Mothers Without Borders

At the artisan fair I met a bunch of people from Mother's without Borders...

They go to Zambia, Africa a few times each summer and deliver goods, teach new skills, and spend some quality time with the people in Zambia.

For example, they have the most amazing purses and rugs. The women of the villages are taught how to sew and make rugs and other REALLY NEAT ITEMS.

People like Suz and Lori that act of behalf of Mother's Without Borders even travel to boutique and sell the items that are made in Africa to help raise awareness and money on their behalf.

Lori is even doing a fundraiser to get a school built for a bunch of children who are currently attending school in a chicken coop. (More to come on this later)

Think of all of the things we take for granted, for the opportunity we have the ability to choose which school to send our kids to when others are fighting for ONE school to be built.

I feel so selfish and sheepish sometimes, don't you?

Well we all can do more!

I talked to Christy who helps put on this amazing charity boutique and I decided not only would I donate some of my items that I have been making but I would put out a plea to other crafters (sellers and non-sellers) to make a handful of items to donate to the boutique.

I am going to send my stuff down in about a week, so if you are from cache valley and would like to donate stuff I would be happy to send it down with my stuff just e-mail me at torijoandersen(at)gmail.com.

Click here for drop of location information.

It's like George Clooney said when he won the Bob Hope Humanitarian award tonight "(he hopes there are people who will) find a way to keep the spotlight burning on these heart-breaking situations that continue to be heartbreaking long after the cameras go away."

I think this is one of those ways...

Back To School: Camping Edition

Soo I'm not big on bucket lists or anything but there was ONE thing I wanted to do all summer and that was to go camping.

Now I am not a BIG camper by any means, I wake up with swollen eyes and sore back...

Plus, I am not a morning person nor do I have easy-to-maintain hair by any standards (can we say flock of seagulls?)

So in my perfect world "camping" is a late night involving the roasting of things over the fire, especially smores!

I have been wanting to go and have been trying to arrange schedules and once school started I felt like a failure...but last minute we were able to grab a few of us and hit the canyon...

(I think we finally went so I could shut up about it! ha ha oh well it was fun...)

Back To School: Water Edition

We had a fun, fun summer...where did it ALL go?

Did I ever mention I have the privilege of babysitting a whole slew of kids a few times a week during the summer?

We did everything from deep frying things and making treats to having a lemonade stand and hitting the movies...

So I had a talk with my peeps and we decided that for the last "day" of Summer we would have a water obstacle and water fight.

The water obstacle was a HIT! Bracken helped me design it from the things we found in my mom's garage.

The water fight on the other hand...3/4 of the kids were crying by the end...(almost felt like a movie!)

Let's focus on the obstacle course, it went like this:

Start by swing set, put life jacket on (because water is involved :))

Climb through bendy tent...

The drag tube and paddle over to pool and paddle ten times...

Choose your vehicle and manurer around the 3 cement obstacles...

The pop a water balloon on the trampoline without using your hands...

Slide down the BIG water slide...

Dodging these guys...

and these guys...

As you slide down the slip n' slide and touch home plate (and seriously I don't have a picture of this!)

MEANWHILE>>>

Some chose not to get wet and dance around with excitement...

And where is Bergs this WHOLE time?

Where she is happiest, in her swing-swing...

Eighteen Months

How in the WORLD have 18 months gone by?

And with each passing month I learned to love my BERGS more and more!

Some of her favorite things she does...

-dancing, Dancing, DANCING!
-spinning cirlces
-GOING anywhere (right now she loves to go in tippy's car)
-loves to eat cereal in her seat with milk and a poon (spoon)
-shoulder shrugs
-learns new words everyday, today she kept saying "people"
-she loves books
-she loves to throw things away (hopefully we don't lose anything we want!)
-she loves to rip paper (see above)
-she loves to give kisses and squeezes tighter and tighter


Did I mention she got to go to nursery at church today? Sorry if you don't understand my ling-o click the link to find out what the heck it is (besides pure chaos!)

She was fine, I was not...Oh man, I am not sure how many more growing moments like this I can take as a mother!

Cache County Fair - WELL...

Cache County Fair - 1 Apostrophy Designs - 0

I don't mean say that the fair itself was a bust but I think without a doubt there is NO WAY

handmade items can compete with CHINA....

Anywho, find me at the Farmer's Market here in Logan on Saturday's for the rest of the summer +

Art in the Park in Providence THIS SATURDAY from 1-4pm.

A Little Flower

Apostrophy Designs @ Cache County Fair

Come find me at the Cache County Fair this THURS-SAT in booth H2 (Right across from the main enterance).


The FIRST FIVE people to come say "HI" will get a FREE pair of zipper earrings!


Also stop by and see some of the latest from Apostrophy Designs, including zipper bangle mini's

(for the petite people out there!)

Is This Thing On?

Is anyone still out there?

Did you all run away, like I did?

Well I've done it again, I've just about beat myself crazy in preparation for the Cache County Fair.

After the Summerfest I swore off a big show forEVER (remember it was fun but A LOT of work) but decided last minute to pair up with a friend to do a booth.

So come visit and see what's new (I have quite a few things!)

On a side note: Where has summer gone?

I feel like I was dreading the idea of babysitting so many kids during the summer and they start school so soon... some days Bergs will be all by her lonesome and miss her cousins (so will I!)

I will have to think up something fun for us to do...ha ha~

I found a couple more pictures that I spiced up again because I'm obsessed with the vintage look right now... ENJOY!

 Princess Peach, Jimmy and Bergs in the tub post beach

Bergs being all grown up and eating pizza, seriously she has gotten so BIG!

i am...

at a work conference this for the next few days and missing my baby...

it's raining and all i can do it think of all the beach adventures we've had this summer...

dear sunnyshine, i was joking when i cursed the heat the other day, please come back!

this post is random, but i loved this picture and testing out some cool photoshop filters...

hope you don't mind! :) have a great week.

What You Can Do

Have you guys been reading Marta's how-to series?

I have been so inspired by many things and learned a lot, plus she is just so great in general!

Plus it is a happy week at our house as we are BINKY FREE!