One Boy One Girl Boutique

I was a Gemini and now am a Taurus

2011-01-14T10:13:00.003-05:00

According to gradual changes in the Earth's alignment the dates of many zodiac signs have changed, according to a NBC news report.
In addition, there may be a 13th zodiac sign: Ophiuchus (November 29 to December 17) for those born after 2009.

I don't think so!
Not that their is anything wrong with a Taurus, who is known to be compassionate, dependable, loyal/reliable, stubborn, sensitive and aggressive.

That's just not me.

I am cheerful/friendly, good at communication, inquisitive, flexible, selfish (sometimes), restless, a confused personality and find it hard to be punctual (that hit the nail on the head)

Born May 21 - June 20
A Gemini is:
Dual-natured, elusive, complex temperament and contradictory are terms that best describe a Gemini. A Gemini is capable of the virtue of versatility and the vices of two faced-ness and flightiness at the same time. Never boring, she loves communicating and gossiping. Her talk is not rubbish, rather interesting and informative. Ruled by the Mercury planet, Gemini's often get easily bored, impatient and frustrated by things that move slowly. Basically, they are intelligent, imaginative, lively and adaptable to any situation and person.

Gemini people are very active. They easily get mentally distracted and hover between alternatives. Though they feel less confident and have less faith in themselves, they are unaware about the capability of using their flexible mind in a surprising numerous ways to their benefit. With a highly flexible body, Gemini people love agile sports like gymnastics, bicycling, swimming and others. Due to their love for talking, they spend less time on eating and hence, generally stay fairly slim and fit. Belonging to a dual sign, Gemini people are chameleons, as they blend well with their environment and at the same time, stand out apart in a gathering with witty remarks and seemingly limitless knowledge.

Gemini people are very attractive when they are good, but when they are bad, they are worse than what one can expect (that means don't mess with me - you'll be sorry). They love to play the game of life (life is a game, right?!) filled with fresh moves and continuous entertainment. Changing decisions in the mid of a race distinguishes a Gemini from the rest, as sticking to a particular decision is difficult for them. Affectionate, courteous, kind, generous and thoughtful towards the poor and suffering: a Gemini exposes these traits only when they do not interfere with their personal lives. They are smart enough to use their outward attractiveness to achieve their goals, be it unscrupulous lying, cunning evasiveness or escaping blame by contriving to put it on others.

When happy, a Gemini is honest and straightforward but when things go against him, he can sulk like a kid. Furthermore, a Gemini demands attention, admiration, energy and money, and dedication of time on him during childhood.

Gemini makes a charming companion and you are lucky enough if you have a Gemini friend, they are the best person to give advice. She judges a person by the way they treat her rather than looking into their personal qualities and traits (I've become friends with some really interesting people because of this and been stab in the back too - Live and Learn).

It's not all good being a Gemini but that's who I am!
~Patricia

*********************************************
I want to add an update to this post.
Many news reports have come out stating
"The new astrological calendar is irrelevant to western astrology which uses the Tropical zodiac, which is not constellation based, as opposed to eastern astrology which uses the Sidereal Zodiac, which is constellation based .. The changes implicit in the Precession of the Equinoxes, which is what the new calendar is based upon, has been underway for thousands of years, which we as astrologers have always known about."
If you want to know more, search the web for information on the Tropical Zodiac/Western Astrology.
To get started you can visit this blog post a reader sent me from Anchored in Astrology

One Boy One Girl Boutique - Cyber Week Sale

2010-12-01T11:24:00.002-05:00

Enjoy 15% off your purchase from
OneBoyOneGirlBoutique.com
and
OneBoyOneGirl on etsy
by using coupon code: HOLIDAY2010
sale dates: November 30 - December 7, 2010

In pur Etsy shop you will find over 70 ready to ship items including
Button Pony O's, Rings, Wallets and Aprons

New custom items available on our Website and Etsy
include Headbands, New Bling Shirts and Sparkle Leggings

Stop by and Take advantage of this special savings
http://oneboyonegirlboutique.com
http://oneboyonegirl.etsy.com

*December 12th is the last day Custom orders will be accepted

~Patricia

Chicken with Bumblefoot - warning not for the squeamish

2010-10-15T12:44:00.002-04:00

What the heck is wrong with my chickens foot?! Is she growing a new toe, why is she limping, hmm she's holding her foot up, Why?

I spend time with my chickens each day but I obviously don't pay attention to their feet (lesson learned). All the girls seem happy and healthy but I had no idea something was festering on the bottom of Dragon's foot.

Dragon is a year and half old Red Star hen.
A few days ago I was asking my self the very questions above.
Upon close inspection of her foot I knew something was wrong but what and how do I fix it without spending a fortune taking her to a vet.

Unfortunately I did not take a picture of her foot, I really wish I had because I know it would be helpful to other backyard chicken friends.

Here's what I saw:
Dragon had a large scab like abscess on the top of her foot and her foot was swollen.
On the bottom of the foot was the source of her discomfort, a 3mm sized black flat scab.

My first instinct was wanting to pick off the abscess, which is what I ended up doing but not until I had my Country Girl-friend take a look.

I knew this wasn't something I should jump into on my own.

When Country Girl first saw Dragon she said "Why didn't you take care of this a long time ago"

Yes, I'm a bad chicken mommy, I didn't notice it.
Really, I feel awful saying that.

Country Girls instinct was the same as mine, she yanked the abscess off.
Maybe we should have sanitized the affected area first but we Are in the country

Ok, YOU should clean the chickens foot prior to performing this surgery that ended up taking almost 2 hours!

my disclaimer
This entire procedure was a learn as you go experience for me.
If you find yourself in this same position I suggest you follow your chicken mommy (or daddy) instincts and do what is best for you and your chicken. You will find a lot of helpful information about bumblefoot on the web, research before you start or as you go along, like I did.

supplies needed:
towel
paper towels
gauze
vet wrap
tweezers
scalpel or needle
warm water
epsom salt
antibiotic ointment/solution (i.e. neosporin, betadin)

Here's the nitty gritty of what we did and some really gross pictures for those of you that like that stuff.

* to help the chicken relax, wrap her in a towel covering her head and body
leaving the injured foot exposed
* lay her on her side on your lap

* soak chickens foot in a warm water epsom salt solution
* remove abscess from top of foot
* puss may be under the abscess or it may be deeper but this is only the beginning
* using a sanitized scalpel or needle start to remove the bumble from the bottom of the foot
* carefully scrap away the hard bumble from the good tissue
* use tweezers as you go along to pull out chunks

the first part of this will be hard and scab like, under that
is a condensed puss root (I have no other better way to describe it)
you need to remove all of this and yes it is deep and there can be a lot

Several of these condensed puss roots were removed.
Each time one was removed you could feel her foot pad getting softer.
We knew we were getting the source of her problem out.

Like I mentioned it took a long time to do this.
We soaked her foot a couple times to help soften the bumble during the procedure.
In my opinion, Dragon was relaxed, she rarely tried to pull her foot away.

When we were sure we removed all the bumble we soaked her foot in another epsom salt bath and dried her foot completely.
The only ointment I had was neosporin.
We applied a generous amount to the top and bottom of her foot.
I also did not have vet wrap so I used gauze and medical/bandage tape to wrap her foot.

look at this great wrap job

Here she was right after the surgery

Here she is the morning after

This morning I removed the her gauze bandage

I put betadine on the top and bottom of the wound.
Put new gauze on the wounds and wrapped the foot in vet wrap.

My goal is to keep her foot dry and clean.
I will change her bandage at least once a day and apply antibiotic ointment or solution to fend off bacteria and help her foot heal.

**What I've learned
bumblefoot is caused by small wounds or injury to the chickens foot. This could be from stepping on a thorn or nail also from a chicken jumping off high places causing bruising that can result in the bumble. The bumble starts out on the bottom of the foot eventually causing swelling.
Left un-noticed (like mine) an abscess will form on the top of the foot, usually between the toes. If the bumble is not treated the chicken may eventually die from infection.
After treating the abscess it can return if the entire bumble has not been removed.

Visit my flickr account for additional photos and check back for bumble foot updates.

~Patricia

Easy - Patriotic 4th of July Cupcake - How To

2010-07-03T14:15:00.002-04:00

These cupcakes are show stopper!

Make your favorite Yellow/White Box Cake or scratch recipe.
When the batter is made, divide into equal 3 parts
Add blue food coloring to one part and red to another, until desired color is reached
Use a spoon to add each color to the cupcake tins one at a time
Bake according to recipe instructions
When cool, add icing using a pastry bag with decorative tip
Don't forget the Sprinkles ;)

YUMMY

~Patricia

20% off Patriotic Bling Tee's

2010-06-23T14:09:00.002-04:00

BIN get it in time for the 4th of July

Custom Firecracker Bling T

Custom MADE in the USA Bling T for Boys and Girls

You can find these shirts & more in my etsy shop, eBay and my website.

~Patricia

Painted Shirt - Freezer Paper Stencil Tutorial

2010-06-15T17:36:00.002-04:00

Freezer Paper Stencils are a quick and easy craft for the whole family.
You may already have many of the supplies around the house.

Supply List:
printer or pencil to draw your own design
freezer paper
material or shirt
Xacto knife
cutting mat
iron or heat press
fabric paint
stipple or spouncer paint brush
tapered foam brush
tweezers

Step 1

Cut the freezer paper to size. It will need to be larger than the design to avoid getting paint outside the intended design area.
Draw or Print directly onto the freezer paper.
If printing be sure to print on the non-wax side of the paper.
Also, text does Not need to be in mirror image. How you see the design on the freezer paper is exactly how it will look on the material.

Step 2

Using a sharp Xacto knife, cut the design out of the freezer paper.

Time Saving Tip: If you plan to make multiples of the same design, stack and tape additional blank freezer sheets under the printed design and cut all at once.

Step 3

Lay out the design on the material, shinny side down.
Follow the heating instructions on the freezer paper box to apply the design to the material.

All the designs I made had elements within that I did not want painted.
Using the pieces cut out of the freezer paper, place and iron where desired.

Step 5

Gather your painting supplies.
Above is a picture of a Spouncer Sponge and a Stipple Brush.
I prefer to apply paint with a Spouncer because I feel it is less likely to cause the paint to bleed under the edge of the paper. But I have used both...
use what you have on hand or what you prefer.

Above is the Jacquard Lumiere Metallic Silver paint I used
and a tapered foam brush.
Note: I did not use the regular bristle paint brush in this project.

Prior to applying the paint put a sheet of freezer paper between the layers of the material to prevent bleed through.

Now your ready to paint!
First use the spouncer/stipple brush.
Dip the brush into the paint.
When stippling it is important not to use too much paint. You do not want the brush dripping.
If needed tap the brush on a paper towel to remove excess paint.

To stipple: use light pressure dabbing the brush up and down on the surface of the material.
Apply one thin, even layer of paint.
Allow to dry to the touch and apply additional coats until desired effect is reached.

After I apply my last coat with the stipple method, I gently sweep a tapered foam brush over the design in one direction. I feel it creates a smooth even finish.

Step 6

Allow paint to dry completely.

Step 7

Remove stencil.
For tough areas use pointed craft tweezers to gently scrape the paper off.

Step 8 (optional)
Some fabric paint requires heat setting to allow for the item to be washed, others do not.
Read the instructions that came with your fabric paint.

The Jacquard I used does require heat setting.
Per the manufacturers instructions:
Air dry for 24 hours, heat set by ironing both sides for 30 seconds at temperature suited to fabric. After heat set, colors are washable or drycleanable.

Here's your completed shirt

For more freezer stencil shirt ideas, visit my Flickr account.

~Patricia

New Painted Tee

2010-04-23T18:48:00.001-04:00

Here's another for the Boys Painted T collection

These shirts are so much fun to make! I snapped a bunch of pic's..tutorial coming :)

~Patricia

Revisiting last Earth Day and Earth Day Ideas

2010-04-22T11:20:00.003-04:00

I would like to do a new Going Green post today (not sure I'll have time), So for now I want to recap the posts from last Earth Day.

Homemade Powder Laundry Soap

I no longer use the powdered version because it did not work well in my HE washer.
If I have time later today (or this week) I will post a "How To" for Liquid Laundry Soap...so check back :)

Upcycle T-Shirt Tote Bag

The is is a fun and quick project that the kids can help out with.
Also makes a great alternative to a paper gift bag!

Things to do on Earth Day & Everyday
plant a tree or garden
turn off the lights & TV
recycle, upcycle
donate unwanted items
have a garage sale
start a compost pile
carpool
ride your bike...good for you & the environment
clean up trash in a park or along the roadside
replace your light bulbs with energy efficient ones
be self sufficient: buy baby chicks at your farm and feed store
buy organic food and clothing

My Going Green and Self Sufficient Living Flickr pic's
Visit my Flickr photos

~Patricia

Happy Earth Day 2010

2010-04-22T09:51:00.002-04:00

Happy Earth Day from One Boy One Girl Boutique

Visit us on etsy at http://oneboyonegirlboutqie.etsy.com
Our website http://oneboyonegirlboutqieboutique.com
OBOGboutique Twitter
and
Facebook

~Patricia

The Chicken Show - Martha Style

2010-04-01T09:52:00.006-04:00

Don't Miss It!
Tune into this Friday's episode of the Martha Stewart Show, which is all about backyard chickens. The show features special guest Traci Torres, My Pet Chicken founder, talking about how to care for baby chicks.

I'm a big fan of My Pet Chicken, I purchased my first group of chickens from them last spring. They were so helpful on the phone...I called them several times before my baby chicks arrived in the mail, you know with all those nervous 1st time mom questions ;)

Martha is also going to share yummy eggs recipes, because we all know for how much I Love my chickens, I Love eating their eggs even more!

and Egg Crafts!!!

~Patricia

New - Boys Painted Tees

2010-03-31T05:00:00.002-04:00

One Boy One Girl Boutique's new line of Boys Painted Tees were such a hit when they debuted at the Easter Market.

I haven't had a chance to list custom painted tees on my website or the ready to ship ones on etsy, as of yet.

You can see all the tees I featured at Market in my Flickr account.

Here's a sample of a few

~Patricia

Eggstravaganza Market

2010-03-30T13:43:00.003-04:00

We had a fabulous time at this past weekends Easter Market.
My kids love spending time at Heritage Village, especially when the Village is hosting a special event. The Eggstravaganza had free cupcake decorating, kids crafts, child singing and dance performers and the much anticipated Egg Hunt!

One Boy One Girl Boutique

~Patricia

Jack Hartmann - Concert

2010-03-29T22:15:00.002-04:00

The kids school hosted a free Jack Hartmann concert this evening.
Who's Jack Hartmann, you say?
That's what I've been asking for months as Isabella has danced around the house singing his infectious songs.

Isabella insisted that we go to the event. I brought both Isabella (5) and Trenton (very soon to be 12) to the show. Of course, I was going for the free lemonade and ice cream sandwiches ;) provided by the PTO.

As soon as Jack Hartmann hit the stage he had everyone and I mean everyone out of their seats while he taught us cute dances that we all performed while he sang songs about counting, math and rhyming.
Teachers joined him on stage for a silly chicken counting dance, than he requested older kids, 3rd grade+ to come up and sing along to a multiplication song.
Trenton who happily (with no encouragement from me) danced along to all the songs, ran up to the stage to take part in the multiplication song!
I got very sentimental thinking about how old he is getting and that this may be one of the last uninhibited child like activities he takes part in, willingly :(

Isabella danced next to me for a couple songs, then she grabbed her girlfriends and was front and center by the stage.
I would compare her reaction to someone seeing the Beetles, well in her case Miley Cyrus!

It was a fantastically fun show...we bought 2 Cd's on the way out and got a picture signed!

Isabella's favorite songs:
Hip-Hop Tooty Ta
The Cowboy Dance
Mr. Alligator Can Chomp
Let's Get Fit (Counting to 100 by 1's)
Chicken Count

About the music:
Strengthen your Reading, Math, Science & Fitness Programs
this school year
with the
Power of Music!

Jack Hartmann's Hop 2 It Music™
"the very best in curriculum - based educational music for children"

~Patricia

New Arrivals

2010-03-23T10:17:00.002-04:00

Picked up this morning at our local American Farm and Feed Store
4 day old baby chicks
2) Rhode Island Reds
2) Barred Rock
2) Ameraucana
2) Black Giant (aka Jersey Black Giants)

New breeds to our chicken family are the Ameraucana, which are known for laying blue eggs and the Black Jersey Giant, as it's name implies it's large/heavy and can grow up to 11 pounds!

We are using the brooder that we made last year. It's a large plastic storage container with the center of the lid cut out and replaced with chicken wire.
Normally I use 2 heat lamps (red bulbs) but one blew. For now I added the blanket to reduce heat loss.

The storage container makes for easy cleaning.
While the chicks are small I line the bottom with newpaper and paper towels, it gives the chicks a solid surface to walk on to help build strong legs. At this age I clean out the brooder several times a day by rolling up the dirty papers and adding new.

When the chicks are larger I will add pine shaving to the bottom. Once a day I will move the chicks to a box and dump out the pine shavings, rinse and dry the container and add fresh shavings.

~Patricia

A look back at

2010-01-01T21:47:00.005-05:00

2009 in photos

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

~Patricia

Visions of December dance in my head

2009-12-30T11:28:00.003-05:00

A December filled with
Christmas parades, parties, crafting, handmade Christmas pj's,
baking and a whole lot of holiday cheer.

~patricia

How old am I?

2009-12-28T20:01:00.003-05:00

Today is David's birthday. While he was at work, the kids and I made his traditional birthday cupcakes. With limited decorating supplies and time, we settled on writing Happy Birthday.
For the 3 cupcakes left we made a sugary heart (because we love him so much), a 3 and a 5 (for 35, his age). I won't lie I had to think for a minute about how old he actually is. You see, I can never remember how old I am, it takes too much effort to remember such trivial information. All I do know is that I am a year younger :)
After thinking about it, I decided that he was turning 35 today and I felt pretty confident and proud to come up with that number.

aren't these cupcakes a masterpiece
really not my finest work

My parents stopped by to drop off a birthday gift, while we walked them out David pulled in the driveway. We all ducked behind my car, although I'm sure he had already seen us but the kids thought this was fun. When he got out of his truck we jumped out and sang Happy Birthday, really loud!

The kids were so excited to show off the cupcakes, they led him in the house. I ran ahead so I could snap that perfect birthday surprise picture.

Here he is, smiles and all the surprise to see that BIG 35

Literally, as I snapped the pic he laughed and said they look great but I'm Not 35.
As I wrinkled my forehead in deep thought, I said Yes you are because I'm 34.
Noooo, your 32 he said. I said, I wish but I'm pretty sure I'm 34 and that means you are turning 35.
He actually grabbed a calculator to settle the dispute. Looking at the answer in disbelief he said "Man, I'm getting old".

Happy Birthday, Honey
I love you no matter how old you are

PS
on a side note we also learned that we have been together for 16 years!
This revelation came as we talked about how old we are now and were when we started dating.
To top that we've known each other for 20 years, Now that is Crazy

Like I said I don't keep track of these kinds of things. So much so that we don't celebrate anniversaries. That's how we both can be truly shocked by the revelations of tonight.
Before another birthday, sixteen or twenty years passes without us noticing, maybe we should sit back and reflect on the things that have brought us to where we are now.

but not today, I'm a live in the moment kinda person
I'll save that for... Tomorrow

~Patricia

Facebook Fan Giveaway - Winner

2009-11-02T20:04:00.002-05:00

The Bling T Giveaway Winner has been announced on our FB Fan page!
Congratulations :)
~Patricia

100 Fan Facebook Giveaway

2009-10-29T23:13:00.002-04:00

One Boy One Girl Boutique on Facebook is getting close to hitting 100 fans.
When we do, we'll have a random drawing from the Fan list.
The lucky fan will have a choice of any Bling T on our website!

Before doing the drawing I will add a few New Designs and Holiday T's
to the inventory for you to choose from :)

Hurry and become a Fan today!
http://www.fbook.me/oneboyonegirlboutique
~Patricia

Update - Back to School 2009

2009-08-20T16:49:00.002-04:00

Isabella made it through her 1st day of Kindergarten!

I left for the school early so I would be one of the first parents through the car line.
Isabella came out of school smiling as wide as she was in the morning when I dropped her off :)
Trenton looked like a proud big brother guiding her to the car.

I had a bouquet of flowers for her in the car ;)

As soon as they got in Isabella said "Mommy, how was your day all by yourself?"
(she had been very concerned that I would be lonely with no one to play with)
I said mine was good and asked how hers was.
Trenton chimed in "She did awesome!"

Isabella agreed, and told me about the adventures of her day...

Going on a bear hunt around the school (school tour), while wearing bear ear headbands they made, searching for honey in their class room and finding Honey Grahams to snack on.
(fyi - a bear is their school mascot.)
She said she exercised in PE, ate lunch in the cafeteria like the big kids and played on the playground.

When we got home she showed me all the "important papers" in her backpack and the "Perfect" Bear stamp on her calendar, that she earned for following all the class/school rules.

She is very excited to meet the rest of her class tomorrow for the first full day with all the kindergartners.

Things are looking up...I hope she continues to be as excited.

~Patricia

Back to School 2009

2009-08-20T11:00:00.004-04:00

Yes, it's that time of year in Florida.
The summer came and went so fast!

This is a big year for us...
Trenton is in 5th grade and it is his last year in primary school.
I don't even want to think about next year...I freak out at the thought of MIDDLE SCHOOL

Isabella is in Kindergarten and this will be the only year she will be in the same school with her big brother, Trenton.
I am so happy they will have this year together and that Trenton is old enough to watch out for her...they have a great relationship :)

The 1st official day of school was Monday for most students.
Surprisingly, one of the nice things the school district has started to do is stagger the kindergartners first days.
A different group of 4 - 6 students from each Kindergarten class go each day until Friday, when they all go together for the first time.
This way the teachers can get to know the kids better and help them adjust to a new school.
I'm happy Bella is in the last group.
If she had gone Monday, I don't know that I could have gotten her to go back Friday LOL

Here's Trenton on his 1st day of 5th Grade

and here, waiting in the car line for morning drop off

When I picked him up he said the 1st day was as good as every other 1st day ;)
Which meant, he liked it, because he didn't do any work

Today was Bella's big day!
I asked her several times if she wanted me to walk her in to her class
but she said she wanted to be dropped off in the front like all the other big kids
and Trenton would walk her to class.
She did request that he hold her hand and maybe give her a hug after he walked her into the classroom.
Without question he agreed to all of this.
(gotta love this kid, sometimes!)

On her own she woke up extra early this morning and
was like a Mexican jumping bean bouncing around with excitement.

(Please note that this is the way she is for the first day of most things, it's the days to follow that the tears come and the pleading to stay home starts...we'll see what happens this year)

Here she is in her "Girls Rock" shirt, matching knee socks and glitter shoes!

and here, with her Big Bro

Again, waiting in the car line.
Trenton unbuckled Isabella from her car seat and helped her fix her skirt and put on her backpack.

Jumping up and down, she got out of the car squealing and announced to everyone it was her first day!

This was my last look at them before I pulled away with tears in my eyes :(

I am so proud of both of them!
Can't wait to hear about her day

~Patricia

The Pioneer Woman creates a Tasty Kitchen

2009-08-02T16:07:00.002-04:00

My favorite domestic goddess The Pioneer Woman
has created a recipe sharing/social networking community
called Tasty Kitchen
Stop by, become a member and share your recipes!
You can find me there by doing a member search for
oneboyonegirlboutique

Happy Cooking!
~Patricia

Featured

2009-07-29T12:12:00.003-04:00

I just got back from a great family vacation in Montana. I can't wait to show you all the pictures...I have a lot to go through LOL

I want to take a minute to mention, that while I was away, my sock puppet craft was featured on the fabulous OnePrettyThing website
I am a huge fan of the site! Each day OnePrettyThing features crafty tutorials from all over the internet. It's definitly a site worth adding to your favorites :D

Thank You OnePrettyThing for featuring me!
~Patricia

Sock Puppets

2009-07-16T08:12:00.004-04:00

Is it Hot or Raining outside?
From crafting to playing, sock puppets provided my kids with hours of fun!

The other day I got the usual "Mom we're board...lets do a project!"
I sigh, as I think about all the things I need to get done around the house.

What can the kids make without much help from me??
How about puppets!
This thought started out as paper bag puppets, in my mind.
As I grabbed a stack, Bella said "No Mama, SOCKS"

I can never can find matching socks when we need them...that works perfect for this craft!

My other issue with socks, is that none of ours "look" clean.
Kids in and out of the house all day, more often than not the kids are shoeless and socks (if they are wearing them LOL) get worn outside.
What's the deal with that??

I remembered a sock puppet a teacher had that had a "hard mouth".
Problem Solved...More on that later

While the kids looked for socks, I got out glue (regular & hot glue), markers, fabric scraps, felt, cotton balls, ribbon and google eyes.

With the kids hard at work on traditional sock puppets, I worked on my new version.

How to get rid of the dirty bottom on the sock ;) and make a better puppet

Using a cereal box I cut out an oval approx. 2.5 by 4 inches
(this worked well on an adult sock)
Depending on the size of your sock you may need to adjust the size.

Fold the oval in half, use scissors or a ruler to press down the crease.

Push the cardboard to the tip of the sock.
Put your hand in, with fingers on top and thumb on the bottom of the cardboard, test out the mouth to make sure it is where you want it.
Now, cut a smaller oval in the sock, where you want the mouth.

Ick, look at that dirty sock!

Glue the cardboard to the inside of the sock.
I used hot glue so it would dry faster but any glue will work.

To make it look more like a mouth.
cut out another oval from fabric or paper and glue it on top.
Check it out, looks awesome, right?

Here are a few of the puppets the kids and I made
Sheep (using cotton balls for the woolly fur)

A Cute cat with the "hard mouth", yarn tail and ricrac collar

Puppy dogs with floppy ears
(those are our dogs Onyx and Yota...really they look just like them!)

Another cat and Bella's version of our dog Onyx

Bella enjoyed chasing us around the house having her puppet bit us, LOL

Happy Crafting!
~Patricia

The Cats Meow ~ Bling T

2009-07-15T19:01:00.003-04:00

Kitty Cat Bling Tee Listed on eBay for the
BCheeky Teacher’s Pet Launch

I've teamed up with
sweettreatboutique and fish*hook*crochet
To bring you a fun outfit,
perfect for the entire school year!
Search BCheeky on eBay for the coordinating items and more!

~Patricia

Tweet with OBOGboutique

2009-07-12T14:37:00.002-04:00

It takes me a while to accept new technology and forms of communication.
Being the cautious person that I am I like to make sure new things are going to stick around before I invest my time in them.

With that said
OBOGboutique is now on Twitter!

What I'm going to do there, I don't know?
Perhaps Fun Giveaways (it's been a while) and special Twitter Sales.
You've got to Follow Me to see ;)

~Patricia

Bloomin Bling

2009-07-11T10:57:00.003-04:00

The eBay design group The Fairy Godmothers
has invited One Boy One Girl Boutique
to take part in their Tickled Pink guest launch.

Pick yourself some Bloomin Bling on eBay

~Patricia

What's out your Backdoor?

2009-07-09T12:06:00.004-04:00

BCheeky Guest Blogging Today

The Internet is an amazing place!
I never thought that I would be a person that could use the phrase "My Internet Friend" when describing someone I talk to on a daily basis.
Over the years I have made many "Internet Friends" and have even met a few of them in person...Yes I know, Freaky ;)

We are all from different parts of the country and the world.
Show off "What's out your Backdoor"

I live in Florida, the first images that come to mind for most are white sand beaches, maybe even Disney.

Stop by the BCheeky Blog to see What's out My Backdoor!
It won't be what you think

Whether your at work or home take a snap shot out your door or window and share it on your blog.
If you do, post a comment here or on the BCheeky Blog so we can take a peak into your world.

~Patricia

BCheeky Lemonade Recipe

2009-07-02T11:38:00.004-04:00

The eBay design group B*Cheeky that I belong to has started a blog.
Each week different members of the group will post.

For my first post I am sharing an
Oh So Tangy and Sweet Recipe for Fresh Lemonade

Sweeten your 4th of July Festivities with a glass ;)
Click on over to the B*Cheeky Blog for the Recipe
~Patricia

My Peeps have arrived!!

2009-05-06T12:55:00.003-04:00

We ordered 12 baby chicks 2 months ago from My Pet Chicken.
Of course I wanted them right away, but I chose 6 different varieties
(Australorp, White Leghorn, Plymouth Rock, Buff Orpington, Red Star & Rhode Island Reds) it took some time to get hatch dates close together. 2 months is long time to wait (well, for me), you'd think a person waiting that long would be more then prepared for the arrival.
Not me, I'm never ready for anything.
Luck for me the people in my life know this and expect nothing more ;)

My chicks were due to arrive in the mail today.
Yesterday, I planned to run errands gathering a few supplies I was missing.
That was the plan, but here's what happened...

Picked Bella up from preschool at Noon, came home to make her lunch before heading out to run errands.
12:30 the phone rings...United States Gov...hmmm, guess I should answer that.
The man on the phone said my box of chicks just arrived at the PO.
While he was saying some non important things or at least I wasn't paying attention, I could hear Chirping in the background.
My stomach started feeling sick, I hung up so fast I have no idea what I said to him.
Except the obvious, I'm on my way!

I ran around the house freaking out, in panic mode that the brooder wasn't setup, I didn't have the right heat lamp and what I thought was a chick waterer, wasn't!

I called Dave at work rambling about having to go to the pet store, get to the PO asap to get the chicks home to give them water before they DIE!
(This post is going to have lots of "!")

During all the chaos Bella was following behind me telling me not to worry because the chicks weren't coming until tomorrow.
(children, like animals instinctively know when you are loosing your mind and they need to step in and comfort you...don't you love that)

Bella helped me set up the brooder, prepare sugar water and fill the feeder.
We jumped in the car and raced to the PO, while Dave kindly ran my errands.
(he could have saved me some stress by doing that days ago, LOL)

We cut in front of the Huge line at the PO and excitedly told the clerk that baby chicks were waiting for us. Bella was jumping up and down, clapping and squealing with delight.
The people in line were laughing, either out of excitement for us or that we must be crazy.

No lie, I was giddy when I saw the box.
We carefully carried our precious babies to the car.
Took a second to snap a quick pic, of course

Bella made the calls to announce the arrival of grand babies/nieces to our family.
I concentrated on safely driving the chicks home.

We opened the box to lively chirping chicks eager to get out.
What a relief all 12 were alive!

(look Dave saved the day, just in time with the right waterer, but that long feeder had to go!)
I carefully took each one out of the box and dipped there beaks in the water.
The chicks were much larger and hardier than I thought they would be.
Really what do I know, I had never seen a baby chick before.

Proud Papa and Chick Sis admiring our new additions to the family

Crazy Chicken Brother!
This kid has loved and talked about chickens his entire life.
Why, I don't know?
The speech he did a few weeks ago was even about Chickens!
That turned out to be a great way for us to research chicken care.
(I'll have to post his fabulous speech)

Cat introductions
(btw, that is our new kitten, Honey)

Sleeping fluff balls or are they dead!
No they aren't, just looks that way ;)

Brooder setup
I can't maintain a high enough temperature for the chicks in our house.
It's 85-90 degrees outside, so during the day the brooder will be on the porch with the heat lamps.

121 pictures later, the chicks have made it through their first day/night at home :)

We are all chicken smitten
~Patricia

Homemade Topsy Turvy

2009-05-03T15:37:00.003-04:00

I mentioned in my previous post that you don't need a special "sold on TV" pot to grow tomato plants upside down.

Here's what you need to make your own:
Coconut Fiber Hanging Basket (I used 14"x6")
Tomato Plant
Garden Soil

Choose a strong wire basket.
I lucked out that this one had an open circle on the bottom creating the perfect place for the tomato plant to rest.

Cut a cross in the bottom center of the basket.

A small tomato plant will be easiest to fit through the hole.
Gather the branches, gently push them through the hole while turning the plant upside down.

Super easy and none of the branches broke!

Aww, how cute ;)

If your plant comes with a peat pot and you leave it on, I suggest breaking apart the bottom to help the roots spread.
Fill with Garden Soil and Your done.
OR
You can take it a step further and add to it's function.
Add Flowers or Herbs on top to make an extra attractive Homemade Topsy Turvy!

~Patricia

Garden = Savings

2009-04-28T10:59:00.003-04:00

Like all network news/talk shows that are jumping on the "home garden" bandwagon,
GMA had a short segment this morning.

They touched on the basics of planting seeds, hanging tomato plants upside down (and you don't need a special "sold on TV" pot for that) and composting.

The show also stated that a $70.00 investment in a veggie garden
can save you $600 p/yr on groceries.

How much could you save if you garden year round?

Any way you look at it, it's a Savings and it's Healthy!

My first tomato and pepper harvest for 2009 :)
Yummy!
~Patricia

Patriotic Bling Tees

2009-04-27T14:44:00.002-04:00

Currently Listed on eBay
(will be uploaded to the OBOGB website next week)

Do you know a little girl that is
Fun, Spirited and Independent ;)

Let your little Firecracker show her Patriotism with this Sparkly Bling Tee

Back my popular demand...
Made in the USA Bling Tee
(on the website and at auction)

So cute for a Boy or Girl!
~Patricia

Upcycle ~ T-Shirt Bag

2009-04-22T13:13:00.002-04:00

Earth Day Upcycle Craft

How to make a Bag from an old T-Shirt

I chose an old dingy shirt that does not fit my son anymore.

Lay the shirt out flat, seams together
Cut the sleeves off using a rotary cutter or scissors
Depending on the size of your shirt cut a 7-8 inch circle around the neck
I used this helpful circle cut ruler but you could also lay a large bowl on the shirt to use as a guide.

Turn the shirt inside out, pin along the hem
Sew the bottom of the shirt closed...I went back over it a second time to reinforce the stitch.

Turn right side out.

You're done!

It was so quick and easy I made one for my daughter ;)
~Patricia

Reduce Reuse Recycle & Upcycle

2009-04-22T11:34:00.004-04:00

Happy Earth Day!
To celebrate the day I have a couple Environment Friendly projects.

Going Green for me is not just about helping the environment, it's also about saving money.
I thought a good way to start is making my own laundry detergent.

Of course I can't find my receipt so I don't have the numbers on this.
The last time I bought "regular" commercial laundry detergent I think it cost me around $15.00-17.00 and I bought the HE kind for 64 loads.

The ingredients to make this detergent only cost a few dollars.
The recipe it self would be under $2.00 for approx. 40 loads (maybe less if I knew the numbers LOL).

Homemade Powdered Laundry Detergent

What you need:
1 Bar Soap (Pure & Natural, Kirk's, Fels-Naptha or one you prefer)
1 Cup Washing Soda (not baking soda)
1/2 Cup Borax

You can Grate or Chop the bar soap.
If you Grate you do not need to use a Food Processor.
Since I am making a Powder Detergent I wanted it really fine, so I chopped and put it in a Food Processor.

If using a Processor, put all your ingredients in...

Pulse until well mixed and fine.

I recycled a plastic container to store the powder.

If you didn't use a Food Processor, just Grate the bar and mix the ingredients.

You can mix a few drops of essential oil in as well, perhaps orange, lavender or tea tree.

To Use:
1 TBS or 2 TBS for heavily soiled loads

There is also a recipe to make this a liquid detergent. I haven't tried it yet.
When I do, I'll post it.

additional info:
Why I chose Kirk's Soap
No Animal By-Products, Never Tested on Animals, Hypoallergenic, Biodegradable, No Synthetic Detergents

Check back later for a fun Upcycle project!
~Patricia

Princess Jasmine Bling Tee

2009-04-18T12:10:00.002-04:00

"Wonderful! Magnificent! Glorious!… "
is what the Genie in the Aladdin calls Princess Jasmine
and she's just that on this Shinny Bling Tee

I just listed this brand new design in an eBay Auction

Bid Now to get one for your Princess Fan or
for your visit to the Most Magical Place on Earth!

~Patricia

Spring Garden Hazard

2009-04-15T11:30:00.002-04:00

To much shock and amazement from my family I am still gardening!
I actually grew lettuce and spinach over the winter and they are still doing well in the spring garden.
Here's what I have growing in our Spring 2009 Square Foot Garden

We had a very mild winter here in Florida but this Spring has been a different story.
Mid 80's one day and 60's the next (Northerners will have a good laugh at that but it's a big drop for Florida). The cold fronts have been accompanied by strong winds and rain. The rain is Great...we really need it and my grass looks fabulous.
My tomato plants are not holding "Up" well to the wind.
Here's what they should look like
Tall, Beautiful, Green, Lots of tomatoes growing, with a couple strawberry plants taking up the extra space

But for the past 2 weeks they have looked more like THIS

Yes, they still have lots of tomatoes, even a few turning red.
I am pretty sure they shouldn't be laying down and the low branches are taking a beating.
They are turning yellow and brown.

After they fall over I head out and carefully pick them back up.
The top section of one of the plants broke off. It had a bunch of tomatoes on it so I stuck it in the ground with the hopes that it will root.

If you followed my gardening adventures last summer you know I didn't have much luck with tomatoes. My plants were attacked by a Tomato Horn Worm. The plants eventually died.

To add to the tomato bad luck a few months ago I started seeds in a tray.
I was so excited, heading out to water them everyday, waiting to see a sprout pop up.
Before they could even sprout the dogs played tug of war with the trays.
The Dogs Won!

I am determined to have a successful garden and tomatoes are my favorite, so I am not going to give up. Today I will go out and assess the damage from yesterdays storm. I might even start some seeds in the event that these plants don't make it.

~Patricia

Eleven

2009-04-09T10:27:00.004-04:00

Trenton was born on April 4, 1998
David and I were young
and this little baby helped us grow up and become a family.

On Saturday he turned 11 years old!
We have all done a lot of growing in these past years.
We have a little girl, a new house, new pets and new experiences everyday.

Trenton had a fun filled bowling party Saturday night
with close friends and family.

A few days before, Trenton was chosen to read a speech he wrote in a school competition.
He read the speech to his entire school, a panel of judges and of course family.

I was so proud to see him overcome the fear of public speaking that most people have.
He did a fabulous job!

This week he also pitched his first baseball game.
Trenton loves and plays many sports
soccer, golf & tennis

This is his first year playing baseball since he was 4.
When he is not on the mound he plays 3rd base.

Trenton we are so proud of you
Love Mom & Dad

~Patricia

Retro Toys with BLB Boutique

2009-03-23T13:56:00.003-04:00

The eBay design group
BLB Boutique
is hosting a guest launch and the theme is
Retro Toys
Nearly a 100 fabulous Boutique designers have come together to create fun outfits & accessories featuring all your childhood favorites
Gumby, Smurfs, Paper Dolls, Raggedy Ann and More

For the launch I've listed my
Hello Kitty Bling T
and the auction is starting at a low price
So jump on in and Bid!

Hello Kitty Auction

Next up is another of my favorites
Strawberry Shortcake
it's also starting at a fantastic price for a design with over 500 Rhinestuds!
All hand placed by me

Strawberry Shortcake Auction

By the end of the week both of these character shirts will be listed on my website with Buy It Now prices

Search "BLB Boutique" to find more Retro Toy fun and
These fabulous coordinating Strawberry items
Skirt & Dress available in separate listings by RMXdesigns

~Patricia

St. Patrick's Day ~ Treats

2009-03-18T11:07:00.003-04:00

I hadn't planned anything special for St. Patty's Day.
For goodness sake I haven't taken down our Valentine decorations, yet!
Yes, I know I am slacking.
The house should already be dressed up in pastel colors and bunny motifs for Spring and Easter.

We really have had a lot going on... surgeries, illness, upon illness, even a craft fair thrown in for added stress LOL

Feeling guilty about ignoring St Patrick's Day, I put together a couple quick festive treats for the kids last night.

Irish Soda Bread

The recipe is from All Recipes.
Since I didn't have buttermilk I used Martha's method for making your own using
1 1/3 whole milk mixed with 1/3 apple-cider vinegar
This gave me enough to mix in the recipe and some to brush on top of the loaf with melted butter.

Shamrock & Spring Flower Sugar Cookies

Another one from All Recipes (I couldn't live without that site)

~Patricia

Strawberry Festival 2009

2009-03-06T10:36:00.004-05:00

It's Craft Fair Time!
Visit our booth at the
Floral City Strawberry Festival
March 7 &8th

Mommy & Me Apron Set's,
Girls and Boys Novelty Aprons,
Chalk Mats, Crayon Rolls and More

Special for this Fair
Scented Strawberry Pillows!
See You There :)
~Patricia

Sweet Bunnies

2009-03-02T14:19:00.004-05:00

Here's my last one for the Mad Hatter's Tea Party launch with
BCheeky on eBay.

A Bling Tee with 3 Sweet Bunnies perfect for Easter or Any Day.
One in Bright Yellow, Dark Sky Blue and Pink ~Yummy
The design will be recreated for you using 270+ Shinny Faceted Rhinestuds
on the custom sized tee of your choice.

Hop on over before their gone

~Patricia

Mad Hatter's Tea Party

2009-02-21T12:29:00.002-05:00

Just Listed on eBay
for the BCheeky debut launch
Mad Hatter’s Tea Party

Alice in Wonderland was one of my favorite stories as a child.
This custom Alice bling tee is my tribute to the classic book.
Alice's curious face was created by hand with 500+ shinny metal faceted rhinestuds.
The design will be recreated for you on the custom sized tee of your choice.

Alice Bling Tee

Alice Tee Auction Listing
Free Shipping within the US for the Auction Winner!
~Patricia

Be Still my Beating Heart

2009-02-06T13:13:00.007-05:00

We've gone heart crazy in preparation for valentines day.

Faux Stained Glass Hearts.
*Warning this can be a messy project

Materials:
2 sheets Wax Paper, Glue, Water, Tissue Paper,
embellishments to decorate your heart (optional)

Start by mixing equal parts water and glue, tear/cut up tissue paper, you can draw shapes on the wax paper at guides.
Dip the tissue paper in the glue mixture and lay in desired location on the wax paper.
When you are done place the 2nd wax sheet on top, so the tissue paper is sandwiched in between the layers.
Let dry 24hrs (depending on how much glue your little one uses)
Cut out the shapes when dry.
Hang them around the house or attach them to cards to give as valentines

Next up
Wiggly Arm Hearts
This one is super easy!

Trace & cut out a heart shape
Decorate the heart
Cut strips of paper for the arms and legs
Accordion fold the strips
Glue the arms and legs to the heart
Cut out Shapes for hands and feet
Glue them to the arms and legs
You're done :)

Heart Mobiles
I downloaded scrap booking paper images from Tricia-Rennea Art
Traced heart shapes in different sizes
Cut & Hang for a Fun decoration

Be Mine Heart Garland
I made this in Word, Printed it, Cut it and strung on ribbon
I'd love to share the document but I can't figure out how to post a pdf file in my blog
If I ever do I'll post it or you can email me for it.
*Revised*
Here's a download to the
Be Mine Garland

I stitched up a felt conversation heart while watching TV and I forgot to stuff it!
Still looks cute ;)

hmmm, who should I give it too??

~Patricia

Here's the assignment...

2009-02-04T18:12:00.002-05:00

Spelling Homework:
Pretend you are away at camp. Write a letter home to Mom or Dad. Include ALL of the spelling words in your letter. Underline each spelling word.

Word List:
tropical, animal, April, arrival, trample, bottle, camel, capital, couple, swivel, festival, gentle, level, national, normal, tremble, puddle, rebel, single, tunnel, civil, snorkel, double, dribble, original

Hi Mom and Dad,
I am writing you from the National Civil Capital camp. It's April and there is not a single cloud in the sky, not even a dribble of rain, not a puddle on the ground. You can feel a gentle tropical breeze in the air. I wish I could bottle the weather and send it home.
My arrival to camp was normal and without a tremble. I should have brought double the clothes and a couple more bathing suits.
There is so much to do for any level outdoorsmen. You can snorkel, ride bikes through a tunnel, see a camel at the wild animal park. Be careful the animals might trample you. They have cool swivel cars to drive you around in the park. You can even be a rebel and come up with an original activity.
I can't wait to show you around at the parent festival.
Love,
Trenton

That's a tough assignment. At least this time the spelling words worked together well, that doesn't always happen.

Trenton gets a sheet of daily spelling assignments like this each week.
They are from the workbook Activities for Any Spelling Unit by Teacher Created Resources.
Teacher Created Resources was one of my favorite sites when I was homeschooling.
You can find a workbook on anything, they also have a great inventory of classroom supplies.
~Patricia

Kids Artist Trading Card Swap

2009-02-04T11:13:00.003-05:00

Click on over to House on Hill Road to sign your child up for a
Artist Trading Card Swap.

As you know my kids love to draw and paint, they also love to get mail.
In this Swap the kids will be grouped with 5 other children of the same age.
Each child will create 5 Artist Trading cards of their own and mail them to their partners.
In return your child will receive 1 card from each of the children in their group.
I know, sounds confusing when I explain it.
Here are some of the details from the House on Hill Road blog

- Please send a message to atckidswap@gmail.com by this Friday, 2/6. Let us know your address, your child's name and age. International swappers are welcome!
- This is exclusively a project for children and for that reason, we are specifying that participating children be ages 4 and up. No adult ATC's, please.
- We will divide the children into groups of 6, meaning your child will make 5 cards to mail out. You will receive your group from us on Monday, 2/9.
- Artist trading cards are all the same size: 2.5" by 3.5". Because ATC's are so small, they will fit into a standard envelope. To keep it simple, the participants are not obligated beyond mailing the actual card out to its recipient (plus any information about the card they'd like to add). Anything extra is up to the sender and is not expected or required.
- Finished cards should be mailed out to their recipients no later than 2/28.

If your interested visit their blog for additional details and to learn exactly what an Artist Trading Card is. Don't forget to email them by Friday February 6th to sign up!
~Patricia

Valentine orders

2009-02-02T10:00:00.002-05:00

By my calculations, Tuesday February 10th is the last day to ship items Priority and receive them in time for Valentines.
Obviously my tees at OBOGB are custom, so get your orders in asap.
For this crunch time I can have a turn around of 2 days on most orders.
If you have any questions email me through my website prior to ordering.

Currently I have 2 V-Day shirts listed on eBay with a Free Shipping offer.
I want to extend that deal to all my customers.
Any US orders made from February 1st through the 9th will receive Free Priority Shipping.
Upon checkout enter FREEVDAY09 in the memo section of your payment and I will refund your $5.00 shipping fee.

www.oneboyonegirlboutique.com
~Patricia

Was that fast?

2009-02-01T20:40:00.002-05:00

January flew by!
For those of you that don't know me personally, I am a homebody.
Honestly I'd be happy with the thought of never leaving my home.
I try to schedule all errands for one day of the week.
Besides taking the kids to and from school each day and to their after school activities, only 1 day is for grocery shopping and misc. other errands.
But January 2009 seemed to have multiple appointments each day.

I am sitting here tonight, February 1st, trying to unwind from a hectic and stressful month.
February isn't looking much better!

While I cleaned the house and reflected on the month
here's what the kids did today...

Yes, that's Isabella riding a bike with NO training wheels!
She has been doing that since the end of the summer.
But she just now feels comfortable enough to turn around on her own at the end of the driveway.
She's such a Big Girl!

~Patricia

Weekend Projects

2009-01-25T21:36:00.002-05:00

Here's an educational and fun craft to keep kids occupied.
Woodcraft Construction Kits
Trenton spent the weekend making a Stag Beetle and a Bumblebee to add to his collection of wood models.
I was impressed how well he was able to follow the numbered diagram to put them together.
Just a few months back he need more assistance with the car and jet.

It's amazing to see how quickly a child's mind can grow :)
~Patricia

Paint your own Canvas Wall Art

2009-01-19T16:19:00.003-05:00

There was no school today.
In my home that means I will have 2 children looking for something to craft.

Trenton & Isabella both received "Paint Your Own Monogramed Canvas Wall Art" kits for Christmas.
They've asked several times to work on these but I knew this was a project that would take up an entire day.
And that's just what I needed today :)

The kit comes with everything you need to complete the project.
From the booklet provided you choose the background style and the font for your initial.
Using carbon paper you trace the design onto the canvas and your ready to paint.
The set comes with 5 basic colors and a mixing chart.

Do you hear it?
That's the sound of quiet children

Still Hard at work

Happy children with a beautiful completed master piece to hang on their bedroom walls

Where are they now?
Outside playing basketball with Dad

Where's Mom?
Relaxing at the computer reflecting on a successful day off from school
~Patricia

Andalucia Fabric and Mommy & Me Apron debut

2009-01-17T19:37:00.003-05:00

eBay designers have come together to celebrate one of our own.
Patty Young of Modkid Boutique is the designer behind the Classy & Whimsical new fabric line Andalucia for Michael Miller.

The fabric worked perfectly to make matching Mommy & Me aprons.
I think both mom's and little girls will find something to like about the fabric design.

Besides honoring the new Andalucia fabric line this is also the online debut of my Mommy & Me Retro Flare Apron sets.
I have been selling these adorable mother daughter apron sets at craft fairs throughout Florida.
They sell out as soon as I make them so I haven't had a chance to list any on my website.

I have several cut out, ready to sew...with no Craft Fair's lined up for a couple months I should be able to get a few listed.

Here is the Mommy & Me Andalucia apron set
It is Ready to Ship and listed on eBay

Isabella & I even did a little modeling !

To find all the fabulous items listed for the Andalucia launch
search "Boutique Andalucia" on eBay

~Patricia

Vacation Over or OVER Vacation

2009-01-05T10:39:00.002-05:00

I woke up this morning bright and early to get the kids ready for school.
The 1st day back after having 2 whole weeks off.

I couldn't wait to get back to my empty, quiet house to dive into work; adding more new items to my website, planning my schedule for a new year of bling tees and start organizing my office that has become nearly impossible to walk through without stepping on some thing.

We got out of the house on time, which is rare. I went to Bella’s school first to drop her off.
I walked in and started to sign her in but the sign in sheet looked different.
The teacher noticed my confusion and said “Oh, it's just daycare today not preschool”

What??

At the same time another teacher walked in and made the same mind boggling statement.
I know she has children that go to public school and the preschool schedule is the same as public school, as far as days off.
I said isn't there "regular" school today, she said “Nope, the kids don't go back until WEDNESDAY”

What!!!

2 1/2 weeks off from school! Are these school officials CRAZY?
I know I am going crazy after this loooong vacation.

We piled back in the car, as the kids cheered we headed back home.

I love spending time with the kids and we have had a fun filled vacation of activates, sleepovers and crafting but when you set your mind to them heading back to school and they don't actually go…Well I’m sure you know how I feel

~Patricia

December 2008

2009-01-02T13:19:00.005-05:00

December has come and gone.
Here's a look back at at our holiday season.

Making Smores

Holiday Cards

Snow in Florida??

Visits with Santa

Parties

Visiting with PopPop

Bella's Rice Crispy Treats

Christmas Morning

What Cats & Dogs like to do over the holidays
new pup :)
a couple month ago we inherited a stray puppy.
In the far ground of the above picture is Yota. He's an 8 month old Catahoula.
He a fascinating addition to our family. He gets along great with both Onyx (black lab) and Blu (Siamese mix cat).
Onyx has never been happier and loves playing with him all day and sleeping curled up together at night.
I almost don't know how we lived without him ~ Welcome Yota!

Birthdays

We ended the year with fireworks, smores & oysters by a bonfire in our backyard, shared with Grandpa Bob and neighbors stopping by to wish us a Happy New Year!

~Patricia

Christmas Trees and Pom poms

2008-12-08T21:25:00.004-05:00

Make your own Christmas Tree
I have been eyeing these porch/entryway Christmas trees that I have been seeing at stores, for a while.
I've seen them in many sizes, with or without decorations and typically they range in price from $30-100.00+
I don't have much of a budget for holiday decorations this year, so I made my own.

I started with an empty flower pot and a tomato cage.
You can place the tomato cage upside down over the pot, like I did below

or if your pot is large enough you can place it in it

I used 3 9ft sections on 2ply pine garland that can be purchased for $3.99 each.
Wrap each section of garland around the tree and position the branches to fill in the empty spaces. It won't cover perfectly but trust me it will look fantastic when your done.

After the pine garland was in place, I wrapped a string of white lights around it and Bella added the faux poinsettia to make the tree look festive during the day.

The tree looked awesome all lit up tonight.
After I make another I will post more pictures.

While at a holiday home tour I saw similar trees wrapped in moss and decorated with fruit.
One used only green apples, it looked beautiful.

Pompoms
Bella has jumped on the Pom pom Garland craze.
This was an easy craft that she really enjoyed

She loved the fact that she could do it all by herself and it didn't take long.

Looks great on her and

on her very own Christmas tree!

Felt Ornaments
Here's a sneak peak at a felt ornament I made

I am working on a couple other designs based on cookie cutter shapes.
When I'm done I will post my patterns so you can make your own.
Happy Decorating!
~Patricia

Ornament Crafts

2008-12-02T14:49:00.004-05:00

While decorating the Christmas tree this past weekend I came across ornaments we have made over the years that are great kid crafting projects.
The first 2 are pipe cleaner ornaments.
Here's an easy candy cane that kids of all ages can make. We have them in several colors and sizes on the tree.

The snowflake may be better suited for older kids or the help from mom or dad to cut small pieces of pipe cleaners.
We had also made a wreath but I can't find it. If I make a new one I'll post a pic.

Trenton (10) and I made adorable reindeer ornaments when he was 3.
What a nice memory on our tree, we even have mommy and daddy reindeer hands...I think it's time Isabella made one ;)

Isabella did make this Popsicle ornament, there are also a few decorated with sparkles.

I made this gingerbread man garland several years ago along with a snowman set for my sister.

Here's the recipe for the garland
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup salt
1 cup water

Decorations:
Food Coloring, Glitter or Acrylic Paints

To make the dough, combine the flour, salt, and water in a mixing bowl.
Knead the dough until smooth and rubbery.

You can roll out the dough and use cookie cutters to make your shapes.
If you will be making the shapes for garland use a straw to make holes for the ribbon.

Bake at 275 degrees for 1 hour.

Paint the ornaments after they have cooled completely.

Happy Christmas Crafting!
~Patricia

Stitching & More

2008-11-23T20:57:00.002-05:00

While I was working on my "Where we Love is Home" project, I taught the kids the stitches I had learned in the eBook.
Trenton is 10 so he picked it up quick.

Although Isabella is only 4 she was able to handle the basic stitches on her own and only needed a little more direction for the others.

While searching for the kids stitching pictures I came across a couple other projects they worked on recently that would make great gifts for kids to make for the upcoming holidays.

One of Trenton's favorite projects is making pillows.
He's made them for teachers, grandparents, himself and to sell at craft fairs.
He raids my fabric stash and creates pillows in all different sizes.
No pattern needed for an easy sewing project like this.

Here's a proud grandma receiving a pillow for mother's day

Trenton has also made his own tote bags, perfect to take on trips to carry books or his NintendoDS
This one is reversible

He also made his first piece of pottery over the summer.
This is still a work in progress because he hasn't painted it yet.

Isabella is the Queen of Jewels!
She will spend hours beading necklaces and bracelets for herself and friends.

~Patricia

Thanksgiving Crafting and Stitching?

2008-11-23T17:26:00.006-05:00

This past week we worked on a few Thanksgiving crafts.
Isabella came up with her own way to give thanks to family we will have over for the holiday.
She made/decorated a Give Thanks Mailbox.
This was her own idea and she told me she plans to make a mailbox for every holiday.

She's already made several cards and drawings to give out on Thanksgiving.

While Isabella worked on that, I made the Leaf Garland that was featured in Good Housekeeping.
This was an easy no sew project.

In years past we have talked about what we are thankful for but I thought Skip To My Lou's Thanksgiving Tree would be a good tradition to start as well.

This is not necessarily a Thanksgiving craft. This is my first stitching project and I have been working on it for a couple months in my spare time.
I absolutely love stitching! I chose this new hobby because it was something I could do anywhere; sitting on the couch with Dave while he watches tv, waiting for the kids at gymnastics or guitar lessons or many of the other times I am sitting in my car waiting for the kids (which feels like most of the week)

This stitching pattern is from Needle in a Haystack.
I purchased Stitching Essentials: An Introduction to the Art of Stitching
The eBook covers the basic fundamentals of stitching from choosing embroidery hoops, needles, floss, and fabric, to learning 7 basic embroidery stitches. Besides the step by step photos of the stitches and instructions on how to frame your finished project, the eBook also included the "Where we Love is Home" pattern.
I thought it was a great pattern to start with because all the stitches you learned are incorporated in the design.
I am totally hooked and am now well stocked with floss, hoops, fabric and felt to get started on lots of holiday decorations!

Almost forgot... Needle in a Haystack also offers a few Free patterns ;)

~Patricia

Liftoff!

2008-11-14T21:07:00.004-05:00

At approximately 7:55pm we headed outside with binoculars and cameras in hand to catch a glimpse of Space Shuttle Endeavour rocketing through the night sky

We are 150 miles from Cape Canaveral. Although the pictures don't do it justice, it is spectacular to see the night sky light up and hear little Isabella declare she wants to ride in a rocket ship!

~Patricia

Halloween 2008 ~ rewind

2008-11-11T21:24:00.003-05:00

Today we started Thanksgiving craft projects and I realized I hadn't even posted about Halloween!
Here's a look back at the festivities that were filled with...

Crafting, Decorating

(to make a Trick or Treat sign for next year visit Skip to my Lou)

Harvest Festivals, Hay Rides

Singing (4 red apples)

Pumpkin Carving

Pink Poodles, Grim Reapers

Parties and Haunted Houses

Halloween felt like it lasted weeks with all the events to keep us busy!

To rewind even further, Here's a look back at last years pre-blog pumpkins

~Patricia

You Can Make This!

2008-10-23T11:17:00.005-04:00

I recently teamed up with my good friends Karen of Growing Up with Rosy and Christy from Little Shamrocks to create a Spooktacularly Comfy Halloween outfit for YouCanMakeThis.com

If your in need of a quick and easy outfit to make for upcoming Fall Festivities
You can't go wrong with an adorable set like this

My eBook "Spooktacular Bling" includes 4 Halloween themed Hot Fix Dot patterns
Perfect to add sparkle to Tee's, Treat Bags, Pillows and More

Besides selling eBooks, I'm a You Can Make This customer.
I love that I can choose any one of the hundreds of patterns or informational ebooks and download it for use right away.

This past month I did just that to make Bella an outfit for her very first picture day at preschool.
The day before picture day I downloaded my eBooks, got to work and in a short time had a one of a kind outfit.
Here's Bella doing her Rock Star pose to model her outfit before heading to school.

I used a peasant top eBook by Dainty Designs to make her shirt and an eBook by Marymo Handmade to make button pony o's.
I sewed buttons on her knee high socks and followed an Etsy Labs tutorial to turn a pair of recycled jeans into a funky skirt.

~Patricia

The most Famous Reindeer of All

2008-09-26T09:43:00.003-04:00

Yes, it's almost that time of year!
RMXdesigns, One*Boy*One*Girl*Boutique and Sweetie*Dumplings
have teamed up to bring you a Holiday Spectacular with the
Most Famous Reindeer of All

RMXdesigns made the super twirly skirt and of course I made a matching Rudolph Bling Tee

Bonus* If you win both the auction for the skirt and bling tee
RMXdesigns will give you a FREE set of Red Fur Cuffs
The Perfect adornment to your Holiday outfit!

Both the Skirt and the Bling Tee have starting auction prices of .99
Hurry get in and Bid!

Sweetie*Dumplings created a matching set of fluffy, curly bows to top off your holiday set

Ending eBay Auctions:
a Recycle Themed collaboration with luvnstitches
Organic “Trees in Green” Bling Tee
Ready to Ship size 6
Gaucho pants by luvnstitches

Organic “Earth/Recycle” Bling Tee
Ready to Ship size 6

The Perfect Dress by luvnstitches to go with the Earth Tee

Green Swirl Pony O’s

I have another "Go Green" outfit that I will list next week!

OBOGB Website News:
The website is busy right now with custom orders
Just in case you didn't know...
Yes, I do take Custom orders
The holiday's are just around the corner
Get your orders in early for special events and family portraits
Currently I have a turn around of 7 days to 2weeks for custom orders

Sale:
I haven't taken down the Summer Sale yet
Stock Up and Save for next Summer!
up to 30% off select Summer Collection

Where to find my me:
eBay Auctions
Website
email me at info@oneboyonegirlboutique.com

~Patricia

Dazzle for the Ladies

2008-09-10T14:04:00.003-04:00

I have been adding Dazzle to Tees for over 4 years and this is the first shirt that I designed for women.
Yes, I have made shirts for women but never intentionally made a design geared for an adult.
I was invited to take part in a special launch on eBay celebrating Sandi Henderson's Farmers Market fabric line.

I love the fabric along with her previous Ginger Blossoms line.

With the launch of my website I plan to include women's tees and more but wasn't sure what direction I wanted to take the tees. I would like them to be sophisticated and fit in with current fashion trends. I'm sure I'll include the usual cute sayings for mom's too but I wanted to start off the line with a statement.

The Farmers Market fabrics inspired me to create a coordinating paisley design on a soft chocolate brown tee.

To complete the look I created a Stripwork Fabric Belt made out of Sandi's Farmers Market, Ginger Blossoms fabric lines and a faux Tortoise Shell Belt Buckle.

The Belt and Tee look fabulous with a pair of jeans!
I love it so much that I'm keeping mine :)
But you can have your own by checking out my listings on eBay
I have the Belt and Tee available in the same listing.
They will be recreated in a custom size for the winner.

I hope you like it as much as I do!

~Patricia

New Items on My Website & on eBay

2008-09-09T12:36:00.003-04:00

First up, Website News
I have new shirts listed on the site that are Perfect for Back to School

As well as Hair Bling!
I have taken the popular Button Pony O and added a little Dazzle to them

One the site up to 30% off select summer items...Don't Miss Out

Stop by oneboyonegirlboutique.com
New items are added weekly!

I've gone Kitty Krazy on eBay
I took part in a collaboration with my good friends
Karen of growing*up*with*rosy
and
Jamie of RMXdesigns

Say...Hello to pretty Kitty!

Karen made the "Big Ruffle Knit Pants"
This comfy outfit can be worn all year and won't your little girl dazzle the classroom with her matching sparkly Hello Kitty Tee by ME

Now I did say I went Kitty Krazy...so I also made
Kitty Pony O's

and a matching adjustable Kitty Button Ring

Jamie of RMXdesigns made adorable Hair Clips

and a sparkly bracelet to match

I've also relisted my Custom Scaredy Cat, Flying Witch and Prep School Apple Bling Tees on ebay with Buy it Now prices.

Where can you find me?
eBay http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/one*boy*one*girl*boutique
and
my store http://oneboyonegirlboutique.com/

~patricia

1st Day of School 2008

2008-08-18T11:28:00.005-04:00

Summer vacation is over and I sit here childless thinking about all the fun we had.
It went so fast, so fast that I didn't blog about many of the exciting trips and adventures we went on.

This morning was crazy but we made it out on time!
Trenton is starting the 4th grade and Bella is going to pre-k.
Here they are ready to go...new clothes, new school bags, a new start to a great year

Miss Bella even let me get a snap shot outside of school wearing her brand new Little Pet Shop shirt custom made for her by Bear*Threads*Boutique
The picture was taken moments before the tears came.
I don't know when this is going to stop. Bella has attend this school for camp 3 days a week all summer. But still everyday she cries.
It's heart breaking and I have to promise her that I will wait in the car for her ALL day! I'm not allowed to go home.
Rest assured everyday when we pick her up she is chatty and excited to tell us all about her "Great Day at School".
Soon she'll be begging to get away from me but for now I get tears

After dropping Bella off, Trenton and I head to his school.
He likes to get to school as soon as the doors open, that's 30 minutes before school starts.
That's a good aim for me since I am late for everything.
He likes to have time to get settled and relax before school starts.

Here's a shot of him while we wait in the car line for drop off.
Can you see how thrilled he is that I was able to get in an extra back to school pep talk.
He's getting so big that I have to take these moments that he can't escape my locked car to share quality time with him.

Now I'm off to my craft room!
~Patricia

Ouick & Easy Meal Planning

2008-08-14T12:08:00.006-04:00

School starts next week and soon we will be back to a busy schedule with after school activities.
This week I decided to test out a few recipes that will work during the hectic school year.

First up was Saucy Italian Port Chops from Kraft Foods
I thought this would work for our family of diverse eaters because the non meat eaters could just have the veggies and rice.
The rice and veggies were so tasty in the sauce and the pork chops were juicy.

My only changes to the recipe was to add an extra 1/4 cup of balsamic vinaigrette reduced fat dressing and to kick it up a notch I threw in crushed red pepper flakes and garlic powder.

We also tried Shrimp, Tortellini and Spinach from Kraft Foods
I doubled the recipe so we'd have leftovers.

The shrimp dish was a Hit and liked by all
I even have visual evidence of Mr. Food Amnesia eating it

Next time I'll record him saying he like it, too!

My kids are big fruit and berry eaters and all summer they have been asking for a Blueberry Pie.
Where their obsession with Blueberries has come from I don't know but every time we go to the store they must have them. Could it be because our cat is named Blu, we even have a Webkinz named BluBerry
Blue is also one of Bella's favorite colors!

After seeing the Pioneer Women throw together a seemingly easy Blueberry Pie I thought maybe I could do it too.

Just to get it over with now...I didn't make my own crust.
I have made my own crust before but when trying a new pie I'd prefer to use a crust I Know will turn out right. Otherwise I might never make the pie again simply because the crust wasn't good.

I chose the Forth of July Blueberry Pie recipe from the Martha Stewart Baking Handbook
(my signed copy of the book given to me by my big sis Liz ~Thank You Again for waiting in that looong line)

Luckily I just found the recipe on Martha's site so I don't need to type it out.
My only variation was to add a 1/4 cup of sugar to the un-crushed blueberries before mounding them in the pie shell on top of the crushed berry mixture.
I also added sugar to the top pie crust.

Here it is

We were all impressed with my first blueberry pie
I will definitely make it again!

~Patricia

Ready or Not

2008-08-08T11:42:00.003-04:00

I was going to wait until the end of the weekend so I could get a few more items uploaded on the site, But Why?
Today is 08/08/08
What does that matter?
Those calendar numbers will never be seen again in our lifetime.
According to numerology (which I don't follow but today I will)
The number 8 is associated with good fortune
and today it's at the power of 3...that's gotta be good luck

So today may be better than other's to launch One Boy One Girl Boutique!

I'm jumping in with my Summer 2008 Collection
The graphic above is just a few of the shirts from that collection.

I will continue to stock the store during the month of August
in preparation for the launch of our
Fall 2008 Collection

Sign Up for our Mailing List
(see the box on the right side)
To Be The First To See our New Designs
Learn About Upcoming Specials and Be Eligible for Free Giveaways

Lots of Fun & Games for the Fall Launch so stay tuned!

~Patricia

Where's the Beef?

2008-08-07T16:25:00.001-04:00

It's a weekly struggle to make food that everyone in my house will eat.

Isabella's current diet consists of Tuna Fish on Ritz Crackers, Hot Dogs, Scrambled Eggs, Toast and Waffles/Pancakes.
The rest of us aren't going to sit down for dinner to eat any of that but at least she is eating something.

Trenton is a brave eater and always has been but he has what I call "Food Amnesia". He'll eat some thing once and Love it. The next time I make the same thing, before it even passes his lips he declares that he never liked ~What?
I guess it's PB&J for him!

Of course just like any man, Dave eats anything, except for some of the strange concoctions I whip up for myself (well, he thinks they are strange)

The other obstacle in our house is that I don't eat meat. (That would be why Dave thinks some of the things I eat are strange)
Let me clarify that since it can be a touchy subject for some people.
I don't eat red meat, pork, or poultry BUT I do eat fish, eggs & dairy products and we won't get into my secret obsession with Bacon (that should be a 4 letter word!). Bacon is the only meat if it is actually one that I crave and have to force myself to stay away from.
Why I do that, I don't know?
I don't have a grand agenda behind not eating meat, I wish I could say I was that good of a person and it's not for health reasons.
Really, it's just about what I like and what I don't.
Yes I know, Boring

This leads me to a dish I never thought Dave would eat.
Forget about the kids...it was late and the kids had eaten earlier.

Black Bean Burgers!
I found the recipe for ever ago at allrecipes (one of my weekly "go to" sites for meal planning)
I have eaten frozen Black Bean Burgers and at restaurants but never homemade.
Dave has never tried one ever!

While Dave was out mowing the yard I made the burgers.
Very easy and quick to make!
I cooked ours in the oven and when they were done I loaded them up with mayo, homegrown tomatoes and lettuce.

I served the burgers along side leftover Farfalle pasta with Zucchini (a recipe from the Pioneer Women...another stop on the weekly meal planning quest)

When I called Dave in for dinner I told him to be open minded.

He was shocked when he ate it and I was happy to find that he Loved it and even wanted a second!

Since that night we have eaten them 2 more times
What Bliss to make a meal we Both can Eat & Enjoy!

~Patricia

Back to School & Holiday Bling

2008-07-21T16:42:00.004-04:00

My Internet has been out since Thursday!
So this is my first chance to show a couple listings that will be ending tomorrow
July 22nd
Here are 2 New 2008 Designs for the
"End of Summer what a Bummer" launch with TheAve

Custom Cat & Mouse Bling Tees
To match a set by Simply*Sophia

Cat Bling Tee Listing

Mouse Bling Tee Listing

Also ending tomorrow
"Celebrate the Holidays in July" with BLB Boutique

Custom Scaredy Cat Bling Tee

Ready to Ship * Size 4
Witchy Bling Tee

Not ending until Sunday, July 27th
New 2008 Design Perfect for Back to School
Made to Match
the Gymboree Prep School clothing line

Prep School Bling Tee

The cable co. has been out twice since Thursday to fix the Internet (and phone but who uses a phone anymore)...it looks like they got it right this time.
I felt so out of touch not having Internet service but it gave me time to clean the house and work on more designs!
~Patricia

Keeping the Kids Busy

2008-07-17T17:13:00.001-04:00

With Trenton and Bella becoming their own "person" more and more everyday, my life seems to have become even more centered around them and their wants/needs.
Don't get me wrong I have no problem with that, It is just becoming more evident as they get older.
This summer they have kept me on my toes!
Trenton is 10, he started the summer off with a trip to New York (which I still haven't blogged about...sorry Trenton), golf/tennis camp, another round of golf camp, followed by snorkel camp. On top of his normal play dates, golfing, tutoring twice a week and guitar lessons.
Bella is only 4 so she is a little easier. She attends a summer program at her preschool 3 half days a week and has had a few play dates of her own.

When we are All at home we garden, play on the water slide and craft.
Crafting has always been a big part of my parenting. We paint, cut, glue, draw, in general create something everyday. During these times are when I get unprompted hugs, kisses and am told I am the Best Mom EVER ;)
I know these are memories they will have with them forever...
What Kid Crafting have you done this summer?
Here are a couple easy ones we have done

Homemade Play Doh
We used Martha's recipe

Bella and I made the Play Doh weeks ago and it is still good!

Recycle broken crayons to create Rainbow Crayons

Remove wrappers from Crayons (not always easy to do...try soaking in water overnight)
Break Crayons into 1/2 inch pieces

Fill aluminum foil lined muffin tins or metal cookie cutters half way with the Crayons
Bake Crayons in a preheated 300 degree oven for 5-7 minutes
Melt them just enough for the colors to Blend, not to liquefy into one color
Cool for 30 minutes
Remove from Foil

And Look what you have!

~Patricia

Just the 4 of Us on the 4th

2008-07-05T16:56:00.004-04:00

unless you count a lounging cat

and a pup with a bone

The past few years we have spent the 4th on our boat watching the Fireworks over the River.
This summer we have not been on the boat once. We made an oath to Not put the boat in the water until we completed some long over due maintenance. Much to my surprise we are done with the original "To Do List" but of course have added a few extras (New Seats...I will actually have a cushion to sit on!)

Here is a recap of our backyard fun for the 4th

The Plunge

Homemade Ice pops (see below for recipe)

Picnic on the Porch

Is it Dark enough for Fireworks yet?

Ouch, Sparklers Hurt!

Yummy Treats!

Ice Pops
Ingredients: 1 (3oz) Jello mix package; 1 unsweetened Kool-Aid package; 1 cup Sugar; 2 cups Boiling Water; 2 cups cold Water

Dissolve Jello, Kool-Aid and Sugar in Boiling Water.
Stir in Cold Water and Pour into Popsicle Molds or small cups.
Freeze

If using cups like we did, place foil over the cup after you fill it and insert your popsicle stick. This will keep it in place. Otherwise Freeze until almost hard, put the sticks in and continue to Freeze.

Chili-Lime Chicken Kabobs

Marinated Shrimp Kabobs & Scallops
Ingredients: 3 Garlic cloves minced; 1/3 cup Olive Oil; 1/4 cup Tomato Sauce (plain); 2 tbls Red Wine Vinegar; 2 tbls Fresh chopped Basil; 1/2 tsp Salt; 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper; 1-2 pounds of Shrimp, Scallops or Chicken...anything you want, I've used this marinade on everything

Mix all the ingredients in a Bowl or Ziploc Bag. Add the fish or meat and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (the longer the Better)

For Kabobs
preheat grill to medium heat. Prepare the Kabobs. Lightly Oil or Spray the Grill.
Cook Shrimp 2-3 minutes per side or until done.
For Chicken Kabobs cook for 10-15 minutes.

We had small Bay Scallops so I cooked those in a pan, but still very yummy :)

Gotta Love the Pioneer Woman and her Fabulous recommendations for the 4th!

Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos

And another Favorite the Barefoot Contessa's 4th of July Cake
which came highly recommended from the Pioneer Woman
and I can Not Bake without Step by Step Photo Instructions!
Thank You Pioneer Woman :)

Hope you all had a Happy & Safe 4th!
~Patricia

Garden Update Week 10

2008-06-23T15:59:00.004-04:00

Sorry for the double post today.
I need to get this garden update out of the way so I can mentally move on from what I feel has been a failure.
I am ready to move on and figure out what I can plant during the height of the Florida Summer Heat.
I also should be planning fall crops at this point...to give David ample time to build additional boxes.
(*Note: Dave still has not built the 2nd box I asked very nicely for at the same time that he built the first!)

Here we go with the Horror...

The whole garden at 10 weeks (70 days)

At a quick glance the Basil, Oregano, and Strawberries look fine.
Last week I picked the Romaine Lettuce and it is growing back (I didn't think that was going to happen).
I forgot to take closeups of the Broccoli. They are on the left side of the picture in the 2nd squares. They grew and nothing ever happened...no actual broccoli.
I obviously didn't pay attention to the packet it says plant between July-December.
I think I'll take those out and try again.

Next up, Burpee Little Finger Carrots
They are supposed to grow 3 1/2 inches long by 5/8 inch thick (65 days to harvest).
I thought I was pretty close with the first one I pulled and maybe they just need another week or so

But than we pulled this one

The kids ate a couple that looked ok and that made them happy

They love eating things right out of the garden!

My poor tomatoes :(
Remember back at Week 7 I found a Tomato Horn Worm
Prior to the worm the tomato plants were thriving and loaded with growing tomatoes.
Really I couldn't have been more pleased but after the worm they were just never the same.
Both plants were purchased the Home Depot. The one on the left is a Bonnie Park's Whopper and on the right a Bonnie Beefmaster.

Closeup of the Park's Whopper

Below is a Bonnie Sweet Green Bell
This plant is weak and has never looked good.
Could is actually be a Marconi Pepper?

This is a Bonnie Red Bell.
I have 2 growing on the plant and they look fine...I'm just waiting for them to turn Red??

Now for the corn...
Ferry Morse Seeds Kandy Corn Hybrid
Overall health of the plants look ok to me but they are not even close to 8ft tall.
Harvest should be at 89 days and they are progressing because I can now see the silk.
We'll see what happens with these in a few weeks.

Bonnie Hot Banana Pepper
Another small weak plant but I do have 2 peppers!
I would be shocked if it grows any more

aahh, now for my Vertical Garden that isn't so Vertical
I couldn't get Nylon Garden Netting locally and kept forgetting to order it.
I have Cantaloupe on the right and Watermelon on the left

and I already have one growing!

I have a spot left in this long bed for Pumpkins. I need to plant those in the next couple weeks for them to be ready for Halloween.
I would like to order the Nylon Netting so I can see if I can actually grow them vertically ;)

I know this was a long post, but if you garden and can offer any advice or encouragement it would be appreciated

~Patricia

Crazy for Origami

2008-06-23T09:03:00.005-04:00

We did more crafting after yesterdays post.
From the Origami site I posted about.
We made sailboats, a bee, mini cats and puppies that fit on the tip of your finger...so cute and easy!
Bella, whose 4 can make the puppies by herself and the cats with a little help.

I think we have found a new addiction...go give it a try

~Patricia

It's Raining, it's pouring...

2008-06-22T16:33:00.004-04:00

and we are crafting

Bella watched an episode of Caillou where Caillou's grandpa helps him make crafts out of paper...I thought they made a hat but Bella remembers a hand puppet.
I'm sure she is right, she always is

It's been raining most of the afternoon so Bella logically asked to make paper puppets.
I couldn't find exactly what she wanted but both Bella and Trenton were happy with what we came up with
success, happy children...for 10 minutes

We made Cats from directions that we altered originally for a polar bear
(I just went to the main page of the site and it has lots of easy Origami crafts)
We also made Foxes which are more like a hand puppet.

Still raining...off to find more crafts!

(Due to rain the 10 week garden update will have to wait till tomorrow. That gives the garden an extra day to deteriorate -No really, I am serious)
~Patricia

Feeling Crabby

2008-06-20T16:30:00.002-04:00

I just Listed a New Summer of 2008 Design on eBay!
It's a collaboration with I Love Kiddie Clothes
She is one of my talented group members from TheAve
I Love Kiddie Clothes is a fabulous seamstress and her applique's are To Die For!

Crabby Bling Tee Listing

Matching Capris by I Love Kiddie Clothes

FREE SHIPPING on the Crabby Bling Tee
To The Lucky Person that Wins the Auctions for
Both the Crabby Bling Tee & the Capris
Happy Bidding!
Crabby Listings Ends Friday June 27th

With the 4th of July only a few weeks away I have Re-Listed
my "Made in the USA" Bling Tee
available for both Boys & Girls!

"Made in the USA" Listing Ends Sunday June 22nd
and will ship in time for the 4th :)

~Patricia

Green Mowing

2008-06-18T18:34:00.003-04:00

I'm sad to say I haven't jumped on the whole "Going Green" lifestyle as much as I should.
But this attempt might just kick my butt in shape literally!
We have purchased a Scotts 20" Classic Mower

No Gas, No Oil, No Electricity
Just good ol' Human Push Power
Yes, it's great for the environment but it is also a great workout!
Ok, now we have 3 acres so I'm not using it on the whole yard just yet.
We bought it for me to keep up with about 8000 sq. ft. of grass in the front and back of our house.
You know the part of the yard the family is always playing in and I am always nagging Dave to mow

I just have to say I LOVE IT!
It's quiet, the kids can play safely nearby and I don't have to worry about flying debris and I am getting an awesome workout!
I think it's a win win for everyone including the environment ;)

~Patricia

Ripe for the Picking ~Garden Update wk9

2008-06-17T13:47:00.004-04:00

Here is our first Tomato harvest for the summer!
And just in time since the Tomato Salmonella outbreak has hit Florida.

Other than the tomatoes...I think the Banana Peppers are ready.
I had a failed attempt at lettuce. When I first planted the garden I planted seeds for Romaine & Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce. I think I was a little too late and it got too hot here in Florida.
I do have a packet of Seed Savers Lettuce Mixture that I may plant since my 2 lettuce squares are empty now. I'm not sure if they will be a success this time of year but I'll give it a try.

I also pulled up a Carrot to see how they are coming along...still very small although the packet says 65 Days to Harvest. Sorry no pic's but they are Burpee Little Finger Carrots
The length was ok when I picked them but they were very thin.

I am such a newbie at this! With the exception of Herbs and Tomatoes I haven't grown much else.

I'll take pictures on the whole Garden again for the 10 week update to see if any readers have advice.

~Patricia

Welcome GirlIndie

2008-06-04T13:10:00.002-04:00

Welcome GirlIndie readers/members!
I should have posted this Welcome message days ago...I see many new visitors stopping by from GrilIndie

If you are not familiar with GirlIndie they are a
Forum structured Network providing information and opportunities to WAHM and Women Owned Businesses. Most members produce all of their products by hand. Working to keep the tradition of Handmade Quality items from getting lost among the big name brands.
GirlIndie also has a Blog dedicated to featuring these designers.

Stop by GirlIndie June 2-8 to take part in their Birthday Bash!

For those of you new to my Blog...
My name is Patricia and I am a work at home mom/designer.
I have One Boy and One Girl, hence the name ;)
I have always been a crafty and creative person. I enjoy creating, gardening and cooking.
Several years ago I started to design dazzling rhinestud encrusted tees for my little girl. Because I love to doodle this went beyond cute sayings like "Daddy's Girl". I have created hundreds of designs from Gold Fish, Roosters and Hippos to Character Favorites!
I have been selling my designs on eBay and in boutiques for 4 years and am in the process of opening my own website.

Please stop by One Boy One Girl Boutique to see a Preview of our
Summer 2008 Collection and visit the Gallery page to see a sample of my work.

Don't forget to leave a Comment on my Blog so I know you stopped by :)
~Patricia

Wild Kingdom (7wk Garden Update)

2008-06-02T21:32:00.002-04:00

Here we are 7 weeks into our Square Foot Garden and from this picture all appears to be fine

Tomato's are in abundance...I can't wait until they are ready to pick!

Trenton is so proud of his Banana Pepper Plant

Red Peppers getting bigger every day

I didn't title this post "Wild Kingdom" for no reason

Expertly camouflaged within the branches and leaves of the Tomato plant was a
Tomato Horn Worm
Can you find him in this picture?

Well this not so little guy had to go before he destroyed my Tomato plants!

I will be checking daily to see if he has any friends living in my little garden

This past weekend we have also encountered other unwelcome backyard visitors...
While eating breakfast I looked out our back door to see this

He is only our second snake siting of the season and I'm sure he won't be the last.
Sorry I am awful at snake identification but my very uneducated guess is???
Well, you can look it up Here

Ok, now this was a first for me and I would almost like to forget that this is lurking around my yard
A Black Widow Spider was under a log next to the kids trampoline!
Onyx-Pup was barking as something so we all went out to see.
As usual Onyx was harassing the turtle heading back to it's hole
(sorry no pic's of the turtle...I got preoccupied with the Poisonous Spider)

While watching the ruckus Onyx was causing David kicked over a log and
This is what he found!

It took the kids seeing this to keep their shoes on while outside
At least for One day

~Patricia

Show your Colors & Eat Sweet Treats with OBOG

2008-05-29T09:39:00.010-04:00

The Boutique has been a buzz creating new designs for the Summer of 2008
and re-Launching a few Favorites

We are also getting closer to getting our own Website up
I have realized I can't do it all
so I have enlisted the the help of
Absolutely Charming Designs
They have done a fantastic job for me in the past creating an outstanding
logo and template for The Stud Shoppe
I can't wait to see what wonderful things they come up with this time

With the site in good hands, I have been working on New Designs
and couldn't resist listing this
Patriotic "Made in the USA"
matching Brother & Sister
Bling Tees

Bella and Trenton had so much Fun taking pictures together
and Trenton was happy that Mom finally made a shirt for Him!

The "Made in the USA" Bling Tees
are at Auction now so you can have them in time for the 4th!

BLB Boutique asked me to join them for their Ice Cream Social
I jumped at the chance to work with my good friends again
and offer my
"Sweet Sundae" Bling Tee

To coordinate with all their Yummy Fashions!

These items are also at Auction now
Search BLB Boutique on eBay to find all the coordinating items

~Patricia

Milestones

2008-05-26T14:59:00.002-04:00

On May 17th Miss Bella turned 4 years old!
And if you ask her, she'd tell you
"It was the Best Day Ever"

Not only did she have Cake
She got her own Ironing Board
(that was Top on the wish list)
Garden Tools, Wheel Barrel, Watering Can
Doodle Bear, Stampers, Craft Supplies and so Much More
The living room has looked like a tornado hit it this past week!

It was also a day of Smiling faces

Water Slides

Pinata Fun

I don't know if Trenton was happier about Dora's head being knocked off
or the Candy and Toys that came out ;)

Family

It was a great day and after everyone was gone...
Bella took another step to becoming a Big Girl

She sent her Binky to the Binky Fairy!

We have been working toward this day since her last birthday
Yes it's been a long and Binky road
We weened her to only using them when she napped and slept
She really relied on them at those times so this was not something she wanted to do
But we told her all Children turning 4 had to give their Binkies to the Binky Fairy
(Children can be so accepting some times)

So like I said after everyone was gone
Bella & her Binkies began their tearful journey

A last Good-Bye

I did say Tearful

But she let them go on Her Own when She was Ready
And Up they went...

"Daddy, is the Binky Fairy going to take Good Care of them?"
"Yes, Miss Bella, very good care" :)

Although Bella has asked for her Binky every night since
She still says
this was "The Best Day Ever"
If only she knew how many more were to come
I Love You Big Girl!

~Patricia

Bling Tee Collaborations

2008-05-25T15:33:00.003-04:00

OBOG has been busy Dazzling Tees to match beautiful Boutique Outfits by some Fabulous Designers!

My good friend Jamie of RMX Designs and I have teamed up to bring you an updated version of our popular Goldie Set
The Auction Ends Sunday May 25th

Goldie Tee

NEW Design & Collaboration for 2008!

For this Adorable Happy Hippo Design
I have teamed up with "GlamRags Originals"
and "My 2 RedHeads Bowtique"
Both are my design group mates from
On the Avenue
Auction Ends May 28th

Happy Hippo Tee

~Patricia

4 Week Garden Update

2008-05-10T18:33:00.004-04:00

4 Weeks into our Square Foot Garden
Everything is Growing & Blooming

I can't believe how many flowers are on the Tomato Plants!
Here are the first signs of our future harvest

Bella has been waiting patiently for her first Strawberry to ripen.
Hopefully she'll get to it before a bird spots it.

Last weekend we built a 1x8 Foot Garden Box.
For Cantaloupe, Watermelon and Pumpkins.
These will grow vertically (We Hope)
The Cantaloupe and Watermelon have already sprouted.
(I don't think we will be planting the pumpkin seeds for another couple months)
I'll show pictures of those in a few weeks after the vertical structure is built.

We also have plans & seeds to add another 4x4 Foot Garden Bed.

This may be a little ambitious but it has been so easy & fun :)

~Patricia

Clean Cut

2008-05-09T18:46:00.003-04:00

Well, not so Clean Cut
Mr. Cool, aka. Trenton got a much need haircut
He was starting to do that funny head tilt to keep his hair out of his eyes and looking too much like a teenager!

Here he is before his haircut attempting to do his homework through a mop of hair

Lookie, now he has eyes!

Now for the Clean portion of our post
Bella went for her first dentist appointment!
She is getting so big, she didn't even want me to come in the room with her!
Is this the same little girl that dropped out of dance and refused to go to preschool?

Yes, I know she looks really frightened in the picture.
She just had her fluoride treatment and had sticky stuff on her teeth.
Really, She can't wait to go back!

~Patricia

Picture Perfect Present

2008-05-07T20:53:00.002-04:00

WARNING Grandmas Stop Here
Do Not Read This Post!

On any given day Bella has the kitchen table filled with craft supplies.
She paints, cuts, glues, and stamps all day long!

The other day she pulled out a bag of beans and asked for glue and paper.

With Mother's Day right around the corner it made me think back to a project I made for my mom when I was in nursery school.

A legume picture frame, with an adorable picture of me in it, wearing a dress my mom made!
(I wish I had that picture but I don't...Hey Liz (my big sis), I think you have a copy! Send me one, Pretty Please with Sugar on Top)

Anyway... way back when,
I made mine using a cardboard picture frame.
For the updated version Bella and I found a box of old wooden frames in the garage.
We sanded a few, cleaned them and Bella quickly got to work

I think her favorite part was painting the glue on

I showed her how to neatly place the beans on one at a time but she preferred her own method of dumping a handful and squishing them down...
Well that works too, lol

After the frames dried we went out for a modeling session
Something she is actually starting to enjoy

And here we have a picture & frame that any Mom or Grandma (shh, don't tell) would love!

~Patricia

The Stud Shoppe: Mother's Day Promo

2008-05-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

In Honor of Mother's Day
(next Sunday...Don't Forget)
The Stud Shoppe is offering a Week Long
Shipping & Freebie Special!

Spend
$20.00 or more and get FREE 1st Class SHIPPING

$50.00 or more FREE 1st Class SHIPPING & FREE 1 Gross 10ss Hot Fix COBALT Rhinestones

$100.00 or more FREE 1st Class SHIPPING & FREE 5 Gross of ANY Hot Fix Rhinestone or Rhinestud (In stock items ONLY)

SORRY International Buyers This offer is ONLY Good for Shipping within the US & Canada
BUT you are eligible for the FREEBIES when spending $50.00-100.00+
(Promotion Ends May 11th)

Along with this promotion we are still offering our weekly .99 Auctions

Stop by and Check it out!

~Patricia

Calling All Dreamers & Doers!

2008-05-05T15:53:00.005-04:00

It's time for Martha's annual "Dreamers into Doers" Contest
Have you turned your Hobby into a Business?
If your doing what you love everyday and making money at it you could Win $10,000 from Martha and appear on her show!

I don't think I am ready to enter this contest just yet (Oh, but I will someday, lol)

But if you are..head on over to the Contest page and enter from May 2nd - July 11th
You can even nominate someone you admire!

~Patricia

Book Review: Crafting a Business

2008-05-01T12:52:00.003-04:00

I love books about crafting, sewing, designing, etc...
While making a book purchase on Amazon, the site suggested the book
Country Living's
"Crafting a Business ~ Make Money Doing What You Love"
by Kathie Fitzgerlad

Well that that describes Me, so I had to have it!

The book brings together 31 Crafty Entrepreneurs (all women).
The first half of the book provides 2-3 pages about each women. In their own words they tell you how they started out, how they made their businesses a success and their goals for the future.

Each summary is inspirational and makes you believe that you can succeed in your own endeavors!

The second half of the book is a Business Workshop
Going over important information about
Writing a Business Plan, Financing, Product Development, Marketing & Sales, Financial Management, Staffing and Growing Bigger

Don't freak out!
It wasn't boring or drawn out. The book keeps each section brief, right to the point and scattered with personal tips from the 31 mentors.

Overall I found the book Informative and Inspiring
A Definite Keeper for the Bookshelf!

~Patricia

Bling for a Good Cause & Just Becasue it's Fun!

2008-04-25T21:43:00.005-04:00

As I mentioned before, I am taking part in a very special launch for my design group mate Renee of Cricket Cottage. Please consider bidding on ANY of the items listed as ALL money will be donated to Renee and her family.
Take a moment to read one of the participating auctions to learn about Renee's story.

Here are my listings for Renee
OBOG Auctions
Both Team Renee items are Starting at .99
I Love Lucy Bling Tee

Wizard of Oz Blue Gingham Button Pony O's

Here is a Link to All participating auctions
or Search Team Renee on eBay

My Last Listing for the
Blossom Leigh Boutique and On The Ave
Shopping Inspired Launch

For this one I teamed up with my good friend Jamie of RMX Designs
I’m offering a Funky Rooster Bling Tee

and RMX Designs is offering a choice of Twirl Skirt, Shorts or Capri's to match!

Search BLB TheAve Boutique To see all our Shopping Inspired Creations :)

~Patricia

1 Week Garden Update

2008-04-19T16:41:00.003-04:00

It's only been a week and little sprouts are beginning to pop through the soil!
Bella checks on the garden every morning!
Within days of planting the seeds, she was happy to report on Wednesday the first signs of lettuce (bottom left).
Everything has sprouted except for the Carrots...her favorite :(
I think by next weekend they will make an appearance.

First Signs of Broccoli

Even the Corn has sprouted!

Since we are not planting in rows we dropped a few seeds in each hole.
After they grow a little more we'll cut back all but one plant per hole.

This type of gardening is a new process for us but so far so good!

Bella has also been busy planting Sunflower seeds all over the yard and in any cup or planter she can find space in, lol
Here are a few of her prized plants

To ensure that a few grow to a majestic 12 feet we planted about 40 seeds along the fence.
Bella still has another packet so she'll be back at it tomorrow.

She can't wait for them to grow!

~Patricia

Benefit for Renee of Cricket*Cottage

2008-04-17T14:11:00.001-04:00

There are currently over 40 Designers that will be taking part in this charity event for Renee.
100% of all the proceeds will go to Renee and her Family
Donations are also being accepted
If you would like more information on how you can help
Please contact Angie (angie@simply-sophia DOT com)

Starting April 22nd
Search Team Renee on eBay
Every little bit helps so Bid what you can :)
Thank You for your Support!
~Patricia

Bling is Back...on eBay

2008-04-16T10:49:00.007-04:00

Blossom Leigh Boutique and TheAve
Have joined together for a Fabulous Shopping Inspired Launch

Search BLB TheAve Boutique
To see all the goodies!

New 2008 Design from One Boy One Girl Boutique
Labrador Bling Tee
starting at .99

Stop by this Listing to see the antics of Bella & Onyx-pup during the photo shoot, LOL

Bling Cherries Tee

More New 2008 Designs Starting Next Week!

OBOG Auctions
~Patricia

Could Gardening be any Easier!

2008-04-15T11:40:00.004-04:00

This past weekend we setup our first vegetable garden at our new home.

In the past we have gardened the traditional single row way.
Spending a day tilling a large plot of land and the next couple days adding compost to Florida's sandy soil.
It was back breaking work!
But who doesn't love to watch a garden grow and relish the joy of picking your first vegetable.

That's all well and good until the garden becomes over grown and filled with weeds!
By summers end no one wants to walk in the garden and it sits in the yard as an unsightly mess!

Even though we have more than enough land here, I wanted to find an easier, more enjoyable way to garden with the kids.

With a little research I came across a book about Square Foot Gardening

I have gardened in a raised bed before but the concept of this book was to start with the Perfect Soil (the exact recipe for that is in the book) and to break up your raised bed into square feet to better utilize the small space. The book goes over exactly how many plants of each vegetable can be planted in one square foot.

The basic box is 4x4ft using 2x6inch boards.
Because I am a rule breaker by nature I chose to use 2x8's ;)
You can get the wood cut to size at the lumber yard - Gotta Love That!

Here's David, Bella & Trenton putting the box together - Which took only minutes!

The book suggests adding a bottom to the box to keep weeds & grass form growing. You can use weed tarp or a flattened card board box. If you use wood make sure to drill holes for the water to properly drain.
We used weed tarp and added chicken wire to keep moles out. We stapled the weed tarp and chicken wire to the box but that isn't necessary.

Once the box is finished move it to where you want your garden...it would be smart to build it where you want it...we built ours on the porch to avoid the hot sun.

Now your ready to add your Perfect Soil...if you don't have the book you can get basic direction's on the SFG website

The book has some crazy math to figure out exactly how much of each ingredient to use.
Math is not my strong suit
We used 1 44lb bag of Peat Moss, 2 different types of 40+lb bags of Compost and 1/2 a 4 cu ft bag of Vermiculite.
I was able to find all those items at Home Depot.
The mix was just enough to fill our 4x4ft 8inch high box.

We mixed all the ingredients on a tarp that Onyx-pup helped spread out for us ;)

Have two people hold opposite sides of the tarp and roll the ingredients to mix.
After it was mixed we shoveled a little into the box until we were able to lift the tarp and dump the rest.

Once filled we added a grid to plot out our 1 foot spaces and added our plants and seeds.

What we planted:
8 corn plants, 2 tomato, 1 green pepper, 1 red pepper, 1 hot pepper, 1 strawberry plant, 2 broccoli, oregano, basil, 8 heads of lettuce and 24 carrots

The project was fun and took a short time to put together...we are already planning another box!

Later we sent Onyx-pup to sniff out some pesky moles!
She did a great job digging up an abandoned hole to find a little glass snake
Awww, Good Puppy!

~Patricia

Stark Studio

2008-03-16T19:11:00.006-04:00

Spring Cleaning is in the Air

I just watched an episode of Mission Organization that many of us can relate to entitled Stark Studio Gets Stylish
Thankfully my studio isn't as messy ;) but I do lack organization and style.
The segment offered great tips for storing patterns in magazine holders, fabric in labeled boxes, rolling bins to store items used daily, that fit neatly under the long wall length sewing table!

Episode ~ Before

Episode ~ After

Everyone brace yourselves
I am going to show my disaster of a studio and the little bit of progress I have made in re-organization
Remember I moved a year and half ago and just dumped everything in here
Before

Progress
It's hard to see but Blank Tees and Fabric are now stored in rolling bins
I just need more

And the Stack above has even made more progress since that photo was taken
I only have 2 of those bins left to empty
and my new cabinets are now on that wall
My Studio is definitely a work in progress but it has come a long way
~Patricia

Week In Review

2008-03-14T22:50:00.003-04:00

This has been a week of Change, Deliveries, Organization, Style and Rest for some

Miss Bella goes Back to school! No it wasn't Spring Break.
She was a Pre-School Drop Out
Yes, that's right after a month of crying I decided she wasn't ready. That was back in September. We have talked about school everyday since and even waive to it when we drive by.

I don't know if she is ready or just tired of being stuck home with me, lol

Bella and I went back to school on Monday!
Our goal is Monday, Wednesday, Friday for only a half day...she refuses to take a nap at school.
No problem, I even told her I would go with her for the first few days IF she needed me to.
I went with her on Monday and on Wednesday she said "What are you doing here?"
(Funny, I was thinking the same thing)
I went home and picked up my Big Girl in a few hours and here is how the rest of our week went...

HOME at last

Blu really enjoyed his time without Bella

He even made a New Friend
The Pretty Stuffed Kitty had to be taken away...he got a little too excited

The arrival of New Cabinets for My Studio
and
Shh, Top Secret Equipment
(we can talk about that later)

LOVE IT!
50% off at OfficeMax
in just the right colors too ;)

Trenton's Crazy Hair Day at School

Finish off the Week with the New Cabinets in Place
Oh but so much more work to be done!
~Patricia

Feathering the Nest

2008-03-04T00:00:00.006-05:00

We moved into our new home a year and a half ago. I don't take well to change
No Really I just changed the address on my drivers licence last week and that was out of necessity.
Okay, truth be told I am the Queen of Procrastination!

But that is ALL behind me...
I have declared 2008 as My year of "Change"
I have altered my anti-schedule ways. I am making lists and actually crossing things off.

We are eating dinner by 5:30, the kids are going to bed on time (close enough), the house is cleaner and more organized than it was.
Now I am up to Feathering the Nest. This house is in much need of warmth and style.
Here are a couple new items I've added this week

hmm, What's that behind my New BlackBird Tin???
Just a little sneak peak at new items in the works for
One Boy One Girl

Meet Blu-Kitty...he was hopping to Feather his Nest too, LOL
Luckily for the Birds they outsmarted him. They were eating at another feeder ;)

~Patricia

The Big Chill

2008-03-02T22:24:00.005-05:00

This past week Florida had unexpected (or at least it was for me) below freezing temps (brr) and highs in the low 40's during the day.

It was cold enough that I felt compelled to finish up a couple winter projects for the kids.

I made each of them new pj's for the cold night

(Bella got a matching pillowcase, too)

This weekend it was back in the 80's!
We untucked the pansies and petunias (hopefully for the last time) and took a couple pictures of our reflection in the birdbath

Spring is Here!

Hello Blogging World

2008-02-21T22:52:00.011-05:00

Since registering for this Blog a month ago I have eagerly logged on each day

Checking out the different features, typing the url in to see my actual Blog in all it's glory.

But there was no glory, there was Nothing!

I had heard rumors of a Blog Fairy that would come along at night and write a witty post and include fabulous pictures. I guess the Fairy was too busy posting on all the Blogs I read because it never found me.

In light of this oversight I will have to take over and write a not so witty post so you can get to know me.

So here it is...
Hello Blogging World

My name is Patricia or Tricia since I am known by both and the name issue seems to confuse some people??

I am a 32 yr old SAH/WAH Mom, wife, lover, friend, chauffeur, maid, cook, gardener, decorator, craftier, designer, artist, vegetarian...the list could go on on

A little more...
I live where the sun is always warm and you are never far from a river or a beach.
As the name of my Blog states I am the mother to One Boy and One Girl.

Trenton is 9 and Miss Bella is 3 (going on 18).

Oh did I forget to mention David the only person that truly knows me and supports me in every crazy idea I have. He is my best friend and an outstanding father to Trenton and Bella.

Ok, I'd better end this here before he thinks he's Perfect ;)

I'm excited about this Blogging journey and hope you'll stop back by to get to know a little more about me
~Patricia