Wall Art, Aprons, and Other Homey Feeling Stuff

Enough was enough! Friday night, after living in this apartment for two months, my husband and I were tired of not having or knowing where our things were. We decided to go to our storage unit with our sleeves rolled up on Saturday. We got there at 8:30 am and worked out a system where he brought boxes to a table, we opened them, peeked inside, I labeled the boxes and then we stacked them out side according to "keep out", "up front" or "who cares! (ie: in the back of the storage unit". In four hours we got through 75% of our boxes and restacked everything in. Hubby tried to make aisles, but we still have too much, so, the aisles got filled in.

As a treat as much for us as for our very patient boys (they rested in the back of the van, played in the dirt and with toys we were finding, and even helped a little), we went to Pizza Hut. We came home exhaused and eventually managed to unload both our vehicles (they were full of boxes and baskets of things we were wanting) into our already cramped 800 sq ft apartment. Perhaps I should mention that six months ago we were living in a 2200 sq ft home. We moved in a whirlwind and had intended to be in another (smaller) home by now. So... we didn't pack for living in an apartment for a long time. Saturday was exhausting, but it was also better than Christmas! So many things we discovered... our things... things we love... before we moved, we eliminated a lot of things we: didn't like, only liked, didn't use, were broken, etc. So, the stuff we moved was (mostly) stuff we still want. Unfortunatley, that last 25% contains most of the items my hubby was looking for. I found everything I wanted and more in our storage dive. I'm rambling...

As a result of the dive, I have a lot of our wall "stuff". Yesterday and today I hung over two dozen things on our walls. The pictures, paintings, and portraits make it feel like "home" and the clocks are just handy to have up.

Besides the pictures, I've unpacked about 5 boxes. I feel like I should have done more... but I'm also quite tired from the dive. Plus, today, I went to water aerobics (for the first time in seven years). Yeah me! While waiting for the teacher I was lap swimming. 1 1/2 laps and I had to stop because my chest was tightening up... what's that all about!? Don't exercise for YEARS and you're body wants to stop breathing! I'm sure I'll be sore by Wednesday, but I really do want to start the water aerobics three times a week. I know it will help me feel better on so many levels.

Boxes make me edgy, like I'm not doing enough. Gotta get through these boxes! Let's see, there are about 15, so, two a day will have be done by the weekend, three by Saturday, no, just go for two. Unpack two boxes a day each day... I can do that! :D

Do you find that certain clothes get you in the mood to do things? When I was hanging all those things on the wall, I put on an apron my girlfriend made (it didn't fit her and I liked it, so, she gave it to me, I fixed it, and it has since become my "work apron".) When I put on my "work apron" my mind just *clicks* into gear and I'm ready to work... especially if I put a bandana around my hair at the same time! I do the same thing with comfort clothes... if I'm not feeling good, I put on some pants with elastic (sweats / flannel / satin PJ's) and my body just *knows* that it's time to rest. I don't feel compelled to push myself like I usually do in jeans and tennis shoes.

The apron is awesome... from a Simplicity pattern #5313 view D. We crisscross the straps across the back too (switch the shoulder seams when sewing) and it stays on better. I love all the pockets, though I've had to repair mine several times from catching the pockets on things (like door fixtures) and I walk by. When I was digging out the pattern, I found the pattern for a kids apron, Simplicity 4286 I was planning to make view D for my boys... perhaps I can throw them together for Christmas. I also found the "lost" fabric to make a present for the friend who gave me the apron in the first place. Guess I was inspired to share my work apron with all of you!

Suzy :D

No Presents for the Grown-Ups

In response to a friend's blog about her family declaring (this late in the game) a "no presents for the adults rule", I wrote the following. A side note; for many people the beginning of November may not seem like "late in the Gift Giving Game", but for a fellow quilter, and someone planning to be gone for three weeks in December, this truly comes late in the game for my friend. Not quite "fair" for a family who's exchanged presents forever and the crafter among them who started making her presents in January. Anyway, here are my off-the-cuff thoughts on Kid-Only gift giving.

One of the weirdest things about my in-laws is they're standing "No Presents - EVER" rule. Apparently, many years before I came on the scene, holidays had turned into a cash exchange scene. They would each give each other cards with money inside. They realized how ridiculous this was and made the "STOP" rule.
Then, kids started coming on the scene (right as I joined the clan) and suddenly they found themselves needing to buy wrapping paper again.

I am glad they got away from the mass marketing of it all, but I often wonder if they miss out on some of the pleasures associated with giving to others. The most I've seen them give eachother is a box of chocolate, but after a few years, even that has turned into a massive chocolate exchange.

Personally, I blow them off in a minor way... if I see something small that reminds me of one of them, I'll but it and stash it away, then give it to them. Usually it's under five dollars, but as they say "it's the thought that counts". I have yet to receive any presents from them, and I'm okay with that.

My family? They stopped giving me presents long ago. Never said they weren't going to do it, they just stopped. Again, I usually do something for them, probably because I like to shop and find "deals" all year long.

It's hard; because it's fun to open presents and it's great to be surprised with something you really like. I guess though, I find a lot of joy in watching others open things I've given them and I don't really "expect" to get stuff. I feel so blessed in my life (especially since Tom) and have everything I need and MOST of my WANTS too, so, to have people trying to spend money just to be able to "give" me something seems wasteful. I do love handmade / homemade things though! When I was a kid, we were never allowed to buy a present until after we'd made one for the person. My Mom taught us that gifts from the heart meant so much more. Now that I'm older I see that they certainly take more time and effort, and often they cost more than the same thing store bought, but they are personalized. I enjoy making things for other people and usually spend a lot of time thinking about that person while I'm working on the item.

So, after reading my comments, I guess that I understand and appreciate the lack of present buying for adults. Christmastime truly is a mass-commercial time. I also know that I really enjoy giving and receiving things, as long as it's done with love and not because I "have to" or "should". When you receive something from me, it's because I was thinking of you with love. You may get something on special occassions or you may get a package out of the blue, and I think those kind of surprises are great too!

Lay off the stress of the holidays and enjoy the sights, sounds, tastes, and feels of them!

Suzy :)

Sitting on the Wall

I finished appliqueing my pumpkins on a wall and then decided that rather than finishing them as a small piece, I've put them away with several other Halloween items. I have a "Happy Halloween" panel as well as a frankenstein I appliqued a few years back. I also have a pattern to make a witch and a mummy. Frank has requested a pirate too. One of these years I'll finish my Halloween quilt, in the meantime, the project (as well as the pumpkins) will just stay sitting on the wall.

Working on the pumpkins got me to going again with sewing. I pulled out the "Color Me Happy" quilt top I pieced over the summer. This is the first "jelly roll" I've ever bought. It was fun to be able to quickly put something together and I like it, although I normally would mix up my fabrics more (this has like 30 coordinates all from the same line, so, one print is repeated in several color ways.) I decided to use the rainbow stripe I'd bought for the binding as a border instead (I think the stripe (picture on left) "pops" more than what I'd planned to use, scraps (picture on right) of the central colors strung together). Today I took the top and borders to the quilt shop and bought a turquoise to bind it it (Frank's choice after another customer suggested it (instead of the purple I was adding to an already purple-full quilt). I'm tring to decide if I should machine quilt this at home (it will be almost 70" square) or send it out or pay for a class at the local shop and then do it myself on their long-arm (you pay $50 for two training classes, then rent machine time by the hour). I enjoy long-arming myself, so, this would probably be the funnest option, but also the costliest. I'll have to think. I'm also trying to decide how to quilt it. I think I want to stitch all different words in the purple parts (like "happy, joy, live, laugh, love, etc). So, I need to brainstorm a list of words. I wonder what I'll quilt in the striped areas, they are 6" x 10". Oh yeah, if you are curious to make this quilt, it is SUPER SIMPLE!

Quilt Instructions:
Just cut your 2 1/2" strips into 6 1/2" pieces. You'll need five strips per block.

Then, from your background, you'll need two 10 1/2" x 2 1/2" pieces per block.

The finished blocks are 10".

Just make as many as you want and then set them out one up, one side-to-side, one up, one side-to-side (it lays out like a rail fence).

I threw it together very quickly and can see lots of other fun applications for this pattern.

Suzy :D

PS: I am sitting here smelling fresh bread (loaves and rolls) I just pulled out of the oven. I think a few rolls and some honey have my name on them for my bed-time snack! :D

So Much More than a Bread Box!

I want to show you a project that I'm quite tickled with. I should say that this is based of an idea I saw in Better Homes & Gardens where they made a docking station for all sorts of power items wuing a shadow box and a piece of covered foam. We liked the idea and played with several different ideas for housing it and then Tom and I both saw this bread box at the store. We saw it on seperate trips when we were out alone. We both thought it would work well for what we wanted.



Tom drilled some holes in the back (a big one for the power strip to go through, and several smaller ones for air vents). Then, he attached two rails (at an angle) to hold a small shelf. He cut the shelf to fit, added a finger hole and a few notches at the top for the cords to rest in. Total time spent, less than 45 mintues. I still need to find a fabric to cover the shelf with, but for the time being, I'm tickeled with it just as it is.


Now, all those blasted long ugly black cords are neatly contained in one location. When not in use (and even when charging) we can close the lid and know where they are, but have them out of sight. There is room for another power strip (should we need to add more docks). I like my bread box! :D


Go make one of your own and send me some pictures of your conversion.



Suzy :D

Family Fun

I was just closing down the many web pages I'd opened today and not closed and realized that I only seem to go to Family Fun on special days (like holidays); and that I should go there more often and set out to make every day a day of Family Fun.


Today I worked on a little row of Pumpkins (of my own spontaneous design). The faces are designed and ready to be appliqued on. It was fun and relaxing for me. I designed one pumpkin for each member of my family, then had my hubby and boys set down with their fabric pumpkin in front of them and a sheet of paper the same size for them to design the face for their pumpkin. It's much more random that I would do on my own, but it creates a fun snapshot in time. Just like a project I once did with a Jack-O-Lantern and instead of the "normal" face, I appliqued the face from the Jack-O-Lantern we carved on Frank's first Halloween. Now, I remember his first Jack-O-Lantern face forevermore. :D

I stopped the pumpkins faces in order to make a tote bag from the pattern I stumbled on My Many Colored Crayons (I was looking for a crayon roll tutorial - I found one I want to try at Skip to My Lou). I made this bag for Frank in well under an hour. He wanted to be the Transformer, Bumblebee for Halloween, but I've been quite sick for the past few weeks and couldn't make the costume happen for him. Today we were at Wal-Mart for the fusible for the pumpkin's faces, and we found the Transformer fabric which I got a yard of. I saved a piece for half a pillowcase (24"x22"), then cut the rest up and threw the bag together. It was a happy comprimise for both Frank and I; he had a trick-or-treat bag that he'll get to use again and again (we try to use fabric shopping bags) with the character he wanted, and I was able to make him something he enjoys. He also likes this bag because it "Transforms" from a little roll into a big bag he can carry stuff in. :D

Okay, I've totally been rambling without much thought. I'm listening to some Abraham via Esther Hicks on my iPod Shuffle, while typing, only half-thinking about either task. I'm tired. I think I'll rest.

Suzy :D

PS: We decorated pumpkin brownies today... I know the boys enjoyed all the sweets! :D

Vacation Wind Down

My road trip with boys is winding down, and as is so often the case, I'm looking forward to resting once we get home. I've definitly learned some things about coming "back home", where we have so many people and places we love to be with and see... namely to make a list of things to do and then to cut it in half! Also, to next time tell people "we'll be here at this place on this day, if you want to see us, please come to us!" We've traveled nearly 1,000 miles to get to Arizona, and once we got here, we kept driving, a lot! Not fun!

We have had fun... here's a great picture of the boys with their life-long (literally) friends at the zoo. They were all together again for the first time in four months (a VERY LONG time when you are two and (just turned) five!)

Suzy :D

Time for Reflection and Celebration

Frank celebrated his fifth birthday today. I could dwell on how fast time goes, but instead I'd rather say that we really enjoyed Frank today. Saturday we had some family over and a little party and we did the same thing today. We're going to do it again for the next two weeks while driving home and visiting friends and family. Tonight I sat watching him, wondering, as so many parents do, what kind of man he will become, and feeling sure that I'll be delighted with him.

I also decided that when there is a birthday in a family, all children under like five should also get presents along with the birthday celebrant. Poor Jack just couldn't understand why Frank kept receiving gifts and even though I had presents for Jack, they weren't the same or as fancy. Tom and I felt so bad for the big, gloppy tears Jack was crying by 5:00 pm... he wound up being rocked to sleep by his Daddy because he was so sad and tired. Why is it that often when one person is very happy another is very sad?

Today my grandparents came to visit. They were with me when Frank was born. They had three children, eight grandchildren, and now have twenty-five great-grandchildren. Frank was the tenth great-grandchild and is the only baby they've ever seen born (of course my GM saw her three, but GD didn't... just Frank.) I like to think this gives them a special bond. They actually waited for him to be born for about a month... they drove from WY to AZ, parked in our driveway and waited... playing Pinochle often... this was a very long time for them to be anywhere. They are usually only gone from home a week to ten days. I am still so grateful that they were there for us! Here's a picture of the boys with "Greybeard" (my Grandad, their Gread-GD). While they were here today, we surprised GD with a little gift (he turns 78 in exactly one week). Also, we got a card for Frank from GD's sister, Adeline. She turned 80 today... Frank was her BDay present on her 75th! :D

At bedtime, Frank got ready by himself - quickly! We think he was worn out from the day. I laid down next to him in his bed and told him about the day he was born and how we named him. He was delighted and I was so satisfied and pleased. As I was telling the story I mentioned he was all snuggled under a quilt I'd made him (on his first night with us) and I paused to go get the quilt. He's still snuggled under it and sleeping now. :D

Suzy :D