Giving THANKS(giving)

Thanksgiving morning dawned cold and grey, just as it ought in the Pacific Northwest.  Isaac wanted to ensure Charlie got his part in the feasting...  It took Charlie the better part of the day just to figure out how to get started on his giant bone.  I admit, though, our crazy dog made quick work of that rawhide once he got started!

It was a mild morning so we decided to walk on the trail just a couple blocks from our house.  Charlie loves to be out in the woods. He has complete freedom to smell, run, jump, repeat!  We've been blessed with a dog that comes when he's called, so we feel entirely comfortable giving him freedom to romp around!

Tell me, who wouldn't want that BEAST (last picture) charging at them full speed? We love it, drool laces and all!  He'll respond to his name or our whistle for him and come back for a "touchback" where he runs to us, touches one of us, then starts out again.


There are few things I love more than going on a walk holding my husband's hand!

Look at that handsome dog! He was just coming out of a full "point" at this moment! He's got quite the nose... He'd make a great hunting dog: he rarely barks, he's got a soft bite (he mouths with no pressure), he's got an amazing sense of smell, and he comes when called. 

After our walk we'd worked up an appetite so we headed over to Grandma Nancy's for some further thanks giving with the extended McPhee family!

The food was delicious!  And we had a great time catching up with Isaac's side of the family...even if they are a small group, they make up for it with constant stories and plenty of laughter!

Once we had recovered from our excellent feast, we settled in for the family game: FANTAM!

Don't let that sweet little grandma fool you: she's cutthroat!

We have so much to be thankful for this year.  God has blessed us both.  Our greatest thanks is for God bringing us together in a marriage that celebrates Christ and draws each of us closer to Him and through each other as we learn repentance, love, and self-sacrifice.  God is good! 

CHARLIE: The story of our impulse dog purchase!

This is the story of how we got our sweet Charlie boy!

It was a normal Saturday morning.  We'd just finished breakfast and I was in the kitchen cleaning up some dishes or doing laundry (some Saturday chore) while Isaac worked on a novel-in-progress.  Isaac calls to me from the living room, "hey, what do you think about a puppy?"

I stood there for a second, dishes in hand, then letting what he said sink in I came around the corner, "did you just ask me what I think about a puppy?"

Isaac: "Yeah..."
Me: "Uhhh.... Does this mean you want to go get a dog?"
.... so we talked about it a bit all the while knowing what the answer was going to be.  I knew Isaac really wanted a dog (okay, I did too!), but I was hesitant. Still, the look on his face as we talked about it was irresistible.  A man needs a dog! So off we went in search of an open shelter.

We had a couple hits and misses looking for an adoption event when I found the King County shelter on my phone.  We headed off and asked to see the dogs. They showed us through a set of double doors and told us to come tell them if there was a dog we wanted to take out. Ohhhh my goodness! There was an Aussie pup there that melted my heart. There were also two or three other mid-sized dogs that caught our eyes.  The top contenders were "Bruce" (a lab/pit mix) and "Princess" (a black and white mutt).  We kept wandering back to see "Bruce".  He was quietly lying on his bed, and just looked up at us with his ears and eyebrows perked up... I said right then "we're going home with this dog, aren't we?" so we went and asked about him, filled out an application, and were allowed to see him out in the yard.

 


He was timid, but he didn't bark, so we played with him.  He was more interested in the other dogs in neighboring pens and the cars going by than us.  He started to warm up to Isaac after a few minutes and seemed eager for affection.  We also noticed that he hadn't so much as growled or gruffed or whimpered.  Hmmm...we're liking this dog!  I bent down one more time to pet him and he looked up and gave me one lick on the chin. (SOLD!)  A few minutes later and we were loading him into our car!

He was very underweight but otherwise healthy.  He'd been de-wormed, so we're not sure if he'd had worms or been just plain hungry!

He'd been a stray found wandering the streets of Kent.  We quickly decided he couldn't continue to be called "Bruce" (the name the shelter had given him a few days before) and before we had finished the car ride home he was pronounced to be Charlie, and he was part of our family.

A special thanks to Seth who sponsored Charlie with his wedding money!  He told us to spend it all in one place, and well, we didn't spend it all in one place, but we pretty well spent all of it on one thing.  We checked with Seth and he gave his hearty approval!  I can't wait for these two boys to meet! I know they'll get along! :)

There was an almost instant bond between Isaac and Charlie.  Charlie loves me, but when it comes down to it, he's chosen Isaac as his master, and I'm okay with that. I mean, just look at these two:

Repurposing: Old to New!

I love repurposing! I really love projects that don't cost me any money!!!  None of these cost me a thing except some time ("researching" on pinterest, assembling, and installing in some instances).  I didn't really set out for this to be a crafty blog, but that's been my life lately.  Well, crafting, job hunting, and cleaning...so of the three, this is the most interesting!

First up: a new jewelry holder!  I used a couple pins as inspiration found here and here.

I used a frame I already have that used to hang in my living room, added a cardboard backing that I covered in fabric left over from Ava's flower girl dress.  The spools my mom gave me and I knew they were just my style for such a project!  Add to that a mirror I already had, and a Dollar Tree tray that we used to hold communion at our wedding which I'm now using to hold my earrings and bracelets.

Next up: another reminder of the start of a lifetime of marriage!  A shadow box holding our wedding invitation, ceremony program, his boutonniere, my hair pin and garter.  A lifetime of memories began that day and I can't think of something I'd rather see each morning as I rise than a reminder of the first of many, many days and years together.  This one did cost a few dollars (for the shadow box), but I got it for 60% off at JoAnns and it will hang in our home for the rest of our lives, I hope.

Lastly, another pinteresting project to use up more of my fabric stash.  A skirt for my cutest niece, Ava. Inspiration was found here.

I used some off-white fabric for the main part.  The stars aren't really as visible as they show in the picture.  The waistband is navy blue cotton with a slight stretch to it, then the bottom bunting was a fun touch, using up SOME of my scraps, but not much... Still fun! I love seeing fabrics I love show up on cute new clothes!!!

Love,

Katie

Very pinteresting: coasters!

Today's project was to make coasters.  You'll start to notice a theme: I'm trying to make things cozy and use up my fabric stash.  I followed this pin: http://sometimescrafter.blogspot.com/2009/03/tutorial-coasters.html

I have to admit -- hers were a little neater than mine, but I still like them. AND they were free, so if I decide to change the style up, I don't feel guilty!

Here they are: (sorry about the picture quality... I used my phone's camera).

Happy sewing!

Scrappy scarf

I've had this blog waiting for its inaugural post for over a month... I finally decided it was time to start posting, so here's my first one: a scrappy scarf -- or TWO.  I have been pondering and pondering what to make with all these fabric scraps I own.  Finally it hit me: infinity scarves! I love them. I love to accessorize with scarves: with short sleeves when it's warm, with a jacket for fall, a sweater, jacket, scarf combo for winter...with a dress, leggings, and boots for winter? YES, please. It might be my most versatile accessory!

I used a lightweight plaid seersucker, some gray flowers left over from a wedding flag bunting I made, and a bit of dark brown with tiny white polka dots that I've had for years. I decided to do one side entirely in the plaid -- I didn't want to get TOO crazy with the patchworking... I was going for "you MADE that?" versus "Ohhh... you MAAAADE that... hmmm..." (Here's hoping I hit the mark!)

I learned a couple things as I was whipping this up:  First, do NOT sew them on all the way TIGHT if you're backing a button on one side with a button on the other...it will NOT go through the button hole.  Secondly: if you're going to make a button hole...it's best to do that BEFORE you sew all your buttons onto the scarf or you have to GUESS when you sew the button holes with the machine later...

That's all there was to it!

This one was so fun (and I think it will be versatile with any solid shirt...or with my brown corduroy blazer!! - C'MON AUTUMN!!!) I decided to whip up another similar one with fabric I had left over from making THIS dress for Ava (niece) four years ago!

And now: the scarf from what was left...four years later: 

For this scarf I twisted it (twice or thrice) so that it wouldn't look twisted when I wore it! I love how soft and lightweight it is, yet I think it could also be warm if needed! And, bonus: it's reversible! Solid blue or a cute, fun print! 

We went camping!

We registered for camping equipment for our wedding, and we thought it would be a shame not to quickly put it to good use.  So when the weather was still great in late September, we headed up to Deception Pass for a weekend getaway!

Turns out we were so close to the Canadian border that our phones thought we were in BC. It turned out to be a great blessing to have a no-technology weekend! We talked, laughed, ate great food, built fires, hiked and well...they say a picture's worth a thousand words, so why am I writing all this?  Take a look for yourself:

Isaac was so awesome: he set up the tent in record time, then arranged the inside so we had quite a cozy little nest!  He gave me the full length mat (love you, husband!) and slept on the too short mat.  What a guy!  We also inherited my parents' REI sleeping bags that are older than we are and still work so well! And bonus: they zip together to form a nice, roomy sleeping bag! No more sleep-clausterphobia!!

My man cooking camp style!  Then he got the fire going (this picture doesn't do it justice), and read to me by lantern-light! :) (And it was The Princess Bride! I love this man!)

Hot cocoa and then freshly perked coffee started the morning off right!  Then it was off to see the sights!  And such lovely ones we found - up high, down at the shore, and everywhere in between.  It's important to stay hydrated kid-style. I submit that one is never too old to rock the Capri Sun!

We had some tide pool adventures! I'd never stuck my finger into an anemone before. Those things have a grip!  We had such fun exploring, then it was off to climb stuff, jump off stuff, and get lost a few times...

We had the BEST time!!! And sidenote: My husband is HOT!!! 

Yep, this is the main bridge at Deception Pass and yes, I did in fact cross it on foot multiple times...while maintaining a steel grip on Isaac's arm...but I made it!  I admit I was pretty weak in the knees when we reached about the 30% point until we hit about 85% across and the end was nearby again. That is one looooong bridge! But what an adventure!

This was our first, but will not be our last, camping trip!