Cuddle Me

My boys couldn't stand it that I had made a bunny lovey for someone else. They are some cuddlin' little things ... who needs a lap dog when you have two boys ;-)

Anyhoo ... off we went to pick out some yarn (TLC cotton plus).

Bunny and puppy dog lovey are now a part of our family ... and the never ending pile of stuffed animals.

Public Service Announcements

Have you been here yet? I know ... talk about to do lists! And speaking of to do's ...

May(d) for Me begins May 1st.

Don't forget to post your may(d) for you items on Flickr!

Turn the page .... Tuesday is just around the corner ~ cinco de mayo ~ May 5th ...

Remember to let me know if you are joining us and getting your read on so I can post a link to you here.

Ok - that's it for now. You may return to the regularly scheduled programing.

T is for ...

Two Posts in one day ... Tagged

Heather Jane tagged me to take a picture of me right now - lucky for you all I didn't read her post until this AM and had already taken a shower! I'm a minimalist anyway but I do have some crazy hair in the morning ;-)

I couldn't tag just three ... if you want to play ... consider yourself tagged ;-)

Top

I did it. I finished a top for Spring Top Week.

It was fun trying to take pictures ... the wind was not cooperating!

Fabric Heather Bailey Lollipop

Ta Ta's

Yea, you read that right. Since my spring top was 'one size' fits all ... I didn't take into account that it might not fit ... um ... across my chest. It's a little snug. I'm gonna need to try it on over my bathing suit to see if it fits better with, ahh, less bulk ;-) You know after having 2 children I opted for something that will lift and put back into place (or as DH says 'bullet proof bras') the ta ta's so the top is a a weee bit tight. ARG. I'd hate to have to rip the whole thing out. It was easy to make and I do plan on making another one ... next time I won't forget to consider the girls.

Have a great day ~ Toodles!

Wound Up

I couldn't resist it any longer.

The call for order and untangled yarn was too great.

I had to get one.

It's the little things in life ...

Gotta run. Time to unwind.

Happy Street

Henry certainly is on 'happy street' when he gets to have a little computer or Leapster game time. Mama however got tired of trying to find his cartridges for his game (he only has two but dag on it - he seems to always misplace one of them!).

I've had this CURU CURU by Lecien fat quarter in my stash for a little bit ... waiting for the perfect little something. When I told Henry that I wanted to make a bag for his Leapster and cartridges he picked this out. I happily obliged.

I used an iron on interfacing (because I had it - but I don't really like it - makes the fabric wrinkly) to thicken it up and help add some padding to protect the game. I lined the bag with the green linen I used for Henry's hat.

The fabric has the cutest sayings on it

and

... a 2 year old must have been on the design team.

Now that it's all nice and tidy ... lets just hope we don't loose the whole shebang on Happy Street ...

Mr. Roboto ... Squared

You're wondering who I am ...

Machine or mannequin ...

With parts made in Japan ...

(Fabric a Japanese import by Kokka)

I am the modern man ...

Now that I've got you singing Mr. Roboto (you can thank me later); I'll give you the hat details. I let the boys pick out fabric from my stash and both wanted the robots. We then headed over to JoAnn's so they could pick out fabric that matched. The robots are a linen/cotton blend so we picked out linen for the lining. Henry did not want a bucket hat so I had to do some searching for a flap hat pattern (here).


I bought the pattern for the bucket hat here and for sake of time opted not to do the patchwork side. I have to say their instructions were excellent and despite making a few mistakes (my own fault) I will definitely make this again. The hat fits well and he hasn't taken it off regardless of whether we are in or out!


Henry's hat is a different story. He is fairly happy with it despite it being a bit big. I don't want to criticize someones free tutorial ~ I am just a little disappointed with how the hat turned out (which I'm sure has a great deal to do with my construction). The directions were clear and easy to follow but the sizing seems to be off. It's really loose on Henry, the flaps don't cover his ears, and well it just doesn't seem to sit right. I was also lazy and didn't want to hand stitch the opening close so I tried to fudge it and machine stitch it. It is not noticeable on the exterior but a huge eye sore on the lining. Only time will tell if this will actually get worn on a regular basis.




Both hats worked up fairly quickly and I was happy to have made something for my boys ... like within a few days time of when I said I'd make it! By the way ... how do you like my 'other' model - my lamp without a shade. Nothing but class around here!


My Mr. Roboto's seem to be content and that's all this mama wants ~ little did Styx know they were giving me blog fodder ... they should have said 'I am the modern woman' if you ask me.

Once Upon A Time (For Real)

There was a lady name Lola T.

She lived until the "ripe old age of 95. She lived in a home that her husband had built for them when newlyweds in a town called Cooperton, Utah. The town was built by the owners of the Bingham Cooper Mine for their employees in 1926. They never had children but their lives were very full and even in her 90's Lola was a bright, sunny, cheerful woman."



"I would like to think that Lola would love that her old tablecloth would be re-purposed into an apron ..."



Well, I certainly am glad Mandi married Lola's great, great, (great?) nephew and inherited these beautiful linens! My Flirty Apron Swap apron is just perfect ~ I'm sorry they are such poor pictures. I wanted to get this posted to share and couldn't' seem to get a decent shot. I couldn't head outside because the weather has been rainy ... but I digress. Isn't this apron awesome!? It's hard to tell but there are large pockets on the front ~ just what I need to pick up plastic and stuff snotty tissues.


I just love the story behind my apron. I can just picture Ms. Lola servin' up some fried chicken and potato salad to the neighborhood at their summer picnic. Or maybe they had an eat-in kitchen that was painted blue and this tablecloth was the 'accent' piece ... I feel wrapped in love every time I wear it (which has been every day since I received it. um. yes, I know. it needs to go the wash.)


Thank you Mandi! You did an outstanding job - thank you for sharing a little bit of your family with mine. Please know that I wear this apron and think of you ... and Lola!

Because I Just Can't Say No

I'm thinking it's high time I made something for me. I know, I know. May(d) For Me is right around the corner but I want to do something for me n.o.w. There's this little cami/top/pool cover that I have wanted to make from Simple Sewing since I got the book. It seems like an instant gratification kinda project ... never mind that it's not warm enough to actually wear a top like that right now.




I hope to satisfy that n.o.w. feeling during Spring Top Week. You sew know you want to join in too!



Since I've been on a crochet/sewing kick my kitchen is feeling a bit lonely. I thought this Kitchen Swap was a perfect way to cheer her up.

Sign ups close Friday, April 24th. Come on and get cookin' ... ok, wishful thinking ... how about just get your kitchen crafty on ;-)

I couldn't resist this F.R.I.E.N.D.S Swap either. 7 letters - 7 gifts. I think 7 is gonna be my lucky number ;-P

Sign ups close Thursday, April 30th. Come on and join the fun Friends!

And last but far from least ... craft hope project 2 has been posted.

I have been itchin' to make one of the Black Apple dolls ... knowing my boys ... I'll be making three ... because I just can't say no.

Not Your Grandmother's Apron

I had so much fun hunting for vintage linens for the Flirty Apron Swap. I really had to exercise some major self control. I had waaaayy too many awesome linens in my hands when it came time to check out. I also had to make sure I didn't drool on the goodies before I paid for them (or after for that matter). I finally settled on a card table tablecloth and 4 matching napkins. I hemmed (he he - pun intended) and hawed about how to convert these lovelies into an apron and finally settled on this:

I decided not to cut into the tablecloth and only use the napkins.

I like (need) big pockets - super sized ...

I thought she might enjoy using the the table cloth and the extra napkin I didn't use when she is decked out in her apron ...

matchy-matchy can be a good thing sometimes ;-P

Sidetracked

I started working on a little something for the Mama's/Grandma's in our family for mothers day (y'all should know by now I like to get started early ~ wink ~ wink ~). Truth be told, I knew what I wanted to to do but didn't think Henry would be such a willing participant - he's not so big on 'arty' things; I figured I better get started now so I can have them finished by the big day (which is also Henry's birthday weekend). Well blow me over with a feather, Henry went to town. Now I just need to do my part ...

I must have really looked lonely because two of the boys decided to join me.

Books

... and cuddles are more fun anyway.

I hope when you are sidetracked it's just as pleasant!

A New Thought

Every child born into the world is a new thought of God, an ever-fresh and radiant possibility ~ Kate Douglas Wiggin


Once I figured this little number out it was so easy. I'm still so new at reading patterns that I had a few head scratching moments and frogged my first sweater twice. But once it clicked I had a good chuckle at myself for making something so simple complicated.

For some reason these little sweaters make me think of cherry blossoms ... I had to take a picture under our cherry tree ...

It just seemed fitting to do so. I am now obsessed with making baby sweaters and on the hunt for vintage buttons. Nothing like adding to my list addictions ;-) The yarn was sooo soft - I used Caron Simply Soft Baby - mmmmm.

These sweet Bombay Love sweaters are on their way to little miracles ... or should I say ever-fresh and radiant possibilities.

Easter Wishes

I'm still glass half full ... so instead of apologizing for being late on sharing the joy of Easter I'm going to inundate you with pictures ;-)


Henry participated in the waving of the palms on Palm Sunday and the boys had fun at an egg hunt, died eggs on Saturday and ate egg salad on Sunday (waste not want not!). The bunny stuffed their new lunch totes (they thought the EB and I were in cahoots) with goodies and we ended the celebration with dinner that evening with my mom. Here are a few highlights ...




I'll leave you with a quote from the end of one of our favorite children's books, What is Easter?


... Ok, now I get it. The Easter Bunny is okay, and Easter eggs are fun. But Easter's not about that stuff ... It's all about God's son.

My cup is more than half full ... my cup runneth over.

Better Late ...

I am way behind ... sorta. I guess I will always be behind but somehow making progress one way or another ... glass half full right? Well, on that optimistic note, I have a few things to share today. First up, my awesome Bend the Rules swap bag.

I borrowed Pam's picture since my purse is full ;-)

I received it about 2 weeks ago (shameful I know that I am just getting around to posting about it). I LOVE it!!!! The day I got it I loaded her up and began using it ... thus the delay in posting. Pam did such a beautiful job. She also made me this awesome wonder wallet and a sweet yo yo flower.

Did I say I loved everything?

I also finally got around to making the boys lunch boxes. Goodness. I'm ashamed to say that they picked this fabric out over 6? months ago (but who's keeping track).

When I discovered this great product called ProCare from Kris - she uses them in her wet bags (which are awesome by the way) - I knew I wanted to make lunch totes for the boys. Something that could clean up easily but functional. The lining pulls out for easy access to all those crumbs and spilled applesauce.

I made the tote specifically to fit the Laptop Lunch Bento box. We only have one right now but I see a second one in our future for John. I also added a pocket which Velcro's shut to hold an ice pack or any other goodies. I used a pretty heavy iron on interfacing (I can't remember which one because it came from my stash) so the tote actually can 'stand' on its own. In keeping with the reusable-green theme - I made napkins to match.

I definitely see more of these little lunch bags in my sewing future. I am working on my little Some of a Kind shop for Etsy ... maybe by this summer I'll have some inventory ... once I catch up with my to do list ;-) Now were did I put that to do list ...

To Good To Be Forgotten

Does anyone out there in bloggy land remember this band?

Their music brings back such good memories ... unfortunately my cassette is long gone and I can't seem to find a CD anywhere on the Internet (for less than an arm and a leg!).

I guess I'll be hanging out on YouTube for my 'back in the day' reggae fix.

Turn The Page ... Tuesday

Well it's here! Our first Turn the Page ... Tuesday! Let's get started shall we?

I read Nancy Moser's book a few months ago but just never got around to blogging about it ... one of the reasons I decided to do TTPT. If you liked history class but hated to take the exams; if you love to be swept away to another time and place; if you like to read a book that encourages you to discover and read more about a particular subject (I have 1776 on my bookshelf waiting ... ) then this is a book for you.

Washington's Lady is a fast read but full of substance and heart. Martha Washington was an amazing, strong, and loyal woman. This book is her story. The author has a chapter dedicated to what is fact and what is fiction - fascinating. The burdens she bore for her family and our country was a blessing indeed. In a way I suppose it is not too far from what our military families now do for us ... we have the benefit of 21st century medicine and machinery but their (our) hearts still ache for the return or loss of a loved one.

I would have never discovered this book if Paula had not been 'thankful for second hand books' and sent me this as a part of my goodies for a Thankful Things Swap. So ... in honor of our first Turn the Page ... Tuesday I'd like to continue Washington's Ladys journey. Even if you weren't able to participate this month you are eligible to win ~ leave me a comment and I'll draw a name next Tuesday. The lucky book worm will receive my copy and hopefully some quiet time to read!

Now ... go check out these ladies TTPT post; I'm sure we will all be adding to our 'must read' list today!

In no particular order:

Jannza

Mary

Paula

Heather Jane

Lisa

Adrienne

Stacey

Joy

Carol

Paige

If I left anyone out, inculded you and was mistaken - just let me know and I'll add or delete! Happy reading!

Flower Power

I've been at it again. Crocheting that is. This little bag was a free pattern from Lion Brand.






The flowers themselves were easy peasy to make ... putting it all together and having it be symmetrical was another story. This purse was to be a gift for a 2 year old but I just could not see it holding up - I did a shotty job of piecing it ... into the pile of lost toys it goes I suppose.



I finally caved and joined Ravelry because you know I already don't spend enough quality time on the computer. (Are you there? I'm yoadrienne if you want to find me ... I know - so original. Have you been loving every yarn, needle, and hook minute of it?!) So, to the point ... after my flowering defeat I decided to take a peek on Ravelry to see if there were any cute, fast and easy purse patterns for wee ones. Did I mention that the above purse was for a birthday present this past Friday that I finished on Friday? Yea. That would mean as of 1 PM prior to said birthday party I had no gift. Ravelry to the rescue. I found this adorable and what looked to meet all the above qualifications free pattern ... I got to work on this little ditty.

Time was running out so I used the flower pattern from the Lion Brand purse and just embellished it a bit. I didn't have time to figure out the flower original to the pattern. I was tickled how quickly this worked up and how cute it turned out. To top it off ... it passed the 2 year old test. Apparently we learn young the joy of purses and flowers; upon opening her gift she immediately put it over her shoulder and said 'pocket book'.