Photos
Project Life
Week In The Life
Fat Mum Slim’s Photo A Day (When I remembered and was focused)

Best Project Fail
36 Project
*Someday I’d like to finish this, but for now it’s on the back burner time some more time is created in my life.

2012 One Little Word: Health

In Conclusion:
2012 was challenging. I’d compare it to staying afloat. It’s mostly that I take on too much and have far too many projects. And the twins are at that stage where they are into EVERYTHING. It is tough to manage somedays. When I feel like I am getting better at it, then things change up. Got to keep it exciting – I guess.

I would like to make more time for writing here, because it helps me write about our family, which I like to do. I’ll need to devise some plan to do so.

Hoping in 2013 to simplify and stick with a handful of projects, use what I have, and avoid the ER at all cost. (Yes 2 ER visits this year. Too many. Stories for another day.)

And now I have an Iphone 5 – things are looking up!

4 Years Old

Sara — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 18:49:24 +0000

Another year, another birthday, and he is 4. Wasn’t he just a baby a little while ago?

At 4 Eli is currently….

liking the Octonauts, trucks, spaceship legos, cars, and trash trucks.

drinking lots of milk still, more so than juice.

playing imagination games that he has specific things he wants people to say and do.

wearing rainboots again (thanks to MiMi’s birthday gift), cowboy boots, shorts with no pockets or buttons.

swimming every Friday, hoping that by next summer he will be a swimmer.

eating a pretty limited diet…liking mainly waffles, hotdogs, pasta, goldfish, Nutella and peanut butter spoons, sweets, fruit, and carrots…not very adventurous with his food.

enjoying school! yay! very few tears this year and seems very happy in his class.

talking all the time…”Mommy what’s that sign? – Mommy, are we going north? Mommy…why why why?” and now we are working on using words instead of whining when he wants something.

taking his time in getting from place to place, usually carrying a toy or two where ever we go.

trying to care for himself in some ways, like getting water for himself, putting clothes on…

Thankful for another year and sorta sad that he is quickly leaping through these playful and free little kids years.

Seeing what this next year will hold.

Embracing all that this child brings to our lives.

I love you kiddo!

(Cake 1-A Mini Octopod cake for his actual birtday. Inspired by this cake.)

The 36 Project: Four Red

Sara — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 13:00:54 +0000

Song in my head: “I’ve got my mind set on you…” – George Harrison (It’s my focus song.)

Current Color: Red (pink allowed into this club)

Project: Gift Tags for Girls

Time: About 20 minutes

The Materials: Paper and stickers that were shades of red in my scrapbook stash (don’t use those supplies enough), paper trimmer, ribbon, twine, corner rounder, hole punch.

The Process: I can feel the birthday party circuit about to begin, and I’m always scrounging to make gift tags at the last minute. To prevent said scrounging, I made 10 gift tags using paper products I already own. This one was quick, and now I have tags ready to go!

The die cut tags were the simplest, no cutting required. Punch a hole and put in a piece of twine. Dear Liza, dear Liza.

The tags with stickers required a little more work. I trimmed down the paper so stickers would fit, rounded the corners with my super cheap corner rounder from Hobby Lobby, punched a hole, and found some ribbon (?) I’m never quite sure how to use on a scrapbook page. These birthday stickers are fun.

And now my tags sit stored in container that once held brie goat cheese.

I’m think that little container might need some modge podge.

Maybe…

It’s kinda cute on it’s own too.

The 36 Project: Three Red

Sara — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 13:00:43 +0000

Song in my head: “Where is my mind?” – The Pixies. (Darn productive day, darn tired.)

Current Color: Red

Project: Stencils, canvas, paint

Time: Not sure, but in my world during twins 3 hour nap. There was time needed to let the paint try in between adding stenciling.

The Materials: Canvas (love the Aaron Brothers buy a canvas, get one for 1 penny deal when it happens); Martha Stewart acrylic paints-Love Bird, Summer Haze, & Acorn; Martha Stewart Stencils.

The Process: I am loving this color combo. I really wanted a red bird. I began with the Acorn base.

There were several stages of adding the Summer Haze twigs and berries. I crossed my fingers that it would look balanced. I did have to learn not to over do the paint. The first try my paint went under the stencil some, not too bad, but some. I did decide to read the instructions after the first time. That helped.

I had my red love bird on, and contemplated adding the word “love” with an Ali Edwards stamp.

But that did not go so well. No word “love” – just a messy blob. I did panic, and tried to remain calm as I fixed my little problem.

I waited it out, and just added more red paint, very carefully over the black stamp ink. I will need to learn this technique at a future date. I was not ready to do this. I need a different kind of ink or something.

See, not ready.

But it is fixed, and I am satisfied with my red love bird.

I have one more small canvas to pair with this, but for today, and my project’s purpose, this was enough.

It makes me happy.

The 36 Project: Two Red

Sara — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 13:00:24 +0000

Song in my head: “Another one bites the dust…” – Queen

Current color: Red

Project: A peasant dress adapted from this pattern.

Time: Approximately one and a half hours.

The Process:
Well, the pattern I adapted was for a 0-3 month year old. My girls are a year and half and wear 2T. So, adjusting the pattern was the place to begin.

But really, I needed to begin with the fabrics, and see what red I had in my stash. I didn’t have much to work with that I loved. I have a massive amount of some red that takes me back to my frumpy days. I never got around to making that dress. I did finally decide to hack into some material from an old skirt I never finished (the cute flower material), and married the frumpy to this.

I still have so much of that fabric left too—egads!

The extra step of sewing the two different fabrics together added some time.

The most challenging step was the getting the tiny baby sleeves on the dress.

I did watch Project Runway and sew. Geeking out!

And after some delay, due to Jewish holidays and some unnecessary dramas (not related) and way too much ice cream eating instead of sewing (very related to unnecessary dramas) – the dress was finished!

One dress. Two babies.

They are going to have to share for now. And my cute little model, Rozzie, who would not stay still for very long. Then proceeded to sit in wet sand, with the dress on – that would be my error for not taking the dress off.

Alas, the dress has survived one washing!

Two projects done.

Thirty-four to go.

(I was hoping to finish with red this month. Maybe next month?)

Watermelon

Sara — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 13:06:10 +0000

Dear Watermelon,

Thank you for making everyone in my family happy! It’s not often we can all agree on a food we will all eat. With you, I am able to find 30 minutes of quite time as children quietly consume you.

I’ll admit, I have not always been a fan. I may have shunned you a time or two, turned my head away at your messiness. Now, I embrace the complete havoc you wreak on my house – sticky floors, green rinds strewn about, dribbly chins (and legs, chests, Achilles heels) – because it serves satisfied customers.

This past summer particularly, I have a new fondness.

So much fruit, so cheap, so good! I’m quite sad, you may be hard to find soon.

Thank you,

Sara

Running Lessons

Sara — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 13:00:40 +0000

I am training for my first full marathon. Most long runs, I have my routinue down and really don’t encounter many glitches in the process. I run, it’s a challenge, and I finish, satisfied that I have endured the long runs.

This past weekend’s run was a bumpy, mentally and physically. A part of me wanted to quit at each bump, but I pushed through and found myself acknowledging that voice while moving through it. I did not let it convince me that quiting was the right choice.

Oversleeping
First, I overslept about a half hour. This half hour is highly important to my routinue because it allows me to get food and my running gear ready to go. I had five minutes to get it altogether if I wanted to start at the same time as my running group. I hustled.

What truly helped with my high speed gear, was that I was prepared. I had enough foresight to know where my clothes were, I had the gear all out to grab, and I knew I could quickly time food and getting dressed.

I learned I am prepared. And that is one thing running teaches when I do it regularly, I am prepared. I will also be prepared for when the conditions are not exactly right because I will adapt.

The backup plan – I can eat toast and drive.

Falling
Around mile two, I attempted to move over to the side to allow runners to pass me. My feet connected with uneven sidewalk and my body said hello to the pavement.

Thankfully, the blood was minor and I was not hurt beyond a small roadburn patch on my knee. The other runners made sure I was alright, and told me it was okay to walk and make sure everything was working properly. I don’t know if I needed there permission, but their words helped.

Falling is embarassing, painful, quite the show stopper. I can understand why the Olympian banged the track when she tripped.

I learned it is okay for others to see me make mistakes. It is okay for my pain to be visible. Sometimes others have their own painful stories to share. Now I have mine to give to someone else when they fall and hopefully help them continue on their path.

Lost
And if falling was bad enough, I sadly did not know the route that day and all the maps were taken before I arrived (see oversleeping), so of course, I got lost (ok-so I’m mostly prepared). It was actually the group I was following who got lost first. I guess if I had known the route, I would have known where I was going – it’s so dark at 5:30 in the morning.

Another runner had a map. I had my phone. We found our way back on the path.

I learned getting lost will happen, but there are ways to get back on track. Roads led me back to where I was supposed to be, even when it seemed like I was far away and nowhere near the streets I needed. The path became apparent again.

And that lurker quitting, I know you will try to convince me to come to your side, but I have tools to overcome your wilely ways.

Quitting is not the answer to these tests.

The 36 Project: One Red

Sara — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 13:00:51 +0000

“Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start…” – The Sound of Music

That’s the song I’ve got in my head.

I once again have been inspired by Elise Blaha Cripe to start a birthday project. Granted I’m half way through my 36th year, but I’m still hoping to make time to do some crafting.

My plan for this project is to do 36 projects revolving around color (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, & purple). Six projects for each color.

I’m a craftoholic. I have many, many crafts I have been into for a short while, but then moved on, packing the crafting baubles away, only to have them gather dust in the closet. With this birthday project, I’m hoping to revisit some crafts and have fun creating a rainbow of handmade items.

Current Color: Red

Project: Earrings (I’ll start easy)

Time (including time for snuggling twins and allowing the 3 year old to “help”): approximately 30 minutes.

The Process: It’s been almost 12 years since I’ve looked at my beading supplies. At least, that is the last time I recall being super into beading, even attending beading shows, making gifts for family. It was a very productive hobby for me for awhile. So many pretty beads.

I learned the basics from a friend. Basics I have completely forgotten. Let’s just say, there were many a beading tool dropped and times when I wasn’t quite sure how to hold the tools correctly.

I measured two wires the same size. And made some nice curlies. This seemed to be the longest part of the process, getting those curlies to look similar.

Then I went totally red. I wasn’t going to go with the red moon beads. I had another pattern in mind. But I was really liking those beads in the moment.

I attached them to the earring hooks, another challenge. Manipulating the wire to the shape I wanted was again the challenge – tools flying – still not sure how I used these tools in the past.

And then the earrings were done.

I love earrings.

One project done, 35 to go!

August Photo A Day

Sara — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 13:00:35 +0000

I did it! I stayed on board with Fat Mum Slim’s photo a day challenge for August, even with a vacation thrown into the mix. I do like the hobby. I don’t know why I didn’t stick with it after February. I like the one word focus for the day and attempting to interpret it.

Good creative brain flexing.

1. Outside – the girls love outside time. They love to pour sand in their hair.
2. One – TV watching, that magical bedtime hour.
3. Coin – sometimes putting coins in the bank is entertaining for my kids, this time it was more fun for me.
4. Somewhere you sat – ahhh…the see-saw.
5. Logo – IKEA trips are generally fun, even with all the added…but we need this…and this…and we definitely need a cinnamon bun. this time we really needed wine glasses.
6. Writing – a peek at Noah’s Mad Science camp activity.
7. 8 o’clock-ish – getting some exercise in at The Little Gym
8. Glasses – Merlyn LOVES accessories.
9. Messy – a morning painting and eating paint brushes.

10. Ring – my engagement ring is broken. I do need it to keep my wedding ring on, as it threatens to fall off without it. So for the time being, I’m using this blue ring, that I may have got in Mexico. Hope my ring gets fixed at some point in my life.
11. Purple – new Ikea rug, purple ball.
12. Spoon – a spoon in a dish made for dinner with friends.
13. Simple – love how simple vines weave a beautiful tapestry.
14. Arrow – vacation signage.
15. Ready – lot of swimming, and oh so ready for an ice cream snack.
16. Food – a filling vacation breakfast.
17. Faces – lunching on BBQ in Lockhart – it’s a wonder I gained 5 pounds.
18. Inside – a shot from inside my Twyla Tharp book.

19. Hole – inside a Perplexus maze that we are borrowing from a friend.
20. Today – another doctor’s visit, if it isn’t ears, it’s a rash.
21. Cool – keeping cool at an impromptu playdate with friends.
22. Home – home from a walk to the store to get butter for cookies. What I have dubbed – “Our Butter Walk” – sounds filled with delicious possibility.
23. Pair – a pair of yellow shirts at their morning camp from Islands to Icebergs.
24. Path – an 11 mile run that Saturday.
25. Fresh – …sugar cookies.
26. Dream – so many fun things to see at the theater district open house. The tour of backstage was particularly educating.
27. Tap – somebody’s tap shoes – strewn all over the house because the girls love all shoes and will find some to put on.

28. Clock – a clock from a book that all our kids have loved.
29. Down – there she is with someone else’s shoes on her feet.
30. Card – I had forgotten I had these cards to surprise Kyle with, this was a nice one.
31. Hidden – See the hidden Merlyn in the paddling pool?

And on to September’s photo a day challenge. Going strong so far. Only been 4 days, but seeking to stay the course.