Couch Potato

This girl is definitely not a couch potato (just to clarify).

 Paige is slightly obsessed with ballerinas.  She is constantly asking for ballerina music! 

 (Don't you love the finger up the nose?)

 Every now and then she can convince Parker to dance with her!

 It is blackberry season here in the Northwest!  Any chance we get, we head out to pick them.  They are slow coming on because of the crazy funky weather, but I hope we get to pick more!

(Notice the funky picture?  Again, my camera is going psycho)

We were so blessed to get a great deal on pears when we went over to Idaho.  I attempted to can some, but it was sooooo time consuming.  So I decided I would just dry them all and I did it in the most lazy way possible.  I just washed the fruit in water and baking soda.  Rinsed it.  Then I sliced the fruit off of in thin strips all around the core. 

 Threw them in a mixture of water and lemon juice to prevent browning.

Of course, I had an amazing and happy helper. 

 Then we just layered the slices onto our drying trays.  Most of them were sufficiently dried in about 16 hours (our dryer is not the most efficient piece of machinery, but it does the job).

 And then more pictures of the couch, because I do love it!  

For those who didn't hear the amazing news...

 I got this couch for...

 $10.45.  That's right!  I hit the jackpot.  It is in amazing condition! 

 Now my biggest problem has been finding the right fabrics to incorporate it into our home. 

 My life would be so much simpler if I went with a matchey-matchey set like this one (which I actually love).

Why do I make my life so complicated?

Oh, I know why...because I am a good-deal-lovin'-kind-of-gal (aka cheapskate)!

 So far, I've narrowed the materials down to this (below).  The lighting is hor-rib-le.  But basically the large pieces of material will be throw pillows, and I'm contemplating using a fabric similar to that small swatch of fabric for my curtains.  I am wanting something a little more geometric, but haven't quite found what I love.  There will be a few other surprises (that I don't even know yet) because that's how I decorate.  I just kind of do it as I go.  

Can I just say...I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING!  

Yikes.

And home decorating scares the heckers out of me because I feel so permanently bound to it because of the money I put into it...(again, not a lot, but still--I'm cheap)

So if any of you fantastically skilled friends of mine have some suggestions, let me know.

Until I get it all figured out, I'll just be chillin' on the couch because, besides being a super-duper-amazing deal, it is super comfortable!

So I don't forget.

I have to write these down because they made me laugh:

Paige's favorite thing to say these days when something doesn't go as planned is "Oh, my man!"  hahaha  It makes me laugh.

Then Parker told me the other day said:
-Mom, when I get married and move really far away you have to come live with me.  (said in tone that means "don't argue with me"
 --We'll see how he feels when he gets married.

Another one from Parker.  We have what we call a "warm fuzzy jar" and when someone does something extra kind/loving, we put a warm fuzzy in it.  Parker was asking why one of his friends didn't have one.  I, being the extra humble mom that I am, said, "well some moms don't have cool ideas like your mom does."  :)  To which he replied, "Mom, you get your coolness from Dad, not you." 

Okay.  Thank you.  I am sufficiently humbled.
Parley, I'm sure you loved that one!