For Crystal

Crystal asked her blog readers to post a pic of their fridge. Here is ours, warts and all. I'm more embarrassed about the mess on top than what's on the front of it!

Over course since I have young kids, we have the obligatory fridge farm and fridge phonics. A dance picture of Ella from last year. A black and white of Ella that Jason loves (I love it too). Wait, why are there none of Miles? Various children's artwork. Library due date receipt. A coupon. An invitation to the Dad's dance workshop that Jason and I are supposed to teach. A save the date card for Nilsa and Sweet's wedding. Various decorative magnets.

How about you? Would you be so bold to post a photo of your fridge on your blog? The only rule is that you can't clean it up, it has to be AS IS!

Oh and...

I still owe Crystal a photo of our fridge. And I found this article through my friend Faith's husband Nate's blog and thought it might be of interest to some of you. It is and article in Time Magazine interviewing N.T. "Tom" Wright, Bishop of Durham in England, regarding the misconception of heaven and life after death according to the New Testament. This topic was covered at our church recently and I was a little shocked. I thought I knew how it all "worked". Anyway, if you feel like it, take a read here.

Tomorrow is April

At least the month of April sounds spring like. And I think I remember from the past that there can be some days in April where you can actually go outside in a sweater and no coat and feel something resembling comfortable. I also vaguely remember that one May it snowed...

Well I have changed my blog layout a couple of times. I'm not totally happy with it (pretty boring), but it will stay like this until I have the patience to play around with it a bit more. Thanks to Nilsa for pointing me to Pyzam. I found a few templates I did like, but somehow when I uploaded them, they were going to take some of my widgets (all the junk in the right hand column) away and I didn't want that. Additional thanks to Rhoda, who mentioned in her blog about the free software called PhotoFiltre. I loved playing with it and made my current banner using it. It is a little more straight forward for me than Photoshop except I don't know how to select a particular layer using it if I want to change something I did a few steps back.

No new sewing project completed except for some mending and taking in Ella's recital costume. Always good things to get out of the way. I did receive some wonderful fabric through the mail from Amy who saw me comment on Crystal's blog and lamenting over how I would love to buy fabric now but just can't bring myself to spend money on that under our new tight budget. She had some that she wasn't going to use. I will post "it" when I make something out of it! Thanks Amy!!!

Last Friday the kids went to a birthday party at the Lake County Discovery Museum in Wauconda. I have pictures on our pocket camera but can't seem to figure out how to download them. The guests got to make volcanoes and make them erupt. We had never been to this museum and discovered it isn't too far from us. It seems like a very interesting place worthy of a return visit with the whole family. Saturday Jason patched up the ceiling in our kitchen where there had been a leak in the above bathroom (we fixed the leak much earlier). He also painted the kitchen ceiling until he ran out of paint. He had cut out the stain (and as expected mold was growing) and replaced the drywall. Next such project is to cut out part of a wall to fix some annoying water hammer. We also got out Saturday night to chat at Caribou Coffee and then to see the movie "21". Jason said it didn't get very good reviews but we thought it was quite good.

This week Ella's preschool is still off for break, but the extracurricular classes are back in action, so at least we got out a bit today for Miles' music class (with Ella too) and Ella's dance class.

I finished The Red Tent on Friday and Saturday picked up The Kite Runner. I hope to finish it in a week too. Next week I'm contemplating whether to get another book or to try to finish a scarf I started LAST YEAR!

I've also been re-photographing some of my items in my Etsy shop. Please hop over and take a look and let me know what you think. I'm still re-doing some of the ones I just re-did!

Blog Design

I want to change my blog layout and backgroud/banner. Does anyone know of any good tutorials, free background sites etc.... ? I was inspired as to the colors I'd like today recently and I'm ready for something new.

What is Your Comfort Food?

Yesterday was a bit of a rough one for me. I think it was the weather. It snowed again and more than that, the sky was so gray. I think I have seasonal affect disorder. Not to mention we went out for a walk for the first time this year just the evening before.

At 1 pm I dropped Ella off for a birthday party and took Miles over to Culver's for their custard flavor of the day which was M n M. I've never seen a child eat ice cream so slowly. Anyway, when I looked up from my seat across from Miles and saw the Culver's menu, I saw chicken and it reminded me of my grandma's home cooked meals. Then I had a craving for Cracker Barrel which serves food that reminds me of hers.

I am still thinking about Cracker Barrel, namely their chicken and dumplings (which my grandma actually didn't make). But the side dishes do remind me of her as well as the chicken. She made lots of chicken. She raised chickens.

What do you like to eat when you just need some comfort food?

New Handbag in Shop

Here is my latest (my second original handbag)... I loved this fabric, you may remember it from the apron I made for my mom. Had the idea for 3 layers of ruffles up top. Loved this crocheted button I had in my stash and I'm a little tired of putting magnetic snaps on bags, so I made a ribbon loop to close up this one. I think it would be cute for both Spring and Summer and especially nice for a beachy look, which is why I named it Beach Rose. Come see it here in my shop!

Just Had to Help Spread this Post

Saw this on a friend of a friend's blog and had to spread it. Please pass it along on your blog if you feel a desire to do so. A biracial woman is in need of a bone marrow donor match. Apparently there is a big need for minority and multi-racial bone marrow donors.

Locker Room Talk

I actually overheard some interesting information in the YMCA locker room today. There is a shop called myShape.com. At the site you can enter all of your measurements and preferences and it automatically chooses clothes (from their shop) that supposedly fit your shape. I have just tried it out but haven't looked around much. So far most of the items chosen for me are quite pricey and make me a little nervous as to how they'd look on me. Styles I've never tried. I'm always nervous to try new styles because I am crushed when they look terrible on me. I won't be diving too deeply into this now as I'm trying to watch my spending.

Just thought I'd share this interesting info with you. Apparently it's been in many women's beauty mags, but I rarely read those...

The Ocean

In the book I'm reading, Dinah discovers her love for rivers. She loves the smell, the feel, she is one with rivers.

I can relate to that feeling as I have never been so at peace and joy as when I've been around and in the ocean. The most peaceful moment of my life (which by the time was in a very tumultuous time in my life) was when I went snorkeling on my own off the shore of a private beach off the island of Bonaire. I felt calm, peaceful and at one with the feel of the salty water and the beautiful surroundings.

The scuba diving itself (done in groups)was the most magnificent I've ever experienced. At that point I had some experience diving under my belt and I was able to relax more and enjoy the smaller flora and fauna. The area, which was a protected forest (reef) was pristine and beautiful.

Even the Great Barrier Reefs of Australia (pictured here from our honeymoon) did not compare to Bonaire. (Shhhhh). Australia was still great and I saw my first shark(s) there.

Which brings me to the irony. That ocean which I love so much can also scare me to death. Not just the creatures, in fact not so much the creatures as the ocean itself and it's depth and dangers. Still... I really miss the ocean. I am really thinking about it today when I heard my friend Nilsa and her fiance are currently thinking of going to Costa Rica for their honeymoon.

The Red Tent - Anita Diamant

I am currently reading the above book The Red Tent. I am basically going through a list of the book club I belong to (but can't attend because of my standing volunteer event "Lifeskills Workshop for Teen Mother Choices" on Thursdays) of books that were read and discussed before I joined the group. It seems that the majority of the books I've read from the list so far have been historical fiction (which I LOVE). This one is included in that category.

I am almost halfway into the book and I am LOVING it! It is written through the voice of Dinah, a woman only briefly mentioned in Genesis (of the Bible). She is the daughter of Jacob, who is the son of Issac and Rebecca and brother of Esau. It is fiction but really paints a beautiful and clear picture of the times,trials and lives of the characters from the time. It really focuses on the women and their relationships and how they fit into the culture. They really have interesting and overall strong relationships and support each other, especially through pregnancies and births. Through Dinah's "voice", I feel her pain, her joys and her fears. The writing is almost poetic and just lovely to read.

It looks as though since writing this book Diamant has written two other novels, most of her other books are non-fiction and are about modern Jewish life and Jewish traditions. I am glad, at least in this novel as I know it so far, that she ventured into fiction!

The book I read before this (last week) was Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. At first I was a bit taken aback by some of the more mature material in the book, but overall it turned out to be a amazing tale of adventure, trials, animal rights and a sweet love story. I would recommend it as well.

I have also noticed that any book by Jodi Picoult is popular as none are left on the shelf at the library. I'm going to have to put one on hold if I want to read it. I am currently interested in three...

The Pact
My Sister's Keeper and
Change of Heart

I love to be reading more regularly again (as of last week). I took a time out when I was all anxious about Miles' potty training, but now that that is under control, I feel free to read again.

It's better than TV.

Our Easter 2008

I have enjoyed when others have shared their Easter, so I wanted to share ours with you...

Good Morning!

Ready Set Go!

Egg Hunt


Baskets





Velvet and Miles


Easter Brunch
Easter "Duck" Quack Quack!

A Bright Patch During the Snowstorm

I was getting used to the feeling in the air that spring just might really be on its way. Then the forecast came that we should expect snow and lots of it. I only half believed it, but it happened, and there is a LOT of it. I am happy it is Good Friday and we don't have school or any other activities. Perhaps this also makes the roads a little safer for the people who do have to go to work. I do realize there are people in other parts of the country who are going through much more seriously dangerous weather and my heart does go out to them. But we stayed inside today. Many Disney movies were watched, there was even some popcorn. And I made a new bag. Just felt like making a cute little backpack from some fabric my mom gave me. I think it turned out really well. Unfortunately I forgot to sew my tag on it before it was finished, AHH!! I have put it in my Etsy shop, but I'm not real happy with the photos. I took it in fairly good natural light, but the red looks brighter than in real life. Really, it is not neon! Then I wonder if I should really photoshop out the background or if I should just leave the background in? Any thoughts? I may need to re-photograph all of my items again at some point. I just don't know the best way to do so.

Here is how the photos look in my shop:







Here they are untouched:

She's a "Little Bit Funky" - Etsy Feature

I know I've talked about her creations before, but I looked at Crystal's Etsy shop "Little Bit Funky" recently and saw all kinds of new and creative items. She has recently started making the cutest felt creations and branched out in many new directions beyond paper crafts and knitted items since I first saw her shop. Most recently she has added some super cute bags. All of her items are bright, cheery, fresh and well... funky! She has great style and creativity, so go snatch up a cute item today! She also has a blog where you can see more of her creativity in action and possibly call dibs on a favorite item before it goes in her shop.

Here are merely a few of my favorites from "Little Bit Funky"...

Odds and Ends

First, here is the bag I made for my daughter's classmate for her birthday party. She first met her friend and I her mom and little sister at a dance class at the park district. I bragged on Ella's preschool to the point that the mom went to check it out and then proceeded to enroll her daughter. Now they are classmates! I know that this little girl is still taking dance classes, so I opted to make the dance bag. For the first time (since I got them made) I put my label on a bag. Kinda neat.

Next, here is a light fixture we bought recently and installed in our (new) parlor. I won't even get into the story of the installation. We will have our chandelier put up in the (new) dining room by an electrician very soon (who will also install and wire a light box in which to install the chandelier). This is all part of the big room switch (when we swapped our living room and dining room).

This fixture is a little ornate, but we like it. We usually are into much simpler lines.

Also, the newly potty trained Miles wanted me to take a picture of him.

In Ella news, she is starting to read! She does really well with Dick and Jane which was a gift from her grandma who learned to read from the same stories. She also received her dance costume for the recital coming up in May. She has been practicing her routine everyday! I watch every practice per her request.

Good News Overall

Sorry I've been lax in my posts. Not sure I can promise it will get better, but I sure hope so.

Well the main reason I've been a little MIA is because I've been focusing on Miles' potty training. And... he's doing great! In fact, I will be bold enough to say he is fully trained now. No accidents for a week AND often his is dry in the morning after a night's sleep and after naps. He has been so much easier than Ella. She was very stubborn and finally got it down in her own time. I did start earlier with her. In fact I'd say she was fully trained at about the same age as Miles.

So on to more interesting things...

I finished a couple of outfits for a friends' daughter. I will wait a while to send them as they are moving to a new home on Friday and want to make sure they are there when the package arrives. After I'm sure they have them, I'll post pics.

I also completed a little dance bag for one of Ella's classmates who invited her to a birthday party. I'm trying to watch my spending, so I made one out of some ballet fabric I already had. It is much like Ella's but with a different lining, interlining and a bit longer and thinner drawstring straps. I also sewed one of my labels onto it and fixed up a tag out of my business card. I'll take pics soon and post later.

Not sure I'll take on the parlor drapes for a while. I kind of promised not to spend any money on home decor for the rest of this year. So they may have to wait as I would need to buy new hardware. Unless maybe I find a spectacular deal or a yard sale steal.

Here are my sewing and crafting projects that sit incomplete...

• A quilt for Ella - needs a border, binding, backing, and batting not to mention then needs some quilting. Problem here is I would need to buy the fabric and the batting... so that may continue to sit for a while.

• A scarf I started knitting with cable stitches. I need to be completely concentrating when I do this and often have to rip mistakes when I'm not (which makes me nervous)...perhaps some sort of markers would help? Not to mention I get a headache every time I work on it.

So as not to leave you with no pics, again. Here is a family pic from Sunday that I posted on our family blog. Started out taking pics of Ella in the dress her grandma made, then Miles wanted to be photographed, then Ella wanted to get the whole family in a picture.

Update

On the potty training front, Miles is doing really well this first week post "formal" training. He averages about 1 accident a day and seems to be having a bit of trouble with "#2." I'm very proud of him and hope he keeps getting better and better. He seems to need someone around to tell he has to go potty before he'll go, so if you are too far away, he might have an accident.

I got my blood work back from a physical I had two weeks ago and the doctor was beaming at the results. I am very healthy and even have off the charts good cholesterol (and low bad cholesterol). Everything else is normal and good. What a blessing.

Earlier today got a bit of a reality check. An acquaintance found out that her husband has a tumor on his pituitary gland. Long story how they found it. It was because of "unusual" reasons, they weren't looking for it, neither did they suspect something was wrong. He has to have surgery to remove what they can and then radiation to get the rest. Chances of it coming back are high. Yikes. Plus my acquaintance is pregnant and has a 2 year old boy. You never know what can happen to you or your loved ones at any time.

I haven't started on the drapes at all.

We hope to accomplish something this weekend. Including looking at some hardwood floor and a light fixture. I am not sure we will all be able to make it to look at curtain rods.

At any rate, I hope you all have a great one!

Comment Love - Stress - Useful Project

First I want to say a word of thanks to each and every one of you who left a comment(s) on the last few posts. They all gave me a little lift at the end of another long week.

Also, I'm a bit stressed lately because I'm focused on keeping Miles' potty training on track. That's right, on track. I stayed home with him (while my kind parents took Ella for 3 nights and hubby was at a retreat) and did some intense potty training [sitting on the kitchen floor watching Miles every second, reading the same books over and over, watching him do the same puzzles over and over and trying to get him to drink a lot - oh and a bit of training when the opportunity arose]. It went very well and there have been very few accidents since then. I am just nervous now about the possible regression, so I'm always trying to make sure he and I are in close proximity so that I can hear him if he says he needs to go. Just a little stressful.

I haven't had a lot of energy to do much creative lately. Next on my list is to finish a top for an outfit for a friend's daughter. But then I decided not to create any projects for my list until I finish remaking some drapes. We have some in our "parlour" (former dining room) and I love the fabric.

The fabric I love.

The drapes overall. I think they need an overHAUL.

The former owner made them and they aren't even hemmed (with thread - they are actually hemmed with straight pins and I know that our pal Nester would say "Good Enough" :-)). They are lined (nice) but I think I might be able to line them a little differently because now you can see the lining peaking out from behind the curtain material.

Above two photos show how lining is peaking out.

They are also hanging on a rod with a rod pocket. I would like to gather them (not sure what kind of gather yet) and add clips with rings to the back and hang them higher on a rod. They are a little short right now anyway. Hanging this way should gain some length (I think) and I can hem (or pin) them appropriately.

Too short! Even shorter than the sheers behind them!

As I said, I love the fabric, but want a different style. Not to mention, one of the rods is about to fall out of the wall on one side!

Hard to tell in the above picture but the rod is starting to come out of the wall on the right and the curtains are a bit uneven.

This is the source, see what I mean. Ok, maybe I'm overreacting a bit. Perhaps no one else notices this but me...

Now that I've posted it. I'll HAVE to do it! Right?

Finally, here is an amazing deal I found at Sears last week. A duvet cover and two matching pillow shams. So pretty and they will look nice in our guest room.

Yes, those price tags say $1.97. Even the cashier had to call someone to confirm.

And finally, finally, as I was taking photos of the window treatment, my daughter begged me to take a pic of her.

Nice smile.