Refrigerator Art

Return to Sewing

2011-09-26T23:38:00.000-04:00

I spent some time this weekend in front of my sewing machine. Oh how good it felt! :) I *finally* finished Asa's 2nd birthday quilt. I would like to make our children a handmade gift each year for their birthday. This year, I planned a dog themed quilt for Asa. He had a puppy birthday party, and while the gift was not ready RIGHT on time (I was 9 months pregnant!), it IS done now.

I purchased some dog machine embroidery applique files for each square of the quilt with nine squares total. I received a free motion quilting foot from my husband for Mother's Day, and I decided to try it out on Asa's quilt. Lesson #1: free motion quilting is a LOT harder than it looks! I thought it was simply a matter of having the right sewing foot and lowering my feed dogs. WRONG. If you have any tips for me, especially for achieving even stitch lengths, I greatly appreciate it!

I pressed on, regardless of my free motion newbie foibles. I read a post by another blogger who said a quilt for her child was a great first project because your child will love the quilt regardless of the mistakes that will glare at *you.* That encouraged me to finish what I started and be glad I could make something special for Asa as I learned. :)

This evening I finished the free hand quilting and added a silky blanket binding. He likes "soft" things, so I thought the silky binding was a good choice for this particular project.

Without further ado, here is his quilt--my second quilt but the first I've completely finished (my "first" is waiting for binding), my first attempt at free motion quilting, and a happy return to crafting after having a baby. :)

I stitched a random boxy pattern to go with the blue boxes in the background of this patch

I traced around and around the puppy for this center patch

I "drew" little bones all over this patch for the quilting... to go with the bone applique

My favorite... I took a deep breath, summoned my courage, and wrote "ASA" all over this patch. :)

Maybe, Just Maybe

2011-09-22T11:00:00.000-04:00

I'll be able to whip out some holiday outfits for the kids. I have been craving craft time the past few weeks. I think we're almost there. I know I could take an evening or two with Matt tending to Anna Reaghan so I could bury myself in yards of fabric in the sewing room. We're not quite to the point I can reclaim nap time for craft time, but that possibility is in sight at least. :)

What have I been dreaming of creating? Well, Pinterest has given me about a million plans. :) But here are a few I am especially considering in light of the changing seasons.

I want/need to milk the matching bro/sis outfits while I can (i.e. before Asa's too old), so I love the last 2 pictures. Not SURE about the spider motif, but the rickrack web the spiders are hanging from is so cute and Asa loves "buggies" of all types. :) How will I ever choose?! And which to make first?! :) I'll keep you posted. I know I need some orange material, and then I can get started on a few ideas!

A Little Hello

2011-09-20T12:48:00.000-04:00

I have been quite noticeably absent for the past many, many months. I see I mentioned our move from Florida to Ohio in the last few posts here, and that our sweet Asa finally started sleeping through the night at 14 months making me less of a zombie and more able to craft. What happened the very next month threw me right back into the land of the overtired. ;) We found out we were expecting again! Enter exhaustion, nausea, another move (same town, different house), and I fell off the crafting wagon. Or at the very least, blogging about it.

I'll be you can tell just from these pictures below whether we welcomed a baby boy or baby girl to our family!

Anna Reaghan had a happy belated arrival (following in her big bro's footsteps) on July 14th. She is such a sweet baby girl, blowing her brother's sleep habits completely out of the water, and a delight to us all. She IS sleeping amazingly well, but I still feel a bit of that newborn fog especially with chasing Asa around even if/when she is napping. I am planning some holiday outfits for them, so I thought I might try to pick back up with this blog. And Pinterest has given me all sorts of inspiration for crafting of all types!

Another minor change I made is getting this blog set up to post from the google account I use the most. Originally I had it tied to a different email address I don't use as much, and it was a hassle to sign in and out of accounts in order to post. With that remedied, this is much more of a simple "point, click, type" process. Yea!

Here's to more crafting!

Craft Tote

2011-01-17T12:54:00.000-05:00

Awhile back, I saw a pattern for a craft tote in Ginia18's Etsy shop. I saved it to my favorites and would periodically go back and look at it. I think I was really trying to work up my nerve to try something that seemed like it might be a bit complicated. I always get nervous before trying a new pattern, especially if it's for a new KIND of item to create.

Christmas provided the perfect opportunity for me to purchase and try the pattern. I thought my 2 year old niece would love an art tote filled with coloring books, stickers, markers, crayons, etc. I had the vision in mind, the tricky part was convincing myself I could bring it to fruition.

The seller promptly emailed the pattern and made herself available to answer any questions I might have as I worked through it. I stared down the pattern for a few days before I found the courage to cut into my fabric and get started. Fun aside: Asa and I had the BEST time choosing the fabrics for the bag! As you might imagine, I don't have a lot of pinky, girly fabric in my stash, so we roamed the aisles of the fabric store collecting fairies, tea cups, and more! There was no need to contact the seller with questions--the instructions were great and I actually put the tote together in one night! Well, I spent one evening cutting the pieces I needed and prepping them with stabilizer. Another evening was spent actually constructing the bag.

I am so pleased with how it turned out! Pockets galore filled with all kinds of crafty goodness. :) My niece was pretty excited when she opened it on Christmas morning as well. ;)

I cannot wait to make this tote again!

Long time...

2010-09-30T16:55:00.000-04:00

... no post.

I have been grossly absent from posting here. I am finally getting into a routine around the house here in Ohio now, and with fall activities like Bible study beginning, some order and familiarity are returning to my days (yea!). Asa still takes 2 naps, and I try to use his first name for Bible study and housework so I can use his 2nd afternoon nap for whatever I want (read: crafting!). That Asa started sleeping through the night about 2 months ago hasn't hurt either. ;)

One of the first things I made when I felt a little of the "old" me returning after Asa started sleeping through the night was some drawstring sacks for a few of Asa's toys. He has a set of wooden alphabet blocks (thanks, Holli & Todd!) that needed a storage solution for when Asa isn't knocking down towers of blocks. :) He also has several matchbox cars. He loves to drive them around on the floor (and sometimes the couch) and he loves to take things out/put them in containers. I knew he needed a car bag as well.

I whipped up this dog fabric bag for the blocks (Asa loooves dogs)

and this car fabric bag for his cars :)

Success!

Asa's Lamb

2010-09-13T16:33:00.000-04:00

Asa's lamb did not turn out exactly the way I had it pictured in my head. There is a smidge of a puppy look about it (partly from the nose, but the minky I used on the face was super fluffy and embroidery was just lost in all the fluff--a lesson for next time), but unless I finish all the other projects on my list of dream projects (which seems like a laughable idea with a 15 month old who is in love with his newest trick--walking--as of the past month) and make a version I love TONS better, I'm willing to let its imperfections go. Which is big for me. Really big.

I had to modify a couple of the pattern pieces I drafted. They just did NOT look right overall. And I learned a valuable lesson when I went to turn the lamb in order to stuff it and sew it closed. Stuffed arms and legs do NOT fit well through little lambie necks! Next time, I will leave my opening in the torso instead of the head! Whew! I was afraid I would pull it to pieces as I tugged and tugged and the seams strained and strained.

I love the verse God gave me for the lamb as well. I searched and searched wanting just the right thing to speak of salvation and God's goodness and comfort. I considered parts of hymns. And then God led me to this:

I am excited to try a scripture animal again. I don't know if my next one will be a lamb or something else, but I just love these scripture dolls--whatever form they materialize in. :)

I love the tail!

You can also check out the scripture dolls I made for my niece and nephew last Christmas! :)

Contest

2010-08-30T10:29:00.000-04:00

J. Leigh Designz is hosting an upcoming Bump 2 Baby giveaway.

There are all sorts of incredible prizes up for grabs, including the new Britax B Ready stroller! It has 14 single and double, forward and rear facing configurations! Too cool! Go check out the giveways for yourself! Contest begins in September!

A New Pattern

2010-07-27T18:15:00.000-04:00

For my birthday, my parents gave me a sewing pattern I asked for from an Etsy seller. It's the A Girl's Best Friend wallet pattern from Jennalou06. I was a bit intimidated by it; I'm still working through my anxiety about sewing from a pattern instead of drafting my own pattern or just figuring things out on my own. It also has a zipper, which I have never done before... until now!

A sweet friend of mine graduated from high school this spring and will be attending the University of Alabama. I was trying to think of something fun for a graduation gift. Eventually, I set my sights on a Bama themed wallet with this pattern. I look at Bama fabric, but none of it was very pretty. So I did an Etsy search for "University of Alabama" and was quickly reminded that black & white houndstooth is signature Bama! Woo hoo! Now I could make a houndstooth wallet with crimson accents for my newest favorite Crimson Tide fan! :)

I spent part of one evening cutting the pieces, affixing the interfacing, transferring marks, and reading over the instructions. During the following day's afternoon nap I completed the first three steps (out of six), and during today's afternoon nap I completed the remaining 3 steps! It is a deceptively simple pattern that I had NO problems with! I am really happy with how the wallet turned out and can't wait to get a gift card to put in it and send the gift on its way!

Here are my quick shots of it from this afternoon. :)

front exterior, velcro wrap-around closure

Interior. The top half has a pocket big enough for cash, 6 card holders, and an elastic loop for a pen.

The bottom half has another cash pocket and a zippered (coin) pocket.

With some cards in it for example.

bottom large pocket

both big pockets

Back from Vacation

2010-07-21T00:05:00.000-04:00

I am back from 2 wonderful weeks in TN with my family! My grandmother, aunt, and cousin were visiting from California, and not only did *I* want to see them, I was desperate for Asa to meet them, too! He is named after my grandfather, after all (they have the same middle name). :)

It was a fun time of relaxed schedules, lots of cousins (there are 5 now on my side, and Asa has been ousted as the youngest on my side, though he's still the baby on Matt's side :) ), delicious food, and good times. The only down side was that Matt couldn't stay the whole time. He drove us down on Saturday and came back to OH on Monday. What a servant heart! Asa and I got to stay and play in TN and then my mom drove us back to OH (another servant heart!). We are settling back in now, and my mind is turning to.... new craft projects!

I figured I'd make a list of the things I have in progress that I'd like to finish, some short term goals, and some longer term goals.

In progress:

Asa's strip quilt (quilt top done, needs to be sandwiched, basted, quilted, and bound)
I really thought there was something else, but of course now I forget! I'll have to check my "to complete" bin in my sewing cubbie :)

Short term goals:

try new wallet pattern
make Asa's scripture lamb
2 other scripture dolls
2 casserole totes

Longer term goals (I am sure this list will evolve):

2+ sets of Jesse Tree ornaments
True mural on canvas for Asa's room
diaper changing stations
traffic cone
a couple painted signs
maybe try another quilt (stacked coin?)

Maybe since these goals are right here in print, I will actually get to them! I hope I have some update pictures to post soon! :)

Menu Plan Monday

2010-06-28T15:21:00.000-04:00

I am still learning my way around my new grocery store (and sorely grieving the loss of Publix. I am recalling a certain Sinead O'Connor song "Nothing compares to youuuuu!"). It takes a lot of "fun" out of grocery shopping when you have to wander up and down aisles repeatedly because items are not stocked where you expect (at your old grocery store). But the only way to get rid of that icky, unfamiliar, can't-I-just-go-to-Publix-already feeling is to forge ahead and learn my way around. Thankfully, I have a patient baby as grocery trips now take considerably longer than before (that wandering I mentioned).

Another by-product of grocery shopping truly feeling like a chore at a new store is fighting a huge lack in motivation for cooking. Who wants to cook when it means you have to go to the grocery store that reminds you about not being at Publix anymore (so I liked Publix a little...)? On top of that, I went from my DREAM refrigerator in FL to a dinky, old, (TINY) refrigerator here in OH. I used to stock up during sales. It saved us $$$ and I always had extra meals in the freezer. I have no idea how to do that here. It's a bummer. I admit, I have cried over my fridge (it was my anniversary present. No fear, Matt has promised me a new one where next we settle... but it won't fit in the place we're currently renting). Amazing how you can get so spoiled in 6 shorts months of refrigerator bliss. I told Matt I tried to ask myself if I could just be thankful for the 6 months I DID get to use my refrigerator. My honest answer to myself was, "No. If I'd never had it, I wouldn't know what I was missing." And there you have a transparent look into my heart during the transition of this move. I never thought I would miss Florida so much.

This menu plan is my attempt to get back on track and feel a piece of normalcy I've still been lacking even as the house has come into order. Getting back into my cooking routine might help things feel a smidge more like home.... (I hope, I hope, I hope!)

Monday: fractured tacos
Tuesday: spaghetti pie, corn on the cob, salad
Wednesday: crock pot chicken cordon bleu, potatoes, salad
Thursday: Matt's birthday! He requested pork tenderloin, potatoes, corn on the cob, and peanut butter cake with peanut butter buttercream frosting. And ice cream. He LOOVES ice cream
Friday: frozen pizza, per tradition
(weekend = July 4th plans)

Back from Blogging Hiatus

2010-06-28T14:55:00.000-04:00

Wow, I haven't blogged here since April. What has happened since then?

(background: Matt accepted the OH job and moved there mid-April leaving Asa and me in FL)
I spent 6 weeks packing, packing, and more packing at our house in FL
we unlisted our house with agent #1 and relisted with agent #2
house went from listed to CLOSED in about 3 weeks!!! AMAZING and totally GOD-ordained turn of events!
Matt, mom, and movers came for the big load up
Matt drove to OH with my car and our dog
Asa had his first plane trip as we flew to OH to be reunited as a family
movers delivered our stuff
my incredible mother came to help me unpack
we celebrated Asa's bday
my in-laws came to visit
gearing up for Matt's bday

There is some crafting involved with the recap of Asa's birthday, so that will be coming soon. I also have Independence Day outfit plans for Asa. Hopefully they will come to fruition!

I am back! :)

Update

2010-04-28T10:22:00.000-04:00

Follow THIS link for an update on the family in my last post. :) You will not believe how God moved! :)

Hope

2010-03-31T08:53:00.002-04:00

Will you join me in the REALLY FUN give-away and help this family bring their little girl home from Ethiopia? You can see the full details and purchase your 10.00 entry here:

www.embracingtheleastofthe se.blogspot.com

Here is the run down...

See all these shirts and the beautiful pendant?

Well...they can be yours. ALL OF THEM !!

So this is how this puppy works...
You enter into the give away and you choose how many times 1, 2 or 3. It's easy!

One entry is only 10.00 and if you are quicker than me you have already done the math and figured that is less than a dollar a shirt. Yeah, really.

To sweeten this a bit more, you can have two entries for 15.00.

Really, really want this ensemble of shirts? (Me, too!) Receive a third entry by blogging, tweeting or facebooking about it. They will even send you the wording so you can just repost. Not on their facebook? You can fb friend them by clicking on the fb badge on the left side bar of the blog.

So just head on over to http://www.embracingtheleastofthese.blogspot.com and give it a shot. You will be helping in bringing home a PRECIOUS one...and what is better than that? And if you already have one of the shirts in the set, imagine the blessing you will be to gift it to another person who God may be calling to love the orphan.

Seriously, lets blow the socks off this family and bless them. We are ALL in this together...and helping one another

Craft Favorites Friday RETURNS!

2010-03-26T15:51:00.003-04:00

I haven't had as much time to cull through blogs for ideas as I'd hoped. But here are a few ideas that are super cute (and look simple enough to complete for Easter)! :)

1. Easter Egg Wreath

I love how my Christmas ornament wreath turned out. This is a similar idea from Frills, Fluff, and Trucks. Oh that I would make a wreath for each holiday. :) Once again, the main ingredient (plastic eggs) is from Dollar Tree! But you can find those eggs pretty cheap anywhere, especially if you are willing to forgo the wreath this year and buy them on clearance after Easter! I have a door hanging similar to this that is a cross covered in eggs. You could fashion styrofoam blocks into a cross and make something similar. So many possibilities!

2. Fabric Covered Birds

Since Asa's room with forest themed with an emphasis on all things avian, these little birdies at The Creative Maven immediately caught my eye. What a fun way to use some scraps... and more Dollar Tree materials! Another idea to store away for when we're on the other side of this move! :)

3. Lamb Pillows

L.O.V.E. these. They were originally posted on The Purl Bee, and then MADE went and created a lamb family representing her own family. I must make a daddy, mommy, and baby lamb. Seriously. I love the ruffly edges. I love the ears. I love the simple face. 5 thumbs up from me! :)

4. Bunny Finger Puppets

The Purl Bee doesn't stop! These felt bunny finger puppets are adorable too. Asa loves puppets... I might have to scout out some felt! I really like how the white felt is paired with another bright, springy color. Perfection with ears (and a cotton tail).

Whirlwind

2010-03-23T11:22:00.002-04:00

I know I have been absent around here lately, but I promise I have good reason! We are in the midst of a whirlwind MOVE. That's right, we're packing up in sunny Florida and headed for Ohio!

A few weeks ago, my husband and I decided it was time to throw a few of his resumes out "there" and see what happened. Before we even sent a single one, a former coworker called and said he had a position open... and he wanted my husband for it.

That began a 2 week period he was home for approximately 3 days (and throw a little stomach flu in there, too, while you're at it). He interviewed at the company, came home for 3 days, and then left for a conference. When he returned from the conference, he received an offer at the new company. It is even better than we were hoping for, and God has put every detail into place. Yesterday he gave 2 weeks' notice at his current job, and life is definitely in the fast lane.

Thankfully when my mom was here a few weeks ago, we knew this was stewing. So we painted over Asa's walls (sniff, sniff) to make them neutral and buyer friendly. :) We also cleaned out every closet, the laundry room, garage, and many nooks and crannies. Tonight we officially sign on with a realtor and the "real" fun begins. ;)

We are almost done with our "house" to do list. It has occupied about every spare second I have, thus not much crafting has happened around here (plus most of my fabric is already boxed up!).

We will be separated for a time as Matt begins his new job and finds a place for us to rent. We are praying, praying, praying our house sells quickly! Since we'll be apart for a little while, Matt's taking some time to have 2 "family" weeks before he leaves for Ohio. The first week will be just the 3 of us here in Florida. We plan to take Asa for his first Disney World trip (we have some time on passes we bought a while back)! The next week we're meeting my family at the beach (Asa's first time at the beach and first "vacation"). I'm so thankful we can make these memories together!

So, hopefully the house to do list will be completed soon. HOPEFULLY then I might be run out of my home frequently for showings ;), but maybe I'll get some sewing or something in there, too. I have been trying to hang onto links this week (still woefully behind in my google reader) to post a Craft Favorites Friday this week. There are sooo many cute Easter ideas I am excited to pass along!

Stay tuned.... :)

No Craft Favorites Friday...

2010-03-05T00:00:00.002-05:00

... I regret to say I have no CFF prepared for today. Sunday night, my husband came down with the stomach flu. I succumbed Monday morning. He left Monday afternoon for some important meetings out of state all day at Tuesday and got home in the middle of the night Tuesday night. I didn't really start feeling like my stomach was settled enough as I'd like until Wednesday. And even on Wednesday and Thursday I was completely wiped out energy-wise.... having the stomach flu when you are a nursing mom is rough! My sweet little guy was so patient though, especially since my husband was out of town and not around to help!

The GREAT news (totally crafting unrelated) is that my mom is coming to visit starting TODAY!! WOO HOOOOO! Well, maybe that's not totally crafting unrelated. You never know what project we'll dive into when we're together (or that I might have time to jump on if I can steal away a few moments when my little guy plays with G-Ma). You should definitely expect a "completed guest room headboard" post this week. :) We love how it looks!

So sorry for the delay with Craft Favorites Friday. I am thankful to be feeling back on my feet!! :)

More Monograms

2010-02-28T03:16:00.000-05:00

I recently embroidered a few items for a friend at church. She wanted a personalized burp cloth to give as a gift and her daughter's initial monogrammed on a dress.

There's not too much to it, but I wanted to post them here as I often forget to post pictures of things others request.

p.s. The dress is from Walmart! What a find!

Craft Favorites Friday

2010-02-26T03:13:00.000-05:00

It's time for the last February installment of Craft Favorites Friday! :) I hope you find something you'd like to try (I know I have!).

1. Watercolor Resist Trees

This project stood out to me because my niece LOVES Scotch tape. I hear about it because it's not one of those things parents are going to let you use for no reason, but when she's at my parents' house my mom (her G-Ma) will let her tape and create to her heart's content. So naturally I thought C might enjoy this craft. :) I love The Crafty Crow for creative and unusual ideas like this.

2. Paper Bag Books

This project makes me wish I was still teaching in the classroom. Oh how my students would have LOVED this. Awesome book report project or science chapter wrap up... even for math vocabulary or story publishing. Seriously. I will definitely be filing this away for when Asa gets a bit older. In the meantime, maybe Asa can "help" me use Rosy~Posy's tutorial to create a little special something for his grandparents or cuzzies. :)

3. Owl Softie

M.U.S.T. M.A.K.E. In case you don't know, Asa's nursery is decorated in a woodland forest animal theme... with lots of birds... and he sleeps with a little owl. The Rubber Punkin's tutorial looks very easy to follow. Now to choose the fabric for Asa's little hoot. :)

4. Bit of Whimsy Doll patterns

My brain about explodes from going into overdrive when I see these patterns. If only there were more hours in a day. :) Be sure to check out Bit of Whimsy's Boo Bear Pay it Forward deal also (free pattern in exchange for making 2 bears)!

5. Something Yummy

I have less than a month until I try dairy again (I've been dairy free for Asa's benefit.... and ours because we get more sleep and have a much happier baby without it). I tried at 3 months and 6 months, and I'm trying one last time at 9 months. If Asa is still too sensitive, then I'm staying dairy free until he's weaned. All that to say, Matt and I joke at times about an imaginary list of things I have not had that I am really looking forward to indulging in when I can have dairy again. I've never eaten these before, but I sure think I will give them a try! They look delicious! Making the World Cuter's cupcakey-oreo-caramel-brownie-goodness, I hope I can eat you soon!

Personalized and Holiday Onesie

2010-02-22T03:05:00.001-05:00

When Valentine's Day was approaching I wanted to make a special Valentine's outfit for Asa. His G-Pa and G-Ma sent us an outfit for the actual day, but I wanted something for Saturday as well. And I hadn't made him any clothes in awhile.

I decided to make him an "A" shirt that would work for Valentine's Day and still be wearable at other times. I had the idea to cut an A out of red fabric and cut a heart out of the top for the "hole."

I sorted through several red fabrics and settled on red with white polka dots. I ironed steam a seam to my little swatch of fabric, drew my A on the back (hooray for mirror-image letters!), and cut it out. Finishing the onesie was as simple as placing the A on my onesie and ironing it in place. I plan to go back and sew the edges of the applique to help it last as long as possible, but it's just fine without any sewing as well.

I wanted to share because this is such a simple, easy way to make something special, themed, or personalized, and you do not even have to sew to do it! I had not used steam a seam until recently, and now I am finding SO many uses for it! I am a fan!

Craft Favorites Friday

2010-02-19T01:00:00.006-05:00

Oh my, where do I begin?!?

1. Yummy Felt Cookies

These cookie were made for Valentine's Day, but you could personalize them or "decorate" them for whatever occasion you like! There are lots of pictures and even a tutorial over at Pamela Susan. Check it out--they definitely look good enough to eat!

2. Framed Initial

I am all about monograms. I love the idea of using fabric--so many pretty patterns, weaves, and textures to choose from! Make it and Love it tells you exactly how to make a framed fabric monogram.

3. Floor Blanket

I do not have a tutorial typed up for this (yet)... but it could NOT be easier! My grandmother, Asa's Mimi, made him a floor blanket that we received at one of our baby showers. It has sweet teddy bears on the front, a thin layer of batting in the middle, and it is backed in flannel. She hand tied it to "quilt" the layers together and top stitched it with a decorative scallop stitch. A while back I ordered some fabric online. It had adorable animals driving cars and I thought it would be perfect for Asa or my nephew. When it arrived, the design was a MUCH larger scale than I anticipated. No little shirts or library bags to be made from it as I had been considering. Eventually I decided it would be a perfectly adorable floor blanket. What little boy wouldn't look scrumptious playing atop a mouse driving a cupcake liner and other critters driving strawberry, carrot, and shoe-mobiles?? This week I purchased my batting and found a bright, fun car-themed flannel for the back (I like having flannel on the back because it really helps the blanket stay in place when it's on top of carpet). I made my fabric sandwich, stitched it together (leaving a hole, clip corners, turn), and top stitched it (I did just a regular straight stitch). Then I found some bright red yarn to coordinate with the bold colors in the fabric and hand tied it. Now I am just deciding if I want to put silky blanket binding around it too. But Asa has already been playing on it (it helps protect the carpet from drool and the occasional spit up), and he looks MIGHTY cute on it too, I must add. :)

Craft Favorites Friday: Completed Projects

2010-02-13T00:00:00.005-05:00

For a slightly different spin on Craft Favorites Friday, I decided to post about a few projects that are complete or almost complete around our house. :)

1. Laundry Room sign

I saw this cute laundry room pun on a blog awhile back and thought I would love to make one for my home. I LOVE fun puns. It stayed on my list of "craft ideas" for several months. But I decided January was THE month. I bought the piece of wood at Michael's and already had the craft paint. I played around with different fonts on my computer and used them as a guide. My favorite part may have been drilling the holes for the ribbon. I love power tool projects. :) [I was so excited when Matt received a drill at one of our wedding showers!] In no time at all, the sign was ready to hang. I'm not certain I will leave the ribbon the way it is, but I like it for now. :)

2. Guest Room Headboard

We have a double bed in our guest room without a headboard. I knew I wanted something as flush with the wall as possible to maximize floor space around the bed. I thought I would keep an eye out for a simple iron scroll headboard or something. But in the back of my mind I wondered about making a headboard or faux headboard. I saved pictures here and there I found online of faux headboards, but the idea of using fabric always stuck with me (imagine that!). While my mom was hear visiting last weekend, we stopped at JoAnn's, pillow sham in hand in order to match colors. I looked at some stripes, but the quilt on the bed is striped. I considered polka dots, but they didn't lend a grown up feel to the guest room, happy though polka dots may be. Then we came across a pattern that had the perfect colors and would compliment the quilt. I couldn't believe it! They had just enough yardage on the bolt to cover the 6 canvases I had bought weeks earlier MAJORLY discounted and even have enough left over for pillow to go on the bed. :) For this project, I got to use another tool! The staple gun was perfect for covering the canvases. I even learned how to reload the staple gun. :) All the canvases are covered now and just waiting for a time Matt is home when Asa is also awake long enough for us to hang them (the wall they will go on is a shared wall with Asa's room). I'll post an updated picture when they are actually in place.

3. Valentine's Decor

I had these beads in this hurricane for the Christmas season. When I was packing up Christmas decorations, I decided to leave the beads out for Valentine's Day. I think they add a sweet, catchy splash of color to the den. :)

4. Asa's photos

We recently got to pick up Asa's most recent portraits. Our "first year" package with the photographer includes an 8x10 from each session. We are slowly building a collage of sorts in the hallway. I hung the photo from his last shoot this past week. I love seeing his bright, shining face grinning at me as I walk down the hall. And I marvel how that little baby boy has already turned into the 7 month old Asa. Time is flying.

5. Christmas Cards

In my parents' home, my mom always did one of two things with Christmas cards. She either taped them to the inside of the front door in a cross pattern or she hung them from ribbon off the stairs. When we moved into our home, I looked around wondering where I would display our Christmas cards. I considered and tried a couple of different things, but I settled on covering our laundry room door. We are in the kitchen all the time, so we get to see the cards all the time. :) It is a fun treat to see our family and friends smiling at us while we cook, eat, and play. I am especially excited to start a new tradition I have heard about from several families. When we take our pictures down (very soon, it just makes the door look so bare when they come down), we will be placing them in a basket. Each night before dinner, we will draw a card from the basket and pray for that family. We can keep cycling through them as the year progresses. I am so excited to start this with Matt and Asa!!

6. Silly Sammy Sign

We have a sweet dog, Samantha, who is a 3 year old mutt (Rhodesian/lab mix) and very much a "people puppy." She LOOOOVES her people. She has transitioned to life with Asa amazingly well. One thing she does NOT do well is keep her tongue to herself. She is rather notorious for this (we always work on it and it improves during the summer.... then everyone's legs and feet are covered during the winter and we retrain all over again in the spring when skin comes out of hiding ready to be licked), as evidenced by the hilarious sign my parents gave Matt for Christmas. It now hangs over our back door (the door we use to let Sammy out into the backyard). It cracks me up. :) And it's true. So very true.

Great is Thy Faithfulness!

2010-02-10T13:22:00.006-05:00

The past couple weeks have been a time with many questions and wondering and plenty of opportunities for worrying and anxiety. God has been so faithful though, and we are rejoicing that we have hopefully closed in on the answers.

Asa had his 6 month check up (a month late due to the holidays) about 2 weeks ago. He's always been on his own little growth curve, but there are plenty of boys he is related to who are tall and skinny. Since he has reached all his milestones on time (and most of them early!) and he was growing consistently, our pediatrician decided to just watch and see what happened. At his latest appointment he showed a decrease in the rate of his weight gain for the 2nd visit in a row (and pretty significantly) and his height increase was tapering also. Without her coming right out yet and labeling it as such, I knew we were entering "failure to thrive" territory (which sounds ridiculous--the boy is the picture of happy, engaging, thriving except for this growth factor) and we began the process of bloodwork to see if it was a fluke or his growth stemmed from an underlying problem.

We went to our our insurance-covered lab several times, and that was frustrating several times. He's a sweet little baby with tiny baby veins. They had a lot of difficulty getting a line in. They had employees who were not always particularly professional. But even in the midst of that, God showed me He was near. The least professional of them all actually said out of the BLUE [GOD'S FAITHFULNESS], "My baby boy was always so little. Complete strangers would act like I must starve him for him to be that size. Now he could eat me out of house and home!" It blessed me so much because I have been there--I have received dirty looks from complete strangers when they've asked how old Asa is. Yes, I know he's skinny. He nurses whenever he's hungry. He has tall, skinny uncles. All the while I'm thinking, "Why am I defending myself to you??" They eventually got blood for some tests, but they collected it in such a way (pricked his finger and squeezed out a few drops) that it nullified the results. But those results had come back with abnormalities and now we didn't know if the abnormalities were real or because of the collection method. So we went back to try again for an actual line into his vein. We went twice. They suggested "hydrating" him. We tried water--the instant he realized it was not mommy's milk he pitched a fit. :) We worked with a wonderful employee [GOD'S FAITHFULNESS] who was determined NOT to stick Asa again unless she was sure she had found a good line. She did not feel confident about any of his veins and sent us back home. She was wonderful--shout out to Erma! :) I also KNEW we were being prayed for. When Erma tried earlier that morning, Asa became completely still and calm right as they got the needle in (but the blood stopped flowing into the vial). It was GOD'S FAITHFULNESS.

At that point it felt like we were stuck and would not get any answers. How were we going to draw his blood? We were sending out emails to friends, Bible study, etc. to pray--that we could get a good blood draw and for good results. Our pediatrician stepped in and gave us a couple options. We went to a lab at one of the hospitals in town where they have a bit more experience with babies and children. They loved on Asa so sweetly. They got a line the first try [GOD'S FAITHFULNESS]. The most troubling abnormality came back normal [GOD'S FAITHFULNESS], but there were still a few results that were off. On to the next round of testing and follow up appointments. All the while, we have been praying praying praying for Asa's health--it is his liver? Kidneys? Intake? Thyroid?

Yesterday I took Asa for a follow up with our ped (I am thankful all over again we changed pediatricians when Asa was first born. She has been WONDERFUL. She is thorough, responsive, but not alarmist. Just what this mommy needs!)[GOD'S FAITHFULNESS] and to meet with a lactation consultant. There were several blessings that came out of this appointment.

the LC guessed by name--without me saying it--who it was at our old ped's office who was so discouraging and unsupportive of nursing and a major reason we left that practice. I felt so validated to know I was not the only one (+ Matt + my mom) who thought she had terrible bedside manner!
Before she even watched Asa eat, she checked his mouth and immediately noticed that he had a posterior tongue tie. He can stick his tongue out far enough, but the frenulum was too tight to let him get the middle of his tongue up to the roof of his mouth. That was making it so he was working his little heart out to nurse but tiring out before he got enough. It explains everything!
Before correcting the tongue tie, she watched Asa eat. She marveled over how well he was doing--latch, positioning, etc. She said to me, "You never could have known there was a problem. He looks perfect from the outside when he's eating." Balm to my mommy heart!!
As soon as they clipped the frenulum, I scooped Asa up and he stopped crying. He nursed right away without problems.
The solids we have ramped up, per our ped's orders, have brought Asa back to his previous weight gain pattern.
Everyone agrees nursing is #1 priority. I feel very supported.
Asa has been eating less at some feedings if he recently had solids (twice/day), so I added in some extra times I'm offering him a chance to nurse even though he shows no cues. :) When they did a pre/post feeding weigh it showed he's still getting plenty from me. My supply had not dwindled too much from this change in feeding habits.

And now, after less than 24 hours I can already tell Asa is nursing more effectively [GOD'S FAITHFULNESS]. I can already tell I am making more milk (adding extra feedings, pumpings, and soon herbs to ramp up my production now that he'll be able to eat more efficiently and effectively) when I've been doing my "extra" routines less than 24 hours [GOD'S FAITHFULNESS] and haven't even started the herbs yet (which worked for me very quickly when I was worrying about my supply needlessly with a newborn). I am so encouraged!! [GOD'S FAITHFULNESS] Our doctor thinks THIS is the factor that caused his funky bloodwork and that it will address and answer all the issues. In other words: no liver problem. No kidney problem. No supply issue on my part. In other words: GOD'S FAITHFULNESS. As we ran down the possible scenarios, I didn't think of any that left room for Asa to be healthy (i.e. no liver disease, etc.) AND me to be healthy (i.e. plentiful supply). I was just amazed when this discovery came forth that is the easy problem and simple solution we prayed for. [GOD'S FAITHFULNESS]

I wanted to record this summary of our past few weeks to remind MYSELF now and later of GOD'S FAITHFULNESS to us. He would be JUST as faithful if something were wrong with Asa's liver or if I just couldn't produce enough milk. But we are rejoicing in His mercy in allowing us such a simple issue to address. I have been amazed at the friends with medical background who have stepped in to encourage and assure us of signs of great health in Asa. Of friends who've dealt with tongue tie to encourage us that it should make a tremendous difference to have corrected it. Of people to remind us that God has a plan for Asa. HE is the author and giver of Asa's life, and we stand in awe of the blessing of being a part of it. We pray that the three of us continue to be molded and shaped by His FAITHFULNESS. I hope GOD'S FAITHFULNESS is an encouragement to you as well.

Craft Favorites Friday

2010-01-29T11:09:00.002-05:00

I am back with 3 more sweet and simple ideas that are perfect for the little ones in your life. :)

1. Felt Brown Bag Lunch

I am huge fan of crafting with felt (as I've mentioned a few times). ;) It is just such a fun medium to create with and so versatile. Can you believe how amazing that lunch looks? You really need to visit Skip to My Lou to see for yourself how the sandwich pieces--complete with "plastic" sandwich baggie, brown bag, chips, and dessert all come together (super easy)! HOW FUN!

2. Counting Book

Personalized activities set in your child's own environment and context--what a way to make connections! Here is a quick way to connect numbers and counting to things your child sees (and loves!) every day! I love the different things Lu Bird Baby thought to photograph. :)

3. Texture Book

In the same vein, here is a texture book made with easy-to-find materials. Asa is at an age where he loves to touch everything... from the carpet to the curtains by his changing table to toys, stuffed animals, and even his clothes (when I change him out of his pjs every morning, one of the first things he does is feel the texture of the clothes I have put on him for the day)! This book from Bloesem Kids and New House Project is another great idea. :)

With a Moo Moo Here...

2010-01-25T10:20:00.004-05:00

Before I get to the cows, I thought I would post a little update about us. We had a wonderful Christmas with both of our families. It was so sweet to share our traditions with Asa and start some new ones, too. I can only imagine when he "gets" it more! Since we returned home, Asa has really been working on some locomotion--he started out with a snowplow kind of move, then a sidewinder slither, and now he's getting very close to an army man crawl. He is getting into EVERYthing. Since that is a new development, I'm still at the "Wow! I can't believe you can do that!" stage. I'm sure it will get a little old at some point. ;) Let the babyproofing begin! He is also playing around with his voice a lot. He likes to try out different volumes, though we do not have a screamer as-of-yet. :) And just this weekend he burst forth with lalalas, nanananas, and best of all, he called me Mama! :) If that doesn't melt a mother's heart, I don't know what does! We have his 6 month check up this week (even though he was 7 months old on Saturday), and I imagine we will introduce some solids after the doctor's green light. He is pretty much showing every sign he is ready, willing, and able to try some food. You can be sure we will document this new venture with all sorts of film. :)

Alright, onto the farm. While browsing the crafting blogosphere, I came across this adorable crafty barn... it was too cute to wait until Friday to post about it. :)

It's made from a paper-mache treasure chest/trunk. I just think it's so clever, and I hope Asa loves playing "farm" some day so I can make him one! :) Go visit This and That and her barnyard post to learn more! I think this would be a great gift for a little farmer friend, too. :)

Craft Favorites Friday RETURNS!

2010-01-22T03:38:00.001-05:00

I know it has been several weeks since my last CFF round up. Between Christmas travels, settling in back home, teething, etc. I've been storing ideas but not posting them. I have 3 new projects for today though!

1. Dollar Store Wash Mitt Hedgehog

I read this week that the dollar store wash mitts are back. I have seen a couple different projects made with these, but the hedgehog is my favorite. I hope to scope out some dollar stores this weekend--I'll let you know if I hit the jackpot! You can find complete instructions by clicking the link above and going over to Darling Petunia.

2. Valentine's Heart Garland

Over at Little Birdie Secrets, you can find an idea for a sweet, simple felt Valentine's garland. We finally got our Christmas decor packed away (we usually try to enjoy it for an extra week or two once we return from our Christmas travels) and I decided to go ahead and put our Valentine's decorations up so we can enjoy them as long as possible. I have some other projects that require felt, so I just might try one of these while I'm at it. :)

3. Way Cool Geometric Floor Puzzle Pieces

I think this is soooo cool, and I really want to make some for Asa when he's bigger. I LOOOVE pattern blocks and used to have a giant bucket of them. I think they are so great for open-ended play and exploration. This is such a wonderful and inexpensive way to encourage some amazing creativity. :) Go visit Mer Mag--it could not be easier!

Christmas Presents

2010-01-06T09:26:00.004-05:00

I only made one set of crafty presents this year, but I am BEYOND thrilled with how they turned out!

I had seen some scripture dolls online, and I thought they were something I could make--and would enjoy doing so.

First I tried drawing my own pattern. I posted about that attempt. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't exactly pretty either. ;)

I ended up using The Black Apple doll pattern, and it worked beautifully! Without further ado, here are the dolls I made for my niece and nephew--the scriptures were chosen by their mom. :)

I can't wait to make more! I already have the materials to make one for Asa, so stay tuned! :)

Spread the News

2009-12-20T08:56:00.003-05:00

MckMama's having a giveaway!

I know my brother is a big fan of Adobe's Lightroom software, so when I saw MckMama's giveaway for a brand new copy of Lightroom I knew I wanted to enter into the fun... even if I'm just one of thousands and the chances of me winning feel pretty slim. ;)

If YOU want to leave a comment for an entry of your own (or blog about it for an extra entry ;)), go read her Lightroom giveaway post!

Thanks, MckMama!

Lighting the Advent Candle

2009-12-14T00:02:00.004-05:00

On Friday Matt informed me that our pastor asked us to light the Advent candle this week. What a sweet thing to get to do as a family during Asa's first Advent season!

On a very unspiritual level, I wanted something special for Asa to wear. We have an outfit for Christmas all picked out and ready to go. But I didn't want him to wear his Christmas sleeper for church today. I have been wanting to try to make him a jon jon/shortall. He has some cute ones, and I think they are oh-so-sweet on little baby boys. Whenever I have looked for a pattern for that type of outfit I have only seen patterns for bigger boys (toddlers), never for infants. After making a decent enough pair of pants by tracing a well-fitting pair he has, I thought I could probably piece a jon jon together by tracing the one he has that I like.

And so I set off to make a Christmas jon jon sans pattern! Ha! I was afraid I might have bit off more than I could chew (as I started sewing Saturday morning). BUT, I spent many feedings thinking through each step and picturing it all in my head. I found some sweet, rich, jewel-y green thin wale corduroy to go with some Christmas tree cotton I had (for a little insert, like if it were smocked across the chest). And miracle of miracles, Asa napped well enough on Saturday for me to trace his short summery jon jon and turn it into a pattern for a long, Christmasy jon jon.

I only had one major mistake where I initially sewed the legs together instead of stopping at the inseam. Other than that, it went really well! I even got the rise correct, which is what I usually have trouble with if I'm not using a "real" pattern!

There are a few things I would change, of course, like I accidentally cut the top piece of corduroy with the weave horizontal, but it is vertical for all the other pieces (didn't realize I made that mistake until it was all done). But it doesn't look bad. I would make the straps thinner also. But I tend to overestimate seam allowances and such when sketching my own patterns. I was SO excited to go look for cute buttons, too. I was hoping for Christmas tree buttons, but the only even wintery thing I could find was some snowmen. The colors kind of clash, but I can always switch out the buttons if I find some great trees.

Without further ado, here is my creation!

I think Asa will wear this again for our Christmas Eve service. :)

Craft Favorites Friday, late edition :)

2009-12-12T21:36:00.006-05:00

So I knew it was bound to happen. I did not get a Craft Favorites Friday post up last week. I think there was too much anticipation in our house over the arrival of G-Pa and G-Ma later that day. :) Or maybe it was that my little birdie has been waking after shorter stretches at night, calling for his momma bird to come feed him. Our 4-5 hour stretches have slipped to 3-4 hours, and that little slip is making a big difference as it continues to drag on for over a week. He's just so busy learning new things, like sitting all by himself (he doesn't even need to tripod anymore!), exploring spatial relationships, and disliking that Mommy can step away from him.... even for just a second. ;) I digress, today I got to try a project I've been wanting to try for a long time. It could not have been easier, so I hope you'll be encouraged to give it a whirl, too. :)

Homemade Baby Legs

There are LOTS of different tutorials for making your own baby legs on the internet. Just google it if you don't believe me! But I happened upon this one from Little Birdie Secrets, as it's a blog I follow anyway. Even though I have a baby boy, I am a fan of baby legs. I think they are utterly ADORABLE on girls under little dresses and skirts, but my little man can use an extra layer on his legs now that it's chilly. I imagine they might be nice when he starts crawling as well, as used alone there would not be any pants to get dragged down over his little bottom as he scoots around. We live in Florida, so it doesn't get too terribly cold. The joke is that winter is February 12. ;) Okay, so it's a little longer, but not long enough to warrant the purchase of realllly wintery clothes. We just layer it up when the cold week or two arrives. :) We're not to "real" cold yet, but it IS chilly enough that Asa's little legs get cool at night, even with warm jammies. His pant legs also ride up when he's in my mei tai carrier, but baby legs keep his legs covered even when the pants get hiked up. It's GREAT! My husband calls Asa "flashdance" when he wears them, but he is excited about the new patterns (argyle in particular) of baby legs our baby boy will be sporting for CHEAP thanks to this tutorial.

In fact, here's a picture of him modeling a $2 pair of knee-socks-turned-baby-legs that I picked up at Walmart. See??... cute!!

My Ornament Wreath

2009-12-10T21:31:00.003-05:00

Here is my version of the ornament wreath in my last post. It was super easy to make, and I love the mix of metallic, matte, and glittery ornaments. :) It cost me about $10 or so in boxes of dollar store ornaments (Dollar Tree, to be specific). I want to go through my stash and find some wider ribbon for the bow, but I'm very pleased with how the wreath turned out. I give the project two thumbs up!

Happy Thanksgiving edition of Craft Favorites Friday

2009-11-27T03:05:00.000-05:00

I hope your Thanksgiving celebration was a sweet time with family and friends to truly realize the BOUNTY of God's blessings in your life.

This will be short and sweet, but here you go... :)

Christmas Ornament Wreath

Get your house ready for Christmas with this ornament wreath tutorial from Eddie Ross. I am in the midst of creating one on my own, Dollar Store ornaments and all. :) It's very simple and so far is turning out quite lovely and sparkly. And CERTAINLY more affordable than the ones you can buy in a store. :)

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more Christmasy crafts. :)

Magnet Board

2009-11-22T21:42:00.002-05:00

My sweet friend's birthday was approaching, and I wanted to make something special for her. When I came across a tutorial over at craftynest for a fabric covered, framed magnet board I really thought I could tailor it to her liking. It seemed like a fun little something she could post verses, pictures of her adorable twins, or other fun notes on.

I know she likes pink, so I picked out some fun pink fabric and some coordinating fabric to cover the magnet board. I played around with a couple of ideas. I considered trying to make a city skyline from the coordinating fabric because she used to live in and loves NYC. I wasn't sure if I could really get it to look like a skyline though, so I made a monogram instead.

Without further ado, here's the finished product!

the little black square are magnets

a close-up of the monogram

Craft Favorites Friday

2009-11-20T05:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to Craft Favorites Friday!

To start us off this week, we have something for the little ladies. :)

Little Girls' Fleece Jumper

This is another tutorial from Smashed Peas and Carrots. I love the silhouette of the jumper, the over-a-shirt-and-pants look, and I have to admit, I love that it has buttons. I have been eyeing buttons lately and trying to think of projects I can make for Asa that have buttons. So far I have come up with... overalls. :) But here's a toasty and cute jumper for the little girl in your life. :)

Next are some Coasters

Check out the tutorial for these coasters from Beneath My Heart. It would be so easy to coordinate this with decor in a particular room, a holiday, or personalize with a monogram. With just a few supplies, a couple steps, and a little time you have a GREAT gift as well!

Corner Bookmark

I thought this simple and sweet bookmark was definitely worth passing along. I like the "x marks the spot" embroidery, but you could also embroider with a monogram or other little design. The tutorial at Kootoyoo uses a magnet to keep the bookmark on your page. This would be a sweet addition if you plan to give a book as a gift! :)

I finally did it...

2009-11-19T16:11:00.003-05:00

... I posted a year or two ago about wanting to make my first quilt. Well, I can check that off my to do list.... 2 years later. :) I began making wonky log cabin blocks for a quilt for Asa before he was born. Then he came. And as any Mom knows, time takes on a new dimension with a baby in your life! I realized I would never finish if I kept piecing the blocks. NOT that they are so difficult to sew. It's just strip after strip. But I was having trouble getting them to come out in the end in a way that squared up well. I put the project on hold while I loved on my newborn. :) Now that he goes to bed by 7 and naps 3 times a day, I have been able to get back on it. I decided to go for a strip quilt instead. I found my inspiration and got to work. I found a few more fabrics to round out my strips, and I sewed the quilt top in 2 days. I probably could have done it in one if I'd devoted all Asa's naps to the quilt, but alas there are dishes to be washed, laundry to be done, floors to vacuum, etc. :)

I need to trim the edges, actually make the quilt sandwich, and choose binding, but I am very excited to have the top done! I found a possible premade binding I might use. Is it weird to use a fabric for the binding that you did not use in the quilt? Also, those blocks I already made? I'm going to piece them into the back so they are still used. :) I am hoping to have it done in time to give Asa for Christmas (shhhh, don't tell him ;) ), but we'll see if I really get that done. I also needed to decide how exactly I want to quilt it... stitch in the ditch? Vertical lines like my inspiration? How do you think they kept the lines so straight for that? I am excited to see how it all comes together in the end. Until then, here's step 1! :)

New Friday Feature

2009-11-13T05:00:00.000-05:00

So you know how I said I am finding LOADS of amazing crafting ideas on the internet? I thought I should pass along some of those ideas and some of that inspiration to you! So, I decided to try a new Friday post--Craft Favorites Friday. Now, with my little man at home with me I cannot promise I will never miss a Friday. But these ideas are just too good not to let you know about them!

Without further ado, here's my first Craft Favorites Friday!

The Stuffed Animal Child Harness!

We have all seen those child harnesses meant to keep a "runner" close to Mom and Dad. While we all want to have perfect, obedient children who would never dart away from us, reality does not always live up to that! This tutorial from Cupkateer shows you how to take a stuffed animal and turn it into a harness to help you keep your little one out of harms way. TOO cute. I love that it's so customizable in that you can use any stuffed animal. I love her tip for where to find backpack-like strap adjusters (let me know if you know a better source). And I love how simple it looks. I haven't tried it myself yet as Asa can only roll away from me. I can still keep up with him at the moment. ;) But I will definitely be storing this idea for when our little guy gets a bit older!

Toilet Paper Pumpkins (sew-less!)

I thought these no-sew pumpkins were super sweet. They would be easy to place throughout the house, showing off some of your favorite fabrics from your stash. But after fall has passed, you can add the fabric back to your stash and make something else with it! I love the re-use factor. :) These look really simple and would even be easy to make into an apple earlier in the fall with reddish fabrics. :) Check out the tutorial at Smashed Peas and Carrots.

And lastly, the Outlet Cover Makeover

What a simple and clever idea from Little Birdie Secrets! Again, this would be easy to personalize to coordinate with decor or a favorite character, etc. You could even let your child paint something and then glue it on the outlet cover. You'll want to make sure the decoration doesn't make it so your child can pull out the outlet cover or make the outlet too enticing. But if you can jump both those hurdles, you can have some adorable little outlets at your house. :)

So there you have it, the first installment of Craft Favorites Friday! I hope you find something that inspires the crafter in you!

First Doll

2009-11-11T08:00:00.002-05:00

I have seen a couple dolls lately that I thought were very sweet. Then I decided, "Hey, I could try that." I drew my own pattern and kind of worked my own way through it. I will be making a few changes to my next one... the head isn't exactly round, I will add more hair features, shorten the neck area, straighten the torso/dress, and use less wide elastic in the skirt. BUT, overall, I think it's not half bad, especially for not having any directions and making it all up on my own. :)

Without further ado, here she is (minus a face... haven't settled on that yet)!

(it's not really as crooked as this picture makes it look)

After I settle on what to do for a face, this will be my first drop for The Toy Society! :)

Here comes...

2009-11-10T15:31:00.003-05:00

...crafting! At least, my brain is SWIMMING with crafting ideas and inspiration! I was thinking the other day how COOL it is to get so many crafting ideas on the internet. There are countless crafty ideas I never would have thought of if I hadn't seen them online! Thanks to all the crafty bloggers out there! :)

On top of collecting a million crafty ideas from blogs, I received several crafting books for my birthday last week. I cannot wait to dive into them! I can now create with the guidance of Applique Your Way, a pre-0rder of Button and Stitch, Softies, and Hand-Stitched Felt, while listening to Paul Baloche and Christy Nockels. Yesssss! :) Thank you to my sweet husband and wonderful family. And thank you, my baby boy and hubby, for letting me do it all while wearing a personalized version of this (with Asa's name and birthdate on the back)! I LOVE it!!

I am really excited to get crafting. I feel like I could start a 100 projects, but I'm trying to finish what I already have started. Stay tuned soon to see one of the completed projects--my first toy for The Toy Society! :)

Machine Applique

2009-10-16T08:00:00.004-04:00

Asa had a friend's (actually, 2 friends, they are twins) birthday party to go to for the first time 2 weeks ago. Not even 4 months old and already partying. :) I wanted something special for him to wear. The party theme was Sesame Street (Elmo in particular), so thought about an Elmo shirt. Then I thought about something birthday inspired. I really liked that idea, but there are no more parties on the horizon before I figured he'd be moving up to the next size of clothes. Lastly, I thought of something Fall related. Aha! If I made a fall-themed onesie, he could wear that several more times before it's too short. :)

So off I set to decide what kind of fall item to feature on the onesie. I consulted Matt :), and we were choosing mostly between a tree with fall leaves or an acorn. We both liked the acorn better (and it reminds me of my niece), so an acorn it was!

I went through my scraps (many of which are actually Joy's scraps that she passed along to me) and found some adorable blue flannel with squirrels and acorns and little trees on them. That, I decided, MUST be the nut part of the acorn. Then I found some sweet white on brown polka dot scraps. They were screaming, "Acorn hat!" :)

I had never done machine applique, and there are several things I would/will do differently next time (I can't wait to try it again!). But without further ado, here is Asa's acorn shirt (and party hat courtesy of Taylor & Wesley). :)

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-14T11:14:00.002-04:00

or Nearly Wordless Wednesday

Our little pumpkin :)

Diaper Changing Wallet

2009-10-02T10:56:00.003-04:00

I have to admit, I really do like my SkipHop diaper "wallet." Everything you need at your fingertips. If I'm running a quick errand, I could always just grab it (as opposed to the whole diaper bag) and go!

Then I came across a crafty version and decided to try it myself. It seemed simple and straight-forward enough. And most importantly, Asa is now sleeping enough for me to even remotely consider pulling out my sewing machine and starting a project. :)

Without further ado, here is my changing wallet... actually it's not "mine" it's going out to someone special very soon!

(yes, I made the velcro match perpendicularly on purpose, so it would still match up and close no matter how full you make the wallet)

(minky for the actual "changing pad" part, and it has quilted batting between the layers of fabric to make it a little extra cushy)

(it has a pocket for diapers and a pocket for a travel wipes case)

Baptismal Gown

2009-10-01T21:06:00.003-04:00

Just a few pictures of our little guy actually IN the gown I sewed (with Mom's help!) for his Baptism. He was baptized about 2 weeks ago on September 20. We are so thankful for the blessing of this covenant baby :) and PRAY that God will draw him to Himself, that he will walk with God all his days and be faithful to Him. Since Asa is such a long and lean baby, I added ribbons to each side seam so I could tie back the excess fabric. We think he looked awfully sweet! :)

(Asa woke up right as I passed him to Rob... and he wasn't too thrilled about that) :)

Absence...

2009-09-04T17:43:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the absence from the blog again. Asa hit another developmental "growth spurt" and has been a bit needy in the areas of attention, cuddling, playing, singing, snuggling, etc. :) I think we're on the downhill slope, so hopefully I'll have 2 hands free soon. :)

While I have a second though, I thought I'd tell you about the onesies I have made for his monthly "birthdays."

I started by designing a logo in Photoshop:

Then I altered it so I have a logo for each month and a special one for 1 year. :)

Next I bought some inkjet printer iron-on paper. You flip your image to a "mirror image" and print (so everything is reversed left-to-right). Then you just iron it onto your article of clothing! I've made two so far.

And my husband made a tshirt themed for our alma mater when his company had a day for everyone to wear a shirt for their favorite team. It turned out really well.

I had seen logos like this on boutique onesies, but I had 2 factors I considered: #1 I'm sure I can make that cheaper. #2 How do I know for sure what size Asa will wear for each month? This way I can make the logo exactly how I want, when I want, what size onesie I want, etc. It's been really fun. :)

Asa's birth announcement

2009-08-21T17:59:00.001-04:00

In the weeks before Asa's birth when I had begun my maternity leave, I started playing around with some ideas for a birth announcement. I had SO much fun trying different ideas and learning some new techniques in Photoshop, including downloading/using brushes and harnessing the power of layers. :)

Here is what I came up with for the announcement (his room is decorated in a woodland forest animal theme, and I made the owl on the announcement in order to coordinate with the owl in his bedding):

And then so everyone could see his sweet self, we made this photo collage and had it printed through Shutterfly--for the same cost as a normal 4x6! :)

We love our little guy and praise God for him! :)

Baptismal Gown

2009-08-14T17:56:00.004-04:00

Back when I got my embroidery machine, I started dreaming of making a baptismal gown for any child(ren) God would add to our family. We considered using the gown my brothers and I were baptized it, but in the end I hoped to be able to make something for our kids to use and have the option of passing down.

I found a great pattern during one of JoAnn's super pattern sales and stashed it away. The closer Asa's arrival came, the less likely it seemed I would get it sewn before he was born. I just hoped I'd have time some time after he was born! Then he took his SWEET time coming, and Mom and I had all this extra time on our hands! We made a prototype out of muslin to learn the quirks of the pattern, and then we ended up having time to make the real thing, too!

We also made "under armor" for the gown, as Matt says his son will not wear a slip. :)

It was a really sweet thing to sew the gown with my mom and to know Asa and any other children we are blessed with will be baptized in this gown--sewn with lots of love and prayers! And he will hopefully be wearing it next month. :)

How we pray for you to walk in the ways of the Lord, Asa, that you would do what is right in the eyes of the Lord and love Him with your whole heart all your days--just as God's Word says of your namesake!

Long time no write

2009-08-12T21:57:00.003-04:00

I guess I underestimated how all-consuming these early days with Asa would be. :) But such sweet days they have been!

As you might imagine, I haven't done much crafting. I don't produce much.... other than milk! Ha! :)

I did recently cut a bunch of scrapbook paper to make a mini photo album. I have been wanting to cut it for weeks, and I finally got to last night! Asa hit the 6 week growth spurt and it started slowing down yesterday. He is over the eating-every-second-of-the-day hump and now on the downward slope of SLEEEEEPING to make up for all the sleep he skipped frantically eating all day long and refusing to nap in his hyper-alert state. :) Anyway, during his first stretch of real sleep I got to cut out my papers. And today I got to sort them into coordinating sets. I am excited to show you when I have it assembled!

I also cut out some little corduroy pants, but I haven't sewn them yet. I'm not sure how they'll turn out. I used a pair of pants that fit Asa well as my pattern (adding seam allowance, of course), so it's really an experiment. It would be so fun if they turn out!

And I WILL still tell you/show you about his baptismal gown. And lastly, I found a really cute travel diaper changing organizer (kind of like the skip hop changing wallet) at a nearby boutique. I had eyed it before, hoping to use it as a pattern, but I didn't want to pay full price. I found it on clearance over 50% off and snapped it up! I'm excited to try one out and hopefully have a fun new baby shower gift to make people. :)

Lastly, I'll be sure to post some updated pictures of our sweet baby boy. He is seven weeks old!! I can't believe how fast the time is passing!

A picture to tide you over

2009-07-09T16:20:00.001-04:00

2 weeks old and sweet as can be :)

I'll post about the baptismal gown soon, and also our birth announcements after they are sent out. :)

He's Here!!

2009-06-27T21:04:00.001-04:00

Asa arrived Tuesday, June 23rd at 12:39 PM after 36 hours of induced labor. He weighed 8 lbs. 3 oz. and is 22 inches long with a full head of dark hair. He was definitely worth all the work to convince him it was time to come out! :)

We are taking it easy, especially thanks to my parents' help this week. :) Here are a few pictures, since I anticipate crafty updates being rather few and far between for awhile. I WILL post about the baptismal gown Mom and I sewed for Asa very soon though. It was one of the things we did to pass the time during Asa's two week "extra" stay in the womb. :)

It's About That Time...

2009-06-21T21:52:00.001-04:00

... the hospital just told us to come in at 11:00 tonight (in one hour!) to be admitted and get this show on the road! Stay tuned....

Almost time!

2009-06-21T14:51:00.000-04:00

Unless labor begins sometime this afternoon, we are supposed to call the hospital this evening to see if there is a bed available, and if so we will check in tonight to begin prep for an induction. Asa should be here by tomorrow night! Just wanted to give a little update. :) If everything goes smoothly, we are hoping to come home by Wednesday. No guarantees on an update at that point, but we'll try for a picture and stats. :) Please pray! :)

Still waiting...

2009-06-15T18:35:00.003-04:00

Well, Asa was due June 10, but it is now June 15! Silly me, I really thought he'd be here by the 14th or 15th. He'll have to be a speedy baby if he wants to make the midnight cut-off for that "mother's intuition." :)

But, we've waited all this time, what's a few more days, right? It IS kind of humorous to watch the days tick on. We have a countdown on my google homepage that's been counting down to June 10 since we found out we were pregnant (Sept. 30), and actually before that we had a countdown for over a year when we were wanting to try but God was telling us to wait. That countdown started at 408 days, then we had the pregnancy countdown when He so graciously created this little life, that was 280 more days. Almost two years of praying for and anticipating this one special day (and a lifetime of days to follow). Wow. Now I've switched it to a "count up" showing how many days we are past the due date.

If he doesn't come by Wednesday, we have another biophysical profile and a check-up. And I imagine they will set a date to induce (the 22nd or 23rd if everything is okay). We are hoping and praying we won't need the appointment Wednesday, much less an induction date!

My mom is here now (she drove down Friday) waiting with us. It is SOO nice to have her here and KNOW she will be in town for Asa's arrival. She is also great at thinking up random errands to run while we wait. Hopefully the rest of the grandparents will have a reason to head down SOOOON!!! :)

We'll keep you posted!

Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You are!

2009-06-09T20:07:00.003-04:00

... just in case you are wondering, Asa is due tomorrow but there is no sign of him coming yet. :) I am actually feeling really well and still sleeping and napping. Today I even ran several errands--the pet store, the craft store, and two grocery stores. :) I also sewed 1/2 dozen cloth napkins, put away all the groceries, emptied the dishwasher, and folded a load of laundry. We're just waiting for him to made his grand debut!

In the meantime, check out these ADORABLE name letters our friends had made for us! :) They match his bedding PERFECTLY! I just can't wait til the little guy is in HIS room with HIS letters. :)

For real

2009-05-21T18:17:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I sewed my nursing cover. It felt very "real" to be making one for ME and not for someone else. How crazy is that? I found the front fabric online on clearance. At the time I ordered it I wasn't sure what I would use it for. When it came and we found out we were having a boy, it just seemed right for the nursing cover. The back material I found at JoAnn's.

I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I just still can't believe it's for me! :)

Asa's Mural take II (complete!)

2009-05-08T18:56:00.002-04:00

Please read more about this project in the post below, but I went ahead and finished up the mural this afternoon. Here are pictures of it completely complete! :)

the tree, with its little friend the raccoon :), and a bin of toys

our "carved" initials

Looking up at the leaves and branches

Matt insisted (in the nicest sort of way) that I "sign" my work like a real muralist :)
(don't mind the baseboards... they'll be replaced eventually anyway, though not anytime soon--don't worry! We're not completely crazy!)

Asa's Mural

2009-05-08T11:12:00.003-04:00

All along, we (I/my husband sweetly went along with it) had a vision for a nursery with vertical stripes painted. I actually first saw the idea in high school and loved it. In high school, I also saw an HGTV design show where they did a backyard/forest theme in a nursery. As part of the decor, the designers painted a tree on a wall and hung a birdhouse on the trunk. I thought it was SUCH a sweet idea and filed it away in my brain.

"All these years later," Matt has so sweetly and diligently helped me bring that vision to life. He marked and painted all the lines in the room, which was a huge undertaking. And he has encouraged me as I thought through the tree mural I wanted to do on one wall. He has done a ton in the room, and I told him I wanted two projects: the tree mural and curtains. He's been chomping at the bit for the tree to be painted for awhile, but he has waited patiently until I was done with teaching. This week I really wanted to get started on it, because we were both excited about it and I knew it was mostly a matter of working up the nerve to begin freehand drawing and painting on the wall (eek!).

Last Saturday I drew the tree trunk and branches on the wall. On Sunday we picked paint colors, and on Monday I began the painting process. He has been SO supportive and encouraging the entire time. His affirmation is such a gift to me, especially when stretching and trying something I've never done before. :)

As it stands today, there are a handful of leaves I need to touch-up, one place on a branch I want to smooth out, 1-2 leaves I want to add, and lastly I will paint our initials on the tree as though we carved them in (and add Asa's and his birthdate... once we know when that is). :) I can finish it today or this weekend at the latest. But I had to go ahead and show you--we are sooo excited! Matt also stained one of the birdhouses (the other 2 will be stained as well and are on display on shelves in the room) and hung it on the trunk. We love the whimsical touch it adds to Asa's forest room. :)

As I was painting the tree, I thought of all the other things it can lead us to talk about with Asa. We can talk about the seasons (since it's a kind of difficult concept to grasp in Florida, in my opinion) :), but more importantly we can talk about our family tree and most importantly the tree of life and Jesus, who hung on a tree. We are so.... excited seems like not quite the right word, thankful? reverent?... to share with Asa all God has done from the beginning of time. All He has done for us in our lifetime--and in our families before us. How we pray for Him to grow and flourish like this tree, with roots deeply drinking from the Father, the True source of Life.

Celebrating Asa

2009-05-05T19:48:00.003-04:00

Before my last day, I wanted to do something special with my class. Hopefully, it would be something I/Asa could save as a special memento of this year and my students. I remembered a kindergarten teacher back in TN had neat instructions for how to make animals from handprints. I couldn't think of where to find the few pages of hers that I copied, so I browsed online. I found a book that sounded like it would have some possibilities, and then I found out our library carried it! I requested it to be transferred to our library and held for me right away. After looking through it and playing around with arrangements on the computer, I came up with a plan for a forest animal handprint quilt. The kids made porcupine/hedgehogs (it depends on whom you ask), big birds (robins and a blue jay), rabbits, owls, and everyone contributed a thumb print to a caterpillar (for 4 total caterpillars). The aunt of one of my students volunteered every Thursday, and she helped them make their quilt squares a couple weeks ago. I LOVE how they turned out, and I love how seriously the kids took it. The porcupine/hedgehog-gers wanted to make them as realistic as possible, adding white tips to the ends of their quills. They discussed different types of owls as they made owls (the aunt is a wildlife rehab specialist). It just worked out perfectly.

While the entire quilt isn't done (it needs a back and binding), I promised the kids I would sew their squares together before I left so they could see it. I took it in on Thursday, and they were SO proud of themselves... I am SO proud of them! I really love this sweet way to remember them and tell Asa about a classroom full of 20 children who talked to him everyday since they found out he was inside me. :)

Without further ado, here is a picture of the unfinished quilt.

click on the picture to view it larger :)

Catch Up....

2009-05-01T23:06:00.001-04:00

... I know it's been a REALLY long time since I have posted. I have been getting ready to hand my class over to a replacement who was hired for me for the last month of school. It comes at perfect timing--I'm fighting asthma triggered by either a cold or allergies and am more exhausted than I thought possible. But today was my last day.

It was stressful because I just wanted everything to go well. There were some snags, like the pizza I ordered for our lunch party not coming until we had 5 minutes of lunch left (I called around 10 and asked for it to be delivered at 11... it came at 11:25). Thankfully, the other math teachers were very flexible and gracious and let my students (whom they teach for math) eat the lunch that finally arrived before heading on to math. Matt stopped by too, which the kids absolutely loved. :)

My plan had been to leave the room at about 1:30, and my replacement would read them stories until the bus and parent pickup bells rang (1:40 and 1:45). I thought if I stayed in the room until the last minute, I'd have to peel kids off of me. That's not the "last memory" I wanted them to have. But they brought so many gifts (SO sweet!) and all wanted me to open them in front of all of them (I normally don't do that, because I would never want one who didn't bring anything to feel bad) that I went a little over! After the gifts, I wanted all the focus to be on THEM. :) So we had our awards ceremony, and my replacement put their gifts from me on their desks. Then we had a talk about how different is different, not wrong. So while I do things probably very differently than their 2nd grade teacher did, we still had a GREAT year together. And they give each other the freedom to be different, so I asked them to please give my replacement the same freedom. I told them they don't even have to tell her when she does things differently. If they think of that, they can just think it to themselves and decide to enjoy learning a different way something can be done. Some of them were already tearing up at that point, and then the bus rider bell rang (that talk lasted only about 5 minutes). I knew I had to leave the room, so I started to say, "Okay, I'm going to go ahead and leave," but then I lost it. I apologized for crying, which I think was actually a God thing. Not only did they see how much I care and that this is NOT an easy decision for me, but they were so sweet--immediately their focus shifted to trying to make me feel better. Instead of crying themselves, they put on a brave face and told ME it was okay and told ME not to cry. :) I told them I love them, that their gifts were on their desks for when they were dismissed, that they are going to have a great end of the year, and that I will see them in the fall when I bring Asa for lunch one day. Then I got up and left before I think they even realized what was happening. I went and hid in the library (just down the hall) until they were gone. My replacement said no one was hysterical and that some seemed like they wanted to cry, but it all happened so fast that they didn't. I'm SOOO glad.

I don't know why it was harder to say goodbye to this group than others I've had. With other classes, I was sure I would cry the last day but didn't or only a little in the car on the way home. I think a piece of it is the finality of leaving classroom teaching for a whole new realm of teaching and nurturing as a stay-at-home mom. And pieces of it are the way we really bonded as they took ownership of Asa themselves as honorary aunts and uncles (so they tell me), and I think there was just something different with this group. There's always been at least one that really stood out as needing extra love. With this group, there were lots. I think back to knowing Matt and I hoped to have a baby last summer, to get pregnant a year before we actually ended up trying, but God told us to wait. I think about what I would have missed if we'd been disobedient. If we'd chosen what we wanted instead of what He wanted.... I wouldn't have known any of these kids. There are lots of reasons we see this is the PERFECT timing for Asa to join our family and we KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt that not only was obeying and waiting another year the right thing solely because it was obedient, but because of countless other circumstances we have seen unfold. I KNOW I was supposed to teach this class this year. I KNOW this group of precious children whom my heart aches for right now is a major factor in God directing us to wait. I don't know what all lessons I will realize as more time to think through my year with them passes, but I do hope and pray He has used me to plant seeds, eternal seeds, in them this year that others will encourage and nurture as they grow older. I am so thankful for this year, as painful as it was last year to wait when I didn't understand why. My heart ached then, but it is FULL now (as much as I'm missing those 20 smiling faces). God is SO good.

Take Cover!

2009-03-30T22:25:00.002-04:00

Nursing cover, that is. :) I actually managed to take pictures of the nursing cover I made for a friend before I delivered it to her... at the hospital! She got the fabric to me the end of the week, and then she went into labor Saturday night! On Sunday afternoon we got to go see the happy, healthy family and deliver the now-needed nursing cover. :)

My friend and her husband picked out the fabric--I love their choices. :) I have to admit, I sewed the top seam three times because I just wasn't happy with it! Her contrasting dark brown thread showed every little imperfection on the front as I tried to sew tightly next to the boning in the neckline. So I ripped out the seam after attempt #2, put a spool of light blue thread on as my top thread and left the bobbin of dark brown thread to go with the underneath fabric. PERFECT! MUCH better. :)

front fabric

back fabric

I even matched up the stripes! :)

Oops...

2009-03-28T21:30:00.002-04:00

I did it again. ;) TWO more times!! I have sewn gifts for two MORE baby showers, and I have forgotten to take pictures each time! Arg!

For the first of the two, the mom is an UGA fan and dad is a FL fan. I made two UGA burp cloths for Mom (one with a paw print and red/black & white polka-dot ribbon and one with the UGA "G") and one gator burp cloth for Dad (a gator with baby Dinah's name above it). I also gave them a onesie I sewed that said "cute as a " with a sweet little flower button after the words.

For today's shower, I had EVERY intention of remembering to take pictures this time. Then it took a lot longer to sew them than I thought and I was running late. :-( In my frazzled state, I forgot to take pictures and forgot the gps (what did we do before gps.... google maps... and before that.... regular maps... how far we've come!) to find my way to the shower. Thankfully, I called Matt from my cell phone (more gadgets!) and he looked up the address on google maps, directing me where to turn. :) hehe Anyway, I made one burp cloth for baby Caleb with a lion that said "wild thing" above it, one that just had a fun polka-dot print down the center with red ribbon on either side, and one with FL gator ribbon up either side of the center with Caleb's monogram in the middle in orange and blue. :) I also made them a gator ribbon paci-clip.

I have one more shower I am sewing for, so maybe that one I will actually take pictures of and post them! Wouldn't that be amazing?? :)

We are doing well otherwise. :) Hubby is busy at work, and I am busy at work (but so glad FCAT is over!). Spring break is coming, which we are both very excited about! WOO HOO! Then we'll be back for a week, then Hubs' sister is getting married so we'll be road tripping again. Then I'll have just TWO weeks left at work before I begin my leave. It's shocking how fast it's passing.

Stay tuned--hopefully I'll have some more crafty pictures to post soon. Dinah's mom (see above) is due ANY day now and requested a nursing cover. I'll try really hard to remember to take a picture of it before I take it to her! :)

Blessings,
Becca

2 Blocks Down....

2009-03-14T12:16:00.002-04:00

??? to go!

I have now sewn 2 blocks for Asa's wonky log cabin quilt. I honestly haven't decided how many blocks I'll make/what the quilt's final size will be. I'm just kind of taking it in as I go along. :) When Mom was visiting to help us with the nursery, she and I found some great blue cotton that really makes the blue in the quilting fabrics pop. I'm thinking I may make the quilt 4 blocks x 5 blocks. Maybe 4x4... we'll just have to see. It's been nice, now that I have the hang of it, to know I can just sit down at the machine and whip out a block in a decent amount of time. :)

Without further ado, here are the 2 blocks I have made so far...

The first block I made

The second block I made

Both blocks together

Update!

2009-03-07T10:56:00.005-05:00

It's been awhile--whew! Since my last post, we have a nursery most definitely underway. :) I'm going to sew curtains--and they are not cut or sewn yet, BUT we have the fabric for them. :) But other than that, the room has a LOT done thanks in large part to my husband and my mom (who came down for a weekend with the furniture and to help!). :)

The biggest job was painting the room! 50 stripes in all spread across 3 walls. Matt did an AMAZING job!

There will be curtains, as I said, :) and a little table and rocking chair here at the end of the crib.

Close up of the crib. The bedding is called "Enchanted Hollow" and has forest animals--exactly what we were looking for! :)

Again, we'll have curtains. :) And I'm painting a (simple) tree mural behind the raccoon bean bag

Other side of the room

Everything is still somewhat of a work in progress, as far as things hanging on walls go (I think Matt probably appreciates me not putting any holes in the wall right now after he worked so hard to paint them! ha! :) ) and organizing the bookshelf. But it's come a LONG way!

Lastly, I've been going through and doing Asa's laundry. The question is just how to organize it! :) I'm sure I'll end up tweaking things after he's here and I figure out what works for us. But so far I have onesies (in the the size he'll probably be wearing), gowns, sleepers, sleep sacks, and swaddle-mes in the top drawer of the changing table for easy access.

The middle drawer has socks, hats, mittens, etc. (and extra room beyond that, of course). The bottom drawer has crib and pack n play sheets.

Then in the armoire (I guess I didn't post a picture with it, but it's next to the raccoon bean bag), I have blankets in the top drawer. It has another drawer and 3 shelves in the cupboard part of it "up for grabs." And then we have the closet. :) Right now, I have things organized by size then then by type of clothing within that size group (onesies, shirt/pant outfits, long-sleeved things, etc.).

Does anyone have any great tips for organizing?!? Any wonderful way they stored things? And is there some magic "perfect" way to fold a onesie? :)

Quilt Block #1

2009-02-22T19:38:00.002-05:00

I have not been able to go by JoAnn's and pick the sashing fabric yet, but I wanted to show you my first block for the wonky log cabin quilt! Here it is! After I add one more strip to each side for sashing, I'll be able to square it up. Then after I have more blocks, I can sew them together for Asa's quilt top! I don't imagine it will be enormous, but I am having fun. And I really think it's the perfect quilt for a beginner, as it's not designed to be even and straight! Ha! :)

Ooops!

2009-02-21T13:15:00.000-05:00

What's the oops? Well, I made a couple burp cloths yesterday for a baby shower today, and it was so late by the time I was done that I did not take pictures! OOPS! :)

I made 3 all together. One had the same blue car and truck flannel as the car burp cloth I made Asa. But it just had flannel sewn down the center and no embroidery. I did zigzag the flannel onto the cloth diaper to make it a little more special though. :) It was fun to experiment with some decorative stitches before deciding on one. :) For the other 2, I embroidered. The baby's father sometimes plays bass guitar for worship on Sundays, so I embroidered a bass guitar and above that put the words, "My dad rocks!" And for the third, I sewed a strip of white flannel with blue, yellow, and green polka dots that had the family's last name embroidered on it. I had a BIG capital D and then in the space inside the D I embroidered "avis" (their last name is Davis). Baby D does not have a first name yet, so I figured I'd go with the last name. :)

Sorry I don't have pictures to show! I'll try to remember next time. For now, we're hoping to make this "take apart spare furniture and Kilz the nursery" day!!!! :) Stay tuned!

P.S. I have begun Asa's wonky log cabin quilt! I have one block done but need to buy some (solid) fabric for the sashing so I can square it up. I can't wait to show you--and to see how it looks when I have more blocks put together! I love the forgiving nature of the wonky-ness. :)

Asa's Baby Shower

2009-02-16T17:03:00.005-05:00

My sister (in-law), Joy, and my mom's sweet friend, Jane, hosted a baby shower for Asa on Valentine's Day. It was SUCH a sweet time, and we are overwhelmed by the love and support of such special family and friends. BOTH of my grandmothers were at the shower (one lives in California, so that was specially planned), and the guest list was like revisiting our wedding--all amazing friends from church or our wedding party! I thought I would share with you a sampling of the shower and some of the things Asa received--focusing especially on handmade gifts. :)

A tissue box cover and diaper changing station my dad's mom made

A blanket my mom's mom stitched by hand

A floor blanket (extra thick) and some fitted sheets my mom's mom made

Some receiving blankets my mom's mom sewed

A quilt my mom's sister sewed (and a Precious Moments doll)

A bib and burp cloth my dad's sister sewed (and 2 wrist rattles)

As it was Valentine's Day, guests were invited to make Valentines for Asa at the shower :)

We received Asa's forest animal bedding AND found fabric to make coordinating curtains (be watching for future posts)

And last but certainly not least, Joy outdid herself! In addition to the scrumptious food, invitations, and even centerpiece, she sewed up a storm for Asa!
Here are a blanket and one burp cloth (for Daddy and Asa)

She also made this little camo hat and a pair of camo pants for Daddy, I mean Asa ;)

For Mommy and Asa, she sewed these awesome ducky kimono pjs (the pants are tucked inside on the hanger) and a matching ducky burp cloth!

Can't you just FEEL the love???? :) Thank you to everyone for making this such a special time! Joy and Jane (and Kathy who made the yummy chicken salad sandwiches), thank you especially! We love you! :)

Quick Update--Gymboree sale!

2009-02-16T15:38:00.004-05:00

We were given our first shower for Asa this weekend, which I will post about VERY soon. But I have a quick little additional post to write, and I want the shower post to be "on top." So I'm going to do this one first, and then I'll add the shower pictures. :)

Gymboree is having a baby/President's Day sale. Lots of wintery things were marked 50% off, and then you could take 20% more off for President's Day. On top of that, I had a 20% off total purchase including sale items coupon that came in the mail. I got 5 outfits for an average of $8 each! The total should have been $170 dollars, and I paid $40! I tried to look for or piece together complete outfits, because I know Gymoree stuff does really well at consignment sales. But I did get some overalls, too. :) I got overalls that were solid colors though, so they're not limited to going with clothes of a certain "theme."

Without further ado...

Reversible jacket and pants, 5.75 and 5.11

Dalmatian onesie and applique jeans, 3.19 and 5.75

"I drool" outfit, 6.39

Red corduroy overalls (they have a dalmatian you can detach in the pocket), 6.71

Chocolate brown corduroy overalls, 10.87

When You're sick....

2009-02-08T15:23:00.003-05:00

...just sew (and sleep)!

As I continue recovering from the crud Matt gave me :), I've sewn a few more burp cloths for Asa. I'm hoping to branch out to other parts of my "to sew for baby" list soon. But I want to be well and thinking clearly before I venture forth! :)

Here are 2 more:

A flannel applique "A" for Asa and a fun, textured car!

The A was a free trial file a site had to try to convince you to buy the file for the whole alphabet. It didn't actually finish the inside of the A correctly, which was disappointing. But I don't think Asa will care. ;) I LOVE applique, so I found a different website to try for an applique alphabet (unless someone has a suggestion). I like how the fabric colors (Matt picked) Matt our little Snoodle dog!

A close-up of the car. Also a free file--so see, they can work perfectly! I LOVE how it embroidered a texture--see the swirls? It's all one color, just the pattern of the stitches! I thought it was really cute with the car & truck fabric. :)

A Little Bit of Crafting

2009-02-06T08:53:00.004-05:00

I stayed home to take care of my sick husband one day earlier this week... and now that has landed me home for a sick day myself! Despite living as separately as possible in the house this week, I caught his bug. Anyway, on Tuesday I spent a lot of my time in the back of the house making embroidery designs (while he dozed in the front of the house). I only finished sewing one so far, but I wanted to share it with you! And there are plenty more ideas brewing where this came from.

In case you didn't know, you will very soon find out that I am a BIG fan of puns and other silly phrases. :)

stud muffin

Just how many silly burp cloths can a baby boy have? We might soon find out! :) Actually, I'd like to put some designs on some bibs and maybe even onesies, too (they just take so much prep for all their knitted stretchiness!). I'll try to do some more and post them soon! :)

Until then, stay far, far away from our house so you don't get sick! :)

JCaroline Finds

2009-01-28T19:01:00.002-05:00

Here's the fabric I ordered from JCaroline's recent sale (thanks for the heads up, Joy).

The fabric on the far left just might become a nursing cover. The next is a jungle animal print in yellow silhouettes that I'm still deciding what to do with. :) I loved the bright flowers next to the jungle friends, and lastly are some birds from the Park Slope collection. I can't wait to see what they become! :)

A few pics of Asa

2009-01-20T19:52:00.001-05:00

Here are a couple stills that were captured during the ultrasound...

Asa's profile

He's waving to you! :)

Baby K is a......

2009-01-19T18:13:00.001-05:00

Shout HOORAY!!!

and give a TWIRL!!

cause Matt and Becca are having a.....
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BOY!!!!!!

We are THRILLED (especially Matt, because he was right all along, whereas I wasn't sure at first, then thought it was a boy, then had girl dreams at the end) to announce that we have a SON!! His name is Asa Owens. Asa comes from King Asa in the Old Testament. He is recorded in 1 Kings 15 as doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord and loving God with his whole heart all his days. His middle name is Owens, after my paternal grandfather's middle name. My grandfather is very much a man who finished well in serving the Lord. We wanted to name our son after men who have set a tremendous example of honoring God from the beginning to the end.

Everything looked great on the ultrasound, though he would not turn his spine out for as clear of a shot as they would like. So, we will have a follow up ultrasound at our next appointment in February. They are not concerned, they just want to gather all the info they can.

He withheld no modesty, so the tech was quite sure we have a son. I will work on getting pictures scanned as soon as I can! Praise the Lord for a great report and even finding out we have a SON!

Nursery Progress

2009-01-18T19:30:00.005-05:00

While I wait to, hopefully, find out if Baby K is a boy or a girl (TOMORROW) and therefore wait for the pink or blue creative juices to begin flowing, I've been working on the nursery instead. Yesterday, Matt and I cleaned it out top to bottom (except for the closet). We had piled everything in it at the center of the room in order to move furniture for stripping the wallpaper border previous owners left. It was, shall we say, interesting. But we pulled everything into our room across the hall, sorted, and then only put baby stuff back in. Other things are in a pile to donate, put in the attic/garage, or were relocated to different locations. It was quite an undertaking, but it's very exciting to see the room becoming more and more ready for the baby! The closet will have to be for another day, but it's basically big odds and ends that we have already decided on different places for (our luggage, some old instruments, and a filing cabinet that will be relocated). I am ITCHING to clean out more places around the house, but I know I need to take it easy, too. So I'm trying to pace myself. :)

I thought I'd share a few pictures. Granted, we haven't painted the walls or taken out the furniture that will be leaving the room, but at least you can see some of the progress we made!

We loved this giant dog! We plan to take a picture of the baby with it each month to show the baby's growth. :) And does my mom know us well or what--before we ever saw the big dog, she got the little rattle that matches as a Christmas gift for Baby K! :) I also like that the dog matches that duvet cover--we plan to use it when the baby (down the road) is ready for a big bed. :)

Drawers in the armoire. For now the bottom drawer has some kid movies and the top drawer has some odds and ends (including Eric Carle ornaments I found at TJ Maxx!).

Top of the armoire--currently housing some toys, baby meds, gifts, and freebies I got in the mail.

The current view from the doorway. The armoire is staying about where it is. Under the window you see in this pic will be the changing table/dresser. And in the corner will probably be a rocking chair.

Other side from the door way. In the corner where you see the carseat, stroller, and other baby stuff will be the crib. The twin bed, its headboard, and this "entertainment center" are being taken apart and stored in the attic. Please forgive the boxes in the bottom right of the pic--they are trash ready to be thrown out!

A birdie clock I've had that I think I want to put up in the nursery.

We do live in Florida now, after all (this was actually a stocking stuffer one year). The teeth "chomp" when you roll the gator.

And finally, will it be PINK or BLUE??? (frames I got a few years ago at the Bombay Kids Outlet store). We can't wait to hopefully find out TOMORROW! Our appointment is in the late afternoon, but come back tomorrow night to see what we find out! :)

The Latest

2009-01-13T16:09:00.003-05:00

Thanks for the prod to update, Ruthie. I've clicked on my blog page a couple of times, but I've often been too tired to know what to think!

Then I read that I last posted we would have our ultrasound in 28 days.... we now have less than a week to wait! So, yes, an update is long overdue. :)

We had a wonderful Christmas with both of our families. We left the week of Christmas for South Carolina to see Matt's family, including our 4 month old niece. It was really sweet to be there for her first Christmas. :) Matt got to go hunting one morning with his dad, although it rained the entire time. They really enjoyed laughing and joking around like old times since the rain meant they didn't have to worry about being too quiet--the wildest wildlife they saw was a squirrel. :) We got to visit with Tyson and some other friends as well. It's always fun to see them and get further glimpses into the 20+ years of Matt before I ever knew him. :)

The Sunday after Christmas we packed up and drove to TN to spend the next week with my family. One brother's family stayed in town and the other got back before we left, so it was really nice to see *everyone.* We had been on a kind of opposite schedule with my one brother's family as far as staying in TN/traveling for Christmas. We both traveled to in-laws' homes for Christmas but were back for New Year's. I'm really glad that worked out. :) I also got to have lunch with friends from my first college Bible study, catch up with friends from my college program, play some Catan (I won!!!) and Ticket to Ride, and finally get to see my sweet friend (who was a bridesmaid in our wedding) who is expecting exactly 2 weeks after we are. :) Most of all, I SOAKED up family time! Some of the family even came with us to Babies R Us to help us begin our baby registry. It doesn't have any gender-specific items on it yet, but we gladly took their advice on the big/gender-neutral stuff! How amazing to have a baby registry?!?

We got back to FL January 2nd. We had the weekend to unpack and settle back in before heading back to work. And since then, we've been settling back into work! :) My class is doing really well. I am really enjoying them (how could I not??), and I even got the "other" big talk out of the way with my principals, letting them know I won't be back next year and will take about the last month of school off this year. My due date is one day after school gets out--even though I think they planned for me to teach to the very end because of that, we did not plan for that. ;) They "handled" the news well. Their only request was that I share the news of me not returning with the parents in my class who have siblings coming up next year and are already asking the administration how early they can request me for next year. I got that done, too, and received a very sweet and thoughtful reply. It's SUCH a blessing to have such supportive parents of my students!

We have been at work some around the house. The wallpaper border backing that previously "graced" the nursery walls is now gone (thanks, honey!). I've started some cleaning out and organizing. And I am enjoying some new things. I received a bread maker for Christmas, and I am really excited to be using it! If you have some great bread maker recipes--bread, dough, etc.--I would LOVE to know about them!!

Baby K is kicking away. Last week the fequency and force of kicking increased a TON. Get this.... Matt even felt the baby kick!! I was only 18 weeks! His eyes got HUGE and he grinned from ear to ear. :) He talks to the baby frequently, as do my students. :) In fact, today they were rather excited about paper lanterns they were making, and as the volume of their little voices got a little louder than usual, the baby started kicking like crazy. :) It was fun to tell them, "The baby can hear you! Baby K is listening!" They they all apologized to the baby for being too loud! :) They are SUCH a sweet class, and they are DESPERATE to know if the baby is a boy or a girl. :)

Well, I suppose that is about all for now. I have been so depleted of energy, I have not been a good crafter. I finally decided I need to figure out how to make do without my energy (everyone said it would be back by week 16... it must have gone south for the winter), so maybe I'll get back in gear. :) I know I have sewing I want to do if/after we find out just who this little one is on Monday! I will be sure to update then, so check back next week for, Lord willing, the big announcement! Most of all though, we're praying for a healthy baby. :)

Blessings,
Becca

Update

2008-12-22T17:43:00.000-05:00

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

2008-12-20T10:55:00.002-05:00

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...

2008-12-15T18:27:00.002-05:00

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

What's the verdict?

2008-12-15T15:59:00.003-05:00

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....

2008-12-13T13:31:00.004-05:00

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...

2008-12-10T19:07:00.001-05:00

.... 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!

2008-12-03T18:58:00.004-05:00

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

2008-11-28T10:00:00.000-05:00

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

2008-11-20T22:38:00.003-05:00

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!

2008-11-19T22:29:00.001-05:00

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!

2008-11-17T23:09:00.000-05:00

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

2008-11-10T23:37:00.003-05:00

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.......

2008-11-06T15:02:00.000-05:00

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

Too long...

2008-10-29T20:45:00.003-04:00

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

2008-10-10T18:04:00.002-04:00

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:

2008-10-06T17:35:00.002-04:00

::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

2008-09-27T18:03:00.002-04:00

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

2008-09-14T22:06:00.002-04:00

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

2008-09-13T15:55:00.002-04:00

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

2008-09-11T17:28:00.003-04:00

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

2008-09-07T19:33:00.004-04:00

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!!

2008-09-05T16:43:00.004-04:00

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

2008-09-01T20:49:00.004-04:00

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

2008-08-24T14:15:00.002-04:00

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...

2008-08-23T11:13:00.002-04:00

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 :)

2008-08-22T14:00:00.002-04:00

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

2008-08-21T18:08:00.003-04:00

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!!!!!

2008-08-21T15:57:00.002-04:00

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

2008-08-16T23:57:00.002-04:00

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. :)