Guess who’s not dead!

(Hint: me)

(Macy crushing me on the Astro Orbiter)

We came home from our 12 day road trip to family in town and massive amounts of laundry and hosting a Father’s Day get together, so it’s taken me a bit to get with the program again.

I have a confession:  Disneyland is not my favorite.

I’m practically a communist, right?

You see…I’ve only been 3 times.

Once was in 1984 when I tried to climb off Space Mountain when it was moving.

Once was in 2008 when Campbell did this the whole week:

And the third time was now.  We did a slow paced first day where we didn’t even head to Disney until after lunch and things went well.  (Other than a ticket window attendant on a power trip who was ready to have me arrested when I incorrectly stated that I was picking up tickets for 2 adults and 4 kids instead of 3 and 3, that is.  Apparently 10 = an adult at Disney.  Who knew?)

I was hopeful.

We got up the next morning and the kids got appropriately dorked out.

Some kids used the force.

And then we went to FastPass Star Tours (which made me break out in a “HOLY CRAP I’M GOING TO BE THE MIDDLE AGED LADY WHO BARFS” cold sweat, btw) and discovered that one of our tickets hadn’t been scanned at the gate that day.  The sweet employee fixed the FastPass situation for us and told us to go to City Hall.

Strike 1 for Asperger’s/SPD.

When we got to City Hall, there was a long line.

Strike 2 for Asperger’s/SPD.

The lady at City Hall was super NOT nice and accused me of making up what was going on.

Strike 1 for Mom.

We then had to go back to the gates.

Strike 3 for Asperger’s/SPD.

This lead to strikes 2-40 for mom.

Mom-ing a kid with special needs is a balancing act.  When do you cater to the Asperger’s vs. when do you make him do hard things?  When do you push harder vs. when have you already pushed too hard?

The rest of the day went similarly.

We sat down for fireworks and BC took Bennett to the bathroom.  Campbell lost it…LOST IT.  There were too many people.  There was too much noise.  It had been a long day and he was done.  He was rolling around on the ground and freaking out in a way that only other Autism parents have experienced/understand.  And that is when a Disney employee came by and informed me that his head could not be on the ground.

I tried to get him off the ground and started to cry.  I hate to cry.  I don’t feel sorry for myself when it comes to being an Autism mom.  I’m a religious person and I’m going to tell you that I KNOW that I agreed to be this kid’s mom before this life.  I’ve been prepared for it.  I’m capable of it and sometimes I’m even good at it.  Disneyland is not important in the grand scheme of things.  I know that.  It’s not worth crying over.  I know that.  BUT, sometimes you just want to be able to do “normal” family things.  Sometimes, when your kid has to write a paper for school about a time that her family had fun together, you want her to be able to think of something that didn’t involve her brother freaking out.

The sweet employee (whose name I did not get and I’m kicking myself about it because Mickey Mouse himself would be getting a letter about her) noticed and asked what was wrong.  Through the tears I spit out “He has Autism and we’re doing the best we can.”  She told us to wait there and disappeared.  She came back with a guy named Brian who was busy on his walkie talkie and asked how many were in our party.  I explained that there were 6 of us and that my husband was in the bathroom with another kid.

And then she told me that she, too, was the mom of a 6 year old with Autism.  But guess what?  Her husband couldn’t take it and he left.  And she “got it”.  She understood.  And we both sat there and cried in the middle of Disneyland.  And then she hugged me, and I didn’t even hate it. 

Brian used his magical walkie talkie to get us reserved seats for the fireworks on benches right up at the train station, away from the crowds and the chaos.

And Campbell still freaked out.

And I still kept crying.

But, I was reminded that there are still good people in this world and my heart was full.

Maybe that’s the magic of Disney?

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Just popping in from Disneyland to let you know that today I’m over on the Riley Blake Designs blog sharing a tutorial for a super quick and easy (and cute) skirt using Lila Tueller’s new Bohemian Festival line.

I also share a different way to look at one of the other Bohemian Festival prints to make some flowery appliques.

GO HERE for my tutorial.

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Grilling season is officially here.  (And by “officially here”  I mean that we successfully removed the baby robins from our BBQ and that their mom found them in their new location.)

A few years back, when the pantry was bare, I concocted a marinade that has become a favorite of friends and family.  I don’t usually measure when I make it, but I promise you can’t screw it up.

Ingredients (with disclaimers)
pineapple juice (I used a 6oz can but have drained a can of pineapple slices in a moment of desperation in the past)
soy sauce (I don’t measure, but probably close to the same amount as the pineapple juice)
olive oil (I also don’t measure this…it’s more of a vessel to get the marinade where it needs to be.  If I had to guess, I’d say 1/4 c)
brown sugar (about 1/2 c)
minced garlic (I’m lazy and buy the pre-minced stuff.  I use about 1-2 cloves equivalent)

Dump ingredients in a big old Ziploc bag with chicken pieces and smoosh it all around.  That’s right.  I don’t even mix it ahead of time.  I like to cut each boneless skinless chicken breast half into 3 smaller pieces for a couple of reasons.  The first reason = they get more surface area soaked in the marinade.  And the second reason = they’re easier to cook through without burning.

Seal the bag and stick in the refrigerator for several hours (like 4 or 5, if you’ve got that long).  I like to put it in a dish in case there’s leakage.

Discard the excess marinade and happy grilling!

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Before we get to the giveaway, here’s this month’s Silhouette promotion:

A CAMEO + your choice of rolling tote (pink or teal) = $309.99

GO HERE and use code “CRAP” to take advantage of the savings ($60!).

Already have a CAMEO but you NEED to get your hands on the tote?

You can do that here with code “CRAP” as well…takes the price down to $54.99.

Promo runs through May 31st.

I got the pink one and it’s delightful!

Your CAMEO fits right in the bottom

and your laptop goes right up top (in lots of padding so it’s super safe).

(No, I did not get a Mac so please don’t email me asking me questions about how to do stuff on it.  The Mac is BC’s.  My computer is red and it was ugly in the pictures with the pink bag. He he he.  )

There’s also tons of adjustable storage up top.

Nice, right?

Want to win one along with a CAMEO to put inside?

(I know you do!)

One lucky Crap I’ve Made reader will win her (or his) very own Silhouette CAMEO™ + rolling tote

TO ENTER:

Leave a comment on this post.

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES:

Follow the Silhouette blog.  Come back and leave a comment ON THIS POST (on the blog, not on Facebook or in response to your email subscription) saying that you did.

Follow Silhouette on Pinterest.  Come back and leave a comment ON THIS POST saying that you did.

***3 possible entries per person***

Giveaway is open to US residents age 18 and over only and closes Tuesday, May 29th at noon MST.  Winner will be chosen at random using a WordPress Plugin (And The Winner Is…) and notified by email.  Winner has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Be sure to check back because I’ll be updating this post with other giveaways in blog land as I come across them!

Infarrantly Creative

Craftaholics Anonymous

UCreate

Skip To My Lou

Tatertots & Jello

Brown Paper Packages

Tip Junkie

Shanty 2 Chic

Tote only:

Sew Dang Cute

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My pal Michelle over at Plum District told me about another deal for Silhouette stuff:

This time it’s $30 for a $50 voucher good for any merchandise (not downloads or gift cards) on their site.

The fine print as well as the link to purchase the deal is here.  You can also use “visa10” to get 10% off, if you haven’t yet used that code on something else from Plum District.

Disclosure:  I’m not getting anything if you click over and use that link, just sharing a deal (so click on over or get there some other way…I’m easy) because I know how many of you love Silhouette.

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1) The Silhouette CAMEO™ winner is Alli.  She already replied to her winner email, so that’s a done deal!

2) The current Silhouette promotion ends today.  It’s a CAMEO plus black and white vinyl and transfer paper for $269.99 (like $75 in savings).  If I was in the market, this is the bundle I’d go for.  You can ALWAYS use black and white vinyl.  If you already have a machine and just want to stock up on vinyl, it’s all 40% off.  Go HERE and use code “CRAP” to take advantage of either deal.

For a whole crap ton of vinyl ideas, go here.

3) Things are getting exciting re: our DIY Blogger House at Daybreak!

We had a meeting Monday night to discuss color palettes.  I posted a little teaser pic over on the Crap Facebook page, if you wanna go take a look.

I swung by the house yesterday.  It’s coming along nicely…we have an entire foundation with window wells and stuff!

And, if you’re a Utah local, Lara and Shelley will be on Studio 5 this morning talking about the project, so be sure to check that out.

4) I want to take a belt sander to my face on account of allergies, so that’s fun.

5) We are dangerously low on Diet Coke.

Hope your Wednesday is delightful!

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Over at Project Run & Play talking CRAZY (seriously…if I didn’t know better I’d think I’d taken up drinking) about movies and how they’ve inspired me.  They’re never going to have me back, so this is your one and only chance.

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Not far from me is a delightful community called Daybreak.  BC would move there if given the chance (and by “given the chance” I mean “the thought of moving didn’t make his wife break out in a cold sweat”).

From their site:

In Daybreak the homes are mixed right in with all sorts of things that make life simpler and more flavorful. Like community gardens and good schools. Places to shop. Restaurants, offices, swimming pools, tennis courts, sports fields and more parks than you can shake a Frisbee® at. All connected by miles of walking/biking trails. And in the middle, a big freshwater lake.

Plus, they have gelato.  EVERYTHING is better with gelato, right?

So, when I was presented with the opportunity to be involved in this project with some of my favorite people on earth in one of my favorite neighborhoods on earth, I jumped at the chance.

No brainer, right?

Over the next 90 days or so (less…the Parade of Homes starts August 3rd…ack!), Bangerter Homes, an award winning designer (Brian Clark of Brian Clark Designs), and 5 local DIY bloggers (myself, Shelley, Jen, Lara, and Amy) will take this:

and turn it into something fabulous.

Want to watch the announcement video?

(You have no idea how glad I am that video froze on Jen’s face.)

You can follow along on Twitter where we’ll be using the hash tag #DIYhouse or on any of our blogs and Facebook pages.  The Daybreak blog will also have updates.  So, join us..will ya?  I think it’s going to be frickin’ amazing.

Full Disclosure: I am being modestly compensated for my participation in this project, I say modestly because how cool is it that I’m getting paid to design a fabulous house with 4 of my good friends? And, while I am being compensated, the thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own. I wouldn’t have jumped in if I didn’t think it was an amazing opportunity.

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I had the opportunity to attend a teeny tiny part of the Breathing Space retreat this weekend.  It was a Stepford Wives themed party where a project that I’m SUPER excited to be involved in was announced.  I’ll be posting about that later today, but you can head on over to the Crap Facebook page to scope out the basic details, if you’re interested.

What does any of this have to do with Plum District and Silhouettes?

Image from JennyK Photography

This is my friend Michelle.  If you look closely in the center of the back row in the picture below, you’ll see much younger versions of the 2 of us:

We were student body officers together 20 years ago (holy crap I’m old) and now she works for Plum District.  And she signed an awesome deal with Silhouette than I thought you might be interested in.

$18 for $30 in Silhouette Online Store credit!

Click on the text above to go over to the deal, if you’re interested.

Don’t have a Silhouette machine yet?  There’s another great promo on those coming your way here later this week.  Watch for it.

And I’ll see you soon with more info on that project!

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April 2012 was not my favorite.

It all seems not so bad now that it’s over, but in the middle of it?

GAH.

After the tonsils and adenoids came out, we had a good week plus and then there was bleeding.  Lots and lots of bleeding.  Clots in the sink kind of bleeding.  Did I mention that Macy was the only one home with him at the time?  Before you start judging my parenting, don’t worry…I’ve already beat myself up over it.  Repeatedly.  I was close by and was home within 2 minutes (during which time she had already gotten him started gargling ice water) and we were on the phone with a nurse at the doctor’s office within 6 minutes and out the door to the hospital shortly thereafter.

On Easter, pre-hemorrhage

And then, because I clearly have issues, I couldn’t sleep that night.  I was certain Keller was going to choke to death on his own blood, so I had to go in and check on him every 5 minutes.

The next day is when things got really awesome.

Water started pouring in my family room window.  Whilst I was cleaning up that flood, one of my children (hint: Bennett) flooded an upstairs bathroom.  And another one of my children (hint: Campbell) gave his brother a swirly, making a lesser flood in a 2nd bathroom.  At one point I cried so hard that I had to puke in the sink.  (Not my finest moment, for sure.)  During the puking, Keller came in and told me he was bleeding again.  The adrenaline stopped the gagging and I ran to get ice.  Only some left a barstool pulled out.

And that toe is broken.

And then Macy got shingles.  She’s 11, not 80!

There were a couple of days where the pain was so bad that she couldn’t even put on a hoodie, so that was fun.

Did I mention that washer broke during all of this?  And six people make A LOT of dirty laundry.  We were getting by with a much smaller washer in the basement and doing twice as many loads…until I broke my toe and couldn’t navigate 2 flights of stairs and Macy could no longer haul baskets up and down.

Sigh.

But then…THEN, in the middle of all that, I got to be a part of SNAP! (which I have not yet posted about because it was such a blur and I don’t even know where to start).  I was surrounded by 325 INSANELY talented women.  I got to work to the point of delirious hugging with some of my very best friends.  I got toes so swollen that my shoes didn’t fit for 3 or 4 days.  I got to reconnect with people who inspire me and make me want to be better…to DO more.

(necklace available here)

I was reminded to choose joy.

So, now I’m laughing…crying gives me a headache.

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