Love my Myspace background!

This background is from my myspace page. Which I never visit. Ever. It had been a year since my last login, according to the home page. I just logged in to take the html code for the background. I did have to dust off my html knoweldge to adjust the font size and type, I could probably make a few other changes, but I had a horrible headache by the time I changed it over, so, yeah, whatever. I've ben reading up on blogging, and getting people to read your blog, and so on. Think I'm going to transfer this blog to another name, and use this one just as a business one. Because in looking it over, I really haven't blogged about work at all. Sooo, I'm going to do that part in the next week or so. I am so hungry, did I eat lunch? I don't think I did. I'm going to go take care of that!

More changes!

Lex has gotten his schedule all mixed up. He's nursing thru the night again, and his daily routine is a little screwy. He's been eating then going to sleep and then waking up to play. Which is not how we do things around here. So I've been working on getting him back to eat, play, sleep, eat play sleep. But the little guy has also gotten so darned interactive and cute, it's hard to walk away. Eliz is just as enamored by him as Bry-D and I are. Remodeling their rooms. Mentioned the changes last time. Eliz is 5 this year(didn't see that one coming)and her room no longer feels right for her, (to me at least. I think Bry-D is in denial @ heer age) so we've taken her bunk bed and turned it into a loft bed, and we'll be moving furniture around. This is all happening right at toy rotation time, which is convenient. She needs bins for her toys. I'm having trouble deciding what to get. I was really hoping to get the big dresser out of her room today while Bry-D was at work(he took his motorcycle)but so far haven't found anyone to help me load it into the truck. Ugh. Lex's room ahs never felt like him, but I saw a room setup on another blog that I think will do it. So more furniture moving, and then painting and staining furniture for both rooms. Then there's the MOPs Swap this Wednesday. Need to get up into the attic and see what to keep, toss and sell. Man, I need a nap just thinking about it.

Ch-Ch-Changes

I love change. In any form, I love change. Even the little lines around my eyes, indicating I'm no spring chicken, I love. Because change means growth(usually, even though it's not always good)and I don't mind getting older. Or looking older. It's gotta happen, otherwise, well, the alternative is being in the ground, so I've promised myself to never get upset over aging.

Anyways, Lex has brought some change, not surprisingly. What I'm thinking about today is the rearranging change he's brought. Things are being thrown out. This is a big deal for Bry-D, who hates change, even in it's smallest form. You bought a different brand of dish soap, why? What was wrong with the other stuff? did they stop making it? you didn't do it just to try something new, did you? We've gotten rid of our TV, a couch, an entertainment center(doesn't make sense to have it if we don't have a TV) and a bunch of electronic toys and the extra stuff that comes with them.

This weekend we took the lower board off Eliz's bunk bed, making it into a loft? I think that's the word for it. We're getting rid of the huge dresser/closet/bookcase she has and replacing it with a smaller dresser. I'm now on the lookout for a bookcase-let me know if you find one. This will give her more room to play. I'm going to paint her room and spruce it up some in May-June. Bry-D has a problem with this change-"you worked so hard on the pooh paintings, why do you want to paint over them?" I responded that I had always planned on repainting her room when she was 5(which happens this September, can you believe it?) And he just shook his head. Edna from the Incredible's said it best-

I never look back darling, it distracts from the now

I don't want to miss now, not at all. And Eliz is getting big enough to pick her own decor. She wants pink with sparkles, so that's what we'll do. Bry-D won't let me pierce her ears or put her in modeling, because he says she has to be able to ask for it. And she has asked for her room to be painted, which means by his standards, she can have it.

Our bedroom and closet are still holding things. Stuff. Junk. Miscellaneous whatever. That I'm going to throw out. And of course Lex's room with the musical instruments, and the closet full of fabric. I ordered some supplies for refinishing Granny's trunk, BTW. Pictures to come in future posts.

Most of this is because of Lex being here. He's been a wonderful catalyst for change in my home, and I love it. It would be wonderful to have him even if nothing had changed, but the bonus of extra change just makes it all more fun!

A beautiful Day!

I have every window in the house open. & it smells wonderful in here. Went to a friend's house this morning, we played outside, and ate lots of Easter candy. On my way there I saw two Yard Sale signs. Told Chel, so we went together. @ the first yard sale I found some dinosaur tattoos in the free box, Chel found a shirt for Eliz, and then a plush Superman that looked brand new for $.50. Made her little guy's day. Eliz found a small dinosaur; there were lots of toys and kids stuff, just nothing I was really interested in. We went to sale #2-much more my kind of thing. Had a great vintage red bike, I didn't dare test to see if it still worked-if it did, I would have had to buy it. Lots of great glass decanters and bottles. A vintage mirror that would look great in the hallway to our room. Had to get Lex home, and I didn't have any $$ with me. Chel offered to loan me, but I wasn't sure what I wanted. Went back with a $20. Bike was gone, so was the mirror. I ended up with a bunch of glass containers. Some soda bottles, canning jars and then a few that are just fun. They are _very_ dirty, so I'll soak them then vinegar them.

The other day I posted a link to a video for a song called art. I love both the song and the video, and was inspired to make some watercolor pictures. But we don't have any watercolors. I didn't feel like going to the store just for watercolor paints, so we made them. It's really easy, probably the only thing that's not a staple item is glycerin. I knew I had some, so Eliz and I a good time mixing the ingredients.

Then we put it into an egg carton. I realised a little late we had too much in each compartment-it's only supposed to take overnight for them to dry-it'll be a couple days, I'm sure.Also realised too late that I'd put to much purple food coloring in one of them-it's dried into a plum color.

Basic colors, but the mixture is hard to stir

Finished product. The top row is where Eliz tried to make black. I can't tell if it's black or very dark green or very dark purple. The other dark purple leaked into the first blue, so we ended up with a very pretty blue-violet.

Pictures

Looking at the pictures from my last post, I think that the new rule is no crafting in my jammies anymore. Or, at least, no taking pictures of me in my jammies. Well, I finished Eliz's poncho. It only took an hour, so that was nice. Well, it only took an hour the second time I did it. After I cut out both fabrics, I was looking at them thinking, "if this is going to be reversible, the hem is going to take a long time" And I set to work doing the hem! Once I had finished the hem(I even ironed it!) I realised that I had started at the end. So my seam ripper and I went into overtime. I used this pattern-

It's a Vogue pattern from the 90's, and I wasn't planning on making this till closer to fall, but it was necessary due to her unauthorised growth spurt. Eliz picked out her fabric-I had thought about just buying one from BoutiqueMia on Etsy, but Eliz said she wanted a blue one, and I knew it would be way cheaper to make it myself. When I told her to to pick another fabric, her first choice matched perfectly. I was impressed. Good thing I had started this yesterday, b/c she had to wear it-not quite finished(this is before the seam ripper) yesterday to MOPs. She didn't like it when I first put it on her then, but this morning, once it was all done she said, "Oh thank you Mama, it's so-o beautiful!" Here you go.

I have to say, I'm quite proud of myself for remembering to take pictures.

Speaking of MOPs, yesterday was about saving money. It drove home, yet again, my need for planning more and using coupons. I wish we had a big freezer! But to get a freezer, we have to have a shed. Why do we need a shed to get a freezer? So that we can put all the stuff that's taking up space in the garage in the shed, thus making room for the big freezer. It's not stuff that's useless-it's all the gardening things. Which reminds me of this morning, I saw a definite sign of spring.

Muddy rain boots. Spring is in the air, or on our feet, however you want to look at it. And I really enjoyed this video. I sometimes wish I lived in a musical. It would have been fun to be there for this.

Taking pictures

I keep forgetting to take pictures of my finished projects. I got my dress for Easter done, and the coat, altho the coat somehow turned out 6 inches to long and a size to large. I am really confused by that since I checked measurements and tried it on while sewing. Anyways, I also realised I don't have any pictures of Eliz in her big dress. Got lots of compliments on both outfits-I wore my favorite sweater with my dress. A couple of weeks ago I decided to try to start taking pictures of Eliz and I crafting. Here she is making a paperweight.

This made me realise how few pictures there are of Eliz and I together, because I'm always the one taking the pictures. My remedy for this was to set the timer on the camera and take a few shots that way. Here's my first attempt.

I'm going to forgo some other projects and make Eliz a fleece poncho. She outgrew one coat and the other one has a rip. A poncho is faster than a coat, and hopefully she'll be able to wear it a little longer. I was willing to buy her this one but she said she wanted a blue one. So off we went and she picked out some great fabric, I have to say. Now to cut it and sew it!

It's already 5 o'clock?!

Well,this has been a quick day. A rainy cold and wet day, but it went very fast. I've found that the key to getting thigns done for me is to get up and just get started. Otherwise, I just sort of...wander. If I do things in the same order everyday, then things really flow. I've also learned there's no use in wanting each day to be the same for the sake of "normal". Each day is different; if you're wondering what a "normal" day for you is like, you've just had one-trust me, it's always like this! I used to always say to myself, I'll wait untiol things get back to normal, then I realised things were normal. Like it or not, this is life. Thinking of like, I'm going to be trying out different backgrounds until I find the right one. Not sure I like this butterfly one. To glittery for me. But I don't really have time to go try another-dinner musts needs fixin'!

Art

Holding the little guy in my lap as I write. Eliz is brushing her teeth, and probably getting toothpaste everywhere. He's getting squirmy so this will be short. I just wanted to post this video I saw on a blog I like.

I just can't believe he's mine!

There are several differences in my love for Lex and Eliz. Some because One is my firstborn, and some because they are different gender. The differences because of first/second status surprise me. I was so neurotic with Eliz, and I felt entitled to my neurosis, b/c she was my first child. And I don't worry about Lex like I did Eliz, at all. I always assumed the worst with Eliz, simply because...well, I don't know. Also, I didn't know how to enjoy Eliz. For all my expericence with babies, I had no idea how to enjoy my little one. Not to mention that I didn't start staying home with her until she was 6 months old. It breaks my heart to think of what I missed in that short time. Her sweet smiles and begining sounds all went to her daycare providers. They got to tell me when she did something new, instead of me experienceing it myself! And to think, I was actually upset that I was going to be staying home with her! I was so mad about the whole thing. Funny how things change.

I remeber watching my sister change Eliz's diaper when she was about 3 months old, she laughed and played with her, chewed her toes, and talked to her. I watched in amazement as my sister enjoyed my daughter. But I felt so inadqute at the whole thing, like I wasn't doing it right somehow. Now I know your children are very simliar to you, and oftentimes, what you enjoy, they enjoy. The difference in Lex and Eliz as a son and a daughter surprised me too. I always wanted to sit and play with Eliz. I remeber when she wasn't quite sitting on her own, I practiced her sitting, and having a tea party with her in my lap. I enjoyed cuddling with her, but I always looked more forward to our playtime. It seems all I want to do with Lex is snuggle up. And when I hold him, I can't get enough of kissing and smelling him. My sister said she thought that some of that comes from the fact that there's some transfer of your husband in your son.

Some simliarities-just like with Eliz, I don't know how I lived w/o him. Wasn't he always a part of my life? I love watching his personality emerge, and I can't wait to see the person he'll become.

There's the awe that he lived inside me,and is a part of both Bry-D and me. Which just seems impossible to understand sometimes.

I'm blank

Huh. Odd, I'm drawing a blank. That means that either there is nothing going on, or I'm overwhelmed by how much is going on. Interesting.

So, since my last post, I've gotten not anything done for my sewing, but I've made progress in the keeping house area. I found the secret(for me at least) Get up early and start early. The sooner I start with dishes and whatnot, the more likely I am to get it all done. Which is nice. And, I have free time to work, but I've been playing, (i.e. eBay, etsy, Twilight the movie) more than working lately. Not intentionally, I just haven't found the right time for play after work is done. Which means no more play before work. If I'm going to do all the things I've said I'm going to do, then I've got to stop screwing around and get to work.

So, I'm cutting this short to go and work. Yay me! Maybe. We'll see how I do over the next couple of days working before I play. I may have to accept that for a little while at least, I won't get to play.

JBPAC

JBPAC. It sounds important, doesn't it? Like some big corporation. You will never guess what it stands for, tho. Julie Bandy Perforing Arts Center. It's where the southside residing half of my family takes dance lessons. It's only been open for 2 years, the owner, Julie, is phenominal. Eliz takes a combo class(ballet, tap, jazz) and tumbling. I've been helping out w/the the tumbling class so that the teacher, Jen, can hold Lex :) She still teaches, I just do the heavy lifting. I've been helping Julie get her files in order, and I'm considering signing Eliz up for the Summer Dance Daycare. One day a week. Altho Eliz would prefer more, I may not be able to handle more. We'll see. I may never bring it up w/Bry-D, and that could be how I handle making that decision.


I'm anxiously awaiting this book's arrival. And, because I have no will power, I bought this book today. Altho I bought it from Pomadour24 on Etsy. I had told myself that I would wait another week before buying it, but as I said, I have no will power. At these for things like these. So, more fun stuff to make. I began organising my fabric. Wow. Check it out. See if you can find Lex in all that fabric.





And that's just my stuff. I've got four or more bags of fabric that I've inherited from Gramma Peggy and from my mom. So, I've got a ways to go. This has not made the choosing projects decision any easier. Which is what I thought it would do. As I look @ what I have, I think of so many things I want to do. I need more lists! That will solve all my problems! More lists!


I followed a link on a friend's blog today about produce delivery. I'm going have Bry-D check it out, see what he thinks. I think it would save me a whole lotta time if it were delivered. Oh, hey, that's another something to do-food, dinner, eek! it's almost 6! Whow, how did that happen?

Saturday...waiting...not good @ waiting...

Well, tonight @ midnight the contract is up...if they don't come to an agreement I'll be seeing alot of Bry-D until they do. Not a horrible thing in theory, but he'll be all stressed out, and probably not real pleasant to be around. Not that I can blame him. He's hovering right now, b/c the only thing he wants to do is play his game, and he can't do that while I'm blogging. Finished my Easter dress, I sew so much faster, and still correctly, than I used to. I only made one mistake with this...I put the straps on wrong, not a big deal. Went to hell and back with the invisible zipper, if I would just remember to buy an invisible zipper foot, things would be easier! I'll post a picture after I shave my legs...there's no need for anyone to witness my stubble...Woman stubble...yes, that's worse than man stubble. Now I have to decide if I'm sewing a maternity shirt, the coat that goes with my dress, or one of my day dresses. I think I'll start with my freakish obsession...organising! I'm going to get the storage closet organised with all my fabric and whatnot in it. This weekend is dedicated to My personal clothing. This week will be dedicated to work stitching. Then, I'll chew my nails and open my shop...makes my stomach flip flop with excitement just thinking about it! He's back. He left, now he's back. Poor guy...what would he do if I turned the computer off?

Playing with my camera

I'm trying to decide what kind of picture to use for my profile for here, twitter, and etsy. I want the same one for consistancy, and I was thinking of using multicolors of fabric, or maybe the flowers that are just starting to bloom, but I can't decide. I'll just have to take pictures of all of them and pick one. I want to sew, I want sew, I want to sew! So why aren't I? Because I also want to take pictures, want to take pictures, want to take pictures! Not just for profiles, but of Eliz and Lex, the signs of spring, everything. Bry-D gave me a camera for my birthday/Christmas, and I want to play with the settings and things on it. Hmm. I'll sart with pictures for my profile, get dinner going, and iron some fabric so that tomorrow I can sew. Small grioup tonight, so I need to check the house to be sure it's ready for guests. Wowzers, I just realised I haven't put up the groceries! The milk is still on the kitchen counter! Think I'll start with putting up the groceries, then do pictures for my profile, get dinner going, and iron some fabric. See, I can be flexible. I'll post the pictures I take.

When I went out to take some pictures, guess who was unexpectantly peeking out of the ground? My peony!

I have two of them, one bloomed for the first time last year, and was promptly destroyed by a thunderstorm, and the other, well, I just don't think he's ever going to bloom. If he doesn't shape up this year, I'll transplant him next to his brother in the fall. Here he is

I'm worried about the bleeding hearts, they are going to get absolutely schorched if there's even a light frost. They are much further ahead this year than last year this time. I'm not sure worrying about it will do any good, because to quote Gramma Peggy Coupland, Mother Nature will do as she damn well pleases.

First Dandilion of the season!

This lilac is grom Granny's backyard(now Dad and Mom backyard) this will be the first year it's bloomed!!

I'll post pics of fabric and Eliz and Lex later.