Projects

I have a lot of ongoing projects that I have been meaning to share with you. I don't have any updated pics of the house projects, but we are still in the middle of a playroom renovation (turning our old breakfast nook into LB's space), refinishing the stairs and putting up the reed fencing. I finished the herb garden, with the exception of the mulching. Once that is complete I will post pics of it. The perennial garden is looking awesome, if I do say so myself. The Bee Balm, Jacob's Ladder and Baby's Breath are all in bloom. I also have a new addition to the shade garden. I found an old ladder back chair with a cane seat that is coming apart on the curb in my neighborhood. I brought it home and put it in the fern garden. It has an old kettle with English Ivy growing out of it on the seat. I know this sounds ratty, but it really does look nice. I guess I'm going to have to take pictures to prove it. Anyway, that's what's going on with the house and yard.

Because I'm a glutton for punishment, I have many other crafty-type projects going on as well. I still haven't hemmed the dress I made for LB. She might grow out of it before I get around to this! There is also a patchwork skirt and coordinating halter top in the works for her. And then I bought some gorgeous fabric the other day to make yet another skirt for her. I wasn't planning to make another one, but I couldn't pass up this tree fabric that I found at Joann's. I haven't yet landed on a pattern, but I found several free ones online that are interesting and appear to be fairly straightforward. I randomly bought some additional fabric at the Nearly New Shop in the Highlands. Nearly New is a nicer thrift store that only accepts well cared for clothing and items for the home. I found some vintage dresses that I would have loved to purchase, a bed frame that was adorable, two modern armchairs and some wooden serving plates. Alas, as I am being financially responsible, I didn't buy any of them. I walked out of there with a 50 cent piece of fabric. It's roughly half of a yard and super cool. I don't yet know what I'll do with it, but isn't that the way it goes? I'm leaning toward a small purse with a cane handle, at the moment. So those are potential projects just barely in the works. I have actually been working on some things. I finished the bag for my mom, but I forgot to photograph it before giving it to her. It was made from the paisley fabric I posted a few days ago. She left for the beach this morning and I made the bag large enough to be a beach bag and stuffed a huge bright pink beach towel down in it. I'm still not done with the orange project, but I have started another one. I taught myself to make granny squares using a tutorial from Crochet Cabana. I'm planning to make an afghan from these yarns and, perhaps, a third. This is obviously my first one, so I'll let you know how tortuous the process is.

Then I've also been working on my cards for my shop. What I intended to be a paper goods shop has quickly turned into a card shop. I need to make some albums and embellishments. Anyway, here's a sneak peak at a couple of the new items. I'll be listing them this week. If you decide to buy one or both of them, I'll take 10% off of the price (before shipping). Just put "sneak peak" in the message to seller when you make the purchase.

Signing off...check back later this week for a new gift guide.

In Progress

I have just not been motivated to blog for the past few days. I don't know what it is. You know how I love to talk! I guess a lot is going on, but nothing much is going on at the same time. So, I decided to share a few things that are "in progress." The first one is a little depressing and involves poop. Yes, I said it. Poop. While a few years ago this would have been an inappropriate subject for conversation, as soon as I became a mommy, poop suddenly figured large in my life. Well, for the past few months, it has taken an even larger portion of my time and thoughts. LB is having a lot of trouble doing it. At first we thought it was purely psychological. Her doctor recommended prune juice, graham crackers and then Miralax. They made her lose control of her bowels. We were left with no option but to use glycerin suppositories every three days. Yes, we've been doing this for a couple of months. It's terrible. She hates it and gets so upset and then it causes her a lot of pain to actually go. She always looks so betrayed. Well, the doctor is ready to take action. Tomorrow my baby girl has to have a barium enema. Yes, you read correctly. My two year-old has to go through this. Can you imagine? So I have begun to educate her on her digestive system. I know this sounds crazy, but it was my dad's idea. Take it up with him if you disagree. It does seem to be helping some. I explained how it all works and then we practice how she will lay on the table. At the very least, she will know what is happening when it starts. Hopefully, tomorrow we will have some answers.

Okay, now on to the happy stuff. I've been working on some sewing projects lately, but I can't show them all to you. I've been making some gifts and I don't want to give away the surprise. However, I can give you some peeks. In a week or so, I can give you a full look at what I have been working on. I'll also photograph some really cute fabric that I got to make a skirt for LB. I'm excited. It will be my first, so it should be interesting. I made both without patterns. I guess I sew like I cook, huh?

Finally, I have a progress report on Molly and her training. Having a puppy is sort of like having a newborn. Everyone has an opinion or advice. There are different schools of thought on raising and training a puppy. People can bristle if you don't agree with their method. We're taking a course at PetSmart with some success. Our trainer described her teaching style as comparable to the Waldorf style of teaching children. I thought this was amazing, as I am a proponent of such alternative forms. However, when my mother-in-law visited this weekend, she informed us that Molly was running the house and our lives. She made a few suggestions about teaching Molly that she is not the leader of the pack. So, we've settled on a combination of the two methods. This might sound contradictory, but I think it is really going to work for us. We've already seen some improvement in her behavior. She was already ringing a bell to go out, but now she isn't pulling as much when we walk her and isn't mouthing my hands and arms as often. She can also "sit" and "shake" and does fairly well with "take it, leave it." Now we're working on "stay," as we continue to work on the other skills. I included a cute picture of LB and Molly on our way to training. Check back tomorrow for a special feature!

This and That

I've been doing a bit of this and that today, laundry, reading, sewing, listing, blogging and on and on. I'm sewing a rag quilt bag for my stepmother for her crochet supplies. She enjoys taking her work along when she travels or just goes to the doctor, so I thought it would be nice if she had something nice to take along with her. This was supposed to be a birthday gift in March and then a Mother's Day gift this month, but, as usual, I am woefully behind. Although, fortunately, I am not full of woe. I am feeling jealous this week. My sister/brother-in-law and niece are at the beach. LB hasn't yet been and I would love to take her. However, we've dedicated all of our vacation time this year to camping and home repairs, renovations. We still have yet to finish the stairs or the playroom. We've been doing a lot of work outside and neglecting the projects we began inside. This is normal for us; we are easily distracted. We are planning to go to Blackwater Falls for our camping trip this month, Mammoth Cave in July and Cumberland Falls in August. We love Blackwater and would move to Davis if we could, but haven't yet been to the two other places. BTW, the picture is of Paige, Jeff and Mea at the beach. Paige is seven months pregnant and looks at least 10 times better in a bikini than I do right now! Mea loves it and is often heard screaming, "I love the beach!"

On to other news...the 10/10/10 challenge is going really well. Everyone seems to be sticking to the parameters. I have really enjoyed getting to know some of the members of the Etsy Greetings Street Team and seeing all of their work. There are so many people on etsy that it is impossible to view everything. I posted my item of the day this morning:

Fabric Thank You Cards



Today I have decided to feature Cara's Scrap 'N Stamp Art. She has a huge selection in her shop, with a variety of products. This is her most recent listing:

Baby's Christening Card



And this is my favorite listing in her shop:

Premade Baby Boy Onesie Scrapbook Album



Please take the time to check out her shop, as well as the shops of the other challenge participants!

Books I'm Reading

Yes, I'm reading a cookbook. I love reading cookbooks generally, but this one is full of stories that are associated with each recipe or section of recipes. Most of them relate to the origins of the recipe or to the small town where Crescent Dragonwagon once ran a Bed and Breakfast and developed many of these recipes. I haven't read enough to justify a full on review, but, so far, the book is really entertaining and the recipes look wonderful. Most of them are simple and don't require specialized ingredients. I can't wait to try her version of wilted lettuce! Here's an excerpt from the publisher's comments:

"Introducing a new voice in vegetarian cooking. Packed with 1,000 recipes that are seductive, sexy, and utterly delicious, Passionate Vegetarian covers all the bases of meatless cooking, from east (Stir Fry of Asparagus with Black Bean-Ginger Sauce), west (Talk of the Town Barbecued Tofu), from the Mediterranean (Swiss Chard with Raisins, Onions & Olives) to the American South (Black-Eyed Pea Ragoût). You'll find lush lasagnas, plump pierogies, bountiful burgers, beans, and breads, pleasing pasta and pies. You'll spoon up soups and stews, and delight in desserts from simple to swoonworthy."

Okay, so I haven't officially started this book, but I'm going to start today. It looks really good and I haven't read something like this in a long while. I'll try to keep you updated as I get into it. Here's a publisher's comments excerpt:

"First Darling of the Morning is the powerful and poignant memoir of bestselling author Thrity Umrigar, tracing the arc of her Bombay childhood and adolescence from her earliest memories to her eventual departure for the United States at age twenty-one. It is an evocative, emotionally charged story of a young life steeped in paradox; of a middle-class Parsi girl attending Catholic school in a predominantly Hindu city; of a guilt-ridden stranger in her own land, an affluent child in a country mired in abysmal poverty. She reveals intimate secrets and offers an unflinching look at family issues once considered unspeakable as she interweaves two fascinating coming-of-age stories—one of a small child, and one of a nation."

I just started this one yesterday. I love Heather Armstrong's blog, "dooce." She's irreverent and goofy and doesn't hold back on any subject. The book is a collection of essays she edited. She asked other bloggers to write about fatherhood. Some wrote about their fathers, others wrote about their experiences as fathers and the remaining ones wrote about their husbands as fathers. I think many of us tend to forget that fatherhood is a journey and an adjustment for the new father.
I'm not so much reading this book "Bend the Rules Sewing" as I am perusing it intently. I have many projects marked, but we'll see if I get to any of them. Hopefully, I will! I'll let you know if I try any. I suggest anyone with an interest in sewing check out this book. It is full of relatively simple projects with clear instructions.

I am sticking with my challenge, thanks to my husband. Last night close to midnight he photographed three more cards for me. Whew! Here's today's listing:

Grumpy Owl on a Branch