Sew a fine Seam: February 2012

Feels Like Spring!

Windows are open! Sunshine is warm! I'm thinking about getting out a cleaning cloth and the Easter decor. It's that time of year again:)

Labels: Easter, easter eggs, eggs, spring

Food

My head still hurts. My ears hurt. My throat hurts. Waaaaaa :(

And nothing tastes right.

My husband brought this yummy looking lettuce home a couple of weeks ago.

We had a really yummy meal.

Salads. Freshly grated Parmesan cheese and almonds made them really yummy.

Spaghetti with more of that delicious cheese, green beans and bread. mmmmmm.

I'm hungry. I want something really really good. But nothing tastes right and I have no ambition to cook anything. Maybe tomorrow...

Labels: bread, butter, food, fresh parmesan, green beans, lettuce, purple lettuce, salads, spagetti

Getting Better

I would say I am feeling better than I was but I am not completely over this illness. I'd say I'm about to this point...

I went to the After Hours clinic this morning. Praise God there are doctors, nurses, etc. willing to work on weekends for those of us who become too miserable to wait till Monday when we could see our own Dr. (Especially on Sundays) Little Sister went with me since I felt like her cough was awful sounding enough I didn't want her going to church. She proceeded to blow - and blow and blow and blow - her nose while we were sitting in the waiting room. I'm sure everyone else thought I should be having her seen too. She saw the Doc on Thurs. but the medication hasn't really helped her. She was a good little trooper though, stayed very quiet and calm while we waited and then when we saw the Doc. Actually I think it was the Nurse Practitioner. Either way, I got meds and was out of there in 1/2 an hour. Getting there 15 minutes before they open and being the second one to sign in will get you in and out faster than having an appointment. We went to Meijer, got my meds, and a few other things while we waited for it to be filled, then picked up mac-n-cheese and potatoes and gravy for Little Sister at KFC. She wanted to go eat at 'The Duck Park'. But we were in the wrong town. So we came home. Then she watched a movie and I took a nap. The worst thing now is, when I'm not laying down I soon get an upset stomach:( Hoping that goes away soon too.

Summer I cannot wait for your arrival. 34 more days till April.

And now, I've used up all my 'sitting-up-time'. Back to my pillow and blankie.

Labels: after hours, clinic, doctors, getting better, kfc, Little Sister, meds, meijer, nurses, sick

Not Feeling So Well...

Labels: ill, out sick, sick

Sarah Jane Studios

I can never again say that 'I NEVER win giveaways.' (I've actually won 3 different giveaways in about 3 years or so) It can seem like you enter and enter and enter and you never win but the more you enter the higher your odds of winning. I recently won a really fun giveaway over at Urban Farmgirl. It was for a set of 8 (yes EIGHT!) of the most darling embroidery patterns ever from Sarah Jane Studios. She has the most delightful stuff GO CHECK IT OUT!!

It's been a long time since I did any embroidery. I'm thinking this looks like a really fun project to have to work on in the evenings. Maybe do the embroidery and then sew the piece to the outside of a bag? Or make a quilt with several of them? Oh the possibilities!

These will be so fun for my girls to work on. They have been doing some embroidery lately and are enjoying it. Little Sister espeically is into it. I show her once what she needs to do and she says 'OH! I see!' and off she goes. Threads her own needle and knots her own knots. Even sewed her work to her jammie pants the other night, fixed it herself and had a good laugh over it!

She launched her first fabric line in the spring of last year. It is darling. I want some of all of it!

I really like that 'family tree' print at the top left and also that hopscotch print. L.O.V.E.

She also has some boy prints too. So go look at all her great fabric HERE.

Her blog is delightful too. Love her design. Makes me smile.

Thanks a bunch Urban Farmgirl for hosting the giveaway and Thanks to Sarah Jane Studios for giving the patterns away! Cannot wait to use them.

Do you do embroidery? Have any ongoing projects? Do your kids like it?

Labels: embroidery, fabric, fun, girls, giveaway, patterns, sarah jane studios, urban farmgirl, winner, won

How to Clean a Room

This is what Middle and Little Sisters' room has looked like for the past month. Or more. I've completely lost track of when it was cleaned up last. Every time I look in there thinking I will clean it up I get this sinking feeling and head back down the stairs and put it out of my mind.

Can you believe I'm really sharing these photos with you? I've lost my mind I tell ya.

First you make the bed so you have a clear space to put the piles of 'stuff'.

Photographing the marker marks on the bedspread is optional. The girls say they had a little help from a certain little friend of theirs!

After about an hour you have some clear spaces, a huge pile of trash, a pile of dirty laundry, and piles of sorted stuff.

The other side of the room still looks like this.

And this. The stuff was piled so deep over here I needed a backhoe.

This tub used to hold all their American Girl stuff. Now it is in the trash can.

I decided getting the backhoe up the stairs was more work than it was worth so I pitched and piled my way through.

By lunch time I had it looking like this...

With this pile of American girl stuff...

...and this large box full of American Girl stuff.

And this closet still needing cleaned out.

After lunch, a break, some school work, an orthodontist appointment for The Teenager, and a trip to the library, I cleaned out that closet. With The Teenager's help we switched out her dresser and the one from this room. Middle Sister and Little Sister helped with the organizing, and putting away of all the mess in the closet. The photo above is what their room looked like when they went to bed.

American Girl stuff found homes in some of these tubs. The Polly's and some of the Playmobile were shipped to the cellar.

New curtain is a must. Also a longer cord on the chandi.

This is inside the closet. I have plans for this space to make it more user friendly but for now it works.

I have BIG plans for the whole room. There is marker, crayon, pen, pencil, stars, stickers, you name it all over the walls. We moved The Teenager into this room from our bedroom when she was 18 months old. She is now 13. She shared this room with Middle Sister and then they all 3 shared this room for awhile till we got the 3rd bedroom finished. Now this room is in dire need of a fresh coat of paint, new curtain, and hardwood. My but it is hard to move furniture around on carpet! Reason #3587 why I love my hardwood!!

A big thank you for today goes to my Mom. She has agreed to come over once a week to oversee the school day while I concentrate on something else. I never would have even started this room cleaning today if it hadn't been for that. Thanks Mom, you are the best!!

Labels: american girl, bedroom, cleaning, closet, curtains, desk, dresser, Little Sister, locker, markers, mess, middle sister, paint, playmobile, quilt, the teenager

Painted Floors

I just love the look of a white painted floor. I'm sure you are in shock over that one!

I'm also sure that most of my in-real-life friends wouldn't agree with me.

I love white. Have for a loooong looooooong time. When I was in High School I asked for, and received, a subscription to 'Victoria' magazine. One of the issues featured and all-white garden.

I was in love! I wanted to do that too. But since it was not my garden but my Mom's I didn't.

I did get a white rose bush for Christmas one year but I didn't take the best care of it and it didn't flourish like it could have. I loved the idea of an all-white wedding, but for various reasons I never pursued it.

But wait.... I was talking about floors wasn't I?!! Oops!

This room belongs to Tracy at French Larkspur.

Every time she posts pics of her decor I just swoon. I love it! And I think the biggest difference between her stuff and other white decor that I love is the floors. Her floor is painted white. Someday I am going to have a white painted floor. Somewhere. Even if it's only in my sewing room someday. You see, my husband likes wood. I like wood too, I just like mine with a beautiful, gorgeous coat of white paint! But getting my main floors painted white will probably be too much of a stretch. And I'm fine with that - I like my natural hardwood pretty well :)

I really don't remember where I got this one and the one below. I'm thinking probably Remodelista.

Glad for Pinterest now to eliminate this problem. But I still have all these cool photos saved on my computer. ( you know I really like what they used those old bed springs for. Might have to be on the lookout for old bed springs! What a cool inspiration board. And I just know my hubby would be SO impressed)

Love the industrial look, the white floor, the glass domes over the delectable desserts...

What's NOT to love!?! I want to go to this resaurant. Too bad I don't know where it is...

Totally off topic but Sis this one is for you. It's not the original photo I had in mind but the graveled area and grassed center is the idea I thought you should use when you get to the landscaping stage!!!!!

Just my opinion though, so don't feel pressured. :)

Labels: french larkspur, painted floors, remodelista, victoria magazine, white, white paint

Some things I Made

Diaper Bag for a gal who had her baby early this year. I had this finished right before Christmas.

Ribbon Detail

Inside of Diaper Bag

Bag I made for my Mom. She bought the fabric several months ago for this and for the one below for my sister. I finally managed to get at them and make them right before Christmas.