A necklace from forever ago

I made this the second to last time my mom was in town. The pendant was an earring on clearance at World Market, (by the way there is one 15 minutes away from my new place, I love world market)

My mom has the other earring on a necklace, but hers is slightly different. She doesn't have green turquoise in hers, she save those for something else. I've gotten more compliments on this necklace than any other I've made. If you are thinking my necklaces are ugly don't tell me. (I was afraid the bone china beads it looked like pukka shells, I have been assured they don't.)

New Curtains a month and half ago

A month and half ago I got sick of not having my bathroom curtains not matching my outer shower curtain. I went shopping, at Bed Bath and Beyond I found table runners on clearance, I bought two, and made them into curtains, for $3 plus about 30 minutes of time.

I know my window looks way dirty. But we live on the second story, and I have no idea how to clean the outside of the window, and heck if I'm going to pay someone to clean my cheap apartment's second story windows outside.

This was the first day I put them up, so the wrinkles hadn't disappeared yet. I have to tie them back or our bathroom is pitch black 24 hours a day. I need natural moonlight in the bathroom because of pregnancy.

Close up, and a close up of my shower curtain in case you forgot. I think my bathroom looks really great now. Sort of, what I have done to it, I still have a yellow shower, and a mildewy floorboards, but I have tried to fix that.

New curtains to enjoy for a total of three months before a move.

Did I mention...

A few weeks ago my mom was at my house for two days. She was very busy during that time. I was planning to make the skirt but she made it for me, to accommodate my expanding waist line so I don't have rent.

I made this with the remaining material. I wonder if it was ok to post pictures of both, but White Elegance Website has similar pictures, so I decided it was fine. Click on the picture to see a close up of what the material looks like.

Close up of the lace and flower. I asked my husband if it was too gaudy, and he said what, its all white. So I figured it was fine.

I didn't want knee high stocking hanging out my dress, so instead we added a gusset. I love that part, it makes me feel so polished.

She also sewed the border on the blanket I made for my children. She and my aunt tied the blanket, while I thread the needles. It was like the olden days when the women all help to get the quilt done.

Finishing Projects

Remember this post. Well here is the finished product. Click to enlarge all photos.
A blanket for my children. He loves to look at all the bees.I included the pockets from the pants, its always fun to have a place for treasures or babies (somehow thats what stuff animals are called in our house). Here is the close up of the embroidery I added. We have a deal in my household, I get to blog as long as I don't put our last name. Considering my husband use to loathe blogging I figure its fair. We often sing that hymn in Family Home Evening, I thought the Ether scripture tied the other two blocks together. Not to mention back to the hymn, I do think my son sounds very very sweet when he sings songs.The back side.
Post Script the blocks are suppose to be uneven.

Baby Blanket Mania

In the last two months I have made 6 baby blankets. Which is quite a lot, I think.
It started off with Brent's best friend from high school's first born son. See the mini card, I thought it was so cute!
Next my sister asked for a second, for her 6 month old. Which I was happy to oblige a fan. Truth be known, she is the one that started this whole baby blanket thing, giving me one when I was 4 years old or so. And I still have it and use it in the summer, because it is so lightweight and soft. So she can clearly make one but she is a little busy trying to be come a doctor of educational psychology.
Next one of my sister in laws who wrote me a rousing thank you note, saying how much she has enjoyed the last 8 months of her daughters baby blanket, and how amazing it is, and amazing I am. I really like thank you notes from her she never fails to tell me I'm talented. So truly in this case since I was already making some I had to make her another one if she is going to the love the first so much. I big a fan of multiple baby blankets to make laundry easier. She didn't ask I just surprised her. I had to make her a colorful one because the email pointed out liking the colors. While my sister's blanket isn't so colorful other than the pink ties. I like black, white and small amounts pink in florals, is so Rococo. I think.These next two are suppose to be semi matching. But not the same, really just not clashing, I had a real hard time finding 4 pieces of material that matched. If they don't, don't tell me. I love the first one, both sides of the material. Really you should click on all these pictures so you can admire the material close up. I love material.
I love the first of these, but the second I think fits so many personalities of mothers I'm related to. Ok, I don't know about so many, but at least one on each side. I'll keep the personalities anonymous in case the personality itself does not agree.
This is the blanket I already mentioned. The one I made because my husband loves me so. I have recently kind of stopped putting names on the blankets. But my husband made a direct attempt to really remember the child's name so I knew that meant he really wanted a name embroidered. Its for one of his mission friend's first born son. Not to mention, I put my son's first and middle name on his blanket, and so my husband expects the same for his old mission comps but I didn't comply I never do, only my own children get middle treatment. Normally I wouldn't pick a sports theme. But I don't really know the couple that well, and I struggle find boy prints, and my husband told me to get sports. This soccer printed looked about as quilty as a sports theme could so I got it, and because they served in Chile, so of course Football is big.This is not a blanket yet. I love all three of these colors in this print. I love stars. I originally bought the blue because I thought it would be a good boy print, but since I've found all three colors, I don't know if I can give away these prints in blankets, maybe I'll have to make a blanket for me. Oh I love these! Really it is love.

Things I know

When my husband is on the phone with a friend who's wife just had a baby, and he repeatedly says the child's name over and over again. This is what I know, Two Things:

1. He is hoping I will make a baby blanket for them.
2. He thinks his wife just makes the best crafts in the world.

These are my thoughts on the situation

1. I enjoy making girl blankets they are so fun, and easy to find material for, boy blankets are a different matter (this friend had a boy)
2. I should never ever buy flannel no matter how cheap it is
3. I should never ever cut up material before I am ready to actually sew a project
4. I'm mostly flattered by the above situation
5. Especially because I do not make the best crafts in the world
   
6. Luckily for my husband my two month sabbatical on life is over
   

Fathers History

Remember how I said we have pictures to document every father's day, my husband has had, here they are:

Father Day 2007.

Father's Day 2006, remember that blog post about the stupid survey points, yes, I spent months collecting points to get my husband presents for fathers day.

Fancy pie huh, I also made him blueberry muffins that morning. Either he stopped liking them or something because he told me to stop making them.

So I guess I don't have documentation of the fathers day before our child was born, but I made him this shirt. On the back it said Brent's Baby.

Manly Bugs

I've recently started sewing again. I took a two month sabbatical. (I took a two month sabbatical from a LOT of things, including visiting teaching.) Since my sabbatical is over now I have been to JoAnns quite a bit. My son apparently is growing up and some days can be quite pleasant it the store, which I would have thought impossible last fall. A few weeks ago, he was very good in the store, and wanted some of his own material. Since I love material, I had to indulge his wants. Of course he won't always love it because he is a boy and will grow up and learn mommy is not cool, but while he does I will be indulgent. He wanted pink flowers and lady bugs, I couldn't let him do that, at the sake of sounding homophobic-- I try to teach my son gender differences. I found all types of boy material for him, basketballs, dogs, stars (probably not big boy, but was so cute, in a gender neutral way), he wanted none of it, then we found these lady bugs. This is what he wanted:

I found other cute boy stuff and he wanted the bugs, I said fine. I was actually proud they were so manly looking. They look very beetle like, not so cutesy girl. Yellow spots and everything.

He carried the material around for days. He loves it. I was going to make him a pillowcase out of it, but I'm not really sure. He seems to love it so much, a pillow case isn't that exciting. But in actuality he loves the calico pillowcases I've made for him. So he would probably love this one too, if it was in a pillowcase. Although I don't think this is actually calico.
I really have no problem at all, with him liking ladybugs as long as I don't think of that early 90s movie. I think I have found the reason he likes ladybugs so much. He has two experiences with bugs on him, remember the beetle one, didn't turn out so well for him. The other time was before beetles, with lady beetles at the beach in LA. There were lady bugs everywhere, so to see what my son would do I put them on him, he loved it. He started putting them on himself, and carrying them in his hand. I'm sure in his mind, red beetle means safe, black means danger.

My new favorite lunch

Remember the lasagna post. Well I had the noodles for the lasagna I never made, because my son opened the package for me. I realized my favorite part of lasagna is the noodles. When I was a child, I would scrape everything off and only eat the noodles. (My poor mother) So I made this for lunch:

Noodles, a little bit of sauce and a lot of cheese. It is so good, if you have my culinary tastes.
On a side note, I am loving my cheap brand vanilla ice cream these days. Its always kind of a relief when I do and don't have to spend the big bucks on dreyers.
Hmmm, this means something...

I have a dream

One day I will live somewhere with a pantry. And then this won't be in my kitchen.

I will commandeer it for my sewing. Its the same fake particle board wood color, as my desk, so they'll match great. Then maybe I could have some organization, and get rid of all my cardboard boxes full of sewing stuff.

Yarn and Love

My husband is fantastic. Last week, I needed 100 yards of yarn for each girl at activity days. My husband measured out 10 piles of the yarn, I only did two. I told you he is fantastic. I loved him so much for doing this, and at the same time felt so pathetic for only doing two. He is such a help with activity days, and I don't think he could say the same thing for me and scouts. Although I did cook a main course the other week for scouts. The girls made yarn octopuses, they asked me if I did all the yarn measurement, I said no, Brother (my last name) did, so when you see him at church thank him. They said he wouldn't have any idea what they were talking about if they did, I said I promise he will remember. None of them thanked him, they were probably scared of him.

Ah, isn't love blissful.

What every child doesn't need.

Don't you think every mother should make her child fabric alphabet flashcards? Well apparently I didn't get the memo, because I did it. My child now has fabric with batting in the middle alphabet flashcards. They measure roughly 5"x5, and all of them together make a stack about 5 inches tall. Yes this is definitely what my child needed.
PS aren't you suppose to put your child's feet in the pictures of sewing for children's?

Of course walmart didn't have a 5 inch ring, so I had to use 4 1.5" rings, with the 5th one holding the other four together. No walmart never has what I want, but they do have...a post coming later.

Its kind of a big jumble mess, not to mention its metallic because I bought them at walmart, and its all they had. I thought about tying them all together with a shoelace. My husband didn't like that idea. Speaking of him, he did my eyelet work, isn't he fantastic. Thats what I love about him, when I make over the top crafts for my child, that need eyelets he puts them in for me.

Heres the end isn't cute? I know in that competition with other moms on over the top things, I might win now.

Why I'm a mom

This is why I don't work.
Sometimes I think about doing something on the side. I fully intend to some day. I even know what I am going to do (heres a hint it doesn't involve crafts). But every time I start to thinking about it, I think not yet. Why rush, enjoy my kid while I can. He is never going to be this young again. I have ton of years to do things (at least another 60), but my kid does not have a tons of time being young. People always talk about wishing they had babies again, but hardly ever express the same sentiment about teenagers. I have to enjoy my child while he still thinks I'm the coolest person on the planet. I'm sure by the time he thinks the opposite, it will have only seemed like a matter of seconds.
On a side note the thing I totally do not understand is the women who says they are done having babies but then says they are baby crazy so they wants to hold the babies at church. (Maybe I will one day, but considering I've never been baby crazy a day in my life I doubt it.)

My Signature

One of my very best friends in the world just had her first baby. I really want to go see them, but atlas I am here. I only saw her once in the beginning of her pregnancy, and so its kind of hard to believe she is also a mother. But I bet the baby is dang cute. Her family loves dang cute babies, so they wouldn't settle for anything else. Anyway this is the blanket I made. You have no idea how hard it is to find non-florals calicoes in the spring.

Glass beads

I made this for my niece. (Don't hate me becky for not thinking of this for your daughter.) Seemed like a good idea, until I spent the money on the beads and sat staring at them. I don't think it was such a good idea, but my mother thought it was. Anyway, I made this, and hopefully no one expects me to make another when their daughter or son turns 8.