Art

Hazel came home with this delicate piece of art she created at school:


I've had it on my fireplace mantle ever since.

Feeling Better

Hazel is feeling much better, thank you very much. She hasn't had a fever since Sunday night. Technically she could've gone back to school today but she's been coughing and sneezing all over the place so I kept her home one extra day. It was actually kind of nice having her home with energy. We went out to Ballard to pick up some paints from the craft store so the kids could finish their skulls:

She's been on this Day of the Dead kick since studying it last year. She wants to be a Day of the Dead skeleton for Halloween (can you believe Halloween is in a few days?). It really shouldn't have surprised me that she asked for bright colors while we were at the craft store.


August is going for a more realistic look to his skulls...white with black. Although he did mention that maybe we could do half and half. The skulls will be given to the kids who come to the Halloween party we're having on Friday night.

August had guitar practice at School of Rock today after school. I'm always a bit frazzled on Tuesdays as I have to pick him up and run him right up to practice. He came out of the school right on time but then had to run back in because he forgot the pumpkin he picked out from the patch today. So, I sighed and told him to please hurry. He was probably gone for ten minutes, and we really were doing fine on time, but again...it's Tuesday and I'm frazzled.
I say to Hazel, "Come on! What's taking that boy so long? I thought he just had to grab his pumpkin!!"
To which Hazel replied, "See? Don't you wish August had a cell phone? If he had a cell phone you could call him right now and tell him to hurry up. Instead we have to do the old fashioned thing. And the old fashioned thing is called....waiting!"
She's definitely feeling better. You gotta love that girl.

She's Crafty

OK...who wants to knit this sweater for me?
I know, I know...I can knit...why wouldn't I knit it for myself? Well, there are number of very strange things about me that maybe you should know...I have a hard time eating the food I make...I will eat it, but it just does not taste as good when I'm the one who makes it. I also do not like anything I create for myself. I have knitted sweaters for myself and have promptly unraveled them without a thought. I love knitting things for Hazel or for friends who have little ones on the way...but I KNOW that if I set out to knit this sweater I would end up HATING it.
So, come on...I know there's someone out there who's just dying to knit me a sweater with OWLS(!!) on the neck line. Holy owl, I love it.
I'll buy all the yarn and buttons and I'll even give you my measurements...all you'd have to do is whip it up!
Any takers???

So Many Reasons

I have many friends who are great (or getting great) with child.
This is good news for that crafty side of me...now I have a reason to create! Here's what I whipped up this afternoon while the kids were destroying the downstairs:

I've ordered a few patterns from Wee Wonders and have been very happy with the results. I'm not the best embroiderer; as a matter of fact I sit with my computer perched on the arm of the couch so that I can look up different stitches as I go. But it's a quick project to get through which means that I'm fully satisfied within a few hours.
So if you've got a bun in the oven and I know about it...keep your eyes on the mail box for little gifts here and there. :)

I sure did bend the rules!

I'm trying to gear up for sending out some handmade items, so while the kids were busy this afternoon I busted open that Bend the Rules sewing book. I most definitely bent the rules. Not sure if this is what the tote bag was supposed to look like but here it is regardless.




Hazel is pleased as punch to have a new "Going to the Library book bag"











Off she goes, to read the Eric Carl books I put in the bag. She's so easy to please sometimes.

Inspiration from a Far Friend

I've been posting a bunch but haven't really been spending much time poking around to check on my far away friends. So tonight, while the boys read in August's room and Hazel snoozed, I read up on your lives. A lot has happened out there folks. Too much really to talk about here.
It's a new year and many of you have turned new leaves, exposed new sides of yourselves, made new commitments. It's inspiring really. I'm still working on this whole new year thing. I think the transition of having the kids back in school will allow me to do a bit of reflecting.
In the mean time, I'm going to take a page from Melissa's book and join her in a bit of a pay it forward thing.
The first 3 folks who comment on this post will receive a handmade gift from me. I can't promise how quickly said gift will arrive in your mail box as I'm breaking through weeks of un-productivity but a hand made gift you shall have. There's a catch though- you've gotta do the same. You've got to make 3 handmade gifts to send out to the first three signer uppers.
Ready?
Set?

Inspiration

it's windy and wet outside. our house still has it's original furnace from 1947 so it's a bit chilly as i sit on my green comfy couch and type away. i've got my big, wide, white scarf wrapped around my neck and my french press coffee on the table next to me in an effort to force the warmth around me.
i need inspiration. i haven't been working on anything. fall brings school which should bring more free time for me but this year i have to work as much as possible. i don't mind working. i rather enjoy the time in the kids school. i've been able to peek in on hazel at lunch as well as in her classroom. august has been surprised a number of times by me sneaking up on him and giving him a quick kiss (he isn't embarrassed by these yet). the problem with working is that it isn't constant. last week i worked 3 days, the week before i worked 1 day, this week i'm working 2 days. it's almost impossible to come up with a schedule. i need a schedule. i feel a bit lost not knowing if i'm going to work this day or that, not knowing if i have time to myself...
trey bought me a new knitting book. i haven't picked up needles in a while. this book is full of scarves. i'm excited to start (and complete) a project. now i just need to find the time to get to the yarn store to find that perfect yarn. i want the scarf i make to be wearable and luxurious. anyone have any ideas? i'm so sick of wool with it's itchy, itchy texture. i have a basket full of it from last year and just don't know what to do with it all. i'd love to find a usable cotton/silk mix...just thinking about it makes my fingers ache to knit.
sigh.

Shopping

a friend of mine just opened her esty shop. if you're in need of some very special jewery please check her stuff out. i have some earrings and a beautiful, beautiful necklace from her. she's very talented.

her shop

Doing my Part

Been feeling just a wee bit bad about all the plastic bags I bring home from the grocery store (although now that we have a dog we DO re-use said bags), and it just so happens that the project of the month this month is TO THE MARKET BAGS!! How perfect.
Off to the market to find a fun print with which to make a bag...


I know those ironed plastic bags are blowing up all over the crafting blogs these days, but I guess if I'm going to have them around the house I'd rather use them to pick up dog crap then iron them together to make a new fabric.

Crafty

every once in a while the bug bites me. i can go for months without knitting or sewing or even thinking about doing anything creative, but every once in a while i go a bit crazy with the crafty. despite the glorious sunshine and the warm air i made my way to the fabric store and then to target to get some supplies.
here's what i came home with:
cloth diapers, snap in front baby shirt and some pretty fabric.

i have a few reasons to get creative. august's teacher is having a baby soon and the class is throwing her a baby shower AND i'm a part of this website called Project of the Month (there's still PLENTY of time to join in gals).

so.
i whipped up some all purpose cloths for the spit-up/messy food/drool that Ms. Marcia will be faced with on a daily basis.

and a cute little onesie . dude. i love the shirt. i used the same fabric from the cloths and some heat-n-bond type material. super fun. super easy.

now that i've been bitten i may have to spend some time this weekend sitting in the cool of my basement cutting and sewing.

monday morning

Good Morning.

After a quick weekend we're back to our normal week. The kids are in school and I took my sister's dog Royal for a walk around Greenlake.

I found myself with some time to sew, so I copied Rebecca's instructions and made a few coffee cup sleeves.







I really don't need all three of these but I was on a bit of a roll...so...the first person who comments on this post will get to choose which sleeve they'd like me to send them. The second person will get to choose from the remaining two and well, I'll keep the remaining one.













I made one of these last week and was very excited to use it but I'm in the habit of using the paper sleeve from the coffee shop and...I threw it away with my cup. I didn't even realize it until later that night when I wanted to show Trey what I'd made.

Well, comment away.
Have a great day.

Owls

i've mentioned before that i'm learning to sew. well i spent the better part of last night working on this:

now, before you get all excited and think that i've mastered the art of sewing let me just tell you this...
i used 2, yes 2 patterns to come up with this dress. here are the inspirations:


i went to a trunk show a few weekends ago and found this gals work and just fell in love with it. i had to special order a dress for hazel. it came in the mail a few days ago and as i was looking at it i thought that maybe i could pull it off...
well i did. but. i'll leave the dresses to the professionals. it was not super easy. but it does fit hazel.