Yes! to crazy requests

18:31 days of Yes!

Birthdays should have a little bit of frivolity.  With a list of  practical needs like coats and dress shoes and backpacks, these kids need a little fun too.

Here is some of the frivolity we’ve seen this week.

Balloon Juggling Balls (inspired by this pin)

Toed shoes that really are completely impractical. At least they were a good deal.

Happy birthday a bit late! (He was a little indecisive this year since it was No to a cell phone)

A unicycle (wrapped in Christmas paper) for a boy who has the right amount of energy for such a gift.

It may not be long before he is riding and juggling at the same time. Then the circus will be the place for him!

 

31 days of Yes! is me dedicating to post each day for the month of October (which is a Yes! in itself) and to find one meaningful Yes! in each day. Over 1200 bloggers are participating thanks to the lovely Nesting Place.

The Travel Duffel

The most enjoyable sewing I did all season was from this amazing pattern by Studio Cherie. Her Travel Duffel comes together so nicely and choosing fabric is especially fun because  the possibilities seem endless.  You can hardly go wrong!

The reason I enjoyed sewing them most though, was because they were for two very special ladies…our moms.  This one was for my mother in law.

And this one was for my mom.

I hope they escort them on lots of weekend getaways and fun adventures.  They were made with lots of love!

Holiday Sewing

I don’t think I got to bed much before 1 am a single night in Dec. My basement crafting corner was turned into an a sweatshop and cyclone all in one. Now that the aftermath has been sorted and put back together again, here are a few photos of what came from it all.

This free, online pattern for a drop waist dress fits an American Girl Doll.  Both the pink calico and Christmas dresses were from that pattern and the apple nightgown is modified from it.  There is a little corduroys skirt and head cover and a tiny apron.

I modified Noodlehead’s cargo messenger bag to make a diaper bag for all these goodies and then Grandma added some special catalog outfits too.   It was a favorite gift for a certain 7 year old.

For our little purple girl who cannot seem to have enough shoes or purses, was–from Noodlehead again, the gathered clutch. I didn’t get it quite right and though I have made another once since, I think the third time will prove to be the charm.  It’s a tad difficult to follow at points and I credit my late night brain drain for not cutting the mustard.  This really would be the perfect pattern for a mother’s day gift.  It’s cute!  But my botched one works just fine for a soon-to-be three year old.

My daughters seem to have a bag thing starting…just like their mother.  More bags to come tomorrow.

Loose Ends

I’m still hanging in here working at consistency and completion and nutritive living. It’s hard to keep using my time for the better all day long. I confess wanting little, mindless rewards and quick bites of “other” places because they take me away from the workload and pressures at hand. They distract me from the real people right before me. So as I work at it, I find indeed, it will not be changed in an instant but will require persistence and God’s grace.

Here is one little project I’ve been putting off too long– a gift for a friend’s new daughter and new home. I finished them early this week and actually mailed them today! along with a letter.  That feels good.

This week my focus seems to be on catching up on friendships that have been left to simmer too long. I don’t want my neglect to help them grow cold.

This pattern is a reversible, happy smocket from Mayfly.  I love little girls in this with a pair of jeans or black leggins and a white t-shirt underneath. It has 3 adjustable sizes in the straps so it grows with them.  Britta wore her’s about a year which is pretty remarkable for a rapidly growing child.  The pictures aren’t great because I took them with my phone.

This charm square grocery bag holder is a fun sew.  With 4 of them going out the door to great friends, I’m hoping to get one done for my own pantry soon.

And now I truly am on my way to call my old, college roommate.  Loose ends, ya know.

The Making List

Here is the Christmas making list that may or may not get ticked off around these parts.  With baby’s arrival careening at us, I may just scrap most of these plans.  We’ll see.  This post is just some links to some  great gift ideas you may also want to give a try.  If you do, I’d love hear how it goes.

From Martha, Martha, Martha:  Japanese Motif Soaps, slippers for the kids, Sugar Body Scrubs along with Candy Cane Bath Salts.

In knitting, the Brangelina Hat.

Loving this! quilty tree skirt.  This would be a big venture for me.  Teachers are getting these water bottle carriers.  The kids are hopefully getting pajama pants.  Amelia is getting my resized prom dresses for her dress-up wardrobe.

And as for trimmings and food, how about making a gift bow from a magazine page, or some spritz cookies (I’m using the brand new press that cost a dollar at a garage sale.)

I’d love to see what others are making/doing this season.  I’m strangely hearing my 6th grade teacher in the back of my mind saying, “Tempus Fugit”….time is fleeting!  And how!

Scrappy Quilt

This is a terrible photo.  I was hoping to get better ones, but this is all I managed.  It is from the Charm Square Quilt tutorial from Scrapbuster Month at Sew Mama Sew.  It sewed up very quickly.  I made several attempts at free-motion quilting, but it looked just awful, in truth.  So I reverted to the basic lines.  This was for my brand new nephew whom I just had the honor of meeting last weekend.  What a sweetheart!

I’m putting together my making list for Christmas and hope to post it later this week.  There are some great ideas out there and  many are coming from Handmade Holidays–can you tell how much I love that blog!

Stitches

As we begin to turn inward for the winter months, with all that early darkness and wanting to be in bed by 7pm, I am reminded of the tricks of the season that help get me through. Knitting, handwork, reading, cooking….more time for the slower paced things in life.

Ty has a book report due next week. In efforts to help him catch the flame for reading, we often trade off chapters and work through a book together. This has required me to settle in for hours throughout the week with him…something I mostly am glad to do, but the challenge is for me to sit still that long. I find if I put a project in my hands though, it’s no problem at all.

Here is a cute embroidery pattern from www.sarahjanestudios.com, which I can no longer find on her blog, but if you make the trip over there, you are bound to find something adorable to inspire you.  Embroidering is something I am learning as I go.  This little help from Sew Mama Sew has been exactly that.  I’m a fan of the backstitch.

I’m excited to have finished this one for my niece whose middle name is Autumn.  I’m either going to frame it or make a pillow of it.  Her face was redone three times, but other than that these stitches represent a relaxed evening or two in.

Nine and Counting

For just about a year now you have been making your birthday list.  Waffling between one thing and another.  Always at the top of the list was a pet to call your own.  Luke had Skip, our beloved black and white dwarf rabbit.   Turtles just aren’t as cute and fun to play with as critters.  So we agreed to let you give it a go.  A guinea pig it was…or two rather.  One for Ty and one for the rest of the crew as everyone knows they are better in pairs.  It was so fun to watch the look on your face as you chose the one you wanted.  Proud and excited.We celebrated your day with family–a steak dinner with lots of fresh fruit ala Grandma; your kind of meal.  You took big cookies to school and as is always the case, you enjoyed your day.

Eight was a growing year for you…I feel like we’re growing too…learning what works best for you as you are clearly your own man.  You loved your teacher this year and sometimes I think you might rather have lived at her house.  You are a pretty easy-going kid with a great arm for baseball and a good amount of patience.  You have lots of friends and you know how to be silly.  You are a good brother to Jack and Britta and though you would not dare admit it, we know you love the other ones too.

I pray the coming year holds good things for your precious life.  That you will do your best at all you put your hand to, and that we will listen and instruct you with faithfulness and wisdom.  You are dear to us Ty!  Happy ninth year!

Another Cool Use for Cereal Boxes

This truffle box was our thank you token to the kids’ Sunday School Teachers this year. The day I planned on making the truffles, we were snowed in and unable to get to the store for containers.   A Google search produced this nifty template from Mirkwood Designs, and we thought cereal boxes would be cute.  I reuse the bounty of cereal boxes our family plows through in place of newspaper for art projects, as magazine organizers, and now, as gift boxes.

One deconstructed cereal box holds 4 templates. We used scissors to cut along the outside shape and an exacto knife to score as needed.

Ty was my truffle maker.   I helped minimally.  He did a great job!

Each box held 4 truffles.  We tied on a painted Christmas bulb along with a note from the kids.

These would also make nice Valentines;  filled with small soaps, chocolates, or toys.  Enjoy!

Painted Bulbs

I seem to be posting a month in a rears.

This was a craft we did for an advent activity last month. I picked up some miniature, clear bulbs from Hobby Lobby. Each able-bodied child decorated a row of bulbs on their own. After removing the foil top, they squirted different combinations of acrylic paints into the bulb and swirled. They took a few days to dry, then the kids recapped them. They made nice present toppers, and it’s a great kid friendly project.

I think they look very pretty.