Our Saturday Morning...

 When my brothers and I were little, my mom made us little sock horses to play with. I remember loving mine so much that I have always wanted to make some for my little ones. This week was slow enough around the house that I figured the time was right. This morning we finished them and my little cowboys were able to take their trusty steeds out for a spin. I don't know what was more exciting to them, being outside or having new horsey-friends. Either way, it was a hit.

 

Char's strawberry roan got a little dirty grazing the plains 

Mason's named his blue stallion Horsey and named Char's Zonkers.....I have no clue where that one came from. I guess those long hours riding the prairie will do that to you.... 

 

 
Ooo-Haw!!! 

"The stocking were hung by the chimney with care...."

I just finished Charlie's Christmas stocking (thanks to my talented Aunt Chris who made mine back in the day and shared her special pattern with me)! Hot dog! Now he is officially one of us! As he is named after his grandpa, I tried my best to make his stocking as much like my dad's as possible. They say that it is best to decorate in groupings of three, but I have to disagree this year. I think our stockings look much more friendly with four.

And then there were none....

Don't you love that vintage inspired sign James got me? He knows the way to my heart....
As of yesterday at 4:15pm, I officially finished the last of my Halloween etsy orders! Now I can focus on our own holiday festivities! First off, get more decorations at Scrooge and Marleys!

Now, if only James could join in the fun. We think he has the blasted swine flu. Yuck.

Another reason to love Mason

I am currently working on a witch doll for Halloween. It has been a lot of fun and I am learning all sorts of new things. However, probably the most enjoyable thing about it is Mason's unmasked delight when he gets to see her! Boy does he know how to make his momma feel good! As a rule, I generally keep my crafts away from my curious fan because they are all fairly breakable. However, the other day Mason flattered me so that I could not resist letting him hold our witch friend.

For the next thirty minutes or so, dancing and playing resulted. After they boogied on down, he decided that his new friend was tired and needed a nap. And what nap is better than one with Mason's beloved stinky blankets? After putting her to bed in various parts of the house, he decided that she needed his crib. With a little help from his towering mother, his little friend was safe and sound in his crib.

Everything was going great until Mason deemed her nap to be over and tried yanking her out by her styled wig. I showed up on the scene just in time to see her head and wig dangling out of place. Rats. Nothing that can't be fixed, but when am I going to learn to fight off his charms?

What I've been up to...

Today is yet another flashback Friday that I just can't seem to commit to. Maybe next week. Sorry. However, here are some of the reasons why I have been so tardy in my blogging of late. I certainly have been bit by the nesting bug, but instead of having that mean that I clean and organize, I have been focusing my energy on crafts. Particularly Halloween crafts (yep, I'm a winner). Somehow getting costumes ready helps me feel even more excitement for baby number two. Now our little one can come at the beginning of October and we won't be missing out on any of the fun Halloween festivities! Hot dog! I have a bunch of other projects going, but for starters, here are the Trick-or-treating costumes and accessories:

Vintage-styled Jack-o-lanterns:
I have been wanting cute little jack-o-lanterns for Mason and his little sibling (okay, mostly Mason) to carry around trick-or-treating this year. I decided to make them myself out of paper mache and they turned out great (I took of the handles to spray them with a finish and have yet to reattach them. Woops)! I have plans of selling these bad boys on etsy if I can ever get my little rear in gear. We'll see....the nesting energy is starting to wain.

Baby #2's costume:
Since our little one will only be a couple weeks old, I thought I should make some sort of bunting to keep them safe from the cold weather while we collect our loot. I hope you can tell that this is supposed to be a candy corn....not a festive version of the KKK. Mostly, I just hope that it fits them and I can't wait to try it on!

The fabric for all my festive costumes came from American Quilting in Orem, Utah. Boy do I LOVE that store! I could spend every last dime there. Oh, also note the green rocker. I got that for three dollars at a garage sale last weekend. I have big plans of sprucing it up.

Mason's vintage-style clown costume:
I found a 1975 clown pattern recently and put it to use with some Alexander Henry fabric that I had been eyeing for months. James' family came into town and his sister, Audrey, and I sewed the whole time! I had a ball having a sewing buddy. It was especially nice since neither of us had ever used a pattern before (I usually just wing it) so we could experiment together. Sadly, Mason is giving me sass by refusing to get near his merry little costume. BLAST! You better believe that I will be using every move of motherhood trickery to get Mason to wear his costume this year! Bribery, here I come!!! If you want to see my niece Sophie in hers, just click here. Her female version turned out adorable (and my sister took some great shots of her).

Anyway, I'll keep you posted on the other projects that have been filling my time of late. A girl can never be too prepared for the holiday season!

Mason "Monet" Sieg

"Idle Hands" by Mason James Sieg. Cheap watercolor on printer paper. 8x11".

I just want to say that I never EVER want to be one of those moms who force their kids to do the same things that the mom likes so that she can see them excel and live vicariously. That being said, I absolutely LOVED seeing Mason paint for the first time yesterday evening! I must say, Mason is a bit of a modern artist and didn't think twice about abandoning the brush to use his fingers or to scoop big chunks out of his cheapo paint set so that he could get more depth into his masterpieces. Very impressive and inspiring.

While he painted (and when I wasn't snapping pictures of him) I was working on my own art project. I couldn't help but think, "This is the life!"

And the winner is....

My computer has been in the shop this week (due to an unfriendly virus) but thanks to Aria and a BYU computer, I am happy to announce that the winner is Miriam! So, Miriam, send me an e-mail or give me a call and let me know what your little heart desires!

Thanks everyone for being so supportive! I had so much fun reading your comments and waiting to see who Mason picked that I am already wanting to do this again! Stay close and we'll see what I can manage. Have a great day!

Let's Try a Giveaway!!!

While I type, a custom-made figurine is drying on my windowsill. It has been a while since I have worked on a figurine and boy does it feel good to be back in the saddle again! As you may know, I love to make little paper mache figurines for all sorts of occasions. Best of all in my book is making something for a certain special person in mind.

Just last week I entered two giveaways on other blogs. Even though I didn't win, I got a kick out of waiting for the results and hoping for my good fortune. Because of these two things, I thought it would be fun to try a giveaway on my blog. I've been thinking of doing it for a while but have been too worried that only my mom would enter the drawing. However, I am ready to take the risk. Besides, I like making things for my mom. :)

So, here is the plan: For the next week anyone and everyone who happens to read this blog (whether you are family, friends, or an unknown visitor) and wants to win something, just post a comment on this entry and you'll be added to the drawing. If you want to be added three times, put a link on your own blog or facebook (I hear that is the thing to do with giveaways). Next Tuesday, Mason and I will do a random drawing and pick the winner!

The winner will receive a custom-made single 7-9 inch figurine of whatever or whoever they please. It could be for a favorite holiday, special memory, a loved one or even a pet. You name it! Your wish is my command! For ideas of what you might like, check out my Dahlhart Lane blog or Etsy account on the sidebar. Thanks for playing along and good luck!

Home again, home again, riggidy-jig!

Well, we are back from California. It was a very short and busy trip, but we still managed to have fun with family as always. My grandma has moved in with my family in Thousand Oaks and needed us to reunite her with all of her precious belongings. Because of that, most of the trip James slaved away moving, towing, and being his regular kind and handy self. Meanwhile I pretended to be helpful in my pregnant state.

As busy as we were, we managed to celebrate James' 27th birthday in style with the Sieg side of the family. His sisters made a yummy Mexican food feast and then we partied-hard with a homemade pinata (made by yours truly) until we were all full to the brim with candy. I was afraid that Mason would be traumatized by seeing his beloved paper mache cow friend beaten with a stick, but he joined right in with the best of them. What a champ!

Whack!