Ella has been to school twice now and each time she comes home with a ton of papers. So I looked online for a simple tote tutorial..well I can not follow directions. This is like 10 different tutorials into one bag. Each tutorial had some part that I understood, ha. But I think it turned out pretty cute and now she'll have something to put all her school papers in to bring home.

I went to the dollar tree the other day to look for hangers (they have been out of baby ones forever now..) and I noticed they had clothes. I found a blazer that I wanted to make a scarf out of..well the scarf turned out horrible and itchy so I tore it back apart and made another bag.

I used what was the scarf to make the straps. Both the front and back of the bag have a pocket that was on the blazer and I used the lining to make the lining of the bag. Then some extra lining to make the flower.

I just attached the flower with a saftey pin so I can up it on other things

Ella is loving school and the teacher said she is doing awesome.

Here she is in her school shirt which is huge!
After school on Thursday it wasn't raining so we spent an hour or so outside looking for worms and making "soup"

This little one is having a birthday next week!

I think we are going to have a lady bug party

She loves to get in my "closet" and put her head up into my clothes and then scream!

First day of preschool

Ella on the first day of preschool with her mouth full of pancakes..I meant to take a few more at school but it was raining really hard and I forgot my camera..but at least I thought to take a few while she was finishing breakfast! I think she had a good day, I couldn't get her to talk much about it. She went okay though, gave me a hug and a kiss then ran to play with the kids. She painted and had a snack. Thats about all I got out of her. My Dad called to talked to her about her first day and she just started crying and saying I want my Grandma..ha, not sure what that was about! and now tonight she isn't feeling well, i'm hoping it was just a long day and she's tired and not really coming down with a bug.

Close up

This little stinker was up all night!
So while Ella was at school, Lily and I napped

My Mom took Ella and my neice, Taylor, with her and my Dad to wave flags on the side of 101 with some of their friends. If you ask Ella where her Daddy is, she will tell you he's in the Army. Whenever she sees anyone in any type of Military uniform, she says, thats like my Daddy!

Grandma Ida made Ella this cute sock elephant. She loves it! I am working on another one..we'll see how it turns out, they are kind of tricky. Ella starts preschool on Tuesday, she is so excited. She asks me every day if its time to go to school yet.

Keeping Busy

The Fam before Church this morning

My two favorite ways to keep busy are crafting and shopping, and i've been doing quite a bit of both since we got here!

Here's Ella in the dress I made for her out of an old sweater I got at bag day at the thrift store. I also made the flower pin she is wearing and the cute flower headband.

Ella loves this purse. Its one I found at the new Goodwill store here

Ella putting on "showtime". She sings and dances and then tells you to clap when she is done

A crayon roll I made for the Sunday bag

This is another find at bag day. Its a vintage Burberry trench coat. I love it!

Another purse from Goodwill

I saw this cute diaper strap on a craft blog I look at. I used the cuffs from a vintage silk shirt I got at bag day, and part of the sleeve to make the flower.

I made another one to keep my scriptures closed in the church bag.

Probably my favorite thrift store finds so far are my boots. I lived in Oregon for years and it never bothered me to have the bottoms of my pants wet, but now I can't stand it. So I always wear my pants tucked in my boots! and you really can't beat $4 a pair!

Another good find..my sewing table. It had an old Kenmore machine in it but Joe fixed it up so my machine can sit on it.

when its closed..

And last some hair bands that I made.