Dinos are for Girls Too!

Hey - Girls like dinos too! Like me, for instance...i recently became obsessed with them. I came home from the Santa Ana Discovery Center and i told my husband - there were dinosaurs right here in Long Beach! isnt that amazing? and he told me i just discovered what every 10 year old boy discovers every day. so i am a little late to the party, but still - i find them amazing! 

I have done some custom girly dinos in the past, but just finally got around to adding some to our stock. Available now in sizes 18 months (American Apparel size 2), 2 (American Apparel size 4) & 4 (American Apparel size 6)

Go check it out here!

Custom Mouse Zoodie - Size 18 Months - In Stock

I had made this custom mouse zoodie for a friend...then realized i made it in the wrong size :( so i made her another one and have kept this one and am finally getting around to posting it...like seriously a year later. i get behind sometimes. i blame a third child. and kindergarten. and summer. i'll take anything - that is just how i roll friends. anyway - it would be fun to wear to a certain theme park and probably cheaper than their souvenirs...

in size 18 months (American Apparel size 2) and ready to ship! available here

I Made a Skirt Y'all!

i am a little silly about this skirt. its really not even anything to brag about other than the fact that it is the first thing i have made for myself that i actually wear...out. the pattern (yardsale skirt from the book weekend sewing by heather ross) is super easy to follow, but make sure you read her errata on her website, or else you may end up with this...

so...at least this one covers my bum! that is nice for everyone. i love the length and how it twirls and how easy it wears and washes. i also love how easy the whole thing was to put together....definitely this sewing for yourself can become quite addicting...especially since i am watching project runway currently  and getting all kinds of inspired...

Fuzzy Wuzzy Zoodie - Size 3 - In Stock and Ready to Ship!

fuzzy wuzzy was a bear, fuzzy wuzzy had blonde hair? how did this kid get blond hair? its wierd, but also pretty cool. i had originally bought this sweatshirt to do a custom zoodie for a friend who wanted a size 3, but i didn't realize it was lined with fur for some reason...

i thought it would make a cute bear for a cute kid who lives in a colder climate than SoCal...or maybe here too for like 3 days. 

In stock and ready to ship and available here! 

Riley's Apple Farm

Spartans all ready for us!

brothers...they melt my heart when they are in love

he is mad-dogging the bees eating the rotten apples, but i think this picture is hilarious! 

making cider - the most yummy stuff on earth!

cheese!

we made the trek out to Oak Glen last Sunday to visit Riley's Apple Farm...i remembered my post from last year (goodness how bodie has changed!) and remembered to go one stop past Riley's Farm to Riley's Apple Farm (same family, different farms). it was a lot easier to pick apples at this farm. there were only 2 types of apples ripe - Spartan and Rome - there was only one Rome tree ripe for picking and you know we picked it good! the romes are better for cooking and i made some applesauce the next day and oh man! so good! there are few things better than eating hot homemade applesauce - delish!

we went on a Sunday and it was not crowded at all! i was so surprised...maybe because it was early in the season? whatever the reason, it was next to a perfect day - it would have been completely perfect if it was not 82 degrees - can't i please find fall somewhere? my heart is seriously aching right now for cooler temps and jeans and pumpkin spices and not to mention my beer that needs to be in the 70s - so quit messing around with us summer...we are through. its over. move on. no seriously - please dont even call me. harumph.

a little outing like this was a teensy bit easier than last year and it has me with high hopes that someday...someday...one day...we will be able to travel with our boys and actually enjoy it. i mean, we enjoy it now of course...but one day it will be even easier and we will be out of the "twos" and that will be both sad and lovely all at the same time.

oh...so back to the apple farm - we picked some apples, ate some apples, shot some bows and arrows...apparently i really impressed the guy working there because i was making the target....i took archery in college...and got a C because i wasnt that good and the test was the actual target and making it! how lame...couldnt we have just written a paper about the target...that is why i never did PE. okay, anyway again...we made some cider and met the chickens and the pig and her baby cute piglets...i want a pig so bad...bryan does not share this sentiment.

its a fun little family tradition and it will be fun to watch the kids remember it each year. its a trek, but well worth it!

Zoodies on Sale!

y'all are the first to know! cause i love you like that! i am trying to push out the zoodies that are already made and give people a little incentive (almost 20% off!) to purchase ones in stock. Go check it out...maybe buy one...or two...or tell a friend...or think they are cute...in time for back to school and Halloween!

Check them out - www.zoodies.com

Winter Ale

pany hose steep sack...classy

wort after first set of hops

ready to pitch the yeast

oh...friends...let me tell you how nice it is to be brewing again after a 2 year hiatus...i still can't believe its been that long, but i know this to be true since this is the first time i have made beer in our current home. i planned on giving some home-brew as a Christmas gift...also i missed brewing, so at the faintest hint of fall i jumped right in. (also - at the faintest hint of fall i began roasting and soup-making and fall decorating, but i suppose that is a different post all together...i am a bit of an optimist)

i wanted to make a beer i hadnt made before. i also wanted to make a "spicey" beer. the few fall beers i have made before just were not that spicey enough for me...but i have a feeling from the aromas of this wort that this beer will carry that spice all the way through. there is cinnamon and nutmeg and lemon zest and all kinds of hops - 4 oz of hops to be exact, at all different stages of brewing.

there are also grains. so i think this is the most complicated beer i have made thus far. hopefully it will be the most complicated, but successful since i have attempted complicated before and not quite seen it through.

but oh...the happiness...of seeing the wort come together. of smelling the thick air of malt. of the spices. of being able to occupy my time sewing right around the corner...checking in on it every few minutes, while getting some projects crossed off. of remembering my happy brewing times and the thrill of making something yourself that could easily be bought at the store.

if you are interested in getting started in home-brewing and live in the long beach area - please go find Steinfillers - they are so helpful and they drink beer while they talk to you. awesome. if you are not in long beach, then google your nearest home brew store and go make friends. i have popped my little head into many a home brew store outside of my home town and found each one to be so eager to help anyone get started. i have steinfillers on speed dial and frequently call them with questions and not once have i been treated with anything other than some other beer nerd so happy to help!

PS - if you are curious about the process you can read about how i make beer
PPS - apologies for the horrible pics...i couldnt find my camera...


some notes to myself for next time:

you do not need any more iodine carlee - you have like 6 bottles. so...you are more than set for like 100 more batches.

for that matter - you also have enough bottle caps to bottle about a thousand bottles.

you need to get yourself some grain steeping sacks because you have no more panty-hose to cut up.

you also need to plan on brewing better and buy distilled water and ice, ice, ice...because waiting 2 hours for your wort to chill is not only not fun, but not good for the beer.

do not ever let your children see your glass carboy - they think its a fun receptacle to put leaves and trash and what-not in...(dont worry...i spent over 40 minutes cleaning it and sanitizing it before i attempted brewing)

and finally, remember to have beer in your fridge while brewing...it makes brewing THAT much better!

Bobby's 1 Year Outfit

The Quick Change Trousers by Anna Marie Horner from her book Handmade Beginnings. I loved making this pant - i made two pairs from my fabric (originally posted here) and the shirt is an American Apparel onesie i decorated the night before in like 10 minutes...its how i roll. 

i just bought the book Sewing for Boys and i couldn't be more excited. its always challenging to find cool things to make for boys that aren't dowdy...once i get my mits on it and take a couple projects for a spin i'll let you know what i think!

isn't my birthday boy the cutest one year old? i'm a little partial i suppose, but he kills me every day with his little toothy grin!

Zoodies on Prudent Baby!

i love the blog Prudent Baby and read it all the time...so imagine my surprise to find my little zoodies linked up today!

Thank you so much ladies!

Barnes Boys Fashion - First Day

Showing off his bug bites

On Bryson:

School Uniform - Target

Shoes - Airwalk

Backpack - Gap Kids

On Bodie:

Hat - Sand Cassel Kids by Goorin

Shirt - H&M

Shorts - A Child's Place

Shoes - Vans

i almost cried...i held it together at least until he walked off in his line into class. i have so much to say - so much i have been processing about this very special time in his life...but right now i am just going to say how excited i am for him and how great he is going to do and what an amazing special talented boy i have! he is going to rock it!

Apply Party Thyme

oh man...such a fun party! this little booger has gone and growned up and turned one! he is so on his way out the door already - he pushes off of me when i hold him...the nerve...can someone please tell him how the youngest child is supposed to act? how they are supposed to be babies for as long as possible? that they should be the cuddliest? that they should maybe like their mamas a bit? i kid...i know he loves me - he even gives me these great open mouth toothy kisses...but he is already so independent. already so capable and strong and ACTIVE!

so...this party...this little apple party. i made his whole outfit...you can't really tell from this picture and apparently no one took pictures of him before he got apple crisp all over himself (i didnt bake him a cake...it seemed like a little much at the time so he got apples all over his face instead of frosting...kinda anti-climactic). i think i need to take a picture of him in the whole ensemble for his one year old picture...he looked so cute! his little apple crown...that he takes off the second you put it on his head...adorable!

let me just talk about the food for a minute...holy stuff...the food was awesome! my husband bbq-ed a pork butt (which is actually the shoulder...dont know why we call it the butt) for 14 hours in the big green egg with apple wood. he used a maple rub that was amazing and it was by far the best bbq pork so far! awe-some...it made me fall in love with him all over again...my mom made an apple-thyme cole slaw and we had sliders on king's hawaiian sweet rolls - they were delicious-ness. friends and family also brought amazing stuff - apple chips and apple bread and apple bacon cheese appetizers and fruit kabobs and gumbo and spinach salad. all of it was so good. we ate the pork all weekend in various ways (my mom is like houdini with leftovers) and finally finished the last of it yesterday.

we had caramel apples for the kids - i made waaaay too much caramel, so my mom laid it all out on a cookie sheets, salted and chocolated it and we wrapped up little balls of it in parchment paper and made our own caramel candies - yummers! now i need to give them all away so i dont eat a pound of caramel!

i think bobby enjoyed himself and i hope he looks back on pictures and realizes how loved he is and how blessed we are to be his parents - sweet sweet boy!

Barnes Boys Fashion - Riding

one thing about this summer that has really amazed me is that with bryson out of school and with his brother mostly every day all day - they have become pretty close buddies. they love riding bikes together and recently bryson discovered that bodie can *almost* play catch...bryson knows how to push his buttons, but also knows how to make bodie belly laugh. he can talk him down from a tantrum like no one! they are just over 3 years apart, which the age difference between my little sister and i, so i didnt think they would want anything to do with each other....but thankfully they do right now...hopefully longer...

On Bodie (right):

Shirt: H&M

Shorts: Children's Place

Shoes: Converse (my 2 year old wears a size 10!) 

On Bryson:

Shirt: Eli's Lids

Shorts: H&M

Shoes: Vans...and beat up by plasma car racing

(P.S. I didnt tell them to do this...swear!)