Mark it with a B

Everyday Objects

2012-02-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

looking for the beauty in everyday objects.

Diving In

2012-02-06T06:30:00.000-08:00

this was my first project using all double pointed needles and it turned out so cute. it's for my newest little nephew. it's still a bit big on him but as we all know they grow so quickly and soon this little hat will be too small for him. i made an adult sized hat prior to this one using circular needles which i like using better than dpn's. maybe as i use dpn's more i will get used to them and like them better. i did get the hang of them pretty quickly though and knit this up while drinking my morning coffee. this is an itty bitty hat after all.

Just add Lemon

2012-02-04T06:30:00.000-08:00

we were given unlimited access to our neighbors lemon tree. yay! and it is full of lemons too. so what was the first thing we did? made lemon cookies of course. when the kids saw the lemon halves laying on the table they wanted to make lemonade to go with the lemon cookies. i like the way these kids think. fresh lemonade and warm lemon cookies is the perfect winters day snack. don't ya think? the kids are now looking forward to selling lots of fresh lemonade this summer. they should do good too, a mom on our block said her kids made over $100 selling lemonade last summer. she also said they are too busy to do selling again next summer since they have so many activities. man did we move to the right street.

Everyday Objects

2012-02-03T14:24:00.000-08:00

there are constantly pencils laying around our home which makes sense when you get to know us. someone is always drawing or writing or designing something. as i was gathering up some of the stray pencils that were laying around i decided i wanted to take a picture of them. they are all at various stages of their pencil lives and look so pretty laying in a row. makes me want to go draw something...

Twice is nice

2012-02-02T18:26:00.000-08:00

we got to go to the warriors game two times in one week! wahoo!!! the first night matt and i went alone, sans kids. the warriors lost, boo hoo. the second night we took the kids and the warriors won! we all had a great time. the most exciting part for the kids was the show put on by the flying w's.

WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT

2012-01-28T09:02:00.000-08:00

AND THE WINNER OF THE SHABBY APPLE FEATHER NECKLACE IS...

Cbaker at http://carolynscreationstation.blogspot.com/

please email me at mattandbarbara@yahoo.com with your information so i can get your beautiful necklace sent to you. if i don't hear from you by tuesday i will pick a new winner.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!

A Shabby Apple GIVEAWAY!!!

2012-01-22T14:51:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to have been asked by Shabby Apple to host a giveaway. This giveaway is for a beautiful "gold feather necklace". It features a gold metal feather stamping suspended on a gold chain. The necklace is approximately 18" and was handmade in the USA. Yay for handmade! Shabby Apple has a beautiful selection of vintage jewelry, accessories, art and a lot of clothing. They even have clothing to keep your children looking great! I love that this store provides a way for a woman to dress like a woman and still maintain her modesty.

1.If you would like to enter this fabulous giveaway, just in time for Valentines Day I might add, you can "like" Shabby Apple on their facebook page then just leave me a comment telling me you did so.

2.If you would like to double your chances of winning by being able to leave 2 separate comments you can share about this giveaway on your blog and link to my blog along with "liking" Shabby Apple on their facebook page. Just let me know what you did in the comments.

3.If you would like to triple your chances of winning by being able to leave 3 separate comments you can share about this giveaway on your blog and link to my blog along with "liking" Shabby Apple on their facebook page and by "following" my blog. Just let me know what you did in the comments.

I will choose a random winner on Friday. Sorry, only people with US addresses may enter this giveaway. No exchanges on this giveaway either.

To enjoy 10% off of purchases at Shabby Apple for the next 30 days enter the coupon code "markitwithab10off". Enjoy your visit to www.shabbyapple.com.

Tell your friends

In case you were wondering...

2012-01-17T14:30:00.000-08:00

I love bright vibrant color. I love to look at it, I love to wear it and I love to be surrounded by it. One of my favorite bits of color in our home is the large marble collection I have. It began quite simply. Every trip to the city with my husband, then boyfriend, included a trip to the infamous toy store FAO Schwartz. I'm sad to say the San Fransisco location shut it's doors back in 2003. Whenever we would go I would drool over the huge bin of marbles they had there. I loved picking each one up turning it over and over in my fingers and looking at it's colors from every angle. They remind me of big jars full of candy. Matt would buy me just one each time we went. I would look and look rolling each one through my fingers holding them up in the light of the huge windows until I had decided which one I could not do without. It was always such a hard decision to make, I remember not being able to decide and having to force a decision when I was told that we absolutely had to leave and there would not be time to buy one if I didn't do it now. It was like trying to decide which friend to take and having to leave the rest behind. I just wanted them all because together the looked even more beautiful. Years later my grandfather heard about my love of marbles and gifted me his childhood collection. I then became the owner of the marbles my grandpa had played with and collected since he was an eight year old boy. Some of the marbles in the collection are even made of clay. Later a friend of mine gave me a book all about marbles which I have enjoyed greatly. Who knew there was so much information on such a simple thing as a marble. I started buying marbles for our children when they were too small to play with them. Now I get to watch them play the games my grandpa played as boy when he was their ages. I induldge now and again too, after all your never too old to play.

Come to think of it I guess you could say my grandpa still plays with marbles...

*the third picture down is of a marble I bought from a glass blower. I got to watch him make it, so amazing!

Geocacheing

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

We took the kids geocaching in San Fransisco the other day and it was a blast. I had never been before and was amazed as the kids found locations and caches the GPS sent us to. Upon finding the location we then needed to search for the caches which wasn't that easy. One cache was under a tree stump that was hollowed out on the underside. I would have never thought of trying to look under the stump of a chopped down tree. We signed the various books and left little objects in place of the ones we took. If you have never tried it I recommend it. Because you are always hunting for the next cache the kids forget how far you are actually walking. I think we ended up walking for 3-4 hours.

Never Stop Learning

2012-01-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

This is a new (to me) little pattern I've been working on. It's called the raspberry stitch and is a lot of fun to knit. I really love learning new things and the internet is full of great teachers. I never want to quit learning how to make things. I'd love to be 95 like my grandpa and still be able to say look what I learned to make or do. I have a notion to buy some super soft yarn and knit myself a super long scarf using it. Wouldn't that be super?

Squirrel it away

2012-01-13T13:56:00.000-08:00

This squirrel cookie jar made it's way into our home through my husband. I think his mother gave it to us when we got married. It was the cookie jar he dipped his hands into when he was a child. We just unwrapped it from the bubble wrap cocoon it was in from our recent move. Our daughter was the one to come across it and quickly declared that it would be her job to make sure it was never empty. She says she wants to make cookies every day or however often it takes to make sure our squirrel does not have an empty tummy.

This morning the first thing she asked was if she could make oatmeal cookies for breakfast. Being the cool mom that I am I agreed right away and we all enjoyed oatmeal cookies and milk for breakfast, right alongside our bowls of oatmeal. You didn't really think I would give my kids only cookies for breakfast, did you? But I did give them pancakes for lunch too.

DC vs. Marvel

2012-01-07T10:06:00.000-08:00

The kids and I bought these for daddy for Christmas. We were all at Target together and Matt saw some of these glasses with DC comic images on them and commented to the kids that he wished they made them with Marvel comics on them. Well the next day I went alone with the kids to Target. As we were walking to the check out we passed the shelves where the DC glasses had been (they were already sold out! wow!) and these were there, so we snagged them and wrapped them up for Christmas. Matt was so surprised. I don't know who has more fun drinking out of them, the kids or Matt. By the way it's more fun to drink water if you use a licorice straw. Just saying...

San Fransisco part one

2012-01-06T20:36:00.000-08:00

Over Christmas break we had friends come and visit us. While they were here we took them to San Fransisco and spent a day in Golden Gate park and then headed down the street to the ocean. It was cold and foggy but oh so beautiful.

let's talk tuxedos

2012-01-02T21:24:00.000-08:00

We had a great New Years Eve spending the evening with friends and family playing games and eating tons of yummy food. My favorite thing ever was that our youngest got dressed up in a jacket and bow tie and was lamenting the fact that he did not own a tuxedo. He spent the drive to our friends home discussing all the parts of a real tux he wants. A jacket with long tails, a white bib part in the front, top hat, cuff links and a napkin, which his sister quickly informed him was called a handkerchief. Kids are the best!

looking backward, looking forward

2011-12-30T14:52:00.000-08:00

we recently moved to the bay area and although it is always hard to say good bye to friends i know we will see them again soon.
there is visually so much to be inspired by here, we love it! let the creativity flow once again...

Merry Merry

2011-12-27T14:11:00.001-08:00

clever wrapping paper.
"All right we'll call 911 but first lets talk about our wants"
(orange arm warmers made by his sister)

The kids were really creative with their gift making this year.

Here is A small sampling of our handmade Christmas and little bits of our new home.

Hope you had a wonderful day celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus.

Science is fun

2011-04-26T18:23:00.000-07:00

Our daughter has gotten into doing science experiments lately, multiple ones per day, just for fun. One of the recent experiments she did was growing crystals. She loved watching the process and wants to make more using sugar so she can eat them. They would make such pretty gifts with food coloring added to them.

To make these you need:

clean glass jar
piece of thread
teaspoon
laundry booster (borax)
paper clip
bowl
metal spoon
hot water
pencil

Put the metal spoon into a jar. Then, almost fill the jar with some hot water. The spoon should protect the jar by preventing the hot water from cracking the glass.
Put several teaspoons of laundry booster into the water and stir until it has all disappeared. Put in several more teaspoons of laundry booster and stir again vigorously.
Stand the jar in a bowl of hot water to keep the water in the jar hot. Spoon in more laundry booster until no more will disappear in the water.
Tie the paper clip onto one end of the thread. Tie the other end to the pencil. Drop the clip into the jar and wind the thread around the pencil until the clip hangs suspended in the middle of the water, not touching any of the sides of the glass jar.

What happens? As the water cools, it cannot hold the washing soda. So the soda starts to form crystals around the string. The rest of the soda is attracted to the crystals on the string, until a whole cluster forms. At the same time, the water evaporates into the air. As it does it leaves the soda behind, which forms into more and more crystals around the string.
Have fun with science and if you do this please take some pictures and share them with me. I would love to see how your crystals turn out.

Experiment found in this book.

Five little fish

2011-04-25T20:29:00.000-07:00

We gave our daughter a nail art kit as a birthday gift earlier this year and we have had so much fun with it. A perfect gift for your little artist, the possibilities are endless.

color

2011-03-05T09:13:00.000-08:00

i'm not sure where i found this image but i just love it, the colors, the flow and just how perfect it is for spring.

Hit the trail

2011-02-27T06:15:00.000-08:00

The bag that I promised my 10 year old is finally finished. Yea, he is so excited and cannot stop smiling. The inside is completely lined with soft flannel that is printed with horses riding the trail. There is a zipper pouch on the outside flap for smallish items like pencils. Under the flap is a heavy duty zipper to make sure none of the contents spill out if the owner isn't paying attention to how he picks up the bag. And last but not least the strap is adjustable for a growing boy and so he can wear it over his shoulder or messenger style across his chest. The strap also unhooks for added fun because we know how those boys love extra features.

B

2011-02-26T06:04:00.000-08:00

This image is so graphically inspiring.
I love the lines and colors.

Abstract

2011-02-25T06:10:00.001-08:00

For this cuff I just sewed lots of abstract lines on leather, added the snaps and had one happy boy. This boy just happens to love abstract art and is in the process of making an abstract painting on canvas. I can't wait to see it up on the wall.

Heart 2 Heart

2011-02-24T06:12:00.000-08:00

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
P.S.
My daughter found this heart in her bran flakes the other morning.

Before/After

2011-02-23T09:29:00.000-08:00

These pants like many that you buy at the store came with back pockets that I never use. Not only do I not use them but you can see the outline of the pocket through the back of the pants making the rear view not very smooth. I decided to cut and sew the pockets very short to remove the excess fabric from my rear making the pants look much nicer in the back, like pants without pockets. The nice welt at the pocket opening is still there but the thick outline of pocket fabric on the rear is missing. It looks so much better plus I don't have to worry about reaching in and smoothing down the pockets so they are not bunching up looking like I stuffed a bunch of wrinkled tissue in them (you all know what I mean). I've shown finished and unfinished pockets to help you better understand what it is I am talking about. Happy sewing.

Buns

2011-02-20T06:03:00.000-08:00

Trivial information: my hair is getting long enough to do some fun styles with.

SNAP

2011-02-17T06:12:00.000-08:00

My daughter has a tote bag that was falling apart and the straps were fraying terribly. It needed to be taken apart and put back together with new straps. When we had the old straps off I asked Ellie if she would like me to make the usable portion into a cuff. Of course she did so I added some snaps and the first cuff was made. We decided to look through my ribbon supply and see if there was anything suitable for turning into another cuff. The double sided zebra was the best choice and was quickly made. There will be another zebra cuff made with the black side out so she can wear them as a pair. They are so fun and easy to make I think I may put some up in the shop.

B

2011-02-16T06:12:00.000-08:00

dash, dot, dot, dot

LOVE

2011-02-15T06:23:00.000-08:00

Getting his inspiration from the very talented Rob Ryan, my husband handcrafted this sweet valentine for me. He wrote a poem inside the card too but I am going to keep it just for myself.
I wish I could share it with you since he is such a gifted writer but it was written just for these eyes (wink, wink).

BE MiNE

2011-02-14T10:08:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day

Meet Corkey

2011-02-03T06:18:00.000-08:00

Take a cork, sharp objects and boys then go to the bathroom. When you come back you may find this. Meet Corkey. Yes they named him and then he was no longer trash but a cherished new piece of art to display for all to see and admire.

Ships Ahoy

2011-02-02T06:11:00.000-08:00

Ah...nice new underwear. I originally intended this fabric to be duvet covers for the boys when they were babies but I found fabric I liked better so these ships have been sitting around for about ten years with no captain to guide them. It is the perfect weight for boxers too, not to thick or stiff. I think I have enough to make all three boys enough boxers to last until they are eighteen but maybe I'll be nice and find another use for the extra fabric.

Thankful

2011-02-01T06:14:00.000-08:00

Creative, thoughtful kid=One proud mama

Beauty

2011-01-31T06:12:00.000-08:00

This light hangs in our local train museum.

Making chores fun

2011-01-30T06:10:00.000-08:00

I love crisp new homemade dishtowels. These are so easy and fast to make since the yardage comes already sewn on the edges. All you need to do is buy the length you want and hem up the two ends. Voila new dishtowels that look like they came from your grandmother only without any stains. Now go and clean your dishes...

Making it memorable

2011-01-29T06:05:00.000-08:00

Ellie wanted to have brownies and ice cream instead of cake for her birthday this year. Ya, easy peasy. I got started making the brownies before I realized I had no eggs. No problem my kids suggested I use the egg substitute I had told them about before. After trying to remember just what that substitute was (1TB. flaxseed and 3TB. water mixed and let sit for 2 min.) I finished mixing the batter. After cooking for the suggested time these brownies would not pass the toothpick test and kept leaving uncooked batter on the toothpick. I finally decided to take them out after I remembered that they had chocolate sauce and chocolate chips in them and that was probably the reason the toothpick test was not accurate. After they cooled though they were rock hard. Sigh...Oh well I had a box mix in the cupboard. I mixed those up using the egg substitute for the three eggs this batter called for. The batter seemed a little runny for brownie mix but I figured I would just cook them and hope for the best ( I was sure I hadn't put in too much liquid). While they were cooking I happened to look at the box again and realized I was cooking a cake and not brownies. Oh well, after I explained things to Ellie said she would be fine with the cake and ice cream instead even though I had discovered we had no frosting or ingredients to make our own. The cake came out of the oven and with no time to wait for it to cool as my in laws had to drive home 1 1/2 and it was going on 8:30pm we put the candles into the cake and they immediately began to melt. When I pulled them out of the cake only the wick came out leaving wax in the cake from the candles. By now my mother-in-law and I were in hysterics. We decided to use the hard brownies to put the candles in and then serve the cake with the ice cream. Here is where I give you all a warning...do NOT use the above egg substitute for a cake requiring 3 eggs! Everyone said it was fine but I was not fooled. It was the strangest taste that even the chocolate would not mask and the texture was weird, not like a cake at all but tacky like paste or thick thick pudding.

p.s. The egg substitute works great for homemade pancakes.

B

2011-01-22T06:19:00.000-08:00

Taking a break to celebrate a birthday in our family. Have a fun weekend.

Piggies

2011-01-21T06:10:00.000-08:00

It's been so cold here we've even resorted to wrapping our dinner in blankets. My kids thought these were so fun to make and eat. A great easy meal to make with your kids. We made baked beans and salad to go along with them. Hope you are finding ways to stay warm wherever you live this winter.

Accessorize

2011-01-20T06:11:00.000-08:00

Paperclip jewelry is fun to make, fun to wear and fun to look at. Use red, pink and white for a fun Valentines day craft.

The gift that made me cry

2011-01-18T06:12:00.000-08:00

(To make our Christmas add 1 cup love, 2 TB. kisses, 3 gal. of fun and stir.

P.S. it takes you and me to make good

yummy!)

(recipes)

This melted my heart on Christmas morning. My 12 year old made this at our friends house and came up with the words all by himself. I feel so blessed. It is going to be so much fun filling this with our family favorites over the years to come. He said he made the box first then cut the lid off and that is how it matches up so perfectly. Homemade gifts are the BEST! I know I sound like a broken record but really they are!

Retrospective

2011-01-17T06:19:00.000-08:00

I made these little hats for Thanksgiving and my kids continue to wear them. Simple hats like these are all they need to get their creative juices flowing. They also take up very little storage space. I have so many ideas for more like these...we'll see if I can get the ideas off the sketch pad and onto fabric. But first, I have some other projects to finish.

Introducing...

2011-01-16T06:07:00.000-08:00

My friend the whale, thought i'd take the time and introduce you.

A new favorite

2011-01-15T06:14:00.000-08:00

She wore it all evening Thursday then asked where she could put it so she could wear it when she got up yesterday morning. She wore it over her jammies at breakfast then all day only taking it off to get in the pool for her swim lessons then it was right back on. It is resting at the foot of her bed so she can grab it right when she wakes up this morning. I'm so happy to see her enjoying it so much.

Update

2011-01-14T06:12:00.000-08:00

Hoodie: Complete! Need to take photographs of it today in the daylight.

On the needles: 'Toasty' arm warmers, pattern found on her side bar. Using this yarn, color 9518. It is so soft and the color reminds me of peacock feathers.

Food: Homemade pizza (the best!..it's true, my kids say so)

At the machine: Messenger bag (yes, still not done). It's funny how you put something away and forget all about it.

Kids: Library and swim lessons (indoor) but that's after we have a fun full day of homeschool.

Almost

2011-01-13T06:06:00.000-08:00

Things come up and slow down progress. Zippers get broken, meals to be made, dishes to clean, kids to love on...it's worth not rushing.

Hippity Hoppity

2011-01-12T06:14:00.000-08:00

Ya, I finally found something that my daughter is very excited to have me make. She has been incredibly hard to please clothing wise for a long while now. Her only request was and continues to be jeans. I am determined to get over it and get sewing for her again. I am giving her a lot of freedom in deciding what I make for her. I have had to come to the understanding that we are past the time when I could make her a sweet little dress and she would willingly wear it. She definitely has a fashion opinion and I am beginning to be able to see what that style is. For a while it was hard since I don't think she knew how to describe what she likes. Well we finally hit on something and am excited to show it to you but I am going to make you wait until tomorrow. You just get the bunnies for a hint.

Overlooked

2011-01-11T06:08:00.000-08:00

I overlooked this yarn at the store but then saw another woman loading up her basket with it in a variety of colors. I asked her about it since she seemed so keen on it. It was like a thick piece of embroidery thread with a soft fuzzy ball every few inches. She showed me the beautiful, soft, plush scarf she was wearing and told me it was from this very yarn. Well I snagged a skein and knitted up this little beauty. Soft doesn't even describe it, and the mixing of the various shades of the same color are so pretty. It knit up in just about an hour. One skein makes it just long enough to wrap around your neck once and cross over in a loop, keeping your neck and chest nice and warm.

Preference

2011-01-10T06:12:00.000-08:00

I sort of cheated in knitting this scarf because I used my kids knitting loom to make it. They have been having so much fun with the knitting looms I decided I needed to try them out. Well after knitting this scarf and thinking the entire time how I much prefer actual knitting needles I decided knitting on the loom was not for me. To break up the monotony of the brown yarn I added fun fur to the ends and love the result. This scarf went to my mother and every time I picked it up to work on it I thought of her. That my friends is one of the beautiful things of handmade gifts.

Old books are the best books

2011-01-09T06:26:00.000-08:00

While visiting our secret little hole in the wall I came across this beautiful book of geography written in 1952. You could tell a whole story based just on these children. I love their expressions and the colors are just amazing. Inside the front cover was a folded up map measuring 24x27.5. When I opened it up and saw that it was in mint condition I decided right away we need to frame it and hang it. I tried to find information on the illustrator Cornelius De Witt but haven't have much luck, but then I came across this bit of information that leads me to believe he is still alive. That would make him at least 105. Wow.

Closure

2011-01-08T06:19:00.000-08:00

This is the first button loop I have made using embroidery thread and I love the way it turned out. It was super simple and gave this prairie dress an authentic look. The only problem was I had no natural buttons so on went the plastic one and away went the authentic look. Oh well, maybe one of these days I will change it to a wooden one. Probably not though since this is working well and there are many more projects I want to work on.

Type

2011-01-07T06:12:00.000-08:00

Process

2011-01-06T06:12:00.000-08:00

Enjoy the process as much as the end product.

Countdown

2011-01-05T06:09:00.000-08:00

Countdown begins...in anticipation of the first birthday of this new year.

RAW

2011-01-04T06:12:00.000-08:00

I know Christmas is over but I had to share this. My husband and kids gave me this nativity set for Christmas. I loved it the minute I saw it at the antique store. They had seen it while browsing and came home telling me of this amazing hand carved nativity set they knew I would love. While Matt and I were back at the store shopping for old Hardy Boys editions for our oldest son for Christmas he took me by this nativity and showed it to me. Well how could we leave it there? He "secretly" bought it for my gift from him and the kids. It was so hard to wait until Christmas knowing it was waiting for me to unwrap and enjoy. The reason I fell in love with this little, humble, unassuming set was how it embodied the true meaning of the Christmas season for me. It was carved out of a piece of wood with several imperfections in it and lovingly and carefully made into something of great beauty. Many of us would probably have passed up this piece of wood in its raw state and thought nothing of it. But the artist of this piece saw potential in it and took time to bring it to a state of raw beauty. Just the same God sent Jesus to earth to die for my sins, to offer me new life in Him. He sees me in my raw sinful state and doesn't abandon me but picks me up and gives me new life in Him making me beautiful because He lives in me and creates in me a new life. I am like this little piece of wood, ugly without the love of my Creator.

For the love of the game

2011-01-03T06:18:00.000-08:00

This boy enjoys baseball and has been a Giants fan along with his brothers and daddy for ever. But ever since the world series introduced him to Buster Posey his interest in being a catcher has increased immensely. This was one happy boy on Christmas! Too bad it has rained almost every day since. Don't feel too bad though he has been out with dad and siblings every time the rain lets up. And hey what's more fun for a boy than playing catch outside? Playing catch outside in the mud.

Texture

2011-01-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

Finding art in the everyday.

Happy new year

2011-01-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Something new out of something old.

Proud

2010-12-31T22:26:00.001-08:00

Homemade gifts are the best! This ornament was made out of scrap wood by our 10 year old.

Perfectly romantic

2010-11-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

We went to the most beautiful wedding a while ago and the entire ceiling was covered in lights. Oh how I would love to recreate this in our bedroom.

Cozy, cozy

2010-11-27T13:39:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you all don't want to hear this but we here in California have been in shorts up until about two weeks ago. I am happy to say that it is finally cold enough, by California standards, for my kids to have started putting on their coats when we go out of the house. They have also stopped asking if they can wear shorts. I was beginning to think we would never see a change in the weather. Today however we are enjoying all of the wind and rain I could want.
I began this skinny scarf last year but made very little progress. I recently told myself I would have it complete by January 1,2011. Yesterday I picked it back up and surprisingly knitted a length of just under half a yard. The thing is supposed to be a total of 72". If I continue at this rate I should have it complete within a week. I am so excited!!! This is my first experience using self striping yarn and I love the pattern it creates. I bought enough to make a hat also, we'll see though. I have not yet knit in the round, but the directions do make sense now. It used to seem like it would be so confusing. Thank goodness for the library and YouTube!

Beginings

2010-10-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

I taught my daughter and some of her friends to embroider, just the running stitch, back stitch and french pearl. My eldest son drew a simple salt and pepper for them to learn on. It was all so much fun. Our lesson was set for two hours but three hours later we noticed the time and could not believe it. The girls were disappointed that we had to end the lesson and go home.
After the first lesson both my 10 year old and 12 year old sons wanted to learn also. They embroidered a salt and pepper then the 12 year old drew up a VW bug with a rag top and they embroidered those. They look very cool I must say. I will post the finished products soon. We are not sure if these will be framed or sewn up into small pillows or added as a pocket to something. They for sure want to make some handkerchiefs. This seems to be an addictive activity and I love that we can pack it up and take it where ever we go.
The next lesson I give the girls I will be teaching them some of the more decorative stitches. Some they can make flowers and textures with.

Twelve

2010-08-08T10:51:00.001-07:00

My boy is 12 today! It feels bitter sweet. I was thinking how there are only 6 years from 13 to 18 and our youngest is 6 years old. How is that for perspective? I love this boy and plan to make these next 7 years chock full of more wonderful memories. The thing people constantly told me when my babies were little was "they grow up so fast" how true those five words are. Love them and enjoy them!
We got Jake a mountain bike for his birthday, enlisting the help of anyone giving him a gift to put towards the bike instead of buying something else. He loves his bike and the new adventures it represents for him.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAKEY!!!

Good times

2010-06-26T18:38:00.000-07:00

Where have I been you ask? Having fun with my family. Our two oldest boys just got back from a week away at camp. I got the privilege of driving five boys the 4.5 hours to camp, which actually took 6 hours because we drove in a caravan. It was good being able to settle them in and see the camp grounds again. I went there with my sister when we were in grade school. Oh the memories... The boys got to sleep in covered wagons and do many fun activities. It's good to have them back home with us so we can all be together again and continue our good ol' family summer fun. But first we have to lick this flu running through our home.

Lil Cowboy

2010-05-11T06:30:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I was in need of a gift for my nephew's second birthday. I had made a couple of these backpacks for my own children in years past mainly so they could carry their own diapers and sippy cups. I decided this was the gift I would make. I have a lot of this cowboy barkcloth left over from the curtains I made my boys and it is a great weight for such a project. I lined the inside with a brown check and added sturdy snaps for the closures. There is one big pocket on the outside divided into two parts by a seam. Perfect for holding a sippy cup or bottle. Since I cut the pack in one piece out of directional fabric the back is upside down. No worries that side is always well hidden against the childs back. It's so fun creating small versions of items we as adults use on a regular basis. Plus the fabric is so much cutter.

Sweethearts

2010-05-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

Fourteen Years ago today I married my sweetheart. We have gone through a lot together and it has all brought us closer together. So fourteen years, four kids and four moves later I wouldn't wish it any other way. Thank you for loving me. I look forward to many more adventures together.
I was fortunate enough to get married around the time Martha Stewart came out with her weddings magazine. In the pages of this magazine I fell in love with the gowns of a certain designer named Vera Wang. Since I lived just outside of San Fransisco I was able to go into the city to an exclusive bridal shop where they had several Vera Wang gowns. The appointment was made and I went there hoping to pour over the details of the gowns I was to try on. However you were not left alone with the gowns, even in the dressing room, for even a minute. The help and attention you received was first class but I wanted to try on gowns and copy the different aspects of the gowns that I liked best. So I had to make due with what I could see in the mirror. There were three different dresses that I really liked the details of. The simplicity of her gowns was all in the design, and there were not embellishments for the most part. I had to have the silk satin organza that she used on many of her gowns. It is like merang in the way that it is so light and airy and when it is folded it doesn't crease but rolls like it is being draped over something like a large tube, almost as if there is the slightest horsehair running through it. Anyway a trip to my favorite S.F. fabric store, Britex and I was armed with eleven yards of the most scrumptious fabric. I had to add two underlings along with the regular lining to the dress so it wouldn't be see through as silk satin organza is very sheer. I created my own pattern for my dress creating a mix of box and inverted pleats around the slightly dropped waistline making the skirt very full. I wanted a train but not one that would require a bustle. Underneath i added ten doubled over layers of netting for a very full petticoat. Full, but not full like a bell. I also sewed on a wide length of horsehair into the hem of the dress to maintain the shape of the hem without it being stiff. Down the back of the bodice I made two rows of covered buttons. They started at the neck and went down to the skirt right next to each other side by side and up and down. There are forty four buttons in all. My wedding dress was by far my favorite piece I have ever worked on and if I had to do it all over again today I wouldn't change a thing! I also bought the flowers for my veil at Britex. I was told they were over 100 years old! They are satin gardenias. When I took the tape off of the stems, the wire that was under the tape had all disintegrated. I sewed the flowers back together onto a form that wrapped around the back of my head. All night people came up and smelled the flowers thinking they were real. What is really fun about my veil is that one of my bridesmaids is getting married for the first time this year and she asked if she could borrow my veil to wear in her wedding. What a compliment that is for me that she has remembered it after all these years and wants to wear it too. So of course I said yes. I am glad it will get some more use. Maybe my daughter or one of my boys will want it used in their wedding some time in the future. Someday maybe I will get around to telling about the other dresses I made for my wedding also. For now I hope you will enjoy these photos at least half as much as I do.

Elwood-94

2010-05-05T06:30:00.000-07:00

My grandfather recently turned 94 years old. We celebrated his birthday a few days early on Easter. He is an amazing man. He was married to my grandmother for just under 65 years before she passed away five years ago. They were avid golfers and bridge players.

He is the one who built the cabin I grew up going to and we now take our children to.

My grandfather is on a bowling league and he plays every Monday. Three games every time. A couple of years ago he fell while bowling and broke both of the main bones in his arm, but that did not stop him from coming back and enjoying this sport. He recently passed his driving test, again!!! I wonder if I will get that chance if I reach the age of 94.

The kids and I got a chance to watch his team practice with their league and it was so much fun. He bowled 3 strikes that day. Sound good but for the last few years he has been honored with a trophy and newspaper write up for bowling near perfect games, scoring 298.

Here he is with his team. They are very friendly and love my grandfather so much. It's great to see how much they enjoy him. Getting out and about definitely keeps him young. It is fun to listen to the stories he tells about growing up. I especially like the one he tells about making skies out of wood and soaking them in the bathtub for several days making it impossible for his sisters to bathe. I'll bet they loved that.

How Dreams Do Grow

2010-05-04T06:30:00.000-07:00

Here is the beginning of a sons request.

It began as a simple bag to hold a camera in.
Now when finished it will be a messenger bag fit in size for a newly 10 year old boy. Just right for his camera and other important items he might need throughout his day.

Tow My Car

2010-05-03T06:30:00.000-07:00

Broke down
in need of tow.

Elegance

2010-05-02T06:30:00.001-07:00

Is this not the most elegant woman ever? I think it would be amazing to go about life among ladies who dress like this on a daily basis. What must it have been like back in the time when a lady dressed like a lady? I myself have had the desire to wear more dresses and what better season to begin?

vacillating

2010-05-01T11:02:00.000-07:00

pardon my rambling but i think better out loud. o.k. so i know in the larger scheme of things it doesn't really matter. but i thought i had made up my mind about having my blog and etsy under my own name but now i'm not sure. i didn't realize how attached to my mark it with a B name i was, but i really want labels in my own name. would that be too confusing? now i find myself vacillating. maybe i will keep the blog name and just sell at my etsy under my name. any comments would be helpful. i just can't make up my mind. i feel so silly saying all of this out loud.

Rainbow boquet

2010-04-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

here is a rainbow of color on a rather grey and rainy day (at least where we live).

Sad Goodbye

2010-04-18T10:08:00.000-07:00

my husband and i have lugged these bikes around for a good 14+ years. we each purchased ours at the same thrift store during a time we were not dating, and did not know the other had bought one. both bikes were made the same year. we had plans to fix them up (which wouldn't take a lot of work) add a basket to the front of mine and go for leisurely rides around town. but we realized that we have been saying this for a very long time, and the money and babies always kept us from fixing them up and being able to go riding. we have been trying to let go of things that we have been storing and are no longer using. there is freedom in this but also the letting go is hard. i have to keep reminding myself that it is just stuff. it makes the process easier to tell myself that it is better to let someone else use the stuff than to let it sit and get old in a garage. someday in the future we may be able to purchase bikes like these again and roll around in style, just the two of us, relaxing and enjoying the great outdoors. for now, we do have bikes but they are nowhere near as cool as these schwinns. this is also the first summer we will be able to go riding as a family as all of our children are now on two wheels, ya! just so you don't feel too bad for us within a few hours of listing our bikes we received several calls and the first couple that showed up got them, for the asking price. they were a cute retired couple who will fix them and enjoy spending their free time riding around together in style on matching bikes. i'm happy the bikes are going to get used and quit sitting around gathering rust.

My Guys

2010-04-02T10:42:00.001-07:00

I love my boys! negotiating my way around the house so i do not step on a toy they have set up and finding my camera loaded with shots of all the set up toys in action. they take multiple shots, moving the toys just slightly, be they gi joes, legos, action figures or another toy, to make stop action movies of their toys. i especially love finding scraps of paper with drawings that include arrows and descriptions with all the important details. it is all very serious!

green

2010-03-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

HAPPY SAINT PATTY'S DAY

it's a day for green eggs and ham with a cold glass of green milk for breakfast then we're off for our annual saint patricks day trip to the ice cream parlor for green ice cream. we'll make some green playdough and snack on lucky charms. then serve mint chip ice cream for dessert tonight. it's all about the green today baby.

from me to you

2010-03-10T19:27:00.000-08:00

tonight when i asked my husband what he felt like eating for dinner i was hoping he would say lets just get a pizza. well he did not. instead he suggested fireside pasta, which i must say is just about as easy as getting a pizza. it does not take very long to make but does require the cook to pay close attention to the cooking process as it comes together very quickly. one tip i will share that helps immensely is to have everything cut and measured ahead of time, because like i said, it does go together quickly. it can be completed in about the same time it takes the pasta to cook. add some warm french bread and a good wine (we had an inexpensive cabernet called smoking loon, which had a great flavor with this dish) and you have a meal worthy of paying for at a fine restaurant. don't forget to turn on some jazzy tunes to complete the atmosphere. i received this recipe from a friend several years ago when my husband and i were still newlyweds and we usually make it for special occasions or very cold winter nights. i hope you will enjoy it as much as we have.

FIRESIDE PASTA

12 oz. curly rainbow pasta
1 can evaporated milk
2 TB. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, chopped
3/4 Lb. turkey sausage, sliced (i recommend kielbasa)
1 red bell pepper, slivered
1 yellow bell pepper, slivered
1 TB. dijon mustard
3 TB. fresh basil, chopped or 3/4 tsp dry
1tsp. thyme
2 TB. white wine
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated

boil water for pasta.
in a small saucepan heat milk almost to a boil, simmer approximately 8 minutes.
in the meantime add pasta to boiling water and cook per instructions.
heat oil in skillet on medium heat.
saute garlic, green onion, sausage and peppers in the oil about 3 minutes.
stir in mustard, basil, thyme, salt, pepper and milk.

combine sauce with pasta and add cheese, stir over low heat until combined.

dear alice,

2010-03-08T18:39:00.000-08:00

you are so very pretty with your long blond locks and the lovely blue frock your mother put out for you. your story is one told over and over generation after generation. and even now is being told again in a new way. every child who knows your tale has their own connection with it. sometimes i feel like the rabbit, always in a hurry not wanting to be late. always mislaying something i need. oh to be a child again, so caught up in ones own imagination.

(source)

have you been noticing more and more images and creations based on the tale of alice in wonderland lately? perhaps it is due to the tim burton film in theatres now. i love the variety with witch different artists interpret the same thing. there is no end to the variety of artistic interpretation, a great thing.

this is a picture of mary-jean st clair, her grandmother was alice pleasance liddell, inspiration for lewis carroll's classic. she is the last living relative of alice. there is a very interesting article you can read about the real alice here.

treasure hunting

2010-03-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

a few weeks ago we took the kids out for the day to go treasure hunting (thrift shopping). our oldest son was looking behind one of the counters and spied a lego box under a bunch of other stuff. in fact when he was trying to tell us where he saw it we had a hard time seeing it due to all the other stuff surrounding it. when the sales lady finally found it and put it on the counter we looked at it and it didn't look like much more than tubes and a few legos. it was in its original box and all was in it's original sealed plastic. the price was 16.00 but that seemed like a lot being that we were in a thrift store and it looked like a kinda lame set to us adults. the kids all agreed that they wanted it bad enough to pitch in $4.00 each and share it equally. so we bought it and on the way home i started wondering what it might go for on ebay. my husband didn't think it would be much. when we got home i decided to look up the model and see what it was worth. there were no sets selling on ebay at the time but they did have some of the aliens that are part of the set and one of them alone was going for $50.00! they had 2 complete sets new in the box on amazon and they were going for over $250.00! wow! now that's what i call a successful treasure hunt. we asked the kids if they wanted to sell their set and split the money but they all decided they would rather keep their set since it was so fun to play with. all put together it is the funnest lego set to play with by far.

finding a way around it

2010-03-06T17:10:00.000-08:00

i've been wanting to dig my hands in the dirt and garden. not to convenient while living in an apartment. i came across this idea which works well for me since i love tea and an indoor garden is all we can accommodate right now.

tea tin image not mine, not sure where i found it. but i love it.

books

2010-03-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

so, you love books, you buy books, you read books, you store books. but what do you do with all of your precious books when you are finished reading them? you can't possibly part with books. are you crazy to suggest such a thing? they are your friends, they give such comfort and take you on such exciting adventures, so many memories are held within their ragged covers. so what do you do?

build yourself a room made of books of course!

images: found here

cozy

2010-03-05T19:50:00.000-08:00

i came across this picture on apartment therapy the other day and fell in love. i call the item across the dresser a dresser scarf. it is simple but cozy feeling to me. a good use of yo-yo's. something i would love to replicate.

rambling

2010-02-27T14:23:00.000-08:00

i love to cook, don't get me wrong. but do you ever feel like your entire day consists of cooking? tonight we are having friends over for a game night, and we also invited them to join us for dinner. we have to leave for church at 4:30 so i have spent all afternoon cooking. i wanted to sew something new to wear because i feel i am down to boring tees and jeans, but it's been hard finding time to sew lately. also in my free time lately, i have been picking up a book more than sitting at my machine. i am reading the most fascinating book right now, "the diary of anne frank". i've read books about her story but never the actual diary itself, and i am so impressed at the maturity and talent of her writing. it is so far beyond that of a young teen today, or at least the books in general they are reading. anyway, as i blather on i am so greatful for family and friends to spend time with, the choice of food i want to cook, the choice of attending church, having a home in which i can live with my family, and being able to enjoy the out of doors. have a blessed weekend and enjoy all you have.

challenge

2010-02-26T21:30:00.000-08:00

my sister in law told me about a blog called think. it is an amazingly creative resource if you want to challenge your children or yourself to think outside the box using household items to create or perform a given challenge. i had my children do one of the challenges, make a hook and ladder truck using the specified materials. they thoroughly enjoyed themselves and definitely had to think about how to use the materials they were given to create the challenge item. it was fun to listen to them as they discussed the different possibilities for each of the materials available to them.

challenge materials-2 toilet tubes
2 pencils
2 index cards
cereal box
tape
string
handful of straws, tacks, paper clips
challenge-create a hook and ladder truck

i paired the two younger together

and the two older together.

the older pairs results

and the younger pairs results.

each team had a lot of fun and went about making their hook and ladder trucks in completely different ways. i love the creativity their combined efforts produced. compromise is a hard lesson to learn but so much easier to teach when there are no guidelines put on the results of the project. they played with these for days after and were very proud to show them to anyone who came to our home.

cause and effect

2010-02-25T15:52:00.000-08:00

i've been making our bread lately which is rewarding in so many ways. when i started a couple of months ago i ended up at the chiropractor because of pinched nerves in my back between my shoulder blades. i couldn't figure out how this happened and then someone reminded me that i had been kneading bread on a daily basis. you see, i had sold the bread machine my husband bought me years ago because i never used it and it was just taking up space. well after being so effected by such a small thing as kneading bread, not to mention always getting winded from going up just one flight of stairs, i decided i needed to take deliberate action about getting into shape. now i know i cannot complain because i have been blessed with very good genes which allow me to stay thin with no effort. however after birthing 4 children in just under six years i have become very inactive. yes, i go places with my kids and walk around the house just picking up, but i sit a lot also, at the park, in the driveway while the kids play,etc...as my kids get older i am finding i want to enjoy being active with them, riding bikes now that they all are on 2 wheels, snowboarding with them, playing, hiking, etc; so a few weeks ago i got a book from the library about strengthening your core. however after doing the exercises one time i stopped for a week, because it took so long due to the fact that i was unfamiliar with them, then i tried them again. i have now done the "core" three times in three weeks (yes folks that's a whopping one time a week). today was a lot easier because i am getting more familiar with the exercises. then about a week ago i decided to go on a bike ride around the area in which we live. it is very hilly and the loop that goes from our door directly around back to our door is only 3.5 miles. the first day it took me 35min. just to complete this loop and i was dying. oh yes, i should mention that my 9 and 11 year old boys went with me and stayed with me the entire time on their one gear bikes. i used to seriously bicycle back in my early 20's and would ride a good 30 plus miles most days after working a full day. as i get back on the bike i am realizing how good it feels to work my muscles and how much i love to go on a beautiful outdoor bike ride. the last couple of days it has rained forcing me inside to ride a stationary bike at the gym. after riding today i see a huge difference in the gym bike and the outdoor ride. i was so excited in my progress being able to go 14 miles in 30 minutes on the level 2 foothills course on the stationary bike and then with a break in the rain i rode outside today but could go only 7 miles in 33 minutes. still a big progress since last week when i started, but not the same as the stationary bike. which leads me to believe there is a much different workout on the road. plus you get the benefit of beautiful scenery, fresh air and nods of affirmation from passers by. so this is how my life has been affected by making homemade bread without the aid of a machine. plus, after tasting the first loaf, my kids wanted me to promise not to buy bread from the store anymore. that's a tall order. so i'll reserve the right to still buy bread once in a while. someday, maybe the balance of homemade bread will outweigh the bread i purchase at the store. so if you are thinking about exercising, get out there and do it! find something you love to do and do it! start slow and chart your progress, and pretty soon a week, then a month, then many more months will go by, and you will be able to look back and see how far you have come instead of looking back and saying if i had only started back then. it's especially nice if it is something you can involve your children and spouse in. i'm looking forward to a lot more time spent being active with my family.

pizza on my mind

2010-02-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

i've been making lots of different kinds of pizza lately. this one, cheese and pepperoni is my kiddos favorite. my husband and i prefer more variety to ours though. the best thing about homemade pizza besides being so inexpensive to make is that the possibilities are endless. i do miss porky's pizza a pizza joint we used to take our kids to on thursday nights when the oakland banjo band would play. they would take up several tables so you had to get there early in order to get a table. people would get up and dance between the tables.

my other favorite for flavor is on a corner in berkley and always has a wait of more than an hour but well worth it. i always got the most incredible chicago style deep dish pizza there. i think i will have to try my hand at making a chicago style deep dish. mmm...

orlakiely

2010-02-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

anyone recognize this fabric? i bought it as a tablecloth but it was too small for our table. so i made my very own orlakiely bag. it holds a lot and has a pocket inside and out. i'm still deciding how to use the rest of the tablecloth. maybe a skirt?

too stuffed

2010-02-22T06:00:00.000-08:00

our kids received a sewing machine of their very own for christmas this year. i couldn't be happier. they love to create and whenever i sit down to sew one or more of them is asking if they can have a turn sewing on my machine. needless to say, problem solved!
for our daughters eighth birthday our oldest two boys wanted to make her stuffed animals. they drew their own patterns, cut them out and sewed them up. the pink one is an elephant and the orange is a tiger. i did not have time to help them with this project when they wanted my help so i encouraged them to think it through and try to draw a pattern, cut it out and sew it up. when they brought me their finished products ready to be wrapped i was so excited with what they had come up with. i really shouldn't be surprised but i always am. what a blessed gal to have such thoughtful brothers.

birthday cake

2010-02-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

so as i was mentioning in my last post, our daughter recently turned 8. as i do for every birthday in our home, i asked her what type of cake she wanted. she told me very specifically that she wanted a chocolate cake with a crown on it. well it just so happens i had a recipe i have been wanting to try. it turned out so deliciously i decided i had to share it with all of you. the great thing about this cake besides the flavor and texture is how simple it is to make. add a dollop or two of fresh homemade whipped cream to the top of each piece and you are in heaven. this cake is so rich that this little 9" dream served 5 adults and 4 children with 4 slices to savor on another evening, although we enjoyed it with breakfast the next morning.

fallen-souffle cake
1 cup plus 2 tb. salted butter
7 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tb. granulated sugar
6 tb. cake flour
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
confectioners' sugar for dusting
whipped cream or ice cream for serving

preheat oven to 350 f. butter the sides and bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan. line the bottom with a round of parchment paper or waxed paper. butter the paper and dust the sides and bottom of the pan with flour, shaking out the excess.

in a double boiler over barely simmering water, melt the butter. add the chocolate and stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is very smooth. remove from heat and let cool slightly.

in a small bowl, beat the egg yolks just until blended. beat in the granulated sugar until just mixed. whisk the yolk mixture into the warm chocolate mixture. fold in the flour until blended.

in a large bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy. add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft, rounded peaks form. fold the egg whites quickly into the chocolate mixture, taking care not to deflate them.

pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the sides are set but the center of the cake is still soft. remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. the cake will develop cracks in the top as it bakes, and more will appear as it cools, but this is normal. when the cake has cooled to room temperature, you may cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil if you are not serving it right away. it will keep for a day or two.

to serve, unmold the cake, peel off the paper, and place the cake on a plate, the more presentable side up. dust with confectioners' sugar and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

recipe found in "birthday cakes" by: kathryn kleinman

8 is great!

2010-02-19T18:53:00.000-08:00

even though i have been absent from my poor little blog for a while a lot has been going on here. not necessarily a whole lot of sewing but definitely a lot of family time being spent together. our daughter turned 8 years old at the end of january. we caught the one day between two storms to head about an hour from our home and enjoy some sledding, some snowshoeing and some snowboarding for her birthday celebration. it was a blast! Her favorite present was the roller skates we gave her. She wore them every waking minute for several days after she received them. She has not worn them outdoors yet because she still wants to be able to skate inside. perhaps by spring they will make their way outside.

Gift made

2010-01-30T22:04:00.000-08:00

Man has a month already gone by? I'm sneekin this post in just in time to get one out this month.
My daughter knitted this scarf for a cousin's birthday party. I think she did an amazing job, being 7 years old when she knitted it. We just celebrated her 8th birthday this month. Man time flies. It is so fun to watch her grow up and see her crafting grow into something I would be proud to give away as a gift from me. Can I do that? I don't think anyone would notice...Hmm...

Felt is good

2009-12-28T14:27:00.000-08:00

My nine year old son and I worked on this together, then he made one for himself. It holds our family camera very nicely.

Twas the night before Christmas...

2009-12-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas eve.

Street light

2009-12-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

My husband took this picture the other night. I think it is so beautiful. Wishing I had been up to see it in person too.

Baking

2009-12-22T09:33:00.000-08:00

I was given madeline pans about 12 years ago and finally got around to making some for a tea party my mother put on for all of her granddaughters. The recipe has orange zest in it and they were far better than any store bought madelines I have eaten. Homemade is always better, don't ya think?

Party gifts

2009-11-22T20:09:00.000-08:00

My daughter went to a birthday party for two of her friends who are sisters and have birthdays a month apart. I have had this purse pattern for quite a while now and thought it would be perfect stuffed with goodies for just such an occasion. The size is perfect for a young girl and was very simple and quick to make. I went to my old standby of stiff ticking and made envelope style bags to use for wrapping the gifts. After my daughter chose the faunt she liked I printed up their first initials and cut them out of the extra fabric used for the lining of each purse and also cut out some wonder under to iron the letters to the outside of each package. I added a piece of velcro to keep the flap closed and sent E off to her party. The mother thought the wrapping was the gift and was surprised to find purses also. Now instead of being in the trash the wrapping can be used to hold whatever the birthday girls choose.

This was my first time using magnetic snaps and I just love how easy they are and how they make the purses look much more professional. The fringe was picked out by my daughter, I think because of all the sparkle, which is hard to see in the pictures. It is very elastic and I ended up having to sew it on by hand because it just stretched and gathered the purse using my machine. Next time I would use something with no stretch, maybe make some cute piping.

Costuming

2009-11-02T18:21:00.000-08:00

I was able to find time to make all of my kids their costumes this year. I took them to the fabric store and asked them what they wanted to have me make. They all had very definite ideas. My oldest wanted to be a navy seal, next down wanted to be a cowboy, my daughter wanted to be an Kaya the American girl and the youngest said he did not want me to buy anything for him because he would be something we already had in the dress up bucket. He ended up being Davey Crocket after changing his mind daily about who he would be. I guess it's a 5 year olds prerogative to constantly change their mind.

On the way home after all of the festivities Jake kept telling me how much he loved his army clothes. Makes it all worth it.

After I had cut out this shirt I figured out how to make the crazy shaped yolks on the back and cuffs so it was to late to give this cowboy shirt that much detail, next time. It's really not hard I just never gave it any thought before, being this is the first western shirt i've made. I did use pearl snaps for the front and sleeve cuffs as requested by this cowboy and I was able to find some nice suede leather on sale for the chaps.

For the Indian dress it is hard to see but I sewed individual fringe across the front of the chest and sewed a colored bead to the top of each piece of fringe where it is sewn to the dress.

I made this costume 4 years ago for our middle son when he dressed up as the Lone Ranger. Caleb was wearing a raccoon tail hat earlier but the tail fell off and he thought he did not look like Davey without the tail so off came the hat for the rest of the night.

We went to a harvest party at our church and our cowboy got to ride a mechanical bull, he was in heaven.

While In The Mall...

2009-10-10T14:33:00.000-07:00

I have!

Same song second verse...

2009-09-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

A couple of years ago I made my eldest son a Davey Crockett costume. Well...he's requested it once again. He's grown past usage of the old costume so I will be making him a new, larger one. The youngest wants to be Davey also but we'll see...My daughter has her sights set on being an Indian princess. If I start early enough I may be able to get some pretty hand sewn beading sewn onto her costume. My middle boy wants to be the Lone Ranger, after all he did receive a genuine leather cowboy hat for his birthday and some vintage pearl(fake) handled cap pistols.

Knitting Pretty

2009-09-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

Lots of pockets for lots of knitting needles.

Zipper enclosed pocket for small items you don't want to loose, row counters, tapestry needles, scissors and such.

I made this knitting bag for a friend. It was fun to make although I must admit it would have been funner if I had been the one to choose the fabric. Oh well I think it turned out great and I am glad she is enjoying it. I must make one for myself, as we are approaching the colder months where I find myself knitting more than in the warmer months.
I picked up some self striping washable wool yarn for a skinny scarf today. I can't wait to get started, but first it needs to cool down a bit for me. I don't enjoy knitting when it is so hot and the yarn feels like it is sticking to my fingers and making me hotter.

Anticipation

2009-09-07T16:52:00.000-07:00

(taken fall 2008)

Looking forward to the return of fall colors in our neighborhood.

Origami

2009-09-04T09:04:00.000-07:00

Havin fun with paper folding here. Keeps kids entertained for hours and costs nothing, just use old magazines.

Ahhh, Nature

2009-09-03T11:20:00.000-07:00

My husband took the kids on a hike near our home. They came upon a trail going through a little forest and came upon all of these sheep in a field. Even though you can't see it there is a fence separating the sheep from the trail my kids were on. I love the area we live in, it has such variety within such close proximity. We are within an hour of several beautiful lakes and beautiful trails for hiking and picnicking and snowy mountains for skiing or just playing in. We are looking forward to winter when we can take a short drive and enjoy playing in the snow without the trouble of having to shovel out our driveway.