Giddy for Paisley

Self portrait

2011-02-25T16:53:00.001-08:00

One word to sum it up...Laughable

I laughed so hard looking at these photos. I am not sure if it was the angle or how many tires it took me to get myself in the frame. I could try and blame this on the new lens but I doubt it was just the lens. Of course I am not brave enough to post any of the ones I trashed. Let's just say there were lots of boob shots, double chins, even I was missing entirely from some of the photos :) Or why I couldn't look at the same spot in the mirror as the camera, that way it looked like I was actually looking at the camera and not off in space somewhere.

Without further hesitation (can't believe I am putting these online) here I am with at 35 weeks and 4 days of pregoness

One Week

2011-02-25T10:29:00.000-08:00

or 7 days left until my c-section. I am so happy that I have made it so much further in this pregnancy then I did with Colin but I will also admit that I am so ready for delivery. I have the up most respect for the women who go full term. These extra 3 weeks seem like months :) and I still have one more week to go. Last night I slept with 6 pillows trying to relieve my lower back pain and rib cage pain. I slept for 3 hour blocks of time which is an improvement from the up every hour the night before.

Maybe, just maybe I will go wash off Colin's finger prints on the mirror and take a much need prego photo of myself. I realized the other day I don't have any except with my jacket zipped up :)

Happy Friday :)

Practice Knit

2011-02-08T14:15:00.000-08:00

While waiting for some yarn to arrive in the mail from KnitPicks.com I did a trial run on a newborn hat.
I ended up making it a preemie size so I could donate it to Caps for Good. There are some free hat patterns in their PDF, although I didn't use any of them. I used a pattern from a new book I got
Easy Baby Knits: Clothes & Accessories for 0-3 Year-olds.
The pattern was very easy to read/follow. I highly recommend this book. There are several cute items in book I would love to make for the boys. So far I made Owen a hat and I am working on Colin's right now. It is very surprising how much longer a toddler hat takes to work up then a 0-3 month size :) I am hoping to finish it before Colin comes home on Thursday that way he can wear it before next fall.

Napping

2011-02-01T11:36:00.000-08:00

That's right little Owen wore himself out on the car ride to the doctors office on Friday. I even had to recline my seat (I was the passenger) because he was moving so much it hurt. By the time the ultrasound tech got to work he was napping. The tech had to harass him to get him to wake up which was not an easy task. He really didn't want to wake up. She finally pestered him enough that he took lots of breaths right before his test time was up. He passed with flying colors. The great part was we got to see lots of cool views of him some even in 3-D while waiting for him to cooperate. And he is adorable ;)
He looks great and as the doctor said "he has walnuts in his cheeks" and "a nice layer of fat starting on his legs" The weight estimate from the ultrasound was 4 lbs which is almost 2 lbs more from our last growth scan a few weeks ago.
We were all very happy and even my blood pressure has been normal for a week now, it is looking more possible every appointment that I might make it to 37 weeks.

Update

2011-01-27T16:31:00.000-08:00

I miss sewing. I keep looking at all of these wonderful projects people are working on and I feel so inspired. Yet not inspired enough to work on a hand sewing project. Why that is I do not know. It's not like I have anything else to do. I have even thought about looking for some sort of kit online, that's right I am to blah feeling to gather supplies myself and find a project. Sad to actually admit that out loud.

Thank you for all your well wishes, I am at 31 weeks and am hoping for 37. The good news is the bed rest is paying off. My last set of labs were better then they have been and blood pressure was down a bit. Tomorrow we have another growth scan of Owen and they will check my bp again of course. I am hoping he had a huge growth spurt and isn't "to small" by their standards.

Happy sewing to everyone who has the motivation and means to do it, keep up the great work cause I am loving the projects I am seeing :)

p.s. If anyone has some fun but easy knitting projects they would like to share I would love to see those.

Do I Dare

2011-01-22T11:04:00.001-08:00

With all of my free time I have been doing a lot of internet window shopping. It seems very odd to be looking at purses when I am on bed rest but I could use it when I go to the doctors (which is 2-3x a week so really i could use it a lot) ;)
I have not had a new purse in 5 years and my husband suggested I get a new one for my upcoming birthday. I really like this one, and found it just after I told my husband "it's no wonder I have the same purse, all the new ones are ugly."
I just don't know if I can pull of a red purse everyday. I am always so practical and buy black or brown so it matches with everything and I don't get tired of it. Of course it also comes in black and some cute other colors. So do I dare ask for the red???

An Unexpected Break

2011-01-15T10:20:00.001-08:00

I was put on bed rest this last Monday and will remain there until delivery. I hope to pop in from time to time but that might not happen since I don't have a pc I can use in my bed :)

Wishing everyone well and hopefully will to get talk with everyone again soon.

Cold

2011-01-10T12:19:00.001-08:00

We had great intentions to take full advantage of Brett's last day of holiday vacation but it was just to cold out. When we got to the Oregon Zoo the reader board said 31 degrees and that was not counting the wind chill.

I think lasted 30-40 minutes before I asked if we could leave, good thing we have a yearly pass to the zoo :) I will say the 30-40 minutes was wonderful for my Cholestasis of Pregnancy, I enjoyed every itch free minute.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T04:32:00.000-08:00

My morning cup.

Merry Christmas everyone :)

No Sewing Required

2010-12-24T16:19:00.001-08:00

I think this is the first Christmas Eve in a long time that I have not needed to still be working on a Christmas gift :)
I finished this Swaddled Baby Love on Wednesday. It's from Colin to his little cousin Brooke, he got her in the name draw. Another pattern from Anna Maria Horner's Handmade Beginnings book.

My doll doesn't look to bad here but in person it is a bit deformed and wonky looking. I ~~hate~~ am seriously disappointed in all/every doll/ softie I have ever made. I expect it to look like something I would buy in a store and when it turns out different then I had envisioned I am just not happy with it, sigh. Both Brooke and Colin like the doll a lot so I don't know why it bothers me so much that I could not just give it to her. Maybe if I wasn't so worried about the opinions of the in-laws??
I was hoping that my doll would be so wonderful I could make one for Colin too. He has been really curious about taking care of baby brother and I thought this little gift was perfect for that.
I love, love the diapers. Super easy and fun to make. I got 8 or 9 from my 1/4 yard cut of fleece (enough for Colin and Brooke). Needless to say I bought a doll. I am not sure if I can explain in words what it felt like to be searching for a doll that's 1. fabric/ cloth 2. clothes came off or at least up to expose the diaper area 3. could wear the diaper size I already made 4. could zoom or have different angels in the pictures online to see if it was possible for meeting the 3 requirements. I felt the need to tell each and every store clerk that was looking at me why I was looking under the doll clothing and had to show them my diaper :)

The doll quilt is a bit different in size then the pattern. The pattern is for a 24" x24" string quilt. I decided to do paper pieced hexagons. Why I decided to start this a few days before Christmas I do not know. A charm pack and a few scraps later and I was done. I had to go to Joann's for the binding and I was blown away by all the cute fabrics they have in the store right now. I also was shocked that this pocket looked exactly like the other polka dot print fabrics from the MoMo Wonderland fabrics.
Have I ever mentioned I love polka dot binding? Hmmm... well I do :)
The back of the quilt has a big pocket for the diapers to go in or for putting the doll in for easy swaddling.

Just for a reminder for myself I have a picture of the pieced hexagons before cutting it down to a squareish shape of around 21". I have plans of making one for Colin with some primary solid fabrics and Japanese robot fabric I have.
Sorry for such a long post.
Merry Christmas/ Happy Holidays,
E & the non stop kicking baby in my belly :)

Grocery Bag Take 2

2010-12-14T14:15:00.001-08:00

First off, sorry for the poor photos. We are having some crazy stormy weather today. It is unbelievably dark out and hailing at the moment. Not to mention they had a tornado south of us in Aumsville, Oregon.
I much happier with the overall size of the bag. Finished dimensions are 14 1/4" high x 11"wide x 7"deep. I made patchwork squares smaller in width so I now have 6 per side.
Colin and I have been taking turns sewing, I think it is very kind of him to let me know when it is my turn again :) He was super excited about me having the camera out so I graciously let him take one of me. Not bad for no makeup and an awkward angle. I am amazed he can even hold the camera up and get us in the frame :)Time to go wrap some presents, which means I need to have National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation playing on the television.

Scrap Winner

2010-12-13T10:18:00.001-08:00

The random number generator chose lucky #4 this morning. Kristie I sent you an email :)
Kristie seems to be on a winning streak lately and she is sharing the love over on her blog with a giveaway.
I was really hoping to have take 2 of the bag done and ready to share today but that didn't happen. I have no idea where all the time and energy went this last weekend but it went by to quickly. I have high hopes for today though and dinner is already made for tonight. No excuses to not get the bag finished today :)
Happy Monday,
E

Take 1 & Some Scraps

2010-12-10T15:24:00.001-08:00

I was inspired by this bag

I am pretty happy with it but I did start on bag #2 last night with some minor changes, mainly size increases. I think my favorite part about the reusable grocery bag is that I didn't have to turn any of it right side out to sew it together :)

My little helper has been carrying it around since we finished it. We have gotten pretty good at sewing together, now if my lap would just stop decreasing in size we would be set ;) As we are trying to simplify everything and keep things to a minimal around here I thought I would give away my scraps from this project. Anyone interested?? If so just leave a comment saying you are interested in the scraps (or something along those lines) and I will randomly pick a comment on Monday morning.

Happy Friday!

The small things...

2010-12-09T14:36:00.001-08:00

make me so very happy. Thank you to my Mr. for these wonderful flowers. It is a wonderful way to make my day bright and cheery. Love you!

I love when...

2010-12-03T07:52:00.000-08:00

I find photos I didn't take in the camera :)

I need to get or make a curtain for this window, the old one didn't work with the new paints

Yes, it really is that bright in there, even at sunrise...well when the sun is out :) Colin took this picture of his dad, he is an amazing photographer, if I do say so ;)

A little holiday sewing

2010-12-02T19:46:00.000-08:00

I made a reusable grocery bag from this well known pattern. I used home decor weight fabric on the outside, only made the pocket on the front side and I added Insul-Fleece so my mom's groceries will stay colder longer on her 2 hour car trip home (she does her major grocery shopping in town before she drives home). The pattern was really well written and really easy to follow. And adding the insulating was super easy. I just basted it to my lining fabric. I even had a decent amount left over to use for another project :)

I have been seeing these coin purses around and really liked them. I looked at this and this tutorial, and then made my attempt. I would not call it a success :) it's not horrid but not giftable by my standards. and I can honestly say I will not attempt to make one again...lol

Look at all the glue and stitching and rope hairs..Ahhhhh! Okay I change my mind don't look...
Did you happen to notice those amazing cabinets in the background of the first photo??? Yup that's my kitchen, same kitchen new paint on the doors :) My husband and his dad but a lot of time and work into those and I must say it is worth every minute and I gladly accept that I am no longer to come up with projects for an x amount of time.lol

23 Weeks

2010-11-30T11:27:00.001-08:00

Not the best photos, but you can kinda see my tummy (along with my poor posture). We went Christmas tree hunting with the Costa clan, has Brett calls them, this last Saturday. It was a lot of fun as always :)

I suppose I should actually pose for some belly photos, with Colin I never really had one so this one seems huge to me. I bump into stuff all the time with my tummy and boobs, I often forget how big they both are ;)

I have actually done some sewing, I am going to try and take some photos today so I can share soon.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, we did :)

Book Swap

2010-11-10T16:54:00.000-08:00

Anyone interested in swapping some books?
I have a few books, fiction, that I really loved reading but I don't have the space to keep them, and I don't think I am someone to reread. Plus I am hoping to get a Kindle for Christmas...hint hint Santa ;)

I have these three right now:

All paper back and all of them are like new. I pretty much like reading anything. If anyone is interested leave a comment or email me.

Yummy

2010-11-10T12:14:00.000-08:00

I have finally got my appetite back...for more then just for guacamole. I mean I still NEED guacamole daily but other things are starting to sound good too :)

Patchwork Sleeping Sack

2010-11-09T15:40:00.000-08:00

I bought this book last Thursday.

There are a lot of projects in it that I would like to make for myself and the baby. I started with the Patchwork Sleeping Sack. I am so glad Anna Maria included illustrations with her instructions, my pregnancy brain could not visualize what I was supposed to do in some steps just by reading the instructions :) The project didn't take very long considering my brain was not working as it normally does.

It took to much thinking on my part to make the patchwork front; had to add a couple squares at the end :). The instructions just give the dimensions for how big to make your patchwork fabric piece for the front. I cut my squares 3 1/4" that way I could get as much of the hedgehog print as possible. The below picture is my fabric piece before cutting out the pattern. I plan on using this as a reference for myself if I decide to make a second one..lol

I used various prints, linen, and woven cotton (my fav!) for the patchwork. Linen for the side and backing and a Oliver + S knit/jersey fabric for the inside. The pattern calls for flannel, I am not a flannel person. Call me weird or crazy :) It's a texture thing for me, I do not like that mated balled up texture thing that happens to it ( I know it doesn't happen to all but I don't have the time to search out some that would be suitable for me). So linen it was. My only concern is that it wont be as warm as the flannel. I debated on using some batting but decided against it in the end since the baby is due at the end of March; the weather should start to warm up then. The jersey/knit (i don't know what they call it) fabric is super soft and reminds me of some of our favorite Gymboree blankets Colin has.

Overall I am very happy with this sleep sack and I can't wait to see our little guy sleeping in it. Only 20 more weeks :)

Water Colors

2010-11-08T11:30:00.001-08:00

Colin finally got to paint yesterday. He has been pretending to paint since we painted the kitchen this summer. He had a lot of fun and has been asking me all morning if he can paint again. I may have gotten myself into trouble with this paint set ;)

Happy Monday,

It's a....

2010-11-01T20:27:00.000-07:00

healthy baby boy!
At first the little one was not cooperating and kept putting his hands over his private parts. Apparently he is shy :) After the third try and 10 minutes later he showed the goods. Colin has finally agreed with us (at 5pm) that he is going to have a little brother. All I had to tell Colin was that his little brother will play baseball with him, he was sold.
Now we have to start seriously looking at boy names. They are really hard for us to agree on :)

Have a good night,
E

What have I been doing?

2010-10-29T13:30:00.000-07:00

Obviously I have not been doing much sewing or anything craft related lately; I have been reading. Lots and lots of reading.
Colin insists on reading this book multiple times a day

This is one of his favorite scenes in the book.
This is the other book we have been reading.
I think it is a great book. I especially love how the authors relate the things that are happening to mommy to the children in a way that they can understand.
Colin is over the moon with the idea of becoming a big brother. He lights up like the Griswold's house at Christmas time when you call him big brother. He asks all day if the baby is napping and if it turned off the lights in my tummy so the baby could go night-night. Every night before bed we read the big brother book together and he gives our baby (my tummy) lots of loves. These little moments have almost erased the memories of playing with the Lego's in the bathroom during what should have been mom's "private time".
We are taking Colin with us to the ultrasound on Monday, I hope he enjoys seeing his little brother or sister (Colin says it's a sister)on the tv screen. I hope it doesn't confuse him :) We are all excited to find out the gender on Monday, only a few more days!

On the Desk

2010-10-28T15:59:00.000-07:00

This has been sitting on my desk for weeks. It was supposed to be part of a pin cushion for the PMQG October swap. I ended up getting a cold and didn't make it to the meeting. Or getting the pin cushion finished :) The devilish character was inspired by this fabric...
I have a few scraps left over from the trick-or-treat bag I made Colin last year. I really like having embroidery patches in my sewing projects. Here is my drawing I used for the embroidery, feel free to use it for your own little project.
I think (wishful thinking here) that I will make it into a little mug rug for Colin. I just need to get myself motivated enough to sew. It is doubtful/highly unlikely this will happen before Halloween. I cannot seem to get anything done unless it is something I can do in the living room and requires only a few supplies.
Happy Halloween! Just in case and more then likely I will not blog again before Sunday, seeing as I hardly ever get on the pc anymore.

Knit

2010-10-19T09:46:00.000-07:00

I knitted this Baby Pea Pod as a thank you gift to Sarah for taking some family photos for us. I hope it works out as a great photo prop. Bun-Bun tested it out for me but he was a bit to long for the pod :) I have plans on making another one with some thicker yarn, this one was really soft but not thick enough.

Pinafore

2010-10-03T16:19:00.001-07:00

The boys went and watched a couple of football games at a friends house today. I knew I had to get some sewing done while the house was empty :)
Front:

Pleated pocket:

Back:

I made this for a sweet little girl's 1st birthday that is coming up. I used a Heidi & Finn pattern which can be found here.

Weekend Project

2010-09-28T15:25:00.001-07:00

This is what we did last weekend. Plus my husband did the finishing touches on our painted kitchen cabinets. Once they are dry and installed I will share some before and after pictures. I love my new kitchen, it makes me want to cook :)

Num-Num Bags

2010-09-15T10:40:00.000-07:00

i.e. Snack bags

I needed a sewing fix so Colin and I decided to make him some reusable snack bags inspired by this book. And while making these I came across Amy's video. If you haven't seen it...well even if you have you should watch it again. I was crying and snorting I was laughing so hard. I just love her :)
When I say Colin and I made them together we really did. He helped me pick out the fabrics, helped hold the ruler while I cut, and he sat on my lap and helped me sew them. I was amazed when we turned them right side out that the road lines on the, Heather Ross, Rabbits and Race Cars print all matched up. We made one with Velcro and one without. I like the without version so much more. For that one I did a bigger flap and left some extra room on the top for folding it over

Yes...

2010-09-07T16:27:00.001-07:00

I do still sew :)

I made these for last months Portland Modern Quilters Guild meeting. I had the hardest time deciding on which fabrics to use to make the 15 1" size hexagons. I finally decided to use fabrics that I really love but have not used yet :) We were supposed to bring them in a paper sack, I of course didn't have one so I made this

I hope the recipient liked the hexies, I know I really liked the ones I got. Now I just need to use them :)

Zoo-After Hours

2010-09-02T12:20:00.001-07:00

Scott, my father-in-law, had his company picnic at the Oregon Zoo this last weekend. It was a blast. I cannot say how cool it is to be at the zoo after it is closed. The animals were very active even at 4 o'clock when we got there :) This post is going to have a lot of photos, sorry put I couldn't resist sharing.

I think the female lion thought Colin was a lion cub. His hair is pretty close to their coloring. She was very gently with him while she tried to bathe him. It terrified me even though I kept telling myself there was a protective layer of glass. Colin loved every minute. She would paw at him and it would fill me with fright, finally I couldn't take it anymore and I had to pull him away. I had nightmares that night :)

We saw all the animals that we never get to see, it was obvious that they were night time predators. I hope that Scott's work has it at the zoo again next year, and that we are inviting again :)

These two birds cracked us up. The bird with the log in it's beak kept trying to give it to the other bird. She would not except and was running all over the exhibit trying to get away. The bird with the log was persistent and never gave up. We left while she was still running from him :)

Blueberries

2010-08-23T00:50:00.000-07:00

We went and picked 13 lbs of blueberries a couple weekends ago. Thank you to Gretel for sharing her $0.75 a lbs u-pick blueberry farm, located in Ridgefield, WA. It was fast and easy picking. I think I got hungry before Colin got bored and we called it quits :)

Does anyone have some good blueberry recipes they would like to share?

Hacky Sack

2010-08-20T12:29:00.001-07:00

As requested by my brother Ben, one green and white striped hacky sack :)
I would like to try and make this again but without making it in spiral formation. It made the back side not so pretty due to the stripes.
Free pattern can be found here

:)

2010-08-12T11:51:00.001-07:00

Thank you for all your wonderful comments.
The Random number generator picked number....6
Congratulations Megs! Also I must say her hexagons are fabulous. I really need to make some more :)
And because I can't post with out a picture I thought I would share my crazy tomatoes.
It fell over shortly after taking the photo and is now being supported by rope. I sure hope they ripen soon :)

Loving this

2010-08-10T21:29:00.001-07:00

I just love the ideas on Better Homes and Gardens Site. Tutorial here

P.S. You still have time to enter the giveaway

Exciting News & a Giveaway

2010-08-04T19:40:00.000-07:00

Almost a year ago I got asked to be a part of this...
Lunch Bags!: 25 Handmade Sacks & Wraps to Sew Today (Stash Books)
Here I am :)

Look who else is in here....The Sometime's Crafter (Christina)
There are a lot of really fun projects in the book some of which are not lunch bags but are amazing and I need to make them :)

I feel very lucky to have been asked to participate in this amazing collection of lunch bags. And I will admit it feels pretty cool to see yourself in a book!

Now for the fun part, sharing the love. Leave me a comment before Wednesday August 11th 12am. I will choose one lucky person and hopefully announce the winner on that Wednesday.

PS...If you like the Joel Dewberry fabrics used in my lunch bag I have recently seen some at Sheree's Alchemy and Fabric. com. As always Amazon.com has a great price on the book.

Buzz

2010-07-30T12:53:00.001-07:00

Buzz a dog for Colin that will stay at my mom's house. Really I think it was just a good reason to keep one of the puppies from the litter ;) Buzz and my mom came and stayed with us this week. My mom left today but Buzz is staying until Sunday. He is 7 weeks old, a Blood Hound/Tree Walker mix, and LOVES to chew on our toes and pant legs.

Colin is unsure of him. He is drawn to him but at the same time terrified of being nibbled on. All Buzz has to do is look at Colin and Colin becomes frozen and starts crying. Mom to the rescue! Followed by Colin telling Buzz to go take a nap. Yet when Buzz is napping Colin keeps talking to him and telling him "awake". I am not sure who it is the hardest on, I am beginning to think myself :)

Buzz and I have bonded and he is currently sleeping on my feet. How could anyone not bond with a dog that gives you that puppy dog look? I think he is cute and adorable but one thing I have learned from his visit with us is that we are not ready for any pets.

Happy Friday and hopefully we will still have all our toes and pants legs intact after Sunday ;)

Farm Fun

2010-07-26T14:45:00.001-07:00

Just a few pictures from a fun filled evening out at Kruger Farm. We can't wait to go back and have some more fun.

Black and White

2010-07-23T00:25:00.000-07:00

I don't know why but I am in a black and white mood. I am trying to sort out the some 700 photos that were on the camera. Yeah, I have been lazy. Well not lazy so much as in pain. I have some pinched nerves in my right should blade area so I am not getting much of anything done :( Sorry for the photo heavy post, but the family has been asking for some pictures. I am hoping to have something crafty to share in the near future, once my arm is capable.

Fun with Uncle Cory

2010-07-22T11:18:00.001-07:00

Brett's brother Cory came for a nice little visit. Every year the guys try to go on a one night camp out around Brett's birthday. This year Cory stayed in town for a week. It was really nice for Colin to get to spend some time with Uncle Cory.

Mendocino Picnic Blanket

2010-07-09T16:10:00.000-07:00

I finished the top this morning. It is one big square (7x7) up of 10" blocks. I am hoping to get it finished soon so we can start using it. I have been debating between the two Laurie Smith fabrics, pictured below, for the backing. I finally decided on the orange mosaic fabric and now I am not sure if I will have enough. I may have exactly enough if I don't have any cutting errors. Keep your fingers crossed :)

Thank you Sheila, Christina, and Sarah for all of your input and spare squares, it was most appreciated :)

July 6, 2010

2010-07-07T12:40:00.001-07:00

Summer is finally here :)

Spots Again !?!?

2010-06-30T13:33:00.001-07:00

I made this cute little shirt to go with some pj's for the shop. While ironing it I noticed some spots on the right sleeve. I have no idea where they came from but they wont come out. They are not extremely noticeable but since I know they are there I spot them right away. I can't/wont sell this shirt so I am giving it away- if anyone wants it send me a comment or email.

T-shirt is size 2T-3T

Here is the new complete set ;)

Happy Birthday to the Twins

2010-06-29T00:41:00.000-07:00

I made them a set of pajamas, red for Ruby and green for Larkin (Sarah's little girls), their favorite colors. They turned 3 on Father's Day but had their park party on Sunday. It was a blast and Colin only had one little accident :)

Fun in the sun...

2010-06-28T12:26:00.001-07:00

All weekend long :)

We had a very busy and very fun weekend and I even did a little sewing :)

A few things that made me smile this week

2010-06-25T11:31:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone has a happy weekend full of smiles :)

Darn You Google Reader

2010-06-21T03:41:00.000-07:00

I hate when the counter on Google Reader stops and just says 1000+. Am I that far behind??? I guess so. Time to do some reading since I finally finished my May Mystery dishcloth knit along on June 20th!

Pattern can be found here: www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/apple-leaf-cloth-2

June 20th

2010-06-20T15:35:00.001-07:00

Happy Father's Day

to my Mr. and all the other amazing dad's out there. I think it is often taken for granted how important dad's really are to children. For Colin his daddy is his the coolest, smartest, and funniest person in the world. He is a daddy's boy and I am okay with that. It makes my heart melt just watching the two of them together.

Granny Square Blanket Winner

2010-06-14T11:08:00.001-07:00

Congratulations Sarah! You scored big on my trip to my mom's house. I have the Fiestawear ( Sarah collects Fiestaware) for you and now the blanket too :) We will have to meet up soon so I can give you all of your goodies.

Dino's at the Zoo

2010-06-11T03:58:00.000-07:00

It was a very emotion filled trip to the zoo for Colin. I will admit that some of the dinosaurs were scary and very life like with all of their life like movements. Not to mention the spitting ones that sprayed water at you. I think the sounds were the worst for Colin. He kept saying "oh, no!" and we explained every time that they were just robots that looked like dinosaurs :)

A Special Visit

2010-06-10T15:27:00.001-07:00

Please excuse me while I play catch up with some photos. My Uncle Mike was in town from Florida and it happened to be my Uncle Jim's birthday. Those two events defiantly called for a family gathering. Unfortunately not everyone could make it including some baked beans that jumped out along the journey to Grandma's house.

Colin took this photo :)

Grandpa Rollie and Colin filling up the fountain

Showing Colin how to fish/ clean out the pond

Noah wanting outside :)

Colin trying to help Noah open the screen door :)

The birthday boy, Uncle Jim. He is a wonderful man so much so that we gave Colin part of his name...Colin James :) Have I mentioned that he is single??? (I will probably get a phone call for that comment)

The boys and everyone else loved the cake. Costco cake is delicious.

I didn't get a lot of pictures taken, what I do have Brett took most of them. I was to busy chatting :)

A cure for the Blues....Givaway

2010-06-08T16:20:00.001-07:00

The color blue must be on my mind. I have been using it in a few projects, dressing myself and Colin in it, wishing to see it in the sky.

*Not-so-little blue bird (from this book) along with the appliquéd t-shirt was a birthday gift for Stella, Sarah's daughter.

* photo of the blue sky as we were driving home from Grandma Candi's house. You can kind of see Mt. Hood in the background

*A really cozy and heavy crocheted blanket my mom and I came across as we were unpacking.

I think the blanket is wonderful. It is so cheerful to look at on these gray days we continue to have her in the PNW. It has definitely brought us some color this last couple days and I think it is time to share it. How about a giveaway?? That's right I am going to give this pretty blanket away. I don't know where it came from but it is in great shape and I think the yarn is a wool blend because it is really heavy for its size. Due to the weight of the blanket the giveaway is open to U.S. residences only...sorry

Simply leave a comment before Sunday, June 13th on this post and I will pick a winner via the random number generator on Monday. Good Luck

Mini-Break

2010-06-07T09:16:00.001-07:00

Mt. Adams- view from Glenwood School

We are back home from our mini-break. Colin and I went to my mom's to help her move into her new house. We had lots of fun and got a decent amount of work done before we had to cut our trip short. Poor Mr. C was not feeling so great when we left. After 4 days I think he was just exhausted from playing so much and being out of his routine combined with a runny nose and congestion that we decided to come home.

We are happy to be home and I have some great pictures to share over the next couple days and hopefully a giveaway :)

Fishy Pajamas

2010-05-25T15:10:00.001-07:00

Fishy pajama's for a very special 2 year old.

Brice (Christina's son) turned two last Saturday. He is a wonderful "little boy", since he is official not a baby anymore. He is: super smart, playful, adorable, and darn that kid can entertain himself for what seems like an eternity compared to Colin :) They are the best of buds and it is a lot of fun watching them play together. They got to have "happy-happy", as Colin calls it, twice in one day.

Colin had a blast driving Brice's Jeep around.

Have I mentioned how much he loves Jeeps? He points them out ever time he sees one :)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-19T11:58:00.001-07:00

What the !??!?!?!

2010-05-18T07:43:00.000-07:00

I noticed the spot after washing it and DRYING it :(

I am beginning to think that it is a sign that I should not make stuff to sell on Etsy. To much pressure for perfection and I already put a lot of that on myself.

Colin the Gardner

2010-05-17T13:30:00.001-07:00

We have been spending all of our afternoons outside during the week and all day on the weekends. We are loving this sunshine, especially Colin because it means he needs to water our garden and flowers :)

He is a great Farmer/Gardner.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-12T11:02:00.001-07:00

A Birthday Gift for Sarah

2010-05-10T14:26:00.000-07:00

I made her a sewing machine cover (thank goodness we have the same machine, cause the dimensions were different then the pattern) from this book. I got the Little Red Embroidery pattern from here. Sarah has been mentioning for a while she wants to learn how to embroider and that she wants a bag with an embroidered camera on it. So I got her this e-book, a set of various sized embroidery needles, I made her a little needle holder (last minute because I couldn't figure out how to wrap them so they wouldn't get lost), and I made her a drawing of her camera for her to use an embroidery pattern.

I of course finished everything last minute and almost forgot to take pictures :)

Dishcloths

2010-05-07T05:37:00.000-07:00

I finished them days before Mother's Day and good thing I did because my mom stopped by yesterday while she was in town :)

I didn't use a pattern for them but I will share with you what I did to make them. I am not an experienced crotchetier by any means and this was one of my first washcloth attempts, so keep that in mind :)

Hook size: H

Chain 34 -or any number (as long as it's an even number( to reach your desired size

Row 1: sc into second chain from hook, *ch 1, skip 1 ch, sc in next ch, repeat from * to end, turn.

Row 2: ch 1, skip first sc, * sc in next sc, ch1, skip 1 sc, repeat from *, row should end with a sc and then turn.

Row 3-36: reapeat row 2

Boarder: I just did two rows of sc all the way around the washcloth and did three sc in each corner.

-I forgot to measure my overall size so I guess I will have to make some more so I can get a measurement :)

If you have any questions/comments please feel free to ask/leave your input :) Or if you have any links to fun and easy washcloth pattern's I would love to see them.

Do You Think He Knows?

2010-05-06T13:09:00.001-07:00

I don't know how he knew but I swear he knew the hat was for a girl. I tried numerous times on different days to get him to try it on for me and he would not comply. I thought maybe dad could distract him but that didn't work. So I tried dad + the camera...it was a little better, plus now I have these funny pictures to share :)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-05T00:24:00.000-07:00

Starting Fresh

2010-05-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

Do you remember this jar? Well I successfully managed to kill everything it in slowly and painfully. But Yesterday I revived it with a new plant. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I can keep it alive for a few months.

edit:Plant name THYMUS praecox Highland Cream : Creeping Thyme

Another Washcloth

2010-05-03T09:13:00.001-07:00

This one I am liking a lot :)

It worked up really quick and it has a nice thickness to it. I am going to make at least one more maybe two and then get them out in the mail to my mom for Mother's Day. Hopefully I can drag myself to the store for some more yarn :)

French Knot

2010-05-03T08:41:00.001-07:00

p.s. sorry for the funky picture but I can't give to much of the project away, its going to be gifted :)

Thank you Christina for showing me how to make a French knot. I had watched several videos and looked a diagrams but I could not get it to work. I watched Christina make a few times and it clicked :) I even made them with different thicknesses. So Cool! Love the French Knot, especially on the the little mushrooms.

*The key for me was/is holding the needle in my left hand while wrapping the thread around the tip of the needle counter clock wise.

Zig-Zag Progress

2010-05-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

A little more then half the squares needed for the zig-zag quilt top. I have a stack in the office and another 24 squares to cut then I am ready to start piecing :)

Fabrics for the top are a white solid and various prints from Sandi Henderson's Farmers Market line. Free pattern can be found here, thanks to Crazy Mom Quilts. I am making a queen size and hopefully I calculated everything right :)

Has Anyone Seen Colin?

2010-05-01T11:26:00.001-07:00

Soup

2010-04-29T10:38:00.001-07:00

It's what we are having for lunch today.

Alphabet Soup made by Chef Colin

We made it

2010-04-28T10:52:00.000-07:00

The Mr comes home tonight. I am so excited I could hardly sleep last night. I have been really really tired. Luckily my mom has been here the last few nights so I have been able to get some much needed sleep.

I did not get nearly as much crafting done as I had hoped to. By the time I would get Colin to bed I was extremely tired myself. I have been using nap times for exercising or cleaning the house. Leaving me with little time leftover for cleaning the house.

Here are some photos from the last few days:

A crochet dishcloth, I think it is to frilly for a dishcloth and I don't like the striped yarn, It takes away from the design. I may try it again with some solid color yarn and see how it looks.

We went to the nursery with Sarah and the family. I have substituted buying fabric with buying plants :)

Colin and I have had lots of lazy days while the Mr. has been gone.

Another dishcloth, this one is a knit vine pattern. I think it turned out pretty well. I have a few mistakes here and there but I still like it. Pattern found on Ravelry.

Why all the dishcloths? I am/was going to make them for my mom for mother's day (she get's her new house today). I don't know if I will gift them or not. They are not great by any means. I think I will gift the vine dishcloth if I can make some more up to go with it. But I would like a pattern that works up a bit faster for me.

Day 5

2010-04-22T20:41:00.001-07:00

We had some visitors today. Christina and Brice stopped by for a short visit. The boys had a ton of fun. They were racing from one end of the patio to us on the other side. But it was not just any race it was a boy race so they had to make it exciting and get their dose of adrenaline... They crossed lanes half way through the race every single time :)

Brice is a fast runner and is so much bigger then Colin. Colin just seems so tiny he must get it from his dad :)

They really are the best of buds.

They played really hard and wore themselves out. They were both ready for naps by the time Christina and Brice went home. I am hoping Colin sleeps until 8 tomorrow morning. I made a nice big dinner tonight, Broccoli Beef with Brown Rice. Colin even ate some broccoli :) And of course Colin was cooking while I was....

A little something I starting working on last night. I have also been working on a Birthday present for a friend but I cant share photos until after her birthday...sorry Sarah....no sneak peeks :)

I am hoping I have a better night then last night. Let's just say I got scared and slept with a Mag light and my knitting needles. I figured if Colin could stab the couch 6"-7" deep it could do some damage. I think I will go drink some sleepy time tea and try and get some rest tonight.

Goodnight.

Evening Day 4

2010-04-21T19:51:00.001-07:00

The dinner of champions...

Annie's Mac and Cheese with peas and a glass of Erath Pinot Noir :)

If that does not say how I am feeling maybe this will help clarify...

I am ready for it to be bed time and Colin is still going strong :( I am looking forward to a better day tomorrow and hopefully Colin will not rip out my knitting and then stab my couch with the needle. I miss my Mr so very much. And we had a gallon and a half of expired milk in the fridge, sigh. Now I need to go to the store...I will tomorrow.

Goodnight,

Days 2-4

2010-04-21T10:01:00.001-07:00

Day 2: Sitting in the window waiting for Dad to get home :(

Cleaning his kitchen while I was cleaning mine :)

Day 3: My mom and youngest brother, Ben, came and stayed for a few nights. Ben helped me take down the birthday decorations. Colin loves his Uncle Ben so much. When he woke up on Tuesday morning the first thing he said was "Ben?" and went looking for him.

I made a crocheted basket for some of Colin's toys. Pattern found here. I used some yarn I got out of the clearance bin at Joann's

Day 4: Colin is busy playing with his kitchen and wearing his new pajamas that I made him from this pattern. I opted out of the kimono top and went for a Hanes t-shirt instead. I love the pants on him and have plans to make some more.

Plans for the rest of the day include: treadmill for mom, nap for Colin, post office, Joann's, and maybe Toys-R-Us/Babies-R-Us. I need to get him a booster seat for the kitchen table (I am seriously regretting that our table is counter height).

Day 1 of 10

2010-04-18T20:26:00.001-07:00

Today is day 1 of 10 with out the Mr around. Colin and I stayed very busy and got lots of chores done. It is always a lot easier on me when the Mr is gone if the house is neat and tidy. The dishes are done, the trash/recycle are out, the grass is mowed (thank you Papa), the last of the laundry is drying, and Colin is in bed (a little earlier then usual). I can hear him in their chatting away. I am just to tired and ready for bed myself to make to his normal bed time. Not a good sign at the end of day 1. But I am still smiling

The Mr got me these.. along with some cute tank tops right before he left. I love them. They will most defiantly keep my spirits up while he is away.

I am debating on working on some craft projects or crawling into bed and reading....I think I will read :)

Good night,

Squares

2010-04-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

My plan is to make a throw size blanket. I have 7 squares done and to many left to count :) They work up very quickly but who knows how long it will take me to make all of my squares.

For Me?

2010-04-16T10:06:00.001-07:00

Colin gave me my first flowers! It was the sweetest thing ever.

And now I can't get him to stop picking all the flower buds off the plants :) So I distracted him with some "Color, Color, Color"

And yes he is wearing his pj's they are his favorite to wear so I let him wear them all day :) Whenever he sees them he HAS to wear them; clean or dirty, already dressed or not, it does not matter to him.

Colin's Party

2010-04-14T14:59:00.001-07:00

DSC_8035-1, originally uploaded by izzybizzy81.

Colin had a great time at his party last Saturday. We did too and hopefully everyone else :)
The weather would have been perfect if it wouldn't have been so windy but we all went outside any way. North Westerner's are tough like that ;)

Thank you to everyone who came and for all the wonderful gifts. Colin has been very busy all week playing with all his new cool stuff.

More photos here

WIP's Done!

2010-04-07T09:50:00.000-07:00

I finished my WIP's from this post :)

A car boot shift cover for my brother- I am hoping this is what he had in mind.

The Revoluzzzionary bunny was a big hit with Colin. Not so much with mom. I had a really hard time with stitching it all together. I am not used to making stuff so small :) I still love the little bunny and think it is adorable. But don't look to closely at it. I had to sew up a few little spots on the outside by hand :) I think it gives the bunny character.

Colin's apron is finished and ready to be washed. It did not turn out exactly how I had pictured it. But I think it will work just fine. Plus there is lots of room in it so he can use it for years :) I still need to wash it and wrap it for his birthday party this Saturday.

03.29.2010

2010-04-06T11:00:00.001-07:00

Colin turned 2 years old. The day did not go as planned. Brett took a vacation day from work so we could do something fun but ended up working from home and I was sick. It was nice having Brett home to help with Colin while I was not feeling very well. Little did I know I was going to feel much worse the next day and for days after.

We are having a little party for him this Saturday with friends and family. He is going to be really excited to have more "Happy Cake" as Colin calls it.

I still made Colin a birthday cake, Banana Sour Cream with Cream Cheese frosting :)

I so badly wanted to lick the frosting bowl clean but I didn't.

My Grandparents stopped by in the morning and dropped of Colin's present, they didn't come in the house since I was so sick. They gave him some bobble head dolls, or "guys" as Colin refers to them, a birthday card with lights and music, and other goodies. Colin loves his guys, in fact he has brought them home from grandpa and grandma's house before, without asking. And he plays the card over and over and over, while dancing away. Thank you Grandpa and Grandma!

Brett and I sang Happy Birthday to Colin after dinner and he loved it. It was a lot more fun this year compared to last year. He was more aware of what was going on and enjoyed it. While I did miss having our family there to help celebrate, it was a very special moment and I think it was even more special since it was just the three of us.

He has grown and changed a lot over the last year.

I love my little guy so much. I treasure every little moment. And I am so thankful that I get to stay at home with him :) I love my family and I am looking forward to all the adventures we have ahead of us.

Sick

2010-04-04T20:50:00.001-07:00

Sick, originally uploaded by izzybizzy81.

Well Colin is actually better but mom is really sick. We have used three boxes of Kleenex in one week I am finally well enough that I can function but I still feel and sound icky.

Progress

2010-03-26T09:33:00.001-07:00

I actually got the office cleaned up enough that I could see and use the computer desk for sewing :)

I did not get a lot accomplished but I got some things cut out and worked on Colin's apron a bit. I hope to finish the apron today, really there is not much left and no reason for me not to :)

Happy Friday!

Finally

2010-03-25T10:21:00.001-07:00

Today is the first day in 13 days that Colin's nose has not been red (it's still producing the most vividly colored mucus). He has had a nasty cold for 13 days and counting. We had a visit to the Emergency Department last Saturday night. He got Croup with Stridor on top of his cold and had a fever of 103.5. It was a very scary ride to the hospital. His breathing cleared up after the nebulizer and steroid treatments. You could only hear a minor wheezing/whistle. By the time we got home it was 3am and we all got into bed and slept until 10am. All but me. I kept waking up to make sure Colin was okay, even though he was sleeping right next to me :)

He was supposed to have his 2nd Birthday Party this Saturday but I postponed it. Maybe the second weekend in April? He is still not fully recovered and will finish his last dose of steroids tonight. So for now we just hang in there and soak up the sunshine and breathe in the nice cool air.

Hoping everyone's week has been better then mine. Talk to you soon.

Hermione's Knit Hat

2010-03-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

I am pretty proud of this hat. I am a beginner knitter and this hat had me try a few techniques that I had never done. So it was challenging. There are a few mistakes here and there but I am okay with that. I did fix a lot of mistakes as I went and by the end I am really proud of how easily I can figure out and fix a mistake that happened a few rows back :)

I used this pattern (with the addition of the extra cast on stitches), Patons Silk Bamboo yarn color Stone, and I used the circular needles listed in the pattern.

"Outside?"

2010-03-19T04:42:00.000-07:00

Me- "Sorry, but No...."

Me- "Just because you put your hat on does not mean you are going outside."

Colin-...

Outside?

Me- Sorry. No means no outside, to the back and front door. Nice try.

Colin- Outside? Hat! Ready!

Me- it's raining, we are not going outside, besides you do not even have shoes on.

Colin- Shoes? Umm...Shoes, Hat, Ready!

Me- Dang! Sorry sweets still not going outside.

Colin- Ummm....Bye-bye, Brice?

Me- Nice try, but no we are not going outside to go bye-bye to see Brice.

Colin- Naaaanaaaa!!!

Me- fine, go tell nana on me.

I love my toddler and I just love how he says "ummmm" :)

Thank you to the man in brown

2010-03-18T04:23:00.000-07:00

I love it when the UPS man comes. He always brings great things :)

I spent some of my birthday money on these goodies. All fabrics were bought with an intended purpose.

From left to right:

plum fabric binding for my Mendocino picnic blanket (yet to be made)

Plaid fabric 1/2 yard for the skirt pattern(bottom trim) on far left, 1/2 yard for binding for my meadowsweet quilt (yet to be made)

Amy Butler floral to be used with new skirt pattern (either main piece or trim)

Octopi print 1 yard for main part of skirt pattern, 1 yard to go towards backing of the picnic blanket.

Hopefully I will get three different skirts made for spring/summer with these new fabrics and ones from my stash. And before my next birthday I hope to have both the picnic blanket and meadowsweet quilt done.

everything was purchased at fabric.com

Thank you to all the wonderful birthday wishes and gifts. They made my birthday extra special.

Happy 1st Birthday Noah

2010-03-17T04:10:00.000-07:00

Still needs to be gifted. The party was last Saturday, for whatever reason I thought the party started at 2 but it started at 1. I went any way to drop off the gift and left sick little Colin at home with Brett. Apparently the pizza place had three banquet rooms I thought it had only two. I came back home feeling confused and embarrassed still carrying the gift. Hopefully I can get it to Noah soon because every time I see the bag it calls me an idiot.

To Many Choices

2010-03-16T17:01:00.001-07:00

I am in desperate need to re paint the kitchen. I can no longer live with the "torchlight" yellow. We have 4 different colors up on the wall as test swatches. So far the only one I like is the one from Colin's room. Would it be weird to have the same paint color in the kitchen?

I wanted gray but I have decided I should avoid it unless I am okay with it looking somewhat blue. We are planning on painting the cabinets white before the end of summer, I do love the white on white but I don't think my husband was in favor of it. Here is what I have narrowed it down to:

I would like to paint it before Colin's 2nd Birthday. So the deadline is March 29th. I need help choosing a color, and fast. Brett doesn't want to help choose a color after the paint fiasco in the bathroom :)

Sale Alert

2010-03-16T11:54:00.001-07:00

Look at what I came across today....

Mendocino by Heather Ross $3.95 a yard

https://www.fabric.com/national-quilt-day-sale-mendocino-collection.aspx

More Birthday Pictures

2010-03-16T01:10:00.000-07:00

We went to the zoo. It was really cold and windy, it even snowed for a minute or two :) We had a great time. I even embraced my huge curly wind blown hair and did not pin it down until after we left. I am learning to love it, it's only taken me 29 years.

29

2010-03-15T04:24:00.000-07:00

There I said it. I am now official 29, well I have been for a week. I had a wonderful birthday that started out with my husband surprising me by taking a vacation day from work and it ended with a fantastic birthday dinner at Christina's house.

I share my birthday with my Grandma Pat. She is an amazing women. I would not be the person I am today if it was not for her. In fact, I think I am lucky to share so many of her characteristics, not to mention her since of style. The family usually gets together for lunch or breakfast but we had to postpone this year. My Grandpa just had a complete knee replacement. He is recovering quickly and hopefully will be back to fishing before too long.

Back to me :)

I was, maybe still am, having a hard time with the number 29. And to prove that it is/was valid I found my first white hair this weekend (and it was a long one). Thank goodness I did not find it before my actual birthday. I can only imagine the melt down I would have had and the enormous amount of shopping I would have to do for therapy :)

Today I have been 29 for a week and you know it is not that bad. I have decided to make this year a good one, to make the most of the last year of my 20's.

For Erin and Baby Ava

2010-03-14T21:48:00.000-07:00

I got carried away :)

Thank you to the amazing talented Christina! She quilted the blanket for me with her super cute "blossom" quilting. It fit perfectly with the quilt and the thread matched so well I couldn't get a picture of it to share. There is one here, if you are interested.

Boots

2010-03-04T08:56:00.001-08:00

Colin loves to wear his rain boots. He has been trying for a while to get them on all by himself, he finally succeeded yesterday. He went and sat in his little blue chair and put the boots on the floor in front of him and very carefully put his feet in the boots. They were on the wrong feet but I couldn't tell him that :) We were both so excited and proud that we celebrated with a little dance and a high-five.

Not Much

2010-03-01T09:39:00.001-08:00

This is all I have to show for that last few weeks. A baby changing pad. My project list has been neglected for a while now. I am hoping to cross some things off by the end of this week.

I hope everyone had a great weekend. We got some much need yard work and tree trimming done.

We are still here

2010-02-26T17:24:00.001-08:00

View of Mt. Adams during our visit to Snowden, WA

But we wish we were there. We were "there" last weekend visiting my Uncle Jim.

Is it a couch???

2010-02-18T11:02:00.001-08:00

DSC_7183-1, originally uploaded by izzybizzy81.

Nope, it's a fort :) More photos here

For Love

2010-02-16T11:34:00.001-08:00

Burn

2010-02-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

Colin burnt his finger Saturday :(

I was not there when it happened but I did walk in right after he did it. No crying, whining, or anything. Brett was holding him and he simple reached out and touched a very hot light bulb with his right pointer finger. Perhaps followed by a "hot" or "ouch" I don't remember what Brett said he said. All I remember was wanting to cry for him. He kept trying to figure out what to do with his finger. He wanted to be held but didn't know where to put his finger so it wouldn't hurt. It broke my heart to see him in discomfort (I know I need to get over this and that there are many more accidents to come, and bigger ones) His little finger blistered immediately and popped the next day. The night it happened we wrapped his little finger up with some burn cream and then put a sock over it. With the hopes it would stay on. All of the bandaging was off by morning :)

It is healing nicely and I am hoping it wont get infected since it is the finger he likes to chew on. For now I just keep shoving the "bah" i.e. pacifier in his mouth if I see him chewing on it.

New Shower Curtain

2010-02-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

Remember this photo?

Just in case you didn't read the wordy post from yesterday some repeat photos :) .....

I started cutting out circles by hand and then decided to speed things up and bought this.

Had Brett fix my already cut circles while adding the steam-a-seam

Then we, mainly Brett, cut out the rest. I just laid the fabric on top of the square adhesive sheets and cut them both out at the same time.

We did various sized circles with 5 different fabrics. I laid the shower curtain out flat on the living room floor and flung the circles like frisbees hoping for a random layout. I liked how it looked so I pined them in place and then got to work attaching them to the curtain. First with the iron (for the steam-a-seam) then with the embroidery floss.

I love it and so does Colin. Brett is a little concerned about the goldfish named Robert looking at him while he uses the facility :)

Painting Problems

2010-02-09T11:24:00.001-08:00

First off let me apologize for the pictures and the wordy post. The lighting in the bathroom is terrible (there is no natural light at all). Not only does this make for awful pictures but it is frustrating to paint.

The paint color never ends up being what you think it will. This will be the third paint job in this bathroom since we bought the house 5 years ago. The first time we painted it I was hoping for a whitewash with a hint of blue. It ended up being to blue for me (see above photo-paint is inside the fixture) and we repainted it when I got a new shower curtain. The green that was on the wall did not go with the Gold Fish shower curtain at all. We picked out a "whitewash" earth brown/grey/blue paint that we thought looked good in the bathroom lighting (blueish color around fixture). I swear it was the exact blue color as the first time we painted it. How is that even possible?? It was an entirely different paint line.

Needless to say I was not very happy. We took the paint back to the store (third trip to Home Depot that day) and asked them to help me change the color. I was happy with the whitish color they got it to, but who knows what it would have looked like in the bathroom and Brett didn't want white. So he picked out another swatch. A dark brown/grey. Very pretty but a bit dark for the bathroom. We went with it, they added the other colors to our already mixed paint. I left HD with a mind full of wishful thinking and a belly full of doubt.

We put the new paint up, mainly Brett did, I was not feeling well. And then decided it was the lighting the was ruining the paint so we went in search of a new fixture and ended up with new light bulbs. They made a big difference in the paint color.

Do I love it?? I don't know yet but I do love it compared to the ice blue color :) Has it left me scared to repaint the kitchen? Yes.

Super Bowl Shopping

2010-02-07T18:27:00.000-08:00

I am a sucker for a sale :) I tried really hard not to go to the sale but I couldn't resist. I got some great fabrics (including a quilt kit) at amazing prices from Hollyhill Quilt Shoppe. I better finish some projects so I can play with the new stuff. I really want to make myself a skirt for this spring/summer with the fabric in the back.

Hoping everyone had a great weekend,

Elizabeth

Towel Rug

2010-02-03T18:29:00.001-08:00

I used only scraps I had including the super soft velour terry cloth. I didn't use steam-a-seam on here (big surprise, I know) I didn't want it to loose any of the softness. So I just stitched the circles down with an appliqué stitch and embroidery floss, I figure if it doesn't hold up I will sew it with the machine. I got the idea from this book...

Brett got it for me for Valentines Day. Well I wanted it and didn't want to feel guilty about it so I told him he got it for me :) I was ordering other stuff from Amazon so I figured I may as well get with the free shipping. I got it without ever seeing it in person. There are some great ideas in it but I was hoping for more tips on how to clean vintage fabrics so you could reuse them.

The books Towel Rug: it used a towel for the entire backside. I decided since my piece of towel was new and super soft I would just put trim around it to finish it off.

(I hope it's okay I showed the picture from the book)

I have yet to but it in the bathroom as we are still waiting for the paint to dry. For now Colin is enjoying it as a play mat.

Strawberry Jam

2010-01-29T12:51:00.001-08:00

Colin and I made some homemade freezer jam. It tastes great but we made a huge mess. From the thawed strawberries oozing their juices out of the fridge onto the kitchen floor to my son and his eagerness with the spoon :)

Of course I do not have any after photos of the strawberry goodness all over Colin, the counter, his precious stool, and myself. I was quickly trying to clean up the sticky mess.

I used this freezer jam pectin. I did heat it a little on the stove because my berries were still a tad frozen. I love that it only calls for 1 1/2 cups of sugar instead of the 4.