Spring-y Clothes

I’m feeling the need for a closet revamp. Part of it is that I need to lose a bit of weight I put on last year (stress will do that to you), so my clothes aren’t looking awesome on me. Another part is that many of my clothes have seen better days, and I could definitely use some new basics. I’ve got a little bit of money saved up, so I’m trying to decide what exactly I want to spend it on. Here are some things I’ve been thinking about. I think I’m definitely picking up this shirt from Loft. I love their shirts. They are incredibly soft and they don’t get pilly. This stripe should be a nice, versatile piece. Also, it’s 30% off right now, so the price isn’t shabby. (Update! Grabbed this yesterday!)   Springtime is not necessarily warm in ABQ, since it’s so dang windy, so I’m thinking a bright cardigan would be nice. I’m liking this mustard one. (Update! I just grabbed one very similar to this at Loft while I was there yesterday. They were having an additional 60% off their clearance prices, and there were some gorgeous things on sale. Go now! Don’t wait!)   I’d like a bright green shirt. It adds a fun pop of color when layering. And emerald is the color of the year, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find. I also want a nice floral skirt. This one is nice, but a little spendy, even at 30% off. Maybe I could try my hand at making one? I never sew clothes for me, but I do know how to sew. Perhaps I’ll keep my eye out for some awesome fabric. I need some new shoes. I’d like something in a nice neutral: and something a bit more fun: What I’m really going for is a few updates to my wardrobe that are remixable and up-to-date. Anyone have anything they’re lusting after for their spring closets?

Halloween 2012

October was spent holed up in my sewing room making costumes for the family. Bet that was a big surprise! This year we decided to dress up as characters from the Little Mermaid. I stepped out of my own comfort zone and hardly used a pattern or a tutorial, and I loved how they all turned out! The only pattern I used was for Aaron’s shirt. It was supposed to be a pirate shirt, but it looked just like Louis the Chef.   Taken at the photo booth at the ward Halloween party. I thought that was a great idea. Our silly faces. Even Bridget is in on the action. Just eating and hanging out. I have to say, I missed the Ventana Halloween dances. Those were so much fun. I curled Katie’s hair so it would be wavy instead of stick straight, and you would have thought I was killing her. She shrieked almost the entire time. She’s a total wuss sometimes. Good thing we love her! They may not have had a dance, but they did have doughnuts on a string, and Paul’s life wouldn’t be complete without that.   Sebastian trying to figure out what’s up with Louis’s moustache. We went to a neighborhood Halloween party, which was a bit of a stinker. Someone (Paul or Averi, I can’t remember who, but it’s probably Paul) got in trouble, so Aaron went ahead with the other two while I took the naughty one later. So not a great start. Then there were a only 3 other kids there, and the two kids that lived in the house that it was hosted at wouldn’t play or talk to anyone, so our kids just played with each other. The hostess also had the bright idea that the kids could paint pumpkins with fabric paint. “It’s non-toxic!” I don’t care about non-toxic! It’s also non-washable! We ruined a few shirts that day. The kids decided to get some use out of their other costumes so everyone wore something different from the trunk-or-treat. Bridget was very into the pizza, and the grandmas and grandpas couldn’t comment enough on how much she ate. Then she dug into a cupcake, and they thought it was hilarious, so they made sure to instruct us to take pictures of her. On Halloween I made a special spooky meal. This was the first time I’ve every done this, and it was so much fun.   We had Mummy Dogs, Worms with Blood and Brains, Rotten Apples with Sludge, Goblin Brains, Iguana Eyeballs with Blood Clots, Pumpkin Brew, and Monster Munch.   I think they’re happy! Bridget didn’t care that the food had fancy names. She just wanted a hot dog, and she wanted it now! Ready to trick or treat! Pouncing on the first doorbell. The whole Jorgensen crew.

Pumpkin Patches in January

Yes, I’m still behind. I’m always behind. We went the pumpkin patch for Averi’s preschool. It had been several years since we’d been to the pumpkin patch in Moriarty, so I was very glad to be able to go this year, even if we couldn’t go with all the kids. Here is Averi the last time she was at McCall’s: And here she is in 2012: Such a cutie! (I realized my white balance was off after I had taken all these pictures. Guess I should have looked. They all have a slight purple tinge to them. I could easily correct them, but then I’d never get them posted. So here they are in all their violet glory.) Miss Bridget got to come along too. She LOVED the hayride and all the animals in the petting zoo. The only problem is that she thinks every single animal is a dog, and that it barks. It’s pretty funny to hear her “woof woof”-ing at a cow.   Choosing the perfect pumpkin. Averi’s hair is always in her face. And she will rarely let me pull it back or clip it, so it’s always a tangled, sticky mess. The kids were told they had to find a pumpkin that they could carry. It looks like Averi just reached the threshold. Bridget being thrilled. She loves being in her stroller. Whenever she sees it in the garage, she pats it and asks, “Peas? Peas?” Poor thing. I don’t take her on walks nearly enough. The kids were fascinated by this chair. They couldn’t believe anything could be so huge. Annual tradition of the photo at the pumpkin patch growth chart. Petting the goats (Mom’s favorites!). We had to pose at every single cutout we came across. Beautiful New Mexico autumn skies. It’s hard to find that bluest of blues anywhere else. At the top of the tower in the middle of the corn maze. We always called it the Rameumptom when I was at BYU. Yes, we were and still are total dorks. I love this girl. Isn’t she so incredibly beautiful. If Averi weren’t so shy, I think she’d be an awesome model. Love this girl too. She makes my world go round these days! We loved our little trip to the pumpkin patch. I will be so sad when the kids grow out of it. But they still haven’t lost interest, so we’ll be coming for many more years.