Lily had her first experience with a lime today.

Here is how it went:

 

I FINALLY updated our project 365... and here are my 2 latest pages:

I've got birthday on the brain...

after Jeff's parent's were here and we went to get some things for them to carry back to Minnesota with them... so we don't have to try to bring them on the plane. I can't imagine a butterfly pinata lasting to0 long with the harsh airline treatment of checked luggage.

With only like 5 weeks left, I've been using every spare moment to finish 1 year scrapbook pages, find things for our lilyBUG theme, design her invitations, etc. All who attend better be ready to wear some homemade antennae!

I think with the amount of hobbies I have... I really need one of those mythical 4 hour nap babies. Not much can be done in 2 30 minute increments.

Anyway, here are some cute photos that Jeff took trying to capture just ONE for her invitations.

Here she is imitating my smile complete with squinty eyes! I wonder if in time she'll imitate my voice sounding like George W. Bush or Joel Osteen like her dad does?

Oh boy... let's just say I've got it coming.

It has been Craft City, USA...

around here lately.  Jeff was nice and gave me some time to work on all of my half-finished projects.  I'm really milking this whole 'mother's day' thing!

 

Like this chipboard mini album for Jeff's mom...

(I'm only posting it here because I know she's been in the car on the way here since 4 this morning.)

 

With VanillaBean orders, my own take on the MLB logo for my nephew, Josiah (as I JUST received an email that his Christmas gift order from the MLB website, which was backordered, is now canceled) , a baby shower gift for the McAnnellys, etc. I feel like I've finally got a handle on this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Learn how (and why) I made this gift 'can' for my mom at www.vanillabeandesigns.com.

 

 

 

 

 

I even cleaned out my craft closet because it was taking me the length of Lily's nap just to find everything I needed and get it all out.  Then she'd wake up and I'd have to shove it all back in before she got to it.  She has a strange affinity for tearing and eating paper!

   Before and After

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I even tackled my overflowing, messy ribbon box with a trick I learned in this month's REAL SIMPLE to keep spools of ribbon on wire hangers.

This kid is definitely an Olson...

I realized watching her play with her kitchen.  She stopped, got a wipe out of the container, and proceeding to clean out the sink!  That doesn't seem like typical 10 month old play to me... she's got to have inherited some serious 'CLEAN GENES'!

 

She actually makes enough messes for me to know she has plenty of ME in her, too!

This blog has been very neglected...

 

with my attentions focused on www.vanillabeandesigns.com.  I seriously feel like I've finally got a handle on the mountain of stuff I needed to make.  You should definitely check that website often.  Laura and I are still blogging 3 times a week with 'crafty' stuff... and we just put some super cute magnet sets in the 'bean boutique'.

The Bug has been up to no good... as usual.  I've even had to start trying some modified time outs.  Whenever we say 'NO NO' to something... she thinks it's hilarious to go right back... look over her shoulder and giggle.  Pulling out plugs, pushing the cable box and stereo, turning over lamps, pulling over the trashcan going for a piece of cake (obviously taking after her mother) etc...

 

We've put her in her little pool a couple of times.  She's really more interested in leaning over the side to pull the grass.

But here's the product of that:

 

I secretly kind of like that she's mischievous... at least for now.  It's pretty cute and amazing that they come 'wired from the factory' like that. (to use one of my dad's favorite terms) It's incredible that their little personalities are in them from day one and they just reveal them to us a little more each day!

Well....

Lily woke up at 4:45 and screamed for an hour and I still haven't recuperated. So... here I sit,with eyes half closed, while she naps at 8:00-- wasting valuable time playing...

The Name Game.....

1. Your rock star name (first pet, current car)......Ginger Avalon
2. Your gangsta name (favorite ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe)...... Cake Batter Flip Flop--- the laughing stock of the 'gangsta' world
3. Your Native American name (favorite color, favorite animal)...... Green Giraffe

4. Your soap opera name (middle name, city where you were born)...... Lynn BigSpring... the local androgynous delivery person on the show 
5. Your Star Wars name (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 of your first name...... Olssh (who acts a lot like JarJar Binks, says my sweet husband)

6. Superhero name (2nd favorite color, favorite drink)...... Hot Pink Coke... what a dumb super hero name!
7. NASCAR name (the first names of your grandfathers).......  Billy Ed Judson  (awesome! that one really worked)

8. Stripper name (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy)...... Lovely Kit Kat
9. TV weather anchor name (your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a city that starts with the same letter).......  Czerwinski Cincinnati -- it had to be FIFTH grade, did it
10. Spy name (your favorite season/holiday, flower)...... Easter Peony
11. Cartoon name: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now)...... Nectarine Pajamas
12. Hippie name (what you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)....... oh boy.... Cheetohs Redbud
13. "Adult Film" star name (first pet, street where you lived growing up)...... Ginger DeerHollow

 

oh my gosh... what am I doing. I need to go clean something.  But first... I tag Suzanne and Laura to do this too.

Don't forget to check out the winners of our VanillaBean giveaway this afternoon. We're up to 101 entries... very cool!

What are better than diamonds to a homemaker?

 

Just in time for EARTH day... our new high efficiency washer/dryer came in.  With my dad being ill, I had to be the  'muscles' that helped Jeffrey load and unload.  If we didn't have such a messy baby... I might have suggested we wait until he felt better.

So... at least we can feel like we're  doing SOMETHING for the environment, especially after my daily patronage of Storm's to get a large coke in a STYROFOAM cup... dun, dun, dun!  We didn't stop there... just to be good Americans, we went with the Whirlpool (manufactured in Michigan) instead of the equally priced but quieter, LG (manufactured in Korea.)

So... I'll hold my head high in outdated fashions because we spent TOO much money for the sake of doing some good... at least they'll be CLEAN!