Update

Quick post to let you know we had an appointment with the midwives today.

Great blood pressure, lost 2 more pounds, baby's heart rate is 158, and we have our big ultrasound on Jan. 19!!! :)

28 days until we see our baby for the first time!

Home Improvement: Crafty style

The other night Matt and I sat down and made a list of things we would like to accomplish around the house before the baby arrives. Some if it is as simple as cleaning out a closet (i.e. no real crafting involved). But some of it definitely requires a creative flair.

These are 3 room projects I am getting excited about:

Painting the nursery:

I have known for a LONG time I wanted to do 2 tone stripes. At first I thought maybe the same color but in two finishes, to make the stripes very subtle. Then when I was cleaning some last weekend, I came across this picture I clipped a couple years ago. I love it. The two tone stripes and the third tone solid along the bottom. The division of the wall. LOVE it. So, this is the plan, but in yellow. Now to explore paint chips. :)


Curtains.:

The nursery has a double window along one wall and a single window on another wall. I found the following picture at the same time as the wall picture above. I LOVE these curtains! Of course, they are from PBK several years ago, and I wouldn't want to pay those prices even if they still made them! This needs to be added to the sewing project list once we know if it's a boy or a girl. I can already picture them. Solid at the top, with a coordinating pattern on the bottom. :)


Decor:

Also from PBK (who'd have thought? All 3 pics are from them). If we do birds for a girl, I want to make a bean bag pillow to match (like the PBK Penelope birds, since that's the bedding we picked out for a girl.... oh, about a year ago :) ). And if we have a boy, then I want to make the owl or raccoon. I think it would be too cute to have peeking out from a corner of the nursery! :)

The tree isn't all that's decked out...

A few more decorations around the house... be sure you scroll to the end! :)

What's the verdict?

Please humor my aside from normal crafty things:

Ladies, what is the earliest you felt your baby moving around? I know "they" say 18-20 weeks, especially for a first-time mom. But I've got to tell you, I've been feeling some taps and flutters, and on Sunday I felt a very swift JAB right where the midwife found the heartbeat at our last appointment (and after drinking a glass of OJ at our church brunch). What do you think? Anyone feel her baby early? Is it purely wishful thinking? :)

Christmas around the house....

I decided to try something new this year, and I'm taping Christmas pictures and cards to the laundry room door. So far I like it. :)

I also moved our little village to a bookshelf in the living room instead of the entryway table (where I have a nativity this year in its place).


Wreaths are up in the front windows!


And the tree, Spike, is all decked out for Christmas! Spike is HUGE, but Matt LOVES him. He still smells GREAT, and he's been drinking LOTS of water still after a week! He's a keeper. :)


Complete with ribbon (Matt wanted to try ribbon this year) and my new crocheted snowflake ornaments (thanks, Dad and Mom!) that even compliment a snowflake design in the ribbon.

Christmas is coming...

.... and so are Christmas tree pictures, as soon as I charge my camera battery. :)




p.s. The baby's due date is exactly 6 months from today!! And this time next year, we should have a 6 month old! :) :) :)

Ready to Roll!

I sat down the other night and typed up what turned out to be a rather ambitious-looking list of things I'd like to sew for the baby. I'm itching to get started, but for many of the items, I'd like to wait and see if we can find out if the baby is a boy or a girl. Here's what I have so far...

Things I want to sew for the baby:

• Nursing cover
• Burp cloths
• Shopping cart cover? (or should I just register for one?)
  
• Dipes and wipes case
• Travel changing mat (like the skip hop?) (or should I just register for one?)
  
• Boppy cover? (I know I'll register for some, but should I make some, too?)
  
• Clothes (just a few simple things)
  
• Quilt (I bought fabric for two quilts while we were in TN!! Pics soon!)
  
• Taggie ball or blanket
• Hooded towel
• Paci clips (also good as blankie clips for a stroller)
• Tie chair? (obviously not necessary for quite some time, but I think I could maybe figure one out)
  

Possibilities:

• Baby legs? (I have one pair and a tutorial on how to make them..... I'm not sure)
  
• Holiday bibs? (something similar to this.... maybe I should just ask for them for Christmas)
  
• Travel toiletry case (again, I'm thinking maybe I should just ask for one for Christmas)

Any advice??

Our Newest Project

We are at home in Tennessee this year for Thanksgiving. We haven't been home since July (I know there are many people who haven't been home in longer than that, but it's been a stretch for us)!, and we are just SO glad to be here and surrounded by family!

Not only are we with my parents, but my brothers, their wives, our niece and nephews, my grandmother, an aunt and uncle, and even my sister-in-law's family--the tables were packed! :) Yes, that was tables, plural. :)

We have so much to be thankful for. Truly, I stand amazed looking over the last year especially, and seeing ALL God has done. In easier times and harder times, they have all prepared us for where we are now and where He is taking us. We would go through them all over again.

We've had delightful and fun times, like our spring break trip to Hilton Head. We've had hard times, like thinking my aunt's melanoma was back (it's NOT, praise the LORD!). We've had scary times, like thinking we would be moving earlier this fall. And we've had exciting times, like some of the projects we've been thrilled to see come to fruition.

I have been working on one project--it's really quite the joint venture--for several weeks now. I think it's finally far enough along to tell you a little about it....





We've been working on it for about 12 weeks and it has a heart rate of 145 beats per minute. It will be complete (at least, in this first stage) around June 10, 2009. All its major organs are in place, and we've even had the delight of hearing it kick (though we haven't felt it yet).





We are thrilled, THANKFUL, amazed, HUMBLED, and rejoicing to announce that we are expecting a baby in June! God is SO gracious to us. I'm tearing up just thinking about it right now. Sorry for keeping it under wraps, but we wanted to make it to the end of the first trimester and to hear the heartbeat before we announced it. We are soooo thankful to be telling you! Please pray for this little one's development and for good health for all of us. :)

At our last appointment on Monday, the midwife said everything is going "perfectly." That, along with the 145 swooshing beats per minute, was music to this MOMMA's ears! :)

I will be sure to tell more soon about how we found out and how things are going. And I'm sure I will have sewing projects and questions for you along the way as we prepare for baby K!

Blessings to you and your family,
Becca

Baby Kit

So, here's the "big" photo shoot. :) It's really just a little something, but such a simple something to make for a little someone. :)

All you need is a washcloth and some ribbon!

Fold part of the washcloth up, pin your ribbon, sew sections up the folded part to hold baby's toiletries... I just used some things I had left over from a baby shower diaper wreath, so not everything in mine is really toiletry-oriented. :) But it's easy to roll everything up, tie it up, and then throw it into a diaper bag or overnight case. It keeps thing organized and easy to grab. :)

I'm also pinning a casserole tote!

Tomorrow!

So I didn't get the picture posted tonight. :-( Sorry! I WILL be able to tomorrow though--I don't have any reason to think I wouldn't because...

• I finished grading/entering interim report grades today (HOORAY!!!!!!)
• While hunting around the house for an exacto knife to finish my Thanksgiving cards (I'll post them next week), I found my copy of Photoshop I had been looking for! I couldn't find it to install on our new computer and was about to buy another copy (elements v. 5.0). God is so sweet to us! :) Now I will probably even post more pictures in general, because I can resize them and adjust the contrast, etc. better with much ease. :)
• I took an hour-long nap today (still fighting this cold), but tomorrow I am not tutoring and I already know what we're having for dinner, and it's super-duper easy (square meat, if my fam is interested). :) hehe
• There's only FRIDAY left after tomorrow, and then only Monday and Tuesday. SUPER exciting! We can't WAIT for Thanksgiving. :) :) :)

So, see you again tomorrow... with PICTURE(S)! :)

A-choooo!

I stayed home sick today. It was to a point where if I didn't get a sub today, I was pretty sure I'd need one later this week. Why not rest today and try to make it so I'll be okay for Tues.-Friday? So anyway, I slept... a lot.

But last week when we had Monday and Tuesday off I DID get to do some sewing. I just never posted it. We had some plumbing problems (that resurfaced this weekend), etc. But hopefully tomorrow or Wednesday, I will be able to post the little something I cooked up. :)

Thanks for hanging in there. Stay tuned! Still working on other projects that hopefully can be blogged about soon, too!

Hip Hip Hooray

I was off from work today!
(and tomorrow)

I can't believe I have a 3 day week this week, a full week, and then a 2 day week. Then we go HOME for Thanksgiving--woo hoo!! :)

Today I coordinated a visit from one plumber to clear a clogged line (the main drainage line from the washing machine) and estimates from several others for a water heater replacement/installation. Things are hopping around here!

I'm hoping to do some crafting tomorrow. If I do, I shall share with you what I get to! I'm working on some other things right now too, but you'll have to wait a few more weeks before they're ready to share. I'm excited to tell you when I can, though!

I guess that's about all for now. Hopefully I'll have some pictures of projects to post tomorrow. :) Happy Veteran's Day tomorrow to all who have served our country in the military (like my dad!)! We are SO thankful for you!

Psssst.......

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Happy birthday to me (and my sweet friend, Ruthie)!! :) :) :)

Too long...

Sorry it's been so long without an update! Things have been crazy busy and I've been exhausted! One reason is that the first grading period came to a close, so I was busy finishing grading (boy did it bless me to see another teacher I really admire and respect hauling a huge bucket of journals back to school on Tuesday... she had obviously done some big grading over the long weekend!) and getting grades in the computer system. Report cards are supposed to go home Monday, so right now I'm in a delightful lull where I'm caught up on grading (!!!) and I don't have panicked parents scheduling conferences about report cards yet. ;)

Matt and I also went away over a long weekend I had this past weekend. It was a belated anniversary trip, and it was wonderful to get away together, rest, sleep, and just reflect on all God has taught us in our 3 years of marriage. :)

All that to say, I haven't done any crafting (gasp!). I am hoping to have a little Saturday morning sew date with a friend soon. And I'm working on getting the biohazard placement just right on the onesies. When I do, you will know (and they will be in my etsy shop!)!

So, sorry to keep you waiting, but for now you'll be waiting a little longer. I do however need to post some strange things about myself, because my dear friend Ruthie tagged me. If you're looking for crazy-delicious looking and gourmet recipes, or if you wonder just how cold it gets in Wisconsin :), you should definitely visit Ruthie's blog. Plus she's coming up on her 6 month wedding anniversary, which makes me smile. :) And while I'm at it, let me give an "early pre-birthday" shout-out to my birthday twin (Ruthie)! :)

Without further ado... 7 random things about me:

1. I really, really do not like mixing foods. And I have major texture issues with food.

2. And yet, I like dipping Fritos in ketchup as the occasional treat (Matt finally tried it and said, "I can't believe I'm not saying this is gross... it's actually good.").

3. I'm currently not really digging meat. Not much of a taste for it. If you have veggie recipes or recipes low on the meat content, send them my way! :)

4. The first time I got my hair cut in a salon I was a junior in high school (my mom would just trim it before then). And now, my husband usually cuts my hair! Now the last time I got it cut in a salon was before our wedding (eek! It could probably use a professional cut).

5. The first time I tried broccoli was last year when a friend made some cream of broccoli soup...and I liked it! I have tried to replicate it, but I was not even close. If you have a good recipe (I liked it being quite creamed due to the texture issues), pass it along! :)

6. I could never be President of the United States... not just because it would overwhelm me, but because it would be against the law! I was not born in the U.S. and am therefore disqualified.

7. Next week marks 5 years since my first date with my husband. He is/was also my first/only kiss, which is very sweet to my heart. :)

I'm supposed to tag 7 people, but most of you have already done this. So if you haven't and you want to, have at it! :) E, I don't think you've done it yet, but with your double job status, I'm not expecting it. ;)

A New Endeavor

So I spent some time earlier this week trying to figure out this "selling on Etsy" thing. I set up a little shop with a test product (the UT burp cloth you see in the Etsy widget on the right). After I make some biohazard onesies (hopefully this weekend), I plan to add those too. I also ordered some fun ribbon from JCaroline... so be on the lookout for some new things before too long!

Mulling over a couple other changes as well... stay tuned!


Have a good weekend, and I hope you enjoy some rest and crafting while you're at it. :)

Warning:

::BIOHAZARD::

I posted this onesie I embroidered this weekend on my personal (family) blog and had more responses than I anticipated. So, I thought I would take it to my crafting community here :) and see what you think. Etsy potential? I want to try the next one a little lower (further down the back of the onesie).

Procrastination

I am totally procrastinating by being here on blogger. I just finished my seatwork, center 1, and whole group lesson plans for reading (with a brand-new reading series this year, that's a lot more time consuming than in previous years!), and I thought I'd take a little break before I delve into center 2 and small group instruction (aren't my Saturdays just fascinating??). ;)

I digress... I wanted to share that I actually got to SEW last night! I can't tell you how good it felt to sit down at that machine (Stella has been so patiently waiting for a bit of my attention) and CREATE something. Oh how my heart needed that, I discovered. All I made was a simple oven mitt that is part of a gift for someone. But I used some new fabric, and I really like how the colors and patterns go together. I also used my deeper understanding of bias tape to make a more finished looking edge for the cuff. Sigh of relief. Yes, I needed some sewing time. Now it's on to a few other projects, as time and energy allow (both have been harder to come by lately).

What are my other projects? Well, one goes with the oven mitt. I'll have to wait until they're mailed to the recipient before I post. I've also had bits and pieces of a wedding gift stashed for someone, using the excuse that she and her husband were moving at the end of the summer anyway. I figured I'd just save them the hassle of unpacking and repacking by holding out on finishing their gift. ;) But they are settled now, and it's time for me to wrap it up (literally and figuratively) and send it on its way! I've also been perusing sites for ideas of things I could make to sell. A c0worker sold 3 university themed picture frames tailgating a couple weeks ago. Then my mom mentioned an easy project to me. I've decided that I just might venture into the world of Etsy and try to sell a few of my wares there. Maybe some aprons, probably some university themed items. We are located such that there are 3 predominant teams people root for around here (UGA, UF, and FSU), plus there's a certain other orange that's quite popular back home (UT). I think I might try to take advantage of that and whip a few things up. We'll see... and I'll let you know how it all turns out!

Alright, enough procrastinating from me. I might as well get a move on, because I'll have to decide what's for dinner after this! :)

Have a great weekend. :)

Itching for Stitching

Thanks for all the comments lately. :) It was a SUPER busy week, so I appreciate the encouragement. :) Combine two 12 hour days, a 13 hour day, and a day with a migraine, and you have a teacher who was ready for the weekend! Unfortunately, the weekend has included work, too. And I cannot believe September is half over tomorrow. EEEK! But we're keeping at it all, one day at a time. Despite the grading and lesson planning that had to be done this weekend, we celebrated 2 special events at church this morning: the ceremonial ground-breaking for our building and ordaining deacons (including my hubby!). We are so thankful for our church family here in FL, and we are so excited and feel blessed to be a part of the ways God is growing, stretching, and leading the body here in a time of great change.

Now, the title of this post. I AM DYING TO SEW! I have been so busy, I haven't sat at my machine since my 2 days off for Tropical Storm Fay. That was the first week of school. That was 3 weeks ago! The more I craft, the more I realize I NEED crafting as an outlet. A way to explore, decompress, and think. Thankfully, I have a couple projects that need to be completed. I say thankfully, not because they're incomplete, but because I know EXACTLY what I will get to work on as soon as I have time. :) I also used a gift card from a student to purchase 2 handbag patterns I'll be excited to try. I can't wait to get started on everything and share them with you! :)

Lastly, before I head to the bed that is loudly calling my name, I would love some ideas for a birthday party coming up. Friends of our have 11 month old twin boys, and they are having a rubber ducky themed birthday party next month. Any ideas for something I could sew or make for them? I'm okay at ideas for baby showers/newborns... but 1 year old boys?? Help!! :)

Thanks, and hope you had a great weekend!

p.s. I have 2 blog awards I need to pass along.. stay tuned (and thanks to those who recognized me). :)

Stamping Challenge

There's a paper crafting challenge over at Stampin' When I Can that is HOME themed. That sounded like fun, so I thought I'd post this as my entry. :) Tomorrow is the deadline, so I'm posting it just in time. :) Check out the comments on her post for more home-themed inspiration!

Trust

I'm at work late (again)... waiting for the Fall open house to begin so I can talk, talk, talk, answer lots of questions, and then GET HOME!

I was here at school til 6 on Tuesday and 6:30 on Wednesday. I know that other teachers stay later or will continue to keep those hours even after open house week is behind us. I must confess that I am a homebody, though. Being gone 12+ hours (today) and then still needing to figure out dinner, clean up from dinner, prepare for the next day, and such wears a person out!

Hmmm, I just looked around my room and realized I never posted pictures of my classroom for this year. I must take care of that. :) I've put in too many hours and spend too many hours here not to show off some of my favorite little parts. :) Currently there are 19 cereal boxes hanging from the ceiling, each decorated for a different country. The kids' excitement this morning when they realized I took their projects and hung them for ALL to see (over their desks, nonetheless) was worth all the time it took to hang the boxes. :) They are a great group of kids. :)

Teaching is such an amazing and challenging and sometimes odd way to spend the day/year. Today's "hats" included earring remover, scalp inspector (one child was pretty convinced she had lice... I was pretty sure she had dry skin, and the nurse agreed with me ;)), cheerleader, encourager, prodder (finish up, please! ), corrector (I asked you to put that away a moment ago), oh yeah, and educator. ;) Sometimes I feel like such a taskmaster, especially at the beginning of the year when our kiddos are adjusting to the pace of the magnet program and such. And then there are glimpses in a day when I want to thank my students for the opportunities they give me. Today we planted seeds (we're studying life science and beginning with plants). You would have thought I gave them an Xbox 360. SEVERAL children THANKED me for giving them the seeds, dirt, cup, etc. I really do have a great group of kids (have I mentioned that?). Today one of them said, "You provide for us well." Wow (yes, these are 8-9 year olds, and yes, they blow me away at times).

I have to stop and think. So often I'm directing and correcting, especially at the beginning of the year, that I wonder if my acceptance of them comes through as much as I want. When you have some tender hearts, it's oh-so-hard to strike that balance, at the beginning of a new year, of the child KNOWING without a doubt you think they're great, but also being able to correct when needed (without the child taking that on as, "the teacher hates me."). Wanting to earn their trust. I think they're getting it. I think after 4 weeks, they see that they can mess up, and I'll still be cheering from the sidelines for them to make the right choice. I won't give up. I don't expect perfection. When we fall, we just get right back up and learn from our mistakes.

And what about God? Isn't He so often directing and correcting me? May I keep the perspective of so many of my students. "You provide well for us." They are learning to see through the rules and routines and discipline to the heart. May I keep my eyes on His heart, even when the things He allows or has to accomplish in me hurt at the time. My students have known me 4 weeks. They already trust me. I've known God 2o years, and sometimes it's really hard to trust.

But just like I tell my kiddos, try again. Do it right the next time. Let's fix that mistake. And am I ever thankful for a Savior who paid the price for me to be able to try again, do it right the next time, and fix that mistake. Lastly, may I ever increasingly seek to do it right the FIRST time, not just the next time. Only by His grace...

Meet Isabella

We drove up to SC after work on Friday and arrived around 1:45 AM. After catching up with Matt's parents, we went to bed! On Saturday, we got to go over and spend the day with Matt's sister and her family.... including ISABELLA! :) She is happy and healthy, and Lakey is doing such a great job!

Without further ado, here some pictures...

Lakey and Isabella (isn't Lakey's smile wonderful??)

Isabella with her mommy and daddy

Uncle Matt with Isabella!

Me holding Isabella for the first time and getting a good look at her :)

I was just a little bit in heaven... just a little ;)

You just have to love these (not so!) little feet :)

We did eventually see both her eyes WIDE open, but here was our first peek at one (after the bath where she peed on me and shortly before she spit up all over me :))

She's Here!!

Isabella Rose

arrived

Wednesday, September 3rd

9 lbs., 5 oz.

21.5" long



And this auntie and uncle are on their way to meet her!

Teacher Tools

If you are a teacher, I have to tell you about an amazing new tool my team mate told me about! It's called Engrade (I think it's supposed to be a play on words of "en garde"), and it's an online gradebook. Not only is it an online gradebook, but it's SUPER simple and user-friendly, highly customizable (in my opinion), and you can choose to give parents a password to access their child's grades online.
There's a clear tutorial you can watch on the site, and then it's easy to get started. I have to admit, I have not used any other grading software. I have always made my own Excel spreadsheets and entered my own formulas and such for them (thanks for teaching me that, honey!). Our school system just went live with a fancy-schmancy system that's supposed to do EVERYthing you could dream up. But when I log in and choose gradebook there, all I get is a red x. So much for that. Lots of us are having trouble with it and encountering bugs. I didn't want to wait for that to get sorted out, so I jumped on this new program when it was introduced to me. :) I appreciate being able to access it anywhere I have internet access (you can print it out too, though), instead of taking my jump drive with my Excel files back and forth between home and school.

One of my favorite features is the various reports that can be printed. You can print a student's report in any subject or all subjects. You can also print a missing assignments report (!!!). I am really excited, in case you couldn't tell. :)

And lastly, the blessing in disguise of not being allowed to have personal computers on campus this year and having a school CPU hooked up to my Smart Board is that now my laptop lives at home. I am so much more productive in the evening! Entering grades, answering emails, blogging. ;) I can multi-task where my hubby is while he himself slaves away on his work laptop. We are such geeks. :) Our side-by-side laptop days go all the way back to grad school and dating. :)

Alright, I need to go grade some writing prompts. Sorry this isn't too exciting, but I just had to share for any fellow teachers out there. :)

Hope you had a happy Labor Day! We already had burgers twice this week (once here and once at a friend's--both times very yummy), so tonight we had chicken alfredo. Super festive, huh? :)

Latest Nursing Cover

This nursing cover is for the same recipient as the cowboy burp cloth. :)

close-up of the ribbon I found that matches perfectly! :)

back fabric with coordinating pocket (from front fabric)

Close up of the fabrics (and terry cloth corner)

On a Roll...

You're going to get so sick of seeing burp cloths.... I finished my first pack of them, so you'll have a short break until I can go buy another pack. ;) In the meantime, I'm hoping to whip up a few napkins and monogram them. We'll see how the weekend goes...

First up, we have this:

It's for my friend, Jamie, whose baby shower I hosted and posted about back at the beginning of June. Well, Miss Katherine Elizabeth arrived last week! Everyone is back home and doing well, which is a praise, of course. :) As I was perusing embroidery sites yesterday, I found this ladybug alphabet. They had one sample letter for free--a K! Now, that will, hopefully, be great for us at some point because our last name begins with K. But in the meantime, I thought it would be perfect for little Katie! I had some ladybug fabric stashed for a project for Matt's sister--and I had more than enough. So, I took a section for the bottom of the cloth and added the pom-pons as well. I hope she likes it! :)

I also tried this:

My first applique with the embroidery machine! A couple who was in our small group has moved to Texas and are expecting baby Dusty in October. There is a "shower by mail" I was invited to "attend," so I thought I'd try something a little different. I actually used the FABULOUS 4D Embroidery Extra software to convert a cowboy boot clipart into an applique design. Then I used my oh-so-cute cowboy fabric to fill it in and decorate the bottom of the cloth. Lastly, I made an embroidery design of a sheriff's badge (also using clipart and the software) and put Dusty's name inside. It should be going in the mail on Monday... hopefully it will be well-received. :)

Embroidery Day 2 :)

Isabella's mommy and daddy are huge football fans and Carolina Panthers season ticket holders, so I thought this next little project was in order....

I also originally planned on a set of 3 coordinating ladybug cloths, if you recall.... and I finished the 2nd one. Only one more to go! :)

The first 2 together

Couldn't Help Myself

We've been told that if we want to stake our claim for Isabella's future education, we need to act fast as she already has Clemson gear. I couldn't help myself.... this is my latest (and favorite so far) creation from today. :) I *love* the "fUTure" campaign because I'm a geek and love word play. AND... it's CENTERED!!! Woo hooo!! I might need to make some of these for little Gator babies down here in FL.... just to make trouble. :)

It's here!!!!!

After ordering my Husqvarna Viking 4D Embroidery Extra software on July 7th... it finally came in! Apparently there have been delays across the board with Husqvarna products due to some customs hold-up(s). But it's finally here--and just in time for me to have 2 extra days home from school due to Tropical Storm Fay (well, they're not really days off because we'll have to go in 2 extra days in the spring that were previously days off... don't get me started :) ). So, I've been fiddling around trying to remember everything my sil told me about her Husqvarna machine and the software. And I finally successfully made something! I'm still working on the whole centering thing (I even used the little hoop template grid--I know the design altogether looks centered here, but on the software I designed it with the I centered and the ladybug off to the side, not with the center line between the ladybug and I like it looks here). If you have tips for centering, they are MORE than appreciated! :)

But nevertheless, here's the first of a pile of things I've been saving to monogram for our newest niece, Isabella (due Sept. 7). Her nursery is all ladybugs, so I thought this would be perfect. :)

Stay tuned for more!

Goal for this school year

One crafting goal I have for this school year is to try smocking. It might only amount to trying a few stitches on a sampler, though I certainly hope it turns into more than that.

In an effort to get started, I asked for recommendations from several people. Over and over, I was steered toward A-Z of Smocking and A-Z of Sewing for Smockers (thanks to those who suggested these).

I now have both at my fingertips and can't wait to try when school settles down a little. I would love to make this some handwork I could do in the evenings. I am loving the process of taking a flat piece of fabric and turning it into something three-dimension and useful. This could be another perfect outlet for producing something from cloth. :) And I wouldn't even need my machine (as fabulous as it is) to do the smocking, so that means this craft can travel!

Anyway, just wanted to update on the latest hoped-for crafting adventure. :)

Stay tuned this week for pictures of my latest cards. :)

Here we go again....

School starts Monday, and I have been going non-stop this week. Even yesterday, I was there 12 hours.... and still went back for a couple hours today! WHEW!

Please bear with me as the year gets up and running. Crafting is my "therapy" of sorts, so I hope to still make/keep time for it... especially if my embroidery software EVER gets in. ;)

Thanks for waiting for me to come back around, and I hope you are well! :)

Blessings,
Becca

Summer To Do List, revisted

Summer vacation is drawing to a close (pre-planning inservice begins Monday), so I thought I'd take a moment to see how I did with the summer checklist I posted here in May....

How I (hope to) Spend My Summer Vacation

1. Sleep in
2. Make my hubby's lunch more frequently (he took over lunch-packing duty for both of us most of this school year, amazing hubby that he is!)
3. Visit family
4. Make my owl pj pants
5. Start the wonky cabin quilt
6. Rebuild my rubber-stamped, ready to send card stash
7. Paint the master bathroom
8. Paint the laundry room
9. Keep asking Matt about painting a dining room accent wall :)
10. Visit family
11. Sew some things yet to be determined
12. Get my embroidery machine (that will be towards the end of the summer)!!
13. Finish touch-ups needed in remodeled family room
14. (BONUS) Visit family!!!!!!

How I Actually Spent My Summer Vacation
1. I did sleep in... it was glorious. :)
2. I have made Matt lunch more, and he's even come home for lunch a few times so we could have lunch *together.* :)
3. We spent a week visiting our families in SC and TN, and my mom spent almost a week down here with us. I love, love, love that part of summer. :)
4. Owl pj pants... did not start on those yet. But I DID make the dress. That was my first foray into garments, and I think I might have the nerve to try my pj pants now. :)
5. Start the wonky cabin quilt--errr, again, no. It's not that I've been afraid or haven't wanted to, though. I just do not even know where to begin with choosing the fabric for it! Any suggestions?? How do you choose quilt fabric???
6. I didn't make as many cards as I'd like, but I did make enough to get me started. :)
7. Paint the master bathroom--CHECK!! We love the bright, new, much-more-modern color.
8. Paint the laundry room--no. I did not get to that. I'll chalk it up to being summer in FL, and that is the hottest room in the house. ;)
9. I actually haven't asked him about the dining room wall, BUT I have kept the paint chip in plain sight. ;) And we *did* buy a couple things to make the room more finished--some candle sconces, hung a painting we bought months ago, and we have some more wrought iron wall art to hang in the dining room. So, the overall idea is moving along. :)
10. Visit family--again yes, lots of times with loved ones (especially the little ones... who, not surprisingly, are becoming less and less little!)
11. Sew: yes, I make coffee cuffs, a lunch bag, a sandwich wrap, and a dress!
12. Embroidery machine: check!!!!!!!! :) Now if only the 4D embroidery software would get in... they said maybe August 8... that's this Friday.... please oh please oh please?!? :)
13. Touch ups in family room. Well, yes and no. What I had in mind some touching up some places on the walls, which I did not do. But we *did* spruce things up by adding/rearranging some furniture and accents. It looks much more finished now than at the beginning of the summer. And we'll get to the wall touch ups. :)
14. Visit family: that's a whole-hearted YES! :) I love how summer affords substitute-teacher-prep FREE time (i.e. no sub lesson plans) to soak up our families! :)

All in all, I accomplished 8 of my 14 goals outright. Another 4 I kind of addressed. And 2 (laundry room and quilt) I flat out did not do. I *did* however have a wonderful summer break. A summer break with sweet memories, fun pictures, enjoyable crafting, and I even managed NOT to go to school at all for the entire month of July (a first in my teaching career). I will miss these relaxed days very, VERY soon, but they have been a sweet time of respite before the new school year begins! :)

Bloggy Giveaways Carnival WINNER!!

We have a winner!!

Here are your random numbers:

10

Timestamp: 2008-08-02 21:25:35 UTC

That means the winning comment is:

Carrie said...

My favorite teacher was Mrs Stames. She was beautiful and full of energy. After I started teaching we were sitting next to each other at an inservice and it was so sureal.

Please be watching for an email from me, Carrie, and congratulations. :)

Thank you to everyone who played along. It was fun and sweet to read your teacher memories before I head back to the classroom. It is a challenging, exhausting, sometimes bewildering job, but it's so rewarding! :) I'm so glad everyone had at least one teacher they can look back upon so fondly.

If the giveaway was your first time stopping by, I hope you'll come back now and then. :)

Bloggy Giveaways Carnival

This is my first time participating in the Bloggy Giveaway Carnival.

You can click the picture above to go to the master list of giveaways.

For *my* giveaway, you can win a cute coffee cuff! Really, it will work for any cool or hot beverage to protect your hand, and you help cut down on waste because it's reusable! :) I have even used them on cups around the house.



This cuff is made from coffee cup themed fabric with several layers of quilted insulation.

To enter,

• just leave a comment below telling me about your favorite elementary school teacher (I am about to head back to my third graders).
• Be sure to leave your address or a link to your blog so I can contact the winner!
• The winner will be chosen at random and posted on the evening of Saturday, August 2nd.

Cards

I spent some time yesterday and today making cards to help replenish my stash. Time *flies* after school begins, so I am hoping to build up my stock of cards for different occasions through the year. I need to make more, especially of birthday cards, thank yous, and all occasion cards, but here's a good beginning!