The house of Chanel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMcf4O7B74Q

This is such a fun video of Karl Lagerfeld and the house of Chanel. There is a whole video series. Watch them! You'll love it!

Spring Fling!

Holi Day

I love these images of the Holi Day in India. They are celebrating color, the seasons, triumph of good over evil, LOVE, and the sweetness of relationship.
I think we should all incorporate this into our traditions!

The colors alone puts a smile on my face!!

For the LOVE of Boots!!!

Giving the feet some love!!!

How cute are these?? The tops flip down to a nice camo reveal.
Check out the beadwork on these bad boys. So fun, I couldn't resist. Thanks Steve!

Totally adorable rainboots from Hospice. What ? New ? Yes! Yes! Yes! my lovely darlings! Eat your heart out, you just are not visiting your local thriftshop often enough.
(Look how cute the lace-up is on the backside of the boot!)

What? Another pair from Hospice! I tell you, I don't know why I would ever set foot in a mall.

A little too high, and a couple of scuffs but I have embraced them as my own!
Go thrifting people, and show the feet some LOVE!!

Valentine Tea

We had a great time at our valentine Tea on Saturday. Thanks everyone for coming!!!

The food was delicious and dainty.

Here we are, the hostesses, when it was all over, tired and pink!


How cute Cheree and Gayle look in their proper attire (gloves included).

Rio trying to be the hostess with the mostess, not realizing that this was Oskars job!

St. Lucia Day

I am trying to keep up on all of the holiday traditions that I've started. I sometimes wonder, what was I thinking.

Rio and Hallah made us some cinnamon buns for our Swedish St Lucia Day. They were delicious! They love this tradition. ( We even found a wreath for Hallahs doll at hospice.) If you look closely you can see the candles in their wreaths. They dont wear these wreaths long because they are so itchy.

Enjoying traditions

Peace and love,

Sonya

Gingerbread Houses

Tis the season

for our traditional gingerbread house making.

We upgraded to stained glass windows this year.

I cut out a new shape this year, the kids were very resistant. They like tradition.

Hallah even made a river with a bridge flowing thru the backyard.

This should be a requirement for Christmas holiday team building. I used to let the kids go wild, anything goes. But in my wisdom, I've decided it's too much work to have a shoddy lookin' shack. So now I make them plan it out a bit.

Just as much gets eaten as goes onto the house!

Enjoying Christmas time!

Peace,

Sonya

Snow Days (snow week)!!!!!!

I love California!

When it snows, the state shuts down! With kids in 3 different schools, we had 2, 3, and 5, snow days! This is our last snow day. (we're tired of sledding at this point!)

Boones famous funnel cakes!What is a snow day without hot cocoa!

The view from my bed!

Not a sled to be found in this place, so we're making do, sledding down on snowboards and boogie boards!

You would think that with almost a week of being snowed in, we would have time to crochet, sew and just get nice and rested. Wrong..... we just play, play, sled, eat, watch movies, go moonlight sledding, come in and make cookies at 11:oo p.m. We then pop some corn and watch more movies til the wee hours of the morning. Then wake up the next morning--totally exhausted.

I must say, this is the most beautiful place in the world!!!

Wishing you many snowdays!!!

Peace and Snow,

Sonya

The Writing on the Wall

Words to Live By, Written and Illustrated by Cole and Boone Bates




I walked in Cole and Boones room and found a pleuthera of words to live by!! Cole and Boone (and Soren, of course) spent hours using the sharpies to write quotes all over their walls- (famous ones as well as their own.) So now when I need a little inspiration I will go and wander about their room (even as smelly and dirty as it gets.) I love what the boredom of summer inspires us to do!
Peace out,
Sonya

Fare thee well ol'summer!!

Rolling on the River

Steve reminding me that I can roll.

I'm coming up. (One breast at a time)patience please

Lay back on the boat!

Oh yah!!!!

Who's your Mama boys!!!

She does it!! In a bikini top no less!!!!

I didn't know that Cole was taking these photos, but the series turned out kinda fun!!! Cole and Boone were quite impressed that their mama had it in her to be so dang rockin"!!

Cole and Boone both learned their kayak rolls, Rio and Hallah both tried but still need a bit more practice.

Enjoying summer!!

Peace,

Sonya

SCRAPALICIOUS!!!

This lovely apron started as a way to use up some of my scraps. Once I got started I just couldn't stop. I added trims and laces, it's full of many lovely finds. This is one of my favorite aprons because it just kept evolving piece after piece. This apron has gone to a good home but I will definitely be scrapping more of them.

Ugly Duckling

Thrifting, I found this.

That with a little fabric and trim ( and glitter spray)

turned into this

With the inside looking like this.

Voila, Hallah's junk trunk complete!

What have you salvaged today??

XOXO, Sonya

OFF TO AFRICA!!

Well, not me, but these dresses are headed there. Thanks to my mom, Rio and Hallah for working so hard to get these made for African girls in need of dresses. We were able to get 40 dresses made! Now if only I was the one delivering them, hmmmm, a trip to Africa, sounds good. Who's going with me????

Big Kiss,

Sonya

Being Rich

Fridays quote:

There are
People who have money and
People who are rich.
Coco Chanel

Enjoy all of your riches. Have a beautiful spring weekend!
Peace, Sonya

BiRthDay FuN

What does a 13-year old boy want for his birthday? Plaid flannel shirts, of course. These are Boone's new favorite clothing item. I hit the jackpot when I stopped in at my local thrift store, Snowline Hospice (a.k.a. HotSpice) and found 7 plaid flannel shirts outside on the 'fill a bag for a dollar' rack. Nevertheless the boys were thrilled with the 'party favor', and I, thrilled with my crazy bargain huntress skills.

What does a 15-year old boy want for his birthday? Yarn of course. Yarn. Oh yeah, yarn.
Hey, did I mention yarn? (oh, and a cell phone.) Cole can't crochet enough. Beanies and headbands are his specialties.

What do I want for my birthing day? (a reason for my sister and I to give each other a gift to celebrate our pains and joys of birth.) Another dancing, twirly, square-dancing, fluffy slip. I have 3, a black, pink and white one.What does one woman do with a collection of twirling slips? Stash them under your bed, display them on the wall, use them as curtains, the possibilities are endless. What do I do with such nonsense?Well my daughters wear them more often than not and when everyone is at school.........

I put them on and dance around the yard as I listen to ABBA.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttPgRcjzYTI

Check out this Dancing Queen remix! -Great outfits!

BEAD FOR LIFE

Thanks to everyone, family, friends and neighbors for supporting our efforts in raising money for Bead for Life. Together we raised over $1300.00!! Beadforlife is a non profit organization providing impoverished Ugandan women an opportunity to lift their families out of poverty by making beaded jewelry out of recycled paper. BEAUTIFUL--colors, jewelry,people! My kids were so touched by the video they had to buy some too! To find out more, to purchase or to host a party go to www.beadforlife.org.

Peace & Love,
Sonya