::tulle table skirt::

My friend Gretchen (who is a wonderful party planner, by the way) turned me on to the idea of a tulle table skirt for the tea party.  Once she got the idea in my head I could not let it do.  I needed it.  Required.

I got on etsy - as usual - to look for inspiration.  I found some stunningly fluffy skirts.
But I knew that it was too fluffy to be affordable.

I decided to just experiment.
I went to walmart and bought a $6 dollar roll of 6in wide white tulle.

Then I bought another roll, then another one, then another one - ending up with 5 rolls.  That's $30 people.  Way to expensive for such a non-essential part of the tea party.  But I convinced myself I would use it again (like my lovey Becky's October baby shower).  And once I got started I couldn't just leave it half done.  ~Like that cursed balloon wreath that still haunts me, sitting half finished in the demo'd bathroom~

Once I had all the tulle, this thing was easy but a bit time consuming.

I started with a piece of twine that was about two feet longer than the actual area I wanted to cover.  That way I could just cut off the extra if needed.

I cut the tulle into strips that were generously twice the height of the table I was using.  I thought they would look much better too long than too short.

Then I just started doing pull through after pull through.  I did it early in the morning, during nap time, and at my inlaws - any down time.  It took about two hours total.  Once I got my rhythm I could pick up my pace.  

I thumb tacked the skirt to the table.  Then I took a yellow ribbon and tacked it to the table, stretching it all the way around.  This hid the tulle knots on the twine.

I really like how this turned out and can't wait to use it again. 

YouTube video that gives step by step instruction for the pull through system.  It is not my video, but it is useful if my instructions are not making sense.  

::heart beat::

Perfect little heart beat.  Thank god. 

::please::

Dear Plus Sign,

At 1:45 today I go in for your first Dr. appointment.  PLEASE just have a heart beat.  Please just let me not hear silence.  Daddy is coming too.  Please - just humor your Mommy's fragile heart and be a little perfect person OR TWO :)   Hearing the silence of Zack's still heart on that Doppler, in front of all your siblings and Dad, was the singular most horrify thing that has ever happen to us all together.  I will never take your siblings to a doctor appointment of yours.  The first time they see anything of you will be when they hold you.

Love Mommy

Today will be the first time I have seen my OB since she saved my uterus and potentially my life (that's a little bit dramatic) when Zack died.  And my ultrasound is in the same room were I saw Zack floating still and knew exactly what I was seeing before I was told.  Same actually machine. 

::tough call::

I don't like it.  But something has got to give.  One of the things that I have always loved about working 12 hour shifts is that I only work three days a week.  That makes it so I can really focus on the more important things those other four days.  But - somehow in my head I had convinced myself that I could work three 12's a week at the new job and get my three 12's a month for St Vincent in too.  Plus the 2 hours of computer classes then plus the 16 hours of charting training.  In case your wondering that had me working too flipping much.  And for what?  It's not like our survival was hinged to me getting those hours at St Vincent.  The only benefit of it was that I LOVE my friends there and I LOVE the unit.  But the time away from the kiddos was too much to take. 

So, on Monday I turned in my two week notice.  

I hate it.  I am really going to miss my friends, but I just can't do everything.  I often feel like I have to make uncomfortable choices that put my family first, but my friendships always end up getting kicked down the line.  The most important thing in my life is my marriage and my shorties.  I can't pick up more hours and bust my hump right now.  I am growing another person and trying to keep Max off the roof and trying to stop Lily from taking over.   My last shift will be the 12th.  What a tough day that will be. 

::wild raspberries::

Look what Josh found growing along our fence line

Wild raspberries!

::hollow tree planters::

Our super old-I-think-it-was-planted-by-johnny-appleseed apple tree fell down.  

It was totally rotten.  

But cutie Josh cut it into chunks so I could use it as flower pots. 

 

::cottage garden now::

Early June 2011

Late June 2011

Butternut squash early June

Butternut squash now.  This thing is going CRAZY!!

Lily's garden has lots of color.  It looks so pretty.

See her "found art collection" on the stump in the middle?

Cool stuff like an old rusted dull chain saw chain.

 

Here is this years experiment.  My green bean rig.  

I just didn't know if the the climbing beans would do what I wanted them to. 

They are!  

On the right side is my strawberry patch.  

They came in great this year but were gone way too fast.  

None ever made it inside. 

Next year we need about six times the amount.

 

My egg plant is fairly unimpressive.  

Any body know what's eating the lower leaves?

The broccoli is passed.  But it's just so pretty.  I did finally rip it up and throw the whole plant to the chickens.  Who DEVOURED it.  

The lettuce, broccoli, and spinach are past there prime too.  I pulled out the spinach and fed it to the chickens.  The lettuce looks stunning but is horribly bitter.  I might use it as mulch for the front tomatoes.  The pea's got woody, but we did eat lots of them before they got to far gone.  The chickens are eating the left overs.  All the spring crops did great this year.      

 

In the front are mums and head lettuce.

Soybeans are coming in fast.  I can't wait to eat these puppies.

 

Lily and I's garden scissors.  

The early tomato that we babied all spring.  

We got our first tomato on June 19th so I guess it was worth it. 

 

Cucumber up front, followed by two of the four tomatoes in this garden.

(Don't forget the 18 more that are growing out back.)

See my 4ft/4ft onion bed in the back right?  Lot's of red and white onions going crazy.

This is a shot along the back row.  I have 6 hot peppers closest, then basil, then the blank spot the pea's were in (which now needs planted with second crop cilantro), then the soy beans. 

Here is an onion from last year that got missed and is determined to be a giant. 

On the ground are three bush watermelons. 

 

More "found art".  This one was out in the blue berry patch.  What in the world is it?