Thinking Ahead.

I'm starting school again this Friday, and I am really, really excited about it! It will be pretty intensive though, as I am enrolled in a two year course and I'm planning to finish it in only one. There's a reason for our time crunch, one that I'll get to another day. Anyway, in additon to that, I also got hired to facilitate a series of parent workshops (Lunch N Learns, per se) at a local children's playcenter. I'm also making a delivering meals to three new moms over the coming weeks. Oh, and I'm running a meeting for the local MOMS Club (I'm the co-president) and will be forming playgroups for the entire club. This is adding up to a real "EEK" on my part...I wasn't planning to put quite so much on my plate at once!

One of my bigger concerns, apart from just keeping the house running, is how will I get to any crafting during the next few months? I'm finding more and more that sewing, stamping, scrapbooking...it really has become my therapy and method of release. I'll just wither if I can never get to it.

So, in the spirit of planning ahead, I spent the snowy afternoon today preparing these little craft bags for myself...I made about 5 so far. Each one includes a pattern, and all the material already cut to complete it. In a few I also added the matching thread, buttons, whatever embellishments I might want, etc. This way, when the mood strikes, my babes are sleeping, my studying is done, and the stars are perfectly aligned, I can just take out a bag and whip it together quickly. I'm going to try to do the same thing with my scrapbooking, and set up a few layouts ahead of time so that I can put them together at a later date.

What do you think?

Amy Butler In Town Bag!

Here is another In Town bag that I just finished last night. I prepped by cutting out the pieces the day before during naptime, and was able to sew the bag together during Deal or No Deal pretty quickly. Since the hubby was on business, my sewing time is usually at night when I am feeling lonely. This bag kept me company and made me quite happy!

The stiching got a tiny bit wonky at the end, because I used really thick and sturdy interfacing. I don't know why she doesn't call for interfacing with the pattern, using only cotton or mid weight fabric is going to give you a really floppy bag without any interfacing to hold it up. Anyway. Here is the lining:

I am going to use it this weekend when I am diaper bag-less. Ooohwee!

Matching and Musing

I am in love wit all things matching...hence, this picture. I love to see the boys in matching outfits, and Grandma Rose was kind enough to get them these cute arm chairs for Christmas. They like to sit in them and read books next to each other, or just look out the window while I'm getting breakfast ready...whatever. I think it's cute the way even the baby has figured out which chair is his, and always remembers to sit in the right one. Hmmm, maybe it's because his big brother has a HUGE tantrum the few times he arrived to find someone in "his" chair?

Musings on slippers, and friends.

These are the sweet slippers that have been keeping my big boys feet warm for the past two weeks. The little one has a matching pair too, but it's harder to get him to sit still for a picture! "Friend" doesn't really serve Jenn justice, for her place in my life is deeper than that. "Best Friend"? Seems like it delineates her amongst others, and categorizes her...which is far less than she deserves. To me, the most appropriate label for our sweet benefactor is sister. She's really like a sister that God forgot to give me, or rather sent to me when the time was right. It's interesting the way people drift in and out of our lives for one reason or another...and the way others, just a few, stay with us, forever. It's like that for Jenn and me...we've shared some of the biggest joys and sorrows of our lives so far with each other. It's amazing how even though we live far away from each other now, we are as close, if not closer, than we ever were. We speak almost daily - our phone bills thankfully cover unlimited long distance!

Anyway, she knitted these fabulous slippers for the boys for the holidays...from the LTK Pattern. I tried to replicate these because I was so in love with them, so I ordered the pattern and sat down with my grandma to have her help me. Well, the one that she and I did together came out perfectly...but when I got home and did the other bootie by myself it came out far different than the first one! I was trying to make them for a friend who just had a new baby girl...I'm pretty sure that baby Izabella's feet are the same size...even if the booties aren't!

Jenn inspires me to knit...even though I'm pretty bad at it. I love the way she motivates me to try to do better, be better, live better.

New Year's Resolutions

I know that you're supposed to start your New Year's resolutions on January 1st, but things were busy around here and I haven't gotten to implementing most of them yet. But here is my list:
1. Lose 10 pounds (isn't this on almost everyone's list?)
2. Exercise 4 days a week (see item above)
3. Recycle more (this was on last year's list too, and I have done a lot better)
4. Floss twice a day (embarassingly enough, there are days when I barely manage to brush twice a day...ewwww.)
5. Take 15 minutes a day for yoga/meditation.

I'm Back!

Here I am! I am re-inventing my blog, and will focus mostly on posting our crafting and projects that the boys and I are working on. Don't expect to see very many clear face shots of them anymore, since Daddy has filled Mommy with fear that there are pedophiles and weird folks spending hours on the internet searching blogs. But - here's a shout out to Filling My Quiver - WE MISS YOU!!!