Skirt, squared June 6, 2009

     I wanted to post pictures of the twirly skirts I made for Kendra and Hannah.  They were really easy, even for a novice like me, and my girls love them!  Kendra wore hers for Friday’s talent show, and Hannah can’t wait to wear hers to church tomorrow.

 

     I printed off step-by-step directions (with pictures!) from this website.  When I make these in the future (I’m even considering one for me!), I will make them just a few inches longer to compensate for the “twirl” factor and inevitable underwear flash, but other than that, the pattern was perfect.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New bathroom! June 3, 2009

     I had a crazy, busy, fun day today, in which I neglected to do anything productive, but found important ways to share my time with people I love.  The best part of the day was watching Ella Enchanted with my kids on our new couch, where we all fit and no one had to sit on the floor or wiggle around on my lap.  It was heavenly! 

 

     Now that the kids are in bed, I’m too tired to do a “real” post, so I’m going to take the advice of the comedian on my NaBloPoMo badge below and not overthink things.  Since it’s clean and there are no more boxes to unpack in it, I will unveil my new bathroom to you.  I think this is my favorite room.  Seriously.  I might just paint my bedroom this color.

 

For comparison purposes, here’s the old, yucky bathroom:

 

Destruction, disinfection, inevitable depression and a dress May 13, 2009

     Aaaaah, alliteration.  (Look!  I did it again!)

 

     I have been missing for quite a while, and I promise I have a good excuse.  And pictures.  (Save your thanks until after you’ve seen them, however…)

 

     It’s been nearly three weeks (seems like SO much longer)

Sew happy! May 1, 2009

     After two days of sewing, I finished two aprons for my exchange/giveaway and the majority of Hannah’s dress. 

 

     I had a blast.  Nothing else in my house got done, but I thoroughly enjoyed my sewing time.  Now all I have to do is put sleeves and a hem in Hannah’s heart dress, and she’ll be in heaven. 

 

     (When we get the basement back together, I’m going to carve out a little space for my machine, so I can sneak down there and sew without having to monopolize the kitchen table.  Or worry about cleaning it off for meals.)

 

     Here are the aprons, modeled by the lovely Kendra. 

 

                     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     I let Tami, the giveaway winner, choose the one she liked best.  She took the blue one, so I sent Kenny to the post office this morning with the pink one and 30 of my favorite recipes. 

 

     I sure hope Carolyn (my exhangee) (is that even a word?) likes her apron!

Busy, busy, busy March 13, 2009

     I haven’t posted in nearly a week.  I’ve been keeping busy with this:

 

 

and with these:

 

(Look!  He’s not hitting her!)

 

and with these:

    

 

and finishing this:

 

 

for him:

 

 

 

     I also spent the most marvelous two hours on the phone today with a very good friend.  We caught up and shared stories and I think I talked her ear off.  It was so wonderful, though, and so well worth it!  (Although I can’t say the same for her ear…)  Thanks for stalking me, Rachel.  You made my day.  My week.  My month!        

 

     It has been a very fulfilling week.  I am worn out!  Happy, but worn out.

 

     I’m calling it a night.

 

     (Don’t forget to enter the apron giveaway.  I picked out my fabric tonight, and I’m so excited to get started!  You have until Wednesday, March 18 to leave a comment and/or sign up for the apron exchange.)

The (New) Object of My Affection March 7, 2009

     Yesterday, my sister and I took our (collective) five kids and braved the Utah Home and Garden Show.

 

     I was a little unsure about going, in light of Anthony’s MAJOR tantrum earlier this week (and the similar-but-smaller-in-scale encore at story time on Wednesday), but it turned out to be a great day, kid-wise.

 

     I can’t say the same for the H&G show.

 

     Don’t get me wrong– it was amazing.  One company essentially recreated a mountain stream indoors,

Mondays March 2, 2009

     I bet you thought this was going to be a post about how I hate Mondays, and how getting through one is cause for major celebration.

 

     Ha ha HA!  You thought wrong.  (Well, partly.  Getting through one IS a cause for celebration, but we’ll get to that in a minute.)

 

     I absolutely LOVE Mondays.  I didn’t used to, but something has changed in the past year that makes me giddy with anticipation when Sunday night rolls around.  I have to attribute a lot of my new attitude to this post, written by my lovely and eloquent friend Mrs. Metaphor.  Suddenly, what used to be Monday  turned into M!O!N!D!A!Y!!!  A new week!  A clean start!  Something to look forward to!

 

     I’ll let you in on a little secret–

Sew what’s the big deal? February 27, 2009

     Last week I bought this pattern:

 

and this fabric (50% off!):

 

to make a dress for this little girl:

 

 

and somehow, I can’t quite bring myself to start it.  I haven’t sewn an article of clothing since I was in high school (and the results were always embarrassingly crooked), but for some reason I feel inspired to revisit the whole sewing endeavor.  Not in an “everyone’s doing it!” kind of way, but in the “you really need to polish this skill for the future” sort of thing.  And that really scares me.

 

     Maybe that’s why the pattern and material have been sitting in the cheery red bag since last week.  I can’t bring myself to even open the pattern, let alone cut it and get started.  I picked the easiest pattern I could find.  I know that it will only take five seams and a hem, and yet, I am unable to move forward. 

 

     What do you do when you’ve scared yourself silly over a summer play dress?

A Simple Plan February 20, 2009

 

     I’ve re-typed the intro to this post at least a dozen times, and I’m still not happy with it.  I’ve decided to abandon it altogether, and just jump into this post with both feet.

 

     One…  two…  THREE!

 

     I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about the life I’d like to live, compared to the one I am.  I’ve also been feeling especially nostalgic, which I figure means one of three things:

 

1.  I have caught up with a lot of old friends on Facebook,

2.  Worrying about making ends meet makes me long for my carefree childhood, or

3.   My spirit is trying to tell me something.

 

     As I’ve pondered these feelings, I’ve decided that I have too much “stuff” in my life.  Too many things.  Too many distractions.  Sometimes I feel like I’m drowning in stuff, and it’s killing me.  (How is that for dramatic?)  It’s not just household clutter, although there is plenty of that.  It’s the outside stuff that steals my time and my focus, and makes me shake my head at the end of the day and wonder why I didn’t get more done.

 

     Computer, I am talking to you. 

 

I Want… To Live in the Draper Temple February 8, 2009

     Last Friday night (January 31), we had the honor of touring the newly-finished Draper LDS Temple. 

 

 (Photograph by David C. Moore)

 

     We left Anthony with my parents, because, frankly, he’s three and reverence isn’t a strength of his,