needle felting

A few nights ago Abby asked me if we could do a craft together. So, I grudgingly agreed (yeah right) and this weekend we hit the fabric store. Inspired by a recent article in Martha Stewart Living (September 2009 issue—you can also see examples here, here and here) I decided we should try needle felting.

This decision set me back a bit money-wise because of the expense of the fabric and the new tools we needed, but it was fun. 100% wool works best, and I chose the fabrics above. The girls chose these:

These are the tools we needed: a mat that looks like a giant flat brush, and felting needles.

We cut our felt shapes out with the Sizzix Big Shot die-cutting machine from Stampin' Up!


We then used the felting needle to attach the flower. The friction from the needles moving rapidly up and down through the fabric melds the two layers together.

Here Abby is using one needle to attach the leaves.

After you finish with the needles, it looks like this:

And the reverse side looks like this:

You can use it either way. For Sarah, I liked the look of the more defined shape. But for the rest of our projects we used the soft fuzzy side, because that was the look inspired by Martha. Here is Abby's finished pillow:

And Sarah with her pillow:

And here are the pillows I created:

The felting was fun, but the Amy Butler fabric I used to back the pillows was my favorite part!

I used my motivation to sew up a couple of pillows out of this brown and blue raw silk fabric I've had sitting around for ages.

summer's end

I can't think of a better way to cap off the summer than spending a weekend in Bear Lake with great friends.

^ Best buddies

^ Susan's reaction when she found out she would have to put up with the Clarks for 3 days.

^ Breakfast tastes better from someone else's bowl.


^ Breakfast on the go. No time to stop and eat.

^ Cute little Emma doodle.

^ Loading in the rented jet skis, and hoping the truck doesn't drown in the process.



^ Ready to go!


^ Tom thinks this photo belongs in a Yamaha brochure: "the perfect family friendly activity. Buy a Yamaha today!"




^ Posers

^ The view of the beautiful Bear Lake blue waters from the hills above.

^ Susan rocks a helmet

^ Setting up day camp on the beach

^ Pulling out when the weather went south

^ Sarah on her personal stage

^ Tom makes lunch

Banoffee Pie

It was suggested to us while we were in England that we should try this traditional English dessert: banoffee pie (banana and toffee). I pulled the recipe from here, and this was the result.

This particular recipe uses a great method for making the toffee. The pie was rich but delicious. It passed the ultimate test; my dad liked it!

London icons

The legendary London icons are famous because they indeed show up on every London street (and in every souvenir shop!) Most of these photos didn't happen because I was seeking them out specifically for this reason, but as I was looking through my photos later I found several coincidentally included one or more of these icons.

^ The black taxi cab. Some trivia about the black taxi: Drivers must undergo rigorous testing that can take up to 4 years before they get their license. They must pass strict criminal background and character checks as well. Only black cabs like these can be used for hire, and they are known for their sharp turning radius. They can turn on a "sixpense".

^ The red double-decker bus

^ The Ford Model A . . . wait, that's an American icon. I'm confused.

^ Harrod's department store. Harrod's has over 1 million square feet of selling space in over 330 departments. It would probably take an entire day to explore the whole thing.

^ The red phone booth

^ The red mailbox. Londoners are very fond of red.

English countryside

This post is dedicated to the beautiful English countryside; fields trimmed by hedge rows, quaint country homes, and wheat ready to harvest.





Stratford-upon-Avon

Stratford-upon-Avon is best known as the birthplace of Shakespeare. It is a beautiful village to explore, but by my estimation, so is about every village in England!


^ The school Shakespeare attended.


^ Standing in front of the house where Shakespeare was born.

^ The River Avon.

^ One of the most intriguing things for me in this place was seeing these long river boats. There is a canal system in England that was once used for cargo transportation. When the railroad came to England, the use of these canals ceased, and they filled in with silt. They have since dredged many of them out, and the old barges have been converted to house boats. You can rent them for vacations. How nice would that be?

^ When you drive a river boat through the canals you often have to navigate locks like these. The cool thing is that you operate them yourself!

^ This gentleman and his wife live on this barge full time. That is one long, skinny, home, but maybe not that much different than living in an RV. I loved how they had plants and supplies stored on the top of the barge.


Warwick Castle

If every girl's dream is to visit a real castle, I am one lucky girl. The Warwick Castle (pronounced Warrick—if you say the second "w" you will look like a tourist—just in case the camera and American accent don't give it away first) has been around since the 11th century. That means parts of it are over 1000 years old.

This post is full of pictures, so if you have a slow connection, consider yourself warned. It was just so hard to choose!

^ The quaint village of Warwick.

^ A stately home. Note the very crooked gables at the top! So much character.

^ The Church of Warwick. The church usually contains all of the historical records for each community.


^ Every old church has beautiful stained-glass windows, so here is my token stained glass photo.

^ The church also contains tombs for the many Earls of Warwick over the past 10 centuries. This one is John Dudley. The stone work on these tombs is amazing.

^ A very old Union Jack flag hanging in the church.

^ This bear is the symbol of Warwick.

^ Descending the 160 steps from the church tower. Going down was the difficult part, actually. You had to hang onto the rope handle for dear life as you twisted your way to the bottom!

^ At the top of the church tower, enjoying the views.

^ A view of the church from the castle.

^ A view of the castle (and surrounding country) from the church.

^ Some of the old walls around the city still exist.

^ A few of the old entrances into the walls of the city still exist also.

^ Notice how deep this entrance gate is!

^ The first view of the castle.


^ To enter the castle you must first past the portcullis (spiky gate) and the murder holes (where soldiers above can poor hot oil down and shoot arrows at the intruders.) You learn a lot of new terminology when you visit a castle. If you don't have the opportunity to visit, you can always google "castle terms" and learn about it that way. Or, you can learn about it at the castle, then forget, then google it anyway, like I did.

^ This rampart is the oldest part of the castle.

^ The boat house on the Avon River.

^ A jousting tournament.

^ In the ancient times, it was common for castles to practice falconry and have many birds of prey. (Don't ask me why. I haven't googled it yet.) The Warwick castle had this beautiful bald eagle, and his name was Archie. I'm not sure his name fits the majestic gleam in his eye.


^ Many arrow loops around the castle walls were used to protect it. Even so, the castle was overtaken more than once in its history.

^ Taken from Ceasar's tower.

^ I wasn't prepared for how big of a tourist attraction this would be, although I'm not sure why I was surprised. It is magnificant and we aren't the only people in the world that enjoy things like this. I just felt once or twice like I might be at Disneyland.

^ By this point in the castle we had climbed about 500 steps.

^ These were some homes resting in the shadows of the castle. They had magnificant gardens leading down to the river.

^ It's just a rough life for some people.

^ In this photo, you can see the remnants of an old stone bridge that used to lead up to the castle.

^ Here is the same bridge from below.

^ Part of the castle was set up to show what life would be like in the castle in about the 17-18th centuries. There were many wax sculptures depicting life in each room.





^ The wood-work in this room was incredible.

^ There was a great hall that held armour and weapons.

^ The dining hall.


^ King Henry the VIII. During his rein the castle was owned by the Crown. Here he is surrounded by women—surprise, surpise!

^ This was the castle chapel. The wax figures in this room were looking at ancient hymnals... wait, these were actually real people, looking at their castle map. My mistake.

back home again

One of the most rewarding aspects of keeping a blog is the feedback we receive and knowing that others are enjoying what we post. For those of you who have left us a note either here on the blog or on Facebook, I wanted to be sure to let you know how your comments have been appreciated and how much we love to hear from you.

It has been fun taking you all on our journey to England with us! I didn't have as much time to post during our last couple of days there, so now that we are home again, I have some catchup posting to do. It is great to be home again and remember how much I LOVE AMERICA, but I also have to say it was the greatest privilege to visit the United Kingdom, and it felt so right to be there. Maybe it is because so much of our ancestry and cultural traditions came from England, or maybe it is because they speak the same language (sort of), but I love that it didn't feel completely foreign (except for the driving bit of course). It is safe to say I have FALLEN IN LOVE WITH ENGLAND and I hope we can go again someday.

A special thanks to Ian and Amanda for your tour guiding . . . and friendship!

Here is some evidence of the work accomplished while in England.

^ Stacks of catalog pages fresh off the press, waiting for folding and bindery.

^ Tom waited patiently in the lounge at the press. I was so glad for his company on this trip.

Day 5: England—Pubs

"Here we are together, drinking wine, ale, and stout. May the roof above never fall in and the friends below never fall out."

-Written on the walls of the Garrick


The two most important buildings in every English village are the church... and the pub. The pubs have been the center of village life for centuries. A proper pub is often located right next to the church.

Here is one of the oldest Pubs in Stratford Upon Avon—the Garrick.



For dinner, we went to an old Pub where Ian often went as a youngster, called the King's Head. It was a wonderful evening, and sure enough, it was located right next to the church. They were doing bell practice that night, and a cacophony of bells sounded throughout our meal. The ambiance was fabulous.

We ordered the quintessential Pub food—fish and chips and beef pot pie. This was the highlight of my day and a very memorable evening.


"Britain and America...two great nations divided by a common language."

– Winston Churchill / Oscar Wilde / George Bernard Shaw
(As it happens, the saying has been credited to all three of them)

Today we had the privilege of doing some sightseeing, and we admired so much the traditional English buildings left for us to enjoy from generations gone by.









And just look at the amazing architecture our generation is leaving for the world to enjoy:

I'm quite sure people hundreds of years from now will be walking the streets and admiring the amazing detail found on 60's style buildings such as these . . . or something. I've been told Prince Charles is an advocate of having new buildings built in the old English style. I can see why. A building like this sticks out like a sore thumb in England.

More to come of our adventures—Warwick Castle and Stratford Upon Avon—but another day. We have been very blessed!



England: Day 4

I don't have much to share today, except that work went well. Tomorrow we have an opportunity to travel to Warwick castle, so I hope to have more photos to show you of the English countryside.

Until then, I'll leave you with a few tips on how to speak "British". Most of these are excerpts from this website and this website. Here are a few of my favorites (their descriptions, not mine):

All right? - This is used a lot around London and the south to mean, "Hello, how are you"?
Biscuit- cookie
Bloody - One of the most useful swear words in English. Mostly used as an exclamation of surprise i.e. "bloody hell" or "bloody nora". Something may be "bloody marvellous" or "bloody awful". It is also used to emphasise almost anything, "you're bloody mad", "not bloody likely" and can also be used in the middle of other words to emphasise them. E.g. "Abso-bloody-lutely"! Americans should avoid saying "bloody" as they sound silly.
Car Park - Parking lot
Caravan - RV
Cheeky - "Eee you cheeky monkey". Cheeky means you are flippant, have too much lip or are a bit of a smart arse! Generally you are considered to be a bit cheeky if you have an answer for everything and always have the last word.
Cheers - This word is obviously used when drinking with friends. However, it also has other colloquial meanings. For example when saying goodbye you could say "cheers", or "cheers then". It also means thank you. Americans could use it in English pubs, but should avoid the other situations as it sounds wrong with an American accent. Sorry!
Dodgy - If someone or something is a bit dodgy, it is not to be trusted. Dodgy food should be thrown away at home, or sent back in a restaurant. Dodgy people are best avoided. You never know what they are up to.
Flutter - It means to have a bet, usually a small one by someone who is not a serious gambler.
Lift - Elevator
Lorry - Truck
Moterway - Freeway. You also hear Carriage Way.
Quid - A pound in money is called a quid. It is the equivalent to the buck or clam in America. A five pound note is called a fiver and a ten pound note is called a tenner.
Shrapnel - Coins or change
Two finger salute - When you see a Brit stick up two fingers at you in a V shape, he may be ordering two of something (if his palms are toward you). The other way around and it's an insult along the lines of your one finger salute.

This list would have been helpful to read before we came. We've had quite an education since we've arrived. I would always say hello to the receptionist at the press when I walked by, and she would always answer "all right". Now after reading this list I realize she was actually asking "How are you?" but I didn't answer back. I just smiled stupidly because I didn't know what she was saying. Oops.

England: Day 3—an accident waiting to happen

Day 3 began with a delicious English breakfast delivered to our room. I quickly looked around for a tip to give the server, and intuitively grabbed the largest coin sitting on the counter, which logically would be worth the most money. I was aiming for 2 £. After he left the room I sifted through the coins and soon realized to my embarrassment that I had just handed him an ever generous 10 pense (which is less than 15 cents.) Hopefully I'll get a chance to make up for it tomorrow. Unless I am risking having the server spit in my food before he arrives at our door in the morning.


I don't have many photos to share as we have been printing most of the day. But the most exciting adventure to report has been hiring a car. (They don't rent here, they hire.) We had a lovely interview with the car (har har) and finally hired one with an automatic transmission and air conditioning. Driving a manual while learning to drive on the wrong (I mean left) side of the road and the right (I mean wrong) side of the car seemed an insurmountable challenge.

We are told it is a straight shot from the hotel to the press, but there are about 100 round-abouts between here and there, and it didn't seem straight to me. And then you go clockwise around them, counter-intuitively, and have to figure out which road takes you again in the right direction again. Good luck.

Lesson learned: your intuition will not get you far in England.

To top it off, Amanda (Ian's wife) kept texting to tell us how much she regretted not being with us in Leicester and how terrible it was that she had to spend her time in Hastings on the beach instead. She sent this photo to make us all sympathetic to her plight and we all felt very sorry for her of course.

We finished the day with some traditional Indian curry, and it was an excellent meal. I didn't know this before, but there are many immigrants from India because it was once part of the British empire. When power was handed back to India, it was with an agreement that Indian people could claim citizenship in Britain. As such, there are now about 1.6 million Indian people here and it remains the largest ethnic group in the U.K. today.

England: Day 2

As the printer we are using is in Leicester (pronounced Lester) in central England, we boarded a train from the St. Pancras station this morning to travel there. We saw a bit of the picturesque English countryside, and I can't wait to see more and take pictures between press checks.

The train station was a great building. Here we are taking it in with Ian as our very capable tour guide.





Once in Leicester, we visited the press to tie up a few loose ends and then made our way to the Marriott where we will be staying. (Lobby pictured above). It is very modern and seems a bit out of place after all of the old gothic architecture we saw yesterday, but it is very comfortable and nice. We spent the evening sleeping off a bit of jet lag, and here I am staying up way too late as a result (it is dinner time at home). We might get our schedules turned around just when it is time to come home.

Until tomorrow . . . Cheers!

England: How to see London in 1 day

I find myself in London this week. What a privilege, and Tom was even able to tag along. He has to put up with my working, but we will squeeze in some sightseeing as well. (As I type this, I am hearing myself say it in "British". By the end of the week I'm afraid I'll bloody speak it too.

Today, when asked if he wanted a newspaper, Tom smartly remarked "I don't read British, sorry."

^ We arrived at 7 AM, so we had a bit of waking up to do. A large latte would do the trick, along with the perfect English snack, scones with preserves and clotted cream.


^ We then took a relaxing riverboat tour on the river Thames. You can see St. Paul's cathedral off to the right.


Our guide, with his dry British wit, kept us very well entertained. "This first-class cruiser has many exits. In case of an emergency, please exit . . . any where you bloody like." And, "if you find your life jacket doesn't work, please return it to us and we will give you a new one."

^ One of the many bridges we crossed under.

^ The Millennium Bridge is known to locals as the "wobbly" bridge. I dare you to cross it.

^ The actual London bridge happens to be one of the most understated on the river. This is not the original. That one, as you may remember, fell down. This one was mostly built by women during the war. Leave it to the ladies to be the practical ones. Our tour guide tried to point out its flaws as we floated under it, but we all knew he wouldn't be finding any. After all, it was built by women.

^ This is the tower of London. It is mostly known as a place of execution for traitors. You can see a sign on the wall edge that reads "Entry to the Traitor's Gate" that is now covered by water.

^ The tower bridge.

^ This monument marks the place where the famous London fires of 1666 started.


^ This is the London Eye, the largest observation wheel in the world. Each car holds 25 people, and it actually takes a full 1/2 hour to revolve one turn. Our guide said you can actually get married in one. They have you married by the time you hit the top, and it's all downhill from there.

^ The Houses of Parliament

^ Big Ben, of course.

^ The Westminster Abbey. This place was beautiful.




^ Some London row houses. I'd imagine it costs a fortune to live here.

^ A taste of English gardening, with Buckingham palace off in the distance.

^ The back side of 10 Downing, where the Prime Minister lives.

^ More government buildings.

^ The bark of this tree must be where cammo comes from.

^ Buckingham Palace. We were not able to see the changing of the guards, so we might have to return there.

^ Our hotel, Le Meridian on Piccadilly Circus.


^ In our lovely room, leaving for dinner at La Caprice, where we met the CEO of the printer we are using here.

trip down memory lane; Part 2

Mom sent me a few pictures following my previous memory lane post about my dolls, Mandy and Jenny.

^ Here I am on my 3rd birthday with my new Mandy doll. Do I remind you of anyone?

^ Mom and I wearing our Sunday best. Mom is wearing a dress from the same material as the dress she made for my doll Mandy (last photo). I was wearing my favorite Strawberry Shortcake dress. I had Strawberry Shortcake everything at that time. Isn't my mom a beauty?

^ Here I am with my cousins, Bob and Bonita, holding my new Jenny doll. I must have gotten her when I was about 4 years old.


a trip down memory lane

While we were at the farm, we made a trip to the bookstore, where I purchased books to keep the girls entertained. Abby's choice was an American Girl book called "Doll School". It came with lesson plan folders, stickers to make books, easels and chalk boards... all kinds of great stuff to teach school to your dolls.


Abby has never been very into dolls, but after buying this book she immediately started begging for an American Girl doll. (Not a purchase you make flippantly, mind you, at $100 a pop.)

I went digging in the back of the closet of my old bedroom, and I came up with a treasure. Remember these?

This Mandy and Jenny. They were first made the year I was born. They aren't in perfect shape, having been colored on, hair cut, clothes lost, and toted around who knows where, but I am so glad my mom kept them anyway. They brought back many memories and I enjoyed seeing Abby enjoy them too.

My mom made these dresses . . .


and this red coat . . .


And to add even more to the sentimental value of these dolls, my late Grandma Florence crocheted these adorable hats and sweaters for them.


One of the draws of these dolls were the sewing patterns you could buy to make clothes for them. I wonder if you can still buy sewing patterns for dolls today? (Somewhere I have a picture of my mom in a dress made out of the same pink stripe/floral fabric as the dress she made for my doll. How cool is that?)

Needless to say, Abby had lots of fun playing school with Mandy and Jenny. Here is their "class" photo:


And school pictures (the background came with her book!)

I know. I'm such a girl.

harvest memories

Whew! What a busy week. It's about all I can do to fit in our summer chores; yard, laundry, housecleaning . . . when we are never home! It is all worth it, however, as we've had so many privileges.

It's high time I posted about our trip up to the farm to help with harvest. Here are a few of my favorite photos of the trip:

ˇ This is truly Big Sky Country.




ˇ Sarah rides the truck with Uncle Ashley



ˇ Wait, Grandpa Rog! Wait for me!


ˇ Sarah waters Grandma's flowers


ˇ Making root beer with Jan


ˇ Celebrating Aunt Ruth's birthday (and snitching the frosting off the cake!)



ˇ A ride on the combine with Grandpa


ˇ The pea field Tom swathed


ˇ "You been farmin' long?"


ˇ Riding out the sunset

Thanks for a great week, Mom and Dad!

out of a magazine

On our way to the farm for a week, we were able to stop and have lunch with our BFFs Sean and Holly. I just had to snap a few pics while we were there, and this is why: Holly is amazingly talented at finding used treasures and making them look fabulous. Their house looks like it came straight out of a magazine.






yucca surprise



We have had this yucca plant for 3 or 4 years, and this is the first time I've noticed it bloom. Wow! I didn't expect a tree to grow from it! Does anyone know how often it will do this?