annie blog

National Pancake Day
is today. You can get a free shortstack at IHOP between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Yum.

National Pancake Day
is today. You can get a free shortstack at IHOP between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Yum.

The Frog Song
Please go hear my son sing — it is on Jon’s blog. He has been singing this song for like a month and I finally recorded him the other night. It is such a hoot. The original version of the song (a take-off of I Heard it Through the Grapevine) can be seen in the film Meet the Robinsons that is coming out in March. You can see the original here. Sing along with J. That boy has got soul.

The Frog Song
Please go hear my son sing — it is on Jon’s blog. He has been singing this song for like a month and I finally recorded him the other night. It is such a hoot. The original version of the song (a take-off of I Heard it Through the Grapevine) can be seen in the film Meet the Robinsons that is coming out in March. You can see the original here. Sing along with J. That boy has got soul.

The Frog Song
Please go hear my son sing — it is on Jon’s blog. He has been singing this song for like a month and I finally recorded him the other night. It is such a hoot. The original version of the song (a take-off of I Heard it Through the Grapevine) can be seen in the film Meet the Robinsons that is coming out in March. You can see the original here. Sing along with J. That boy has got soul.

For Those With Sandpaper Hands
I have dry skin. Let me say that again, I have DRY, DRY, DRY skin. Especially on my hands. I feel like I’ve tried everything: scrubs, creams, going to sleep with cotton gloves. Nothing lasts beyond about 2 handwashings. And, the thing that I don’t like about it, besides the actual discomfort and asthetic problem, is that people in general think that you don’t care what your hands look like. That isn’t the case with me. I do care and they look terrible, anyway. Now, I have found something that really, truly helps. It is this product. They carry it at Trader Joe’s here in St. Louis and I think that it is like, $5.50 or something. It smells really great and keeps my hands smooth and from looking like the skin on the feet of a bird of prey for at least a few hours. The first night I bought it, I put it on and got Jon to touch my hands. He said, “Oh, they feel like the hands of a girl.” And then he said, “Just kidding!” at the exact same time as I said, “I’m blogging that!” So there you have it.

For Those With Sandpaper Hands
I have dry skin. Let me say that again, I have DRY, DRY, DRY skin. Especially on my hands. I feel like I’ve tried everything: scrubs, creams, going to sleep with cotton gloves. Nothing lasts beyond about 2 handwashings. And, the thing that I don’t like about it, besides the actual discomfort and asthetic problem, is that people in general think that you don’t care what your hands look like. That isn’t the case with me. I do care and they look terrible, anyway. Now, I have found something that really, truly helps. It is this product. They carry it at Trader Joe’s here in St. Louis and I think that it is like, $5.50 or something. It smells really great and keeps my hands smooth and from looking like the skin on the feet of a bird of prey for at least a few hours. The first night I bought it, I put it on and got Jon to touch my hands. He said, “Oh, they feel like the hands of a girl.” And then he said, “Just kidding!” at the exact same time as I said, “I’m blogging that!” So there you have it.

For Those With Sandpaper Hands
I have dry skin. Let me say that again, I have DRY, DRY, DRY skin. Especially on my hands. I feel like I’ve tried everything: scrubs, creams, going to sleep with cotton gloves. Nothing lasts beyond about 2 handwashings. And, the thing that I don’t like about it, besides the actual discomfort and asthetic problem, is that people in general think that you don’t care what your hands look like. That isn’t the case with me. I do care and they look terrible, anyway. Now, I have found something that really, truly helps. It is this product. They carry it at Trader Joe’s here in St. Louis and I think that it is like, $5.50 or something. It smells really great and keeps my hands smooth and from looking like the skin on the feet of a bird of prey for at least a few hours. The first night I bought it, I put it on and got Jon to touch my hands. He said, “Oh, they feel like the hands of a girl.” And then he said, “Just kidding!” at the exact same time as I said, “I’m blogging that!” So there you have it.

The Slipcover Is Finished
well, sort of. Today I’ll finish the hem, tack it underneath the sofa frame, and sew the buttons on the cushion closure. That is it. All the major sewing is done and I’m so, SO happy about that. I wish that I had a video of me during that last hour of sewing that I did last night before dinner. First off, I had decided earlier in the day that I WOULD BE FINISHED with the last cushion cover by dinner. I basically looked like one of the contestants on Project Runway after Tim Gunn comes in for the last time and says, “Make it work!” I was sewing like my life depended on it. Except, you know, contestants on that show don’t have a 3 year old little boy alternately hanging on them and climbing their chair. They also aren’t having conversations with an 8 year old or helping a 10 year old with homework while doing all of their frantic sewing. Do you know the funny part? That last cushion cover went so smoothly. That is the problem with making slipcovers — by the time you have experimented and figured out how to do something you are basically finished. Actually a lot of other things in life are that way, now that I think about it. I’ll post pictures when the whole thing is really, really totally finished.

Annie’s To-Do List (now that the slipcover is finished)
1. All out organization of the whole house, starting with the upstairs and ending with the boys’ room/basement.
2. Learn Latin.
3. Make some skirts and dresses for summer.
4. Find swimming lessons for oldest 2 boys for summer.
5. Bake more bread.
6. Start going to the farmer’s market when the weather improves.
7. Slipcover the chair and ottoman (should be a breeze compared with the sofa)
8. Paint my outdoor bench.
9. Plant some herbs.
10. Make some homeade sausage.
11. Make the outside of the house look better.
12. Figure out what I want to do when I grow up — or in about 2 years. Whichever comes first.

A good weekend to you all!

The Slipcover Is Finished
well, sort of. Today I’ll finish the hem, tack it underneath the sofa frame, and sew the buttons on the cushion closure. That is it. All the major sewing is done and I’m so, SO happy about that. I wish that I had a video of me during that last hour of sewing that I did last night before dinner. First off, I had decided earlier in the day that I WOULD BE FINISHED with the last cushion cover by dinner. I basically looked like one of the contestants on Project Runway after Tim Gunn comes in for the last time and says, “Make it work!” I was sewing like my life depended on it. Except, you know, contestants on that show don’t have a 3 year old little boy alternately hanging on them and climbing their chair. They also aren’t having conversations with an 8 year old or helping a 10 year old with homework while doing all of their frantic sewing. Do you know the funny part? That last cushion cover went so smoothly. That is the problem with making slipcovers — by the time you have experimented and figured out how to do something you are basically finished. Actually a lot of other things in life are that way, now that I think about it. I’ll post pictures when the whole thing is really, really totally finished.

Annie’s To-Do List (now that the slipcover is finished)
1. All out organization of the whole house, starting with the upstairs and ending with the boys’ room/basement.
2. Learn Latin.
3. Make some skirts and dresses for summer.
4. Find swimming lessons for oldest 2 boys for summer.
5. Bake more bread.
6. Start going to the farmer’s market when the weather improves.
7. Slipcover the chair and ottoman (should be a breeze compared with the sofa)
8. Paint my outdoor bench.
9. Plant some herbs.
10. Make some homeade sausage.
11. Make the outside of the house look better.
12. Figure out what I want to do when I grow up — or in about 2 years. Whichever comes first.

A good weekend to you all!