Family Trip: Washington, DC and Roaring Spring, PA

This past weekend Hubby has some vacation time before his mother came over to visit from Ireland on Tuesday (ahhh mother-in-law visit). Since Steven's godfather lives in DC he hasn't seen Steven since he was born, we wanted to visit him and my grandparents. So we left Thursday night for the five hour trip to Roaring Spring to see my grandparents. We stopped at Cracker Barrel (my favorite!) for dinner, I had fish that was amazing and we got there in time to have a full night's sleep. Then we spent Friday hanging out at my grandfather's wood working shop and picking out new winter riding boots for me. (we found the perfect ones at Target). We went for a little walk around town with my grandmother at stopped at the famous spring to snag a few pictures. 
We left Saturday morning for the three hour drive to DC and had a relaxing visit with Godfather and family. Visited a new comic shop and had lunch at Red Robin. Then left Sunday afternoon feeling well socialized and less stresses about visits that we had been lax on. It was a great little vacation and perfect couple time before MIL came into town. But there is even better news coming later!!!

Altoona and Washington DC Trip in a weekend

finally trying some tummy time, much to Baby's dismay

Happy Friday and start to the weekend! Hubby's vacation started today, so as soon as he got out of work yesterday, we packed up the car (two hours later) and headed down to my grandparents' house for a quick visit and a pit stop before we head to Washington DC to visit with Steven's godfather/James' best friend. James was quick to get out of work a little early and with his mother coming to visit next week (gasp) he spent a little bit helping me get the house all in order. We also have Monday to get everything perfect, get grocery shopping done and some food made that I can just throw in the oven while she is here. I am so absolutely nervous about a week long visit from the mother-in-law, but we have met before and she is so nice but I am still super stressed about what we will do while James is at work. We have a couple things planned for when she is here, including a visit to the Statue of Liberty and maybe the Bronx Zoo, if I can convince James. Today we are spending the day in Roaring Spring, PA, the place where they make composition notebooks, at my grandparents' house. Dinner tonight, a nice sleep and then driving down to DC for a great visit there. Wish me luck in getting everything ready and still being able to enjoy this little vacation with the Hubbs!

Look at that serious face!

Broadening Horizons: Free Fall Classes

So I follow (also known as stalk) a blog called GeekMom. They post tons of geeky, nerdy and science related posts by numerous authors, some posts I dig, others address sections of geekdom in which I am not as familiar. But anyways, they posted two classes recently that I thought were pretty interesting.
     The first was all about The Walking Dead. If you haven't heard of the show or the comics and you are remotely into the zombie trend right now, or post-apocalyptic soap operas, then this is right down your alley. The comics are in black and white and the art isn't really my thing, I am really picky about art in comics, no matter how great the writing, but that is my own issue. The story is interesting and is way more in depth then in the television show but both are pretty interesting (and the show is on Netflix!). So anyways, GeekMom posted an article and link here about a class based on the Walking Dead television show. It is offered by University of California, is completely online, is completely free and starts on October 14th, the same day as the new season premiers. The direct link to sign up for the course is found here.
     The second class that GeekMom posted about was offered by Mango Languages here, in preparation for Talk Like A Pirate Day on September 19th (today)! It is completely free and set up just like their real language classes (according to the reviews). I am spending nap time today sitting through this class just in case someone tells me that they need a talk like a pirate partner. Mango Languages offers over 50 other language courses including Irish, Scottish Gaelic, Mandarin and Haitian Creole. They are really affordable, only $80 for the first package of most of the languages while some of them are even free if your local library has an account! They even let you try the first lesson of a language for free to make sure you like it (I tried Mandarin). Go and check it out and check out GeekMom!!! It is a brilliant blog!

   

Thrifting: Target and Salvation Army

James and I had to run to Target to fill my prenatal vitamin prescription, so we walked around and true to the Target curse we ended up buying other things. Since we don't have to stock up on the school supplies that they have on clearance quite yet, we did look at the baby clothes that they have on clearance. They had a pretty great selection, there are definitely more girls' clothes then boys' that are cute. We did name our child after Captain America, so superhero shirts are always a necessity. We bought two Superman shirts in two different sizes, two Batman shirts (one with a detachable cape) in the same size and an Iron Man shirt. The shark swimming trunks are for size 12 months, which should work out since that will be next summer, and since my newly found obsession with Shark Week. We bought all six pieces for under $17. They also had a bunch of shorts on clearance for under $2 but we had picked up a couple pairs last trip so we didn't end up picking up anymore. With children, it is nice to pick up clearance clothing for the following season, I just figure that I shouldn't buy anything too trendy, but basics seem like a great thing to stock up on. Especially, considering our family's nerdy-esque tendencies, we will reuse these shirts for future children or a sweet t-shirt quilt. 

Target summer clearance found here

My other big thrifty trip last week was a couple nursing-friendly tops that also help hide my bit of baby belly that is still hanging out. It was just nice to get things that weren't as tight as my normal clothes and seemed a little more "mommy" clothes. While I will not get rid of my superhero tshirts and corsets, I do need to acquire a few more clothes that will survive playdates, spit-up and make me feel better after not showering for three days straight with only four hours sleep. For $20 I found a few things that are great quality and make me feel great wearing (even if some have to wait a little bit more until belly is a bit smaller). 

This is an American Rag CIE blouse that
really looks much better in person,
it was a little overwashed but still fits
perfectly and is nursing friendly! I also got it
for $2.99!
similar and $120

This was a cute sweater from Wet Seal that I
loved on the hangar but with my larger
 chest it made the bottom too short
so this is a maybe for now. It was marked 3.99
and marked down to $1.99
this seasons version $26.90 

An adorable navy A-line skirt with white
dots that will either have to wait for my
waistline to come back or go into the
refashion pile. I bought it for $3.99
closest version here for $39.99

This is hands down my favorite catch of
this trip, a Banana Republic jersey wrap
top with a sewn in camisole in a cream
colour. I couldn't find anything close to it
on their website but I bought this for $3.99

This is an Andrew & Co wrap dress that is a little
small in the top and I can't find a website for the
company at all, but it is 100% linen and a pretty blue
demin colour that will be perfect for next summer. I found it
for $6.99

Monday Morning: Autumn Day!!!

      This past Thursday marked Steven's 8 week birthday. I am unsure exactly when you stop counting weeks and start counting the day as his birth anniversary, either way on Wednesday he will be two months by the calendar. So, Happy Two Months, Steven! I truly do not remember what life was like before you, and I mean that in the best possible way. My days are completely filled with spending time with you, while you nap I creepily stare at you, amazed by how wonderful you are. I was not sure that I was made for this job of being your Momma, but I can not imagine doing anything else with my life. I love looking at you and feeling how much I love and how much I love your Dadda. I love that you have a little attitude, that you know what you want and if we let you cry a little, you give us angry faces when we do pick you up, just to let us know that you are upset with us. I love how you are now starting to talk, we spend a couple hours every day just chit-chatting with each other. I am bent on making your first word "moon," since your Zodiac sign is Cancer so your ruling planet is the Moon. I love how much you love baths and getting your diaper changed. I love how much you smile, even when I am not sure if it is our of happiness or a gassy belly. I love how much your older siblings love you and want to take care of you. I love how you spend every night asleep in my arms, even if it has put our love life on hold a bit (we will make up for it when we retire *wink wink*). But I love how you are becoming your own little person with your own personality and how much our family has grown since Dadda and I first met five years ago. Thank you, Steven, for bringing me the joy of motherhood and absolute love each and every day.

Renaissance Faire 2013!

    So I did not get all the costumes completed that I wanted to this year but I did manage to make the two kids their costumes and they seemed happy with them. I messed up and forgot the camera and didn't remember to take any group photos. I kept making fun of Hubby when he was trying to take pictures and then regretted that we didn't have more. The costumes are barely visible but they were perfect for the day and cost me nothing (well, they did at some point, I suppose) since I had all the material. We spent the day with one of my good friends, her sister and her mother, all of who I have known since she and I were in fifth grade together. Her sister used to babysit my brother and I and her mother was my Odyssey of the Mind coach of my first team. Steven's godmother also met us there and spent some time watching "Julius Caesar: Undressed," which was a riot, if you enjoy overt sexual innuendos in Shakespearean English.
     The entire Faire is very child friendly with a Robin Hood story line that you can follow all day, as well as tea time with the Queen, Maypole dances, live full person Chess Match, Fairy Quest, a children's Knighting ceremony and a Royal Joust to end the day with. All of the people that work the Faire are the absolute nicest people at any entertainment venue that we have been to with or without the kids. They will engage you to the perfect amount without making you uncomfortable to just watch or to be involved. There is absolutely no pressure to dress up in costume, but it is lovely if you do, the actors all will interact with you depending on how you are dressed, especially with children. My only complaint at all (and only a medium sized complaint since the quality is good) is the cost of food. While we did have a large group of people, we did spent well over $100 on food alone. So I would recommend eating a large breakfast, focusing on one food that you really want (turkey legs and mead are the focal points of the Faire, but we made room for Cheesecake on a Stick too) and then having a nice dinner at home. We ended up having peanut butter and jelly sandwiches when we got home, but we were all so tired that it was plenty since we fell asleep shortly after. I would also recommend dressing in layers since it was chilly when we first arrived but soon warmed up. We all even got a little colouring from the sun. All in all, I would give it a score of 9/10, missing that last point for food. At the end of the day we were all tired and had tons of fun.

E during the Maypole dance with her RenFaire maiden partner.
I love that they involve kids so much, it make the day perfect.
You can follow the story line if you want and never be bored. 

My mother, best friend, her sister and I (in the ridiculous pose and purple hair)
waiting for the Maypole dance to start

E spending time with the Fairies. She wanted to be a peacock fairy because
of these wonderful girls that we met last year.
 The Faire added an entire Fairy Story line to follow this year. 

E and G enjoying a little rock climbing
 before the Joust started

Hubby playing with the colour filter on his phone. I forgot my camera and
didn't take a single picture with my phone. I was too distracted by all the fun I was having!
Thankfully, I had him to document the day.

G playing with some of the toys that the Faire has, vendors offer them for sale, but you can play with them too which makes it way more fun. I love how there are no electronics there (except the credit card machines, for sure!)

Lovely Steven who spent the entire day in the arms of someone. With momma, dadda, grandma, godmother and three aunties (family friends) he was hardly ever put down except to take naps in his stroller. Do you see his Doctor Who onesie peaking out from his blanket!?

Renaissance Faire 2013: Boy's Knight Costume

inspiration found here

     Since E's costume is all done and we are just waiting for a final fitting, I have been working on G's costume. We will probably not get to new costumes for Hubby and I this year, Steven and I have many conversations that are much more important than sewing.
     E had wanted her peacock fairy costume, G wanted a knight costume with a red "T" on it. I am assuming that he saw a picture of a Templar Knight, so that it what I used for inspiration. Since I wasn't 100% sure on his size and he isn't around to have fitting sessions with, we made the top of his costume out of old shirts of the Hubby's. A gray one was just cut down and slimmed to fit the smaller body and a white one was trimmed down a little bit with the sides left open to imitate a tunic. It should be nice and light, the weather is supposed to stay warm, while still looking like a costume.

after cutting out the shirt, I cut out 2 identical red cross shapes for the front and back, although
now thinking about it, he probably just needed one on the front. *sigh*

zig zag stitching the crosses onto the shirt in an applique style

playing with my camera effects 

wretched photo that I sent to the Hubbs to show how much I finished while Steve napped

     His pants are proving to be a bit difficult since I have lost the gray fabric that I could've sworn that I had, but if I don't find it tonight, he may just end up wearing black pants and his sneakers. I may also stitch on some armour on the sleeves of the gray shirt. As soon as he gets her on Friday we will doing a full dress rehearsal to ensure it is perfect for Saturday!!!

Renaissance Faire 2013: Peacock Fairy Fantasy Costume

     So after worrying for the past three weeks about what we are going to do for Renfaire costumes considering my limited amount of time, the kids not being here all the time for me to sew around them and a complete lack of idea on a nursing appropriate costume for me, I finally sat down to start sewing this weekend. The week before we are planning on leaving. Six days before I had to have them done. All five costume. One week.

some inspiration pictures were
found on Pinterest and Google

    After the mental freak out on how I was just starting the costumes now, I was able to finish almost all of E's costume, a peacock fairy, with the exception of sparkling up a pair of sandals to match. 

    We were going for a combination fairy and peacock, mostly since I already had peacock butterfly wings from Halloween clearance last year. I am trying to make a point of not needed to go out and buy anything for costumes this year, my stash is a bit unmanageable at the moment so things need to be used. For the top, since I don't particularly like putting in zippers or buttons, I just reconfigured on of her tshirts, making it into a slight peasant blouse with cap sleeves.

before, just a plain tshirt
(not the one that I actually changed,
I forgot to take before pictures)

gathering that I put in the back to
give the shirt a bit of form

front of blouse, with peasant gathered neckline, cap sleeves and flower embellishment

     The skirt was a bit easier, we were going to do a full tutu, and I am still debating just using up all of the tulle that I have to make the skirt more full. Right now, it is a simple circle skirt with three inch black waistband elastic with a tulle bustle sewn onto the back. We added some ribbon and peacock feathers for embellishment and pre-made fabric flowers that I had for embellishment. On this part, depending on what time I have left, I might make some felt peacock feathers for more oomph, but I do worry about putting so much time into costumes that they only wear once or twice. 

fabric flower embellishment on bottom of skirt

tulle bustle with peacock flowers sewn onto ribbon

     While I want them to look adorable and amaze my husband with my crafty wiles, I have to remind myself that as long as we have fun, it will not matter what they wore. The first five times I went to Renfaire, I went in civilian clothes. Once I found petticoats though, it was on. When all was said and done the costume was pretty cute, Hubby liked it, E liked it and it only took me an afternoon. It was definitely a "while the kids are napping" project (by that I mean, the infant was napping while the other children and Hubby were playing video games). It was nice to get behind the machine again, considering that I haven't done any sewing since before Steven was born. I can still see the pile of un-sewn burpclothes sitting on my dining room hutch, staring at me angrily and stressing me.  

     A full picture of the costume on will come on Saturday with a lovely family shot (hopefully) and my family outing score for the New York Renaissance Faire.