Attempts at ressurecting a muse

Tunic part deux

2012-01-27T21:32:00.003-05:00

Originally made in a plaid seersucker fabric and given to my sister-in-law (http://ster00ling.blogspot.com/2011/07/three-plus-months-later.html) and now remade in this waffle-print linen-esk type fabric. As always, the darts and collar sit funny on me because of how wide my shoulders are, but I like this version better. Joey said it looks very trek like. The collar doesn't sit up like it should either (mandarin) but doesn't look bad flipped down either. I like the sleeves rolled up and buttoned better than not but unsure about the sides.

26/365: colour

2012-01-27T19:45:00.001-05:00

I like these together

25/365: something you made

2012-01-25T17:20:00.001-05:00

I made my first lookbook for work. Pretty happy with it.

24/365: Guilty Pleasure

2012-01-25T08:31:00.001-05:00

I love this show

23/365: something old

2012-01-23T21:36:00.001-05:00

This was my Aunt Patti's music box she got when on a modeling trip in Japan one year. My Aunt Marion had a lot of her things after my grandmother passed and they got passed to me after Aunt Marion passed in 2010.

22/365: shoes

2012-01-22T19:34:00.001-05:00

Love them. Got on sale in December from Old Navy. Just grateful they had my size.

21/365: Reflection

2012-01-21T17:56:00.001-05:00

20/365: someone you love

2012-01-20T19:15:00.001-05:00

Dd bear, among others of course...

19/365: sweet

2012-01-19T23:31:00.001-05:00

18/365: Something you bought

2012-01-18T18:27:00.001-05:00

We bought this (with added greenery and a lot of inital blooms) as a last minute table decoration for christmas and its still blooming.

17/365: water

2012-01-17T23:30:00.001-05:00

Hydra shower head

Photo A Day Challenge Day 16: morning - (finally caught up!)

2012-01-16T20:49:00.004-05:00

01/16/12 Morning

I have been looking at this board for a little over a week now - to update the website at work. Now all I need are the okay-to-proceed and a couple write ups and I can tear it down and start another unfinished project...

Photo A Day Challenge Days 11-15

2012-01-16T20:33:00.002-05:00

01/11/12 Where You Sleep

Love my down comforter and super soft blanket

01/12/12 Close-up

Macro filter for camera phone from Joey for Christmas - picture of edge of severely beaten coffee table in living room

01/13/12 In your bag

Best thing for getting dust and debris off your lenses without worrying about accidentally scratching it.

01/14/12 Something you're reading

Been trying to read this *&)(*$^ book since Christmas 2010!!!

01/15/12 Happiness

Finally being able to finish Joey's hoodie I made him for Christmas initially but it was a tad short in the arms and length and that he likes it.

Photo A Day Challenge 6-10

2012-01-16T20:26:00.005-05:00

01/06/12 Makes You smile

They are both so fiercely independent, I can't help but to smile when I think of showing these to their dates when they arrive to meet us for the first time :)

01/07/12 Favorite

My favorite person as well as one of my favorite lens filters that Joey gave me for Christmas. They are these little keychain type filters that have a sticky backing and you press it over the lens of your camera phone. Was pretty fun to play with but not very "handy" on a daily basis.

01/08/12 Your Sky

snapped this spaceship cloud as it was sailing by one evening... only cloud in the sky

01/09/12 Daily Routine

Not daily but more often than not, I have my "studio" set up in a corner to shoot images for the website/look books of whatever new will be coming out

01/10/12 Childhood

This is actually of my sister and I back in December when I took her out for her 35th birthday, just the two of us. Since having kids (her at 21 and now me almost 3 years ago... OMG) we really don't spend that much time together, just the two of us. When we were little, everyone thought we were twins because I grew so fast (she is a staggering 5'4"+/- and I am 5'9") and we always participated in the same things together. We both played softball, dressed up to complement each other on Halloween, both loved barbies, both went through girl scouts. Then we moved to GA and while we still hung around each other a lot, it was then we started our individual lives. She went to high school a year before I did which is where the most noticeable gap was formed. I still think fondly of all the times we walked back and forth from our house in Deer Creek to KMart to spend what allowance we had received on whatever we liked and top it off with lunch at Taco Bell. It was maybe only a summer or two that it happened, but I really clung to my sister those first years we were here. Not sure why, don't remember being afraid of anything in particular, just fear overall. I didn't talk much because I didn't want anyone mimicking my accent. That's also when I decided to change my name.

Photo A Day Challenge 1-5

2012-01-16T20:11:00.003-05:00

01/01/2012 Something you wore

Technically I still looked like this on day one, so I'm using it...

01/02/2012 Breakfast

scrambled eggs with tomatoes, green bell peppers and mozzarella, side of green grapes and lite wheat toast with a tall coffee and vitamin-c beverage. mmmmm

01/03/12 Something you adore

They might drive me crazy 90% of the time, but I do adore them and the man responsible for helping me create them.

01/04/12 Letterbox

Wasn't really sure what to do for this one so you get a picture of the boys reading letters.

01/05/12 Something you wore

bee-bot pants - made some for myself finally. First project made with my serger Joey got me for Christmas.

Muppet Hoodie

2012-01-14T15:58:00.002-05:00

Finished originally just before Christmas, but it was a little short in the sleeves and length. Added a couple inches to both with some ribbing from an old shirt of his and viola!

Christmas prsents

2012-01-01T14:01:00.002-05:00

Now that they have been given...

bee bot pants for Kristy

monkey school pictures as ornaments for the family

did some photoshop work for a friend at work - it's a collage of a lot of picture pf his father, him, brother and 4 children in the service over their lives. He was very happy with it - and I got paid to do it :)

cookies with my mom, both boys and both nephews

make your own chocolate bar Joey gave me for Christmas. I kinda screwed it up a little, but I still ate it :)

Primatey hoodies

2011-10-28T13:31:00.002-04:00

Got the fabric back in March after attending sewing Expo with mom.

Wanted to get them made in time to wear to school - they were allowed to wear costumes for Halloween on Friday before but since theirs were pretty elaborate and they weren't feeling well, I opted for these instead.

Thankfully the pattern was already cut so between cutting the fabric and assembling it, each took about an hour. Not as thick as the felt used on the costumes (this was fleece) so I enjoyed making these and how they turned out.

The boys seem to like them too. I made them as 3T's but they're pretty big on them = will last a year or so.

Halloween costumes 2011

2011-10-14T14:41:00.004-04:00

I actually went out, got a pattern, bought specific fabric - coupons used of course, and the notions I needed for these. I only used upcycled fabric from an old tshirt for the hood lining and left over elastic I already had. I am pretty happy with the results and the boys actually seemed to like wearing them. They giggled when they saw themselves in the mirror too. Only thing they didn't care for was the face paint on their noses, but that's why I limited any face paint to only a little. Originally they were going to be ewoks which could probably work for next year since they are so big on them now. We shall see :)

Purse

2011-09-29T13:18:00.003-04:00

Would you believe me if I told you this used to be part of a suitcase?

I dissected the suitcase, used the fabric and some buttons from and old jacket along with the (Free!) Buttercup Bag Sewing Pattern from Made-By-Rae and tada!

My 33rd birthday weekend in NC

2011-08-30T16:14:00.008-04:00

Friday:

We left out After breakfast and officially got on the road around 10:30. We stopped a few times on the way up, and took a short detour through Charlotte for some Yoforia.

We got in around 7 pm and left for dinner at Ham's for Payton's 15th birthday.

Saturday:

Katie had a couple games in the afternoon and since Joey had a maintenance window at noon, I took the boys over for the first and was going to leave between it and the second. It started raining around 12 so I got the boys back in the car and Baylee went with us back to the house. It was too overcast for swimming still so we played at the house and had spaghetti and salad for dinner.

Sunday:

We took the boys to the playground at Baylee's school while everyone else went to church. Isaac had a meltdown because he didn't want to leave.

I got to spend some time on the amazing front porch while they napped and read some.

After everyone got home, we played with the boys for a bit and even went swimming. Kris, Katie, and Roger went to Lowe's and got a gas grill and we had chicken and turkey sausage kabobs with pineapple and roasted veggies.

Monday:

I turned 33 today and if you can't tell, am very happy where I got to spend it. The girls were all at school, Joey was working and Kris had left at 4:30 am for work, so I got to spend the day with Sandi and the boys. We drove to downtown Reidsville and had lunch at their favorite diner/restaurant, Mayberry's, and then drove around for a bit and over to Danville to get gas and food for Joey and Madison.

Eden had a sugar rush from a little bit of ice cream after lnch and was super crazy and then crashed before we got home.

Sandi left to pick up Baylee from school while the boys napped, Madison watched a movie, and I took a dip in the pool all by myself. Payton had a game to cheer at that evening at 6 so when they left for that, Baylee tagged along with us to Ruby Tuesday's for dinner.

The sun setting as we drove up to the house was incredible so I tried to get a couple pictures before it fully set. After giving the boys a bath, and packing everything up, we hit the road around 8:30. I drove a couple hours and then tended to the fussy boys and slept while Joey got us the rest of the way home by 3:00 am.

I had a great weekend and we're convinced to move up there now, so we'll have to see what we can do to set the wheels in motion!

reposted: things-i-made-for-boys-birthday

2011-08-04T22:23:00.002-04:00

http://isaacandeden.blogspot.com/2011/08/things-i-made-for-boys-birthday.html

Boys playground and PJ's

2011-07-17T14:54:00.003-04:00

We decided to have the boys' birthday party at our house this year. It was going to be something small, but the more we talked about it, the larger the guest list got. No worries though, the more the merrier, right? :)

We decided to get a couple larger things for the boys birthday this year instead of a bunch of small stuff and a swing set was part of it. We wanted to mulch around it but didn't want to lose the much so we put up a landscaping timber boarder all around it. We dug up all the grass that was there first and the following it what we got.

all dug up and outlined, finished just in time...

for the downpour that turned it into a 2" deep pool, however...

we discovered how well it drained after the rain stopped.

Thanks mom and Justice for coming to help with the mulch, it looks great!

We also got them a sand and water table but are saving it for their actual birthday.

So I could give them something at their party, I finally finished the PJ's out of the fabric I got back in March after the sewing Expo. It wasn't what I planned to start with, but I think they turned out pretty well.

Finished shirts and pants - now to see if they survive their first washing.

Jaimie's Painting

2011-07-01T20:47:00.001-04:00

My sister traded out her painting I made for her of the cypress on the beach and requested a new one for her new room theme. After sending her a couple ideas, we came up with an idea, which I was able to complete and give to her for mother's day. She really seemed to like it. I want to make Justice's Georgia painting next, but want to do some sketches first to make it unique.

Three plus months later

2011-07-01T20:30:00.004-04:00

I apologize for it being so long since I last updated. I haven't had much time, or honestly, much motivation, to be creative, but I have accomplished a few things.

A seersucker tunic that turned out really well but I decided I wasn't a fan of the print on me so I gave it to Kristy who said she loved it.
My quilter's Square we originally started in class. I bought the sew slip to do it which made all the difference in the world.
I took in a pair of cargo shorts for Joey and a couple of polo's for work that were too big on him.
Two-pairs of pajama pants for the boys with matching applique t-shirts (cheated and bought the t-shirts) from the monster and robot fabric I bought back in March after the show. I'm going to wrap it as a present for their birthday party since we already gave them their swing-set and will give them their water & sand table on their actual birthday.

I want to also make them hoodies from the pri-maty fleece I got back in March as well, but I figure it can wait until it gets a bit cooler. Maybe it will be done for our trip to Manteo for Rodney & Stacey's wedding.

Sewing Expo 2011

2011-03-19T21:02:00.006-04:00

Last weekend, mom and I attended the Original Sewing & Quilt Expo Event at the Gwinnett Center in Duluth for the second time. Last year, I was really overwhelmed with everything and we took a class on fitting garments to suit you but I wasn't very impressed with the teacher - her teaching style and personality not her information. This year, I was able to select 5 classes in advance over Friday and Saturday as a present for Christmas. Looking at the class options was equally overwhelming, but I ended up picking a 2 part slip covering class that actually used up 4 of the 5 class options and the last was a machine quilting class for beginners.

Our first part slip cover class was at 10:30 AM on Friday and we got there around 9 am - just before the same teacher was having a "free" class on home decor stuff. The first part ended at 12:00, then the second part was from 12:30 - 2 PM. We went to Five Guys for lunch and mom had her first experience with their delicious burgers and fries. After returning the the Expo, we browsed the vendors for a little while until our machine quilting class started at 6:00 PM. The teacher was really awesome and through a little awkward conversation, I found out she was Colombian. She made it really fun and exciting to learn everything and before we knew it, it was 9 PM and time to go. We stopped at Carrabba's for a quick dinner and then headed to Mela & Shawn's (THANKS AGAIN!!!) to crash for the night to return the next day for more shopping (15 minutes away vs over an hour to drive back home & then out again the next day). We got back to the Expo the next day around 10-11 AM and browsed and shopped until about 1. We hit the Joann Fabric store in Snellville on the way home and raked in some great deals to fill our sewing needs for a little thanks to the awesome sales and coupons mom brought. After I dropped mom back home, I headed back to mine just in time to have dinner with the hubs and kiddos before taking them up to bed.

I had a great time and look forward to going again every year with my mom and maybe some new friends next year. I can't wait to see what I (actually) do before then and what new classes will become available.

Mom working diligently on her first masterpiece.

The "sample" we were working on

After a few hilarious attempts, a nice lady in our class helped out and took a great picture of us.

Christmas Craft Time

2011-01-01T21:01:00.002-05:00

card garland

Homemade garland - pine-cones, Frasier fir twigs and Styrofoam chestnuts.

smore's

Star Wars themed snowflakes.

produce bags

2010-12-11T11:10:00.001-05:00

Ladies Christmas Tea

2010-12-05T17:55:00.003-05:00

Video the day before after my sister and I finished setting up the table.
Video of 600+ women attending the event and then men who served us (including my 13 year old nephew)
Video of Ladies Chorus from Glen Haven.
Video of Starla Harbin - guest speaker/singer.

pictures of the table and chair covers my mom made - there was a big debate between Donner & Donder :)

Ladies Dinner

2010-11-16T10:19:00.003-05:00

My mom and sister invited me and Rachel B. to take part in the ladies dinner at their church at the end of this month. Our theme will be the 8 reindeer (excluding rudolph - of course) with a silver, white and blue color pallet. Mom found some glasses and I painted the reindeer names on them. We'll have white plates with silver chargers underneath, plastic silverware - looks like actual silverware though, and other pretty odds and ends. Here is some ideas so far...

2010 Pumpkins

2010-10-28T12:08:00.001-04:00

It takes a minute to see Bowser (left) but I think boo (right) came out pretty well!

Inside of "boo" before I gutted him!

Mario & Luigi

2010-10-26T20:33:00.002-04:00

Made for $0 from existing fabric I already had :)

Outlined a pair of overalls they already had plus an inch for a seam and used fabric my mom previously gave me to make some lounge pants for me (never did, but thanks mom), painted some old buttons yellow and covered with a clear glaze, found instructions online for the had which I made from felt

Reused and repurposed

2010-10-20T23:30:00.003-04:00

A while back, we purchased a MALM bed frame from IKEA with the side tables that attached to the headboard. I have a habit of rearranging furniture so after several moves, the sidetables which were supposed to float, would no longer doe to the connection breaking. Shortly thereafter, the entire frame broke and what we now have is just the headboard piece against the wall with a standard metal frame holding up the mattress. I used part of the side rails as feet for the side tables to stand on their own, but they have since been replaced with mismatched side tables from other bedroom suits. I kept the wood and have used the foot board as shelving in the garage and have been looking to do something with the side tables for a while now. I finally refashioned them both into one table with 2 drawers. It was a little tricky because they aren't entirely solid wood, but I got creative and am pretty satisfied with the outcome. It's a tad on the heavy side so at least I won't have to worry about the boys pushing it around like they've been doing with all the other lighter furniture in the house - mostly chairs.

make this

2010-10-11T21:58:00.002-04:00

http://pm-betweenthelines.blogspot.com/2010/09/time-for-new-tutorial.html

Reposted from Flitterbugs

2010-10-04T21:27:00.000-04:00

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

A year ago, we purchased our first dishwasher.

I L.O.V.E. it.

I do not, however, like shelling out for dishwasher detergent. With sales and a coupon, liquid soap to hand wash dishes is easy to find for free....but not so with the dishwasher stuff! After many sleepless hours swagbucks-ing the internet....I finally found a homemade recipe that works. The ingredients cost just under $12 total. This should make enough to last us for several months.

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent:

~1Cup Borax

~1 Cup Baking Soda (or washing soda....find in the laundry detergent isle. Some ladies find the Washing soda works better....Baking soda has worked great for us!)

~1/2 Cup Kosher Salt

~1/2 Cup Citric Acid

(I use "Fresh Fruit" produce protector...which is basically citric acid. You can find it in the canning isle...or use 15 packets of unsweetened Lemon flavored Kool Aid...which has lots of citric acid! Guess that is why most detergents are lemon scented, the citric acid keeps the dishes from building up a cloudy residue)

*Put all ingredients into a container with a tight fitting lid, and shake up!

*Use about 1 TB per load

*****DON'T SKIP THIS STEP- Pour some white vinegar into the "rinse aid" compartment of your dishwasher. This will help to keep your dishes...especially plastic...from having a "cloudy" look!

Wa-Lah! Your own Detergent!

We have been using this for some time now, and love it!

****************************************

If you do a bit of research on homemade detergent, you will find lots of "controversy" as to how well it works. Apparently, much of this has to do with what type of water you have. Also, it is debated as to whether or not borax is "good" for the dishwasher, as it can build up in your plumbing. Dig a little deeper, and you will find that all commercial dishwashing detergents have a borax-like ingredient....they just also have a chemical to keep the plumbing clear. It is a good idea to every month or so use a regular detergent for just one cycle to clean out the buildup.

Enjoy!

I like it!

2010-09-28T22:49:00.000-04:00

I must do this for our upcoming holiday decorations!!!

32

2010-08-30T00:08:00.001-04:00

In 32 years, my eyes have seen a lot of things. I've visited foreign countries I never imagined I would. I made new friends & lost a few. I've been to a lot of wedding bit thankfully not as many funerals. My own heart had been broken many times, I broke a few, and with some time & love from family & friends found myself open to love again to receive my soul mate. I've created many projects through various art forms including the life of two beautiful baby boys that God decided I would be best to be their mom. I've been a strong back or a soft shoulder for many friends in need & often sought the same in return. I've been overwhelmed, on top of the world, angry as hell, amorous beyond what I thought I was capable of, praised & put down. I have learned a lot and know that I still have a lot to learn. I appreciate everyone that's ever been there for me for a reason, season or lifetime. I look forward to going gray and discovering who I am just a little more every day. I look forward to what else these eyes will get to see & what paths these feet with stumble upon in my next 32 years. And I hope I never take any of it for granted.

Shopping Bag

2010-08-26T16:44:00.002-04:00

A while back, we went to a House Party for Saturn/Real Simple TV show @ Xavier & Leah's old house. As part of our "gifts", we were given these canvas bags that had the Saturn logo on them. For a long time, I used it to sort & lug around some scrapbook gear.

I had given it to my mom to embroider something over the logo so I could use it as a larger companion to my existing grocery tote, but life gets busy and she wasn't able to, so after it's return I decided to take matter into my own hands.

Especially with twins, I am constantly looking for an extra pocket for things my purse cannot accommodate like my keys, a pen, grocery list, receipts, a cup or toy, you get it. So instead of just covering up the logo with something creative AKA cheap/free, I added a pocket. I "quilted" on several strips of ribbon I already had to a stray piece of an old pillowcase in the shape and size I needed, attached it to the bag, and viola! Now I am ready to get looked upon strangely when I tell the bag boy at said grocery store(s) that I will bag my own groceries. Silly as it may be, if I let them do it, I usually end up with my bags, plus several plastic bags which completely defeats the point (IMO).

painting

2010-08-25T12:24:00.002-04:00

I can't recall the last time I painted.
I can't recall the last time I painted with oils.
I can't remember the last time I painted with oils and started this painting.

After putting the boys down for their AM nap, on a whim I decided to give this painting another go.

Yes, I know her head is huge and nothing is in balance/sync with the entire thing, but I just wanted to see a) how rusty I was - was I able to at least remember techniques?, b) why I stopped using oils (oh yeah, the clean up sucks if you don't have a dedicated sink like I used to have in college), and c) if there was any love for the hobby anymore.

I found out that I still do enjoy it, and while I love being able to work constantly on one painting, being able to blend with something I worked on 20 minutes ago, I hate thinking it had to not sit forever until it dries and like I said before, cleanup sucked.

I started on this original idea back when I lived in my house in McDonough (2005 is when I moved to Jboro). I wanted to try to recreate a JSSargent painting in a book I had. I like how much humor I saw in the lady in the sitting. It looked like she was about to bust into laughter at any moment. My rendition looks nothing like it or her, but that wasn't what I wound up going for this go around.

It felt good to have a brush in my hand again, the smell of the paints and solvents, and randomly looking at my hands late in the day to see where I missed a smudge or two of paint. All in all, it's good to know the love is still there and I remained a pack rat of these materials for so long.

twins again!

2010-08-24T08:58:00.001-04:00

Ha ha - gotcha! It was only in my breakfast :D

HIgh Chair Cover

2010-08-23T00:01:00.003-04:00

A few days before we found portable booster seats that attached to the dining room chairs = more room in an already cramped dining room, I decided to cut down an old bath towel into a slip cover for one of the high chairs we had. Pretty simple. Didn't have a serger so I just did a tight zigzag stitch all the way around the edge to prevent unraveling during the frequent washing process I was expecting. It wasn't very tight over the existing plastic cover so anytime Isaac felt like turning around in his seat, it went with him. Good idea in theory I guess.

Date Night

2010-08-14T11:04:00.003-04:00

Joey and I on our way out on our date last weekend.

Inside of my favorite coffee cup.

Outside of my favorite coffee cup.

My baby girl. Hard to believe she'll be 9 this year!

Selling the little black bear - interested?

2010-07-24T22:57:00.005-04:00

1998 Ford Explorer Sport Utility 2D

Mileage: 189,000 Engine: V6, 4.0 Liter Transmission: Automatic Drivetrain: 4WD

XL
AM/FM Stereo
ABS (4-Wheel)
Air Conditioning
Air Conditioning, Rear
Cassette
CD (Multi Disc)
Cruise Control
Dual Air Bags
Leather (Tan)
Moon Roof
Power Door Locks
Power Seat
Power Steering
Power Windows
Roof Rack
Running Boards
Tilt Wheel

$2500 OBO

I would like to make this

2010-07-14T20:46:00.001-04:00

I would like to make this.

Muppet Cupcakes

2010-06-27T08:24:00.004-04:00

For Joey's surprise 35th, I decided to make Muppet Cupcakes for him based on an image he sent me a while ago of a bakery in the UK that did them. I pre-made PBJ cupcakes and over then next couple days, became Rachel's humble apprentice and learned that with a lot of sugar, you can make pretty much anything. She homemade marzipan and made the first one (Rolf) at home and from then on, there was no stopping us.

Gonzo nose on a cupcake.

Sugar High.

Completed Gonzo.

I think the Beakers were my fav. I still giggle every time I see them.

We were having issues trying to figure out Kermit but decided to move on.

The last night, I finally figured the little green man out...

Finished product to go into hiding for the big reveal.

They came out awesome and I could not have done it with out Rachel's help. I owe you big time!!!!

Happy Birthday, darling. I hope you enjoyed it

finally finished cushions for little stonehenge

2010-06-24T21:31:00.002-04:00

They're not gorgeous by any means, but they're done :) Thanks again to mom for the free fabric and Adam for not minding my chopping up of the formerly known DJ room bench.

Animal Crossing Garden :)

2010-06-12T22:37:00.002-04:00

Hostas are blooming

Hydrangea - a little wilted

Momma Barnes & her new nest - now we have 2 families and 2 nests on the from porch

Gecko man doing his thing

Babies waiting on their mama

Hydrangeas are FINALLY blooming!

2010-06-06T12:41:00.003-04:00

They are a lot darker than they have been in past years; even KISS-GNOMES like them!

Tillie's Square

2010-05-27T12:25:00.001-04:00

I sent this to her a while back but it will have to do in lieu of pictures of her birthday present because, well, it's not finished. I promise it will be in the mail soon though. Happy birthday Tillie!!!! We love you guys!!!!

The birds are back

2010-05-20T22:37:00.004-04:00

We've had the barn swallows return to the porch for 5 yeas now and they just made a second nest on the opposite side of the porch. Looks like another batch of babies will be flying off soon!

Phase III - Family Photo Wall

2010-04-02T12:35:00.002-04:00

It turned out a lot smaller than I intended but I guess it gives me room to add more pictures though. It's already starting to irk me to the point of desired removal cause all the frames start tilting off their centers. Oh well. At least I finished :)

March projects

2010-03-25T16:38:00.002-04:00

Boppy cover - fabric ($0 - donated by my mom) and zipper ($0 - taken off old blanket storage bag that ripped) ta da!

Looks a little crazy huh? Well, the left red blog is what used to be my pin cushion, re-sewn a billion times. To the right is what I made to replace it. I decided to make it in the fashion of an artist's pallet so I can hold it easier while working instead of always misplacing it or attempting to use a wrist one which always gets caught inevitably on what I'm working on. So far so good, also made from scraps of randomness I have. Inside the small red ball were all the pins seen on the new blue "thing" and 8 needles that were hidden completely inside the red one.

I am in the process of more projects and actually have a list to go down now so I can keep focused. yay me!

Spring has sprung

2010-03-13T20:51:00.004-05:00

The tree in our front yard has produced small flowers which will soon yield beautiful bright green leaves. Now that I am able to get out more with the boys, mostly on walks around the neighborhood, I am become more motivated and inspired to create things. Among them is a garden but depending on cash flow, the larger garden may have to wait another year still. Until then, I will do my best to keep what annuals come up alive and healthy and look forward to return of the birds and a new batch of babies.

I am finally getting to a couple of projects I have been collecting materials for over the past few months. One of them is just to keep the boys occupied/teethe on - a small fabric square that crinkles and has ribbons attached. I originally saw the idea in a book/magazine/website a few months ago and the crinkle inside is the wrapper from wipes refill packages. Given that we always have plenty of these to spare, I started collecting them until the opportunity to construct one. The main fabric for the one pictured was actually from a onesie my sister handed down to me for the boys and the ribbons came from presents from various friends/family/occasions that I saved for future wrapping/crafting; so essentially, I spent $0 on making it. I can see this as being a pack-rat, but I like to think of it more as up-cycling :) I have a couple more I am working on and will post images as I complete them.

I attended the Sewing & Quilting Expo with my mom today and was overwhelmed with new ideas. I had enough money to get a few supplies and my mom paid for us to attend a class on altering patterns and existing garments to fit better, so if anyone has something they're cool with me experimenting on, I'd love to try it out. Unfortunately the woman couldn't really answer the one question I had and was less than pleasant to be around, but I didn't let it ruin my entire experience. I am really interested in trying my hand at quilting one day, but for now, I think I'll still to smaller stuff and try to finish up things I've already started.

Livingroom Project - ready for Phase III

2010-03-03T15:44:00.002-05:00

It's been since NOvember since I started this project, and just finished painting last month, but hopefully we'll have this last part done within the month!

Phase I - new flooring.

Phase II - paint (including fireplace - was white)

Phase III - bare wall over left couch section will have a selection of family photos in the future.

various February

2010-02-18T11:26:00.003-05:00

Kristy Dunny USB drive made by Joey and I for her Birthday.

Snowmen I made after the snowstorm.

Light bulb Valentine I made for Joey.

I also made crayon heart Valentines but forgot to take pictures so...yeah.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cookie Cups

2010-02-18T11:17:00.003-05:00

I made these for Valentine's Day/Kristy's birthday and they were a big hit. I wish I still had some left.....

INGREDIENTS FOR CHOCOLATE CHIP BOTTOM LAYER

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
2.5 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

INGREDIENTS FOR CHEESECAKE TOP LAYER
2 8-oz packages of cream cheese (16 oz total)
1 can of sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
mini chocolate chips

INGREDIENTS FOR WHIPPED CREAM
2 cups of heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioners sugar

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS:
mini chocolate chips
optional: mint leaves for garnish

*****

DIRECTIONS:

“First make the chocolate chip cookie dough. Beat butter, sugar, and granulated sugar until fluffy, then beat in vanilla and eggs. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl, then slowly stir into the butter mixture. Add chocolate chips and chill for 30 minutes or freeze until ready to use.

Preheat Oven to 325 degrees F. Paper-line 24 muffin cups. Fill the bottom of each muffin cup with layer of cookie dough (approximately 1 tablespoon or more, depending on how thick you want the cookie crust). Bake for 10-12 minutes until cookie crust has spread to the edge of the muffin cup.

In a medium-sized bowl beat cream cheese. Add sweetened condensed milk. Then add eggs & vanilla. Beat all of the combined ingredients until smooth. Spoon 3 tablespoons of cream cheese mixture over each cookie in cup. Bake for additional 15 minutes or until cream cheese sets. Cool completely on wired rack and then place in the fridge to cool for at least an hour.

While the cheesecake cups cool, make the whipped cream. Whisk heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add confectioners sugar and whisk until combined. Cover tightly and refrigerate. Once the cheesecake cups are cooled, place a dollop of whipped cream on top and sprinkle mini chocolate chips.

Enjoy!

boxes

2010-02-03T08:54:00.002-05:00

Ikea storage box: $1.99 + rub on lettering tutorial $0 = perfect storage for all the boys' first aid/grooming, medicine needs.

I wanted a small storage box for the leftover floral stuff I have but didn't have any $ so I constructed one out of pages from my 2008 Japanese block print calender that did the trick. Cost $0. I still need somewhere to store the longer wires, but I'll probably just sit them next to the box in the storage drawers in my room.

Tree of Life

2010-01-29T20:53:00.001-05:00

I had been eyeballing a wall hanging at Uncommongoods.com for a while, but didn't want to pay what they were asking for it, so I decided to paint it myself. I finally got the nerve to do so and am pretty happy with the results. It's not much, but it felt good to paint again, and not a wall...

house related "creativity"

2010-01-20T17:12:00.004-05:00

In an attempt to be "thrifty" aka "not buy a dryer right now", I have installed a retractable indoor/outdoor clothesline in our hallway next to the washer/dryer closet where I hang everything until they are 99% dry then put them in the squeak machine for a cycle with fabric softener. I don't know how much we've saved in energy cost for lack of having to run them on multiple cycles, but it takes about the same amount of time because I either get distracted and forget about the clothes all day, or they take forever to dry, but at least I'm saving our sanity for not having to listen to it squeak all day :) It was $12 at Home Depot including the hardware to hang it. I also used a plant hanger for the center to cut some of the slack created by the weight of the wet clothes lest I have Polli roll all over them on the floor. The only things it obstructs on that side are the hall closet where sheets/blankets are and part of my "studio room" which I haven't used lately so it's not a huge deal.

In order to keep the boys' growing stuffed animal collection out of the way and off the floor, Joey found a net you can hang 3 different ways at Babies'R'Us for $9 (again including hardware to hang it) and I strung the 3 oversized animals from screws in the ceiling with medium weight yarn. I tried fishing line at first but it broke before I could get it up there. Before they were sitting on the floor in front of the mural and had to be moved every time I needed to vacuum. They obviously aren't playing with them right now so it's all good.

I have started repainting the stairway and living room as well. The hall from the foyer to the living room is now all one color (same as foyer) and the same color is now in the stairway and the wall to it in the living room. Without anything hung yet, it looks like we just moved in. We're going to start a family picture collage on the hall wall as soon as we pick out pictures and get frames and we haven't decided what art work will be rehung or switched out yet.

Santa Suit

2009-12-27T11:11:00.006-05:00

A few days before Christmas, Joey and I decided to make him into Santa and have him visit my 2 year old Nephew, Ethan, on Christmas Eve. I was able to use a lot of dark red fabric I already had so all I had to buy was white for the trim ($7 @ Wal-Mart) and the pattern (again, $7 @ Walmart). One day I cut out all the pattern pieces I needed. The next day I cut the pattern out of fabric and sewed the basic jacket together to make sure it was the right size and picked up a beard and wig set from Party City ($20). Christmas Eve, I spent 5 hours finishing up everything and with a lot of luck, had no alterations to make when it was all said and done. The finished product impressed myself. We got to have pictures of the boys with Santa after all!

That evening, we loaded all 4 of us into the car and drove to my sister's house just as she was getting Ethan ready for bed. I pulled into the driveway with my lights off and Joey texted my sister to let her know we were there. He walked up to the door in a booming voice saying "HO! HO! HO!" By that time, my sister had turned the tv off and was asking Ethan, "What's that noise?" She said he started running around looking worried then ran to the door and opened it and screamed "Santa Claus!" He talked to him for a little while, posed for some pictures with him and his older brother, Justice (no longer believes but is quite confused at this point) and told him he had lots of great gifts to deliver but he had to go right to bed so he could deliver them. Meanwhile, the only word Ethan could get out was, "Okay!" Joey exited the same way he came in, laughing all the way "Ho! Ho! Ho!" I called my sister after we got home and she said it was perfect! After we left, Ethan ran to the kitchen to grab his teddy bear and then jumped in the recliner and screamed "Mommy! Rock Me!" and layed there squeezing his eyes as tight as he could. She said he was out in a record 15 minutes and never woke up until morning.

We has so much fun doing it, talking the whole way there and back about what we could do to make it better. Next year, we'll improve the costume some with real boots and belt and add a bag with bells, maybe trim up the beard/stash a little and now Justice wants an Elf costume for next year :)

2009-12-14T09:19:00.003-05:00

For my nephews birthday, I made him some blackout curtains for his bedroom with GA Bulldog accents. It turned out to be a lot more tedious than I intended, but I took my time and didn't do it half way and as a result am pretty happy with how they came out. I got to use a couple new features on my sewing machine Joey got me 2 Christmas' ago that I hadn't gotten to yet, so that in itself was worth it. Oh, and he like them too :)

Christmas Stockings

2009-12-06T22:00:00.001-05:00

I knew I wouldn't be able to find what I wanted for the boys' Christmas Stockings so I decided to make them. I spent about $10 on material, used Joey's stocking as a pattern and had my mom embroider their names on them for me. I like how they turned out. I hope they like them for years to come.

Upcycling for Christmas

2009-11-27T21:53:00.001-05:00

We had a plethera of gift bags from the wedding last year and baby gifts this year. I took the ones that were plain along with some Christmas cards we received last year that we might otherwise throw away, and used the cards as decorations for the bags. Only sad part is we don't have a lot of gifts to buy this year so they'll get stored with the Christmas stuff for following years.

Flooring

2009-11-26T19:41:00.006-05:00

Last Thursday I posted a comment on FB about an investment I made for the house as well as the boy's health, and ours too come to think of it. I hired Rachel Norred's brother, Adam James, to install laminate flooring everywhere downstairs save the foyer that was already hardwood and the kitchen remained linoleum.

He met me over at Floor & Decor in Morrow that evening to pick out something that best matched what we already had as the hardwood and even loaded it in the Explorer for me and met at the house to unload it. He and his partner in business, Luke, came over starting Monday to install it. Luke just happens to be married to Shellie, one of our favorite nurses in the NICU at Southern Regional when the boys were born.

They did an amazing job and finished up everything by Wednesday afternoon, just in time for me to clean up so I could host my first Thanksgiving at our house. It looked so good, like it was always there, that the family didn't notice until I asked them how they liked it today.

Dining Room Before & After

Foyer & Living-room

If anyone has any handyman jobs or otherwise that they need assistance with, let me know and I will give you Adam's number. He said they do everything from floor installation, to painting and even cutting grass.

Autumn Wreath

2009-11-03T16:42:00.006-05:00

Although we're almost halfway to winter, I felt the need to make a wreath for our front door. I took a Christmas wreath from my grandparent's old house and removed all indications it was for Christmas, then wrapped it with some dried berry and flower garland and some silk oak leaves (all found on clearance at Target) and added a bow made of wire edged ribbon from the Dollar Tree. I's not fancy by any means and a lot of the pieces might blow off at the first storm it sees, but it only cost me $7 to make and it made me happy.

Polli was very curious why I went outside, as you can see in the lower left of the picture. :)

Upcycling for storage

2009-10-31T23:13:00.002-04:00

Silly maybe, but totally served it's purpose. When the Ikea bed frame we bought broke beyond repair and we knew we weren't going to try to get it replaced, I decided to maintain the headboard just make it freestanding since it matched and helped support the bedside tables and keep the other pieces that didn't split for eventual shelving in the garage.

It's been well over a year since that, but I was finally able to install the shelves and it couldn't have come at a better time. I also used pieces of the side rails to make feet for the so called "freestanding side tables" but that's been a while back now. We used to store all the bulk storage/paper products in the hallway closet but since we got the new entertainment center, the games and movies have taken over that closet. I sawed the foot board in half and attached it to the wall with L braces I bought back when I originally had the idea. Though it can't hold much weight (lovely hollow structuring from Ikea doesn't make it very sturdy), it totally served it's purpose. It's right by the door from the kitchen to the garage too, so it's convenient and out of the way. Now I just wish I did it a long time ago :)

Swiffer

2009-10-28T11:49:00.001-04:00

I totally need to make this...

Little Stonehenge

2009-10-27T23:35:00.002-04:00

My last week of work, I purchased a pallet of seconds of Celtik wall with intentions of building a firepit in our backyard. The day I was "forced" to take my maternity leave, my boss brought the rest of them to our house after work and they had been sitting there ever since...until this past weekend. We had been watching a lot of DIY which probably helped motivate up to finally get them out of the garage at the very least. After we got it as high as we wanted it, we stacked the remaining pieces for seating that we can put a throw pillow on for comfort when we go to use it - I'll have to make some with weatherproof material. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out especially for it to be out of seconds. Mostly though, I'm glad it's gone from the garage - now I can start to park the car in there while it's getting colder and at least won't have to take the boys into the elements to get them into the car. Yay!

Chocolate Scrub

2009-10-24T10:54:00.003-04:00

I picked up a fee digest at the GI specialist for Isaac last week and was reading the events for fall page while rocking Isaac to sleep when I came across this recipe. I knew I had all the ingredients and a leftover bottle from bath salts I kept for an unknown future project. Joey handed me a shell I found earlier this year at Nag's Head Beach while visiting his mom that already had a good sized hole in it to thread something through. A quickly Photoshopped together label coverd with tape so it doesn't get wet and peel off and the end result was surprizing. If it works well, I may look into making some for Christmas presents.

2009-10-11T13:43:00.002-04:00

I started making a scrapbook of the cruise Joey and I took with his mom and step dad back in 2007 and never got past picking out pictures and semi-organizing them. I'd like to announce that after yesterday late evening, I finally finished it, and not a moment too soon. His mom is arriving this afternoon to spend the week with us and the boys and now I don't have to find excuses why it's not done (not that I needed to) and now we can look it over together and relive how fun it was and discuss how we can't wait to go again. Yay me!

2009-10-06T14:36:00.001-04:00

I had purchased some terrycloth fabric when I picked out the fleece we notated to the NICU at Southern regional with the pupose of making some additional covers for the changing pad in the boys room. The one we purchased was $10 and I was convinced I could make them cheaper. I finally got around to doing that today. I roughly measured the first before putting it in the wash. Again. And was over a little in my original measurements but was able to easily correct it. A couple corners and some elastic later, I had a well fitting cover. I have enough fabric for another one that I will try to knock out tomorrow as well. Yay me. :)

2009-09-22T14:34:00.002-04:00

I forgot to post earlier the pictures of footprints we did while Kristy was in town. For the GA family baby shower, my Aunt Marion gave Joey a Curious George "Baby's First Steps" template for their footprints. After printing their feet on plain paper and scanning everything in, I was able to make two and not destroy the original with the inking process. We did try one hand but they quickly balled it into a fist and the print didn't come out to well. Oh well, there will be plenty of hand-shaped turkeys for the future :)

2009-08-18T11:25:00.003-04:00

I finally finished the mural :)

update

2009-07-14T08:51:00.010-04:00

It has been over a month since my last post. In that time, I have been working on things. I am still currently creating two human beings and have entered my 30th week as of today. I will go for another weekly ultrasound tomorrow with the company of my husband and step-mother-in law. Last week I brought my husband, sister and eldest nephew and I hope to be able to bring my husband and dad next week so long as his work schedule permits.

I have also been nesting, rearranging, organizing all parts of the house. Last night I rearranged a few things in my "creative room" so I could remove the dresser I am giving my sister for my youngest nephew's room and clean up for when my mom comes over tomorrow night to work on some sewing. The nursery mural is about 80% complete. I was hoping to have it done last weekend but our birthing classes and maternity pictures took precidence so I failed to do so. I am hoping to get in there and work on it more tonight as my parents are coming over tomorrow night. They are helping us obtain a freezer from my Aunt's house which will come in handy once we need to start stockpiling for the growing boys as well as for mom and I to work on the dog beds for the girls so they can return to sleeping in their crates in the room with us. Ever since we moved their beds to the livingroom to keep them off the furniture, Delila had chosen to stay down there and sleep, though she usually did previously anyways, just in a chair or on the couch, and Polli rolls up in a ball somewhere on the floor beside Joey's side of the bed, usually ontop of a pillow he's thrown or a pile of laundry, until I get out of bed in the morning so she can claim my spot when I leave.

I made a few things from the Splenda Cookbook I had never made before and stuffed french toast has been a favorite. I want to do more, but I usually wake famished and retire to bed before making it for the next morning.

I planted all the tomato and watermelon saplings I had and they are already so tall they can't stand on their own anymore. The crazy rain two nights ago made them and the grass in the backyard spring up several inches, so I will need to get out the wiring from last year to support the tomatoes and probably relocate the watermelon outside it's current fencing - the vines are climbing the fencing already - and weed eat the backyard before Joey can actually mow it because the poor little Neuton isn't powerful enough to cut through all the thick stuff. I still need to lay newspaper around the hostas and hydrangea and put pinestraw ontop to keep the grass and weeds out. The hydrangeas are a deep blue color this year since we've moved them to the back yard. I can't remember if that means there is more or less acidity in the soil, I could look it up if I really had to know.

So much stuff to do and so little time. I know I should prioritize this stuff on paper and start doing it. Maybe I will after we return from our anniversary trip this weekend. Until then, all I can think about it getting away for a little while and being on the beach, even if it is supposed to be scattered thunderstorms the entire time we're there.

Robot

2009-06-07T10:12:00.005-04:00

I made this a while back. We had it originally attached to the pantry door for holding plastic bags from the store. When we ran out of room, we got then huge one from Ikea to replace it. I decided to turn this one into a mask for Joey's office/studio.

keys

2009-06-06T12:19:00.005-04:00

I took a hanging frame with burlap covering the insert and a bunch of old keys, a lock, and 2 nails glued to the burlap from my grandparents old house. I asked my dad if I could have with the intentions of restoring it. He agreed and here is how it turned out.

some of the originals
originals half way cleaned
some after cleaning and buffing
finished project

old photos

2009-06-04T08:47:00.006-04:00

I received an old camera from my parents when they were going through the belongings of my grandparents house after my grandfather passed away last September. It was an old plastic thing, no major manufacturer, no focus, flash or aperture adjustments possible. So I got a roll of film to put in and see if it still worked. I totally forgot about it until I was cleaning out a file cabinet in my office the other and found the negatives. I decided to scan them and here is what I found on them.
Joey cooking Chinese food.
Delila before her now almost totally grey muzzle.
Polli - posing as always
and LOTS of random stuff from around the house, like this plant in the bathroom window downstairs.

2009-05-19T13:41:00.002-04:00

It's been a long time.

I should have been posting a lot more.

I apologize.

I'm still here and still have lots of plans though....

2009-04-26T14:08:00.000-04:00

One of the many cats at Joey's mom & families house in the Outer Banks, NC

Boots

2009-04-24T14:05:00.000-04:00

Taken on trip to Outer Banks, NC to visit Joey's mom & family

Parting clouds

2009-04-14T13:51:00.000-04:00

Just another rainy day in April.
But wait - what's this?
Sun?
Who knew!

Sherri, Kayla and Spencer Photo Shoot

2009-04-11T14:36:00.005-04:00

Easter

2009-04-11T13:44:00.000-04:00

We will be going to my Aunt's house for Easter this year. I was asked to bring a couple things to pass and decided to also make this Easter bread ring my grandmother used to make with us. It came out a little dry but was still good. The eggs were overdone though.

Kimono Baby Shoes

2009-04-01T10:04:00.002-04:00

0 – 6 months
Created by Aimee Larsen
www.homespun-threads.com

Materials:
2 coordinating fabrics
appliqué adhesive
pattern
(optional)
trim and bonded fusible
fleece interlining
This pattern is available for personal and commercial use. If using commercially, my website name should be clearly and visibly displayed with the item being sold. THANKS!

Steampunk Hearts

2009-03-06T13:26:00.003-05:00

Well, I finally got around to opening the clay - thank you again Adam. I used the set of gears I ordered from the site of the idea and a couple other found items including floral wire and staples which worked nicely for tacking the gears down.

I think they turned out pretty well. I like the smaller spiral one the best.

Puppies

2009-03-04T11:26:00.004-05:00

We decided to decorate the babies room (regardless of the sex) in Curious George. We can make it more feminine if needed and yellow is a pretty neutral sexed color. I wanted to create a picture from the book Curious George and the puppies of the last page where he is petting a dog:
But sit in our 2 girls in place of the other dog he was petting. It was hard to find existing pictures that worked and then try to put a filter on them so they looked more like drawings than photographs. Here is what I came up with so far:

I need to work on them some more, the cutout filter decided not to cooperate with me over the remote desktop connection, so I'll have to wait until I get home so I can troubleshoot it.

Justice made breakfast

2009-02-08T10:45:00.000-05:00

Tae Kwon Do Testing 02.07.09

2009-02-07T08:41:00.000-05:00

I got paid this time - woo hoo!!!

One Month Later

2009-02-02T11:21:00.000-05:00

Oragami mobile

2009-01-30T07:27:00.000-05:00

Origami

2009-01-24T22:43:00.002-05:00

A friend gave me a pad of perforated paper and instructions for various animals to which I did one of each today. Here is the end result. I am trying to figure out what to do with them now. A mobile perhaps?

*edit * Cristy - it's a horse :)

2009-01-22T14:30:00.000-05:00

So it seems I have been working on something new all this time without even knowing it :) Joey and I are pregnant with a preliminary due date of September 22nd. We are both very excited and can't wait to become parents. I'm sure my crafting genes will be kicking back into high gear soon. BABIES!!!!

2009-01-15T10:27:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry I haven't posted anything in a while, which means I haven't really created anything in a while, just pictures really. The desire is there, just not the time or energy right now honestly. Funny how I seemed to make time during holidays though. To be fair, I did "design" a backyard layout...does that count?

2009-01-05T10:27:00.000-05:00

I haven't been creating much lately due to holiday festivities and overall feeling crappy because of a cold that won't go away. I did dye several sections of my dreads for New Years and then shaved my head the following Friday - that counts as an art project, right?

Hopefully I will feel better soon and start creating again...

Christmas presents

2008-12-26T11:19:00.000-05:00

I gave the gi frame to Justice yesterday. he seemed to like it okay - I think my sister liked it more than he did though. I also gave the rest of the family their little bags I made. They also went over fairly well.

I got a lot of great stuff for Christmas. The best was a new phone - an Instinct. I have to go to the store to activate it and transfer my contacts today and will recycle my old Razor phone. I am looking forward to all the fun of having a new phone. I am pretty familiar with it already though because Joey has one. We'll have to figure out a way to tell them apart though since they only come in black...

Nutcracker, Part 2

2008-12-26T01:01:00.000-05:00

I guess Delila didn't like him, because when we came home from spending Christmas with 2 of 3 sets of family, I found him in pieces on the kitchen floor. Oh well. Good thing he was just paper, tape and time.

No worries. I didn't beat her :)

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T10:22:00.000-05:00

This would look better if the glue would have stuck, thus not requiring everything to be taped.

I might have a slight paper-craft addiction...

Elfed part of my family

2008-12-21T09:09:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

For Festivus

2008-12-20T16:51:00.000-05:00

Melting Snowman Cupcakes and Sugared Citrus Strips.

2008-12-19T12:06:00.000-05:00

These are Christmas bags I sewed together very quickly for my family's Stocking Stuffers since we're not doing Christmas gifts this year.