Spilling over

Heehee 

:-)

My Amateur Attempt at a Princess Castle Cake

First of all...

Happy Birthday to the Bird!!

a couple weeks late...

It's hard to have a birthday so close to Christmas.

And then we all got the full blown 8day flu over New Years.

So the Bird had a small little party with some family friends. 

I wanted to try my hand at a castle cake and share the experience with you

I apologize for the pictures everyone... I used my phone and usually had sticking fingers so it got a little rough now and then. Woops! 

The cake was a lot simpler than I thought. 

Would you like to learn how to make one too??

10 Things I'm Learning About Death and Grief.

"Grief" Self-portrait by Michelle Starrs assisted by Joseph Starrs
December 5th 2013

 Almost 8 weeks ago my Dad passed away. 

 This explains my absence from blogging. 

After years of a mysterious illness, best described as a mix between 

Corticobasal Degeneration

Posterior Cortical Atrophy

Parkinson's

Early-onset Alzheimer's

And eventually labeled as a "Unique Case"...

My dad passed away on November 11th 2013

Day #4: Parents...

...Mine specifically

I love this picture. 

It's a little old and I am suuuuuper fat in it 

(35 weeks pregnant with the Bird... don't judge my pregnant-face too harshly!)

My parents are the most fantabulistic people on this here planet Earth. 

And I love them so much. 

They show me what love and work really mean

Especially the amazing results you get when both are combined.

Two by Two

November continues... 

and so does my list

Click here for the rest of the list
ThankfulNovember

#2

My children-

Sunshine and the Bird

The Bird as a Hockney

I'm taking several photography classes this semester.

It is really challenging and rewarding. 

Most people in my classes are already really good. 

I am the type who is taking the class to learn something I don't already know. 

It can be pretty discouraging because I feel really behind everyone else. 

But, put that aside, 

I am loving it! 

I especially love these two photos by Hockney...
This one

This one

This is my most recent project.

A Hockney inspired piece. 

(Click on the picture if you want a better view and better quality)

When a thousand words isn't enough.

What I love about my developing photography knowledge is that I am able to take pictures of things I love 

and 

it doesn't matter if anyone else likes it. 

But I still wanted to share with all my friends and family who keep up with this blog. 

I love you all. 

Thanks for your support and views and comments and pins and likes. 

(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

(the Mister says I use too many "!!!" and I totally agree so I am working in it...)

Thrift Shop Refashion Tips: "The Sassy Purple Pencil" and "Mommy and Me Matching Skirts"

  And the snug bum of a pencil skirt????

LOVE IT!!

Every big booty girl out there needs a pencil skirt. 

Needs one

And then....

I have been wrestling with how to present these because every project is so different when you are changing a...

Thrift Shop Ruffian 

into a 

Gem

So I decided instead of giving a tutorial I would share some of the criteria I follow when picking an item to be refashioned. 

Pick a thrift shop of your choice. 

Browse the aisles

Look for quality fabrics

Are there missing buttons?

Does the zipper work?

Are there any unforgivable stains?

Does this garment have potential?

If all the stars align and you find something good and the price is reasonable....

Snatch it up!

This skirt was $3 I think? 

And the dress $2??

Happy Sewing!!!

TMI Tuesday #28- Shoe-less, Sandals, and Sunscreen.

Yes, yes. I knooooow I missed last Tuesday.

But Guess What?

That’s life!!

Things were crazy two weeks ago with the Mister graduating, me wrapping up a wicked hard semester, family in town…

Oh and we were in Hawaii with my parents and one of my sisters and her family all last week  :)

I know, be jeal!

I was relaxing on the Big Island last Tuesday when I remembered I totally spaced TMI. 

Then the thought floated out of my mind 

and I went back to relaxing.

  I’m such a brat! 

But to make up for it, I have 3 stories to share.

There’s a theme.

The first:

Road tripping along the 15 a couple weeks ago, our family stopped for a potty break. As I was toting the Bird into the public restroom for a diaper change, a teeny-bopper came waltzing out. Her feet were making a weird slapping noise. Dazed and confused, I did the fastest double take of my life. 

She was not wearing socks.

She was not wearing shoes.

She was using a public toilet….

  

Barefoot. 

BARF!!!

The next:

Shortly after the gag-reflux episode of the barefooted-bathroom-bandit I was browsing some good ol’ FB newsfeed and stumbled across this little gem:

“Today I learned just how risky wearing sandals at a urinal can be. #aprilshowers”

Seriously? 

Laughing my face off.  

 So funny!!

And the Mister thinks I’m weird when I scroll the newsfeed. He has a point though. For every amazingly funny-split my side laughing-pee a little status… 

I have to read through dozens of things that are, well, really lame.

Sorry about it.

The last:

While at the beach in Hawaii (SpoiledBrat!) Sunshine announced he needed to go potty.

 

Before I could stop him 

He walked to the edge of the wet sand, 

Pulled his swim suit far enough to get the goods out 

And positioned to pee in the general direction of the ocean.  

All the while flashing his blindingly white bumbum to all other patrons of the beach. 

(Sunshine tans so dark it makes me super jealous! I slathered him repeatedly with 70SPF and he’s still a little brownie.)

I was giggling but also horrified. 

My family was crying with laughter. 

I don’t know what all the strangers thought; 

I was fiercely avoiding eye contact.

Um… TMI!!!

TMI Tuesday #26-"Two Hours of People-Watching Bliss

 TMI: "That time we scared all the Arctic Circle patrons away"-edition

 The Bird dumped an entire jug of chocolate milk on herself at lunch today 

(well almost the whole thing...) 

Right on her crotch. Of course. 

And being the rock-star-cool-amazing-Mom that I am,

I sort of patted her dry-ish and let her play in the 

slightly-suspect Play Place at good ol' Arctic Circle anyway

(Theirs is way better than McDonald's but the food is bla-ish)

    Since the milk was of the chocolate variety it sort of looked like the Bird had crapped her pants and I was letting her smear it everywhere. 

HAHAHAHAH!!!!

The best part was seeing all the parent's faces as they walked in.

We were there for almost two hours. 

  

Evidence: It's a bit dried and faded but you get the idea.

Um... TMI!!!

TMI Tuesday #24- "...Ugh, I know."

Conversation and commotion at the Starrs' house this morning...

Sunshine and the Bird:  the parent's room

(Bouncing on the bed, giggling/screaming, knocking clean folded clothes to the ground. Causing all kinds of havoc)

the Mister: the parent's room
(trying to wrap up assignments and studying for school, urging the children to calm down,)

Me:  the bathroom down the hall

(shouting from the toilet) "Hey! You kids! Stop knocking my laundry over! Leave Daddy alone! Come here, come here, come HERE!!"

the Mister:

"Seriously, you could not have picked a worse time to have diarrhea..."

Me:

"...ugh, I know."

Oh, Parenthood.... 

the glamorous life

Um... TMI!!!

Quarter-Century-Celebration WEEKEND!!

I have the greatest family and friends ever. 

I mean it!!!

My birthday was such a wonderful day! 

It was just how I wanted it to be.

Sort of busy and full of 

food, laughter, hugs, kisses, giggles, pampering, family time, girl time 

and of course,

HATS!    

The Mister, Sunshine, the Bird and I had lunch together and went out for icecream.

Are you noticing my (unintentional) ombre hair?

I'm just so trendy I can hardly handle it...

(sarcasm)

It was time (waaay past time) to get my hair done.

So I was pampered in the afternoon

I'm back to brunette

And it sort of feels like coming home. 

Blond was fun... but I'm sooo done.

Then, on Saturday night, the girls met up at Applebees 

Only rule?

Wear a hat!

I decided to sport a fascinator

Inspired by
Royal Wedding, Alice in Wonderland (Tim Burton Style...) and the Hunger Games

And now.. for the Parade of Hats!!!

Are you dying?
I was giggling all night.

The Mister and I were so full from lunch that we decided to extend my birthday an EXTRA day
Sunday night he pulled out the candles!

We had ice cream cake...

And the Mister got me trick candles....

My face and repeated attempts crack me up!

What a wonderful way to celebrate a Quarter-Century of living!!

Thank you so much to my family and friends,
I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

25 before 26

25 Before 26

25 goals to accomplish before I turn 26 on

February 23rd, 2014 

(Some of these are roll-overs from last year)

1. Read the New Testament
2. Run a half marathon
3. Get my Toddler Tie Shop set up
4. Teach a friend a new skill
5. Reach 70 "likes" on Facebook (Go like Starrs Town!)
6. Read 12 books
7. Get professional pictures taken    
8. Organize photos and videos
9. Make a quilt for charity
10. Make a quilt for us
11. Swim in the ocean with my face in the water
12. Get my Bachelors Degree (or at least start my last semester)
13. Host a dinner party
14. Learn to confidently handle a gun
15. Attend the Temple monthly
16. Submit writings for publication
17. Teach Sunshine to write his name
18. Learn how to do an oil change on our car
19. Date night with Joey twice a month 
20. Keep my house cleanish
21. Complete 3 unfinished projects
22. Grow something
23. Potty train the Bird
24. Go camping (for real camping... never done it!)
25. Learn to fish

#24 Take more pictures and at least 3 hours of video so I can always remember how CUTE my kid's voices sound:

#24

Cha-check!!!

Now to organize it all...

Is anyone on the digital scrapbooking train??

Give me the best sites...

#23 Successfully paint the Bird's nails:

#23

These girls were as cute as can be...

#20 Write in my kid's journals:

#20

Their journals are not exactly empty anymore....

Uh....

#17 Try at least 5 projects I've pinned on Pinterest:

#17

Some of these are ideas from Pinterest... Some are originals

 

They are all things I have made over the past few months 

Here's a quick glance!

(I didn't include my bedroom renew...)