Tips from the Lawn Chair Gardener...

So, I am starting a new segment here on sellabitmum...a Gardening Segment. As Winter has finally turned into Spring here in Minnesota, I am feeling the inspiration and love that gardening brings...and I really really really want some pretty flowers this year. As I walk down my block, I see window boxes getting filled and gardens weeded. Everyone seems to be out tending to their gardens...getting them ready for the long Summer.

Well, I am sooo NOT one of those people. I don't have time for all of that weeding, and planting and maintaining...blah, blah, blah. I just want to admire and dream and wish...that someone would come do it all for me.

So this segment is for those of you who want to have lovely gardens and lawns...but just don't.

Every Sunday I will plan some wonderful Gardening tips for you...so you too can be a Lawn Chair Gardener like me.

Gardening Tip #1
"Don't leave annuals outside in Minnesota until after Mother's Day." Enough said about that...


Gardening Tip #2
"Know your vegetation"
..okay, so what the hell is this? It's probably been here for 65 years and just keeps on returning every year. I've cut the darn thing down before...but it just keeps coming back...and coming back bigger. I think one Summer it will be big enough to eat my kids while playing in the backyard. It scares me, I don't like it, and I want it to go away...but I need to find someone to dig it out for me. My neighbor just laughs at me...


I hope this segment will teach you many things as the Summer progresses. I look forward to bringing my lovely garden into your home each week.

xoxo, The Lawn Chair Gardener

Backyard Boden and a Roller Derby...

Guess what - we've had gorgeous weather this week. I never knew 70 degrees could feel so good. It is so nice to see all of our neighbors out of their houses...finally released from our cold Winter's hibernation!

Yesterday, we went to Target to get Eloise some roller skates as a reward for going above and beyond being just a typical 5 year old... and I think it will count as her preschool graduation present! I can't believe she is almost done with preschool!

As far as roller skates go - I just wanted to get her a basic pair. Turns out there is no such thing - you can get Dora, Barbie, Spiderman, or some other Super Hero that we didn't recognize. I am sure the skates now cost twice as much too because of the branding royalties. Sorry, I was in marketing and totally get it - but it still ticked me off. Anyway, we ended up with Dora...and a full set of protective pads...as there is a reason we did not name Eloise, Grace. Of course, the pads were available in black for $7.99 - or with some lame kids character for $19.99 - I bought the black, but not after some tears. I need to take a stance sometimes you know.

Here are some pics of my Roller Derby wannabe and her darling assistant in the backyard...just having fun! (wearing their new Summer Mini Boden..thus the title)

Safety First - always practice on grass before attempting it on a hard surface..

Ready for the sidewalk..

...and she is already dancing - can't ya hear Donna Summer belting out the disco tunes...

View from the car...wanted some gas to go - sorry, too expensive dear...

"Hey, Ewoise...don't come on my sidewalk..."

"Is this a ballet outfit?"

"Look at these beautiful weeds I picked for you!"

There's a Kind of Hush....

...all over my house, today...all over my house...

So, I am so sorry if any of you have tried to call during the past 40 hours, as I am not answering the phone. Here I am talking like my phone rings 30 times a day as I am so popular or something. Well, it rang twice - so, for the 2 of you(or 1 of you who called twice) yesterday and I did not answer...I apologize. I have lost my voice...completely...gone. Barely even a quiet whisper. I have no idea why. I was talking to Jed on the phone and sentence 1-5 were just fine and just sentence 6 was non-existent? This is very annoying!

Why I hate not having my voice:
1. I can't yell at Jed
2. I can't yell at my girls
3. I can't answer the phone
4. I can't answer my girls 20 zillion questions they ask everyday

Why I like not having my voice:
1. I can't yell at Jed
2. I can't yell at my girls
3. I can't answer the phone
4. I can't answer my girls 20 zillion questions.

Now, I never realized how many questions little kids ask per day until you can't respond to them..Holy Chatty Patty Girls...they talk CONSTANTLY and ask me EVERYTHING. Even when I think they finally figured out that I couldn't answer them...they just kept asking things. The little monkeys can't read yet either - so when I started writing the answer down for them that just seemed kind of silly. Car rides were frustrating, as they kept talking to me and asking me things, and I couldn't even turn around to remind them that "Mommy can't talk, let's just enjoy listening to Dan Zane..." One time during the day I actually stomped my feet to get their attention as they just weren't paying attention to what I was trying to say. Now, isn't that mature - but it did give a better understanding of how a 2 year old feels.

Probably the worst part of the day though, was I went into Starbucks and I couldn't order - I can whisper...but he wouldn't get close enough to me to hear me...I think he thought I had a contagious medical condition...so he finally gave me some paper to write my order on...thank God. Today, I am bringing my pen and paper with me everywhere I go....I just apologize to the under 5 crowd that you can't read.

A Note to my Readers...

I just want to thank all of you who read my blog and post comments! It is actually quite a rush of delight when I see there are pending comments to publish. (yes, I get excited quite easily) This note though, is mainly to those of you out there who read me...but don't comment. I just think that it's a nice thing to do - that if you are reading about someone...to send them a comment once in awhile...just to be polite and all. It's kind of like you are looking in my living room window...but not knocking on my door to say "hey" cuz you know if you knocked...I'd invite you in for tea, coffee or wine..but if you just stand there staring in at me from my windows, fogging 'em up and all...well, it just kind of gives me the creeps. You don't have to comment everyday - but just once in awhile to give me a shout. You don't even have to say nice things. Seriously, you can say "hey, that is an ugly skirt you made" or "Oilily sucks" or "stop locking your kids in the closet so you can blog and ebay" - all of those comments are very acceptable.

Anyway, thanks again for reading and for commenting and for well, just being you. Just know - I know who you are and I'm watching you...bawahahahahaha...

Houston...we have a Problem...

So, have I ever told you that I have an addictive personality? Well, I know you realize it with all of the clothing I buy my kids...but please let me share with you my latest quick and total demise...

In February, I took a sewing class and made this:

I was VERY pleased with it - turned out very nice, looked cute, fit great...and I had high hopes that I would now have the aptitude to sew more. However, when I brought my machine home from the last class, I put it away in my closet, shut the door and really had no urge to sew. :-( Why not - because I had to make my outfit from a PATTERN! I also assumed when finishing the class, that this was the ONLY way to sew - with an evil PATTERN. I was so frustrated during that class - I would do great IN the class when the instructor could take me step by step through the PATTERN...but the week between classes, I would get out my sewing and just stare blankly at the instructions completely at a loss for what any of it meant...so I would have to arrive the next week at my class with my sheepish look and admit that I did nothing during the week.

Have you ever used one of these so called "easy" sewing patterns. I purposely picked one out that said "VERY EASY, BEGINNER, even a 5 year old can make it, you idiot" - so I thought I was all set-up and ready to succeed. Upon opening the pattern though, it turns out they are evidently actually written in Mandarin, cuz I'll be damned I didn't understand a single thing it was saying. Good thing my other 4 college education classmates had the same issue and our teacher extended our class for a few weeks so she could walk us all step by step through our evil patterns. Never again!

Fast forward 2 months - I get this lovely box of hand-sewn goodies from Matilda Jane and start to fall in love with the look again...I get a few yards of fabric to make my girls some matching headband...never happened....

Call my friend Kristi to come save me from my "I am too dumb to sew" pity party...

When she arrived last week - this is how much fabric I had...

We drank some wine, chatted, laughed and made this lovely bag...

...Kristi gave me some amazing sewing tips on sewing WITHOUT a PATTERN - WOW, I had an epiphany(or maybe too much wine) - you CAN sew without a pattern...no way! WAY! Well, that sounds like my kind of sewing!

...so here we are 1 week after Kristi's quickie class, and now I have this much fabric...(this is where the addictive personality part comes in play...)

...and this is what I made...a circle twirly skirt without a pattern!

I have been saved from my scared to sew hell - so just watch-out! With the way I am buying fabric, Jed just may have to sell a motorcycle to make room for it all!

Because it really is all about you...

As requested by my loyal reader...here is a shameless self-portrait of me wearing my "May Spring" Hat. Please note that in Minnesota we don't need no fancy smancy Easter bonnets or lovely traditional Spring Hats. Here in the North Country, May is the month when we wear polar fleece from L.L. Bean with a lovely Spring floral motif.

Enjoy...


...and totally off topic...but did anyone else just cry like a baby when David Cook sang "The first time ever I saw your Face" on American Idol last night...or was it just me?