Just Chillin

Water For Elephants

I love to read.

and

every so often there comes a book that makes me suspend all rationality, 

where I can't pull myself from the grips of its pages...

although, I know I need to stop as it is 2 in the morning...

and

although, I know that my body requires sleep in order to function the next day...

I. just. can't. pull. myself. away.

Every so often an author can reach inside my heart and mind &

keep me suspended into a world they created on a page...

conjuring up vivid images & potent feelings 

altering and stretching how I perceive the world 

It is simply magical.

This book:

intrigued me from the beginning

made me feel as though I was an anxious spectator under a circus tent breathing in the smell of cotton candy and animals 

made me feel like I was aboard the hard, gritty life of a circus train

 brought forth tears of sadness

made me tense up in anger at moments

suspended my breathe in fear

 made me reflect on the impact of age 

made me sense the emptiness of what losing your independence must feel like

 made my stomach churn, nauseated with disgust in instances

desire to live an authentic life, soaking in every smell, texture, & essence of who & what I love

inspired me to create memories that I can celebrate & savor when I grow old

made me smile

truly broadened my perspective

and although I am a bit tired,

the impact of the words within these pages will make me live a more authentic life today...

I must caution you though, it is not a book for the faint of heart,

it is raw,

it is gut wrenching,

it is real.

From My Mother's Stash

Check out Girlfriend's new pennant banner I made

with fabric from my mother's stash!

so light and whimsical...

Don't Turn Your Back For A Second

This morning as I turned to go upstairs to give Girlfriend her good morning bottle I glanced at AJ, noticing that he had his Handy Manny tools...but didn't think much of it...

As I am burping GF, I hear a sudden crash...

(sorry for the poor pic...I took it with my iPhone b/c it was in my hand)

15 minutes & some Handy Manny tools 

is all it took my child to disassemble his new easel...

great...

As I'm feeding GF, I glance out the backdoor, & this is what I see:

great...

but don't worry, do I warn my child that this might not be a safe activity?...

no...

I grab the camera & start clicking...

only to turn around and see this:

mental note:

next time I stop to grab the camera, don't leave the food on GF's tray...

Evergreen Lake

We ventured out to Evergreen Lake over the weekend.

AJ enjoyed climbing rocks

& playing in the dirt.

Andy enjoyed getting the B.O.B. out.

Girlfriend was ticked she couldn't have any kettle corn with lunch.

But quickly got over it when she was gifted with a bottle.

Andy got his workout paddling the paddle boat, &

AJ is still talking about his boat ride.

Apparently they fought over who would steer 

and chased a duck the whole time.

(poor duck)

We were exhausted...

so when the back of the car became quiet on the way home,

 I just figured AJ had fallen asleep...

but when I turn around to check on him...

this is what I see:

gross...

My Part Is Done...Now I Need Your Help

The top is all sewn.

The back (Heather Bailey's Pop Garden on the right) is pieced together.

The binding fabric (Erin McMorris' Leaf Dots on the left) is just waiting to be shipped...

BUT 

now I need your help!

Check out the quilting patterns at Back Porch Quilters 

and let me know in a comment which quilt pattern

(I love so many of them) 

you think I should use!

I hope to ship it Tuesday.

Till then penguin!

I'm Giddy...It's Like Crack, Only Better!

It is coming together!

My 12 half yards of fabric are starting to look like a quilt!

I'm so excited, I can't hardly handle it!

Look at all these pins...

Now if you know me, you know I am an impatient crafter.  

I like to sit down and finish a project before I walk away.

Hence the finish the 7 week quilt along in 5 days...

So things like pins are just annoying to me...they take so much time...

but I am so intimidated by the idea of making a quilt that I am following each step with precision.

47 pins per row of precision....

Look at all those pins & straight lines & ironed seams!!!

I can hardly contain myself!!!

Check her out, my first two rows sewn together!

My heart is racing...I'm not kidding!

I am such a nerd!...I know it.

I'm thinking of naming her...or would that just be weird?...

47 pins = perfect corners!!!

Check these babies out!

And for the first time in this project, I feel like I can do it.

I. can. actually. make. a. quilt!

Quilt Along Week 3 &4: Check

so apparently I can't sew a straight line to save my life...

thus

my quilt blocks ended up only being 11 x 11 inches...

(nobody's perfect)

What makes me happy?!

42 11 x 11 quilt blocks make me happy!!!

Bye, Bye Butterfly!

off to sew these beauties together!

Camera Strap & Great Pics

I was going to iron my quilt strips...but I H.A.T.E. to iron...

so...

I procrastinated in the form of a new camera strap!

so fun & so stinkin' easy!

Check out Cluck Cluck Sew for a fabulous tutorial! 

Something about Girlfriend in a headband screams grab the camera...

Is she not perfect?!

I got a few great pics...

but

this one is my favorite:

Is he not perfect?!

Quilt Along Week 2: Check

Here is my little helper early this morning...

Here is our progress...65 straight lines & 2 spools of thread later...

I'm warming up the iron, ready for week 3...

Arts & Crafts Around Our House

One of the things I love about my job is that I teach in a year round school,

 so every 6-9 weeks or so I get to be a stay at home mom for three weeks....

and 

we get to do things like eat breakfast on the deck in our pj's...

bake cupcakes...

finger paint for an hour...

This takes serious concentration...

a proper paint smock...

a joy for touching all things gooey and slimy...

and a great art easel.

After we painted, I decided to try my hand at making pillows...

to which my yoga obsessed sister enthusiastically said,

"Make me one!"

Then Abby got one...

(I can't show any more pillows because they are Christmas gifts...)

BUT, I can show you how my quilt along is going...

something about week 1 made my OCD very happy...

look at all those clean cut straight lines...

All of these arts & crafts just plum tuckered Girlfriend out!

Peace Out Rainbow Trout!

Sweet Tooth & Onesie to T-Shirt Tutorial

I've had a sweet tooth lately...

which means smores Sunday night...

and cupcakes Monday...

I have been going through closets, 

trying to filter out clothes that are too small and pull out clothes for this fall...

Abby has all these clothes she has outgrown...

clothes that are my favorite or clothes she only got to wear once...

(this is only one small pile of stuff she has outgrown)

I just kept thinking if they weren't limited by snaps...

she could wear them so much longer...

So here we are...with a onesie to t-shirt tutorial...

So fast & easy!

First:  Use your seam ripper to remove the trim around the legs, so you have as much length as possible.  You may not always need to do this if your onesie is super long...

Second: Use your rotary cutter to make a straight cut across the bottom.

Third:  Measure, fold, and iron for a bottom hem.  

Fourth:  Sew!

Now Abby has a new shirt perfect for a skirt and leggings!