In our family we are blessed with a lot of little ones, which means we have lots of nieces and nephews.  Nieces and nephews who have birthdays coming up!  I'd been trying to think of something to make for them, when I came up with pillow monsters!  

I've been designing these little cutie pies in my mind for a week or so.  The more I make them, the more they will change.  Eventually I'd like to have a whole "line" of them, each with different, fun characteristics.  

For this one, I had planned to make her with two different sized eyes, but Chloe loved the idea of one big eye and I thought that was a fantastic idea!

So, I started by cutting the fabric in a fun quadrilateral shape-one for the front and one for the back.  I like to use patterned fabric for the back because she's a fun monster.

Then I cut out all the pieces for the face, arms, and legs and pinned them where they go on the front side (I didn't pin the arms and legs yet).  I also added a tail to the back piece.

Next, I sewed everything in place. 

Then, I pieced the front and back pieces together, right sides out, and pinned the arms and legs in place between the two pieces.

Leaving the top side open, I stitched along the right, bottom, and left sides of the monster with the zig zag stitch.  Now she's kind of a bag, which would actually make a fabulous trick-or-treat bag for Halloween!  Oooh!  Another project!

In the opening at the top, stuff Miss Monster until she's nice and pillowy.  

This next step was tough keeping everything in place.  I had to use tons of pins!  So, after stuffing her, I thought she would look oh so fancy with some hair sticking out of the top of her head.  So, I cut six pieces of ric rac and bunched them together.  I pinned them to the middle of her head.  I also pinned the top together, getting it ready to sew.  

Also, you might notice that I didn't bother to hide any edges.  I like the idea of raw edges for these monsters.  I think the fraying will add a lot of character to them.  

I finished up her hair with a dainty little bow--because she's a fancy monster.  

I also added a little buddy for her.  Aren't they fun?!  They make such a silly pair.  And hopefully, there will be more monsters of all different shapes and sizes to come.

Weekly, I post one or two pictures that demonstrate how the most simple things in life are, in fact, the finer things--those that mean the most and will be among the most precious of memories.  So here is this week's picture, taken by Daddy because Mama was out of town for a few days.  Enjoy!    

I've been MIA for the past few days, which isn't like me at all.  Our family has had a very unexpected loss of an absolutely precious man--my Pop.  After a quick flight to Maryland, Laelia and I have been visiting with family and sharing our memories about Pop.  

Pop was so special!  Here are some of my favorite things about Pop:

• He was just about always smiling and if you weren't smiling he was going to try to get you to join in with him.  
• He was fantastically silly.  
  
• No one did a better Donald Duck impression...at least in our family.  It came with a tickle on your neck, just to make sure you were paying attention.
• He could make his ears wiggle independently from each other.
• He was a kidder and a jokester.
• He always had candy.  Always.  
• He knew everything about everything and was always willing to tell you about it--especially if you were doing it "wrong"!
• He loved us.  He loved us so much, even though my brother and I were his "step-step" grandchildren (my stepdad's stepdad).  He never thought of us that way.  The same went for my own children.
• I LOVED his bibbed overalls.  There were not many occasions where he'd be caught wearing something else.  And they were so fitting for his personality.
• He was a skilled at most things that involve tools.  He knew how to do just about everything and was happy to teach any of us how to do things. 
• He made my Grandmom so happy.
• There were so many times when he helped me with something I needed and was willing and happy to help.  
• He gave the best hugs.
• He loved God and was a wonderful example of the love of God.

It has been so nice remembering all the fun times we've had with Pop and all the people whose lives he has so positively influenced.  He is already so very missed and there will always be a hole in our family.  But we will continue on and rejoice that we will get to see him again one day and will be thankful to have been so blessed by his life and his love.

Well, my little Laeli-bug is growing...as they all do, right?!  I love and miss each stage as it comes and goes.  We have entered a new stage with this little lady.  While she might look like just a sweet, messy faced little girl singing a song here, she has also begun doing something fairly regularly...lying.

I think all kids do it.  Willow wasn't as bad with lying--either that or she's really good at it!  Chloe went through a stage too and our Laelia is just entering it.  

So, the other day, Laelia brought a plate into the bathroom.  I was there washing my hands and Chloe came running after her to get the plate from her (such a good helper).  But just as she reached for it, that silly little girl threw it and it broke, of course.  She was immediately removed from the broken glass and reprimanded.  To which she replied, "Chloe broke.  Chloe broke."  And she kept telling me this for about an hour.

Oh boy!  Here we go!  And it's not just about the plate.  Today Daddy was the one who peed her pants for her.  Funny how that happens.  

I can never get enough of this little lady though. Look at those cheeks and those sweet eyes.  

She just has such a sweet, happy personality and has been a blessing from the moment we knew she was going to be in our family.  

Chloe, Willow, and Laelia fit so perfectly together.  They all love each other so much.  They are kind, sweet, and so caring.  

Each of their personalities are so precious.  So, while my little Laeli Grace has become a little fibber, I'm sure she will grow out of it, just like Chloe did, and just keep sweeter and sweeter every day.

We have been blessed this year by an abundance of tomatoes.  I am the only raw tomato eater in this house, although Laelia will sneak them from my salad.  Of course, should I put them directly on her plate they would get rejected and sent to the floor for the dog to gobble them up, followed by lots of baby giggles and more throwing.  But I can't eat all of those tomatoes by myself, so I thought I'd make one of our household favorites--Vegetable Soup!  We harvested so many tomatoes this week that I'm cooking a second pot right now!  

This recipe is so easy.  And, you don't have to follow it exactly because it's all about adding your own favorite veggies!  

{Recipe}

• 8-10 crushed tomatoes (or one large can of crushed tomatoes)
  
• Corn
  
• Carrots, cubed
  
• Potatoes, cubed
  
• Green Beans
  
• Rice or Noodles
  
• Vegetable broth (or beef broth)
  
• Beef, cubed (optional)

If you choose to include beef, cook it in the pot until it is browned.  If not, begin by stewing and crushing your tomatoes.  Or pour your can of crushed tomatoes into a large pot.  If you did stew your own tomatoes, be sure to include the water they were cooked in.  It will add some wonderful flavor!

I love colorful meals!  They look so fun and delicious!

How big or small you cube your veggies depends on how chunky you like your soup.  I like mine chunky...like stew- chunky, but I have to keep it kind of small for the tiny mouths who will eat it.  

And with those tiny mouths, come the helping hands to add in all the veggies.  I would lend you my helpers to help with your vegetable soup, but I'm sure you already have some super fabulous helpers at your house. 

Add in your vegetable broth.  Make sure your vegetables are sufficiently covered by liquid.  If you don't have enough or even any vegetable broth, just use water!.  Let the mixture of deliciousness come to a boil and then simmer for an hour or so until your veggies are nice and soft.

If you want to add some rice or alphabet noodles, now is the time!  Since Laelia is allergic to rice, we use alphabet noodles!  Well that's not the only reason.  What's more fun than finding letters in your soup?!

Serve with some absolutely amazing grilled cheese sandwiches.  We made ours using homemade bread that had just come out of the oven and with some muenster cheese....so good!

Weekly, I post one or two pictures that demonstrate how the most simple things in life are, in fact, the finer things--those that mean the most and will be among the most precious of memories.  So here is this week's picture.  Enjoy!   

Do you love to go yard saling?  I have always love, love, loved it, but now that Scott is into it too it just got a whole lot more fun!  I find such fabulous things at yard sales!!!  If you haven't given it a chance, you are really missing out!  You can find so many amazing things at yard sales.  I thought I'd share some of the things I've gotten recently because I've had so much fun hunting for things!  

This super cute little ironing board I got for a few bucks.  Scott replaced a screw in it and it was ready for the girls to iron their doll clothes.  They were missing an iron though, so Scott made this really adorable little iron for them.  That sweet man cut the pieces, screwed them together, and used a cabinet handle for the handle.  The girls love it!  They use it so frequently, especially when I am ironing.  Sometimes they drag it in next to my ironing board so we can iron together.  It is super adorable!  

Baskets!!!

I have found a bazillion baskets lately!  Usually I can't find any baskets that I like.  Either that or maybe I just wasn't as much of a basket lover until now.  Whatever the case, I have had gotten lots of great baskets lately.  I think I'm done basket hunting, since I've got them all over the place now.  I think we've reached our basket quota.  

Until last fall we kept the kids' toys in these buckets, but in our quest to rid our playroom of plastic (that's right, just about all of those toys in those bins are gone) we moved the bins to the girls' closet for shoes.  So we needed storage for their toys....you guessed it.  I found tons of baskets!

P.S.  This is the happiest baby in the whole wide world...always has been.  Such a joyful lady!!!

Isn't this one so pretty?!!  I love it!  

And this particular basket is used when we clean up the toys.  The girls gather all the toys in the house and distribute them back to their respective baskets.  I think one thing about our new basket collection that I love is how different they all are.

This might look like a giant mess of clothes, but they cleaned up their doll clothes and did a great job putting them in the basket.  

And check out this lantern!  I was so excited to find this.  I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do with it or where to put it, but I love it!

I love these jars!  I got the two of them for 75 cents!  

And the chairs!!!!  Three of them were free.  The other three were found at yard sales for $5 each!  : )  And they were gifts from my mother and Scott's mother.  So technically they were free!

And one of my favorite baskets that I just got this past Saturday for just a quarter!  I love it!!!  Look how cute it is!  It's rainbow and even though it's small it has so many different patterns woven into it...and beads!  Love!

Okay.  This big basket I got for a couple bucks.  When I got it I didn't realize it was a dog bed!  So, Simon has a new dog bed.  I put a couple pillows in it for him, but I'll probably make him a nice pillow.  Of course, he's scared to sleep in it so maybe I won't go to the trouble to make him a pillow.  We'll see.  Maybe he'll start loving it soon.  Willow enjoys climbing in it sometimes.  

And this is my new super great find...for $2!  The girls' bathroom doesn't have a medicine cabinet--well it didn't have one.  I found this super cute, hand painted cabinet that fits the theme and color scheme of the bathroom and is just the right size too!  

Happy Yard Saling!!!

Well, I hope you all had a fabulous Mother's Day.  If you're a mother, I hope you were blessed by those who surround you.  If you aren't a mother, I hope you made yours and others around you feel special!

For Christmas, I received a cast iron skillet from a friend.  I've been trying different things in it and last week we made something very tasty in it--PIZZA!

It's so easy and keeps it the mess minimal.

When the cheese gets nice and bubbly and the edges curl away from the pan, it's time to check the bottom.  If you lift it up and find it to be nice and brown, then it's time to remove your pizza from the skillet.

This is such a good pizza!  Thin crust, crispy, and super yummy (and very easy!)!  

When we were in the planning stages of our move to Florida, I used to sit at my window and watch the snowflakes falling on a couple feet of their already fallen buddies and wish for the morning when I could wake up and think, This feels like a beach morning!  In my fantasy I'd grab our things and head out for the beach, bright and early.  

We go to the beach fairly often, but usually more planning is involved.  However, now that Laelia is a little bit older, not as much planning is needed for the beach.  So, today was that day when we could finally just wake up and scamper off to our delightful, sandy adventure!

I grabbed bowls of cereal and water for the girls and we were out the door before 7:30.  I keep a basket of beach toys in the back of the car all the time, just in case of a sudden stop at our favorite sandy spot.  So, we were ready!

Willow kept trying to fill in the holes the crabs had made to live in.  Once she understood that they were their houses she left them alone.  She's such a funny lady.  

The girls started building a castle almost immediately.

Willow was especially proud of it.  It was a very different visit to the beach.  Chloe and Willow worked so hard together to build their castle that they didn't really talk at all the whole time we were there.  Usually they are running and jumping, Chloe plays in the water a little bit, but this time they were so focused--together!

Laelia and I walked a little bit and put some shells in our shell bag.  The beach was so hilly today!  If you frequent the beach, then you know how much the beach changes.  I love seeing how different it is each time we go.

Laelia wandered back over by the little boardwalks and the girls followed.  I guess they had finished their silent building of the sandcastle, complete with roads to and from.  So they began their next silent mission...

And it was so cool to see them do these things together!  They just started working and quietly made this beautiful arrangement of flowers in the sand.  

Thank you for having us, Beach!  Always a pleasure for the Ferguson family!

Weekly, I post one or two pictures that demonstrate how the most simple things in life are, in fact, the finer things--those that mean the most and will be among the most precious of memories.  So here is this week's picture.  Enjoy!