Wasn't this just yesterday?
This is my new "inspiration station" as I have been calling it. You have to pronounce it with a bad, fake French accent so it sounds more like the title above. It's my drafting table in the office/studio- tidied up of course. This last weekend I added the cork boards (made from ReStore cabinet doors and squares of cork) and clothes pin thingy. There's a noticeable lack of inspiration pinned up, just some clippings from old MSL magazines. It's new- cut me some slack. I'm hoping someday for something more like this in talented Lisa's studio. Except maybe not so crowded. I don't do crowded well.
And here is the view from my kitchen window. I looked out yesterday while I was cleaning up dishes and had to snap a picture. My camera is just a little point-and-shoot jobbie, so it was hard to get it not to focus on the window screen but on the boy. If I had this camera...
Oh, where was I? We have long given up on trying to keep him out of the dirt. He loves to dig; he's our dirt boy. We have to carry wipes everywhere we go.
Nora has adopted my old purse as her own, since I switched my stuff to the new one. I looked in it this morning. The contents are as follows: a torn up tissue, a shoestring and some orange peels. All the things a girl might need throughout the day.
I saw this in Real Simple magazine. You send these folks a little movie clip and they turn it into a business card sized flip book for like 9 bucks. How cool is that? www.flipclips.com
Mav at port2port had a link to this on her site. I'm amazed. They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If I ate breakfasts like these, it sure would help my day! Click here to see the photo set on Flickr. Click on view as slideshow and let the drooling begin. By the way port2port is a wonderful site- much discussion about art, people, places, life and she takes such pretty photos.
Why does the bobbin thread always run out when you are 98% done with the sewing project?
Don't forget April 22 is Earth Day. (And the birthday of a dear little one in our family- Madison is turning 2!) Ben and Jerry's gives away free ice cream on Earth Day, and I'm sure there are lots of other fun activities in your neck of the woods. Click here to find a Ben and Jerry's near you.
For The Simpsons fans out there. My friend Michael sent me a link to this movie clip. If you've ever watched The Simpsons you'll know this is dead on. Very clever.
Sorry, nothing so clever from me. We have a lot going on today and I had a rough parenting day yesterday. I must spend my time hugging the kids.
Oh, wait. One more thing. How do you suppose I get the address of one of my new blogging friends without her knowing, one I've never met but is very sweet and having a new baby in a few weeks and might need a little gifty for the baby or herself?
Ok, if my hint wasn't subtle enough, Beki, can you please email me with your address?
And I've been thinking about the incident and I've decided that the poor etiquette falls in the lap of the mothers who came in and RSVP'd in front of everyone. When I thought about it, the triplets mom mentioned nothing, looked uncomfortable when they were talking about it, and gave them very short answers. The triplets also must have been instructed not to talk about it because they waited until she was far out of earshot before they started bragging. The RSVPers are good moms and nice people, so I know they weren't out to hurt any feelings. I just think they didn't know everyone wasn't invited.
So, I think it is just a situation that all kids have to go through and learn from.
Oh, and Jack didn't really go through it anyway. I think he is clueless to the whole thing and I'M the only one who was hurt. And I can handle it. :) I wasn't hurt because he wasn't invited. I just felt sad because I want them to consider Jack their friend because he really likes them.
Thanks for the love, all.
Jack is shy. Well, not shy, a little withdrawn. Reserved. He'll talk you a blue streak if you bring up the right subject (trains) but the kids at school are into Star Wars and Power Rangers and fire breathing dragons, etc. He just isn't interested. He is very good at doing his own thing and being perfectly happy with it. Recently he started calling two little boys, who happen to be in a set of triplets, his friends. This is a big step for him. Usually if you ask who his friends are he'll name some of his cousins or Zoe.
So I'm talking to the triplets' mom about Kindergarten and how she's decided to keep them in preschool one more year. I asked when their birthday is and she's says April 6. "Oh, it's coming up soon!" I say cheerfully. The other moms come in and say things like, "(insert boy's name here) can come Saturday." or "We're going to be out of town this weekend." I'm not thinking much about it. But as soon as the triplets walk in the classroom they are gushing about their birthday party. "Lots of people are coming and we're gonna have cake and go swimming."
Jack wasn't invited.
He just looked up at me in the doorway. I don't know if he caught what was going on or not. And he'd never admit it if he did. He walked over to the circle and sat down and started talking to one of the teachers. I waved goodbye cheerfully, trying to ignore the lump in my throat.
Normally, this sort of thing does not bother me a bit, and in this case, I might be a little relieved, seeing that there would be three gifts to buy. As a mom, I know you can't invite everyone to a party, and for Pete's sake, Jack didn't invite any little friends to his party. But this time my heart just sank. The two boys that he's calling his friends. Bummer.
All of those feelings from my school days just rushed back about who likes who best and who is not invited and who is and who gets to play on what team. I know these are my feelings and not Jack's, but man, it smarts. I'm just going to have to play it cool and forget about it. I know he won't think about it again and good for him. Way to go kid. It's just too early to deal with this, you know?
The expression on his face is caused by the fact that I made him tear his eyes away from the Tom and Jerry he's watching. Watching a cartoon is his bribe and he'll sit pretty still for awhile if I let him zone out to some old-style cartoon. Tom and Jerry, Yogi Bear, Pink Panther- he loves them all. I have to admit I'd rather he watch those cartoons than the new ones because, ahem, I like them too.
Brian got his hair cut as well, but I thought he might not appreciate a picture of himself shirtless in a plastic smock posted on the internet! Poor thing just never gets any "airtime."
First though, I'll explain one thing that kept me away from those projects and why I am glad it did. Brian works for the Habitat ReStore, a fundraising branch of Habitat for Humanity. Click on the link over there ----> on the sidebar to learn more about the ReStore. They have been a partner on a house at 3346 Tracy- the ReStore employees have all worked on it and the ReStore donated a nice amount of money directly to this project. The "house blessing" was Saturday and we went for the ceremony. The house was beautiful. The homeowners were so excited and proud and emotional. T.V. crews were there and everyone who spoke got all choked up. It REALLY made me want to work on one of the houses myself. It was all so moving. It reinforced in my mind that there are still good things happening out there, and I am so glad we went.
Now, back to my projects. The first thing I wanted to get done was the new purse I've been planning for myself. It's done! I love it.
I wanted it to be big. I'm a mom therefore I carry the world in my purse. I wanted a zipped pocket inside. This was the hardest part. The only zipper I have sewn was years ago and my mom was there talking me through it. On my own, a half an hour passed before I figured out which foot was the zipper foot! I got the pocket sewn to the lining and it looks good, but there are raw edges on the inside of the pocket when you open the zipper. Oh well. I also wanted the purse to close at the top so I added the little flappy-velcro-underneath-button-on-top thingy.
Next in line is this little grinning bunny.
She is made from this pattern from the incredible Hillary. She is a gift for Baby B #1 who is turning one. I know, with the buttons she might be unsafe, but she'll sit on a shelf and look cute for a year or two. The invitation said "No gifts, please" but how can I do that?! I had to make her a little something.
The third thing, the one I did not get done, is Hillary's other recent free pattern, this kitty. It is for Baby B #2, who's about to turn two. I'll post a picture when I get her done.
So, I didn't do it all, but that's ok. I'll work on the kitty this week. Our sweet Foffie (one of my best friends in the world) might come to town this weekend, and I've got a few things in mind for her. We'll see if I can squeeze them in too.
Have a great Monday! Oh, alright then- drink some coffee and it'll be over before you know it.
Well, sweet Maw Maw has boarded her train to go home, and a certain little someone is a tad blue. He misses her the minute she leaves. He sat perched on the couch and waved goodbye out the window as she and Brian left. Then he said with a quivering lip, "But we didn't get to see any more trains go by with her." Luckily, we have dear Zoe today (an extra day this week) so she's taking his mind off of his Maw-Maw-sickness.
We're headed off to the library now, although it is a tight squeeze to fit all three car seats in the back of the wagon. I'm going to attempt to find a few crafty books for myself while we're there; we'll see how that goes. This evening I'll be making a trip to the fabric store for a few things because I have some ambitious plans for projects this weekend. BUT we also need to work on this hole in the wall. Hopefully I'll have a few pretty things to post about Monday.
It's been a busy week, and we're looking forward to a couple of quiet days. May everyone have mild and sunny weekends!
Thank you, Aunt Jenny. We love it all. We are blessed to have family like this.
Supplies
Wire
- Steel or copper, about 16 gauge. I used copper here.
Start with the dangly baubles. That way you can judge how much extra wire curl you'll need to get the entire thing to a length you'll like.
Here I'm using a bead. Thread about a 6 inch length of wire through and make some nice bends and curls to hold the bead in place. The dowel will really come in handy here, as it will help you make nice round curves instead of strange ones with hard angles. I learned this through experience. Use your pliers if you need to. They'll save your dainty fingertips. Like mine- notice my long luxurious nails. ;)
Remember you'll need some closed loops at the tops of your dangles to hang to the next piece and keep it a little more stable. You'll be holding an open flame in this baby.
Use a variety of curly q's and squiggles to make it all more interesting. A variety in the length and width of each section helps too.
If you choose a piece of glass or a marble, you can wrap the wire around it to hold it in place. I love the way this looks.
Here is that last little piece of glass with a large droplet added right above it. You'll get the hang of wrapping these bits attractively with the wire; it just takes some practice.
I usually like a little dangly one at the bottom, something with color just above the cup, and a section somewhere with just wire. But really, the design possibilities here are endless.
Next, start bending the wire for the cup. You'll want to cut a much longer piece of wire for this section, maybe 20 inches or so. You can always snip the excess off with your pliers.
Start with a flat curl to support the bottom. Place the cup on top and wrap the wire around the cup. You'll have to stop and hang it upright at this point a lot to see if your cup will hang straight.
Here's what I ended up with. I added another little glass bit under the cup.
Lastly, you'll make the top hook section. Again, start with a longer length and double up the top part like a clothes hanger to make it strong.
I found these candle holders hang nicely on the middle of a curtain rod (keeping the curtains far away of course) or on a shower rod in the bathroom. If you've got a location in mind, you can go for a nice total hanging length to fit the area.
Now all you have to do it hook your sections together and make minor adjustments. You might have to bend and twist your creation a little to get it all to hang straight.
How pretty would a bunch of really simple ones, maybe all wire and no baubles, hanging outside for an evening dinner party? Or several in a row from a curtain rod? Oooooo... time to make more.
Remember to be careful to keep them away from the walls and curtains and such and try not to leave them unattended. Have fun!
Sheesh- that was kind of hard.
#1) Spring Cleaning! I'm simultaneously a saver and a purger. I stash things that I'm sure I'll need, but when the clutter begins to stack up- batten down your valuables- I am all about getting rid of stuff! Last weekend I cleaned our bedroom and rearranged the furniture. Whew- there was enough dog hair under that bed to make another dog! And I thought the kids were creatures of habit. Brian has informed me that I have totally un-fenged his shui. Awwww. He's been sleeping fitfully since the move of the bed, so much so that I'm considering moving it all back.
#2) Use What You Have. I am thrilled about this one. It appeals to the frugal/environmental side of me. I try to do this quite a bit anyway, mostly because we're on a tight budget around here, but to actually HAVE to refrain from buying new supplies for an entire month. It'll be an interesting challenge! What a great idea, Toni! (I always write these posts like you folks might someday read them. :) A girl can dream.) I may have to buy a few things before March is over. I have a few projects I must get done- a softie for Jack for Easter, a new purse I have planned for myself. So I need to go buy a few notions like some pellon and a zipper, some thread, etc. Is that cheating?
#3) Colorfool has started a Flickr group called Quick Crafts for Sanity. You know, for those of us with wee ones flinging themselves at our feet, begging for snacks and to watch more Tom and Jerry (oh, that is so tempting..) while we try to get something, anything done. I've got an idea to photograph for that, so it will be coming up soon. I wanted to do it today, and post a little tutorial, but it is gray and rainy and they say going to turn snowy this evening. Wha? 6 inches of snow? Makes me want to cry. At least Jack is excited about it. And dear Zoe is here today so we've mostly been doing stuff like this:
Don't pinch us. This is all the green I could find. The three of us have yellowish complexions and just don't look great in green. Brian on other hand looks fabulous in green. Green eyed, pinker skin, boyish good looks- but he's not here to photograph.
I wanted to get a picture up today for the Corners of My Home group. I've been cruising around the house, camera in hand, trying to find a simple area that evokes some nice emotions. I keep looking at things. Things? Materials things aren't REALLY supposed to make me happy. But they do. Everything in our house has history. I found them, or built them, or someone gave them to us. They have my energy, time, and once in awhile my blood in them. They have soul.
It may not be all that interesting to others, but I found an area with a bit of history for me. This is in our dining room. I found this little cabinet at a garage sale when I was a girl of 11 or 12. I went home and begged my mom for the $15 they wanted for it and went back to get it. There was a broken piece on the bottom, and my neighbor carved a little piece of wood to repair it. I sanded it and painted it white and used it in my bedroom to hold my doll collection. Years later, when I got married and moved out, I took it with me. Painting the doors tan and adding new pulls (garlic & peppers) gave it a more dining room feel. Now it holds our "fancy dishes" and odds and ends of wine and martini glasses, special thrifting finds like my fish plates and funny little serving bowls. The green martini set on top was a gift from my mother-in-law, Judy. She got it at a garage sale. It had 6 glasses and a glass stirring stick. One of the glasses broke when we moved here; I cried. I absolutely LOVE the martini set and a good dirty martini. The martini shaker was a wedding gift. Please also notice the two bottles of "Three Buck Chuck" in the wine rack. We like wine but know nothing about it, so cheap wine is no big deal to us.
The print above the chair is from my old printmaking days. My professor, Jim Jereb, and I printed the edition for an artist from Columbia, MO named Frank Stack, and when you print an edition for someone, you generally get a copy of the print. I have a whole drawer full of prints by various artists waiting for framing and display. The chair is from our dining set- It has a broken piece on it, that is why it stays against the wall. Brian and I got the set at a garage sale in our old neighborhood. We had a habit of cruising the neighborhood, even before we had possession of our house. The dining set has a nice 1960's Danish feel, a hidden leaf, and came with 6 chairs. $20! Can you believe it? They all need to be refinished soon, but that will be quite a job. It'll have to wait.
So that is what everything in our house is like. Ask me about something and I'll give you the long story.
*Added on 3/24/06: Judy told me this week that the martini set wasn't from a garage sale. It was her mom's. That's even better!!*
Alright, alright, she's not all that spectacular, but I am proud of her, and man, was she a learning experience. Click on her to see more pics on Flickr. You've got to see her scraggly cotton tail.
I've been wanting to participate in Claire's Month of Softies for a long time. This month's theme is to make a softie to match a particular room. Nora's bedroom is my inspiration room- pink and green, girlie, sweet.
I wanted to make Nora an Easter bunny to match and my goal was to make her out of stuff I already had, not to buy anything. I almost did it. I had to buy some white yarn to make her pom pom tail. ($1.27 Doh! ) Her body is made out of a sweater of mine that was just too small. The pink furry texture is perfect for a bunny and was oh-so-forgiving for a beginner like me. The stitches where I assembled her body just disappear into the nubby texture. Her little dress, which you'll see in a minute, is made from an old cotton bed sheet that Petey scratched a hole in. Her face is a bit somber, but that is better than creepy or angry which is where it was headed the first SIX times I embroidered it. Yes, I picked it out and redid it six times. After all that, she was looking a little matted down, so I put her through the wash. All of the stuffing in her arms migrated outward and made her too floppy, so I had to unstitch her arms and add a bunch more polyfil. Did I already say she was a learning experience?!
Then I made the pinafore for Tie One On. It has a little chicken on it to match the bird theme of her room. The shape of the dress is not that flattering to her bowling pin figure, and the button on the bodice is not baby safe, so I'll think Nora can have her naked for awhile and I'll hang the dress up until she's bigger. But she looks ready for a tea party to me!
Does this dress make my tail look fat?
Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. very small business owner/artist
2. operations manager- ARTworks of Kansas City
3. printshop manager/printmaker's assistant Boo hoo. I miss printing.
4. lifeguard
Four movies I would watch over and over:
1. Raising Arizona
2. Tie: Royal Tennenbaums, Rushmore, and Life Aquatic
3. American Beauty
4. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (I know. I'm a big dorky child of the 80's)
*Brokeback Mountain was also so good. I'm going to have to watch it again.*
Four places I have lived:
1. Overland Park, KS
2. Kansas City, MO
3. Kirksville, MO
4. Overland Park, KS
(Sheesh- how boring.)
Four TV shows I love to watch.
1. LOST
2. Divine Design
3. Six Feet Under- I swear this is the best show ever made. I can watch all the reruns without ever getting bored.
4. Big Love. I SO want to love it, but it's too early to tell.
Four places I have been on vacation:
1. camping- Johnson's Shut-Ins We used to go every summer. News Story about the flood here.
2. Puerto Vallarta
3. Portland, ME- So great- Brian wishes we'd move there!
4. The Caribbean
Four websites I visit daily:
1. SouleMama and Wee Wonderfuls
2. dooce
3. Flickr
4. Google (who doesn't?) Everyday I "google" something.
Four of my favorite foods:
1. Thai- mmmm...
2. anything that my parents' friend Rena makes. Mexican/Latin/Incredible!
3. my mom's potato salad
4. bacon and eggs
Four places I would rather be right now:
1. camping with my little family
2. on my mom's massage table
3. happy hour somewhere grown-up (like a bar!) with Jeni
4. snuggled up in bed with my family on a rainy morning
Four friends I am tagging that I think will respond....
I just can't do it.
Things I am anticipating in my life: (Not in any particular order)
1. summertime
2. our basement- when it is all redone and comfy
3. watching the kids grow up
4. going to Europe
And I added this one:
Books that were good enough to read more than once:
1. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
2. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
3. Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
4. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White- I'm reading this to Jack right now and I had forgotten how sweet it is. Stuart Little is next!
So there you go. Stuff you might or might not have known. Happy Wednesday!
Here's a peek. She's nearly done now, but I'm going to make her something to wear. Nora saw her, but I'm trusting that babies have short memories so that I can give it to her for Easter and she'll still act surprised.
Now look how cute... These. All of these- oh my, I'm swooning- some of this gal's pin cushions look like beautiful little cakes, and the birds- how could you bring yourself to poke them with a pin? Or even this one. Yum.
I was looking at Hillary's (of Wee Wonderfuls fame) pictures of these and they kind of reminded me some rosettes I have painted in murals.
and 
Ahhhh.... much better.
We got our MiniSwap package today! It actually came yesterday, but we weren't home. The postman left one of those little slips so that we could pick it up at the post office, which was so much more fun anyway. It all reminded me so much of this beloved book of Jack's that we have read a million times. After breakfast before I could even take a shower, we pulled our bed heads through sweatshirts, slipped on our shoes, and went off to our post office. It was all so exciting. He walked up to the counter and handed her the slip just like this scene from the book.
When we got home we tore into the package. Oh, my! It was just packed with fun goodies.
The sure hit of the package was this little guy. You squeeze his hands and you can record and listen to a message. Jack has been recording things like "Nora Zora beedle boodle boo" and "boogadie foo foo schmoo" all day and Nora has been laughing her head off to hear the little lamb say it.
Me: "Oh, Nora. Again? That's the 4th poopy diaper today."
Jack: "You know, Mom, if you keep feeding her, she's just going to keep pooping."
Library trips are a lot more planned and less leisurely than they were before Nora was born. The keys to a successful trip are as follows: pick a good time (when she's not too tired or hungry), do all searches and requests on the computer at home, set a limit to the number of books he can get, keep her in the stroller until all new books are selected AND checked out, and no playing with the cool toys and puzzles until the very last. Also, we have a two train book limit. If not he'd check out the same five or six books every time, and how many times can I read them to him before my brain explodes?! Our last rule, and this is new, is Jack has to carry his own books. He was using an old ratty canvas tote- a freebie from a convention Brian attended. But now, hopefully to make him more enthusiastic and infinitely more fashionable, he has this:
And I said I'd put up pictures of the draft stoppers when I finished them. They are indeed brilliant! And so easy to make. They look clean and unobtrusive and take all of 10 minutes. The foam tubes are CHEAP, about $1.20 for a 6 foot length, and it takes one tube per door. I have already made three and plan to do two more. The red one is Jack's door, the white is Nora's. The three for the closets will all in be painters canvas. I have tons of it around and it's neutral so it'll go with whatever color we end up painting the hallway. So simple- try one!
If you have QuickTime, click here to see something amazing the boy learned in no time flat. (Notice: no training wheels!) It's takes a bit of time to load, so be patient. :) If you don't have QuickTime, or don't know if you have QuickTime, try it anyway and let me know what happens!
Our gifts finally finished their long trip to Erin and her children in Singapore, so it is safe to reveal what we sent. Rachele is thirteen, and loves pink. I saw this little bag on Molly Chicken (scroll down the post to see it), and made Rachele a version in pink washable felt and cotton. Thank you, Lynn and her friend Anna for the idea! Here is our bag closed.
So now all we have to do is relax and wait for our package to arrive. I'll show you the goodies as soon as they get here. This has been really fun, and we made some new friends in the process. I'm going to have to find another swap to join. Maybe something for me this time...
The very generous Hillary recently offered up this. They are the most adorable little paper dolls. I printed them out on magnetic paper for Nora. Jack has adopted this little "grill" (he still has trouble with his r's) and he named her Karen. She now sports a 1980's side pony tail; Nora promptly tore off the other. She really wants to play too, so I'm going to have to design her a chunkier, more baby-friendly set. I'm going to print them out for every little girl I know. Thank you, Hillary!
Calling all Johnsons... Alfermans... Voellingers...Foffie... Dandos... Sweeneys... Schroyers... Bueller... Bueller... anyone, anyone? Clean sheets and towels, cozy spread, spare toothbrush ready to go!
