Organizing My Thoughts

This is a pile of all my journals...and yes, I use all of them.

I don't use all of them everyday but I use at least one of them everyday.

(I know it's weird...but I like journaling ok.)

Here's what some of them are:

*A journal for recording the books I've read along with the author and the date I finished reading them.

*A journal for each of my children where I record thoughts and feelings and experiences with them.

*A journal for writing down/sketching sewing or crafting ideas.

*A journal for recording all the embarrassing/weird things that happen to me (and yes, I do use this a lot---how I find myself in predicaments is a mystery...like the other day when two dudes at the gas station (whom I've never met) were asking my advice about a girl one of them is dating who keeps inviting him over to play Angry Birds but how he doesn't go and is now wondering is playing Angry Birds is some girl code for making out....anyways...)

*A journal of moments with my husband I don't want to forget.

There's more...but you get the point...I kind of have a journal for everything...but this year I got 2 new journals that I really like.

The first one is a 5 year journal.  Each page is a different date in the year and there is a space on each date for 5 years to write one thing that happened that day.  Then each year as you write you will be able to see what you did previously on that day.

Alright...I'll admit it.  That was the worst explanation EVER but trust me...it's a cool journal.

Then next journal is a journal of lists.  Each page gives you a topic and then you make your list  and date it. 

The list I just made was:  "List all the things you would do if you weren't afraid."

I've never kept a journal like this before and it's actually pretty enlightening and I'm really enjoying writing in it.

Here's the question for today---"List the lines your sick of waiting in."

Me?

The line at Wal-Mart on double coupon day...HONESTLY  make a no coupon line already! I just want to buy my tortilla chips and go home.  Heck, I'll give you the 25 cents you are going to save if you won't make me wait for the manager to come and price match your Cream of Mushroom Soup!

Whew. I feel better now. 

So, how about you?

What lines are you sick of waiting in?

PS---Um, Happy Valentine's Day.

I'm a gonna mail myself to you....

I have had that song in my head the last week or so while embroidering this at night. 

The first Valentine's Day that Stephen and I were married, I had just graduated from college in December and had just started my first teaching job while Stephen was still in school.  And like many other young couples, we were poor.  So poor that we decided  that we weren't doing Valentine gifts.  But on Valentine's Day, he handed me a CD that he had burned with "Mail Myself to You" on it (the version he got me was more folk-songy and a  duet...and it's better but I can't find a recording of it anywhere...) and 3 yellow tulips.

It still is a pretty memorable Valentine's Day.  Simple and sweet....the best kind.  (We still do simple around here for Valentine's Days.)

I wanted to start this project in January, but didn't get it finished until last week.  I am always trying to find ways to show more love in our house.  And although the idea is not new or exciting, it's been fun for the kids to see whose pillow "our love letters" envelope gets put on each night.

And since I am a bit poky in getting mine done, you might have to put it on your to-do list for next Valentine's Day.

I made a 20 x 20 square by making a quilt sandwich with a piece of leftover dropcloth, some warm and natural batting and a scrap of red flowered fabric.  I sewed the square, leaving an opening to turn it and then stitched the embroidery on the front first before folding it up like an envelope up and tacking it together.

See HERE if you need a tutorial for folding an envelope out of a square.

I then sewed the embroidery stitches on the back to hold the tacking stitches together and added a buttonhole and a vintage button.

I lastly added a love letter to the first person, left it on their pillow with the instructions to pass it on....and watched it take off.  I also made the first persons' bed and the tradition continued (yay for people noticing!).  What a sweet treat when I got it on my pillow last night.  I wasn't feeling great this weekend and it was a nice reminder of how much  I am loved.  A simple and sweet tradition that I know we will use for many more love days.

And to all of you....I really do wish I could stick some bubble gum in my mouth, and tie up a big package to mail to each one of you to show you all how much we appreciate you for coming around here each day.

So, thanks....and have a happy love day tomorrow!

The Art of Homemaking Experiment---Week 1: Attitude

"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."

---Winston Churchill

Monday I restarted my "Art of Homemaking Experiment".  So this week I worked on chapter 1 which is in entitled "Facet No.1  The Two A's".

However, since I'm making a real go at this I decided to be realistic and tackled only the first of the "A's" which is attitude.  (The other "A" is appearance...and since I'm sitting here writing in the mismatched pajamas that I've worn all day it was probably a safe decision.)

The book says, "An ideal homemaker is lovely to look at and lovely to be around...She has the courage to be happy and strives to live above the faults of moodiness, sulkiness, and complaining.  She is gracious and thoughtful and is consequently adored by her family....."

So obviously I'm not so lovely to look at....BUT I have been trying to be lovelier to be around.  Here's what I've been working on:

Mrs. Hoole has a list (actually she has a million lists but you'll realize that soon enough) for how to improve your attitude and I decided to just focus on the first two items on her list---gaining an appreciation for being a homemaker and visualizing the over-all purpose of my work.

The other day I think I caught the vision---

you see, it was a rough morning...

Here are the facts:

We couldn't find Simon's library book.

We were out of milk.

The bread was frozen and I unsuccessfully tried to thaw it out in the microwave and the toaster.

The tongue of Simon's shoe popped off while he was trying to put them on.

Simon didn't have any clean socks.

Simon lost his lunch box at school the day before.

Simon's levis hadn't finished drying in time for him to wear them to school.

I realized we were out of juice boxes.

As I stood in the hall watching for Simon's ride while drying Simon's levis with my hairdryer...while Simon was wearing them...while Simon was eating a partially frozen peanut butter sandwich I wondered, "What the heck am I doing?" and then as I sent him out the door with his lunch (a caffeine free diet Coke, Doritoes, and a mini Hershey's) packed in a sack I thought, "Seriously...this is the best you can do?" 

And then I turned around just in time to see Grace run down the hall with the pack of Oreos and notice that while Ruth was playing on her blanket she had a massive baby blow out.  AGGGGHHHHH!!!!!

It was a mom fail of epic proportions.

True story.

I LOVE to stay home and play with my kids.  Absolutely love it...but honestly there are things I HATE about being a homemaker.  Two of those things being laundry and grocery shopping. 

But the other day after my pitiful display I realized what Mrs. Hoole meant by visualizing the overall purpose of my work.  If I would have had the big picture in mind the laundry would have been done and Simon would have had his regular lunch stowed away in his backpack instead of getting to be the most popular kid in the lunchroom. (Simon came home and told me that his lunch was AWESOME and can I pack him that kind of lunch everyday...)

I'm happy to say that the laundry is now done.  Heck, it's even all folded and put away (not just piled on the couch).  And the lunch supplies are restocked.  And I completed each chore happily.  Seriously.  I just tried to remember that I do laundry to keep my kids clean and warm and so that they won't have issues with hairdryers.  And that I go to the grocery store to make sure my family is well fed and healthy even if will jeopardize their cafeteria status. 

I know it sounds nerdy and lame but this week when I tried to remember WHY I do the mundane chores that I do it helped...I did things better and things went much smoother---even with a sick baby who hasn't been sleeping.  (And that is saying something.)

This week I will continue to work on my attitude---I think it does make a difference.  I'm going to keep trying to remember the big picture and I'm going to incorporate another item on Mrs. Hoole's list---a good attitude starts with gratitude...

Wish me luck!

(Hopefully by this time next week I'll be sitting here just being "adored by my family".)

PS---Is there anything you dislike doing as much as I hate doing laundry?

PS---Does anyone have any awesome tips for doing the laundry efficiently?

From Claus to Cupid---A $5 Friday Red Velvet Re-do

Sometime last summer my mom found this little red Christmas dress for Grace. I brought it home, hung it in her closet and then forgot about it until about a week ago when I was going through her clothes.  (Nice.)

Now Christmas is over and there's no way the dress will still fit her next December but I still want her to get some wear out of it before she grows out of it. So I came up with a plan. 

 Here's what it looked like yesterday morning:

And here's what it looks like now:

It was the easiest up cycle ever.

Here's what I did:

*I removed the velvet flower and leaves with my seam ripper.

*I chopped off the long sleeves, making them short and finished them with bias tape.

*I added some white lace to peek out underneath the heavier velvet ruffle.

As you can see it didn't take much to change this dress from Christmas to Valentine's.

(Now I've just got to find her some little white gloves and some white patent leather shoes!)

And it got me to thinking---about this time of year thrift stores are starting to get a surplus of these kinds of red velvety Christmas dresses (loads of them with the black belts with the buckles, you know the kind).

How easy would it be to pick one up for a couple of bucks and make it over for Valentines Day?

Super easy!

Have a great weekend.

Guest Post: Nesting with Delia

Hey!

Today we are over at Delia Creates participating in her Nesting series.

Have you been following along?  If not, you're missing out.  It's a baby fest over there!

Go and check it out.

And today you'll see why my baby Ruth....

...is wearing this guys name on her bum...

...although if you know who Xavier Roberts is you can probably figure it out.

And if you don't you probably aren't old enough to have kids.
(I'm kidding, I'm kidding...seriously...don't send me hate mail...)

Have a good Thursday and really, don't worry if you don't know Xavier...you may know some of his friends: Gem, Optimus Prime, Darth Vader, He-Man, the Thundercats....

The Winner of the Riley Blake Giveaway

The winner of the Riley Blake Fat Quarter Bundle is...

"Callin and Kristen"

(who said that she would like to make some skirts for her 3 girls)

And to everyone else who entered...thank you for making yesterday so much fun! 

(And keep watching---we will be having another GREAT Riley Blake giveaway again next month!)

Guest Posts and a Giveaway!

Today we have two guest posts for you!  And a GIVEAWAYYYYYY!!! (The best kind of day!)
This Giveaway is now closed!  (Sorry!)
First, we are over with  the lovely ladies from  iCandy Handmade.  We had the chance to meet Jen and Autie when we were all doing Project Run and Play together, and we have loved them from their first projects!  We will be sharing an easy $5 Valentine Shirt for their "Think Pink" week.  And you should see their other amazing pink projects!  Go HERE to check them out.

And secondly, we are sharing a tutorial for these little Spring Skirts today at Riley Blake Designs.  We made the tutorial for someone who is new to sewing....or someone who got a new sewing machine for Christmas and hasn't opened it yet.  So, if that is you, you can open your box and make something today!  Yippeee!!So go, and then come back because we have a huge GIVEAWAY from Riley Blake too!

And now for the BEST part of the day....

Riley Blake is giving one of you lucky ladies a fat quarter bundle of

their Daisy Cottage line. 

It has 25 fat quarters in it and retails for over $70 dollars!  WAHOO!!!!

All you have to do is leave a comment about what you want to make with it, and you are entered. You can have a second entry by telling us which of their new fabric lines you are most excited about ....and third entry if you follow our blog (just let us know you are a follower).  Please leave a new comment for each entry. 

We will choose a winner tonight at midnight, and announce who the lucky girl (or guy) is tomorrow morning!

This giveaway is now closed!!! (Sorry!)

Have a great Wednesday everyone!