Birthday Week

Well it is birthday week here at the Bleske/Wilcock homefront.

In one corner, we have GiGi. In the next corner, my birthday, celebrated right in the middle. And then there is Auntie K’s birthday, a week after GiGi’s. We have lots of fun things planned for the week, and I am sure I will have lots of posts to share the events, but I wanted to share how I decorated the dining room for this week.

I picked up a new tablecloth made by Moda Home. I bought it at a local store called Vintage, Etc., but you can also purchase it at House 8810. I absolutely love their new line, and even bought some other kitchen accessories as well.

I then made this adorable pennant banner, from a pattern I found on Prudent Baby. I used their pattern for each of the flags, but then I used a white yarn and did a chain of 40 on each end, and a chain of 15 between each flag. Festive for the birthdays, don’t you think?

Oh, yeah, and the tulips? A little present for myself, from myself.

Happy Friday!

For Japan, with love

I am writing this after many days of contemplation over what is happening in Japan. As I hug my baby girl, I am urging myself to take part in helping another human being – not a country, not a government, or an organization, but just one human being.

I then asked myself the best way to take part in this. I did research as to where my money might be used best. I also had to think about whether to give my money NOW or LATER. Hurricane Katrina charities found themselves in need just as much six months down the road as they did immediately after.

I chose Shelter Box, a non-profit immediate response team that is set up to drop boxes with a “shelter” in a box. And, as you can read here, they supply boxes with everything that a displaced family would need, but is tailored to the needs of the area and disaster.

Tomorrow, many blogs across the US, and maybe even across the world, will be observing a bloggers day of silence. I will be doing the same, but I will be tweeting and face-booking the heck out of the organization that I support greatly, Shelter Box.

Time to give my little cupcake and hubby a hug.

Things that are green…

I have been a little absent this week, since I have had so much family in town.

In the spirit of St. Patrick’s day, I give you things that are green…

Hope your day is filled with lots of green, some yummy food, good beer, and maybe a pinch or two!

Past and Present

 

Recently, Rachel at Smile and Wave, posted here about how she would share some stuff about herself since she mostly shares projects and interactions with her family life. Rachel is so creative, and I just love her blog, so it inspired me to do the same.

I picked this picture of myself to post because I thought it was a great picture of me getting caught with food in my mouth, yacking with a friend, and enjoying the company of my family, something that I will never get tired of. This picture was on my wedding day.

PAST

• Just like Rachel, which I think is funny, I didn’t have hair until I was about 2. Olivia is carrying on that tradition. I actually made my mom take down a picture of me at one year because I was photographed in blue overalls and someone asked who the cute little boy was. I haven’t made that mistake with Olivia’s pictures.
• I have lived in the same area my entire life, unlike my husband, who migrated here to go to school. He often refers to my connections as the 6 degrees of Alisa, since I seem to know someone wherever we go. The little beach town I spent my first 21 years in is actually very small, and when I meet someone who also grew up there, I often get quizzed, just for verification. Really… I’m not gonna lie. I grew up there.
• I was a little “weird” in grammar school and couldn’t quite find my niche. I didn’t really like sports, wasn’t really tall enough, skinny enough, or likeable enough. And my biggest problem seemed to be that I always liked to friend the outcast or new kid in school.
• When I got into junior high and high school, I hurt some of my best friendships by trying to be something I wasn’t. I succeeded in finding a niche, but it just wasn’t me. I figured that out by my senior year and barely graduated… but at least I had learned from my mistakes.
• My favorite thing to do was to ride my bike to the beach with my dog attached at the leash. She was so fast, that the only way she would get exercise was to take her on the bike.
• My favorite class in college was Art History: The Renaissance Period. I failed it twice, and still haven’t retaken it. But I appreciate it, and because of that class, I have a love of renaissance and impressionist art.
• I took three years of Agriculture and Animal Science classes in high school, yet my favorite class was English Literature. It was where I read the Bronte Sisters, Jane Austen, and got to actually see Star Wars for the first time.
• I make friends easy. Maintaining friendships is much harder.
• I give credit to many family members for teaching me my crafts, sewing, crocheting, cooking, etc., but I still don’t know where the passion comes from.

PRESENT

• I one day want to live in the village, in an old home that I can renovate to my liking. I wish to walk to breakfast, spend Sundays in the park, and walk to Gather on Friday nights.
• I love to sew. I have learned more about sewing in the last year than I have learned in the last thirty years. Most of it has been from the internet.
• I started collecting vintage Pyrex about 3 weeks ago. I now have 11 pieces.
• My first job is being a wife and mother. My second job is running my home. My third job is working as a bartender and server. I must never forget that.
• It took me entering my thirties to figure out what I want from life.
• I still am trying to figure out who I am. Maybe what I want from life defines who I am?
• I always thought I wanted a big family. I have come to realize I would rather have a small family and give them all my love.

My little Olivia…

OLIVIA

Gender: Feminine

Usage: English, Italian, Spanish, German, Finnish, Scandinavian

Pronounced: ə-LIV-ee-ə (English), o-LEE-vee-ah (German) [key]

This name was first used in this spelling by William Shakespeare for a character in his comedy 'Twelfth Night' (1602). Shakespeare may have based it on OLIVER or OLIVA, or perhaps directly on the Latin word oliva meaning "olive". In the play Olivia is a noblewoman who is wooed by Duke Orsino but instead falls in love with his messenger Cesario.

The name has been used in the Engish-speaking world since the 18th century, though it did not become overly popular until the last half of the 20th century. Its rise in popularity in America was precipitated by a character on the 1970s televsion series 'The Waltons'.

Our Pyrex Obsession

Call PA… we need help… we have been in a Pyrex collecting mode, Katie, Amber and myself, and this is what we have accomplished:

Thankfully, this is all that will stay in my kitchen! I have chosen to collect the Butterprint (sometimes called Amish) in turquoise, and Gooseberry in pink. They will go fantastic on the new shelves I am having MrB slave away at currently.

Amber will be moving soon <insert boo hoo’s and tears> and needs to beef up her collection for her new home in Livermoore. This is her current collection. She did not purchase these all today, so Pat, if you are reading this, don’t freak out.

Now Katie, she’s another story. Crazy girl! Fantastic!! Wowow! Shazam!
She scored. She decided to collect the green mixing bowls which are FANTASTIC (and hard to find) and the Orange Daisy Print (sometimes called Citrus) which is totally her style. I can’t wait to help her expand her collection and get them up on her walls!

Okay, well enough PyrexLove for now, but seriously, if you want to check out an awesome website, check out Pyrex Love. They have so much info, incase you actually have gotten this far in the post.
Happy Saturday!

A different kind of “Mommy Guilt”…

Here it is, Saturday without Olivia (Grammy’s morning of fun)… and I was doing some sewing and definitely having time for reflection. I thought I would share some feelings I have been experiencing as a mom, and ask if maybe you moms have felt the same?

A few years ago, when having a heart to heart with a family member, I found out that one of my half- siblings actually despised me, when we were growing up, because when I came to visit I brought new toys with me, clothes, etc., and, unfortunately, my father wasn’t able to provide for them like that. He always was upset and mad at me and actually hated me because of the things that my mother’s side provided for me, and thought of me as a spoiled brat. There are other reasons that he thought of this that are private and I just won’t get into, but when I heard this, I was so upset. You see, I brought those things with me and would tell my mom, “I want to keep these things at Daddy’s house,” because I knew that they didn’t have them, and I wanted to share. I loved my brother and sister so much and couldn’t understand why my mom’s family didn’t buy them the same things that they bought for me, didn’t provide for them as they did for me. And don’t get me wrong, in no way were we well off at all, my mom and grandparents were just creative and belonged to a wonderful church community.

I recently overheard someone tell another, “Olivia always has the cutest clothes, and did you see the play kitchen they made her? I can’t believe it! Wait till they come up with something else!” Cue mommy guilt.

I provide for her as she needs. I buy her clothes when the others don’t fit. I donate those that don’t fit.  We buy her toys that fit her development as she grows, but mostly at target or on eBay (vintage fisher price toys!) or I make them. Grandparents are good to us, and we have 3 sets of them. Four if you count her great grandparents. Most importantly, she has more love than she could ever need. I wish I could bottle all of this up that we have for Olivia and give it to others.