i need another baby.

I have babies on the brain lately.
I blame some of my friends
who keep having these adorable babies and then posting pictures of them
on instagram and facebook and blogs.
I know.  So rude, right?

I think we should have one more baby.
Just one more!
But it turns out vasectomies are really effective,
and not conducive to more babies.
So no more for us.
Instead I just steal friends' babies when I can.
And instead of changing diapers, I sew.
{maybe that's not such a horrible trade.}

So I made a few new things for my dusty ole etsy shop.
I've only made onesies, for now.
This one has bacon and eggs.
Because everyone knows babies love bacon and eggs.



And donuts.



And there's a few more,
with more coming soon.
Until my self-diagnosed ADD kicks in and I get bored.
{that happens sometimes.}

Have a great Friday, everyone.
Do you get to hold any babies this weekend?

curtains. finally.

Remember last month when I was painting the dining room
and briefly mentioned my hatred of my vertical blinds?
I don't even think I have a proper picture of them.



You can just barely see them there.
When I took them down to paint I knew they weren't going back up.

I bought some simple white curtains from Target
and some linen from the fabric store that compliments the new paint color.

Some simple sewing and voila - curtains!



In reality the linen matches the paint more closely.
And in reality my window really is that dirty.



Those plates on the cabinet are eventually going to be a part of my plate wall.
I'm still in the planning phase of the project.



I like the soft look of curtains.

And can someone tell me why my dog insists on following me
every.where.i.go.



I finally put her outside because she was driving me batty
and I almost tripped over her.
You can't really tell, but that's her head just poking up out of window at the door.
Stalker.



{i know...that hallway is ridiculously long.  it's weird.}

We have one more slider with vertical blinds,
and I'm on a mission to find curtains for it.

I love this one
from Urban Outfitters.


I wish it was longer.
But I can fix that.
:)

a freecycle gem. finally.

I've had a migraine every single day for the last ten days.
It's making me very cranky.

I hate that when I have a migraine I don't get much done.

My house suffers.
My laundry suffers.
I feel like I'm in a fog.

And since talking about how I've been sitting around in a dark room
with my head on an ice pack for a week isn't a whole lot of fun,
I thought I'd show you my awesome
freecycle score from the other day.

I don't know if you're familiar with freecycle,
but it's a yahoo group you can join
where people offer things for free.

And by things I mean crap.
{usually}

There have only been a handful of times when
I have seen anything that really grabs
my attention on freecycle.

Last week someone offered a box of vintage sewing notions,
and I snagged them.

Best freecycle score yet.

TONS of bias tape.
I'll use it all.
And it's pretty to look at.

This almost makes up for all of the freecycle offerings
of broken toilets and vitamins for chickens
and used razors.

{SERIOUSLY.  WHO is going to take a used razor??}

More burlap.

I know, I know...
you're thinking,
"again with the burlap?"

I can't help it.
I have a ton of it,
and I love it.

{Promise to stop me before my house starts looking like a potato sack, ok?}

I've wanted to make a burlap pillow for awhile now.
Friday night I wound a fresh bobbin
{it feels good, in case you don't know}
cut into a burlap sack courtesy of my cute coffee-roasting brother,
and got to work.

One episode of Animal Hoarders later,
a pillow was born.
{I love all things Hoarders/Intervention/My Strange Addiction.
Don't analyze me...it's probably not pretty.}

Burlap is not comfortable,
in case you were wondering.
Don't expect to make a burlap pillow
and use it to relax on and watch your favorite
weird reality show about people's strange behavior.

But it looks cute,
so it's forgiven.

2.5 hours

I have two and a half hours, two days a week, alone in the house.
It goes by *so* quickly.


This morning when I came home from taking Avery to preschool
I ate breakfast
cleaned the kitchen
unloaded the dishwasher
loaded the washing machine
and put some laundry away.


When that was finished I had an hour left.
I probably should have vacuumed or dusted or mopped.


But instead I made my second cup of coffee
(half-caff this time)
and put on Christmas music.

Gary is going to think I'm insane when he reads that. :)
He doesn't understand my love of Christmas music.
{My favorites: Vince Guaraldi, Barenaked Ladies, and Dolly Parton.}


And I turned on my sewing machine.
I finished a shirt for Avery and made progress on her quilt.

It felt good.

I miss my sewing machine.

I've only turned it on once since we moved.
That makes me sad.


Once soccer ends this weekend 
(hooray!)
my goal is to finally finish Avery's quilt.
Finally...after a year and a half.

I hate that it's not done yet.

She doesn't care.

Riley made Gary and I out of Legos and has requested that I display them.
So they're sitting above my kitchen sink right now.
{Is it just me or do I look a little bulky?}

Migraines = lame

This week is kind of a blur.
It was basically one big migraine headache.
These weeks don't happen too often,
thankfully,
but when they do ... ugh.

I was a lump on the couch most of the day today,
and the kids were great.


And, for the record, Netflix instant streaming is pretty much the best invention ever.

When I wasn't cowering in a dark corner of the house, I was working on this:


It's a practice quilt (for Avery's beloved Pooh bear)
in preparation for finishing her big quilt.
I can't believe it, but I think I actually might be doing a good job.
{I probably just jinxed the whole thing.}

And scenes from around the house today...
this huge ladybug that Avery is inexplicably in love with.

It creeps me out.

The 500 piece puzzle that the boys abandoned on the dining room table...


that I will end up putting back into the box
which will cause them to freak out.

And the Marini's caramel popcorn that I bought in Santa Cruz
and tried to hide from the kids...

was unfortunately discovered while I was trying to nap
and is now almost gone.

Kids.

speaking of online tutorials....

Doesn't it blow your mind that just a few years ago
there was no Google
no web
and therefore {gasp} no online tutorials?

Oh the horror.

My file of things to make via tutorials is ginormous.
But I knocked one off that huge list the other day.

I love this wetbag.
It's super simple and very practical.


And it's made from a shower curtain.
{how fun, right?}
I used this tutorial.

Next up on the ginormous list?
bunk bed fort.

***********

And don't forget, if you want to win this wetbag and the towel tote,
come enter here.

Your odds of winning are looking *really* good right now.
:)

A new old shirt.

I have seen so many tutorials online for making dresses out of men's shirts.
Oh how I love tutorials.

So when Gary cleaned out his closet awhile back I stole a bunch
of things from his giveaway pile.

I finally got around to making something this week.


I took an old button down green plaid Gap shirt of Gary's
and turned into a shirt - {or short dress?} - for Avery.


I wish I could tell you how I made it,
but it was a total trial-and-error thing
and I'd be shocked if I could do it again.


She loves that part of it used to belong to daddy.


I love that it didn't cost me a dime.

The best kind of project!

A party dress and a party place.

I can't believe it,
but in just a couple of weeks my little girl will be three.
*sob*

I'm in denial.

But it's true.
So to deal with it...I'm sewing.


A birthday dress.
I found the tutorial here.
I lovelovelove it.

And so does she.
She wore it much of the afternoon,
and now it's in the wash with {hopefully} washable marker stains.


I think I'm going to add a little tulle layer underneath...it's a bit short.

And since we'll probably have a little "all-things-pink" party to celebrate,
we need to get this little kitchen project finished.


We finally got the correct bullnose tiles in today.
{turns out color matching bullnose to field tile is quite a process}
So tonight Gary is tiling again.
Goodbye jagged tile edges and exposed electrical outlets.
Goodbye remnants of yucky mint green wall color.

Hello party-ready kitchen.
Hello pink cake and and pink lemonade and pink little girl food.
Hello cute birthday girl in a cupcake party dress.
Hello almost three year old.

*sob*

Counting Down.

Has most of the country already had Spring Break?
I think we must be a little late.
Ours starts tomorrow afternoon after school.

All five of us are ready.

After celebrating Easter with family on Sunday, we're getting out of dodge.

So today Riley was still at school...Colin was at a playdate...and Avery was napping.
And I was completely ignoring the Mt. Everest of laundry on the couch.

Instead I did this...


...to get ready for this....


Can't wait.

My Space.

Not the social networking site kind of space.
The no-kids-allowed, sewing/crafting kind of space.

I finally have one.

Back in July I got this desk from Freecycle.

{If you aren't familiar with Freecycle, that's a blog post in and of itself. People give away some ca-razy things on Freecycle. Last week someone was offering "calcium supplements for chickens". And they were spoken for almost immediately. Huh? Chickens need calcium supplements? Who knew.}

Anyway, the desk sat in the garage for almost six months until I finally got around to painting it.

Now it's the home for just about all of my stuff.

I bought this cute little chair from an antique store and am going to recover it in a fun polka dot fabric.

Then I'm going to sit on that cute polka dot fabric, turn on Pandora, and create till my heart's content.

Actually I'll probably create until someone needs lunch, someone hits someone else, or someone can't put the dress back on her princess Polly Pocket and I need to help.

{I should be on that cute polka dot fabric for about 2.7 minutes.}

A Collection of Random.

Brace yourself for a great, big, bunch of randomness.

I cannot get away from polka dots.
They are taking over my fabric stash.

I'm having a hard time coming up with reasons why I shouldn't make this in a big girl size.

I made this banner for a craft party that a friend had this weekend. (Thanks, Pat!)
I'm really getting into the Christmas mood, especially since the weather has finally turned into wool sock weather.

But I'm trying not to forget about Thanksgiving.
I love the message behind this holiday and being deliberate about thinking about what I'm thankful for.

These little salt & pepper shakers belonged to my grandma. She put them out every year, and I smile every time I see them and think of her.

Also making me happy are easy dinners.
My crock pot has been my friend lately.
But this is an easy one as well:

Ground turkey browned with garlic and onion, then add mashed kidney beans, diced green chilies, ground flax seed (don't tell the kids), a couple of teaspoons of chili powder, and 1/2 cup or so of tomato sauce and a little water. Simmer for 10 minutes or so.
Add to a tortilla with some salsa and fat-free sour cream.
Healthy.
But also tasty and easy.

And to round out the random...
I love this.
It may find itself in Avery's stocking....

Happy Monday!

The Formula.

I almost hate to say this out loud (for fear it will disrupt my mojo) but lately I have really been productive:
My laundry is under control, the bathrooms are acceptably clean, the floors are vacuumed, the furniture dusted...and I even mopped yesterday!
{I hate to mop. With a passion. I avoid it at all costs.}

I'm sure the house will be back to its usual state of chaos tomorrow, since the kids will be home from school.

But I've even managed to do a little sewing lately.
I really enjoy it so much.
Isn't it amazing how finding time to do a bit of something you love can really make doing things you don't love (m-o-p-p-i-n-g) a little more bearable.


Tooth fairy houses. Complete with a pocket to hold the tooth.
So cute, huh?
(Inspired by little bit funky - go check her out.)
Plus a few new clippies and t-shirts that I'll hopefully put in my shop soon.

So what is it *you* love to do?
What makes your chores a little less of a chore?

{And in the interest of full disclosure I should say that sewing + a Diet Coke is my magic formula. With maybe some chocolate. And my Dave Matthews station on Pandora. And my warm wool socks. OK, I'm done.}

A Banner Monday.

Today is one of those days where the clouds outside practically scream at you to crawl back into bed.
I wish I could listen to them.

I still have a sick boy at home (darn those nasty ear infections) so there's been a lot of cuddling going on. And a lot of caramel apple lollipops. He claims those work wonders on sore throats.

I've been drinking a lot of hot tea during the day as well. I'm trying to avoid turning on the heater as long as possible and it's the only way I can warm up!

Have you seen those cute fabric banners all over the place? I love them and decided to give one a try this weekend.

Very easy. You should make one. I think I'm going to make a birthday banner for each kiddo and a Christmas one as well. My house is going to look like a circus tent before long.

Hope you are having a banner day as well.

And if you're not, try a caramel apple lollipop.

Leftovers.

Have I ever mentioned that I'm not a fan of leftovers?

I try to like them, I really do. I save things after dinner with the real intent on eating them the next day, but it usually just doesn't happen.

{With a notable exception: my mom's twice-baked potatoes after Thanksgiving and Easter. If I don't have enough to eat them for at least two days after the holiday I feel very slighted.}

Here's an entirely different category of leftovers that I do love, however.


I made a pillow today from some of Avery's quilt leftovers. I ran out of stuffing so it's not quite as full as it will be tomorrow after I run to Joanne's (with my 40% off coupon), but I do like it.

And don't you just love that Anna Maria Horner fabric on the back? It's one of my favorites. I love her fabric.

Oh, and did I ever mention the time that I spoke to Anna Maria herself on the phone and made a total fool of myself?

No? I didn't?

Good.

--------------------

{Sorry if you're sick of seeing the quilt fabric. I have a few more leftovers that I'm wondering what to do with. You may have to suffer through it once or twice more....)

Done.

And it only took me three months.

{Only.}

I began the quilt back in June. And I finished yesterday. Well, I finished my part. I'm sending it out for quilting and binding. I'm not *that* brave.

And I do like how it looks on my bed.


But it's not for me.

It's for the big girl bed in her future.


She gave it the seal of approval.


I can't wait to see her tucked in all warm and snuggly in her quilt.

{And the boys want one, so maybe I'll be done with theirs by Christmas.}


****

By the way, thank you for all of the kind thoughts about Colin the other day. His cardiologist called Friday and he is fine. I've warned him that if he gives us a scare like that again, he's in time-out for life. He's sufficiently scared.

Pumpkins on Parade.

Today was a fairly warm September 1st. I actually (briefly) considered turning on the air conditioner.

But I didn't.

Instead, I did what I do every September 1st. I dug the boxes of fall decorations out of the garage and tried to pretend it was 68 degrees outside.


I made these little pumpkins last week. I think I'm going to make a few more and line them up on my mantel.


And September 1st also happens to be the day that Pumpkin Spice lattes return to Starbucks! Hello, old friend.

But since I couldn't make it to Starbucks today....


It's not the same, but it'll do in a pinch.

Welcome, September!

Check.

I finally checked another item off my To-Do list.
(Mind you, this list has been in place for at least three months. Don't judge.)

But this one particular item was occupying a big space in my head.

I finally listed a couple of t-shirts and matching clippies in my etsy shop. I've been talking about it forever. Not sure why it took me so long....

But here they are:


Hopefully more to come soon.
Perhaps by next week when my 2nd grader and kindergartner are gone.

(By the way, if you want one and don't see the size you need, just let me know. I'll hook you up.)