I forget to take photos when I'm having fun!

Do you see this apron i'm wearing in the picture? I SEWED IT.

That's right, all by myself.

You're impressed, admit it.

I'm impressed :)

Last weekend (the weekend before my birthday), I went to something called craft weekeend.  

Not just any old craft weekend.  The greatly desired in blog-land craft weekend. 

If you read the blog "whatever"....you already know about it.

I can't believe I am just posting this. I started it right when I got home.  How is life getting so crazy that I never post on my blog anymore? Sad!

I read the blog, and I have read it for years, so I knew all about this weekend.  A weekend of hanging out and crafts at meg's home.  Sort of like a bed and breakfast. Very much like that, actually....plus crafting and shopping. Last year, when they began hosting, I was "celebrating" sweet Briar on his one year birthday...and there was so way I was leaving town.  Then I had a new baby in October, so I didn't even sign up to be on the waiting list. I had too much going on! Even though I would have loved to go, I just couldn't imagine leaving my baby, right as I was in the middle of adopting a second baby....and traveling to Africa two times...

Well, my sweet friend Shara signed up for the lottery, hoping to get picked.

She told me if she ever got picked, she would choose me.

Considering we took a SIGNIFICANT pay cut this year, with me quitting my job, brandon going into ministry, and adding TWO children to the family, I wasn't sure I could go even if she offered.  Plus, it would have to happen at a time when Eli had been home from Africa long enough to leave him. I didn't think much about it, but I knew it would be a perfect, dreamy weekend.

But, one day this summer, I got the call.

The timing worked out for September...my birthday...two years after losing Briar. Sounded like great timing to me!  A weekend with no children clinging to my legs?! WOW!

I called Brandon and begged. But before I could even begin begging he said, in a very valley girl voice, "Oh, you just HAVE to go".  :)

Well, good news...I have a man that is super supportive. Because I do the finances!

Anyway, it was a perfect time to see my mothering/spiritual mentor, Shara (who was our chaplain's wife in the 82nd abn and in RGR bat).  Then, about a month later, my best friend got chosen, completely separate from us.  She was chosen for the summer, but was supposed to get married, and couldn't really cancel the wedding for the CW.  So, she asked if she could switch to September. And Kimberlee said YES! So it was two of my great friends who didn't yet know each other...getting together in KANSAS.

Rebecca and I flew in from Kentucky and met the other ladies.

We were GIDDY.

A pilot on the plane asked who we were visiting and I said, "Friend of friends". I felt like it might be weird to say, "Oh, just some random blog friends I'm paying to meet" :) 

NBD.

We got there...and immediately wanted to cry with happiness.

Like someone knew just how you would decorate your house if you could get your mind to make magic in your house.  If you could make it all come together how you wanted, it would turn into the craft house. 

ps (as I am writing, things get quiet in the kitchen...I rush in there and Finn has the cabinets open (magical kid can undo child locks at 11 months) and has soap, febreeze and an empty milk jug. When I walk in he is playing with the milk jug, but I have a strong suspicion he could have ingested soap.  I swiped his mouth and smelled and didn't see bubbles, so I think we're okay...but this is why I don't blog....)

So anyway, on top of the awesome factor...we get SWAG. Fun stuff. the first thing we saw at our spots were these adorable prints.  Some Dear Lizzy prints (love her blog), although they weren't directly from her. Then, below...all the rest of the SWAG.  Some super fun stuff. 

 

Some of these photos, I stole, like the one above...from Meg's blog. Because as I said, I don't take many pics when I'm having fun. I guess this is a good thing?! Not sure.  I would have showed you a picture of my full apron...but Meg didn't like it so she didn't take a photo :)  Actually...false...I had it hidden like a packrat, like I do...and she didn't see it. 

We are currently trying to sell our dining room table to have one made.  If I could have fit these two (looks like one) tables in my suitcase, I would have stolen them. Sorry Meg, I don't want to be a theif, but they were AMAZING.  And the chairs? Shew.  Loved it.  Such a happy kitchen!

So, these were some of the thrift finds above.  The quilt top was something crazy like75 cents!! The lower picture is all Rebecca's stuff. So I'll get to continue seeing it ;)   Bonus for me.  She got some super cute stuff, and so did I.  We had to really cram it in our bags to get home :) 

Craft supplies and incredible cinnamon rolls, both pictures stolen (with permission) from Meg.  These Cinnamon rolls that Kimberlee made....oh my goodness...make you want to become a fattie (Fatty..?) and spend your days eating them on your couch.  That good.

I really wanted some cute headbands. I am a stay at home mom. I'm lucky if I get a shower and if so, lucky if my hair gets dry. But I want to be cute. So...I made a couple of these beauties. The lowest one (gray and white with turquoise flower) is mine and a couple others.

This is me, Rebecca and Shara.  I wish Shara still lived in Columbus.  But the Army is pretty small, so who knows if we will meet again! I hope so!!

On to the actual weekend...the first night we found out what crafts we would be making...and it would begin with the famous ruffled apron.  Considering my biggest sewing project to date was square or rectangle (very imperfect) curtians...I was a bit nervous about how this would come out. 

Meg did a great job explaining and then we got to work.  :) 

Long story short, the weekend was amazing. We went to look for antiques on Saturday, then did a couple more crafts on Saturday night.  Sunday  morning we just hung out, which was fun!  To be honest, I am no master crafter, although I have great hopes to be one.

Go ahead and check out Shara's blog and Meg's blog for other (better) recaps...
because I have a child in my dog's water bowl, and a child asking for food with sign language...
So... I must go :)
I've been trying to write this post for weeks and every time, the same (wonderful, incredible) interruptions.
So, take what you can get :)
And go to craft weekend.