Wednesday 28 May 2014

Baseball Season



There's something about driving past the baseball diamonds in the summer that really stir up some good memories for me. We had 7 kids in our family so you grew up watching your siblings do pretty much everything. You got dragged everywhere. Someone always had a piano recital, choir concert, volleyball game, basketball game, baseball game, soccer game, swim meet, school play, you name it. We were always going somewhere. Baseball games were the best because there was so much freedom. We got to play at the park with all of our friends, catch foul balls, find money to spend at the concession. We got to run around.

This all began with my Dad. He was President of Lethbridge Southwest Little League for years, and was on the committee for 20 years before he eventually "retired" (we all know he still keeps his nose involved somehow!) He coached Shane, Steve, TJ, Brody, and many other teams my brothers never played on. My childhood best friend, Maggie, was my partner in crime because our brothers were always on the same team. We would hunt for foul balls and trade them in for double bubble gums. Sometimes our mom's would give us money to get a treat at the concession, or we'd run off to Turbo to get a slurpee or 5 cent candies. We would grab a full bag of spitz, suck the flavoring off and spit them out in the bathroom.

I would go and sit in the dug out with all the boys and they would teach me baseball talk, "here we go TJ here we go" " good eye buddy good eye". I thought my dad was so special when he coached, and I felt so special that I got to sit in there with the team. I would run errands for him, chasing after balls, filling up water bottles, finding bats, getting gloves. The dug out was my favorite place to be.

Even as a teenager my summer job consisted of doing all the data entry for Lethbridge Southwest Little League. Entering registrations, entering teams and tournament schedules, paying their bills, doing their bookkeeping. It was baseball all day all summer.

Do I like watching baseball on TV? Not really... but there's something about sitting out in the sun with a bag of spitz and a hot dog watching a game that is just absolutely perfect. Take me out to the ball game!

Maggie (3 yrs), Kylie (2 1/2 yrs)



Monday 26 May 2014

Lately



Making: banana whole wheat pancakes 
Drinking: cherry limeade 
Reading: DIY blogs
Wanting: a bike
Looking: for upstairs tenants
Savoring: the smoked ribs Daddio made this weekend
Wasting: away.... I hope   
Wishing: I knew how to work Twitter
Enjoying: The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon
Waiting: for my next holiday, road trip with Sharee and Nate!
Liking: all these facebook posts with newborn babies
Wondering: where that huge spider ran off to in my house 
Loving: F.R.I.E.N.D.S episodes
Hoping: for some more awesome garage sale finds this Summer
Needing: Watermelon. at all times in all places. 
Marvelling: over how many times I have to pee after eating watermelon
Smelling: the freshly cut grass
Wearing: my BSB hat and half tees. cannot live without them.
Watching: Nashville and 24 (Bauer is back!)
Following: Kim Kardashian's wedding
Noticing: my pasty white skin
Knowing: my extrovert limits
Thinking: a lot about parenting
Feeling: like glue gunning something  
Pinning: camping ideas
Giggling: over everything the primary kids do during church

Friday 23 May 2014

Canvas Tutorial

I've been staring at this dead space in my kitchen for a while now. Last month when I went to Utah I was determined to find a cute canvas or picture set. I came home with nothing!! (disclaimer: I came home with LOTS of stuff.... just nothing for my kitchen... :) So I decided I would make exactly what I wanted instead, after all, that's the beauty of crafting!


I got 4 free 12x12 canvases from my sister so I decided that's what I would use. I started looking online for a printable template I liked that I could modge podge on them.


I printed off the printables I liked at Costco as photos


I used the "matte" finish modge podge so the canvases didn't show up super shiny. I applied a thin layer of modge podge on the canvas and let it set for 1-2 minutes before I put the photo on. Place the photo on, make sure it's perfectly centred. Then apply a generous coat of modge podge on top with a paint brush. Make sure the edges don't lift, and seal around the outside of the picture by painting modge podge around the sides of the canvas too. 


 Once they are completely dry hang them as you wish! Ta-da! Super easy. The awkward space isn't completely filled but it's a start.


Love them :)


Friday 9 May 2014

BYU Women's Conference

My mom and her friends/sisters have been going to BYU Women's Conference for 10+ years (I know, my family is big into traditions haha, we have a tradition for EVERYTHING). It was my mom's little weekend getaway every year, which she totally deserved with 7 kids raging wild in her home. I remember her coming home uplifted, rejuvenated and more patient with all of us. I went for my first time a couple of years ago and I was excited to go again! This year we did a Pierson girls trip. My mom and 3 of her sisters, my sister Darby and 3 of my Pierson cousins came.

My Mom, Darby and I went down early to visit my brother Taylor, sister-in-law Kathy and their 3 little girls. We stayed at their super creepy house for 2 nights hehe. It's the house they filmed the horror movie Halloween 5 in, so for some reason that spooks me even more. They are renting out the basement. It was built in the 1800's so it was so fun to go exploring, and walk around the neighborhoods in downtown Salt Lake City looking at all the beautiful old houses.



these tulips had crazy frayed edges - they were so beautiful!

I couldn't wait to get my hands on little miss Story's strawberry blonde locks!! Did some cute pigtails one morning

Meet Verity, Story & Pepper. They are all a year apart in age and they are little bundles of energy! My sister-in-law Kathy is a busy mom! And she's pregnant with another little girl on the way. This picture pretty well sums them up perfectly haha

Verity doing exercises with Grandma in the morning

They love hanging out with Grandma


BYU Women's Conference
We stayed in the dorms on campus so it was fun to have everyone so close!! So many classes to chose from, I'm not sure which was more fun - the actual conference, or just being together. These Pierson ladies can get a little wild! After about 8pm you're in for a real treat. All the Pierson cousins grew up spending lots of time together so we are really close. (There are ~30 cousins just on the Pierson side) We learned, served, shopped, ate & drank (pop) till we burst!

Marriott Center filled with women!

Group Picture!

Barb and her 2 girls, Sharee & Crystal. Sharee on the left was my maid of honor at my wedding.

Mamma Ju and her two girls Darby & myself

Cousins

This picture about sums up these 3 sisters

Service
Sharee and I listened to Brad Wilcox's class while we made some cute sock bunnies to give to less fortunate kids.

Our sock bunnies!!

Some more service, modge podging a car set for some boys in places like the Ronald MacDonald house


It was Spring in Utah! Something Canada never got while we were away... we came home to snow. Some cute little baby duckies learning how to swim.  

Aunty Alice and I couldn't wait to try some dirty diet coke. But honestly I think the best part were those sugar cookies!!! One of the best I've ever tasted (and I make a dang good sugar cookie!) I gobbled it down so quick. 

Oh ya, remember that one time Crystal got an electric shock from the straightener? One of those not so funny/absolutely hilarious moments. I just had to snap a pic....


Shopping
I hate shoe shopping. It's one of my absolute LEAST favorite things to do. But I knew it was time to let these shoes go. I will cherish our 8 years together. I bought 3 new pairs of shoes on the trip.

The night before we left we were trying to unpack and repack both cars to fit everything, thank goodness for the thule on top of the suburban. I take the phrase "shop till you drop" a lot more serious now... 


Can't wait for next year!!






















 

Wednesday 7 May 2014

Baby Quilts

It's not a secret I love to craft. I have always admired my mom's cute quilts, baby blankets, wall-hangings, table runners etc that she sews. I sewed a little in High School, and even got a sewing machine for Christmas one year... but sadly it has sat in the box ever since. I was so busy with school and friends during university I never had any time! Now that I'm working and married I have found some spare moments finally! So I decided it was time to dust 'er off and get to work. It is baby season after all!! There must be something in the water because all of my best friends had babies this Spring. My mom was so patient with me, I tend to get frustrated when I'm not instantly good at something (haha go figure). She spent so many nights and weekends helping me - It was fun to spend some mother/daughter time together. Once we sewed the quilt together we had a lady with an industrial machine quilter quilt some super ADORABLE designs on to the quilts. It doubles the quilt's cuteness factor! Here are a few of the quilts we made...


Ashley Johnson's Quilt for little miss Berkley

 I'm kind of obsessed with owls right now - I think they are ridiculously cute. When we found out the quilt lady had an owl pattern I just about died! Works perfectly with the cute owl fabric :) Love the soft minky on the back.

Nicole Maclean's Quilt for little miss Alexa
I was a little nervous about this quilt because it's not as cutesy and girly as some of the other quilts I've made. I made Nicole's 1st baby a quilt a couple years ago and it was very girly, this one was more traditional. But they are different girls and I wanted different quilts. I think it turned out cute! I love the soft, fuzzy yellow on the back and the cute flower swirly quilting.

Maggie Brumwell's quilt for little miss Alexis
Maggie didn't find out if she was having a boy or a girl so it made it difficult for me to have a quilt ready for when Baby arrived! So I made 2 quilts, a girl one and boy one. She ended up having a girl!!! (which by the way I totalled called!!! Everyone else said she was having a boy...) Here are a few pictures of when I met sweet little Alexis and her modeling her new quilt. Isn't she precious?!



Here is the boy version I will be saving for another lucky baby.. :) It's not quilted or bound in this picture