"Blank" Calendar Days

Summer is winding down for our little family! Grayson spent a few days with Papa and Rosey, the little ones and I had some quiet, simple fun of our own, and then we started this week with one of those "blank" calendar days...just us, loving and laughing. Simply the best. 

The summer has been quite busy, fun but busy, and honestly has flown by!!! And just like that, we are 6 days away from beginning our 2014-15 school year here in the Powell house! The big kids are super excited to dive in, and I am feeling ALMOST ready myself! So before we take off running, I wanted to reflect on just how grateful I am for those "blank days"!  We visited the pool, ate Popsicles, made necklaces, painted, played in the water, squeezed in a little sewing and got together with great friends! (the little girls got their nails done, too :) )

Just one of those weeks that had just enough going on, but nothing too taxing, so very enjoyable! :) And with that being said....here's to our last week before school starts! Can't wait to see what the year holds!

Just Me and Him!

Thursday, Chris and I ran off for a few days! It was amazing...seriously, two solid days of nothing but a massage, food, movies, chess and sleep. Amazing! It was some serious R&R and so very much needed!

It's been over two years since he and I have been completely alone, minus the OCCASIONAL diner date! Two years!! 

We had so much fun! No laundry, no cooking, no distractions...just me and him! 

We were tucked away in a little mountain town in a small little one bedroom home. Perfect! And it was cold and rainy the entire time. Really. It started raining the night we arrived and continued on until we left! Perfect weather for the two of us!!  It wouldn't have been to perfect with the three kiddos in tow, but with just us, it was!!

So after much talk, I finally convinced my sweet hubby to try a couples massage! This man works his poor self to the bone! I thought it was something we could both use, so he finally gave in! So Friday, we slept late, laid around, got a massage, and laid around! It was really wonderful! :) the massage it's self was amazing, the venue was waaayyyy out of our league! Ha! We went to Old Edwards Inn and Spa...complete, over the top spa! I was scared to death and I think we both wanted to run! Haha. We went for a massage not a cafe, fireside chat, or waterfalls! If you were a fly on the wall, you would have never stopped laughing at us!!! That being said, we had two great massage therapist and had really great massages! And then we ran...fast! ;)

Saturday, we met two of our favorites for lunch and then went back to learn a new game! At 29, I have finally learned to play chess! That game can get intense!! ;) And just for the record, I am on top! I won 3 out 5! :) It was yet again a lazy day! And just lovely! 

We returned home today! We missed our babies a lot, but certainly enjoyed some time to just be! Just me and him! :) No distractions, no laundry, no cooking, no needs. Just be. And since our school year kicks off in a couple weeks, this was some great refueling for the next year! Who knows when we will have time like this again, but it certainly made for some amazing memories that will be stored in this heart of mine forever and ever! <3 

"All of me loves all of you!" <3

15 Minute Pillowcase Dress

So as we were strolling through Walmart and happened across some super cute standard pillowcases, and I thought for $3.50, I should definitely give turning a pillowcases into a dress a try! Let me tell you...so so easy!! That being said, I am gonna walk you through it, so the next time you see a super cute pillowcase, grab it! Make it a dress! Perfect for summer, cool and comfortable! :)

Supplies: 

1 standard pillowcase

1/4 inch elastic 

Coordinating double bias tape

And the usual matching thread and scissors ;)

Just a look at the cases I found, and already had the bias tape on hand. :)

To complete this dress you seriously make two cuts and sew two casings and bias tape on...that's it! 

To get started, cut off the top seam of the pillowcases and fold in half, mark 6 inches (this can be smaller for smaller girls!) from the top and 2 inches towards the middle. Cut a J shape using these marks, and these are your arm holes.  

Next, you will make your elastic casing on the front and back. That's just folding down half an inch and folding down another 3/4 inch. Then just simply stitch across the bottom of your fold to create the casing! 

Then, with a safety pin on the end of a 7 inch (once again, adjust this as needed for smaller girls) piece of 3/4 inch elastic, thread through your casing. I pin it in place on each end while I sew on the bias tape in the next step. 

Finish it off by sewing a 36 inch piece of bias tape around the arm holes and leave some on each side to tie! I typically find the center of the tape and then line it up with the center of the armpit and pin it so that I have even slack to tie with. :)

And here's a look at the cuteness! Ada was happy with them, as was I! Go get you some pillowcases! Can't beat a $5 dress! :)

Another option is to do a casing for ribbon after you do bias tape under the arms, that's the way I did the first one and that's also very cute! :)

Just for size reference, Ada is a size 4 and there's plenty of growing room in a standard pillowcase! And for the bigger girls it would be a great cool, comfy, cute top! :)

Hope this was helpful for any aspiring sewers wanting to try something new! I had a lot of fun and was so quick and easy, I will for sure have my eyes open for more super cute pillowcases!! :)

My Tiger Scout!

This week, my boy finally got his introduction to scouting! He's been eagerly waiting his turn to try it out and he is finally old enough! He and his dad got to attend the Cub Scout day camp. The Tigers have an adult chaperon and are able to attend half the day. He thoroughly enjoyed himself, learned a lot, and had some quality time with his dad! Can't beat that!

They played lots of games, did lots of crafts and outdoor activities including his favorites like archery and BB guns! Just his speed!

He came home with lots of great memories and goodies, so we preserved a handful of them in a shadow box so he could have it to look at. He can't wait to join the meetings in August! We are so proud of the big boy he's becoming! :)

Happy Birthday!

Happy first Birthday to House of Grayce!!

So for a year, I have documented the ever changing, ever growing, eventful yet boring, typical yet so atypical,. good, bad, and faithFULL life of the Powells!
When I went Jumping In, I had no idea how it would go or if I would keep it up. Now, a year later, I am so glad I did. You forget things so quickly when you have small children and the days just rush by, some in a complete blur, but as I wrote this post, I was able to go back and remember the "little things". Over the past year, there have been  Fairy Tales, Exquisite Moments (like learning to tie shoes!),and  Mountain Climbing! Reminiscing about our House of Dreams, Our Year, Vacation,  and our jammed packed, way fun homeschool year! We have celebrated milestones, big and small... Starting school and 3k. Room redo's. First Birthday! The Tooth Fairy. Mac Jingles joining the family! :) First Snow! Turning 4 and 30 and 6! Learning to Read.. Completing Kindergarten! And so much more!! It's amazing to go back and see these little moments come together to make up our life, our memories, our story.

It has proven to be something I really enjoy, and as long as I can keep up, the blog will continue. When I started it, and now, I still say, I really don't do it for anyone but myself, but if you've followed along, thanks! After all, I am so boring to most...I do things like stay-at-home with my kids, homeschool, sew...I probably define weird. And hardly anyone outside of my home gets me. And that's OK! It's just me! I am just working on embracing who I am supposed to be...a crafty mommy to my babies and a wife to my husband! We celebrate everything! Most would say I spend way too much time making cute kid food and clothes and other things.

Repeating myself from a post a while back, but I still consider myself a vintage girl in a fast paced modern world! Seriously, I am about 100 years late! I wouldn't have stuck out so bad or gotten so many weird looks for my crazy hobbies and home life if I lived 100 years ago! But then again, I wouldn't be blogging either! ;) and however weird it may be, I am gonna continue on doing these weird things as long as I am able and God sees fit. I have not one other thing that I can see myself doing. This is a fast time in life, a crazy time. And I want to remember the little things. I want to keep them all! So thankful for the memories captured this past year and look forward to capturing many more! I am sure the coming year will be full of it's own milestones, memories, and exquisite moments! Can't wait to see! :)

Thank you, God, for bestowing these sweet little blessing to us, guarding our home and family as we prepare to launch these arrows, in Your Glory, and for Your amazing grace. Please help us stay focused on the things that really matter and thank you for leading us back to You every single time! <3 

Happy 4th of July!

We had a wonderful day celebrating this great country! We visited my mom and her family and then scooted over to Chris' family! It was just a lovely weekend all around! I have always had quite a history loving/patriotic side, so I enjoy such holidays and enjoy teaching the kids what I can about it all!

We spent the morning picking blueberries, making food and shooting guns! My mom is getting settled in her new home with her new family, and I am doing my best to get to know her husband and get used to this life change, as well. We miss seeing her several times a week, and are still getting used to things, but we are talking often and this was, by far, the best visit we have had together in a year or more and my heart is happy. So happy. And sidenote, I am looking forward to making some yummies with those lovely blueberries! :)

There's something about this picture that I just love! ;)

We also had a lovely time with Chris' family! We were ALL together! These are always the times that make up my fondest memories. The older I get, the more I realize, it really is these people that will be by our side forever. Family! One God's greatest gifts to us. And to have a unit that is so close and loves so much to be together is an amazing blessing! Such wonderful people, I am blessed to call them mine!! <3 We grilled, played, ate, and shot off fire works! It was a wonderful weekend! :) We even broke down and have the little one a "summer cut"...he looks way too old now, I don't know if I like that!! ;)

We retuned home and indulged in cleaning, grass cutting, playing in the water, and yummy blueberry pancakes! It was a wonderful day with my favorite people on earth!! <3 If only it didn't have to end!!