The Coolest Kid at Daycare

I am loving the Wonder Under, it only took me moments to adhere a cut-out from one of Arlo's old onesies. I just couldn't stand to throw it away so I put it on the back of his jean jacket so it will last a little longer.

For those of you who don't know, Cash is Arlo's middle name. Originally Matt wanted to name him JohnnyCash. Now before you say awww, It was not Johnny (firstname) Cash (middle name). No, no, He wanted to name him Johnnycash, all as his first name. As a giant pregnant woman, I was not amused especially since he stubbornly refused to discuss any other names except Luke Skywalker(really I'm not kidding!). With all the Johnnycash talk, I was afraid that the only job options opens to a young man named Johnnycash would be Tattoo artist, 50's car enthusiast or Lead singer in a Rockabilly band. Not that I would mind if my son wanted to become any of those professions, I just wanted him to have other options too.
So the Great Name Debate began, it quickly turned into nights of me reading off various boy's names and Matt saying no to all of them. We also threatened to name the baby when the other was out of the room, asked numerous family members and bought waaay too many baby name books. Then thankfully, a week before I was due, we were discussing names in his mother's kitchen. Matt says "What do you think about Arlo?" I said "You drove by the Lied Center and saw that Arlo Guthrie was coming to town! But yeah, I could live with Arlo."
So Arlo Cash it was.
Thank goodness it fits.

Easter? I'm not ready for Easter!

I can not believe that Easter is almost here!!

April 8th, people, April 8th!

I have an Easter dress to sew, 2 big footed bunnies for easter baskets, a birthday robot to finish before the 3rd, my granny's birthday present and various other projects that move up and down in importance on my list. I'd better get working!

So I leave you with some random photos of my girl (pre-hair cut) and some Marshmallow bunneis that she could draw on just to get you in the Easter mood.

C-A-T

Artwork courtesy of Maisy.
Photo courtesy of Mom (it was her birthday present after all)
Idea courtesy of Amanda from Soulemama

Oh and it's not a purse it just looks like one :)

Shhh, don't tell....

I have a new boyfriend. His name is Adjustible Zipper Foot. (Isn't it exotic?)

We met at the fabric store, I was hanging out with a rough group of plastic zipper feet when he caught my eye. He was so shiny and strong that I just couldn't resist! I took him home and we made beautiful zippered pouches together. Oh, what a weekend.

Alright, maybe that's going a little far but I am really happy with my new zipper foot. It made putting the zipper in so easy that now I'm addicted. Also I found this great tutorial that was so straight forward and simple.

So be warned that there may be alot more zipper action going on around here.

I love this book.

I really do love this book.

It's one that my mom read to me as a little kid.

When my parents moved 2 years ago, I found it in all of the boxes and took it home. I remembered the pictures and a little bit of the story and it made me nostalgic. And then I re-read it with Maisy. Oh, I fell in love all over again. The story had so much more meaning for me as an adult and I actually cried while I was reading it.

See, funny Miss Twiggly lives in a tree. She lives with her dog and two bears. Miss Twiggly is very shy and doesn't go to town. Now, the town's people don't care for Miss Twiggly, they think she's strange and shouldn't be allowed to live in the tree. Until one day a there's a massive flood and the only safe place is Miss Twiggly's tree.

The part that gets me every time is:

"Miss Twiggly put on some tea and buttered the bread,

"Bring them on in, I'm ready" She said."

I just love how Miss Twiggly so easily forgives the town's people and opens her home to them in their time of need. I love her determination and acceptance of the situation. She doesn't complain or refuse to help, she just does what needs to be done.

So here's to everyone who puts away their fears and worries and does what needs to be done!

I can't believe I drank the whole bottle.

Okay, I can believe I drank the whole thing. It's just so teeny, tiny that I just couldn't resist.

Monday night was such a nice evening. Matt and I enjoyed the beautiful weather and sat on our front porch and had a drink. It was the first time I had sat on our porch since the Raccoon Incident. It was such a pleasant night and I didn't even mind...
What? You want to hear about the Raccoon Incident?
No, no I couldn't.
Really you want to know?
Nooo.
Okay, since you twisted my arm...

About a year ago, I was sitting on our front porch talking on the phone to my friend, Amy, who lives in Tucson. At the time, Maisy's bedroom was right next to the porch so I kept the light off and was talking very quietly. All of a sudden something rushes up on to the porch, I just think it's the cat but IT'S NOT!!!! It was a mama raccoon and her six (count them -6) babies looking for food. Well, I have a very healthy fear of all wildlife and jumped up on my chair. I couldn't scream because that would have woken up Maisy and the raccoons were between me and the door so my only option was to start hooting and waving my arms wildly. Amy's on the phone yelling at me and I'm in hysterics. Finally all my arm waving and hooting payed off and the raccoons moved off the porch and I ran inside. I couldn't stop laughing and it took a long time for me to calm down enough to tell Amy what happened. Poor girl thought something terrible was happening to me and was starting to get concerned.
Since I am a HUGE chicken, I hadn't spent an evening on the porch since. Even with Matt near by I was still wary and jumped every time the darn cat walked on to the porch. It didn't help that Matt kept saying "Look! There's a raccoon!" and then start laughing.

He won't be laughing when they come for him!

It's like a freakin' Rollercoaster.

This weekend was filled with Ups and Downs.

Up: These Daffodils that my mother in law bought for us. When Matt and I got married, our flowers were daffodils in mason jars, so I have a soft spot for them.

Down: I have to keep them in the kitchen because the dumb cat will knock them over.

Up: I got 5 whole hours to myself on Saturday!

Down:
I spent most of it working on the Bath Room Towels from Amy Butler's In Stitches and it did not turn out well. You can't see it but the fabric band is hanging 2 inches off the towel. Just a tip, Don't buy towels that already have a decorative band.
Also is anyone else having trouble with the Amy Butler patterns? I am just not getting it. It must be like the trouble I have with Spanish and crossword puzzles, I know that some part of my brain understands it all but it's just not connected to anything else.



Up: My girl got her hair cut. Now she and I don't have to fight the tangles every morning!!!

Down: Day Light Savings! I woke up so late this morning that Maisy was the one to get me out of bed. She asked me "Is it morning yet?" When I said "yes" she said "Then why isn't anyone up yet?" Good question, honey, good question.

Okay, this isn't an up or down but does anyone else have a stack of quilt squares that they started years ago and now they don't like? I was digging through my stuff (yes, literally digging) and found these squares I had cut about 2 years ago when I was bitten by the quilting bug. It must not have been a very hard bite since I've done absolutely nothing with them. Also I have no idea what I was thinking with these fabric combos, they are just butt ugly. Anybody have any suggestions?

Hope everyone in Blogland is doing well and getting to enjoy some of this beautiful weather. Thank goodness Spring is finally here!!!!!!!!

Freezer Paper Stencils- Consider your butt kicked!

Oh yeah, I did it. Oh yeah, I'm awesome.

Okay, that may be going a little far but I did conquer my freezer paper stencil fear!

Arlo now has a super cool romper and I know as soon as Maisy sees it, she'll want a pirate shirt too.

I was amazed at how easy it was to do and it didn't take very long at all. I'm going to have to watch out because I keep looking around my house for other things to stencil and paint.

Things have started to quiet down at our house and I can get back to my projects. I think that sometimes I get mired down by what I "have " to do and I don't enjoy the process as muchas I usually do. Being forced to take an extended break reminded me that I do all of this for fun and not because I have to. I do it because I enjoy people's reactions to a homemade gift and knowing that I gave them something special, not just what I could find at Target. I do it because I needed an outlet for my creativity and to have something that was about me.

Let's hope that I remember why I do this, so the crafty gods don't feel compelled to send another 4 sleepless nights my way:)

Way too tired to be creative

Due to a very cranky baby during the night, I have been waaaay to tired to get anything done!

So here's a picture of me, not horrifically tired , back when I actually got a few hours of sleep.

Oh, babies and small children, you've just got to love them even if they don't let you sleep.

Hopefully, I'll be well rested soon and back to normal. I've got so many things I want to get done... patterns to cut, fabrics to fold and shirts to paint.

Thank you Martha!

You know, I've just got to love Martha Stewart. She may be really up tight and waaaay more of a perfectionist than me but she and her team of crafty people come up with alot of "good things" (ha,ha couldn't resist). One is this baby blanket or Springtime Cover. It was super simple to make and it's stinkin' huge (35 x45). One side is flannel and the other is a cotton print. It's very sturdy and seems durable enough to grow with the baby.

This was actually a gift for a co-worker expecting a little boy and in dire need of boy things. (she already has an adorable little girl) If I hadn't been so lazy, I would have made some matching burp rags. But it was 11pm and that's way past my bedtime.

I like this blanket so much that I think I'll make one for Arlo and since I have all that great fabric from Jenny at Red Shoe Studio, it should be no problem to get done.

Wait... did I just add something to my List. Dang, I've got to quit doing that.

I feel like being grateful

I am grateful for my two pancake lovin' kids and the fact that I have a home, food and a lovely oilcloth for them to eat on.

I am grateful that my daughter loves to draw, paint and write. She's outspoken and never afraid to ask questions (Do elephants lay eggs? ) or speak her mind. I'm grateful that she pushes me to be a better person everyday and to be less afraid. (Once you've had the conversation about mommy elephants having a vagina- you're not scared of anything!)

I'm grateful for my little man who loves to eat and already has a quirky sense of humor. I love the way he dances at the drop of a hat and that he seems to find joy in everyday. I am grateful that he makes me take the time to stop and appreciate all the good things around me.

I'm grateful that she's got more willpower than me!

I'm grateful that he's not afraid to be silly!

I'm grateful for these two wonderful people who made my world a much, much better place.


**All photos courtesy of Matt Needham. I'm grateful to be married to such a great photographer :)

Drumroll please...

Introducing the newest addition to the Chicken Collection (datdatdaaa):

The Wonky Chicken and Little Blue Egg.

These came in the mail yesterday from Michelle. She was giving The Wonky Chicken to a new home and I just couldn't resist. It's super cute and now has a home on the buffet, safe from kitchen duty. Thanks Michelle !

And don't worry, I was sure to ask her, the age old question-

Which came first: The chicken or the egg?

(hee,hee,hee - Thank goodness I think I'm funny because I'm probably the only one:)

Pretty, Pretty

Okay, me and the fluffy flowers did not get along! For some reason I could not get them to work, they kept looking a lot like little bunches of fabric on a string, not like little pretty flowers. If anyone has any good tips, let me know because I'd still like to try them.



Since I couldn't get the flowers to work, I decided to go a different route. I used some wonder under and ironed on grass and butterflies. I didn't use any stitches to hold them down because I felt that would ruin the delicate look of the grass. I'm pretty happy with how they all turned out. I like that they aren't exactly the same and it was a relatively simple project but still looks good.

So other than these place mats (which I made last night) I have been very unproductive. I wound up using my free time for shopping and a long shower with no interruptions. Its was so nice to not have the normal shower conversation:
"Mom, open the door. I have to pee!"
"Go down stairs, I'm in here!" with soap in my eyes.
"I can't go down stairs. I have to go NOW!"
"okay, hold on." sliding across the bathroom floor to unlock the door.
"Thanks, Mom..... could you wipe my butt? I just pooped"

We also went to see Ghost Rider which I enjoyed but I love those kind of movies.
For some reason I really like movies based on comic books, especially since Matt read most of them as a teen and tells me how close the movie was to the actual comic book.

It was a good night but I'm glad the kids aren't gone that often. Even when they drive me crazy, I still miss them when they're not around.

Weekend Projects

I can't believe it, Matt and I are going to have the first "Kid Free Night" in about a year and half on Saturday. And No, we don't have any big plans, just some appetizers and drinks after the KU Basketball game. But I am still really, really excited to be able to hang out and sleep in without the kids so I don't care what we do!

With all my free time on Saturday I am going to work on a few projects before we go out. The first is a small mural I'm making from one of Maisy's drawings. Amanda at Soulemama posted a while ago about embroidering her children's drawings and I just loved the idea. Maisy is always coming home with so many cool pictures but I just didn't know what to with them until now.

This is a picture of the whole family swimming in the ocean while it's raining and Maisy can't get her feet wet. I'm embroidering it on muslin and then I'll make a quilted frame around it so we can hang it in our living room.



Another project in line this weekend are these great denim place mats that I found on sale. They're pretty boring but I thought that I'd embellish them with the fluffy flower pins from the Artsy Crafty Babe tutorial . I'm going to put pins on the back of the flowers so that they can be easily removed when it's time to wash them. I love the look of the fluffy flowers and thought that the bright reds would go well with the denim.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and get some time for yourselves!!

And hey, Lori, see you on Saturday! House cleaning can wait!

Chickens and Oil Cloth

Here is one of my favorite corners of my home. In this little spot are 3 of my favorite things: My Great grandmother's Buffet, a portion of my chicken collection and some oilcloth. (I also have a soft spot for the cake plate but that's another story).

The Oilcloth is a pink pattern with large persimmons all over it. It's kind of obnoxious but I love it. The kids table it also covered in this pattern. It's one of 3 oilcloths in the room.

If you look at the top of the buffet, 2nd chicken from the left, you will see the chick that started it all. I bought this chicken on a whim in a hotel gift shop 7 years ago. I thought it was so cute and pretty that I just had to have it. More chickens came along and then I met Matt... we had been dating for about a month when it was my birthday, he surprised me with 7 days of chickens, a new chicken everyday during the week before my birthday. I loved it and him for such a sweet gesture. So for as much as he complains about them taking over the house, he played a LARGE part in the beginning of the chicken obsession.

Right now I'm not allowed to purchase any more large chickens because of the lack of space. The kitchen is crammed full and there have been a few casualties due to over crowding. I really want to make a cabinet to keep them all safely in but that's pretty low on the to do list.

Oh, a little disclaimer. The Buffet almost never looks that nice, normally it's got tons of magazines, paper and markers piled high on it. But it looks so pretty right now , I may make a real effort to keep it clean. (then I can fit more chickens on it....)

Just direct me to the nearest Wienie Hut Jr.

Okay, I chickened out. I was all set to do some freezer paper stencils. I had my ideas and went to the craft store to get some fabric paint. That's were it all went wrong... Too many choices. I stood in the isle looking at all the different options, reading all the directions and I was over whelmed. First of all, most of them had to lay flat for 24 hours to dry. Now that's just tempting fate. Anything that takes longer than 5 minutes to dry will immediately be picked up by little hands and some how destroyed no matter where I put it. It's like magic (only the bad kind).
Second, I didn't like any of the colors. They were all boring or glittery. Not what I had in mind for my son's shirt.
Third, I wasn't ready for the monetary commitment. Now I'm not saying they were super expensive but by the time you bought a couple of colors, paint and freezer paper- it was more than I wanted to spend for a first time project. Plus the paints ranged from $1.50 to $5 a bottle and I still had no idea which one was best. Arrgh.
So after 20 minutes of deliberation, I left empty handed.
I can't believe I let the fabric paint get the best of me.
Damn, I am a wienie.


*Sorry for the SpongeBob reference, I couldn't resist.

Done and Done

Finally, it's finished. Last night while watching Heroes and Studio 60, I bit the bullet and embroidered her face. It looks a little harsh in the pictures but turned out really well if you're there in person.

It feels good to be able to cross something off The List. Next project is a little something for Arlo (and no, it's not on The List). A first time freezer paper stencil, I'm inspired by Lori and just can't resist.

Thanks everyone for the Valance Love. I'm still really enjoying them but now they need pretty curtains to go with them. And I have a new idea for the windows in the living room and now the kitchen windows are looking a little bare... Oh, well, I guess I need to get working on The List part 2.

I was productive!!!

I started and finished these on Sunday morning. Just simple little valances for my dining room windows. They had been relatively bare for 5 long years.

I love this fabric, it goes perfectly with all of my oil cloth and chickens. Thanks to Jenny at Red Shoe Studio for all the great fabric and to Alicia for going halvesies. And Mom, I'd probably still be trying to figure out how to make these without your great idea!.

You know, I'm pretty proud of these. They are really simple and nothing fancy but they look good and compliment my dining room really well. I'm really inspired to work on more things for our home.

Can't believe it's been 5 years...

You know, 5 years goes by pretty darn fast.
Happy Anniversary, Babe!
Still love you.

Works in Progress

I've got to finish this tank top. It's been hanging over my head for way too long but I always get nervous right before I embroider faces. Every time I manage to screw it up and then I've waisted all this time on a project that doesn't work out. So I procrastinate... Not that it makes me any better when I do finally work on it but it gives me ample time to worry.
As for this project, I didn't want to get bogged down by all the color possibilities so I just went for simple green. Her face , hair and hands are going to be normal colors and I'm really interested in seeing how it turns out. I am looking forward to working on this pattern again, I am a huge fan of the Virgin of Guadalupe. I love all of the green, gold and reds that are normally in a picture of her. I'm thinking a larger tapestry style project with lots of embellishments and colors but for now I hope she's happy being green.

Okay, before you look at the next picture Be Warned! It's a mess!

My next work in progress is my craft room. I've managed to trash it completely. It doesn't help that it's the first room you see when you come in our house and my husband and kids just dump their stuff right inside the door. (okay, okay I'm guilty too) Also it doesn't help that I tend to finish projects late at night and cleaning up after myself is the last thing I want to do. So hopefully posting this terrible picture in blogland will motivate my sloppy self to clean up!

I did do a little straightening last night but there's still a ways to go.

But there is one area that I am pretty proud of .... my closet. I did clean and organize it last weekend and I love it. I bought some sweater holders and they are perfect for all of my fabrics. Everything is getting washed , folded and put away so it's ready to go. I know it's not that fancy or anything but I sure like it. It's the calm in the craft room storm.

Do you see Maisy's sewing box? This is the perfect spot for it (not buried under Mom's junk) and she knows just where it is. Currently she's working on sewing a pocket and then she's going to add some princess fabric to it. You gotta love how early the need for fabric and embellishment starts. :)

I was not told that gifts were expected!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Busy, Busy Weekend

This weekend was an absolute blur. But I did receive my awesome potholder from my swap partner, Cindy. I love it. It's the perfect addition to my chicken "collection" (um, we'll talk about the collection/obsession later).
Thanks again Cindy!

(Arlo's actually singing not fighting for the mike)

We also had dance party/ Karaoke weekend. My Dad bought the kids this crazy machine that plugs into your t.v. and puts the kid's picture on the screen and plays tunes from "Kidz Bop". At first I swore revenge but then they had such a great time I couldn't be grumpy.

I loaded the pictures extra small so that all the laundry wouldn't be so obvious. It is clean, I swear. Someday I'll get around to putting it away! Here's hoping that your day is filled with small people dancing and singing!!!

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

Since tomorrow is my parents 35th Wedding Anniversary, I wanted to say a little something and show off one of my all time favorite photos. I've always loved this picture of them. It feels like you caught them in this little moment, the one right at the beginning when you start to fall in love. (kinda cheesey, I know but oh, well...)

I have such a soft spot for those two kids just starting out, for some reason this picture helps me put things into perspective. To recognize that we all started out somewhere and that we are forever growing and changing. I know, it's a lot to get from such a little picture but that's how it's always struck me.

My Mom and Dad met in high school when they were 17 and dated their senior year. They waited an unheard of 5 years before they got married when all of their friends were getting married right out of high school. Amazingly, they waited another 5 years to have me at 27 years old they were considered very old to be having children. People just didn't wait that long!

I think that all of the waiting is what made their marriage so strong. They got to know each other and themselves before they committed to a life together and to raising a child together. I consider myself pretty luck to have them as parents and to be able to continually witness their love for one another.

Thanks Mom and Dad and here's wishing many, many more anniversaries to come!

So I'm kinda lame...

I was so lame last night that I went to bed at 7:45pm. Sometimes my body just says go to sleep and I have to listen.

So I thought that since I had been unproductive, I'd revisit one of my favorite Halloween Costumes that Matt and I made for Maisy. You may not know but I'm a huge Wonder Woman fan, I have dolls, key chains and yes, the tv show on DVD. I also encourage my daughter's love of Wonder Woman and was delighted when she "agreed" to be Wonder Woman for Halloween.

Her costume was made out of a red sweatshirt that Matt painted on with fabric paint, I sewed a quick blue drawstring skirt and stenciled on white stars and the head band and wrist bands were poster board painted with gold paint and red stars. Throw in some white tights, gold cord from the fabric store, red boots and voila! Instant Wonder Woman Costume.



I loved her little costume so much that I made a quick "Super Mom" costume to go with Maisy's.

And yes, that is Lori and her cuties. I love how they always dress up as a family, this year they were Little Red Riding hood, Grandmother, the Big Bad Wolf and the Wood cutter. They were absolutely darling walking down town.

Tonight I'm going to actually stay up until 10pm (yes, you heard me right 10pm!) and work on my potholder swap. Also can anyone tell me how to get blogger to let me write first and then put in the picture? No matter what I do it always puts the picture at the top of my post and it's getting a little irritating.

Everyone have a great night and wish me a productive evening!

New Curtains!!!!

Well, almost. I have some awesome fabric thanks to Alicia, who hosted a wonderful "Blog Ladies" party & was willing to go halvesies on the fabric and Jenny, who was so generous with all of her left over fabric. It was a blast picking through every thing.

Also a big thank you to Lori, who got me started blogging and she drove, to Laura for bringing the awesome gluten free Chocolate Truffle cake & being so sweet. Thanks to Amy for the great calender booty (my daughter loves the fairies and I love my new pocket calender) and to Esta for the Battlestar Galactica rundown. Thank you all for such a lovely evening and great conversation. I am really looking forward to getting together again.


In other news, I "met" my potholder swap partner Cindy. I'd better get working on my potholder and recipe with a much stronger focus on the potholder. I'm not so great at the cooking so hopefully the potholder will be able to carry the load.

Poor babe.

I wanted to post about my great evening last night but that will have to wait. My morning was eaten up by a sick kiddo , a doctor's visit, pharmacy run and then the long conversation about not wanting to take said prescription (yes, bribes were involved unfortunately Mom bought the chocolate with almonds and she became so upset that she threw them across the dinning room- Some days I just have to admire her spunk).

So.... what little time I do have today is going to be spent on work. But I'll be thinking about blogging (I swear!). Hope everyone is well and I'll have more tomorrow.

It's a Blast from the Past

This weekend I was at an old friends house. While we were visiting , she pulls this old relic out of her closet for Maisy to play dress up with. It was my old WPA (women pay all or winter formal) dress from my senior year. For some reason I had decided that I was going to make my own dress. Probably because I hated spending a ton of money on a dress I would only wear once and I hate how everyone always had the same dresses just in a different color.

What's hilarious is that I did such a half assed job. I didn't even attempt to blind stitch the hem but just folded up the hem and straight stitched it with the sewing machine. On the shoulders I did a terrible job of stitching them together, the thread didn't even match.

My high school boyfriend wouldn't go to WPA so my girlfriends and I took Jamison Miller. Jamison was an artist, photographer and all around great guy. Heather (on the far left) and I even made T-shirts that said "I'm a member of the Jamison Miller Fan Club". We just loved him.

The theme was Peter Gabriel's song "In Your Eyes". We never did figure out how the mannequins fit into the theme.

Equal Time

Here are my other two loves, my little man and my husband. Matt's really not as scary as he looks, he was just going for a creepy self portrait. I think it looks like something from a Johnny Cash album. (Which is a good thing, especially since Arlo's middle name is Cash. )

As a side note, my friend, Molly saw in the paper that there is a big fabric sale this weekend at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. The Cathy Clark studio is having a Quilt Fabric Sale. February 2,3, 4th from 9am to 2pm in Building 2. Supposedly they will have 1000+ bolts of fabrics to choose from and at great values. I know that I'm going to have to check it out, the fabric addict that I am.