well, looky here... i have a hand!

while c.j. was gone a couple of things happened.

1.  ida found her hand.  just her left hand, always in a fist.  the little lady, while she is awake, gets that hand balled up in the air and just stares at it.  the other hand/arm in the meantime is doing nonstop wild circles.  it is very cute.

2.  i started sewing again.  i mentioned that fact a few posts ago, but i thought i would update you on the quilt i am making.  the top is done, the back is done and it is ready to be quilted!  the back is a large zigzag pattern and i pieced together a smaller strip that will run down the back. it is going to look pretty sweet when it is all done.  there is one square in the quilt of some cute red apples that stands out a bit from the rest.  i actually picked out that print to begin the quilt, so it is funny that it is kind of out of place.  i considered replacing it when i got the top finished, but decided to let it stay.  it is what it is.  i need help naming the quilt.  i figured that i would name it after that awkward square.  something about a red apple... let's hear some suggestions!

lastly, i made this tonight for supper.  i love it.  make this.  eat this. love it too.

crock pot taco soup

1 can pinto beans

1 can red kidney beans

1 can white kidney beans

1 can black beans

1 can corn

1 can diced green chilies

1 can diced tomatoes

2 cans chicken (costco/kirkland)  or  cook up some chicken breast (the costco chicken is easy and it really is good!)

1 package of ranch dressing dry mix

1 package of taco seasoning mix

dash of onion flakes

open every can (drain the chicken and beans).  dump into your crockpot.  stir, let cook for 4-6 hours on low.  OR you can also just throw it all together in a big pot and cook it on your stovetop.

whatever.

before you eat, throw on a scoop of sour cream, a wad of shredded cheese, bust out your chips and ENJOY!

he's back

the elvis
cuban corn


the statue of liberty
treat truck they were shooting

c.j. shooting

doug

finished up

reviewing work



more props
food stylist
props
strep thoat and croup
found this at co-op, thumb wrestling masks, masks for your thumbs?!?!  they are hilarious..
doug made this ugly doll, isn't he talented?
i made this little doll, aren't i talented... 

ida laughs out loud now, it is a hilarious gut roll

                                   

c.j. got back from new york/los angeles last night.  

by the sounds of it, he got the job done and had a great time.  doug went with him {check out his commercials and film work, he is great}.  as i went through the pictures, i kept wondering how two professional photographer/cinematographers kept shooting blurry pictures...  darn those point and shoots...

doug and c.j. decided that they would eat their way through new york. 

the first night i talked to c.j. it was about 1 AM and he was with this guy at this establishment ordering rice pudding.  yes, a rice pudding boutique.  they then headed back to this hotel, where he was staying where doug and this guy were waiting for them.  needless to say, they had fun that night.

the next morning they were finished up with the shoot in brooklyn at about 10 AM, so c.j. and doug started eating again... i heard about portuguese food, pizza, sushi, bread pudding, cuban corn, fancy peanut butter sandwiches (c.j. ordered "the elvis" = peanut butter, bananas, honey and bacon), coconut cookies, pizza again, breakfast, chocolate shakes...  yes, these were all eaten within about a 24 hour period, all at different places.  they walked, subwayed and took taxi's on their food quest seeing a lot of manhattan along the way.  i want a holiday like that, anyone else?!?

in l.a. everything went smoothly.  he had a great crew and was well taken care of.

looks like he will shoot the second part of the campaign in the next few weeks, so he will go back down soon. we may tag along, i need some warm weather and a get-a-away.

9

this last week we have been staying at mom and dads.  it has been a fun little holiday!  

i brought out a 1000 piece puzzle that mom went wicked crazy obsessed over, spending many a night mulling over the pieces. as you can see, she finished it (with the occasional help from us). everyone has been so proud of it that it has sat completed here on the table for a few days.

sandra has turned me back onto sewing.  fabric is great.  sandra is a good teacher and i have learned so much from her.  it is fun to do a project and be able to make mistakes (and fix them), ask questions, and bounce ideas off each other.  i ordered up some goods from laniejane and much like mom and the puzzle, i went hog wild and have been sewing A LOT.  i have the top finished and in the next few days should have it all together to be quilted.  i love it and it looks awesome.  fun for my first real quilt.

ida is 9 weeks old.  on saturday we drove down to taber to see my cousin get married, so i took some pics of ida while we were driving.  she is such a good egg.  she has been giggling the last few days, but today has been busting a gut, loud and long.  i try to get it on film, but, like the frog on that old school cartoon (hello, my baby, hello, my darling, hello, my rag-time gal...) she laughs out loud, but when i try to capture it or show someone, she doesn't do it... ribbit, ribbit...

so i just threw some pics together, the puzzle, the wedding, the kids, oh, yes, AND the quilt. 

tomorrow is monday, c.j. flies to new york city from los angeles where he has been putting in some long hours shooting.  he should be home on wednesday, it will be fun to see him then.  

go

c.j. found out wednesday he will be shooting a portion of a on-going major advertising campaign. he is leaving sunday and will be gone a couple of weeks shooting in l.a. and new york.  

the television and print ads already shot are wicked.  you may have seen them?

very. cool.  he is going to do a terrific job.

eli arriving

here is the original "arriving" film.  

i am sure i have posted this before, but always fun to reminisce.  c.j. shot and edited this one. most of the footage was shot on 8mm film.  the rest was shot with an old school video camera. it was such a wonderful time when eli was born. everyone was there.  

you see most of the family throughout the film.  everyone is young, slim and only has 1 kid.  the last shot where c.j. is holding eli and he is sucking his thumb is the only time he has ever done that. so sweet, so glad we got it on film.

enjoy.

p.s.  it posted a bit choppy, sorry.

pushing 8 weeks

lady's almost 2 months!  

today eli had his second to last indoor soccer practice/game.  ida LOVES eli.  all eli has to do is smile big and ida turns inside out with happiness.  it is so rad.

the above shot is her doing just that while eli got dressed for his game.  she just smiled and cooed.  

i am glad you all enjoyed the wee film "ida arriving".  c.j. edited a film after eli was born called "eli arriving" and we wanted to do the same type of thing for ida.  i am going to try to post that as well, just for the heck of it.